GC 2020
657 results found
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Compost Organic Soil for City and Homeowner Projects Instead of Non-Sustainable Excavated Soils
Why are we in this day and age still excavating our finite and rare, rapidly disappearing and endangered natural topsoils and peat bogs?! We have more than enough organic waste from yards, lumber mills, and food to create very high quality compost soils that can be responsibly utilized throughout industry, construction, retail, home gardening, and horticultural/farming. We need to do the right thing by significantly limiting non-sustainable soil and peat excavations, and to increase useage of responsible GREEN products like compost soils from high volume, high-tech composting facilities, which would be an excellent return on investment and environmentally responsible solution…
7 votes -
Provide a second yard trimmings cart to residents at no extra charge,
I think the city of vancouver should provide a second larger yard trimmings cart to residents at no extra charge.
This would help residents be able to put more food scraps and yard trimmings out for collection by the city so instead of just collecting 1 cart, the city would collect two yard trimmings cart from each house.
7 votes -
Re-inventing the (prayer) wheel
On October 10, 2010, we will erect and turn a "prayer wheel dynamo" to symbolize the need for re-thinking our way of life, not just a technological fix. "He [or she] alone can do good who knows what things are like and what their situation is... so called 'good intentions' and so-called 'meaning well' by no means suffice." (Josef Pieper, cited by E.F. Schumacher in the epilogue to Small is Beautiful.)
7 votes -
Create cheap bike rentals (Or include the rental in the fare) around the sky train stations
Many of us are worried to take bikes to the work due to the problem of shortage of space in the buses and sky train. If we could find them at the stations and return them after work, will make it easier for everybody, and more people will be encouraged to use them.
7 votesThis idea is similar to a Public Bike System, which is currently under review.
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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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Backyard Oil Tankers
Prior to late 1950's, thousands of Vancouver homes were heated with furnace oil, which was stored underground in 300 to 1000 gallon tanks.
Tanks today are in various corroded states, and present risk of oil leaching into soil and groundwater. Expense of removal and threat of neighbourly litigation create disincentive for dealing with the problem.
A time-limited window of opportunity should be provided by city for homeownerrs to access 0-interest loans and matching funds to mitigate all kinds of nasty contamination threats.
Added bonus of creating a few 'green' jobs, and ensuring those backyard gardens won't be growing petrotatoes and…
7 votesThe City has a mechanism for dealing with existing oil tanks when found on properties
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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 -
Ban grass lawns
Green lawns look nice but they consume a vast amount of water, we could reduce the amount of water used if we a) had maximum sized lawns allowable in private residence. b) Banned the planting of grass for lawn areas, there are a number of plants that you could use to create a green walkable space that consume little water to sustain, why then do we waist so much water on grass lawns, alternate style of ground cover could be looked at.
7 votesThe City does not limit the amount of lawn, but does limit the amount of impermeable surface allowed. We encourage alternatives to lawns through the water wise landscape guidelines. Strengthening education programs in supprt of alternatives to lawns is part of the plan.
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Celebrate Sufficiency
Over-consumption is at the heart of many of our environmental problems. One way to induce a reduction in consumption is to celebrate our sufficiency. Sufficiency, in this case, refers to a sense of completeness or wholeness. If we feel complete, there is less of an inclination to fill our faces with stuff we don't really need.
7 votesThis idea will be considered in the framing of the ongoing engagement work on the greenest city.
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No Concrete Medians
Instead, use flowering or green plants... it is beautiful and can contribute to cleaner air that we breathe
7 votes -
Green transportation hubs throughout the
EVs are coming and we're not ready. Putting infrastructure in place with high-speed charging that also hosts bike sharing, car sharing and green commuters will have a central place to plug in and recharge.
7 votes -
Waterless Urinals
Save millions of gallons of water!
Plumbers don't like them but i think there is a huge potential for this!6 votesNot specifically part of Draft Greenest City Action Plan, but efficient fixtures and incentives are.
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Energuide 90! Train a work force to implement it. Jobs for everyone!
Design, Construction, Testing, Monitoring, and Enforcement. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
6 votes -
Create a safe, licensed, easy carpooling system.
Create a system where people can become registered carpool hosts for free, they would need to be screened (police record check?) and validated, and display the license in the front window. Set up stations in the city, like bus stations, that say (for example; South Surrey Park and Ride) where people could wait for a carpooler. There could be a small charge as incentive for the driver ($2 per person each way would help a lot with daily parking).
I have often driven by a line up of bus users, and thought about how much money I could earn by…
6 votes -
Adopt targets for reducing oil consumption and officially acknowledge oil depletion (peak oil).
Global oil depletion will be one of the key issues impacting community and economic resiliency, and our journey to true sustainability. Our priority plans need to reduce BOTH emissions AND oil dependence.
6 votes -
Support Social Enteprises in Creating Green Jobs
Vancouver has a great cluster of social enteprises. They are helping to recycle, grow and prepare food, weatherize homes, and do many other important things. We need more of these social enteprises.
6 votes -
Cap building energy consumption for different building types on a per occupant basis NOT area
There is no use in capping annual energy consumption on a per area basis if we continue building larger buildings. If we want to effectively limit total energy use, let's do it on a per occupant basis (i.e. kWh per building occupant).
6 votesWill move toward outcomes based codes which will take area and occupancy into account. This idea is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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Provide a one-stop clearing house for information relating to local food in Vancouver.
A local food directory could support residents in participating in the local food economy, advising them of all the various initiatives that are going on relating to food production, processing and retail in Vancouver.
6 votesThis idea is in the draft Greenest City Action Plan
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Encourage eco-offices
It's fine to be green at home - but what about employers? Connect with the Vancouver Board of Trade and other businesses to ensure that offices are recycling, reducing engergy, encouraging healthy food choices, and green commuting options. Give tax breaks for businesses who allow 50% of their employees to telecommute.
6 votesThis work is currently underway in our community, and being done by many owners and operators of buildings throughout town. BOMA offers a certification program to support this kind of activity: http://bomabest.com/
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"Waste" pick up
Have Garbage and recycling trucks able to pick up bins on both sides of each ally at once. We have a truck drive down our ally 4 times each garbage day (6 with waste bins). A ridiculous waste of resources....and where are our hybrid diesel trucks, as it is the epitome of stop and go traffic
6 votes
