GC 2020
657 results found
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Small Businesses
Need incentives to recycle, or reuse materials (between business and or/ public) through soemthing like a local online materials reuse/exchange database (similar to Free stuff on craigslist)
6 votes -
1 vote
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Reduce residential encroachment on agricultural land
In order for us to have more local food in our supply chain we need to protect the agricultural land we have in the Lower Mainland including the Fraser Valley. Right now residential and commercial land zoning is encroaching too much on our prime agricultural land. Soil is a resource that must be protected!
71 votesThe City can advocate for the protection of the ALR. This is an action identified in the draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Composting Program for Buildinga west of Denman
Use part of Stanley Park to start a small composting program for apartments west of denman St. Low transport costs with high density...reduces garbage in dumpster and offers free compost for park and or residents. if it works duplicate using other parks in vancouver with nearby apartment complexes.
8 votes -
Have a Vancouver gas tax, which the money would fund transit.
Have a tax on gas (and diesel) sold in Vancouver. Kind of like Montreal Island has. The money from this tax will go to fund public transit expansion projects and improvements.
9 votes -
increase property tax on vacant suites/homes
There are many condos owned by foreign investors that remain vacant while being held (many = 30% of new condos purchased downtown, where there are currently over 30,000 units vacant). Increase the property tax on absentee owners to incentivize the creation of more rental units and therefore more affordable housing options
3 votes -
eco fee for non-recyclable containers, not recyclable ones!
Currently if you walk into a grocery store and buy a product in a recyclable container you will pay an eco-fee (this is not a deposit) to cover the cost of the recycling.... Hellooooooo. Why are we not charging a "landfill fee" for everything that's NOT recyclable instead???
Eco-fees on products
When you buy many products with a take-back program, you’ll pay an eco-fee to cover the cost of recycling. It’s not a tax, meaning it doesn’t go to the government. The eco-fee goes directly to the take-back program to pay for the cost of recycling or safe disposal. Eco-fees…29 votes -
24 votes
The draft Greenest City Action Plan includes an action to create a local food procurement strategy for City facilities.
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More green space in East Van
With the city's push to densify East Van, plans should also be made to add green space like parks. The Kensington are is already under serviced as far as recreation facilites and parks. Before you shove more people in, put more green space in!
60 votes -
Have all of the city's fleet of vehicles be electric and plug-in hybrid (when possible).
Have electric vehicles for short distance trips and plug-in hybrids for longer trips. Also, have all new heavy trucks (like garbage trucks) be diesel hybrid.
39 votesA great idea that will be captured in the draft Greenest Ctiy Action Plan as part of a larger low carbon vehicles strategy.
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Stop UBC sprawl
We need to curb UBC's master plan for unsustainable urban sprawl! We don't need another city centre at the farthest reaches of Point Grey and at the cost of clear cutting precious local forest. UBC should refocus its undergraduate teaching facilities at downtown and other central sites (and on-line) rather than encourage further commuter traffic (and need for mass rapid transit) across the city. UBC is greenwashing its unsustainable and evergrowing preoccupation with real estate development!
60 votes -
Start window farms in Vancouver
http://www.windowfarms.org/
This could be great for Vancouver with all of our donwtown condos. Unfortunately this is only available in the US. City could start this in Vancouver and make it available like the water saver kit.38 votesThis is a strategy best implemented at the individual level. The City is not taking an active role on this idea.
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All single-use disposal items in Vancouver must be made of compostable bio-plastic or paper.
It’s ironic, and unacceptable, that most items designed to be disposed after a single use, are made of plastic which takes thousands of years to decay (if at all). Many items made of plastic today could be produced using the new compostable bioplastics. This would include: packaging (produce bags, Styrofoam, etc), food containers (coffee/drink cups, baked good and takeout containers, etc), medical equipment (syringes, latex gloves etc), personal care items (razors, qtips etc). This should extend into the industrial sector too. This idea might not be feasible in 100% of the instances, but it would go a long way to…
87 votes -
Make it mandatory to have 220V plugs installed at every new condo parking spot.
.. in preparation for electric cars.
17 votes -
Green school/Demonstration Centre
The two biggest barriers I see for people choosing to ignore green principles and continue in a throw away mentality is 1) Education 2) Ease of change. People need to understand and it has to be cheep and easy to do---guess what, It is!!!!!! Lectures, pamphlets, workshops--these are all good things--but seriously lets stop yapping and just start doing and showing. There is no better way of understanding what and how things can be done then by actually doing it. By sight, by touch and by participating.
Lets build a demonstration centre on a vacant lot which aims to discover…15 votesA key strategy to meet the 2020 targets is education. The Draft Greenest City Action Plan indicates the City’s intention to support and encourage educational and training opportunities.
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Use power generating tiles for pavement in high density walking areas
Power generating tiles: the more people walk on these tile, the more power is generated, and the less use of traditional power generation options that depend mainly on fossil burning. These tiles could be used downtown, in malls, sky train stations, and any other area with high density of pedestrians.
14 votesInteresting idea. The City is always interested in new renewable energy technologies.
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Smaller Transit options (mini-bus or micro-bus) for Off-Peak times
The use of smaller size buses during off peak hours will help reducing carbon emissions. Having a smaller full bus is more efficient than having large half empty buses during off peak times.
10 votes -
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 -
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
