[greenon-l] We Conserve -- April News

Wed Apr 22 18:02:02 EDT 2009

132 - 215 Spadina Ave.

Toronto, Ont M5T 2C7

416.533.1635

cco at web.ca 

April 22, 2009

THINK LIKE A MOVEMENT

"Happy Earth Day."

In this issue.

Jane <> 's Walk

$550 Million for School <>  Retrofits

Change for the Environment <> 

Support the Green Energy Act <> 

Community Networks <> 

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in the box and check the appropriate box at either

www.weconserve.ca <http://www.weconserve.ca/>  or
www.greenontario.org <http://www.greenontario.org/>  

Jane's Walk 2009

"you've got to get out and walk"
                                              Jane Jacobs, writer and
urbanist

Jane's Walk is a street-level celebration of Jane Jacobs' legacy held
annually on the first weekend in May that gets people out on the streets to
explore their cities and meet their neighbours.

Every year, thousands of people head out on free neighbourhood walks, led by
volunteers with an interest in the places they live, work, and play.  It's a
fun way for people to increase their understanding of cities and communities
and get engaged in what's happening in their hood.

In 2008, six thousand people took part in Jane's Walk, walking through 141
neighbourhoods in eleven Canadian cities.  This year, 90 walks are already
on tap in Toronto alone, and in a total of 17 Ontario communities.

A personal pitch - Let's make Jane's Walk province-wide!  If you have a
story to tell, and a neighbourhood to show, setting up a local walk is easy.
Go to the website to find out how.

www.janeswalk.net <http://www.janeswalk.net/>  

$550 Million for School Retrofits 

"A vibrant school environment starts from the ground up."
                                                                   Premier
Dalton McGuinty

Ontario is creating and sustaining over 5,500 new jobs in the green economy
by improving schools.

More than 1,000 publicly funded schools will be made more energy efficient
to give kids better places to learn and help boards save energy and money.

Construction will start as soon as this summer.

The $550-million investment over two years will help existing schools:

*       Retrofit buildings with new energy efficient heating, ventilation
and air conditioning systems and boilers.

*       Conduct energy audits to help manage and conserve energy.

*       Upgrade to improve the learning environment for students currently
learning in inefficient rooms.

Here's the important piece: details on how the funding can be used will be
released shortly, and we expect it will include flexibility in being able to
use the funding to lever additional investments in comprehensive building
retrofits and even integrated packages that link energy savings to the
funding of ongoing environmental programs for the students and community.

Stay tuned.  

The media release can be found here.
http://www.news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2009/04/ontario-greens-over-1000-schools-l
eading-to-over-5500-jobs.html 

Change for the Environment

"Grab your coin or swear jars or reach between the sofa cushions and car
seats."
                                              Ed  Robertson, the Barenaked
Ladies

With an estimated $470 million lying around in Toronto homes in coins, and
another $8 million in Belleville, a new organization called Change for the
EnvironmentT is piloting a program to encourage people to dig out some of
their quarters, loonies and toonies and donate them toward improving the air
we all breathe.  The first annual Change for the EnvironmentT campaign runs
April 30 to May 3 throughout the Toronto GTA with funds raised benefitting
The Lung Association, and Toronto and Region Conservation.

The website will show you the participating stores closest to your home or
office, so it couldn't be easier to stuff your pocket or a bag with spare
change.

www.changefortheenvironment.org <http://www.changefortheenvironment.org/>  

Support the Green Energy Act

"On a $300,000 house, the $150 cost of an energy audit (after the provincial
$150 subsidy is included) is only 0.05 percent of the sticker price. Cost is
not a factor.."
                                              Chris Winter, the Conservation
Council of Ontario  

Yeah, I quoted myself.  

There's a website petition set up to show support for the mandatory home
energy labeling in the Green Energy Act.  If you believe that being able to
find an energy-efficient home is an important consideration when
house-hunting, then you should take a minute to visit this site.

http://www.supportgreenenergyact.ca/index.htm 

For more information on the Green Energy Act, visit. 

*	The Ministry of Energy site on the Green Energy Act
<http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/english/energy/gea> 
*	The Liberal Party site on the Green Energy Act
<http://www.ontariogreenenergyact.ca> 
*	the Green Energy Act Alliance <http://www.greenenergyact.ca>  (NGOs)

Community Networks

"Like Walt Disney, our job is to bring ideas to life."
                                Martina Rowley, Live Green Toronto community
animator

Two quick items to report on with respect to the Conservation Council's goal
to see community conservation networks set up in all municipalities across
Ontario:

First, the Live Green Toronto community animation project is now well
underway, and there was a terrific article in the Toronto Star's environment
special last weekend:  http://www.thestar.com/article/618353. The project is
a collaborative effort led by citizensenvironmentwatch.org
<http://www.citizensenvironmentwatch.org/> , the Conservation Council of
Ontario, and the Centre for Social Innovation
<http://www.socialinnovation.ca/> .  

Details are at www.livegreentoronto.ca <http://www.livegreentoronto.ca/>   

Second, we are pleased to announce that we have received a grant from the
Ministry of Environment's Community Go Green fund to help set up community
conservation networks and local action plans in Oakville and Oshawa.  Both
communities are already blessed with energetic municipal staff and
tremendous resources on the ground, including the Halton Environment Network
in (and around) Oakville and the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee.

Details on the Community Go Green grants are at
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/news/2009/041702mb2.php   (and a special wave of
the hand to the Citizens for a Sustainable Cobourg and the Toronto Zoo, both
projects I was pleased to be able to support).

Happy Earth Day everyone,

Chris Winter
Executive Director
The Conservation Council of Ontario

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