GC 2020
8 results found
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Encourage Community Groups
Facilitate meetings at all community centres in the city that give neighbours an opportunity to meet and discuss topics relevant to their communities. This will support community involvement and decision making.
8 votesThis kind of work is already underway all over the City, much of which is led by community organisations. Find one in your neighbourhood, or one that works on issues that you care about, and join in. This action plan includes building supports (e.g. tools, resources) to support community groups in talking about, and working toward, the greenest city.
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Support education funding so teachers have the resources to teach being green across the curriculum.
24 votesMembers of Vancouver City Council are supporting education funding.
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Foster a friendly ‘greening of the cities’ competition with other major west coast cities.
Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco all aspire to be greener cities along with Vancouver. Finding ways for the west coast cities to compete, share and inspire each other will have a positive effect in driving each other to achieve greater results more quickly and in the spirit of mutually beneficial competition. Perhaps an annual competition with progress indicators, for example.
5 votesThe “Greenest City in the World by 2020” is fostering this competition with cities globally, including those on our coast. Expanding it to a global outlook pits us against less industrialized cities, as well as cities in rapidly developing countries, and makes the contest much more interesting and challenging.
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Partner w/ social development orgs to ensure a more holistic 'greening' + to build broader support
While the mandate of this project is specifically to 'green' the city, even the 'Greenest City' will be a failure if the overall welfare of its people isn't considered.
The strongest Greenest City strategy will be a holistic one, including key elements of social, community and local economic development.
Our Greenest City approach should include dedicated outreach to individuals and communities that have traditionally had low participation in Vancouver's Green movement -- to build broad support and to recognize shared goals between organizations.
8 votesThough this is called the Greenest City program, there has been a very strong social justice and economic lens to the work. There is a green economy working group and external advisory committee with membership from diverse community-based organisations and businesses. Staff the City’s Social Policy department are very active in the process.
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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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Comprehensive Food Waste Collection
Why not collect all food waste? Seattle does it. UBC does it. Why limit it to uncooked fruits and veggies and eggshells? This makes some people not bother. More would use the service if it didn't require any discrimination and sorting.....
37 votesThis is planned for Phase 2 of the food scraps recycling program.
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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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Encourage clothes lines through subsidized "kits" and installation assistance
Dryers are huge energy sucks, and outdoor clothes lines can do a fine job drying laundry (at least for the 50 days a year it doesn't rain!). Perhaps a summer student could be hired to come install clothes lines at residences around the city.
11 votesSeveral years ago the City devleoped water saver kits to help people conserve water. Look for clothes line kits to be ready for distribution in 2011.
