|
|
Two weeks ago, the McGinty government’s much anticipated Green Energy Act was signed into law. The Act contains many provisions which will allow Ontarians to more easily buy and sell renewable energy, upgrades our power grid, and speeds up the permit and planning process for renewable energy developments.
This is exciting news because there are people out there who are anxious to try generating power on their own, and are just waiting for the right moment to jump on board.
Not only will the Green Energy Act soon be providing some encouragement, but other current government programs are also great reasons to start making your home greener.
The Home Renovation Tax Credit will allow you to install such things as new windows and doors, and receive a tax credit of up to $1,350. The widely popular ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program lets homeowners to install insulation, new heating and cooling systems, water-saving appliance and a variety of other improvements in exchange for government grant money.
The dollar amount of grants in the ecoENERGY program is currently increased by 25% for a limited time, so there’s no better time to take part.
If you have questions about all the buzz around green energy, and are looking for suggestions of what you can do at your own home there is an excellent event coming up on June 6th. The Green Home and Garden tour will allow you not only see installations of renewable energy in operation but also talk to some of the people that installed and purchased them. There are nine different homes and gardens on this year’s tour.
“The Green Home and Garden Tour is an excellent opportunity for people to come out, meet their neighbours and learn about alterative ways power their homes using methods such as solar power,” says Thalia Bock, who is a member of the Green Home and Garden committee.
In addition to alternative methods of powering a home, a couple of home owners on the tour have installed new heating and cooling systems that use less energy and obtain the heat from the ground below their homes. Called Geothermal, this form of heating and cooling is gaining in popularity, especially since there are now government grants available to help make the cost of purchase and installation more affordable.
The Green Home and Garden Tour wouldn’t be complete without Gardens, and there are plenty of those.
“With the introduction of the pesticide ban in April, many people are still scrambling to find new gardening methods and keep pests and weeds away without the use of harmful garden chemicals,” Bock says.
The gardens on the tour feature both food and flower gardens and those with a combination of both.
“Homeowners who have naturalized gardens will be happy any questions you might have about their successes and might even be willing to share a few gardening secrets with you,” she said.
The Ministry of Environment will have an informational available at one of the gardens that will answer common questions about the pesticide ban, and point people to the right sources of information and their new website.
The Ministry won’t be the only informational representative in attendance at the various tour stops. People from a variety of companies that offer green products or services will have displays set up where you can gather information and have questions about their product or service.
There are more then just homes on this year’s tour. Two not-for-profit organizations, Peterborough Green-Up and the John Howard Society of Peterborough will also be participating.
Green-Up celebrated one year in the organization’s new energy efficient and environmentally friendly office yesterday, and to continue the celebration as we’re adding our own office to the tour. Tour participants can drop in and see what we’ve done, the products we’ve used and get information on popular energy programs.
The John Howard Society has also been busy making their office space greener. They’ve installed solar panels on the roof and have gone through the Power Savings Blitz program to switch to more energy efficient lighting—for free, up to $1000. The Society also developed a “green training” program for other non-profits to allow them to learn the ins and outs of having a more sustainable and environmentally conscious.
To participate in the tour, purchase your tour passport at the following locations:
Peterborough Green-Up, 378 Aylmer St. N.
Avant Garden Shop, 165 Sherbrooke St.
Gardens Plus, 136 County Rd. 4, Donwood
Happenstance Books, Lakefield
Tour passports are only $10 and give you access to all 9 stops from 10 am to 4 pm on June 6th. All money raised goes to Peterborough Green-Up’s environmental programs. For more information call myself, Thalia Bock or Cathy Mitchell at Green-Up. 745-3238.
I’m fortunate enough to live close to downtown and can walk to work every day. On my daily treks down Charlotte Street I tend to see the same cast of characters over and over.
There is the guy who is always about two minutes ahead of me, arriving just in the nick of time to open his business across from Charlotte Towers. When I hit Reed Street I usually pass a man headed in the opposite direction, and then pass him again on the way home. I see real estate agents arriving at Bowes and Cocks and the same clientele coming in and out of the Charlotte Pantry every morning—clearly a lot of us have the same routines.
