How these Saskatoon residents are using personal climate goals to drive positive change

From drought to destructive flooding across the country, 2021 awakened some people to the fact that climate change is real and a problem to deal with now. 

For anyone feeling overwhelmed and looking for ideas on where to start, CBC Saskatoon Morning is profiling people taking climate action — both big and small— in the Actions to Inspire series.

All of them hope their changes will inspire others to do the same. 

From a man retrofitting his house to become energy-efficient to a university student who is fired up to electrify a classic truck from his grandfather, here are some of the actions they are taking.

Climate goal: electrify a truck

Old trucks are notorious gas guzzlers. Myles Wright, an electrical engineering student at the University of Saskatchewan, says he'll save thousands at the pumps by electrifying a hand-me-down 1980s Dodge half ton he got from his grandfather. 

The truck had a bunch of engine problems. Wright saw an opportunity to align two of his climate goals: to own an electric vehicle and not to have to buy it new.

"The best part about this project is that it's not as wasteful as buying a new car because it's about repurposing and actually trying to be better for the environment by reusing what was already there and changing just the powertrain," he told Saskatoon Morning's Leisha Grebinski.

LISTEN | Host Leisha Grebinski speaks with Miles Wright on Saskatoon Morning 

When it comes to climate actions, Wright said it's not hard to transition to being environmentally friendly once you've put in the work on the front end. In this case, the work will take an investment of about 1,400 hours and about $18,000. In the long-term, he expects to save $200 per month on gasoline and will only be able to drive it in summer.

Wright said a lot of people think electric cars are like unicorns — magical things that don't really work. He hopes seeing his truck in action will have a snowball effect by proving electric to be a good investment.

Climate goal: retrofit a house

Building to code isn't good enough for Jim Clifford. He is not impressed with the environmental standards that were in place when his home was built in 2013.

After a few years of taking steps like putting up solar panels on his home and buying an inexpensive used electric vehicle, Clifford is ready to retrofit his house.

His family is adding insulation and improving the seal to a hatch in the attic.

With about $10,000 needed for the project, the financial investment is relatively low.

Clifford said he's aware that actions like these are not going to make a huge dent in global greenhouse gas emissions. 

"You're not going to change the course of history," he said. "Individual actions get us really nowhere, but individual actions where we talk about it and build community around changing our behaviour … if we share this with other members of the community we start to build that snowball effect."

He's already seen this happen. Clifford's neighbours bought an electric vehicle after his family bought theirs.

Climate goal: compassion

"Our house is on fire so you have to do something about it."

Kira Judge said she has long felt that sentiment toward the environment. It's why she volunteers with Saskatoon Cycles and chooses to bike almost everywhere she goes.

Recently, she's noticed more people in her friend circle who are realizing that she bikes by choice, not due to poverty. Rather than perceiving that negatively, she said it feels like an awakening for people around her.

"I am going to be extra compassionate for those people who are finally recognizing that our environment is what we have and we have to be kind to it as well," Judge said.

Judge said she understands that a lot of people were living in denial because information put out about greenhouse gases and climate change has been, at times, intentionally confusing.

"One thing that I am contributing as a conscious being is not to judge others where they are," she said.

Climate goal: community gardening

Clarenz Salvador said she values food security. This has inspired her to either start a community garden or volunteer at one in 2022.

"I feel like a big part of combating the climate crisis is providing food for people, especially those who are less fortunate," Salvador said.

The University of Saskatchewan student said a lot of people overlook the opportunity to provide more fruits and vegetables as a solution to climate change.

Climate goal: a few small steps

Saskatoon's Aditi Garg started taking a few small steps. By walking to work, she said she is literally taking steps in reducing her carbon footprint.

Pre-pandemic, she made a plan to reduce her vehicle emissions by 20 per cent in one year by swapping out the vehicle for a bike on the long trip from one Saskatoon suburb to another.

The pandemic led to her moving closer to work and jolted her climate goal into overdrive.

"I am walking everyday," she said.

As an educator, Garg discusses climate change often.

"The reality with the climate crisis is that we feel like a drop in the bucket sometime and that can lead to despair and hopelessness," she said.

To combat that feeling, she finds a desire for change by telling elected representatives that climate change is important to her. Since those officials can create regulations that industry and business need to follow.

"The people who can make a larger impact are the people we need to keep influencing," she said.