If what our buddie Thomas said is true, it stands to reason that people need a good cause to choose to act.

I found a good one; maybe you’ll think so too. Here’s the scoop.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada has launched Pin it for the Planet.  It’s simple and broken down into 3 simple steps.  

1. Walk it (or bike it, bus it, board it…whatever!)
2. Track it (by telling WWF what you’ve done every day.)
3. Pin it (your car key. On your shirt. Do it) ps. Each time you report what you’ve done you are entered to win a great bike!

So that’s the breakdown, now I promised some good reasons to choose the “hard way”.

Since I work for (and believe in the importance of) a physical activity strategy let’s start there.

When you choose to drive less and employ active transportation to get around you’re incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle (which is awesome).

ParticipACTION has provided WWF with a great list of reasons, in terms of health, to Pin it for the Planet.

• Improved air quality – reduces asthma related issues
• Daily physical activity is preventative against Heart Disease and Stroke
• Stress reduction -no traffic =less stress

(Check out the list)

Need a little more?

This one will be obvious but.. the planet!

WWF is of course hoping to reduce emissions and help the planet. According to their website transportation is responsible for 27% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Eshk.. sounds like we all need to drive a lot less!

Still, even if all we can do for a start is a little that adds up to big reductions. Plus, just to be repetitive, you’ll be providing yourself the opportunity to get active.

The pinning your key to your shirt element is edgy too. It’s just like wearing a ribbon or a live strong bracelet. You’re telling the rest of the world what’s important to you, and raising awareness. (Very cool, and easy!)

Still not convinced? (even if you’re on board, keeping reading it’s good stuff )

I’ve told you about the physical activity and the environmental impact you can have, but there is one other thing that we all understand very well. Money. Consider how much you would save on gas by using “people power”  (to borrow ParticipACTION’s term).  

So a valid case?

I hope you’ll give Pinning it for the Planet a try on May 31^st – June 6^th.  The WWF website has a bunch more info, including toolkits with ideas for school, home and workplaces.

The website says “we all need to rethink our relationships with cars”.

It’s true. What is more important our health and the health our of planet and climate or driving cars?

Ps. don’t say you don’t have time!

DYK: In distances up to 5km, cycling is recognized as the fastest door to door more of transportation. —Gotcha there don’t I!

Hit the streets and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Kenji!

Bikes Parked Outside the SK in motion Office

The top 8 reason I bike to work: 

 I hope they encourage you to try it for yourself or motivate you to continue. After all it is National Bike Month ( I love the biker “groups” in this blog “a hipster on a fixie”), and in Regina May 10-15 is the 2^nd annual Bike 2 Work Week Regina!

1. The Physical Activity Opportunity - 5 days a week I get up and go to work, but recently I made a change. Instead of driving to work I bike. It does take longer to get here, but only by about 15 minutes, which isn’t much out of the day. It works out to about a half hour each way. That’s 60 out of my 60-90 minutes a day. Since it’s just part of my routine I don’t even think about it as “getting my physical activity”, now it’s just part of my day; one of my favorite parts.        
2. The Eco Friendly and Sustainable Choice- Around the “basecamp” office, sometimes I’m referred to as the Green Goblin (ok, it was a self imposed nickname haha). It had to be intimidating because I’m (also a self imposed position) the green police around here. Sustainability and environmental conservation are 2 of my other passions so finding an alternative means of transportation that fit with my work and my personal passions was like icing on the cake!
3. Enjoying the Outdoors- I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying “stop and smell the roses”. There is something truly awesome about starting and wrapping the day spending a good chunk of time outside. Breathing some fresh air, enjoying the visuals, and the other people you meet along the way (if you want to be social).
4. The Money I Save on Gas- Self explanatory; I used to drive a truck, which I loved. We had some great times..but buying my bike cost me what would have been about 7 tanks of gas. Now it’s all me, no gas required.
5. A Sense of Accomplishment- You have to experience it to know the feeling, or maybe you already have. You wake up knowing you have to get somewhere and then you physically move yourself there. Even on the days it isn’t fun during the ride, once you make it you feel confident and empowered. It’s a guaranteed accomplishment every day you do it!
6. Avoiding Traffic- Patience is not one of my best virtues (I’ll admit it). So waiting in a line of cars to get to virtually the same place as everyone else is irritating! Bike paths, trails and bike lanes are an amazing solution to this problem. It’s especially fun when traffic is at a standstill and I ride by everyone, I win! (haha, have I mentioned I’m competitive.)
7. Belonging-As sappy as it sounds even if you don’t directly communicate with the other people you see biking, you know you’re all part of a little club. Take a look at the trailer for the documentary ”VEER” to see what I mean.
8. The Great Parking Spaces- I work downtown and parking a vehicle is one of the most evil things ever. Fortunately most places provide space for us active commuters, and if not a sturdy post usually isn’t too far away (I wouldn’t personally recommend using trees to lock your bike up, it can damage them, not cool).

