Welcome to Clean Calgary's E-Newsletter. You are receiving this because you indicated interest in receiving up to date environmental information and tips concerning Calgary and urban environmental issues.
In this issue:
Waste Wise Community Outreach Welcomes West Dalhousie School to Program
A green makeover is taking place at an elementary school in the community of Dalhousie. Students and teachers who spent the last few years planning and raising funds to build a teaching garden and retreat in front of the school are now realizing their dream. The yard which was once grass is now being transformed into pathways that lead to different vegetation zones representing natural areas in Alberta. An outdoor amphitheatre build from sandstone will provide students with an outdoor classroom, and a place to relax and rejuvenate.
By joining the Waste Wise Community Outreach Program, West Dalhousie School will receive compost bins and hands on support from Clean Calgary Master Composters who will help the students compost all leftover lunch and snack organics as well as newspapers. We will be teaching the students about the importance of recycling organics and the role of compost in creating a healthy garden. There is no better way to learn than by doing and we are excited to be able to help in this project.
The compost bins are also being built entirely from unwanted and discarded pallets and wood destined for the landfill. This is also an important lesson in waste and aligns well with grade 4 curriculum called “Waste In our World”. This demonstrates how something useful and functional can be made from what others consider garbage. Being resourceful means you don’t need to throw away your hard earned dollars. Rethinking, reusing and recycling mimic the processes of nature and saves money.
The Waste Wise Community Outreach Program is a Dalhousie’s pilot project during 2007, with the objective to reduce 30% of household waste sent to landfill through composting. If you want to join this important and innovative program, please contact Karen at 998 - 8846 or sent her an email to karen@cleancalgary.org
5 Tips to Green your Garden
1. Choose Native Plants
Water consumption doubles in the summer and with grass being so water-intensive; consider replacing at least some of your grass with plants that are drought-resistant and native to the area. Both the City of Calgary’s www.calgary.ca and Evergreen’s www.evergreen.ca websites offer native plant directories and information that can help gardeners make smart choices.
Another alternative is to replace some or all of your grass with mulch. Mulch helps to retain water, discourages weed growth and keeps soil cool in summer and warmer in winter. Mulch, made from recycled untreated wood destined for the landfill is sold at the Clean Calgary Association EcoStore. For pricing or to view visit: www.cleancalgary.org
2. Harvest Rain Water
Rain barrels can be used to catch water flowing from your eaves trough. A considerable portion of the City of Calgary’s total electricity bill is spent on water treatment. Using a rain barrel means that less water needs to treated, cutting down on water waste and reducing demand on water treatment facilities, which in the end saves us all money. Using rain barrels, which collect water from your home's downspout, also reduces flooding. Many people's eaves, or gutters, go directly into driveways or onto cement, which doesn't absorb the water. Rainwater goes straight to the sewage system and, from the sewage system, directly to water sources. By collecting rainwater, you're diverting some of that water from your local streams, rivers and lakes.
The cold treated water that comes out of your home's plumbing can be hard on young root systems in emerging plants. Rainwater is soft, non-chlorinated rainwater and in the summer at the perfect temperature for plants. Your plants and trees will thank you for the all-natural water.
A variety of rain barrels (converted from food-grade recycled barrels) are available year round from the Clean Calgary Association EcoStore. For pricing or to view visit: www.cleancalgary.org
3. Compost, Compost, Compost
Composting helps retain moisture in your soil and cuts down on weed growth. It also provides a blanket of insulation for your plants, keeping root zones cooler in the summer and providing protection during the winter. Compost is also a free fertilizer that makes your soil richer, minimizes soil erosion and improves your outlook for a great summer garden.
Organic kitchen and yard waste account for 40 per cent of a household's waste and organics going to the landfill create methane gas, one of the most potent of the greenhouse gases. By composting you're reducing waste, not producing methane gas, and you're not transporting 40 per cent of your garbage to the landfill.
The Clean Calgary Association EcoStore sells composters for as low as $25.00 year round. For pricing or to view visit: www.cleancalgary.org
4. Conserve Water
If you can't conceive of a summer without an outdoor carpet of green, there are still many ways to reduce the environmental impact of your lawn. Be careful not to over water. Cut off your water usage by using a sprinkler timer, or place a Frisbee (rim up) or empty can on your lawn. When the Frisbee is full of water or the water has risen one inch up the side of the can, it's time to shut the sprinkler off.
Whether you're watering a garden or a lawn, water first thing in the morning before the sun comes up, and in the evening when the sun has started to set. These times minimize the evaporation of water from your lawn. The worst time to water is, of course, in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its dehydrating best.
