Dartmouth couple competes in carbon reduction challenge

A Dartmouth, N.S., couple is vying for thousands of dollars in a competition to reduce their carbon footprint.

Ashley MacInnis and Marc Boudreau’s family is one of eight families across Canada picked to take part of Canadian Geographic’s Live Net Zero Challenge.

“We wanted to learn more about what we could do as individuals but also how we could save money as a family,” said MacInnis.

The couple already juggles their careers while also raising a teenager, a toddler and have a newborn on the way. Having a lot of energy is a must in their household, but soon they’ll be trying their best to conserve energy.

For several weeks from September to the holidays, the family will participate in six challenges that will test their ability to reduce their emissions and rethink how they travel, heat or electrify their homes and shop over the holidays. The grand prize is $50,000.

“Obviously, we would love to win $50,000. I think everyone would. But it we can make small changes that compound over time and end up saving us money,” said MacInnis.

Each family has already received $5,000 to kick-start the process and will have access to experts to help them navigate their journey. In the MacInnis-Boudreau family’s case, they plan to use that money to fund already installed high-efficiency heat pumps. They’ve also added insulation to the attic of their nearly-century-old home and aim to walk or ride bikes whenever possible.

“Some of the older homes don’t have insulation in the walls and some of the heating systems are a bit older and need to be upgraded and there are certainly more efficient ways to do that,” said Boudreau.

As the country aims to reduce its emissions, Canadian Geographic wanted to show Canadians how individuals can limit their output too.

“As average Canadians, we have a significant role to play in helping the country those objectives,” said O’Carroll, the national director of the Environment at the Canadian Geographic and the mastermind behind the challenge.

Besides the challenges, families will also be tasked with creating a roadmap for how they’ll lower their carbon footprint and aim for net zero in the future.

O’Carroll said experts will help families, but will also teach them how to reach energy rebates and grants that are available from governments and utilities.

“We have to pull together as Canadians to really confront and tackle climate change,” he said.

The MacInnis-Boudreaus are looking at carpool options, giving their teenager more independence to take transit and going from a two-car family to one car.

Some changes will be major, while others will be minor.

“Remembering to unplug our appliances that we’re not using when we’re not using them makes a really big difference rather than just leaving them plugged in all the time,” said MacInnis.

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