In the summer, I had mentioned that the City of Burnaby implemented a Food Scraps program where you can dump your organics into the yard waste bin and they would pick up weekly. I am happy to report that we have been trying it out and love that we can recycle the organic stuff! It does require a few extra steps in our garbage routine but I think it is definitely worth it.
We started off with buying a ceramic compost container to keep the waste in the kitchen and then received another smaller version to keep next to the sink for convenience of everyday scraps we accumulate. The carbon filter keeps any smell from seeping through. The only nasty parts is dumping the scraps into the yard waste bin (stinks!) and having to clean out the container afterwards. However, we discovered (City actually recommends this) that by placing newspaper folded into a cone-shape into the container first before dumping the scraps, it actually prevents the organics from sticking to the container making it harder to clean. Now the cleaning part isn't so gross so thumbs up from me! We have been filling both containers up weekly so it's great that instead of it going to the dump, it's being composted. The City of Burnaby will be implementing a similar program into multi-family dwellings soon so it's great for those living in condos/townhomes.
Now if only I could get myself organized enough to get both kids on cloth diapers. Sofia is still using cloth diapers part time but disposables are just easier when we are out. Soon I hope...
Showing posts with label going green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label going green. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
the BEAT is hip!
I have been thinking about this for some time now. Since I've gone back to work, I've had more time to think of ideas to blog; the challenge is finding the time to write!
So we have all heard the term "carbon neutral". I don't know all the details to how it works but it goes something like this. If an executive takes his company jet to attend a meeting in Europe, this would be considered a waste of fuel and bad for the environment. To offset this action (hence become carbon neutral again), the company can make a sizable donation to an environmental group. I hear this term in the media all the time and I'm not a huge proponent of it. It is the perfect excuse for those to continue to commit unenvironmental acts (unchanging in their ways) but to feel better about it because they have 'carbon neutralized' themselves. Yes it is important to put a cost to their actions but I'm not sure we are actually reducing environmental damage when the extra funds donated to environmental groups are used to fight the very acts of these people.
Then i came across the BEAT during my work in health promotions with BCRPA. BEAT stands for 'built environment active transportion'. It is a great new concept/trend that has already step foot into Metro Vancouver and I think much more attention and focus should be given here than counting your carbons=P The BEAT concept is to design and build an environment in communities that increases walkability/greater access thus encouraging more active transportion by foot/cycling/transit (no cars). Great right?
This is not an easy task. It requires a joint effort of multitude of stakeholders: city planners, city developers, local gov'ts and the communities to buy into the whole deal and of course $$$. But when it happens, it's magic! And over time, you will find transformed communities where people leave their cars behind, meet other neighbours living in their communities and even get more healthier on a daily basis. Remember the 30 mins. of daily exercise? It can be done from a 15 min. walk to and back from your local grocery or picking up your kids from school. The idea impacts the entire family.
Just take the concept of the walking school bus. It's a neat idea and works because the communities have the proper roadways suitable for walking.
There are lots of studies on this including a whole program at UBC that you can study for in your undergrad/graduate years. I find it fascinating and wished that I was still in the field but at least I can do my part for the environment by walking and taking transit to work, not an issue when the weather is warming up and sunny!
Some interesting things I learned:
-cul-a-sacs impedes walkability and were used by city planners back in the day to create the suburban neighbourhoods we now know of
-Metro Vancouver is moving towards higher density communities built around the skytrain stations which is awesome but they must also create an environment favorable enough to warrent people to take the walk to their local bus/skytrain stn.
-Simple things like trash can throughout walk routes, roadways suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, lamp posts to keep walkways safely lit, benches for seniors/parents to use, sidewalks away from road traffic and proper bike lanes all contribute to a friendly environment for walkers/bikers of all ages to access and enjoy.
There are lots of resources to read up on it. Just go to the BEAT site and click on Links. As public citizens, we can take part in the environment we live in and demand how it should be designed and made so go forth and support the BEAT concept!
So we have all heard the term "carbon neutral". I don't know all the details to how it works but it goes something like this. If an executive takes his company jet to attend a meeting in Europe, this would be considered a waste of fuel and bad for the environment. To offset this action (hence become carbon neutral again), the company can make a sizable donation to an environmental group. I hear this term in the media all the time and I'm not a huge proponent of it. It is the perfect excuse for those to continue to commit unenvironmental acts (unchanging in their ways) but to feel better about it because they have 'carbon neutralized' themselves. Yes it is important to put a cost to their actions but I'm not sure we are actually reducing environmental damage when the extra funds donated to environmental groups are used to fight the very acts of these people.
Then i came across the BEAT during my work in health promotions with BCRPA. BEAT stands for 'built environment active transportion'. It is a great new concept/trend that has already step foot into Metro Vancouver and I think much more attention and focus should be given here than counting your carbons=P The BEAT concept is to design and build an environment in communities that increases walkability/greater access thus encouraging more active transportion by foot/cycling/transit (no cars). Great right?
This is not an easy task. It requires a joint effort of multitude of stakeholders: city planners, city developers, local gov'ts and the communities to buy into the whole deal and of course $$$. But when it happens, it's magic! And over time, you will find transformed communities where people leave their cars behind, meet other neighbours living in their communities and even get more healthier on a daily basis. Remember the 30 mins. of daily exercise? It can be done from a 15 min. walk to and back from your local grocery or picking up your kids from school. The idea impacts the entire family.
Just take the concept of the walking school bus. It's a neat idea and works because the communities have the proper roadways suitable for walking.
There are lots of studies on this including a whole program at UBC that you can study for in your undergrad/graduate years. I find it fascinating and wished that I was still in the field but at least I can do my part for the environment by walking and taking transit to work, not an issue when the weather is warming up and sunny!
Some interesting things I learned:
-cul-a-sacs impedes walkability and were used by city planners back in the day to create the suburban neighbourhoods we now know of
-Metro Vancouver is moving towards higher density communities built around the skytrain stations which is awesome but they must also create an environment favorable enough to warrent people to take the walk to their local bus/skytrain stn.
-Simple things like trash can throughout walk routes, roadways suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, lamp posts to keep walkways safely lit, benches for seniors/parents to use, sidewalks away from road traffic and proper bike lanes all contribute to a friendly environment for walkers/bikers of all ages to access and enjoy.
There are lots of resources to read up on it. Just go to the BEAT site and click on Links. As public citizens, we can take part in the environment we live in and demand how it should be designed and made so go forth and support the BEAT concept!
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