Our Climate Reality

By Sean Magee, Bullfrog Power

We are more certain than ever that human activities are driving global warming and climate change. The evidence is all around us: carbon emissions in the atmosphere are the highest they have ever been; severe weather events are happening more frequently (floods, droughts, fires); ice around the globe is disappearing (Arctic, Antarctic and glaciers); temperature records for the hottest days, months, years and decades since we started recording temperatures are all increasing. These are just a few highlights from all the data available, and they are quite daunting. However, there is a window of opportunity to mitigate the worst impacts of human-caused climate change, but we must act quickly – at least that’s what the IPCC stated in their most recent report. And we have all the reason to believe we can!

The accelerating growth of the renewable energy sector around the world is just one great indicator of the speed of and size of the change that is underway. 2010 was the first year that global private investment in renewable energy exceeded that of the fossil fuel industry, and this kind of investment continues to grow. As well, the speed of growth has far exceed expectations. The global renewable energy sector grew seven times faster than expected between 2000 and 2011. The solar industry is even more impressive: by 2010 it grew 17 times faster than was expected in 2002!

But for you and me, the question remains: what can I do? This is where green energy and investing in community power come into play. By choosing 100% green energy from Bullfrog Power (bullfrogpower.com), Canada’s 100% green energy provider, you can green your home’s electricity and natural gas. When you sign up, Bullfrog Power’s generators inject 100% clean, green energy onto our energy systems to match the amount of electricity or natural gas your home uses. By greening your power with Bullfrog, you eliminate your  home’s emissions footprint. You also support the development of new green energy projects through our Bullfrog Builds program. Through this program, Bullfrog provides critical financial support to community-based green energy projects in Canada. Choosing Bullfrog is a great way to support the global trend toward renewable energy.

Another way to help is to join a local renewable energy cooperative like the Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative OREC (ottawarenewablenergycooperative.ca). This option is about impact investing. When you become a member of a coop like OREC, you are supporting the development of new renewable energy, and you get a return.

Given what we know today about human-caused climate change, it is imperative that we all take action to reduce carbon emissions immediately. Every little bit counts, and the window for taking action is shrinking rapidly. The time for action is now, and the options are clear. Now, what will you do?