Tag Archives: Earth Hour Vaughan

Earth Hour 2014 Series: Power down and charge up for Earth Hour

We’re doing an Earth Hour 2014 mini series featuring tips and information on conserving energy and living green. The City of Vaughan will be celebrating Earth Hour at Vaughan City Hall on March 29 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Activities include an energy conservation exhibit, lantern making, a cycling night ride and much more. For more information about Vaughan’s Earth Hour event, visit www.vaughan.ca/earthhour.

The City is committed to addressing local environmental issues. A key priority is to engage residents, partners and stakeholders and develop a comprehensive and sustainable made-in-Vaughan approach to maintaining a healthy environment, vibrant communities and economic vitality within the City.

Here is the second post in the series:

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When it comes to conserving energy, powering down and turning off lights for Earth Hour, your immediate thought may be to dig around in your cupboards for the candles and matches. But energy conservation is so much more than just turning off your lights. Here are some ways that you can power down and charge up for Earth Hour:

Power down
Governments and utility companies are promoting conservation programs as the new source of energy that will power homes and workplaces now and for the future. Conservation is the gateway to a sustainable energy future for our community.

Incentive and rebate programs offered by the Ontario Power Authority include:

Charge up
While Earth Hour promotes powering down and conserving electricity, it’s also about charging up for a cleaner climate future. Driving gasoline or diesel-fuelled vehicles produces harmful climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. So what’s the alternative?

Electricity!

When produced from renewable sources like solar and wind generation, electricity is one of the best sources of clean energy. This energy not only powers homes and businesses but it can also fuel vehicles.

The electric vehicle market is rapidly expanding. This year’s Earth Hour Vaughan event will feature an electric vehicle exhibit by Plug’n Drive, an Ontario-based non-profit organization working to accelerate the use and expand the awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles.

Plug’n Drive is inviting all electric vehicle owners to cruise up to Earth Hour Vaughan at City Hall in their electric vehicles and share their opinions and experiences of driving electric. Curious about how cars charge up? Take a stroll by Vaughan City Hall’s electric vehicle charging station. Want to know more about what it’s like being an electric vehicle owner? Visit the Plug’n Drive booth during the professional energy conservation exhibit, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Vaughan City Hall on March 29.

Tracy Wright, MPhil Env.
Sustainability Co-ordinator
The Environmental Sustainability Office

Earth Hour 2014 Series: How big is your ecological footprint?

We’re doing an Earth Hour 2014 mini series featuring tips and information on conserving energy and living green. The City of Vaughan will be celebrating Earth Hour at Vaughan City Hall on March 29 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Activities include an energy conservation exhibit, lantern making, a cycling night ride and much more. For more information about Vaughan’s Earth Hour event, visit www.vaughan.ca/earthhour.

The City is committed to addressing local environmental issues. A key priority is to engage residents, partners and stakeholders and develop a comprehensive and sustainable made-in-Vaughan approach to maintaining a healthy environment, vibrant communities and economic vitality within the City.

Here is the first post in the series:

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How much “nature” does your lifestyle require?
It’s an important question to ask because many North Americans are not quite as sustainable as they could be, particularly when it comes to energy consumption.

Take the ecological footprint quiz on myfootprint.org to find out just how much land and ocean area is required to sustain your consumption patterns every year.

Then, try these simple actions that not only help to reduce your ecological footprint and energy consumption but also work to increase your positive environmental contribution! This is known as “upcycling.”

  • Transportation
    • Carpool and take transit to and from work or school
    • Consider buying an electric or hybrid vehicle
    • Invest in a bicycle and improve your health and wellness while reducing air pollution
    • Make cycling part of your social scene by joining a local bicycle group like the Vaughan Bicycle Users Group (contact vaughanbug@gmail.com to get involved)

 

  • Energy and Housing
    • Consider simple energy conservation efforts at home, like switching to LED light bulbs or replacing your air conditioner with ceiling fans
    • Upgrade your household appliances to ENERGY STAR® rated models
    • Weather strip or caulk around your doors and windows
    • Invest in solar panels for your roof, feed renewable energy into the grid and enjoy the financial benefits of Ontario’s microFIT program
    • Join a local community energy co-operative such as Solar Share
    • Advocate for a renewable energy micro grid in your community

   

  • Food
    • Eat less meat to reduce the amount of arable land that is currently used as grazing grounds
    • Buy local, organic produce to reduce the distance your food has to travel from the field to your fork
    • Start a backyard composter to reduce food waste ending up in the landfills
    • Grow some of your own produce in your garden or participate in a community garden
    • Plant fruit-bearing trees and other plants that promote pollination – support the bees!

Learn more about the City of Vaughan’s climate change initiatives, partnerships and sustainability strategies by visiting www.vaughan.ca/environment.

Tracy Wright, MPhil Env.
Sustainability Co-ordinator
Environmental Sustainability Office