elissasmith.ca

I ask for forgiveness for my past climate crimes. I am currently spiritually agnostic but I went to confess my climate crimes in a Catholic Church the other day.

One of my 2005 Summer Conclusions was that “I will challenge myself to be as effective an organizer as possible while keeping within my sustainability values. For example, I will be aware of how much I fly, how environmentally harmful communication technology is, and where the funding for my projects comes from. I will strive to seek a balance between these awareness and my desire to be an effective organizer who is both efficient and working for global systematic change.”

I don’t know how to calculate accurately how many CO2 molecules I have emitted into the atmosphere since my birth but this handy internet tool has helped me to roughly calculate my flight emissions.

Return Flights

1. Toronto – Vancouver, Canada 0.73 Tonnes of CO2
2. Toronto – Edmonton, Canada 0.59 Tonnes of CO2
3. Toronto – Winnipeg, Canada 0.59 Tonnes of CO2
4. Toronto – Quebec City, Canada 0.18 Tonnes of CO2
5. Hamilton– Ottawa, Canada 0.11 Tonnes of CO2
6. Buffalo – New York City, U.S. 0.15 Tonnes of CO2
7. Toronto – London, U.K. 1.58 Tonnes of CO2
8. Toronto – Winnipeg, Canada 0.59 Tonnes of CO2
9. Toronto – Nairobi, Kenya 3.71 Tonnes of CO2
10. Ottawa – Victoria, Canada 0.78 Tonnes of CO2
11. Ottawa – Victoria, Canada 0.78 Tonnes of CO2
12. Montreal – Vancouver, Canada 0.80 Tonnes of CO2
13. Ottawa – Bangalore, India 3.70 Tonnes of CO2
14. Montreal – Hong Kong, China 3.39 Tonnes of CO
15. Toronto – Caracas, Venezuela 1.07 Tonnes of CO
16. Toronto – London, U.K. 1.58 Tonnes of CO2

Total = approx. 20.33 Tonnes of CO2 from airplanes alone!

It is clear that I need to seek a better balance. For me traveling is a dirty vice that I am having trouble expunging from my life. I tell myself that everything is about balance and moderation. That I emit less CO2 than the average Canadian because I am vegetarian, I don’t own a car, I try to use recycled goods as much as possible, I buy local produce and green energy and I’m responsible with the way I use electricity. That arguement don’t seem to cut it anymore….