GC 2020
59 results found
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3 votes
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2 votes
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City Energy Grid
Let local solar, wind and other green energy producers (businesses and/or residents) sell energy into a city grid that supplies community infrastructure.
8 votes -
All universities to use alternative energy to become self-sufficient
See the German/USA film The 4th Revolution - Energy Autonomy - it's entirely possible to use only alternatives to power our institutions and cities. The fact that it's more expensive right now is not an excuse - there's too much at stake - universities should be supported to take this step and become our 'labs' for alternative energy.
I1 vote -
Comprehensive Carbon Emission Reduction Program Using Carbon Calculator to Track Our Efforts
In order to reach dramatic CO2 emission reduction targets, we need a comprehensive program that provides a framework and incentive for us to work together to implement the great ideas described on this site.
The city has set broad reduction targets and in order to meet our current and future targets (I and I think many others are willing to take even bigger steps), we need to be able to see, at a concrete level, the impact of our actions (ie - the amount of CO2 in the air going up or down) - as individuals and families, as businesses…
1 vote -
Hydrogen Powered
The power of Hydrogen is very green and useful. It is already used to power some cars. Using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels will reduce our carbon footprint, get out of our dependency on oil and reduce global warming. The only output of hydrogen is water. This technology can power your car and maybe your house. Unlike nuclear fission, it has no harmful emmisions. You can use it in a fuel cell (safe) or maybe liquid hydrogen as to fuel engines for a thought. Even cold fusion can be an alternative to nuclear fission. Hydrogen has given light and energy…
3 votes -
Sustainable Policing
Cut VPD fleet size in half. Boost their bike and footwear budget. (If necessary, create neighbourhood microjails by reusing phone booths - wherever they are - to hold perps until biopaddywagon takes them to the central composting centre),
4 votes -
Solar Powered Lights
Use solar powered street lights, they look cool and very futuristic, and they can help us use less energy
6 votes -
Green computing in all government offices
Cloud computing servers that run on renewable wind energy also minimize the need for computer upgrades, high-power servers that stay on all night, and costly software licences. Google has invested hundreds of millions in green power and offers government grade office services at a fraction of current costs. They also recycle computer parts to create their data centres. By using these services, we become greener.
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/google-buys-wind-power-first-deal-for-google-energy/
http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/government/index.html
http://www.google.com/corporate/green/datacenters/server-retirement.html
12 votesGood ideas. We are looking for all kinds of opportunities for renewable energy generation, waste heat recovery and energy conservation. Current good examples of waste heat recovery are in newer swimming pools and skating rinks. See a good example though the following link: http://vancouver.ca/parks/info/2010Olympics/pdf/Hillcrest.pdf
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Sodium Carbonate CO2 Scrubbers
See http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/big-idea/13/carbon-capture. If Vancouver could allocate land and funding for prototype scrubbers, it would not just be the Greenest City, but its local action would have a global impact - as removing CO2 from the air benefits the entire planet.
6 votes -
Utilities prices & consumption
I know, I know. It is not new and also it can be the most impopular idea but the reality is simple. People spent because it doesn't have to pay much more. There are many histories in the world probing this theory. Create some scale having a basic levels consumption and scales and increase prices for higher volumes and for sure it will impact the "behavior" of people and all the industries.
But this idea has a special component, with the extra money received create a fund for the other green projects for the city.2 votes -
Cool Points: Resident Carbon Cap-and-Trade Scheme
Pilot the first municipal carbon trading scheme for residents.
Create citywide, scaleable carbon market where residents (and businesses, tourists) are assigned a personal/household ghg cap based on current avg ghg consumption. These cool points would need to be spent initially on ghg main offenders like gas, home heat, electricity. Over the cap? You'll have to buy cool points from wee emitters on our local carbon market. Buy, sell and save your cool points with a cool points visa-like card/number. The annual cap would gradually be reduced, and the price of carbon would increase.
Perhaps politically and logistically unfeasible, at least…
1 vote -
compressed work week
A global trend to compress the 5 day commute to 4 days will make Vancouver a leader not a follower! The traditional work week consists of 5 days with each day being 7-8 hours. Many work situations can be changed to allow for non-traditional work weeks. As an example, if you have a 40-hour work week, instead of having everyone work 5, 8-hour days, some of your employees could work 4, 10-hour days. This would produce a 20% reduction in auto emissions pumped into our air and help our environment. A compressed work week is a commute option because it…
26 votes -
Lower temperature asphalt and more asphalt recycling
Many techs. exist that allow paving to occur at lower mixing plant temperatures, saving energy and reducing GHG and air polluting emissions. Vancouver (and Metro Vancouver) should mandate their use.
A mandatory % of recycled pavement should also be instituted.
Other "higher" tech asphalts also allow roads to be able to open to traffic sooner, reducing congestion and related emissions (as well as reducing traveller frustration)
8 votes -
Utilize local building materials in City projects
COV Parks just let a contract to use Made In China Granite shipped across the Pacific for the seawall instead of local granite. I suggest that the contract is amended to utilize local materials.
2 votes -
Monitor electricity on computers
Have software on your computer that monitors how much electricity you are using at any given time in your home, and how much per appliance/outlet etc.
3 votes -
3 votes
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push lawnmowers
replace nuisance noisy ride lawnmowers and 'whipper snippers' with quiet clean green lightweight push lawnmowers for health of user and mother earth. did you know ubc research shows direct link with heart attack and noise? thank you
9 votes -
convert heat to FREE hot water
Encourage all those stores that vent their unwanted heat from A/C units as well as from coolers/fridges and freezers grocer types and pump that heat into hot water tanks! The technology is available "off the rack". Known as Fre-Heaters..we should be capturing all that vented heat and convert it into hot water. NEW stores should not have such old equipment and instead be encourage to convert at the time of building!
5 votesGreat idea. We’re looking for all kinds of ideas to encourage the reuse of waste heat. We will to understand opportunities to include these ideas in amendments to the building code.
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Encourage geo-thermal power and heating technology for new and existing neighbourhoods
Geo-thermal technology could heat a large number of Vancouver homes and reduce the amount of natural gas and electricity being consumed.
28 votes