Check out these great links from David’s Cycling Blog for tips and how to celebrate Bike 2 Work week:

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/pdf/50_things_for_bike_month.pdf

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/pdf/BTWW_Booklet.pdf

What motivates you to use active transportation? Does your community arrange a Bike 2 Work week?

Kenji

Dated, but still relevant my Earth Day blog contribution (oh technology…what a love hate relationship we have).

Ps. Imagine it’s Earth Day while your read! haha

It’s Earth Day today, which is awesome. Any opportunity to turn the world’s attention to the intensifying situation on our planet is good. Although as the cliché goes: “shouldn’t every day be earth day?” – I personally think yes, but that is beside the point.

The Breakdown

• The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970.
• Roughly 500 million people participate in 180 countries around the world.
• About 6 million Canadians take part in Earth Day.

The Issues

• Advocacy
• Climate Change
• Conservation & Biodiversity
• Education
• Energy
• Food & Agriculture
• Green Economy
• Green Schools
• Recycling & Waste Reduction
• Sustainable Development
• Water

The Physical Activity

I personally see being an “environmentalist” and physically active as two intertwined things. In one of my recent blogs [Road Warrior – Ditching Fuel for Physical] I talk about selling my truck and buying my bike. I love it! Its hard work but I know that it’s good for me and for the planet, so it’s worth it. I’m definitely not saying you shouldn’t ever drive or have a vehicle, but why not try the road less traveled from time to time?

There are a ton of different ways to transport yourself from point A to point B.  You’ve got your “minimalist” methods if you will: walking and jogging/running. There’s your classic “active wheel” methods: biking and rollerblading (I’ve even seen a unicycle dude in Regina). Then there are the stereotypically more youthful and “smaller wheeled active” methods: various shapes and sizes of skateboards (I’m sure you can tell I made up those categories, there’s nothing official about them, but they work for me).

If a commitment to active transportation isn’t for you what about reducing your screen time? You could try taking yourself outside to experience what everyone is so worried about a little more often. 

Some people love the gym and I’m not opposed to it but doing active things outside can be easier, cheaper and more fun. (Almost like you wouldn’t even realize it’s physical activity!) whyn ot try:

• Playing sports in the park with friends
• Swimming at the lake
• Hiking
• Going for a run
• Doing yoga/Tai Chi
• Cutting the grass/gardening
• Walking your dog
• Geocaching
• Mountain biking/rolling hill biking (it’s Saskatchewan)
• Skate/long boarding

And the list goes on. . .Check out Saskatchewan in motion’s 100 Easy Ways to Get Active.

So on Earth Day when the focus is so vast and overwhelming, and you’re just looking for some way to participate on a smaller scale here is an idea for you.

Cheesy as it may sound, reconnect with nature. Go outside, move around, take a look around and hopefully without even realizing it get in your physical activity for the day. It won’t hurt you, just the opposite actually (provided you don’t attempt anything crazy).

Let me know how it goes!

Happy Earth Day!

Kenji

Here’s the deal; I decided to buy a bike and adopt it as my main means of transportation. If you’re thinking whoa that’s a pretty big thing to take on.. you’re right!

About 2 years ago I bought myself a beautiful truck that I love to this day. Unfortunately, trying to save for an extended stay in another country and paying for a truck is difficult. Acknowledging this fact was the first step to my decision.

The next thing was pretty obvious; my passion for living sustainably and being eco friendly grew as my knowledge of the subject did. So, how can I drive a truck around every day and expect anyone to take me seriously about my environmental concerns?

Then there is my work at Saskatchewan in motion. My understanding of the importance of daily physical activity tells me to do what I can, to be as active as I can.  Not just for looking good, but for feeling good and living a healthy life.

