I am writing in response to the recent story, “RMOW sets sights on tackling emissions from large commercial buildings” (Pique, May 8). This piece highlighted the fact that large commercial buildings account for 24 per cent of Whistler’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—a significant proportion for a single sector. However, I would like to provide some additional context to help our community understand these figures in relation to the global emissions landscape.
According to the World Resources Institute, global GHG emissions were approximately 52.4 billion tonnes in 2016. In comparison, Whistler’s contribution in 2021 was approximately 127,337 tonnes. When compared to the global total, this represents a minuscule fraction—about 0.000243 per cent.
Even more eye-opening is the fact that the large commercial buildings in Whistler, while responsible for a significant 24 per cent of the town’s total emissions, contribute approximately 30,561 tonnes of CO2e. This is roughly 0.000058 per cent of the global emissions total.
To illustrate this tiny fraction, let’s consider our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Astronomers estimate that there are about 100 billion stars in the Milky Way. If we were to equate each tonne of CO2 equivalent to one star, global emissions would account for about half the stars in our galaxy. Whistler’s total figure of 127,337 tonnes, on the other hand, would be represented by just 127,337 stars. The emissions from large commercial buildings in Whistler, contributing 30,561 tonnes, would be equivalent to a still smaller, almost indistinguishable cluster of 30,561 stars.
It is crucial to critically examine the expectations we place on ourselves. Given the immense scale of global emissions, berating ourselves for not meeting highly ambitious targets can be unproductive and even counterproductive. While we must strive for improvement, we must also understand the context in which we operate and set realistic, achievable goals. Only then can we make sustainable progress towards mitigating our impact on the climate.
