GC 2020
38 results found
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High Speed Rail to Seattle
From waterfront station tunnel underground to YVR then the line would follow parallel to highway 99 and then follow the I-5. Traveling an average speed of 250 km/hr you could reach YVR in 3 min at 4.10$, the border in 14 min, Bellingham in 23 min at 29.00$, Everett in 46 min at 58.00$ and finally Seattle in 57 min at 71.63$..... Imagine the possibilities of being able to travel to from downtown Vancouver to Downtown Seattle in just under an hour. Not only would this create green jobs, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it would also…
626 votesThis idea is not included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan, but it is supported in principle. Convened a high speed rail summit in July 2010 to discuss this proposal
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Make Vancouver a Mecca for Green Technologies, Innovation and Jobs
Make Vancouver a global destination for companies to develop and demonstrate emerging clean energy technologies, green transportation systems, energy efficiency solutions, water technologies, green building technology etc. by encouraging, facilitating, procuring and enabling projects to happen in Vancouver rather than other cities.
Solving the world's energy problems, curing our addiction to fossil fuels, reducing waste and ensuring access to fresh drinking water are all contributing to the creation of a new green economy is now valued at more than $5.2 Trillion. This is one of the fastest growing markets in the world and cities around the world are scrambling to…
50 votesA strategy in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan is to give economic development priority to green sectors, and develop a green technology centre and network, along with other specific infrastructure and demonstration projects.
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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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Create a Green Enterprise Zone
Vancouver could establish a green enterprise zone that would serve as a magnet for the development of green business, technology, products and services.
27 votesThis idea will be included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan. A Green Enterprize Zone team is establishing an area and some initial projects including two business incubators, specific infrastructure and demonstration projects.
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All Jobs Green
Greening ALL jobs through all organizations being required to meet minimum responsible practice standards set out by a government sponsored social enterprise which supports and builds day to day organizational capacity in lighter footprint futures and positive legacy.
22 votes -
Assess all green business/economy ideas by eco-equity indicators
At the Pecha Kucha night sponsored by the City of Vancouver to launch this website, Kevin Millsip described the importance of striving for an eco-equitable future: one in which our cities are not only green but just in its ways of providing for people of all incomes, races, and education levels. Let's build a dimension of equity into the green economy we want — healthy, sustainable and inclusive.
21 votesEco equity is addressed through focus on generating job creation opportunities for full spectrum of workers, from high skilled to those with barriers to employment. This is an idea that is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan
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Profile & demonstrate clean technologies in wastewater treatment & nutrient recovery
The City can help to showcase local green businesses and improve their profile in the market place through demonstration projects. One idea is to support the development of a community wastewater treatment facility that captures nutrients from the wastewater stream to process into an environmentally friendly fertilizer. Metro Vancouver wastewater treatment plants currently produce biosolids which are rich in nutrients and can be used to fertilize lands to improve vegetative production, but this program needs further partnerships to reinforce and expand the model.
Links
MetroVancouver Nutrifor program: http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/wastewater/nutrifor/Pages/default.aspx
Vancouver firm Ostara: http://www.ostara.com/
15 votes -
Re-industrialize Vancouver
Bringing manufacturing and farming back to the city may be the only way to create an environmentally and socially sustainable world. Like most western cities, Vancouver has become almost completely de-industrialized. The goods (and increasingly also the services) that form our daily existence are produced far away under conditions we don't tolerate here. As a result much of our ecological and social footprint is exported and hidden from view, resulting in increasing environmental devastation and social inequality. Bringing these activities back home—into the city core—will give us the opportunity to address the social and ecological consequences of our production and…
15 votes -
Encourage Eco-Industrial Parks & Eco-Business Zones
The city can develop an eco-business strategy to help build networks of businesses who work together to : reduce their impacts, resource consumption rates, strain on public infrastructure, and, of course, costs.
Eco-Industrial Parks and eco-business zones are effective models for greening new and existing industry/business activity: By acting collectively, and taking lessons from natural systems, we can create new green business opportunities and transform existing employment areas to use less resources like water & energy, and to attract progressive new green businesses to town.
