How Environmental Degradation and Climate Change are affecting our Indigenous communities

More than half of the Indigenous communities in Canada are at “high risk” of being seriously impacted by pipeline spills compared to the national average.  These oil spills cause a greater impact on these communities more than non-Indigenous communities, affecting the drinking water, cultivation, and traditional cultural practice with the land.

Indigenous communities continue to bear the burden of environmental degradation and climate change, because their communities are more remote. 

Indigenous communities are focused on willingly conflicting to fossil fuel projects and are focusing more on protecting Indigenous homelands through solar energy, installing solar panels in their home community. This renewable energy project is important to the community’s health and wellness centre and will power the entire community. 

By utilizing solar as a transition to other technology, helps communities distinguish that there are other and better ways of creating energy.  Many other Alberta Indigenous communities and other Indigenous communities in Canada are partaking in the changeover to solar energy.  These communities are considerably reducing their energy bills and the “carbon footprint.” 

Solar energy is dispersed, making it the most easily available source of sustainable energy, effortlessly available for people on every level.

Oil and gas, being the only resources available as a main source, opens the eyes to sustainable energy, which makes and creates a huge green change and has a positive impact on the environment.  Producing clean solar energy, is not only saving greenhouse gas emissions, but also saving costs through peak shaving, giving solutions for clean energy and existing systems and so much more. 

By making renewable energies, such as solar, a new resource, which is so readily accessible, the probabilities of saving the planet are amplified.  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is so important, because they are the source of global temperatures rising. 

Indigenous Communities recognize the significance of solar energy and the importance of teaching it.  The Government in British Columbia has approved $500,000 for the schools to fund a solar project to decrease fuel reliance. The students will be able to monitor energy levels that are being produced and used by the school and also how solar energy limits the amount of CO2 pollution.  Having these types of initiatives and having this solar power installed at school will let the students to further their knowledge in energy efficiency and also give students the tips to live healthier and greener.  Indigenous students and people having a voice and knowledge on renewable energy are vital to a healthy planet because sustainability is rooted in their ways of living. 

Indigenous ancestors always knew and were aware to use all of the land’s resources and now everything that is provided for them is still essentially coming from the land, water and the air. 

By educating the next generation, that is what will in the end advance climate-educated people who can endure the good work that has commenced.