Tag: environment

A Key Time for our Climate Change Campaign

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What to watch for!

The month between the end of April and the end of May is expected to be momentous in terms of our city’s plans on climate change.

Date Event – Activity
29-April-2014
Ecology Ottawa hosts a climate change panel discussion. You’re welcome to attend, see details below
13-May-2014
The city is expected to make public its new climate change management plan
28-May-2014
The city’s Environment Committee meets, hopefully to approve the new plan
20-May-2014
Full City Council meet, again hopefully to approve the new plan

Your efforts continue to make a difference.

GHG is shorthand for “greenhouse gas” – those emissions such as carbon dioxide (also known as CO2) and methane which, as their concentrations increase, are responsible for trapping more heat in earth’s atmosphere.

A year ago Mayor Jim Watson addressed the GHG Roundtable at City Hall saying “the City of Ottawa is committed to renewing the Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan to include renewed GHG reduction targets for both community and corporate emissions.”

He made that promise because hundreds of people had told city hall this issue is important to them.

Despite a lack of news coming out from the city after the Roundtable we’re now on the cusp of progress.

In the fall of last year Ecology Ottawa became aware that city staff were indeed preparing a revised climate change management plan. We know that the city has consulted with subject-area experts about best practices. We believe the revised plan will encompass both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation; which means they’ll be trying to both reduce emissions and trying to plan for what climate change will inevitably bring to our city.

The new document is expected to come before council in May. The schedules of city council meetings etc. mean that the revised climate change management plan should appear on the City of Ottawa website on May 13. Ecology Ottawa will be watching for it; we will let you know what we think of it; and we’ll ask you for your input.

The reason we’re at this point is because Ecology Ottawa supporters just like you told the mayor or their Councillor that climate change should be something our city takes action on. The messages of their voters created the political will. We are optimistic about the coming plan although we haven’t seen it.

But there’s more to do. Releasing a plan doesn’t bring down emissions or limit damage from extreme climatic events. With your help Ecology Ottawa will be working to ensure that the plan is a good one and that it actually gets funded and implemented.

We’d love your help. If you want to get more actively involved please email me and we can talk about what you can do.

For a full description of the background and current status on this issue, plus a list of what you can do to help, please visit Ecology Ottawa’s website.

Panel Discussion

While we’re waiting for that City of Ottawa plan you’ll be interested in the second of Ecology Ottawa’s discussion panels on local impacts of climate change:  Sick of Climate Change? Local Health Impacts in a Warming World

Is free and takes place Tuesday April 29 at the University of Ottawa. The event features local and international experts on how human health is already being affected by climate change. See full details here.

Please register to attend.

Thanks for all you do

Cheers
Charles Hodgson
Volunteer Climate Change Campaign Lead
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Lights out! Earth Hour tonight 8:30-9:30pm

Turn off your lights tonight from 8:30PM – 9:30PM to participate! our Earth will thank-you!

It’s nearly that time again, and Earth needs you! Turn off your lights tonight night from 8:30PM – 9:30PM  and join the millions of people around the world that want to take a stand against climate change.

If you’re still looking for ways to celebrate the hour, for example visit the Wild World Fund (WWF)  and check out their our Team Earth Hour Playbooks. They’re full of ideas that individuals, schools, businesses, and communities can use to fight climate change during the hour and all year round.

It’s also not too late to share a personalized Cheerspirational reminder with your friends! Together we can make this Canada’s best Earth Hour ever.

Ottawa Heritage Tree Workshop – June 8 2012

The Ontario Urban Forest Council and Ontario Heritage Trust and the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee (OFGAC), are sponsoring an Ottawa Heritage Tree Workshop, to take place on June 8-9, 2012.  This workshop may be of particular interest to Champlain Park residents.  Our Champlain Oaks are an item on the agenda.

