This summer the Arctic ice cap melted to its lowest level since satellites started measurements in 1979.

The Arctic summer sea ice shrank by more than 20 per cent below the previous 2005 record low in mid-September to 4.13 million sq km (1.6 million sq miles). The one million square miles of open water is the equivalent of the size of six Californias.

Most scientists – and now business leaders – point to the rising concentrations of greenhouse gases linked to global warming for this unprecedented melting.

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives weighed in on the topic in a report released October 1 saying climate change is “the most pressing and daunting issue” facing Canada today.

Aggressive global action is needed to meet the challenge of climate change, said the organization. It called for a national plan of action with governments, industry and consumers working together for shared goals.
However, while we’re waiting for this national plan to develop, there is much we can do as individuals and businesses to achieve greenhouse gas reductions in our own communities.

The fastest (and most cost effective) way to reduce our global warming pollution is simply use less energy.
This is commonly known as conservation, but it doesn’t mean going without. It really means being more efficient with the energy we do use.

Not only is energy efficiency common sense, it also saves money. You pay less because you’re using less energy to do the same job. With smarter technology we can have sustainable economies while using less and less energy.
This is a new and bold idea – a Eureka moment. Like a light bulb turning on.

Speaking of light bulbs, our obsession with lighting gobbles up 20 per cent of our household energy bill.
According to Natural Resources Canada, an average Canadian home has 30 light fixtures that consume an estimated $200 worth of electricity each year. This can be halved by maximizing your use of daylight, choosing the right light fittings and bulbs, and remembering to turn lights off when you don’t need them.

One of the smartest and greenest technologies to come along in recent years is the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb. CFLs are four times as efficient as incandescent bulbs, representing a whopping 300 per cent increase in efficiency. They also last six to 15 times longer, with typical life spans of 10,000 hours.

CFLs need to be replaced much less frequently than incandescent lights, saving you both time and money. CFLs manufactured by Philips are rated the best by The Carbon Buster’s Home Energy Handbook.

On average, every time you use an energy saving light bulb, you save the planet from 20 kg of climate changing carbon dioxide.

Incandescent light bulbs were invented in 1878 and really don’t belong in the 20th century. Only five to 10 per cent of the electricity they consume is emitted as light; the rest is wasted as heat.

If you’re still using regular light bulbs, they should always be turned off as soon as they’re not needed. On the other hand, many people agree CFLs are only worth turning off if you’re leaving the room for more than 15 minutes, as they take more energy to start up.

Lighting Fast Fact: According to Environment Canada, if every house in Canada replaced just one 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 15-watt CFL with an Energy Star label, we’d save over $73 million in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 397,000 tonnes – equivalent to taking more than 66,000 cars off the road each year!

A broken or used CFL should not be thrown in the recycling bin or the landfill as it does contain a minute amount of mercury, about 5 to 10 milligrams. A watch battery contains 25 milligrams and a silver dental filling contains 500 milligrams by comparison. Check with your municipality for advice on where you can recycle fluorescent bulbs.

Shop around for your CFLs – many stores have sales or instant rebates on the bulbs. Also don’t forget to check with your local electrical utility. Many of them have rebate programs for the purchase of CFLs.

Writer Tanya Ha says a technology that lights up a laptop computer screen is being adapted to light our homes. Called the “cold cathode” light bulb, it uses 90 per cent less energy and lasts up to 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Expect to see them in the near future.

There is tremendous unrealized economic potential in energy conservation and energy efficiency. Changing your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents is a great place to start saving lighting energy.

You’ll deposit up to $76 of electricity savings in the bank over the life of one 23-watt CFL bulb. Why not switch a dozen or more?

RESOURCES – The Canadian Council of Chief Executives report Clean Growth: Building a Canadian Environmental Superpower was released on October 1. It can be found on the organization’s web site.

If you want to learn more about reducing your personal greenhouse gas emissions, check out the following books: Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada by Adria Vasil and published by Vintage Canada; The Carbon Buster’s Home Energy Handbook by Godo Stoyke, published by New Society Publishers; The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook by David De Rothschild, published by Rodale Inc.; and Greeniology: How to Live Well, Be Green and Make a Difference by Tanya Ha and published by Penguin Canada.

Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency has an informative question and answer web page about compact fluorescents.