Edmonton and Calgary Make Green Moves Ahead of Earth Day.
We work so hard to give our kids a comfortable future, such that they will in turn offer the same to their own kids, that’s your grand kids, and the chain continues. Good education, rewarding careers, happy homes, in summary, a bright future is the least we can offer.
Do we work equally hard to give our future generations a good environment; stable, clean, with less turmoil?
Today is Earth Day, a day to reflect on the beautiful environment we inherited from past generations, which we will passed on to future generations.
The City of Calgary wants to ensure that future generations of Calgarians thrive in a healthy and sustainable environment, reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
One of the ways that Calgary is getting there is through offering FREE compost for Calgarians to use in their yards and gardens this spring to grow plants that will clean up the environment. The compost is made from the food and yard waste collected through the Green Cart program in Calgary. This year, compost will be available for pickup at Shepard and Spyhill Landfills between April 25 and June 11 by appointment only. Appointments can be booked at calgary.ca/compost
starting April 18.
Another tool in Calgary’s climate change tool box is the “Better Every Day” program, furnishing educational content to Calgarians on topics such as; how science and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge offers climate change solutions, sharing a tool to help you calculate if solar panels are right for your home. For more on growing together and addressing climate change, please go to calgary.ca/BetterEveryDay
Edmonton too is making some green moves this Earth Day.
Edmonton’s Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) pilot was launched earlier this year to provide access to low-cost financing for home energy efficiency upgrades. Hear about the successes and learnings in this
#ClimateLunchboxSeries webinar.
On the climate leadership front, Ethan Buchanan and Jack Harding, Alternative Energy Technology students at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), learning how to design systems for solar power, geothermal, bio-fuels, wind and hydro.
As part of their studies, the two students designed a 12KW array of rooftop solar panels for one of the buildings at NAIT. Buchanan and Harding also created a guide to rooftop solar installations; with details about designs, getting permits, financing, and working with contractors. This guide is in the process of being used by students across Canada and beyond to do solar installations.
Waste reduction is a big part of this green equation. The City of Edmonton recently approved a plan to significantly reduce 450 million single use items (SUI) that get thrown out every year.
The City’s SUI Plan addresses a number of SUI that are commonly provided for convenience; shopping bags, straws, utensils, cups, and takeout containers. It does not address essential items like masks and other protective equipment. An estimated 450 million SUI are thrown in the garbage every year in Edmonton, about 1.2 million items every day.
According to the City of Edmonton, single-use cups are one of the most-littered items in Edmonton, and present a significant opportunity for reduction.
The next time you choose energy options or produce waste, think wisely, think about your great grand kids!
A very happy Earth Day to you all.