As Sue McGregor-Hunter said at the Shifting Gears Workplace Transportation Challenge launch last week, walking to work is a great opportunity to think and really enjoy some “me time.” I must admit during my journey to the office this morning, I dreamed up the majority of what you’re currently reading.
It makes me wonder just how many downtown businesses (and even those not downtown) have employees who walk to work. Here at Peterborough Green-Up the vast majority of us live close enough to walk or bike to work. Our staff who live out of town drive and carpool as a necessity. It would be a long hike in from Bobcaygeon!
Shifting Gears, now in its 6th year, is a great way of encouraging commuters to walk, bike, carpool or take public transit to get to work. Staff at Green-Up, and dozens of other non-profit organizations and businesses around town are taking the Shifting Gears challenge to see how many of us can get to work without driving alone, and win some great prizes in the process.
Shifting Gears Ambassador Clifford McCarten is excited about the challenge this year, and was impressed at how many local businesses signed up and are participating.
“I’m really excited by with the large number of workplaces participating. It suggests a strong community interest in exploring and increasing sustainable practices. So far, we have over 60, with more coming on board every day,” McCarten said.
 Businesses are encouraged to sign up at www.peterboroughmoves.com, where employees can enter how they got to work on a daily basis and see how well their workplace is doing compared to others in town that are also shifting gears.
Individuals are also encouraged to sign up, because in addition engaging with the natural environment of their community, there are also some fabulous prizes to be won! For those businesses and individuals without Internet access, don’t worry, you will be give a paper tracking sheet to keep score of your participation and still be eligible for prizes.
“Participants have a chance to win weekly prizes, including dinner for two at Parkhill on Hunter and Rare Steak House, bus passes, and a $150 gift card from Wild Rock Outfitters,” says McCarten. “I’m hearing a lot of interest in the grand prize, a $750 gift package to any Resorts of Ontario destination.”
In addition to the weekly prizes, McCarten will be surprising participating workplaces to catch people Shifting Gears. Anyone seen biking, walking or arriving at work in any other eco-friendly way will be awarded some great prizes such as coffee & ice cream certificates, bike lights, leg bands and ponchos.
Last year the program eliminated over 18,000 vehicle trips, reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by at least 23 tonnes.
“This is as much about people’s health and happiness as it is about the environment and saving money,” McCarten said.
There are also weekly events happening throughout the month to coincide with Shifting Gears. Every Friday from 7:30 to 9:30am there will be bike-checkups held at Confederation Park, across from City Hall on George Street, for those participating in the program.
I encourage everyone to participate in Shifting Gears, whether you’re a member of the business community or an individual. Together we can become more engaged members of out community, making our air a little easier to breathe, reducing traffic congestion by taking cars of the road, improving our physical and mental health, and maybe winning a prize in the process. I hope you join me and hundreds of others as we shift gears!
Some of the most stunning photographs come from space. We can tune into the news, or open the pages of a newspaper from time to time and see the latest images captured from high-tech satellites orbiting out into the depths of the universe. Far off galaxies and star systems are seen for the first time, and we marvel over their beauty as we try to learn about some of the secrets trapped within them, millions upon millions of light-years away.
We don’t have to go far to see something equally as beautiful. Some of the most stunning images from space are of our own planet. When we view it from afar, it truly is remarkable. This glowing ball of blue and white stands out in sharp contrast to the black abyss surrounding it, and when seen from this vantage point I think it really reinforces how special our planet really is.
Today is Earth Day. From it’s humble beginnings in the ‘60s, Earth Day has steadily grown as more and more people take part and encourage others to spread the message of planetary stewardship, after all we only have one Earth and it deserves our full attention.
In recent decades our planet has faced some of its toughest challenges. Global warming is melting the Arctic and Antarctic, human activity has resulted in hundreds if not thousands of animal, plant, fish and bird species to disappear, our oceans are filling with garbage and acres of crucial animal habitat such as rainforests are being wiped out daily.
Here in the Kawarthas the natural beauty sometimes fools us into forgetting what is happening outside our region, but even here we’re not immune to changes being felt around the world. Polluted air from points west drifts into our homes, invasive species make their way into our lakes and we too face the challenges of climate change and global warming.
