Over the past few weeks, I have dug into the details of Saanich’s “four planets” ecological footprint, as calculated by CHRM Consulting, while recognizing this is an underestimate, in that it does not account for our impact on biodiversity or the extent of our…
WHAT IS COP28? COP is attended by industry stakeholders, politicians, researchers and scholars, Indigenous stakeholders, NGOs and other members of civil society. However, these groups are not given the same representation and privileges at COP events and negotiations.... Read more
“Leadnow supporter Peter started a petition calling on BC Transit and Translink to ban fossil fuel advertisements from their buses and trains. Will you sign now to tell BC Transit and Translink to stop these greenwashing ads from plastering our cities?” There’s even... Read more
I looked at our food consumption and associated food waste, which at 24 per cent is the largest share of the ecological footprint (setting aside the 46 per cent of the ecological footprint that is due to the local activities of the provincial and federal governments)…
Renowned city planner, Brent Toderian, recently shared this insightful presentation to Langford. He has done a lot of work internationally in both large and small communities with a focus on the climate crisis. Here is the video (start at about the 7 minute... Read more
At 8:30am “The Race to The Leg” concluded – and what a race it was! Mayors, Councillors, Ministers, and local celebrities raced for glory to see who would cross the finish line first– the bike or the car? The result: 17 bike wins, 1 car win , and 2 teams tied! The... Read more
With the municipal elections just around the corner – October 15th – those of you on Southern Vancouver Island that may not as yet have completed your selection of Mayoral or Council candidates (let alone those for school and park boards) may find the following... Read more
With so many candidates running and so many vacancies on Council, I’ve been asked many times over the last month for “my list” – who will I be supporting in the upcoming election. Having completed our final Council meeting last night, I now feel free to make my... Read more
Active transportation is a major focus of public health action, and has been for some decades. The health benefits include increased physical activity (in turn linked to reduced obesity and improved heart health), improved air quality (linked to improved heart and lung health), and reductions in injuries, noise and greenhouse gas emissions.
This summer, Capital Bike makes exploring by bike more rewarding than ever. Now in its third year running, the Sticker Challenge has over 60 organizations participating. The guiding principal: the more places you visit by bike, the more prizes you can win. Capital... Read more
Parents wanting to bike with their kids but who are concerned about safety and are not sure how to start, now have a “leg up”, with help by Capital Bike. This summer, Capital Bike’s All-Aboard Family Cycling program returns for the second year, funded by Island... Read more
This excellent video answers a lot of questions when it comes to choosing battery powered vehicles. Please watch and share widely. Watch on Vimeo here Shareable link: https://vimeo.com/519585463 Read more
Capital Bike and Victoria Orange Shirt Day are proud to announce the first-ever National Reconciliation Day Ride on September 30th in Victoria, BC, as part of Go By Bike Week, in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Everyone is invited to wear... Read more
Fall Go By Bike Week is returning September 27th to October 3rd and, after a spring hiatus, the always-popular Celebration Stations are back! “Community is incredibly important, so I’m thrilled that we can bring our community of riders and local supporters... Read more
Canadians idle their engines an average of eight minutes a day. This unnecessary idling contributes to both climate change and poor air quality. To gauge the possibility of reducing engine idling, we conducted a pilot study in two locations in which idling is common:... Read more
The physical health benefits of active transportation (walking, biking, public transit) are well known. Compared to cars, there are fewer emissions of carbon dioxide and various air pollutants per passenger mile, fewer accidents and more physical activity — I often joke that includes running for the bus.
