GC 2020
657 results found
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Reduce fuel consumption up to 50% by modifing existing fleet
Electric vehicles replacing our existing fleet of cars is a long way off. The existing fleet needs to be addressed now so we can start reducing emissions immediately.
By educating drivers and modifying our existing vehicles we can cut fuel useage by up to 50%. Since joining the Ecomodder forum I have increased my mileage by over 70% with a combination of driving techniques, aerodynamic changes and simple modifications. No dubious snake oil was used. I was getting 17mpg combined when I started, now I get 30+mpg. Instrumentation helps to show drivers how they are doing. Competition makes the whole…
3 votes -
tv ads highlighting cycling routes vs car routes
remember the old "Participaction" ads? New and old cyclists and car drivers need to have "theories" behind cycling routes vs car routes highlighted in a entertaining and friendly way... Humor that shines a light on the "car traffic jam" at the "crossing light" on a cycling route, and the driver just turned cyclist who has resorted to his autopilot driving habits and chosen the narrowest road to ride his bike to work causing cars to rack up single file behind him... There is a way for us all to co-exist, but we could be doing a better job of it...…
3 votesSocial marketing to support active transportation
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give credance to developing countries
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."
4 votes -
SMS (text) mobile phone alerts for bike route changes
Few things deter cyclists and would-be cyclists like our too frequent unannounced changes to safe biking routes due to construction and other inconveniences.
Using the city's database, cyclists could subscribe to a 'push' SMS message services that would alert them to any changes to their preferred route(s). The messages would also provide alternate safe routes.
3 votesThe City is looking at ways to improve communication to all road users on short-term changes, such as construction and special events.
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Ban the Disposal of Recyclable Products
The Nova Scotian government has an amazing program where garbage has to be disposed of in clear garbage bags and if it includes recyclable goods the waste it not picked up and has to be sorted.
The ban includes "Bans on the disposal of beverage containers, corrugated cardboard, newsprint, scrap tires, used oil, lead-acid batteries, waste paint, automotive antifreeze, glass food containers, steel/tin cans, selected plastics and compostable organic materials."
2 votes -
2 votes
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Grow local supply chains
For Vancouver to be a sustainable city locally-owned businesses mustbe able to source locally. This is especially true of light manufacturing (clothing, utensiles ...), food, local stories. We should be moving information around the world (bits) but physical supply chains should be grounded in the local economy. Let's look for the subsidies and tax incentives that act against local supply chains (most of these are federal and provincial, but let's look at the city as well). A great service would be an open social directory of local suppliers!
34 votesRecommendations for greening existing businesses include recommendations to support building of local supply chains. This idea is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan
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Place Making - City Repair see link
Place making initiatives like those in Portland, Oregon and Fernwood, Victoria, B.C. http://cityrepair.org/ See the book Place Making (small) and Mark Lakeman. Wonderful inspiration for taking back neighbourhoods and becoming more involved in one's community. Fernwood now has a Neighbourhood Resource Group, which to date has bought and revitalized several heritage buildings, runs a comminity cafe called Cornerstone Cafe, which hires local youths and uses profits to put back in the community and is in the process of upgrading several more. Most of the work was done by the community. Also seeing the need in their neighbourhood for more affordable…
1 vote -
"Smart" garbage cans that pay you to recycle
Modify city garbage and recycling cans to contain identification tags, so the biggest recyclers can get coupons, cash or credit rewards. The worst recyclers get warnings and fines that pay for the project quickly. The cost of this project has been only $2.4 million elsewhere.
Please look at these links:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/1001-smart_trash_cans.htm
http://www.telecomengine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6544
10 votes -
Ban New paving
Stop paving green space! There is a new unneeded and ugly sidewalk (8th ave example) and the US style electric lit AstroTurf rec complex at Jericho that has taken ridiculous amounts of green space away - leave well enough alone!
10 votes -
Enforce smoking and littering bylaws
Fines should be high enough to cover the cost of enforcement.
And remember to include Translink - it is one of the worst offenders. It does nothing about operators who smoke on or near public transit vehicles or to enforce skytrain, seabus, and bus terminal smoking bans.
12 votes -
1 vote
The Greenest City work will direct the next transportation plan update to explore more sustainable goods movement approaches, including the use of rail, waterways, and new technologies.
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Recycling Education and Expanding the Recycling Program
Updated education on what is recyclable and what isn't would be great. Our recycling bin has been rejected because people aren't following the guidelines, but if they're coming from other provinces or countries, they might have been able to recycle more. Let's upgrade what we can recycle and educate everyone on what we can do. Am I the only one who still takes the plastic windows out of the envelopes and do we still need to do it?
1 vote -
Extend food waste collection program to include apartments and condos
While the curbside food waste program is terrific, detached homeowners already have the option of composting in their yards. Extending the program to include apartments dramatically reduce municipal waste and will finally make composting available to the growing number of Vancouverites living in high-density buildings (which is also great for the environment).
770 votesThe City supports Metro Vancouver’s plans to ban food scraps from the incinerator and landfills by 2015. The City will collaborate with Metro Vancouver to develop and implement a plan to ensure apartments, condos, businesses and institutions have access to food scraps collection programs before the ban comes into effect.
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4 votes
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Demolish Sears and replace it with a big green plaza
Downtown Vancouver lacks a central open space where people come first rather than cars. The green spaces that exist are all boxed in by cars on all sides. This creates an uncomfortable, noisy environment where nobody wants to stop and hang around.
Right in the middle of this, we have the Sears building: a gigantic, bland eyesore that is mostly empty. It blocks the view between several heritage buildings and adds to the claustrophobic feeling of downtown.
If Sears is demolished, an enormous space opens up from Vancouver Block to the Art Gallery. This could be modeled into a huge…
48 votes -
Encourage urban food production
Urban vegetable gardens and container planting can go a long way towards reducing our food miles and our dependence on imports.
Successful projects in Mexico and Cuba show us that we can produce a lot of food in the city proper, so why don't we?
669 votesThe draft Greenest City Action Plan will discuss this in a variety of ways.
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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 -
19 votes
This has long been a priority at the municipal level. Regionally, support is required from higher levels of government (e.g. Metro Vancouver, TransLink, Province of BC) as other municipalities.
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Reuse centres in every neighbourhood and at Waste Disposal Sites and Transfer Stations
Hornby Island does it, so can we! The idea is simple - create a designated place for people to drop off useful items for other people to take home, for free. Yes, it requires a little bit of management to make sure our community spaces don't get over run with old computers, but this can be a great way for people to get stuff they need, and to reduce waste going to landfill.
Fernwood, in Victoria, has a little gazebo in their neighbourhood square to drop stuff off. Montreal has the legendary ongoing, city wide, garage sale. And Hornby Island…
20 votesThe draft Greenest City Action Plan includes an action to develop reuse centres.