General information about the workshop and a list of what’s covered in each session: OttawaHeritageTrees20120608.pdf
A more detailed schedule, pricing, and information about the field trip on June 9th: OFGACHeritageTreeWorkshopProgrammeJune8-92012Agenda.pdf

For Earth Hour and beyond, Canadians are up to the challenge.

On Saturday March 31st from 8:30PM – 9:30PM, when you switch off your lights for Earth Hour, you’ll be part of a movement that in its five year history has sparked a number of game-changing strides towards a cleaner, greener Canada:

Visit wwf.ca/EarthHour

Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have introduced rebate programs and other support for electric vehicles, signifying a strong commitment to developing alternatives to fossil-fuel cars.
In 2008 British Columbia introduced a landmark carbon tax that to-date has resulted in a 3% reduction in BC’s gasoline consumption.
In 2009 Ontario introduced the Green Energy Act, a policy aimed at energy conservation, expanding renewable energy and building a green energy industry in the province.
In 2011, for the first time, global investment in renewable energy sources was higher than investment in fossil fuels.
50% of the Canadian population now lives in a city or town that has a climate action plan.
As important as these changes are, there is still plenty of work to be done. That’s why on March 31, 2012, WWF, along with our partners, will launch the first annual Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC).

The Challenge will provide cities with toolkits, training and expert advice, as well as a platform to showcase and be recognized for their work and progress towards preparing for the impacts of climate change.

Participation in the EHCC is free and open to any city! To learn more, contact WWF at citychallenge@wwfcanada.org.

Visit wwf.ca/EarthHour

CHAMPLAIN PARK GOES GREEN AND CLEAN ON APRIL 28!

The last weekend in April is Capital Cleanup Weekend, and Champlain Park needs volunteers.

Spring Cleanup is an annual tradition in Champlain Park. It is a chance for neighbours of all ages – kids, teens, and adults – to get together and help spruce up the neighbourhood. It is part of the city’s Cleaning the Capital campaign to beautify public green spaces each spring.

We’ll meet at the fieldhouse Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m. Juice, coffee and cookies will be served, and people will sign up and pick an area to do. Usually the work is done by noon. In case of rain, we’ll meet instead on Sunday, April 29.

The designated cleanup areas are the south side of Premier above the transitway; the boulevard on Northwestern and the path at its north end; and the areas along the fence on Patricia and Pontiac. It can also include the area along the river at the foot of Carleton, or any other public spaces you think need it.

We recommend wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts. Wear appropriate footwear and bring gloves. The City will provide garbage bags and other supplies.

The Keyworth School Age Program has adopted Champlain Park and the students of St. George School are doing a great job cleaning it each spring and fall. Thanks go to them.

Now it’s time for the rest of us in the neighbourhood to do our part. Last year 40 people showed up – a wonderful turnout.

If you have any questions or suggestions, call Andrea Murphy or Ian Reid at 613-715-9504.

Minutes: Annual General Meeting (AGM) February 16, 2012

The 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA) was attended by more than 30 members of the community, a great showing for a cold wintery night in February.

Some Highlights (please see attached minutes for full details):

  • Calls for nominations to the Executive, completion of the slate of candidates, and addition of a new member at large were passed unanimously.
  • Two presentations were given on urban infill development in mature neighbourhoods and Councillor Katherine Hobbs provided comments on the Infill Study.

Presentations:

1. “Study of Small Scale Infill Housing in Mature Neighbourhoods” Guest Speaker: Selma Hassan, Planning and Growth Management Department, City of Ottawa.

2. “Development in Champlain Park: Working Towards Compatibility” Speaker: Heather Pearl, Co-Chair, CPCA.

Many Thanks!
We wish to thank all, who were able to attend, present and organize this very informative meeting.

Minutes:
Please see the minutes provided below from the AGM meeting which took place at the Champlain Park Field house on February 16, 2012 at 7:30pm.

Word version: AGM2012Minutes-approved
PDF version: AGM2012Minutes-approved

Enviro Corner

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. 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