First Nations lead in off-grid solar
Off-grid solar in Canada, climate's insidious health risks, and butterfly balconies and lawns
GOOD NEWS
The Ulkatcho First Nation in central British Columbia plans to build what officials have dubbed “the largest off-grid solar farm” in Canada. Currently, the community of 1,500 in Anahim Lake get all their power from diesel fuel, which is both expensive and polluting. ”We believe that solar energy will be the source of our ability, for a lot of our families, to live off the grid,” says Ulkatcho Chief Lynda Price.
The 30-acre (12 hectare) solar farm will provide 64 percent of the community’s electricity after it is completed, allowing the community to cut their diesel use by more than a million litres each year! It will also give them a more reliable energy source, as truckloads of diesel sometimes can’t reach the remote community due to poor weather and road conditions, leaving the community in the dark.
“We’re all the knowledge keepers of the land. We know every mountain, we know every tree, we know every metal, we know all the animals, we know where they hang out,” said Corrine Cahoose, one of their elected councilors. ”We have to be the stewards of that land. We have to protect in every way, and this project is one of the ways.”
NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS
Most people understand how climate change increases the risk of heatwaves—but “it may be the far more numerous unremarkably hot days that cause the bulk of societal destruction,” writes Jisung Park, an environmental and labor economist at the University of Pennsylvania. Days with “moderately elevated temperatures” in the 80s and 90s cause as many excess deaths as scorching days, his analysis of Medicare records shows.
Wildfires, too, have consequences beyond just what the flames do. A new study shows that wildfire smoke could kill as many as 30,000 additional people a year in the U.S. by 2050. This is not only a future issue: it’s already happening right now. Last year, tens of thousands of people around the globe died in climate-change-induced weather events – and that’s likely an under-estimate.
How we fare depends on our decisions at both the individual and the systemic level. “Whether a hot day leads to mild discomfort or widespread mortality comes down to human decisions — individual decisions such as whether to install and operate air-conditioning and collective decisions around the pricing and availability of insurance, the allocation of hospital beds or the procedures and norms governing how and when people work,” Park says.
INSPIRATION + WHAT YOU CAN DO
Planting a pollinator-friendly lawn supports biodiversity, but it also helps the climate too. Healthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change, and greening urban areas cools them by reducing the local heat island effect.
If you have a grass lawn, consider a “Slow Mow Summer.” A recent study that found that even just letting your grass grow longer attracts anywhere between 18 to 93 percent more butterflies to your yard. “To make an impact on the biodiversity crisis we need to be creating places where butterflies and other wildlife can breed. [Letting grass grow] is simple, doesn’t cost anything and saves you time and effort,” said Dr Richard Fox, the head of science at Butterfly Conservation and a co-author of the study. It doesn’t even have to be the whole lawn – a patch will help!
What if you only have a balcony? Priyanka Singh lives on the 13th floor of a high-rise apartment building in Mumbai. There’s not a lot of nature around: or so you’d think, until she planted a butterfly garden on her balcony. She cultivates lantana, curry leaves, Jamaican spike, Ixora, Meswak, and Patharchatta, all on her balcony. These provide food for butterflies, places to lay eggs, and habitat for caterpillars to grow.
Priyanka has observed around 17-18 different species of butterflies visiting her balcony garden over the past ten years. These include species such as the Baron, Leopard, Painted Lady, Indian Palm Bob, Common Jezebel, and Common Grass Yellow for nectaring. Additionally, butterflies like the Red Pierrot, Lime Blue, Lime Swallowtail, Blue Tiger, and Small Salmon Arab have used her garden for egg-laying and their lifecycle. In total, she has studied around 55-60 different species of butterflies from her residential wild area and the podium garden plants during the monsoon season.
Her dedication has rightfully earned her the title “The Butterfly Mom.” You can follow Priyanka on Instagram or visit her on Facebook here- she often shares tips that can help you in your own quest to bring butterflies to your garden.
These are climate and biodiversity solutions that people can see, right in front of them, in the places where they live. So if anyone asks you what’s going on with your lawn or your balcony, don’t miss the chance to start a conversation about why climate change matters and what we can (all) do about it!
Canada is slowly leaning into renewable energy and alternative ways to produce power. Sadly, there is still a long way to go. Governments aren’t super helpful and there remain a ton of barriers to renewable energy. That being said there are pockets of innovation and lots to look forward to.
Love your last point. I think people are becoming more and more open about these things as they start to feel the effects of climate change themselves. Small wins matter!