Linda will provide an update on some of VANOC’s sustainability achievements, highlighting the legacies that will be left by the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, and will reflect on how their sustainability program will be received by the international community at Games time.

Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 am
Location: British Columbia Institute of Technology
555 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Info: 604-436-6993, email: breakfast@metrovancouver.org, or visit the  website

Our presenters will speak about the value of establishing innovative programs and tenant associations in social housing complexes throughout the region, and will share their first-hand experiences with successful projects at the Somerset Gardens complex in Surrey and through the PHS Community Services Society in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Location: British Columbia Institute of Technology
555 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Contact: 604-436-6993, email: breakfast@metrovancouver.org
Website

One of the criticism of causes like sustainability and environmentalism is that it’s too preachy and serious.

No Fun.

The gang at YERT prove otherwise.

YERT stands for Your Environmental Road Trip, and while it may seem counter-intuitive, they’ve been driving (yes, a car) all over the USA to try to raise awareness about sustainability. The car, by the way, was a hybrid.

They’ve hit all 50 states and have been making videos along the way.

Their web site is fun and refreshingly un-serious. Mark Dixon from YERT emailed to ask if we’d mention their YouTube video Earth Hour: Feel DePower, regarding EarthDay coming this Saturday 28 March at 8:30.

The video is also a good invite for you to get involved with Earth Hour.

It’s easy.

And it’s fun.

More information about Earth Hour :
(EarthHourCanada.org seems to be having trouble with its web site, so check these alternate links)

• EarthHour.org
• on Facebook
• on Twitter

However, some of the region’s farmlands are not productively used and there is continued pressure to convert farmland for transportation and urban development.

How do we increase actively farmed land and sustain the vitality of our farming industry?

Can we improve the local food system?

What strategies can we put into place?

What is the role of the region?

Dec 3, 2008
Inlet Theatre
100 Newport Drive
Port Moody

Web site

Achieving a livable and sustainable region as Metro Vancouver becomes home to 3.4 million people in the next 30 years will require continuing to create higher density communities.

Much attention has been paid to the opportunities for innovation in new kinds of development, and the challenges of community and market acceptance.

Where and how should higher density development be located? What can it look like, and what services are necessary to support it?

What roles do consumers, communities, planners and developers play in creating higher density communities?

Date: Nov 27, 2008
Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Location: British Columbia Institute of Technology
555 Seymour Street
Contact: 604-432-6200

or Email breakfast@metrovancouver.org

OK. So you are not willing to give up your sushi. I completely understand. Pod Mob has emerged as solution. A group of your environmentally-focused neighbours have rallied around the task of convincing a West End Vancouver sushi restaurant to go green. Here’s the criteria:

* At least ONE Ocean Wise certified item on the menu
* At least ONE Green Table practice in place in the restaurant (composting, recycling, energy reduction, etc.)
* Ocean Wise labeling in the restaurant
* The highest bid to commit their one day Pod Mob revenue towards greening their business further.

Emily from www.3rdwhale.com, is finding out which restaurant is up for the challenge. Once the winner is announced, it is up to ALL of us Vancouverites to show up and support the restaurant’s incredible efforts to go green. Mark your calendar to eat sushi on November 20th, you’ll see some direct sustainable dividends.

… drum roll… and the winner is SUSHI BENTO EXPRESS! They are located at 1258 Robson Street between Jervis and Bute Street. They’ve committed 31% of revenue from November 20th towards offering sustainable options on their menu and to greening their restaurant!

click here to find out more about Emily.

check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new sushi guide.

In his forthcoming book now released book, Almost Green, James Glave tells the story of building a green studio in the front yard – and changing his life forever.

Recording at James Glave’s eco-shed on Bowen Island.

The book will be published in the fall of 2008 by Skyhorse Publishing in the US, and by Greystone Books in Canada.

Read more about James Glave on his web site, www.glave.com

Robert’s notes…

I’ve known James since the mid-90′s. We both fumbled our way onto the then new world wide web – he was with Vancouver Magazine and I was with CBC Vancouver.

