Winter can be the toughest season for those of us trying to maintain a green lifestyle. Daylight is limited, the vegetation is buried under snow, and it’s uncomfortably cold. While it can be tempting to simply turn up the thermostat and be done with it, today marks the day you should do exactly the opposite. February 9th is National Sweater Day, a day for you to put on your favourite threads and turn down the heat to take action against climate change.
The campaign is put on by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), who state if every Canadian turned down their thermostat by just 2 degrees Celcius each winter, 2.2 megatonnes of carbon dioxide could be saved every year. That is equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off the road! While it’s not a complete solution by any means to our energy problems, it’s a step in the right direction, showing us that relatively painless individual actions can create positive collective action. Josh Laughren, Climate and Energy Director for WWF stated, “National Sweater Day is an important reminder that we need to value our energy. It’s a chance to think about how we use energy, and how we can all play an important role in fighting climate change by using energy wisely, not wastefully.”
WWF has also partnered with Loblaw’s for National Sweater Day. The campaign is supported through partial proceeds from Loblaw’s Charge-for-Plastic-Bags program. Loblaw’s shares WWF’s commitment of preserving our environment for future generations, and their efforts have paid off. Since 2002, they’ve reduced the number of plastic bags in their stores by 2.5 billion. Loblaw’s partnership with WWF sets an example for other corporations, and shows their commitment to creating a more sustainable future.
The slogan for this year’s National Sweater Day is, “Turn down the heat, turn up your sweater.” The creative advertising campaign features a full roster of actual Grandmothers, who have been making personal calls February 6th, 7th, and 8th, to remind Canadians about today’s special date. The National Sweater Day “Spokesgranny” Gladys said, “Members of the Greatest Generation are natural energy conservers – grannies don’t turn up the heat when it gets chilly, they put on a sweater and a pair of slippers!” The team of elderly ladies hopes to inspire the younger generations to “make their grannies proud” by catching the conservation spirit.
And that spirit has been caught – many Canadians are optimistic about “turning up their sweaters” today, and making a better world for their grandchildren. Individuals, schools, and workplaces across the nation are participating, often finding the most outlandish sweater possible. In terms of fashion, today is the day anything goes.
While it’s evident simply wearing a sweater for one day and turning down the heat is not the answer to our environmental problems, it is a symbol of a shift in values when it comes to energy. With a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050, WWF is successfully inspiring individuals to achieve that target, one sweater at a time.