Centre for Civic Governance

2010 Energy & Climate Action Awards Competition

Reminder ... The August 20 application deadline for 2010 Energy and Climate Action Awards is fast approaching!

 

The Community Energy Association, in partnership with the Union of BC Municipalities, Province of British Columbia and BC Hydro, is pleased to invite all BC local governments to participate in the 2010 Energy & Climate Action Awards competition. The awards celebrate leadership shown by local governments taking action on climate change and sustainable energy and are offered annually to a municipality or regional district implementing a project or program that best integrates energy and climate action into community planning and development or corporate operations.

 

Past winners have come from all sizes of communities - leadership demonstrated to overcome challenges is an important judging criterion. Please download the electronic application from the Community Energy Association website at www.communityenergy.bc.ca. Applications must be submitted electronically to awards@communityenergy.bc.ca by 5pm Friday, August 20.

Winners will be announced at the end of the Cabinet Panel Session on Wednesday, September 29, 4:15 pm at the Union of BC Municipalities 2010 Convention in Whistler.

Former Vancouver Mayor Recieves City's Highest Honour

On July 6th, former Vancouver Mayor, Art Phillips receievd the Freedom of the City Award. Under Mayor Phillips, the City of Vancouver adopted socially and environmentally progressive policies that laid out the foundation for what is today one of the most livable cities in the world.

Green Infrastructure Better for Stormwater Control

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have concluded that green infrastructure is better suited to deal with storm water runoff that the traditional use of curbs and gutters, detention ponds and storm sewers. Green infrastructure incorporates permeable pavement, green roofs and constructed wetlands to reduce the flow of pollutants into sewers and ultimately into rivers, streams, oceans and lakes.

Read more here.

City's first Rooftop Farm will Supply Food to Downtown Eastside Residents

A parkade rooftop in the Downtown Eastside is about to become the city's first urban rooftop farm. Food grown at the farm will be sold to local residents as well as distributed to local inner city agencies and kitchen. The managers of the project expect to hire 25 part-time workers from the community. Read the full story in the Vancouver Sun here.

Community Gardens Taking Root

A growing interest in growing food has lead to several new food security projects in Richmond, BC. Read Vancouver Sun article here.

Scotland to rule waves with £5 billion marine energy projects

Multi-billion pound plans for a set of wave and tidal energy projects that could turn Scotland into a green energy giant have been unveiled.

The Scottish Government and the Crown Estate have announced ten schemes costing some £5 billion to be built off the Scottish coast.

They are expected to harness the area's fierce waters to generate up to 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity and power up to 750,000 households.

Richmond approves $60-million to buy Garden City lands

In a 7-2 vote, Richmond council approved setting aside $59.2 million for the purchase of the Garden City lands.

Although Mayor Malcolm Brodie didn't like the terms of the deal, he said a deal's been brokered with the Musqueam Indian Band and the Canada Lands Company, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to vote against it at this point.

But Brodie made his position clear during the special meeting of council Mionday, in which Coun. Sue Halsey-Brandt participated via conference call.

"It's not the deal I would have made," he said.

School grows greener graduates; Dedicated students teachers staff at Reynolds High School lead way in environmental education

Thanks to determined staff, dedicated students and generous donors, things are getting a little greener every day at Reynolds High School.

Over the last few years, the Green Spaces Project has gone from concept to reality, with landscaping, gardening and educational activities transforming areas of the school into welcoming and sustainable micro-ecosystems.

The Cleveland Model : Green worker Co-ops

Something important is happening in Cleveland: a new model of large-scale worker- and community-benefiting enterprises is beginning to build serious momentum in one of the cities most dramatically impacted by the nation's decaying economy. The Evergreen Cooperative Laundry (ECL)--a worker-owned, industrial-size, thoroughly "green" operation--opened its doors late last fall in Glenville, a neighborhood with a median income hovering around $18,000.

Oceans' acidity rate is soaring, claims study

Under terms revealed in leaked copies of the new Canada-US trade deal, Ontario will become the only province in Canada allowing unrestricted access to those countries who have signed onto the World Trade Organization's Government Procurement Agreement for publicly-funded contracts supplying schools, universities, social services and hospitals, said Fred Hahn, President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario at Queen's Park today (February 11, 2010).