City of Vancouver has 2,400 public space litter bins on streets, transit stops and parks. By introducing a wireless capable solar trash compactor system to replace this system significant financial and environmental benefits can be realized. Operating costs will be reduced by 70% as well as Green House Gas emissions from the Diesel powered waste collection vehicle that go out at least once per day to pick up each of these 2,400 bins. Imagine having the collection take place once per week instead of seven times per week and have the reduced trip frequency pay for all this equipment in less than four years ? This is possible today - www.bigbellysolar.com

Similar to the Industrial Materials Exchange Program, small businesses and the public will be able to log into a database to list materials (such as packing paper, bubble wrap, shelving units, etc.) that they would like to give away for free before they are forced to throw it away. Using this principle of community-resource-exchange, our company was able to reduce their waste dramatically. The success of such a program will dependent on the promotion of it to the public and small businesses. Maybe a database and already popular site such as craigslist would be interested in a collaborative effort in the cause to reduce waste and share resources.

Imagine just selecting the 'green directory' app and being able to find sustainable businesses in the local area? Or finding a product in store and being able to look it up immediately to find out what it's sustainable qualifications are? There are a lot of people out there actively seeking out sustainable products and services, but there are a lot more who are engaged and interested - but just not sure where to start. People are creatures of habit, to motivate them to make changes you need to make it EASY for them to do so! I'm not saying it's an easy job to create a product/service directory or application - but with 'user creates' content and collaboration it may just be easier than we think.

Prior to late 1950's, thousands of Vancouver homes were heated with furnace oil, which was stored underground in 300 to 1000 gallon tanks.

Tanks today are in various corroded states, and present risk of oil leaching into soil and groundwater. Expense of removal and threat of neighbourly litigation create disincentive for dealing with the problem.

A time-limited window of opportunity should be provided by city for homeownerrs to access 0-interest loans and matching funds to mitigate all kinds of nasty contamination threats.

Added bonus of creating a few 'green' jobs, and ensuring those backyard gardens won't be growing petrotatoes and leukocarrots.

Developing a process that will facilitate homes with lanes to be able to subdivide back to front would solidify and incentivize the production of laneway houses, effectively doubling the density in parts of the city without breaking the small scale character of neighbourhoods. The current program allows for lane way houses to be produced with an incentive from rental income, but with current development costs and real estate market the process is not readily viable at a city-wide scale and many home owners do not see enough benefit to warrant financing such a project. However, with the incentive of being able to sell a property subdivided from one’s own, homeowners could act to invest in creating sustainable density. It will take a multi pronged approach to make subdivision towards lanes effective, but negotiating with utility providers for workable easements and providing for pedestrian and vehicle movements on lanes would allow the city to develop a whole new set of usable secondary streets. The unit density increase will facilitate better transit and other sustainable infrastructure, without sacrificing control of development to megaproject developers and large scale financing, yet also maintaining the small scale resilience of people maintaining and improving their homes as part of their community.

Let's have teams of semi-skilled energy and water efficiency technicians provide at-your-door, free upgrade services. It's easy to be lazy when it comes to making our homes more energy and water efficient. Sometime we just need a kick in the pants!

The City could partner with BC Hydro, Terasen Gas, the water utility, and other utilities and energy providers to establish teams of people that take energy/water efficiency information and products door-to-door. The neighbourhood visit schedules would be advertized and specific visits could be requested by citizens.

Citizens would have a choice between products or could choose not to upgrade. The work would be done for them on the spot or at an agreed-upon time.

Services and products provided could include:

-efficient water fixtures (freely provided and installed)
-efficient lightbulbs (freely provided and installed)
-window caulking (freely provided and applied)
-leak plugging (freely applied)
-simple plumbing fixes (leaky taps, toilets, freely fixed)
-appliance trade-in program facilitation (freely facilitated)
-home energy systems upgrade program facilitation (freely facilitated)
-window replacement program facilitation (freely facilitated)
-educational information on products, cost savings, sustainability, City initiatives, etc.
-etc.

It is in the City's interest to engage in this program as over the long term it saves costs in providing potable water. It is in the energy utilities' interest as it saves them money that would be required to build new energy-producing infrastructure for the increasing population and energy use.

Advertizing and promotion of the program is the key to its success. Offering additional incentives beyond home cost savings would also promote uptake.