Taking all of my passions into account the most realistic thing I could think to do was hitting the street on my bike.

Today was day 1!

The benefits of choosing active transportation are clear:

• I will save money I would have spent on gas
• I will be able to save significantly more money for my trip (my bike was a one-time payment, unlike my truck)
• I will virtually eliminate my personal fuel emissions impact on the environment
• I will increase the amount of physical activity I get drastically!
• I am already more organized and efficient because I have to plan where I need to go, and when (more time and more effort to get where I’m going, means I can’t afford to be unorganized)
• Physically and “emotionally”(or whatever you wanna call it) I feel great about what I accomplished.

This morning was a huge test for my mental and physical toughness. Not only did I have to get up an hour earlier than I usually do (as I’m sure you’re aware, biking takes a lot longer than driving haha). I also hadn’t been on a bike in a long time. I’ve been working out fairly consistently doing other things so I knew I could handle it, but it wasn’t easy.

To be clear I live a significant distance away from work, I’m not whining over 4 blocks or anything

I made it though, huffing and puffing with burning legs and a sore gluteus maximus. None of that mattered once I succeeded in getting to work this am. I’m not gunna lie, I’m proud.

It feels deadly knowing I conquered something not everyone thought I would follow through with. Ya it’s only day one, but I’m in it for the long haul. (Plus, I have the long weekend to forget how hard the ride was.. haha)

What do you do for physical activity that you’re proud of?

Kenji

Severn shared a lot of personal stories about her work within the environmental movement to explain how she became a young leader. We wanted the hundreds of youth in the audience and across the province to understand the incredible potential they have to be at the forefront of positive change.

Severn shared a story about a family trip to Brazil when she was young. She witnessed the forests burning in Brazil and it occurred to her that something was wrong. In that moment Severn decided she was not ok with what was happening, and that she would do something about it. She had found her passion.

At Saskatchewan in motion we don’t think it’s ok that only 15% of children and youth in Saskatchewan get their required 60-90 minutes of daily physical activity. Do you?

Severn broke it down like this: Once you’ve made the decision that you aren’t ok with a situation, whether it’s an environmental issue or physical inactivity, you have found your passion.

That is Step 1: Find your passion

Severn strongly believes in the power of education. You have to understand an issue if you plan on influencing change. So get informed, educate yourself as much as you can about what you are passionate about.

That’s Step 2: Educate yourself (Be in the Know)

Educating yourself is hard work, but now you have to put what you’ve learned into action. At this point Severn posed a question, she asked. Now that you’ve educated yourself about your passion what do you do with your knowledge? How do you make something happen? How do you lead?

>>Sounds a wee bit intimidating doesn’t it..the look on every kids face said, ya…a little..

Severn let us think for a minute, and then she explained that it’s easier than we may think. She told us you don’t have to start huge. She didn’t just wake up and go to the UN one day to speak at the Rio Earth Summit, she started small.

So, Step 3: Make a Commitment

The scope of Severn’s work is ginormous so she knows that thinking about the whole issue and how to solve it all at once is too big. Focus on something you can do and start from there. For Severn on a daily basis she focus’ on not drinking bottled water (among other things, as you can imagine). That is one choice she has control over, it is a starting point to lead from.

I am going to commit to riding my bike to work. It’s my way to take on a leadership role in physical activity and help the environment.

Do you have a passion? What are you going to commit too?

Kenji

Severn Cullis-Suzuki is known throughout the world for her work in the environmental movement. Why then would Saskatchewan in motion invite her to be the guest speaker at out provincial gathering?

There are a few different reasons we choose to team up with Severn. At Sask in motion we are trying to build a provincial movement. We’re trying to promote lifestyle change. An epic goal like that requires leadership on many levels!

Laying the Groundwork

 Severn knows what it means to take a leadership role. She’s been doing environmental and social justice work since kindergarten. By the time she was in grade 5 Severn and a couple friends formed ECO (the Environmental Children’s Organization). Together they raised enough money to go to the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. At just 12 years old Severn took the stage at a plenary session to deliver ECO’s message. During Severn’s address the room of adults was silenced by young girls powerful words of caution.

Severn was awarded the UN environmental Program’s 500 Award the following year. Ever since, Severn has spoken around the world about social and ecological issues, climate change and intergenerational injustice.

Wait!..don’t be intimidated! Severn may take a leadership role on an international scale, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Severn has said that global change starts at the community level.