I always looked forward to seeing a new magazine article by James – they were smart, witty and superbly crafted. He brought the same high quality to his online work; it stood out then, and it stands out now.

When he left Vancouver for San Francisco and Wired News in 1997, many of us were envious of his determination to carve out a living ‘on the internet’. He became a regular guest speaker at the Simon Fraser University summer web publishing courses, and he regaled us with news from the front lines of life in Silicon Valley.

I’m glad James is back in Vancouver – and thrilled to see him bringing outstanding journalism and his determined voice to stories about the environment and sustainability.

While we wait for his book to come out – do check out his mini-book Buck The System on his web site – add your contribution to his PayPal fund – and enjoy the articles he’s distributing online.

But thermoplastics are used in hundreds of items in your home, your car, and your workplace. Anything around you that is made from extruded or moulded plastic is a product of the thermoplastics industry.

JER Envirotech is a British Columbia company at the forefront of new technology that’s changing the thermoplastics industry and helping the environment at the same time.

When JER Envirotech was first founded ten years ago, the goal was to find a way to use organic materials in thermoplastics.

The idea was simple – instead of sending waste wood to the landfill or burning rice hulls – why not make use of these products by combining them with polymers to create a new kind of thermoplastic.

While the idea may have been simple, the science is not. With help from the National Research Council of Canada, JER Envirotech has been able to find a way to do it.

Edward Trueman, JER’s President and CEO, believes his industry is on the verge of a paradigm shift because of this new technology.

VanGoGreen’s Robert Ouimet spoke with him at the company’s head office in Delta, BC.

Edward Trueman
President and CEO
JER Envirotech

runs: 13:40

ISBN: 978-0-9809054-6-5

© Bigsnit Media Consulting Inc. 2008. Podcasts are available for re-broadcast by contacting info@bigsnit.com

There is little doubt that changing our small actions quickly adds up create a large global impact. Great, sounds good. So how do we measure each individual action, and then decide on the low hanging fruit? Zerofootprint has created a tidy web-solution that worth checking out.

We at Zerofootprint have to be mindful of our own impacts as we pursue our mission. It’s known as walking the talk-and Zerofootprint is doing it. We believe that for sustainability, no action is insignificant. Just as we think we should all drive, fly, and consume less and smarter, we at Zerofootprint will lead the way by bringing our habits into line with our philosophy. READ MORE.

You have to enter your email and postal code get started, and it takes a bit of data entry (estimated 30 minutes), but I was intrigued enough to take the time. After all “knowing is half the battle”, as an old cartoon used to say.

So, kudos to Safeway for moving their California truck fleet to biodiesel. There has been plenty of debate around what is a best alternative fuel option, but I applaud them for moving forward in a positive direction. Sometimes it is more important to move small steps forward, instead of just staying at status quo and waiting for the ideal solution to come along.

I was also intrigued to see some other sustainable initiatives they are undertaking (see below). Maybe this is the beginning of a whole scale shift by the conventional food industry to seriously reduce their footprint? I’ll remain optimistic, but I am not holding my breath… and it certainly won’t change my shopping habits.

Other Safeway sustainability initiatives include:

– Being one of the largest retail purchasers of renewable wind
energy in the U.S, purchasing 87,000 megawatts annually,
enough to power its 300 fuel stations and over 50 stores.

– Launching a solar power program to convert two dozen
California stores to solar energy, which will help remove 10.4
million pounds of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent
of taking 1,000 cars off the road annually.

– Implementing unique energy-saving strategies in stores by
installing new energy-efficient refrigeration technology and
freezer systems and utilizing LED lighting to significantly
reduce electricity usage.

– Operating an extensive recycling program in which nearly
500,000 tons of materials are recycled each year, including
cardboard, plastics and compostable materials. This is the
equivalent of filling six football fields stacked 35 feet
high. The company also offers reusable canvas bags to
customers and has plastic bag recycling programs at many
stores.

READ the full story.