Category: Climate Change and Sustainability
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Youth Climate Strikers Launch Meatless Monday Campaign
April 29 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Victoria, B.C. – Youth striking for climate are launching a Meatless Monday Campaign this evening at 5:30pm at a Meatless Monday Potluck at the CRD community room. They are urging residents of the capital region to give up meat one day a week in order to help reduce greenhouse…
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Federal Budget 2019: Good For Cities
It was my pleasure to welcome the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, the Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development to Victoria recently where he toured the City’s Public Works yard as well as a BC Transit “smart bus”, and gave an update on Budget 2019, in particular what’s in it for cities. Since…
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What is Carbon Neutrality? Offsets and Counting Emissions
Guest Post – Ann Baird, District of Highlands Councillor Regenerative forms of agriculture are a key way to sequester carbon and offset emissions. Who counts greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)? What emissions are counted? What are carbon offsets? On Feb 13th, 2019, the CRD made a Climate Emergency Declaration and has committed to becoming carbon neutral…
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Natural Assets and Infrastructure Services: Why Trees Matter
Source unknown. In a heat wave in Montreal in the summer of 2018, more than 50 people died. Most of the people who died were isolated, vulnerable and living alone. But there was another key link among some of the deaths. According to Global News, “Public health also found most of the victims also lived…
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2030 is the New 2050 – Climate Emergency Declaration, and How Hard it is to Lead
Tomorrow, along with two colleagues, I’m bringing a report to the Capital Regional District Parks and Environment Committee to ask the CRD board to follow Vancouver and other cities around the world and declare a climate emergency. We’d like the CRD to take a leadership role in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Making climate emergency…
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Smart Mobility Manifesto and Our Transportation Future
Last week I posted a story to Twitter about Oslo becoming a car-free city centre this year. There were some typical social media responses: “I think you should move to Oslo. You would like it there. I have a car not a bike.” But there were also many thoughtful comments: “We need better public transportation…
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Do we really love our children well? #climatestrike
Anyone concerned about the climate and looking for hope and inspiration has probably already seen this video. It’s Greta Thunberg, the Swedish girl speaking to the UN at the most recent Climate Conference in Poland. Since September, she has been walking out of class each Friday to draw attention to the climate crisis and the…
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Who should pay for climate adaptation? Victoria’s Climate Accountability Letters
In July 2018, the City of Victoria adopted a Climate Leadership Plan to guide us to 100% renewable energy by 2050 and to reduce carbon emissions 80% over 2007 levels by 2050 as well. Arguably, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in October 2018, Victoria and other cities and regions are going…
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Helps Campaign Announces Annual Urban Tree Planting Festival
Building on the City’s tree planting efforts over the past few years and responding to the urgent climate crisis, Mayor Lisa Helps announces the creation of an annual urban tree planting festival in the city. “Even though it’s a core value in our community, climate change and climate action have not been getting much attention…
