Americans could learn a few things about ways to “green” the environment by paying attention to the way ordinary citizens live in Canada. Canadians seem to be a frugal people compared to Americans. They drive smaller cars (in part because gasoline cost about $4 a gallon here), live in smaller homes, keep the thermostat low in their houses even in the cold weather months, and seem to eat simpler fare around the dinner table, often soup, salad and bread.
At grocery stores in Toronto, plastic bags for small purchases typically are offered only if you ask, and it’s not uncommon in cities like Montreal to see people walking down the sidewalk with say, a loaf of bread and apples. Recycle bins are strategically placed along the streets in the bigger cities, at railroad stations and at the airports. Bikes can be rented by the hour in many areas.
But like those in most countries, Canadians have sometimes stumbled in their quest to be eco-friendly. The railroad lines on Prince Edward Island were pulled up decades ago. It was probably assumed that people would prefer to drive their personal cars or take a plane, instead of getting on a crowded, sometimes slow-moving train. (So of course, PEI residents have no choice these days but to drive or fly). In parts of Nova Scotia, farmers are turning their cropland into vineyards to increase their profit. That has helped to send the price of basic foodstuffs soaring, since the cost to ship in food makes it much more expensive.
Canadians seem to care a lot about their beautiful country, resplendent with maple trees, majestic pines, mountain ranges, and the largest supply of freshwater in the world. Certainly, Canadians don’t have all the answers about how to best manage the environment. But it seems we could pick up a few lessons about ways to be better stewards of God’s creation by watching our neighbors north of the border.