You Can Too

That philosophy is a huge part of how Sask in motion operates. We try to provide individuals with skills, knowledge, tools, resources, and connections so they can take action and contribute to a making changes that affect our physical activity!

You can take on a leadership role for yourself, and for your family and friends. With every action, this lays a foundation for more efforts in schools, communities, our country and even prhaps on an international scale. You can decide what your actions and goals will be based on what you are comfortable with. The most important thing to remember is that anyone is cable of identifying something they believe in and advocating for that cause on whatever level.

So to recap-> to raise awareness, build a movement and ultimately influence behavior change. We need people to be leaders!

Linkage

One of the other important reasons we wanted to work with Severn is because of the connection between the environment and physical activity.

The connection is there on so many levels, that it only makes sense to team up. At Sask in motion we aim to increase physical activity levels for improved health, social, enviornmental and economic benefits. Severn advocates for the health of the environment which ultimately affects the health of people.

Active Transportation

So many of the ways we can help ourselves go hand in hand with the ways we can decrease or impact out the environment. Active transportation is one of the most obvious examples of this. We provide the power rather than burning fossil fuels, and the reward is green living and acquiring recommended daily physical activity!

Connections Run Deep

By choosing to engage in a more physically active lifestyle people often discover or rediscover nature. By being outside and experiencing the natural world you may develop a deeper concern for conservation and sustainability.

The Greater Good

In the long run choosing to be both physically active and environmentally conscious are (in my opinion) “good” things to do. Being physically active has health, social, economic and environmental benefits. Plus, the environment, in simple terms supports our existence. So it makes sense to make sure we act in a sustainable manner…Don’t ya think?

So that’s the short version of why Saskatchewan in motion and Severn Cullis-Suzuki teaming up make sense.

The Event!

If you are interested in being a part of our Inspiring Action-Jump in 2010! event you can find details at saskatchewaninmotion.ca

The event is going out live through the LIVE Satellite Network and over the Internet. Which means we’re going interactive here people!

As Severn speaks tomorrow I’ll be plugged into the social media world connecting with the world outside the Queensbury in Regina and bringing it back to the event. Meaning - even if you’re not physically at the event you can tune in, and/or follow the discussion, send in your questions for Severn and see what people around the province (or the world) are feeling about the event.

Where To Connect:

Facebook- Event Page: Inspiring Action-Jump in 2010! (confirm your attending the event to comment)

Twitter- Direct message @Kenji22 or use the hash tag #jumpin

E-mail kenji@saskinmotion.ca

Txt- 306-550-9646

(Remember to keep it clean)

If you won’t be able to participate tomorrow post your questions below, I’ll check here too!

This is an opportunity to be heard.. will you take it?

Kenji

Physical activity has basic requirements. Ultimately you need a reason to do it, a nourished and hydrated body, and finally a space to get er’ done.

When I ponder sports and being active, being outside comes to mind. Of course there are rock walls, stadiums, gyms, treadmills and indoor pools, but do they compare to the real thing? Imagine actually climbing a massive gritty mountain. Or an outdoor stadium where the elements tend to make the game interesting. The “gym” may have every gadget, but kettle balls & resistance in the park or on the beach is prettier and smells better!

I’m a fan of being outside, and think that protecting the environment is pretty much the bomb! So here’s where I make some linkages.

This week world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to (hopefully) come to a global agreement to save the environment.

You’ve no doubt heard something about the trouble earth’s atmosphere, oceans, fresh water, jungles, farmland, animals, and we in turn, face. People try to separate territory, food, resources, responsibility, and even the global ecosystem – the key word being system.

Is climate change/global warming real?

Ya! It is.

How do I know?

There’s so much info out there. How do you know what to take seriously? I trust science and things that make sense to me.

Warning – warning, a bit of a personal rant here, but stay with me…

 Science tells me the ice caps, major glaciers, eternal Himalayan snow fall, and even permafrost is melting. Those same glaciers are historic records of our atmosphere; they tell us human life has never seen the carbon dioxide levels in the air we currently have. Average temps are up, centuries old weather patterns are altered, and the oceans are acidifying. The number of species at risk of extinction is accelerating. Access to drinking water dwindles, fisheries are at dangerously low levels worldwide. Coral reefs that supply the earth with a huge amount of oxygen are dying. Deforestation for paper pulp, lumber and to make way for industrial farming threatens species, soil erosion and traditional settlements.  And let’s not forget about our reliance on fossil fuels.

