GC 2020
657 results found
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High Tech Large Volume Composting instead of Incineration
How Green is polluting our already smoggy air by incinerating our garbage locally?! We should follow proven and tested highly successful models used in Europe and the USA for high volume organic waste composting facilties. Almost anything that can be burned, can be safely composted and then reused as high quality soils by local homeowners, farmers, retail, and industry. Why has Metro not chosen and built such an odorless and responsible GREEN system here yet? (Like GORE Cover System used in largest such facility in USA located just 1/2hour south of Vancouver in Everett, WA at Cedar Grove Composting) Say…
3 votes -
hazardous materials amnesty day
I recently broke a mercury thermometer in my home and had to take it all the way to Delta, where they charge $100 to dispose of it responsibly. It was extremely tempting to just chuck it in the dumpster and have done with it, and I bet that happens much more often than it should. I hear both Langley and Chilliwack have days in October where they collect hazardous materials at people's homes. Could we do something like that in Vancouver? I think it would go a long way toward keeping hazardous materials out of the landfill.
3 votes -
Encourage each community to establish a community sustainability plan.
A community can create and build on its vision and formal plans by adopting specific objectives, guidelines, action items, regulations, and policies. Adopt continuous learning mentality (and policy) so that feedback can be used to assess effectiveness of decisions and actions and changes can be made accordingly. Want to create resilient, adaptable, and engaged communities.
3 votesNeighbourhoods in Vancouver have been undergoing community visions and plans for many years, and most communities now have these in place. They aren’t focused specifically on sustainability, but many have a strong sustainability focus: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/cityplan/visions/
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Monitor electricity on computers
Have software on your computer that monitors how much electricity you are using at any given time in your home, and how much per appliance/outlet etc.
3 votes -
Hydrogen Powered
The power of Hydrogen is very green and useful. It is already used to power some cars. Using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels will reduce our carbon footprint, get out of our dependency on oil and reduce global warming. The only output of hydrogen is water. This technology can power your car and maybe your house. Unlike nuclear fission, it has no harmful emmisions. You can use it in a fuel cell (safe) or maybe liquid hydrogen as to fuel engines for a thought. Even cold fusion can be an alternative to nuclear fission. Hydrogen has given light and energy…
3 votes -
Be the first city to create a standard for operational excellence
The corporate sector is an essential part of the solution. Encourage Vancouver's corporations to adopt tangible and achievable standards for excellence. Recognize those who have made a commitment and incent others to follow. Businesses have an incredible opportunity to inspire individuals.
3 votes -
Get rid of Vision.
Don't fall for this fluff. You want to be green, go for it. But the Vision brand of green is nothing more than another religion of half truths to make you think you are a better person than you are.
3 votes -
Solar powered pollution blimp
Take the idea of the "IONIC BREEZE" enlarge it and put it on a blimp. Use solar energy to power it. Fly it over the city to filter out harmful pollution and gasses in the air!
3 votes -
childcare
Re-fund the before and after school child care center which serviced the Champlain Heights Main School.
This center served 50 children (and had a waitlist of 50). It cost the city approximately $60,000 per year to run (most of the costs were paid by the parents).
A safe, affordable, accessible before and after center will allow children to attend school in their own neighbourhood. It will give parents time to bus, car pool or take transit to their workplace instead of driving out of area to drop their children off to childcare or have their children attend school out of…
3 votes -
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
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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 -
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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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.
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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 -
3 votes
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Provide more effective security on transit
Public transit is a very safe mode of transportation, but there is a stigma amongst non-users that you will be more comfortable in your vehicle than on a bus or skytrain. Many regular, paying transit users are also upset that some users are riding for free because the drivers cannot properly deal with riders that refuse to pay. Providing a quick, effective and courteous response to security incidents on public transit vehicles will increase the general confidence in the system. Translink must be able to track where and when the majority of incidents happen, so that security can be more…
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Encourage public-led programs in parks and plazas
Older cities around the globe are models for how to create dense, livable neighbourhoods. Creating smaller housing units in denser neighbourhoods is a great way to get people to live closer to the urban centre and preserve natural and agricultural areas in metropolitan area. Density alone will not create livable, dense cities. Parks and plazas become critical as they the space that was lost as the housing units and lot sizes get smaller. Many of the programs in public parks provide recreation opportunities, but there is also value in programs and events that enhance community. Some of these programs can…
3 votes -
printing
Green up the Citys Print Communications - we know the city needs to communicate, let's do it smarter. Ensure that any communication vendors have been pre-qualified with a number of Environmental and Social minimum standards. Ensure that any print is done with leading sustainable practices, Carbon Neutral, Recycled paper, Zero VOC inks, with companies that actively support the communities social and green needs. Print Less, Print smarter.
3 votesA corporate sustainability framework is currently being developed and implemented; this idea has been shared with that team, and zero waste is an aspect of their framework.
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Make ride-sharing fast, easy and cheap
Let's push the taxi companies to follow closely and pair up with local entrepreneurs to learn about "social transit" as being piloted in New York City right now by the company Weeels (http://www.weeels.org/) for easier and simpler taxi sharing. The Vancouver fleet is already on hybrids, and this will further help taxis be more efficient in their use of roadspace as well!
3 votes -
Endorse Community Block Parties
Encouraging each city block community to have a yearly get together to celebrate living and connection.
3 votes
