GC 2020
36 results found
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Slow Down Vancouver: Working Less Equals Lower Footprint - Think about it
Slow it all down folks. Shorter work days, less stress, less racing about in cars, more time to walk to work, more time to think about your impact, more time to cook food, if you have time to cook you'll have time to eat whole foods - look for local products. Rushing about in our current culture is a recipe for unsustainability. Slow down Vancouver and Live Again. The facts are here...
"Shortening working time by 1% reduces the environmental impact by 0.8%, according to research carried out by Jörgen Larsson at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden - this…40 votesGreat idea that comes down to personal choices, and discussion with those that set work schedules (labour unions, other employers).
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Stop the use of toilet paper made from virgin trees.
TP made from post-consumer waste paper is already available, and even the likes of Costco are starting to stock it. Enact a bylaw that ensures all TP sold in Vancouver is at least 30% from recycled paper.
6 votesThe City can look to this in our own operations. Purchasing choices, and their effect on ecological footprint, will form part of the engagement campaign
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Support Green Art Organizations
Art is used to inspire all matter of people. To shift our thoughts to a greener future, we need to focus on creating in the present.
Organizations such as eatART ( www.eatart.org ) has a mandate of spreading Energy Awareness Through ART, building audacious and improbable large-scale kinetic, robotic, and
mechanized sculptures that investigate our human relationship to energy use.These pieces are taken to local events and educational institutions to provoke conversation on how we use energy.
231 votesThis is a great community led effort.
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City-sponsored "Sustainable Living" marketing campaign
Make it catchy, relevant, interactive, funny and shocking. Think of the new "Old Spice" marketing campaign impact. AWARENESS is key - people don't know unless you tell them. Focus on things like:
- civic engagement and participation
- community pride and unity
- alternative transportation
- connect our consumption habits to waste and wastewater output
- showcase local success stories
- encourage everyone to do their part
There's tons more we could cover, if you have ideas, share them in the comments!
5 votesThis idea is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
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meatless mondays
Like the title say, reduce meat consumption on Mondays. This would help reduce out footprint enormously. Furthermore, we would be the first city in Canada to adopt such a policy, the second in North America (after San Fran.) and the third in the world. It would be non-binding, that is great if you do it, OK if you don't. Read more here: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating-recipes/blogs/san-francisco-joins-meatless-monday-bandwagon
Thanks!!!42 votesLow footprint food choices are not the same as vegan food choices in all cases, the analysis is more complex than this. Generally a low footprint diet is local, seasonal food, and limits consumption of red meat, dairy, and some grains. Low footprint food choices is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan and will be discussed in ongoing community engagement work.
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Support collective housing
Support the development of collective housing- support landlords that rent to collective houses and create supports to allow collective houses to own their buildings.
Adult, children and pets living collectively pool their time and resources to implement practices that reduce their environmental footprint and support everyone's quality of life.2 votesThe City can influence land use and zoning policy, however collective housing really requires people to come together with this objective and commitment.
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47 votes
Council members cannot be mandated to eat vegan meals, however they may accept a friendly challenge. Like other Vancouverites, they may also be swayed by communications and education about the ecological footprint impacts of various dietary choices
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Include a class/wealth analysis in ecological footprints
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC office, released an interesting report that breaks down GHG emissions according to wealth. Surprise! The wealthier emit more GHGs. This gets at a critical justice issue about who is most affected by ecological changes, and who is responsible for causing those changes. This is a local issue as well as a global issue.
Check out the report here:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/reports/docs/CCPA_BC_ghg_emissions_distribution.pdf4 votesMay be included in research and data gathering to help develop targeted engagement strategies and ecological footprint reduction actions.
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2 votes
This is a good idea for framing our ongoing engagement campaigns
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A shared vision of sustainability
We need to work more to build ashared vision of what sustainability is and how it embraces culture and economy as well as ecology. What do we mean by 'sustainability'and how do we build resilience?
3 votesThis big picture framing questions are very important in the work of the greenest city.
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Integrate Green with 125th Celebrations
2011 marks the 125th birthday of Vancouver. The City is planning to spend $ on the celebrations. How can we celebrate in a way which moves us forward on creating a significantly more sustainable city.... so that we might have something to celebrate in another 125 years?!
3 votesThis idea is under discussion.
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Tax meat, milk and eggs & stop subsidizing
United nations, World Watch Institute and numerous high profile climate experts have all agreed that animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the entirety of the transport sector. Yet our government will not stop subsidizing meat, milk and eggs making them "affordable" beyond the capacity of our ecosystem. We need to start taxing these products and stop subsidizing them for the sake of our future.
54 votesEcological footprint impacts of different food choices form part of the data gathering; examining the City’s regulatory and policy tools to encourage lighter footprint living is included as an action.
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Ensure City of Vancouver buildings/events only serve vegan food.
The production of plant-based foodstuff is far better for the environment than animal products, which are one of the leading causes of climate change. The City should lead by example, and ban animal products at any event they cater - ie meetings, catered food for staff, event food.
31 votesLow footprint food choices are not the same as vegan food choices in all cases, the analysis is more complex than this. Generally a low footprint diet is local, seasonal food, and limits consumption of red meat, dairy, and some grains. We will look for opportunities to offer low footprint choices in City facilities.
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Develop sustainable education tax incentives
Provide a venue where Vancouver residents could go online and watch educational videos about sustainable and green ideas. In order to promote and encourage residents to watch the videos provide a tax incentive on say property tax. This will make more people watch these videos with the hope that a light will turn on in their heads as to making lifestyle changes that make sense as demonstrated by the videos.
4 votesThe City only has property taxation authority which isn’t an easy link to encouraging this kind of behaviour, although some form of incentive can be explored in the review of City policies and regulations.
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Encourage vegan options for all!
A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the ***** impacts of climate change, says the report from United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) international panel of sustainable resource management.
1,073 votesLow footprint food choices are not the same as vegan food choices in all cases, the analysis is more complex than this. Generally a low footprint diet is local, seasonal food, and limits consumption of red meat, dairy, and some grains. Low footprint food choices are included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan and will be discussed through community engagement activities.
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Host an sustainability ideas series (e.g. films, lectures, how to sessions)
Sustainability is a complex and difficult topic. Many people get a sense about what it is, some don't get it at all and many others think green consumerism (e.g. cloth bags, CFL lightbulbs) is all that's required to build a friendly and safe global future. A multimedia ideas series, perhaps at community centres, would be a great tool to inform people about what is actually required (e.g. reducing overall consumption) for us to build a sustainable global civilization.
10 votesWill share this idea with other organizations in the community that already have some of this type of programming.
