Wild Insight

By Katarina Graves, 
Wildsight Invermere

Welcome to Wild Insight, Wildsight Invermere’s new corner of the Pioneer. As Wildsight Invermere’s Climate Change Resilience Coordinator, I work to develop ways for community members to get more involved in positive change around local environmental issues and foster a culture of stewardship in which we work together with nature.

This July, to celebrate the launch of our Climate Pledge program, we’re digging into the nitty gritty of how we get around in our day-to-day lives. In the Columbia Valley, the question of how we get from point A to B — whether that’s from home to school or work, the grocery store or the lake — is a crucial one because transportation is one of the three largest non-industrial sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our region. In B.C. as a whole, it’s the single largest source. It’s also one of the sources that we, as individuals, have a fair amount of influence over.

We know that the magnitude of the climate crisis can leave even the most stalwart feeling overwhelmed — and underqualified — to tackle such a huge issue. That’s why we designed the Climate Pledge as an uplifting action campaign that empowers participants to reduce personal and community GHG emissions in modest but meaningful ways. While you may not single-handedly be able to vanquish climate change by hopping on your bike instead of turning the key in your internal combustion-engine (ICE) vehicle, you can certainly contribute — and the more of us who do, the more impact we’ll have.

For instance, switching from an ICE vehicle to an electric vehicle (EV) can save the average Canadian driver (who travels 20,000 kilometres per year) as much as $2,000 per year on fuel alone — to say nothing of the fact that EV’s don’t require oil changes, coolant flushes, mufflers or exhaust systems. Your maintenance costs are all but guaranteed to tank. Moreover, as a happy consequence of Canada’s relatively ‘clean’ electricity grid, the average Canadian driver can reduce their vehicle GHG emissions by as much as 90 per cent when they make the switch. With the federal government offering up to a $5,000 incentive, and the provincial government doing the same, now certainly seems to be the time to get in on the electric lifestyle.

On that note, we’ll be kicking off the Climate Pledge this summer with an Electric Vehicle Show on July 24, our second — back by popular demand! From August 1 to 14, you can participate in the Green Commute Challenge. Finally, in the spirit of encouraging alternative transportation options, you can take advantage of our E-Bike Raffle, which is in full swing and ends on September 2. To learn more and to take the Climate Pledge, head to Wildsight.ca/ClimatePledge. You’ll also be able to sign-up for our newsletter, so you can stay in the loop about further events, activities and resources related to the Pledge.

Beyond individual lifestyle changes, however, I also want to emphasize that it’s critical for us to advocate to our local and regional governments for systemic, policy-level change. Initiatives like the District of Invermere’s Active Transportation Plan and Downtown Revitalization offer the much-needed chance to improve our pedestrian and cyclist-oriented infrastructure.

As summertime traffic escalates to big city frustration levels, we need to let our elected officials know that having safe, walkable and bikeable streets that make active commuting accessible and convenient are important to us. As the District of Invermere sets its strategic priorities for the year ahead this July, be sure to let Mayor and Council know that climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Columbia Valley can start with ensuring we go by foot, as often as we go by car.

Take the Climate Pledge at Wildsight.ca/ClimatePledge and be a part of the solution! We thank our program sponsors, Columbia Basin Trust and BC Hydro, for their support.