Knowledge Powers Action What specific actions can we all take to lower our carbon footprint and save money? We explore answers to this question and many others. Learn practicable and achievable actions that can move us along…
Have your say in developing Esquimalt’s first Active Transportation Network Plan! Get involved There are multiple ways to share your feedback! You could check out: Complete the survey to help us better understand the existing barriers, issues, and opportunities... Read more
Much as I support circular and doughnut economy concepts, I am concerned that proponents often focus on recycling. Far more important is a conservation ethic which encourages overall resource efficiency. It is sometimes called “reduce, reuse and recycle”... Read more
Vancouver has a wonderful Climate Emergency Action Plan (https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/vancouvers-climate-emergency.aspx ) that increases resource efficiency (it significantly reduces per capita energy and land consumption), plus housing and transportation... Read more
The City of Victoria has a range of advisory committees. We’re currently looking to fill up to 12 positions for a two-year term on our Active Transportation Advisory Committee. Candidates should have an interest and passion for sustainable transportation... Read more
The Township of Esquimalt is taking steps to ensure that new residential builds are electric vehicle-ready. Last week, staff introduced a bylaw amendment to include requirements for parking stalls in new residential construction to have a minimum number of energized... Read more
I would like to share information on local and regional multimodal transportation policies that can significantly reduce climate emissions and provide other social, health and environmental benefits. This is important because motor vehicles are, by far, the largest... Read more
“We are facing a disaster of unspoken suffering for enormous amounts of people, so please, treat the climate crisis like the acute crisis it is, and give us a future.” – Greta Thunberg For years, Guy Dauncey has tirelessly warned of the urgency of tackling the climate... Read more
Learn about how your place works to keep taxes high and takes opportunities away from property owners across the Greater Victoria area. This is the first of four articles on the seemingly bland subject of parking. And yet, parking policy matters to preventing urban sprawl, and making driving not the convention.
The Victoria Electric Vehicle Association (VEVC) is an Electric Vehicle (and solar) advocacy group with over 900 members across Vancouver Island and Canada. The group conducts twice monthly information/presentation sessions to both members and the public on EV news,... Read more
Last week, I described some of the local “seeds” working to create a One Planet Region in the second-largest part of our ecological footprint — transportation. About three-quarters of the transport footprint is due to private vehicle use, most of which uses fossil fuels.
This petition seeks a rapid 100% transition of Victoria Regional Transit System vehicles to clean electric power. The petition is launched by the View Royal Climate Coalition and supported by the South Island Climate Action Network.
Here is a slideshow presented November 19 to the Vancouver Island Section of the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE). This presentation reviews our regional transport emission reduction targets, and identifies a specific set of local and regional... Read more
How people travel varies significantly between communities. Although many cities are automobile dependent, with most residents owning a personal automobile which they use for most trips, some cities have much more multimodal transportation systems, were residents own... Read more
Thank you to everyone who has written letters and showed up at CRD meetings to speak against the province’s desire to see a highway pushed through our precious watershed in the Sooke Hills Wilderness Park. The insanity of this proposal shows that the Ministry of... Read more
In May 2018 the City opened the Fort Street protected bike lanes. Earlier this month, the City completed the all ages and abilities (AAA) multi-use path in Beacon Hill Park. Construction of the Wharf Street and Humboldt Street AAA routes is anticipated to start in the... Read more
Everyone wondered how we could possibly feature more than 20 presentations in less than two hours, but we did it! Inspiring stories of innovation, collaboration, community and creativity were shared with both a live and livestream audience worldwide around the theme... Read more
Our first show takes a creative approach to the future of Transportation and includes interviews with numerous people throughout the region and Salt Spring Island.
Thanks to everyone who came out this past Father’s Day to Car Free Day YYJ and to Andrew Duffy for the coverage of This Is Leadership and End Dyslexia, one of our community members in this week’s paper. More photos inside!
As we travel across Canada we would like to connect with businesses, groups, individuals who are interested in the Chevy Bolt, electric vehicles, and Zero Waste. If you would like us to stop by, just send us a line.
Courtesy of www.seablind.org Ninety percent of everything we buy comes to us by ship. Ships bring us food, clothing cars, and our electronics. It is the vehicle of global trade. No shipping, no globalization. Because of their size and the immense amount of fuel they... Read more
80 electric cars on Saltspring Island equals 290 tonnes of Green House Gasses no longer emitted per year and 7466 litres of fuel per month no longer shipped to the island!
