Clara Nennemann

I think ensuring that we have good public transit is  absolutely key to reduce the environmental impact of transportation. In Quebec, transportation is one of the biggest contributors to our carbon emissions. In order to help switch to the more ecological public transit and reduce these emissions, I think we need to create a culture of public transit. In North America, cars, particularly unecological ones, tend to be viewed as status symbols. If we can boast about taking public transit and start a cultural shift towards public transit, while simultaneously advocating for the necessary infrastructure, we would be able to considerably reduce emissions.

I have no real personal connection to farmland, however, my family has always tended to a small vegetable patch in our garden. I worry that with the decline in farmland, we will no longer be able to provide food for our growing population. Furthermore, the local decline of farmland means increased dependency on foreign production, which, as the war in Ukraine has shown, may be more fragile than we think.

When I was visiting British Columbia one year, I was shocked by the amount of clear cutting there was. It was unbelievable to think that 100 year old trees where being cut down to be transformed into pulp and paper. It really made me realize what an effect my choices as a consumer were having on the environment. Though previously I had always been aware of deforestation and the pulp and paper industry, seeing the scared landscape, the brown and clear cut slopes, made feel how real and urgent this issue was.