GC 2020
657 results found
-
1 vote
-
Ban grass lawns
Green lawns look nice but they consume a vast amount of water, we could reduce the amount of water used if we a) had maximum sized lawns allowable in private residence. b) Banned the planting of grass for lawn areas, there are a number of plants that you could use to create a green walkable space that consume little water to sustain, why then do we waist so much water on grass lawns, alternate style of ground cover could be looked at.
7 votesThe City does not limit the amount of lawn, but does limit the amount of impermeable surface allowed. We encourage alternatives to lawns through the water wise landscape guidelines. Strengthening education programs in supprt of alternatives to lawns is part of the plan.
-
Bylaw that required planting flowering trees/shrubs
In all parks and for all buildings that incorporate plants, there should be a bylaw that limits plant choices to those that flower, this is an improtant step to keeping our native bee populations heathly, without bees out entire way of life is compromised, I know that many people here have suggested planting but what we plant is also important, plant bushes and trees that add to the entire ecology, fruiting trees or nut trees and natural bushes like salmon berry will help sustain our wild bees.
21 votes -
aerobic composting
To have all high desity apartments as well as all hotels use aerobic composting units. Unlike traditional compsting that attracts vermin and creates green hose gasses with the decomposition, aerobic composting units produce very limited amounts of green house gasses, they also have the ability to turn large volumes of organic waste into soil in short periods of time, this soil could then be used in parks or on farms to complete the cycle. Aerobic Composter are also faster in turning waste into soil some are able to process a ton within 24 hours, this would reduce the amount of…
46 votes -
Meltingpot
New immigrants should be encouraged to learn English. Non English signs should be removed. Everyone should feel warm and fuzzy going into any ethnic store. Bringing everyone on the the same page will promote respect, friendliness and our community will grow Green and Strong!!
11 votes -
pharmaceutical plastic packaging
Drugstores produce lots of plastic waste. All players should be responsible for there proper disposal,
4 votes -
Bike & Pedestrian Bridge across False Creek
A bike and walking link that spans that spans over False Creek from Charleson Park on the south side of the creek to David Lam Park on the downtown side.
This site is one of 4 that the city recently identified as a potential location for a bike bridge crossing.
Take a look at the designs that Emily Carr students came up with:
http://blogs.eciad.ca/elverum/2010/03/05/design-for-bikes-bridging-false-creek/10 votesThe pending active transportation plan provides an opportunity to consider ideas such as this.
-
planting
What is with the crazy lead photo on the Talk Green to Us page?
Is that a cement mixer spewing ready to eat crops (I see tomatoes ripe) into a box over pavement while a crew...does what?Realism about growing local food will get us there, having deep respectful collaboration with regional farmers, and a reciprocal relationship with the resources (nutrients as well as food) in the surrounding, protected, and arable lands.
5 votes -
Dumpster free alleys
Neighbourhood business improvement associations are behind this idea. So is Zero Waste Vancouver. The era of Dinosaur Dumpsters is coming to a close. By taking back our public right-of-ways from the garbage industry, we will motivate the industry to evolve into a recycling industry. Let's get together, Vancouver, and show the world how it can be done right. Small is beautiful.
23 votes -
Green Urban Cook book
Develop tasty recipes for urban nuisances such as crow a l'orange, pigeons au vin, raccoons en sauce, and coyote a la brouche.
5 votes -
Urban Farm Coop
Mandate urban farm coops in backyards. City Hall would then collect taxes in the form of fruits and vegetables. This could be as successful as it was under Stalin. It resulted in an unexpected benefit -- the reduction of the population by 15 million people. Vive La Revolution Vert!
5 votes -
Re-industrialize Vancouver
Bringing manufacturing and farming back to the city may be the only way to create an environmentally and socially sustainable world. Like most western cities, Vancouver has become almost completely de-industrialized. The goods (and increasingly also the services) that form our daily existence are produced far away under conditions we don't tolerate here. As a result much of our ecological and social footprint is exported and hidden from view, resulting in increasing environmental devastation and social inequality. Bringing these activities back home—into the city core—will give us the opportunity to address the social and ecological consequences of our production and…
15 votes -
Produce instead of consume
A friend of mine told me his version of eco-tourism: "stay home and shallow breath." Being green means producing more than we consume. We need to think about this at home, in our occupations and in the community. I have a hard time imagining how Vancouver can compete with poorer cities where the people cannot afford to buy stuff and therefore have a lighter footprint. Even the most conscientious Vancouve bike rider can have their carbon footprint skyrocket when their air travel is calculated. But we can always try and there are lots of great ideas being put forth here!
