GC 2020
657 results found
-
Subsidies for Veggie Dining
How about offering economic incentives for new vegetarian or vegan restaurants? Such as giving tax breaks, or subsidizing start up costs to encourage investment.
86 votesConsideration of ways to incentivise and encourage lower footprint dining are included in the plan.
-
Eternal Olympic Flame that actually helps the Environment!
When dog waste goes into landfill, it releases methane into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is approximately 23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
When it’s burned in the presence of oxygen, it separates into carbon dioxide and water vapor, so businesses can actually earn carbon credits from burning off excess methane.
Here is an article on a park in Massachusetts where they are using methane created from dog poop for a gas burning lamppost (http://parksparkproject.com/home.html).
Eventually the methane could be used to reduce overall energy consumption by heating buildings/water etc, but in the…
3 votes -
Enhanced cycling infrastructure: Olympic road work @ West 1st at Cambie = how *not* to do it
Olympic roadwork at West 1st east of Cambie is an example of how NOT to do it. The road was widened to include a huge median/parking lot with even less road space for cyclists and more traffic interaction with new parking bays added to developments. Boo!
3 votesThe median on W 1st Ave is to accommodate a future streetcar system.
-
Charge business and commercial waste by weight instead of by bin
Wastes from businesses and commercial enterprises are generally put into dumpsters that are removed on a regular basis. These wastes includes food waste from restaurants, grocery stores and markets as well as industrial wastes such as wood, metals, construction materials and so on. If businesses were incentives to reduce the WEIGHT of their wastes they would be much more likely to find creative ways to divert it from the landfill stream. So dumpsters with less 'garbage' in them simply cost less to the business.
14 votes -
Create a 'Green Capitalist' campaign that lets Vancouverites proudly participate.
A simple modification of the 'Green Capital' logo lets individuals claim ownership. Offer free 'Green Capitalist' cycling vests to commuters during bike-to-work week. Have a secret shopper team give reusable coffee mugs or 'Green Capitalist' shopping bags to people who buy local, organic or free-trade. Give high-quality water bottles to every family that signs up for a water meter. Why should Green Capital just be for trade missions? Let every citizen wear their civic green pride!
6 votesInteresting ideas to encourage a connection to the Green Capital brand with specific activities
-
Expand the Current Blue Box Recycling Program and Offer it to Local Businesses
In many of my former workplaces, there has been little to no recycling of plastics, metals, glass and other recyclable materials for there was no collection program in place. Businesses should be required to pay to sign up for a blue box program that is connected to the residential one, and they could receive greater fee rebates the more recyclable materials they divert from the landfills.
21 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
-
BYOC (Bring Your Own Container/Cup)
Consumers have a responsibility to their own carbon footprint and not just the businesses. Bring your own container to the restaurant when you order food to go just like we bring reusuable mugs for drinks! Businesses can offer a discount as an encouragement.
23 votes -
Require all properties to capture rainwater/manage rainwater runoff on-site
In a city like ours, we should not be letting valuable rainwater sheet off the sidewalks and streets all winter, while we use drinking water to flush our toilets!
While this ventures into the territory of the provincial building code, the City of Vancouver can show leadership in requiring all buildings to capture and manage rainwater run-off on-site (e.g. through rainwater cisterns, stormwater planters, rain gardens, bioswales, etc.). There are many policy precedents for this in Germany, and excellent examples of beautiful rainwater management in Portland.
Reducing stormwater runoff will reduce incidents of sewage overflow (combined sewer overflow events) into…
19 votesThis is captured in rezoning requirements. The City has also developed a Waterwise Landscape Guide http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/guidelines/W005.pdf
-
2 votes
-
Permeable pavements
Use permeable paving in suitable areas with lower traffic volume (e.g. big block parking lots or smaller side streets)
4 votes -
Use only wired Internet in schools and in all public buildings in the city of Vancouver.
Wireless Internet is not safe, and should not be used in any buildings. Please replace all wireless electronic devices with fibre-optic transmission systems. Also, replace all cordless telephones with corded land-line telephones. Thank you.
7 votes -
Standard office supply changes
Our goal is to push for the betterment of our society, by providing sustainable products that cause the least harm to the eco-systems of the world we live, work and play in. We are of the mind that 5 cent’s more for a cup of coffee, or 2 cent’s more for a pen is well worth the peace of mind that we are making a difference, and that we are making the world a better, healthier place.
The choices made in today’s market place will profoundly affect the world of tomorrow, along with the need for the diversification and an…
3 votes -
To stimulate food waste recycling, offer a monthly bin cleaning service.
Since food waste will be in a bin for 2 weeks before collection, it tends to become smelly and full with bugs. This could be a major drawback for a lot of people, especially during the summer months. Therefore, offer a monthly or bi-monthly cleaning service on the day the waste is collected. In this way, recycling will become a lot less smelly! This service is in use in the Netherlands where food waste recycling has been around for a long time, and works perfectly!
1 vote -
Earth Day Corporate Challenge
Why not challenge companies in Vancouver to plant boulevards, or round-a-bouts, or empty lots for Earth Day.
3 votesThis is an interesting idea for engaging businesses in the community
-
Support Urban Farming Entrepeneurship
Urban farming from an entrepreneurial approach holds one of the most exciting possibilities for urban food production. Urban farming is a great way for Vancouver to achieve “worldwide entrepreneurial recognition” and create sustainable urban jobs.
Other successful urban farming systems (i.e., Havana, Cuba; Detroit, Michigan) have developed out of necessity and urgency. Such conditions do not yet exist in Vancouver. Yet urban farming, which is now a multi-million dollar “industry” in North America, holds the potential to create economic opportunities for those wanting to engage in urban food production; provide the most local food possible to Vancouver residents (and visitors);…
215 votesSupport for this via the creation of urban farming opportunities (e.g. SOLE food). Also July 2010 Council approved expanding farmers markets.
-
Create an "energy playground" for kids
The City of Vancouver could create an energy playground where playground equipment such as swings, see-saws and merry-go-rounds could be modified to generate energy. The more the kids play, the more energy they create. The energy produced could be used to light the playground at night, making it a fully Carbon Neutral playground. All of this equipment exists and is being used in poor villages in Asia and Africa to generating lighting for schools.
27 votesIdea shared with Parks Board
-
Promote car pooling and/or ride sharing programs
There are a number of car pooling and/or ride sharing programs in Vancouver but they are not being used by very many people. If the City of Vancouver promoted them, they could reduce a very significant number of car trips.
Some examples include: carpool.ca; ride-share.com; ride-club.ca; car-pool.ca; erideshare.com; carpoolingnetwork.com; and shareyourride.net.
8 votes -
Create a new area in Playland for human powered amusement rides
The City of Vancouver owns Hastings Park and is creating a master plan for the Park, the PNE, and Playland. The current version of the plan calls for an expansion of Playland, which goes against the Greenest City Goal, unless... a new section of rides was created that were completely human powered. It Vancouver approved it, it would be the first truly green amusement park in the world.
There are many examples of individual human powered amusement park rides but nowhere in the world have they been assembled together to create a green amusement park.
16 votesVery interesting idea. The planners for Hastings Park have looked at these type of amusement parks. Thanks for your interesting idea. We will share it with our project team. In our research we have run across something similar to your suggestion: check out Cyclecide http://www.cyclecide.com based out of San Francisco, operates the countries one and only pedal-powered carnival midway. Check out http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/maker_profile_bicycle_rodeo.html
-
compost street bins
To reduce smell and garbage, and can be picked up daily by volunteers or city works to be put in round about gardens or used in local parks
5 votes
