HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnvironmental Committee - 2008 Air Quality Candidates for Best BetsCANDIDATE BEST BETS FOR 2008
1. [2.1] CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY INITIATIVES
The City of Kitchener:
a. can continue to provide support to the Waterloo Region Green Solutions' (WRGS')
Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP); and,
b. publish on its web page EnerGuide ratings and evaluations
i) providing links to Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan's) ecoEnergy website
(ratings); and,
c. support Hydro Smart Meter
i) reporting to the Environmental Committee with results of Smart Meter pilot
project; (i.e. how receptive have staff and consumers been? Was there time -of-
day pricing /incentives offered? If not can this be offered ?); and,
d. purchase Green Energy
i) purchase Green Energy in the amount consumed by City Hall; and further,
e. provide citizens with information on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). By
purchasing RECs, customers can choose to support clean, renewable energy. The
money generated by the sale of RECs goes to new and existing renewable energy
facilities, providing a financial incentive for developers to build more renewable
energy projects. Link to further explain RECs:
htto: / /www.davidsuzuki.oro /Climate Chanoe hat You Can Do/REC.asD
Please note: RECs appear unnecessary if green energy is pursued (See Item d above).
2. [2.9] REDUCE THE RELIANCE ON AUTOMOBILES; ENHANCE NON - VEHICULAR
ACCESSIBILITY
The City of Kitchener:
a. can provide incentives and education regarding the reasons why citizens should live
close to work; and,
b. can enhance non - vehicular accessibility to subdivisions / community centres to allow
for small business to be located within walking distance of residential areas; and,
c. can prevent further designs that allow drive - throughs; and further,
d. can provide their staff with a Grand River Transit Corporate Bus pass, as a means of
reducing traffic in the downtown.
3. [1.19] DEVELOP, PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR
NON - MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES
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The City of Kitchener:
a. can develop and implement best management practices that will reduce emissions
from non - manufacturing businesses by using a mix of regulatory tools, economic
instruments and voluntary approaches as appropriate. Link to better define `best
management practices': LW-//www.env.aov.bc.ca/wid/BMP/bmi2intro.htmi; and
further,
b. should act to end drive - through designs within this framework.
4. [2.13] SEEK LONG -TERM SOLUTIONS IN AID OF BETTER AIR QUALITY
The City of Kitchener:
a. can suggest / submit changes to the Ontario Building Code and Planning Act (i.e.
energy efficient standards, efficient building designs such as LEED, and parkland
dedication requirements). In addition, the City can draw upon its experience in
developing urban design guidelines to make recommendations to the appropriate
governing body (e.g. efficient building / neighbourhood designs), Federation of
Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Ontario Ministry Municipal Affairs and Housing
(Ontario Building Code), and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
5. [1.30] MOBILIZE PUBLIC OPINION
The City of Kitchener:
a. can work with the community to shape land use and transportation to encourage
"clean -air" lifestyles. The objective will be to create a more liveable city and sustain
the better quality of life. The City could encourage clean air lifestyles via:
i) encourage clean air lifestyles via publishing, advertising a series of tips (e.g.
billboards or signs visible to those sitting in drive - through line -ups); and further,
ii) encouraging people to enjoy and respect woods and trail system.
6. [2.12] PUBLISH THE CITY'S AIR QUALITY INITIATIVES REGULARLY IN THE PAPER
a. City staff can lead by example and car pool, bike, or bus to work. Provide updated
results of this and other air quality initiatives by the City, regularly in local newspaper.
The City of Kitchener can build its profile of Kitchener as a `Healthy Community'; and
further,
b. the City can report on its efforts to lead by example regarding car pooling, biking and
taking bus to work.