It’s not all bad news. Peterborough has been doing amazing things when it comes to caring for our environment and protecting our Earth. From passing one of the first pesticide and anti-idling by-laws in the country to encouraging its residents to conserve water and energy, the “green idea” has really taken root and I’m glad to see Peterborough and Ontario are leading the way.
While we’re making good headway there’s still much more that can be done. Making simple changes at home are some of the easiest things we can do. Using less water, having a home energy evaluation to show what parts of your home are inefficient that you may not be aware of, conserving energy by unplugging electronics when not in use are just a few. Jumping to the field where the “green sheep” reside can usually save you a few bucks in the end, too.
If you’re looking for some ideas of how you can green your life and become a better steward of our Earth, I encourage you to attend the Green Expo on Saturday. Businesses and organizations from around the Peterborough area will be present, showcasing products and services that are environmentally friendly.
“There will be lots and lots of exhibits, presentations, something for everyone, lots of education on green living,” says event organizer Laurie Collette.
One of the exhibitors will be Wendy Trussler, a local artist, who will be there with her Reworks business. Wendy makes art and furniture pieces from bits and pieces of reclaimed objects, such as springs from a chair, she gathers from a variety of sources.
If you have questions about home energy evaluations (the government recently boosted the grants by 25% for a limited time!) Peterborough Green-Up’s Alex Mortlock will be there to deliver a presentation and answer questions about the ecoEnergy program.
There will also be an exciting announcement happening at 11:15 with Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal and Green-Up’s Cathy Mitchell. A new program focusing on greening places of worship for religious and spiritual organizations—a first for the Peterborough area!
Collette is “really excited” about this year’s keynote speaker who is well known across Canada for her hard-hitting interviews and investigative journalism. CBC reporter and host, Wendy Mesley, will address those in attendance at 11:30 with a talk on how the media and marketers influence what we buy and eat.
The Expo is happening on Saturday from 10 to 4 at the Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road. Admission is only $5 and children under 12 get in for free.
Back to Earth Day for a moment, I encourage you to make a change in your life to make our Earth a better place to live. It can be as small as choosing to plant a native tree in your back yard, or as large as installing a more energy efficient heating system. It all adds up in the end and helps to keep our beautiful planet healthy. Remember, every day is Earth Day.
Well, everyone, April has arrived. The birds are chirping, grass is turning green and tulips are beginning to poke they’re head through the ground. I think we can safely say that Spring is here in full force. On my morning walks to work I usually see birds flying by with bits of grass or twigs in their mouth, getting a start on the nest.
April is also significant for another reason– it’s Earth Month. A month out of the year where we stop to celebrate all our earth provides for us and inform others of our impacts on it.
Locally, there are all kinds of events happening around the city and county that you can participate in to clean up our environment and learn how we can be better stewards of it.
APRIL 15 EARTH DAY BANNER RAISED OUTSIDE CITY HALL
PETERBOROUGH’S TREASURED TREE HUNT LAUNCH
Launch of Peterborough’s Treasured Tree Hunt. Check out the website for all the details www.treasuredtreehunt.com
GREEN DRINKS
Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a beverage at informal sessions known as Green Drinks – it’s a chance to mix with other like-minded folks, to network, share info and make friends. Anytime after 5pm at Riley’s Pub, Hearth Room (ground floor, back). 251 George (between King and Sherbrooke). Everyone is welcome.
APRIL 14-16 VOLUNTEER AT ECOLOGY PARK
Volunteers are always welcome at Ecology Park to help in the tree nursery on April 14, 15 and 16, anytime from 9-5, weather permitting.
APRIL 18 EARTH DAY JACKSON CREEK CLEAN UP
Join us for the 11h annual Earth Day Jackson Creek Clean Up Saturday April 18, 2009, 10:00am – 12:00pm.
Meet at the main entrance to Jackson Park (Monghan Road and Parkhill Road). Gloves and bags will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own. Volunteers will pick-up litter throughout Jackson Park and along the Creek following the trail towards downtown.