This seems like a no-brainer but avoid watering your sidewalk and driveway.
Other ways to conserve water include grouping high-water-need plants together versus your low-water-need plants. Also stagger your garden so that your low-water-need plants are near the top of a small mound, with your high-water-need plants lower.
5. Use a Manual Mower
Every summer, gas lawn mowers consume about 151 million litres of gas - one mower alone produces 48 kilograms of greenhouse gases in one season and as much air pollution as a car driven 550 kilometres. Add weed whackers and leaf blowers and we are talking a lot of emissions. All told, lawn equipment accounts for 3-5% of Canada’s air pollution.
The simple alternative is to use one of the increasingly popular manual push mowers. These human powered machines are great exercise and are environmentally friendly; producing zero noise and zero emissions.
Ask Ashley - Landfills Aren’t The Only One’s That Pass Gas
Q:
Ashley,
I recently heard a statistic that stated that Calgary’s landfills account for more greenhouse gases than all of the cars on Calgary’s roads. Is this true? Also, what is the contribution of cattle to climate change?
Thanks,
Monica
A:
Hello Monica,
That’s a great question and I must say that I’ve heard statistics of a similar nature. In fact, the City’s website states: “today, The City's three active landfill sites are our biggest source of greenhouse gases.” This statement might lead a person to believe that this is certainly the case. I believe, though, that this statement refers to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the City of Calgary as a corporate unit. In Calgary, as a whole, only 3% of the total GHG emissions come from landfills. The vast majority come from electricity generation (46%), vehicles (27%) and natural gas (24%). Alberta’s heavy reliance on coal explains the electricity component and it’s not difficult to imagine the impact that nearly 600,000 vehicles in Calgary are having on climate change. While the landfill component is relatively small, we should not trivialize its contribution to climate change.
Even at 3%, Calgary’s landfills were responsible for 443 kT of GHGs in 2003. Simply put, this is the equivalent of nearly 74,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) over the course of a year. Keep in mind that this is just the GHGs coming off the landfills and does not include those that would have been saved had the materials been recycled and turned into new products. I say this because products made from recycled content require anywhere from 5% to 95% less energy than products made from virgin materials. They use less energy and thus less GHGs are produced – simple as that. Certainly, if we were to include all of the foregone recycling opportunities in the GHG totals, the 3% total would rise substantially.
Now, to address the second part of your question: what is the contribution of cattle to climate change? A recent report called Livestock’s Long Shadow concludes that livestock – yes this includes Alberta’s beloved cow – is responsible for 18% of the worlds GHG emissions. When you look beyond cow farts (a natural consequence of enteric fermentation) and consider things like the production of fertilizer for their feed, the breakdown of manure, land use changes, the fossil fuel use during feed and animal production, and the transportation of the final product, you begin to understand that all of the relish in the world won’t be able to cover up this intricate set of problems. I guess it can be said that what’s good for the heart is also good for the planet.
If you wish to read more on climate change I’d recommend checking out the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) website. The IPCC is the work of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), created to evaluate the risk of climate change brought on by humans. Their reports are based on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature. And if you find yourself surrounded by climate change doubters, you may want to check out Grist’s guide on “How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic.” For the next time some one whips out the “Mars and Pluto are also warming” argument you’ll be prepared.
Unsmogly,
Ashley
Ashley Lubyk, BSC in Environmental Science, is a Calgary Materials Exchange Program Assistant at Clean Calgary Association.
Please send your question concerning Water, Waste, or Recycling to Ashley Lubyk
Instant Wild Bird Feeders
Handmade in Calgary with a variety of seed & nut mixes. They are ready to hang with biodegradable raffia, and they come in a variety of shapes (angels, flowers, maple leafs, teddy bears, stars, & hearts).
Price: $9.00 each
EcoStore – 809 4th Ave SW – 230.1443 ext. 222.
We are open Wed, Fri and Sat 10am – 4pm and Thu 10am – 7pm.
Country-by-Country Ranking of Environmental Factors Impact on Health
The first ever country-by-country analysis of environmental health was released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday. The report found that 13 million deaths could be prevented each year if environments were cleaner. People’s health could be improved by reducing their exposure to air and water pollution, poor indoor air quality, ultraviolet radiation, noise pollution and climate and ecosystem change. Even in Canada, where most people pride themselves on its natural beauty, 13 per cent of all deaths were related to these environmental burdens, according to a 2004 national health statistics. It is clear that no country is immune from environmental degradation, no matter how large.
View the article:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr30/en/index.html
top of page
|