7. [3.4] WITH THE REGION OF WATERLOO'S PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DEVELOP
AND IMPLEMENT EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO MAKE RESIDENTS AWARE HOW
THEIR PERSONAL ACTIONS AND CHOICES AFFECT AIR QUALITY
The City of Kitchener:
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a. can cooperatively fund a (preferably) Region -wide and Regionally- coordinated public
education program (funding for signage, campaigns, and advocacy). Its goal should
be to inform residents on the linkages between their personal actions, e.g., driving
short distances, and air quality and health (publish local facts related to the increase
of asthma in children- attempt to personalize /relate to the data).
Question to staff: what local government entity is appropriate to lead such a campaign for public
awareness?
8. [1.5] EXAMINE THE NEED FOR AN EXPANSION OF THE GO TRAIN. EXAMINE THE
BENEFITS OF MAKING LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) ON A SEPARATE RAIL VS. ON-
ROAD
The City of Kitchener:
a. can advocate for an expansion of the GO Train, suggest incentives and examine the
feasibility / benefits of the LRT on a separate rail system; and further,
b. given the demand, daily gridlock and poor air quality, why is the province not moving
forward on improving and expanding the present rail system between Kitchener and
Toronto? The City should lobby or take an advocacy role in this effort.
9. [1.3] REQUEST THAT GRAND RIVER TRANSIT PURCHASE THE CLEANEST PUBLIC
TRANSIT VEHICLES FEASIBLE AND REPORT ON TRANSIT VEHICLE PURCHASES IN
THEIR ANNUAL REPORTS
The potential exists for diesel transit vehicles to actually increase some common air
contaminant emissions (especially particulate matter) that can lead to negative health
outcomes. Therefore, the City of Kitchener:
a. can encourage Grand River Transit to specify stringent, but achievable, emission
standards for the transit vehicles under consideration, and to seek funding to help
defray costs.
10. [1.27] PILOT AND / OR DEMONSTRATE THE USE OF SHARED OR RENEWABLE
ENERGY SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES
With a goal of ultimately increasing the use of alternative or renewable energy source
technologies, the City of Kitchener:
a. can pilot and demonstrate innovative projects based on potential benefit, ease of
replication, effectiveness, funding and partnership opportunities, and market
acceptance.
11. [1.32] UNDERTAKE `COMMUNITY ENERGY PLANS' THAT PROMOTE ENERGY
CONSERVATION AND PROTECT LOCAL AIR QUALITY
Community energy planning looks at a community's energy use from the perspective of long-
term integrated resource planning, energy efficiency and sustainable practices. The City of
Kitchener:
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a. can develop planning tools to assist with aligning new `Community Energy Plans'
with this report on air quality.
12. [1.26] PROVIDE PARTNERS WITH EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND ASSESSMENT
TOOLS TO DEMONSTRATE THE BUSINESS CASE FOR MUNICIPAL ENERGY
RETROFIT INITIATIVES AND APPLICATION OF RATINGS SYSTEMS SUCH AS
LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS
(LEED -EBO)
Through education and outreach efforts the City of Kitchener:
a. can support the application of a rating system, such as LEED -EBB, to civic building
retrofits and operations and encourage its application to private sector retrofit
projects for commercial and institutional buildings.
13. [2.4] EXPAND THE EXISTING KITCHENER CLEAN AIR PLAN TO INCLUDE A SMOG
ALERT ADVISORY / STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TARGETED AT THE
GENERAL PUBLIC, NOT JUST CITY OPERATIONS
In conjunction with Waterloo Region and with the help of the local media, the public and key
emission sectors, the City of Kitchener:
a. can expand the existing procedures in the Kitchener Clean Air Plan to include smog
alert advisory /strategy and management program; and allow for voluntary and
mandatory curtailment measures for industry, commerce and residents.
14. [1.33] ESTABLISH A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION TARGET AND TRACK
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
The City of Kitchener:
a. can develop a regional greenhouse gas emission reduction target and inform the
public about progress toward meeting this target; and further,
b. can set a Corporate target of reducing greenhouse gas emission by 20% by 20.
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