APRIL 19 MILLENNIUM PARK CLEAN UP
Join organizers from 10:00am –12:00pm to receive gloves and bags at the Boat House small building beside the Silver Bean Cafe. A concentrated clean up of the waterfront park and railway bed to George Street will be the focus. Volunteers will be provided with snacks and refreshments from community sponsors at the BBQ after the clean up. Tree seedlings (local native species of course!) will be available for volunteers to take home and plant, and there will be books available for children aged 3-15 to take home.
LAKEFIELD TRAIL NATURE HIKE
Join MNR Biologist, Colin Jones and Natural Areas Ecologist, Mike McMurtry as they share nature’s awakenings. Meet at the Marshland Centre at 10 am for a brief orientation, followed by an interpretive hike along the southern shores of Katchewanooka Lake to the Doug Sadler Viewing Tower at the Imagine the Marsh wetland area. As an addition to the guided nature hike this year, you can purchase a back bacon on a bun breakfast served by the Lakefield Trail Stewardship Committee. For more information, please contact Penny Hebert at 652-0747.
OPIRG REUSABLES GIVE-AWAY
On April 19th, OPIRG will be hosting a massive Give Away from 9am-5pm on the lawn of Sadleir House, 751 George St, Peterborough. All the donated items, ranging from household goods, clothing, office supplies, books, small electronics and miscellaneous items will be available to community members and students, absolutely FREE. We are hoping, but have not yet confirmed we will be offering a free lunch and free entertainment.
Volunteers are also very much needed, so please email us if you can help out! Please note that we will not be accepting computers or furniture. The following organizations can be contacted about accepting those items: Reboot Peterborough 749-5815 (computers)
St.Vincent De Paul 742-2585 or Salvation Army Thrift Store 742-0483 (furniture)
APRIL 20-24 CLEAN AGAIN-GREEN AGAIN SCHOOL YARD CLEAN-UPS
36 local schools will participate by hosting a school yard clean-ups.
MONAGHAN ROAD CLEAN UP AT CGE
Canadian Auto Workers, Canadian General Electric staff and students from Prince of Wales Elementary School work together to clean up the area surrounding CGE and the school on Monaghan Road
APRIL 20-24 PETERBOROUGH GREEN UP QUEST FOR LESS EARTH WEEK CHALLENGE
The Quest for Less Earth Week Challenge, challenges schools and classrooms to bring fully litterless lunch for the entire week of Earth Week. Those that participate can win great prizes including a free class trip to the Ecology Park or a school assembly with the amazing paddling puppeteers. Schools and/or classes need to pre-register by Friday, April 10th, 2009 — just call Peterborough Green-Up 745-3238 ext. 216
PITCH-IN CANADA WEEK
The theme of Pitch-In Canada Week this year is “Operation Clean Sweep”. To become a partner, decide on a project such as starting a cell phone recycling program, planting trees, a neighbourhood clean up or setting up a composting program. Activities can take a few hours, days or be an on-going commitment – it’s up to you. Visit www.pitch-in.ca for more ideas.
APRIL 21-23 VOLUNTEER AT ECOLOGY PARK
Volunteers are always welcome at Ecology Park to help in the tree nursery on April 21, 22 and 23, anytime from 9-5, weather permitting.
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY!
Cleanup your neighbourhood, plant a tree – check out www.earthday.ca for ideas about how to make every day earth day!
2ND ANNUAL KAWARTHA ROTARY CLUB SUPER SPRING CLEAN-UP
Members of the Kawartha Rotary Club, 250 high school students and community volunteers will clean up the City and County of Peterborough. After the clean up, there will be an Earth Day Celebration at Millennium Park including food and drinks, live music and displays at the MNR Building.
ADOPT-A-NEIGHBOURHOOD
Community Groups can contact Duncan Manser at the City of Peterborough Public Works Department 745-1386 to identify areas that they are planning to clean up. Bags, gloves and garbage pick-up will be provided by the City of Peterborough Public Works Department.
APRIL 25 GREEN EXPO 2009
10 am to 4 pm, Evinrude Centre, Peterborough Central Ontario’s source for eco-friendly products and services for building and living. Organic, all natural, recycled, sustainable, fair trade, energy efficient and otherwise good-for-the-earth products and services exhibited throughout the day. Accompanying the exhibits will be presentations on a variety of ‘green’ topics as well as delicious organic food and a supervised children’s area. www.greenexpo.ca
FLEMING PARK CLEAN UP
Peterborough Horticultural Society (PHS) members will be at Fleming Park (Brock and Aylmer St.) from 10 a.m. – 12:00 p. m. PHS members will be pruning, raking and digging as well as cleaning up litter at Fleming Park.
