Does Mitigation Really Work?

It seems everywhere you turn people are looking for ways to balance their impact on the environment. What works and what is more hype than help.

Carbon footprints and food miles have become common concepts in recent years. Seafood watch tells you which fish are harvested in a sustainable way. Everyone seems to be planting a tree to compensate for flying around the world. But how much of this is realistic?

The new proposal for mitigating marine life losses in fisheries is a good example of a process that can work, if it is used along with preventative measures. And that is the key to good mitigation, it must include some preventative actions,

Seafood watch is very straightforward. If you eat this fish you are contributing to its potential extinction. Carbon footprints help you see where you are consuming the most energy and, more importantly, find ways of cutting that consumption.

Evaluating food miles and making the choice to consume locally produced, in-season foods from sustainable sources (Whew! That’s a lot to think about) is another straightforward way to help.

But anyone who thinks they can make up for an around the world flight by planting a few trees is deluding themselves. What trees are being planted and where has a tremendous impact on their value as carbon filters. Planting a non-native species in your garden while the rainforest disappears is not going to help. Before you buy into any of the many tree planting projects have a good look at the information the program provides.

Each mitigation program needs to be evaluated. Does it really help or is it a way to feel good about doing what you are going to do anyway?