"I'm looking at reducing my footprint from transportation, can you connect me with someone who can advise me?"

I am planning a trip to New Hampshire in September and I want to travel with the lowest carbon emissions possible.

According to the our Climate Change Action Plan:

Transportation accounts for almost half of our GHG emissions. Many of these emissions come from passenger vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and SUVs. Transport trucks, airplanes, boats, and recreational vehicles also produce emissions.

Given that Efficiency PEI, is the provincial agency that “offers programs and information for Islanders who are interested in reducing energy consumption,” they were my first call.

“I’m looking at reducing my footprint from transportation, can you connect me with someone who can advise me?”

“Oh, we’ve never had that question before…”

That’s not a good sign, on two fronts. Why aren’t people calling for advice? And why isn’t the agency charged with informing us about reducing our energy consumption concerned with reducing our most GHG-contributing energy consumption?

Efficiency PEI wasn’t able to help me, and so transferred me to the main number for the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy.

They too weren’t able to help me directly, and so transferred me to the PEI Energy Corporation.

It appeared they might be able to help me, but that “the woman who knows all about that is out this week.”

This woman turned out to be Heather MacLeod, someone I’ve known for a long time, in various capacities; Heather came to the monthly meeting of the PEI Electric Vehicle Association last week and she is, indeed, on the ball.

I’m sure that when Heather returns to the office next week she’ll be able to give me some advice.

But, boy oh boy, do we need to get better at the front-facing advice-giving part of carbon emissions reduction. A call like mine, to Efficiency PEI, should have been greeted warmly and with enthusiasm I was at their front door, ready for action. But all they could do was transfer my call with the hopes that someone else could help.

With our new climate target of a 600,000 tonne reduction in yearly emissions by 2030, I’ve got 11 years to knock 4 tonnes off my personal contribution.

I need help. And I need help helping others.

We can do better than this.