APRIL 26 ECOLOGY PARK OPENS FOR TREE AND COMPOST SALES
Ecology Park will open on Sunday, April 26 from 1-4 pm for trees and compost.
The Ontario Liberals have tabled their much anticipated Green Energy Act at Queen’s Park, and those who work in the environmental field couldn’t be happier. That happiness vibe is also felt here at Green-Up.
I liked several aspects of the act, but the parts promising more renewable energy were especially of note.
Finally, money will be spent that will encourage more people to jump on board the renewable energy bandwagon. It’s exciting that the government wants to invest in our power grid to make it easier for homeowners to put power back into the grid, instead of just taking away.
I tuned into the news conference and was impressed by Minister Smitherman made the remark that solar panels would soon be the standard on neighborhood roofs across Ontario.
 Former Green-Up Energy Advisor, Vince Hughes, completes a blower door test as part of an energy evaluation at a Peterborough area home. It’s encouraging that the act will provide funding for homeowners who wish to install renewable energy systems in their homes and that one piece of blanket legislation will make it easier for renewable energy projects, such as wind turbines, to be developed. This has been a concern from some communities, but overall I think this will be good.
Another positive aspect was the requirement for an energy evaluation each time a house is put on the market. This has been a cause for debate, but I see it as protection for homeowners. When you buy a major appliance, car, etc you demand to know how energy efficient it is…shouldn’t the same be true for your home, one of the biggest purchases of your life? I think so. This will also create jobs, as new energy advisers must be added to perform the evaluations.
Renewable power, more efficient homes and new jobs are all things that could benefit Ontario in the future, should this piece of legislation get the “green” light. Pun intended.
-Matt
Last week, myself and our Executive Director took place in “Peterborough Northumberland Day” at Queens Park. We were invited down by our MPP, Jeff Leal, as one of the many businesses to represent the Peterborough Riding.
We had a great opportunity to meet and greet with other businsses and non-profits from around the area and talk to several MPPs and Ministers, includuing the Minister of the Environment. He was very interested in our past education work with the city of Peterborough during the implementation of the city’s pesticide by-law. Ontario is about to embark on a similiar piece of legislation for the entire province.
This was great exposure for Green-Up and we were pleased to answer many questions about our organization, energy audits, the impending Green Energy Act and a host of other topics.
-Matt
Green is not the only environmental colour out there. What about BLUE? Our water is important to us all! Did you know that it is our most precious resource? And the most effected part of our world to climate change?
2009 World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 and this years topic is Transboundry water. Thinking locally, Peterborough gets our water from the Otonabee River. So the residents of Peterborough should be pretty concerned about what happens to the water before it gets to the Peterborugh Utilities Water Treatment plant located at the Riverview Park and Zoo. And when the City of Peterborough is done treating it on the waster water side, they put it back into the Otonabee River and it makes its way to other communities.
So don’t forget Peterborough Water Day on March 22! On that day, you should think about where your water comes from each time you turn on your tap!
Cheers to our water!
-Heather, Peterborough Children’s Water Festival Coordinator
I’m a little bit excited! On March 4th and 5th our very own Paula Anderson is hosting a workshop about worms. I mean really, how could I not be excited! I’ve decided that I’ll sit in on it and soak up as much knowledge as I can about them.
 Green-Up's Paula Anderson with worms that will be part of this year's vermicomposting workshops. One of the great (some would argue not-so-great) things about my job is I have to know about everything Green-Up related. If a reporter from one of our area news organizations calls for an interview and one of our resident experts isn’t available to speak, then I have to be prepared to talk about pretty much anything. I guess I could classisfy this workshop as professional development.
So, about the workshop? The topic is Vermicomposting! It’s just a fancy word for feeding worms your left over table scraps, but please, hold the mayo. Worms won’t eat just anything.
