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1 scic comic series saskatchewan council for international cooperation MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL #7 ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

2 Millennium Development Goal # 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability What is environmental sustainability and why is it necessary? Globally, we are using more of the world s resources every year than we can sustain. Currently, North Americans make up 5% of the world s population, but consume a third of the world s resources. If everyone in the world lived the way average North Americans live, we would need several planets to sustain us. Think about this: if the 900 million people who live in slums or the 1.2 billion people who live on less than $1 per day are going to climb out of poverty and use even slightly more of the world s resources...then we in North America need to dramatically reduce our consumption rates and our waste. Quick enviro facts Forests Canada s Boreal Forest covers 53% of the country, contains the majority of Canada s plant and animal species and is the world s main source of industrial wood and wood pulp. Only 8% of Canada s Boreal is officially protected from industrial activity. 80% of the world s old growth forest has been lost to human activity. Water The average Canadian household generates about 1.5 million litres of waste water every year. The average load in an automatic dishwasher uses 35 to 45 litres of water. It takes 7,000 litres (1,850 gallons) of water to refine one barrel of crude oil. Energy and greenhouse gas emissions Canada is the largest consumer of energy and the secondlargest producer of greenhouse gas emissions On a per capita basis. 43% of personal greenhouse gas emissions in Saskatchewan come from cars. It takes 130 trees to absorb the carbon dioxide emitted from just one car every year. Sources: Regina Ecoliving s Ecoliving: Your Guide to Sustainable Living, Briarpatch Magazine www. briarpatchmagazine.com; David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Rainforest Action Network, scic saskatchewan council for international cooperation

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7 Putting the U in Sustainability 5 ways to live more sustainably: 1. reduce, re-use, recycle! Of these three, reducing your consumption is by far the most important. (Recycling uses energy too!) In order to reduce your consumption, watch for products with little packaging, and choose durable over disposable. Bring reusable bags, water bottles, travel mugs, and take-out containers with you whenever possible. Buy second-hand clothes and other items. And, most importantly, avoid buying anything you don t need! 2. Walk, bike or bus to school or work. 3. Use whole, locally-produced organic, and/or meat-free foods whenever you can. (especially in your own back yard or patio!) Avoid prepared foods that require additional energy and resources to process, package, and transport. Some Canadian Environmental Organizations to join/volunteer with: Sierra Youth Coalition (SYC) is the youth arm of the Sierra Club of Canada - a national youth environmental coalition whose groups operate out of high schools, universities and communities. Contact: Regina Eco-Living is a non-profit organization whose focus is to increase environmental sustainability, protect the environment and promote a healthy and viable community. Contact: Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) wants a world in which all needs can be met in sustainable ways. They provide information, develop policy recommendations and engage in action projects. Contact: Hey, there are LOTS of other great organizations doing great work on environmental issues. Be sure to look around for a group that suits you or contact us for more suggestions and ideas! 4. Turn down your heat in the winter and turn off or unplug your appliances and electrical equipment when you are not using them. 5. Place a water displacement device in your toilet tank (such as a plastic bottle filled with water). This saves up to five litres a flush. And, of course, not flushing sometimes ("If it s yellow let it mellow " ) is one of the best ways to save water in your home. scic saskatchewan council for international cooperation

8 scic saskatchewan council for international cooperation Credits: Comic art work: Rebecca Langer Comic Storyline: Ali Lake This comic is part of an ongoing project of SCIC Youth. Comics will be produced for each of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Please watch for future issues with new characters in the coming months! Please contact us for more information or to order copies: SCIC Regina 2138 McIntyre St. Regina, SK. S4P 2R7 Ph: (306) SCIC Saskatoon #501, nd St.E. Saskatoon, SK S7K 0E9 Ph: (306) The millennium development goals At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 Governments signed the Millennium Declaration on behalf of the countries they represented. Eight millennium development goals were adopted, committing rich and poor countries to work together in a global partnership to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure that all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and protect the environment all by Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development UN Targets for MDG #7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020