12 votesNeed to research eco-industrial practices. Strathcona is implementing at a neighbourhood scale. This idea is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Develop a directory and/or application that helps consumers choose sustainable products and services
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…
11 votesThere are multiple green building product and services directories that already exist in Vancouver. www.sustainablebuildingcentre.com and www.metrovancouver.com/buildsmart
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Partner with non-profits for manufacturing using waste materials
As the landfills are all filling up, create manufacturing opportunities in partnership with non-profits using waste. Examples: waxed produce boxes make enviro-friendly fire logs; so do recycled newspapers; plastics can be mixed and molded into playground equipment and park benches
10 votes -
Trains, planes and ships: make us a mecca for developing and using green transportation technology.
Vancouver hosts a sizable international airport and a sizable international sea port. It's also a large end-node for rail traffic and trucking activities. In short, the city and transportation are deeply intertwined. In fact, all of that transportation, pumping its flow of goods and people in and out, is one of the major underpinning arteries that gives the regions its vitality and life. Cutting it off would not be a good idea, so why not enrich it and make it healthier instead?
Vancouver and its neighbouring districts also have a fine pool of technological prowess and academic capability in its…
9 votes -
Provide financial advantages to small businesses to become more sustainable
I've had the opportunity this week to interview several businesses in the Strathcona area who are already taking moderate to extreme action toward decreasing their own footprints. They buy and manufacture their products locally, they build green roofs, they go to Climate Smart to learn how to track and reduce their footprint, they participate in by-product synergy exchanges, they provide incentives to their employees to ride bikes to work, etc. These businesses are making these changes because it is the "right thing to do", and because they are preparing for what they anticipate the realities of business to be in…
8 votesThe draft Greenest City Action Plan includes recommendations for greening existing businesses include recommendations to support work of organizations currently working in this area (e.g. Climate Smart)
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Promote a micro-economy
Promote a micro-economy:
Not everyone fits into the monoculture of work and life options available in Vancouver. A healthy city is a diverse city that allows individuals access to the economy on a range on increments. De-regulate work in homes. Integrate services and restaurants into neighbourhood streets and lanes. Turn on-street parking stalls into rent-by-the-hour food and retail vendors.8 votesAgree in principle, but there is more research required. What about property tax implications? How can the city collect tax to support services? This needs to be addressed first.
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Vancouver as a Cleantech Center
Vancouver has a dynamic and growing clean tech cluster. These companies are home grown and are addressing global challenges. Vancouver could become the world's leading clean tech center, but we need incentives, a clean tech center, and programs to help Vancouver based companies stay in Vancouver as they grow.
7 votes -
Create green collar jobs for local residents, especially low threshold opportunities
Use the principles of community economic development to create job opportunities for those with barriers to employment, including incentives for green businesses that provide local employment and procurement of local goods
7 votes -
Link all contractors and service providers to the Green City project.
To use the power of the City needs with its contractors and service providers will spread the green idea not only inside the City but all around. Request that all of them start giving information about how green are they about their services and products offered to the City and little by little ask for a minimum standard to offer any service or product.
7 votesCity has energy-related requirements for all procurement. Will consider city suppliers as one possible avenue to promote more green practices.
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Small business from home, up to 10 clients can enter home a day in busines hours, as Burnaby allows
small business at home needs to be able to have clients come to the location.
Small business in a hood emlliminates emission and reduce traffic volume , encourages biking and walking, in creases neigbourhood safty around the clock , creates multi-leveled community interactions making living in the city more welcoming and stress free, supportive.Citizen interaction increases and takes cars out of rush hour as commuting to work is lowered as well as moms and dads can care for kids while having work at home , save money and have better more quallity interaction with their kids , rather then…
7 votes -
Build a cooperative economy.
Co-op's are a great tool in building a green economy. They are member driven, and are grounded in local community needs and values. Let's see how many financial, housing, food, transportation, employment, and product needs can be met in our community by cooperatives.
7 votesNeed co-op model in different green sectors.
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Start a chain of coffee shops that sells exclusively day old baked goods and expired dairy products.
I hate walking into all these wasteful cafes and having my nose fill up with the smell of freshly baked goods when I know they are just going to get thrown out at the end of the day. I mean $2.25 for a croissant who has that kind of money. I suggest day old baked goods for sale for a quarter only, and then if you want a latte it is 50 cents but the milk might be a little sour. Remember that you are doing it for the environment, it for your childrens children so come on down and…
7 votes
