It’s a quandary that affects many of us: how to address climate change within our own practices. Building a Sustainable Kitchen: A Practical Guide to Prioritizing the Planet from the Heart of Your Home by Naomi Hansen, a Saskatoon-based writer, looks at sustainability from a kitchen-centred perspective. 

“I think many people want to know what they can do to be a part of this conversation in a tangible and realistic everyday way, and that’s exactly the question I’ve tackled in the book,” says Hansen. 

“I also strive to gently nudge the reader along the way to think big-picture, using the kitchen as a sort of portal to wider climate issues.” 

The kitchen, as the heart of the home and central to everyday life, is a good entry point, and the links between daily activities in the kitchen and broader climate problems and solutions are made clear. 

Hansen gives examples: “When food waste rots in landfills, it generates methane gas, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Daily use of plastics, which are so very pervasive in the kitchen, is tied to plastic pollution. Some of the most common single-use plastics that end up littering beaches and coastal environments around the world are related to food and the kitchen, like plastic straws, food wrappers, and beverage bottles and caps.”

In addition to food waste and plastics, and how to shop to avoid them, Hansen also covers topics such as gardening, cleaning, and sustainable use of appliances.

When gathering this information, Hansen wanted to give the book a distinctly Canadian lens by focusing on Canadian statistics, information, and experts whenever possible. “I conducted over 80 interviews, many of them with Canadian experts,” she says, and all of them are listed in the book.

In addition to the help of all the interviewees, Hansen received a contribution from Elizabeth May, officer of the Order of Canada, member of Parliament, and Leader of the Green Party of Canada, who wrote a foreword to Building a Sustainable Kitchen. 

“It is an immense honour to have her words included in the book. I cannot thank her enough!” says Hansen.

Hansen realizes that not all Canadians have access to a local zero waste store or a municipal organics program, but many of the solutions can be implemented regardless of where one lives. 

“It’s possible to reduce your overall consumerism, eat more plant-based foods, start a compost, and get mindful about food waste, whether you live in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, or Yukon,” she says.

And Hansen’s tome will not gather dust on readers’ shelves. “The book is absolutely meant to be a well-used guide,” she explains. 

“I want readers to write in the margins, fold down corners, read it once cover to cover, but highlight things that stick out to you so you can go back and work your way through it in your own kitchen and home.” 

As a gen-Y/millennial, Hansen says that she expects the book will resonate with her generation, but her target audience is universal. 

“The book’s key message is really that taking part in the conversation around sustainability and implementing actions at home and beyond is for everyone.”