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Ontario's Green Communities
 Acting locally for a healthier environment!
http://www.gca.ca/indexcms/index.php
COLLINGWOOD ELORA GUELPH KITCHENER HAMILTON KINGSTON LANARK&LEEDS
OTTAWA PERTH PETERBOROUGH SUDBURY THUNDER BAY TORONTO YORK
REGION
Communities Taking Action
Almost everything we do these days shop, get around, eat,
enjoy entertainment, run appliances, heat our homes, or cook food has
a connection to the use of fossil fuel, climate change and the
local environment. But the good news is that no matter what we
do, there are ways to decrease fossil fuel use and reduce our negative
environmental impacts.
One of the most important places to get involved in environmentally-friendly
behaviour is one's own local community. During the 1990s, a network
of community-based organizations calling themselves "Green
Communities" came into existence across Ontario and across
Canada. Their organizers recognized the strength of local efforts
in educating and involving local residents in healthy environmental
projects.
The Green Communities Association (GCA) has grown to over
40 members in all regions of Canada. In a wide variety of creative
ways, these communities involve people in taking practical steps
towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies.
Greener Homes and Communities - Something for Everyone
 There
are an amazing number of choices of activities available that contribute
to healthier, green communities. Green Communities organizations
provide programs that make it easy for local residents to get involved
in successful local efforts. Here are some of the many activities
that Green Communities have offered or launched into new, separate
organizations.
- Community gardening*
- Tree-planting and naturalization of local parks and watersheds**
 "Best
Blooming Yard" contest- Well-Aware Program (well maintenance, clean drinking water)
- Paint exchanges
- Junk mail campaigns*
- Car-sharing companies (Dash-Car)***
- Walking school buses (Greenest City Active and Safe Routes
to School)***
- Green Home Visits, energy audits (Green$aver)**
- EnerGuide for Houses (with Natural Resources Canada)**
- EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Program (financed by Natural
Resources Canada)**
- No-idling campaigns and advocacy*
- No-pesticide use campaigns, information and lawn signs**
- Community business and restaurant waste audits*
- "Lost Rivers" walks (discovering local watersheds)
- Community renewable energy (Windshare Windmill Coop)***
- Low-income retrofit programs**
- Improving First Nations housing stock*
- Promotion of low-water yard and garden maintenance*
- Composter and blue box distribution**
- Collections of household hazardous waste (HHW)*
- Collections for textile recycling*
- Downspout disconnections*
- Pumpkin and Christmas tree collections*
- Speakers' series
- Green Garden Visits
Green Communities and Climate Change
In the list above there are no programs named "climate
change." Yet nearly all of the Green Communities' initiatives
have important impacts on greenhouse gases (see asterisks**). Increasing
vegetation, reducing home energy use, recycling, retrofitting buildings,
saving water, reducing pesticide use, discouraging idling, recycling
and composting locally and educating residents about all these
positive actions all have an enormous effect on reducing the
total of carbon dioxide communities contribute to the atmosphere.
If all Canadian communities became "green communities" Canada
would be more easily able to meet its Kyoto commitments to reducing
greenhouse gases.
Networking and Outreach
 One
of the greatest strengths of Green Communities is their success
in reaching out to many diverse sectors of society. They work with
schools, businesses, government, municipalities, local nature and
environmental groups, seniors, gardeners and individuals and
their families to let all these people participate in environmentally
responsible activities.
Some of the Green Community initiatives have been so successful
that they have grown to become separately-funded, independent companies
or organizations (Windshare, DashCar, Greenest City, Green$aver.)
If you wish to become involved in local environmental initiatives,
check the national website (below) to see if there is a Green Community
near you. If you don't find one, you can read individual Green
Community websites to find ideas for well-designed community environmental
initiatives!
Resources
Green Community Member Contacts
Green Communities: Greening Canada one community at a time
www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/enrg-e/witn-e/poch-e.htm
ACTIVITY 1
- How do trees help to reduce carbon dioxide in our atmosphere?
- Name and describe 5 other ways are beneficial to humans.
- Why should you get involved with tree
planting in your community?
Find
3 groups in your community that you could work with to do this.
ACTIVITY 2
- Check the list of activities
that contribute to healthier, greener communities. Name and describe
3 of these activities that your community is doing.
Name and describe
2 other activities that you would like to start at your school,
in your club or in your community.
- Choose 5 activities that have
important impacts on green house gas.
Explain how each of these
activities actually reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
- What is the greatest strength of Green Communities? Why
is this important?
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