The WWF Canada is once again celebrating National Sweater Day presented by Loblaw Companies Limited on February 9, 2012. Everyone is encouraged to turn down their thermostat and throw on a sweater to reduce residential heating. The WWF claims “If every Canadian turned down their thermostat by two degrees Celsius each winter, 2.2 megatonnes of carbon dioxide could be saved every year – equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off the road.” Obviously energy conservation is a huge part of fighting climate change, so participating in this event would be a great way to help the environment!
Ummm. In our house, we don’t wait for Feb. 9. We are doing the sweater thing right now because the heating costs in Ontario are crazy!
Hubby and I wear sweaters too. How about a National turn down the air con day too? I’ve got a couple of friends who have to wear a sweater in their offices in the summer because the air con is cranked so hign. David Suzuki would not approve:)
FYI: If you turn down your thermostat by two degrees it will be colder in your house. With more than 800 million passenger vehicles on the road, 350,000 is a drop in the bucket. Sorry, I’d prefer to live in relative comfort in the winter, NOT use air conditioning in the summer, and if necessary, lead some kind of attack on China — whose toxic omissions far surpass that of us frigid Canadians. Who’s with me?
I keep my heat at 68F and in Manitoba winters that’s cold enough, any lower and my water pipes in the dugout freeze. I do keep lights off or on low in the evening unless I am reading or knitting. I use the slow cooker alot! I don’t have a/c but I do have ceiling fans because we are passive solar and it can get above 90F in the house in the summer. I do have to use a car because we’re in the country, but I do plan my trips so there is no backtracking and try doubling and tripling up tasks in town whenever I can. Sometimes I have to drive to Wg and I have had 3–4 specialist appts in one day to save on gas … its a bit hard on me but hey!
I’d like to see all those with dishwasher only use them 2xs a week, assuming you have a family of course … I don’t own one well unless you count me …
Everyone is responsibe to do something to help out the environment! and a side affect … you might be healthier! lol
Ralph, that’s the problem with the world. No one is willing to take responsibility for anything. Just because 350,000 is “a drop in the bucket” doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t start off with that number and start doing this and increasing our efforts. Although China is also a big emittor, finger pointing isn’t going to get us anywhere. If you really are looking at China, may you should know that they are also investing in more green technology than we are right now. We here in North America are lazy. Anyways, I will be participating and my children will too, they are quite excited about it
My BF refuses to wear sweater in the house. He only wears short sleeves t-shirts and boxer all year along in the house.
I gave up on convincing him…
I heart sweater day — makes my chest hair fit right in
Good point TF. Your finger pointing clearly illustrates the problems posed by finger pointing. I respectfully disagree that finger pointing gets us nowhere. Finger pointing, due to its pointiness, suggests a vicinity in which to place blame or show direction, even if it means pointing this pointiness at oneself. Or, in your case, pointing at someone else that is pointing at China, when she should be pointing at herself. Some pointers of note: Christopher Columbus (“Hey! There’s America!”), John Travolta (on the dance floor), and Queen Elizabeth II (when being shown where to sign the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms). Yeah, I’m fine with it. I think you get the point.
Gnorman — your sentence structure actually means that “finger pointing gets us somewhere”. Turning the heat down will do the same.