2 votesThis is an interesting take on reducing ecological footprint. Our research tells us that people respond better to positive messaging that activates and motivates them, and that is the likely tact we will take in our communications.
-
a street car named DESire (DES = District Energy System)
What if the transit line you road on also carried the energy used to heat your home?
Just as density begets transit, density begets District Energy Systems (DES).
A DES is a utility like BC Hydro’s electricity grid, or Terasen’s Natural Gas network - only it uses hot water to carry energy. The hot water can be used to heat your home, office or favorite karaoke bar. The heat can be generated from clean energy sources like solar thermal panels, ground source heat pumps, or sewage waste heat recovery - like at the Olympic village. These clean energy technologies are…
171 votes -
No Car City: Measure and reduce car passenger miles: If we drive less, a green city can emerge.
What kind a lever can we pull that automatically creates a cascade of green behaviours?
It would seem that very few us would choose to trade our lives for a daily commute, but we do because we don't have much of a choice.
If we aimed to reduce per capita passenger car miles traveled in our cities, we'd be able to begin to free up some of the 30% of city surface area used for cars; it would mean we'd be doing everything closer to where we live, including work. We'd burn less oil, and we'd walk and ride more.…45 votesOne of the 2020 targets for Green Transportation is to reduce distance driven per resident 20% from 2007 levels. One of the major challenges is data — better data sources are needed to monitor progress and set more detailed targets. Odometer readings would be one way to get better VKT numbers, and would be possible with support from the Province and ICBC. Improved regional travel surveys are another possible approach.
-
Illustrate how individuals can make the City a 'self-cleaning oven' via creative waste diversion.
We need a showcase of repurposed goods and ideas that can either travel to schools or be visited by the public. Environmental issues align with savings indices issues in a bold, creative way.
1 vote -
eco zoning
Vancouver like London attracts people from around the world Where London has produced zoning that helps preserve its historic "buzz" we need to produce zoning that preserves our "rain forest" appeal . An eco zone is a modified existing zone (eg. RS1eco, RM1eco ,etc) that is given preferential treatment because of exceptional green practices, these could entail, urban farms, passive solar or passive certified homes. Eco zoning is incentive based, -additional sq footage, or minimum lot size reduction, green house gardens for commercial or personal), green innovation relaxation (eg, allowing wind turbines or large scale water collection (+500gallon) under ground…
5 votesGreen Enterprize Zone team is establishing area and some initial projects including two business incubators
-
granville island foot bridge
If there were a foot/bicycle bridge slung underneath the Granville Street Bridge, it might encourage those that are driving from the West End to simply walk. As well, this would provide a an interesting circle walk around the east side of False Creek. The foot bridge could just go from the board walk to the island. It would need stairs, but could also have a pair of counter balancing elevators for those on bikes or handicapped. Heck, for extreme green fun, perhaps the elevator could be power by a small tidal generator in False Creek
53 votes -
Make composting, proper recycling and waste disposal procedures in restaurants/hotels mandatory.
I work in one of the busiest restaurants in downtown Vancouver, and the amount of food alone we throw away daily makes sick.
I think that there are enough chain restaurants in the city that if even one caught on, it would create a demand for composting as a service and potentially lead others to do the same.
Hotels and grocery stores are other ways the idea could expand.
And the new fertilizer could be given to farmers for use in the area.
180 votes -
Captain Planet : Vancouver Edition
Hey. remember that TV show Captain Planet? (if not, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Planet_and_the_Planeteers) Remember that the TV show was awesome? We need to create a live action Captain Planet, set in Vancouver. Cue Planeteer "hub and spoke" power. Cue Planeteer " ALR" power. Watch them face off and duke it out against our modern day Hoggish Greedlies. You love it.
58 votes
