Imagine a continuous canopy and healthy forest ecosystem spanning across the entire City.

Create incentives as well as training program for low income / marginalized individuals to weatherize existing buildings.

Weatherizing (caulking and weather stripping gaps in walls, win­dows, doors, roof, and floors) is a simple and affordable energy conservation solution that makes a HUGE difference, often with a payback of less than year. There are many existing buildings in Vancouver that are poorly performing due to a lack of weather-proofing.

Think of all the green jobs we could create if people were trained in how to do this, and there were incentives make it easier to implement.

Make it possible for residences or small businesses to find other people / businesses near them, so they can pool low-volume waste streams like batteries, light bulbs, wood pallets together to make it economically viable for recyclers to come and pick them up

I find the name offensive. Scores of "developing" nation cities (Cuba, Laos, Bhutan, Phillipines, etc.) are and will continue to be greener than Vancouver will ever be. Lets give credence to these nations/cities and show them some respect. Rename the scheme from "Greenest City" to "Greenest Western City."

Refillable milk, butter, juice, etc. stations at supermarkets would eliminate such an enormous amount of wasted packaging. Think about bringing your refillable bottles every week to get what you need. This goes beyond the local level though - we'd need to get producers onboard. Taking it a step further would be to fill all the stations with locally produced food/drinks.

Whereas Climate change requires individual behaviour change and
Wherease individual behaviour change is significantly enhanced by cultivating the ability for critical thought and the abilility to step back and question and
Wherease these abilities are proven to be enhanced by practicing mindfulness (aka meditation, centering prayer, and many other labels), and
Whereas some success has already been achieved by introducing mindfulness programs in Vancouver schools,
Collaborate with the vancouver school board to introduce mindfuflness training in all grade levels across the city. This may include providing a financial incentive for the VSB to fully roll out the program.

The concept is that if a building goes off grid, they will be given a property tax holiday for 5 years to fund it. They must use BC based technology whenever possible. This will green our existing buildings, create jobs and reduce out carbon footprint. An investment in our future that reflect all three legs of sustainability.

Plastic is a problem in landfill because it takes over 450 years for plastic to break down (if it ever does break down). Hotels dispose of billions of hotel size shampoo bottles in landfill each year. Technology exists to produce plastic shampoo bottles that will biodegrade in landfill in less than 9 years. Vancouver can offer special recognition to the hotels that offer guests this new environmentally responsible product as the more hotels that contribute to this cause, landfill waste will be saved one inch at a time. Starting small can offer big rewards.

Vancouver can be a model of a community that works together to reduce its peak electricity demand and thus the generation capacity needed to sustain it. It can do this through proper monitoring of usage in both residential and commercial buildings and financial incentives to reduce beyond savings on the bill. Make Vancouver a model, and once shown successful, this model can be expanded to other BC cities and beyond.

I think "going green" necessitates a healthy level of tolerance by everyone.

Tolerance will not pit cyclists against car drivers, but will allow each their own choice while working towards the goal that is best for everyone. Tolerance will recognize different viewpoints with an understanding that others views are as important as your own.

Intolerance alienates others and if we continue to do this, our green objectives will never be met.

Let's work together!

Every year in British Columbia the hotel industry deposits over 250 metric tones of soap and bottled amenities directly into our landfills. What if that soap could be cleaned, sanitized, and re-purposed for humanitarian emergencies and communities around the world where hand washing with soap can reduce by up to 60% the deaths of children under the age of 5. www.cleantheworld.org

Mission Possible, a agency in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is employing women at risk by recycling hotel soaps and bottled amenities. www.mission-possible.ca

Create an urban farm network, a hub that links farms, farmers, local food distribution and storage in the city and provides resources to everyone (including organized farms, non-profits, individuals, schools, community groups, city, etc) and provide business advice, links to funding, assistance in creating and sustaining local jobs, training farmers, and develop partnerships and connection to other urban farm resources throughout the city

Look to Portland for the technology.
In an age where we've recognized the degrading nature of fossil fuels, why not use a recycled, virtually emissions free source?

A tax break for communities who maintain and clean up their neighbourhood block.

Build communities to address the functional services required, but that also consider the well being of humans and nature, and the connectivity to the community.

Encouraging each city block community to have a yearly get together to celebrate living and connection.

Include First Nations and/or elders on ways to respect our land and resources that make them sacred. Defining a culture that connects our past to the present.