Environment Committee

Goal: to enhance our environment, reduce our environmental footprint including our carbon emissions, and nurture biodiversity in our unique mature urban forest

Spring clean-up
Promoting tree protection, enhancing biodiversity/greenspaces
Projects to reduce our footprint including our carbon emissions and waste

The Environment Committee now has its own web site at https://urbanforestgreenspaces.wordpress.com/

ENVIRO CORNER

The objective of the community association’s Environment Committee is to engage residents to make Champlain Park a model of a sustainable community with the outcomes of lower waste, a lower carbon footprint, and an increase to or maintenance of biodiversity.

To join the Environment Committee or learn more about its
activities contact the Environment Committee Coordinator, Nick Xenos at xenosn@yahoo.com

Key environment-related projects in Champlain Park:

– Champlain Park Environment Strategy
–Champlain Oaks Project
–Enviro Tips
– SLOWest energy competition
–Ecology Ottawa Community Network
–Climate Ottawa
–Climbing Kilimanjaro for WaterCan
–Champlain Park Spring Cleanup “Watch the website for more details on our annual clean-up day every Spring”

Join the SLOWest Energy Competition – and help Champlain Park win!

It’s simple, residents from different neighbourhoods sign up for an online account with Switch Hop that let’s you know how much electricity you are using (and helps you find ways to use less and save $$).

The energy used (or saved!) is added up for all the residents in the neighbourhood and the neighbourhood who uses the least amount of energy wins.

Sign-up..its free!

A description of the SLOWest Energy Competition and how to sign up.. its free.

More information

More information on the SLOWest Energy Challenge is also available at the SLOWest website.

Nick Xenos
Champlain Park Environment Coordinator

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Doing your part to reduce climate change – how to lower your carbon footprint.

Interested in lowering your carbon footprint?

In using greener energy?

Following up on the good OREC article posted on the community website (champlainpark.org) I wanted to suggest a few other ways you can go green on energy and lower your carbon footprint:

The most cost-efficient way is of course to lower your energy usage. There is a good website (switchhop.com) that is free and can help you monitor your energy use throughout the day and compare you to your friends. This gives you a good sense of what you use and when you use it (keep in mind peak rates) so that you can make smart choices about electricity use. Some other helpful sites on energy conservation:

Bullfrog

Another very affordable option is to use Bullfrog .

Bullfrog provides green renewable energy to the Ontario grid. If you sign up with them you don`t need to change anything – you basically estimate (on their site, very easy or use your hydro bill) how much energy you use (electricity and natural gas or other) and then pay them an additional amount per month for them to insert that much green energy into the Ontario grid thereby offsetting your carbon emissions.

Considering that about 25% of our electricity comes from fossil fuels you only need to pay Bullfrog to offset 25% of your electricity usage to be carbon neutral. Depending on your finances you can offset part or all, whatever you can afford. For as little as 20$-40$ per month you can be carbon neutral in your energy usage (they can offset both electricity and natural gas).

micfoFit program

Two of the other options we are seeing more and more of (but require a bigger investment up front) are putting solar panels on your roof via the micfoFIT program and using geothermal for heating your home (which is particularly interesting if you need to replace your oil or gas furnace).

Also to note, we are working with other neighbourhoods on an energy challenge, where we can compete between neighbourhoods to see who can lower their energy usage the most. Stay tuned, more details will be posted on the web site and on the listserv.

Good luck on lowering your carbon emissions and doing your part to fight climate change!

Nick Xenos
Champlain Park Community Association Environment Coordinator
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ENVIRO TIPS

We hope to provide info and tips to the community on how it can contribute. Here are some ideas that each individual can do to lower waste.

• Our local Metro at the corner of Carleton Ave. and Richmond Road takes plastic bags for recycling. A large blue bin is set up just inside the first set of doors, amongst the shopping buggies.
• Did you know that batteries can be recycled at any Ottawa Public Library branch? Our nearby branches are Rosemount and Carlingwood. There is usually a plastic cylinder in the entry area in which to place the batteries.
• The City held a hazardous waste collection day in early November at Tunney’s Pasture. Instead of each individual driving over with their fertilizer, paints, oven cleaner, etc., many neighbours pooled their hazardous waste and made only one trip. This is a great initiative and we will announce upcoming similar events.
• Other good tips on recycling, including green bin and specialty items, can be found at the City of Ottawa website: http://www.ottawa.ca/online_services/recycling/index_en.html
• Garbage cans often overflow after the holiday festivities. Avoid sending stuff to the landfill by wrapping your gifts in reusable fabric gift bags, using the comic strip page to wrap gifts for kids, and using natural materials such as pine cones and evergreen branches for decoration. If you prefer to buy gift wrap, please purchase paper that uses recycled content.

– Maija Adamsons

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ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY

The Champlain Park Environment Committee is establishing
an environmental strategy for our neighbourhood. We
would like to understand our neighbourhood’s views and
practices related to environmental issues.
We would appreciate it if one person in each household
would complete the survey delivered with this issue of the
Champlain Speaker.
Completed surveys can be dropped off at:
• 141 Keyworth Ave.,
• 118 Clearview Ave., or
• 201 Daniel Ave.
If you would like to fill out the survey on-line, go to http://
champlainparker.polldaddy.com/s/champlain-parkenvironmental-
survey
The closing date for the survey is January 31, 2012. We hope
to re-issue the survey in coming years to see what change is
taking place. Thank you fortaking the time to complete the
survey.
–Brian Tychie