Science-Backed Resolutions for a Better BC

Make ‘em or break ‘em, new year’s resolutions are a hot topic this time of year.

With the help of five experts, we’ve compiled a list of resolutions for the planet that are so easy—and, in some cases, fun!—you'll enjoy sticking to them.

---

1. EAT PLANTS

A 2018 study out of Oxford University showed that meat and dairy production is responsible for sixty percent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, and that a “vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth.”

But what if your family of picky eaters is on a strict burgers-and-chicken-fingers diet?

“I recommend starting with Meatless Mondays or one meatless meal per day and going from there,” says Pamela Murkin, co-founder of BC-based EcoCooks, which brings plant-based cooking workshops to school-aged kids.

2. LIVE SMALLER

The Global Footprint Network estimates that if everyone on the planet lived the way Canadians do, we’d need 5.1 planets to sustain us. There are many factors that go into calculating that number – what we eat, how often we drive, how much we travel, and a biggie: the size of home we live in.

“People might already be living small, but they might be living small unhappily or resentfully,” says Alison Mazurek of the website 600sqft and a Baby, which celebrates small-space living and advocates for thoughtful, primarily minimal living and the reduced consumerism that goes along with it.

There are many ways Mazurek recommends achieving simplicity at home, like adopting the minimalist ideal of ‘One in, one out’ (as in, only buy something new to replace something old).

Her golden rule, though? “Focus on experiences over things,” she says.

It’s a sentiment backed by science: multiple studies conducted with thousands of research participants showed people are happier with experiential purchases over material ones.

3. GO ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Today, nearly 40% of Metro Vancouver’s greenhouse gas emissions come from cars, trucks and heavy-duty vehicles. One way to reduce that? Whenever possible, choose to walk, bike or take public transit. And as Thor Diakow, Senior Media Relations Advisor at TransLink suggests, if you’re not yet a frequent public transit user, begin by turning it into an adventure.

“Start with one day a week and take a transit journey to a community you haven’t been to,” says Diakow, who has two elementary school-aged kids. “Leave the car keys at home and walk out the front door. You don’t even have to plan it: let the kids pick. Look at a map of your area and have them point to where they want to go.”

A nature lover and avid birdwatcher, Diakow hopes experiences like these will help cultivate a culture of sustainability among the next generation.

4. BUY CIRCULAR

People in the Lower Mainland throw out an average of 44 million pounds of clothing every single year.

How long those clothes take to biodegrade depends on what they’re made of: polyester, for example, is estimated to take up to 200 years; organic materials like cotton will take less time, but as they decompose, they release methane gas, a major contributor to climate change.

That’s why Randa Salloum, founder of the consignment clothing shop Collective Will is a proponent of a circular economy.

“Even before you decide to go buy second-hand clothes or dabble in local small businesses, see what your friends and family have,” says Salloum. “A clothing swap is the easiest way to integrate [second-hand clothes] because it’s already coming from a trusted source and I find that people who are likely to borrow clothes are way more likely to transition into purchasing second-hand.”

Metro Vancouver has a list of resources for donating clothes in wearable and unwearable condition.

5. ACT LOCAL

Ultimately, the resolution that might just make the biggest impact on the planet is getting knowledgeable about the environmental and climate issues impacting your community and asking how you can plug into collective efforts to address them. 

“There are endless ways you can tap into things based on your interests, your skills and your time,” says Solaye Snider, Senior Canadian Digital Campaigner at environmental organization Stand.earth, which got its start with the conservation of old-growth coastal rainforests in BC in the 1990s and now focuses on large-scale solutions to climate and environmental issues around the world.

“That is the key takeaway for me – learn more about the local context and what you can do from where you are,” Snider says.

---

What resolution will you make for your community in 2024?

Visit Science World for inspiration! Our galleries and exhibits inspire connections with the natural, physical and built environments of BC.