Vermicomposting has real advantages, especially for those of us who live in apartments or don’t have access to a backyard– and it’s really very easy.
I don’t want to give away all of Paula’s secrets ahead of the workshops but I’ll post a little preview here.
To get started you need a bin, but not just any bin will do. It has to have proper ventilation to allow the worms to breathe. Specialized worms are a requirement as well. Your typical earth worm isn’t nearly as efficient.
Those who come to the workshop will leave with a half pound of worms that can hardly wait to turn your table scraps into “black gold” for your gardening needs. You’ll also get the proper bin to house your worms in as well.
Paula will be talking about the do’s and don’ts, what you can and can’t feed them, what happens if they get to moist, how to avoid fruit flies etc etc.
The workshop fee is $50, which as I stated before, get’s you both your worms and bin in addition to the knowledge from our resident worm expert.
The workshops are taking place March 4th from 2 until 3:30 pm and March 5th from 5 until 7:30 pm. The deadline for registration is February 24th and a $20 deposit is required to hold your place. There are only few spaces available, so get your information to us soon. You can call Paula at 745-3238 ext 205.
I hope to see you there!
-Matt
If you didn’t hear, our Executive Director, Sue McGregor-Hunter made an appearance on CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning, this morning talking about icicles. What in the world do icicles have to do with anything environmental related? You’d be surprised.
Right now as you walk around town you can see many  homes, especially older structures, with huge amounts of icicles hanging off eavestroughing and, in some cases, causing a real hazard for anyone who walks below. A recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy comes to mind where Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is impaled by a falling icicle. Not much fun, I would think.
So….I bet you didn’t know that icicles could be used as a way to determine if your home is experiencing heat loss! They can, and act as a barometer of sorts, warning you of impeding trouble that might come in the form of ice dams and water damage.
Here’s how it works. Attic spaces ideally should be the same temperature as the outside air. Plenty of insulation keeps the heat from escaping from the lower floors. A good indication of a well insulated home can be found by checking out the roof. Chances are if there’s snow, its means there isn’t any heat escaping through the roof to melt the snow on top.
Roofs where the snow has melted off, especially in locations that don’t get a lot of sun (such as easterly facing roofs) are a sure sign that heat is escaping through the roof. Another major indication that your home may be lacking insulation is icicles. Beautiful yes, but they should be seen as warning sign. As the snow disappears, the melt water runs down the roof and refreezes along the cooler edges. This excess ice can create dams along the eaves which can cause water to back up into your home along the roof line.
Fresh snowfall on a roof can act as a layer of insulation on the exterior causing even more heat to build up inside the attic, leading to more snow melting and more ice forming. It’s and endless cycle.
So what can you do? Insulate, insulate, insulate!…proper roof ventilation is also important. Keeping the interior of the attic the same temperature as the great out doors can lessen the threat of ice dams by reducing the amount of snow melt.
So what about the sun? Spring thaws? Absolutely, the sun and mild temps will always melt some snow and cause ice damming, but in today’s newer homes large build-ups shouldn’t be the norm.
If you see large quantities of icicles building up, it might be worth having an Energy Audit performed on your home. The audit can tell you how energy efficient your home is and recommend what changes can be made to solve your heat escape problems…..and with new money announced by the federal government these changes might not break the bank.
A large majority of the Energy Audit fee is also covered by both the provincial and federal governments. For further information give Cobi a shout at 705.745.3238 ext 202. Why let your heating money escape through the roof?!
Last night I attended my first Green Drinks. Green Drinks is a monthly event that happens on the third Wednesday of every month at Riley’s Pub here in Peterborough. People from throughout the city and beyond gather for drinks, socialize and chat about the issues of the day, environmental and otherwise.
This month’s event, was a bit different as it was held at the offices of Green Communities Canada, of which Green-Up is a founding partner. I showed up not knowing a soul there, other then a few of my Green-Up co-workers that also attended, and left knowing a lot of new people….I have to admit the wine was good too.
I left with some great contacts and even story ideas for my Green Update segment that airs on CHEX-TV’s NEWSwatch every Monday at 5:30. I encourage everyone to attend Green Drinks! Just meet anytime after 5 at Riley’s.
-Matt
|
|