Why are we responsible?

Before, life on earth the planet was toxic and unlivable because the atmosphere was full of CO2. Eventually the successive generations of plants purified the atmosphere sucking the carbon, allowing life to exist. The carbon was stored underground as coal, gas and oil. Since the industrial revolution humanity has been burning/releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. 

The best way I’ve ever had the situations explained to me was in the documentary HOME.

“It’s all about carbon. In a few decades the carbon that made our atmosphere a furnace and that nature captured over millions of years, allowing life to develop, will have largely been pumped back out. The atmosphere is heating up.”

How much sense does that make! It was a total light bulb moment for me.

Why do I/should you care?

• This is the one and only (that we know of) planet that can support life!
• In one generation we (humanity) have upset the balance that’s been a constant for all of humanity’s existence!
• Everything on earth is connected, nothing is futile, every plant, animal, bacteria, person impacts something else.
• The earth is not ours to upset; we depend on it, not the other way around.

My climate change poem (it’s ok to giggle.. I know there is a cheese factor)

Because it’s too late to Deny
It’s not a Lie
We all truly know Why
It’s the elements we released into the Sky.

We need to be careful what we Buy
So that species don’t Die
So forests that are left don’t have to Cry.

It’s time to really Try
Or it’s evident we’ll have to say Goodbye.

A depressing thought?.. maybe. The truth?..yup. Is there Hope?.. Definitely!

There are so many things left and so much we can do. Things like active transportation are good for the environment and your body.

Mostly I want to help the environment because I want my chance to explore! Exploration is best done outside in nature. There are seemingly endless expanses to trek.  Snow or sand, there are so many different things to do that by the nature of nature encourage you to be active! Many sports and activities require the natural world – think of mountain, lake, ocean, trail and sky sports!

What is your favorite thing to do outside? What’s the connection between physical activity and the environment for you? Let me know in the comments below or share what you think about protecting the environment so we can be active in it!

Kenji

Like most issues that need attention, climate change is daunting because of its scope. There are so many causes and effects on our planet and the atmosphere that it often feels overwhelming. A lot of the time, if we feel overwhelmed about something we choose to ignore or avoid it. It’s kind of like “this issue is so huge, what am I, one person supposed to do? Someone else will take care of it.”

The simple truth is, if you live on this planet you impact it. The science says it all. Here are a few things I learned at the David Suzuki Foundation website.

Pollutants we pump into our atmosphere are changing its composition and preventing heat from escaping the earth’s surface. Today the atmosphere has 32% more carbon dioxide than it did at the start of the industrial era. The result is climate change.

Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas is a huge cause of the problem. If you choose to use Active Transportation you decrease your Carbon Footprint.

The global impacts a far reaching; warmer earth temps don’t just mean warmer winters. It means extreme heat, flooding, drought, extreme summer heat that leads to violent storms and other extreme weather.

Kinda scary I know, but a fact’s a fact. We can still do the right things and make the changes needed to reverse the negative impacts “civilization” has had on the earth.

• We can choose Active Transportation, Public Transit, and encourage Urban Planning that increases Walkability.
• We can measure, reduce and offset what we contribute to climate change. Measure your carbon footprint, reduce your waste by recycling and being energy efficient and offset by purchasing Carbon Offsets.
• We can Speak Out and Demand Change for the better by participating in the discussion and making your opinion count. This December leaders from all across the globe will meet at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen Denmark with the goal of creating a new global protocol to address climate change.

 I came across another cool site that simply explains a sustainable goal to keep us all in a “climate safe zone” of sorts. The site is 350.org. This site made something that can be really confusing simple and seem achievable! On October 24 you can join people all over the world to take a stand for a safe climate future.

Ultimately what I realized through all my searching is that no issue stands alone. Physical inactivity has its way of contributing to the global climate crisis. If we spend all of our time in front of screens we are constantly requiring energy. If we never use our ability to move ourselves without a car we never reduce the amount of fossil fuels we burn. If we never go outside and explore we never turn off all the lights and reduce the energy we use to power our homes. Being physically active is one way you can make a direct impact on the way you affect the planet!

We are the future. We are powerful, stay informed, stay vocal and stay active. So how do you see the link between physical activity and climate change? Please share in the comments below.