September Climate Action Events:
"Sustainable Saanich Lecture Series"
Sustainable Saanich and Saanich Heritage are presenting two free talks. The first lecture highlights the opportunities for an owner who wishes to improve the energy efficiency of their heritage or older home and how thermal imaging technology can help. The second will talk about interesting stories of the community's' past. Light lunch and beverages available.
Saturday, September 10
10:00 am - 12:30pm
Free
Saanich Municipal Hall
More info: District of Saanich
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"Eat Here Now 2011"
A free, family-friendly festival featuring some of the best farmers, fishers, butchers, bakers, processors and restaurants in the region. To celebrate the craft of our food producers, there will be live music from local performers, farm animal viewing, a corn boil, a wild salmon roast and local restaurants demonstrating how they make the best use of regional produce and value-added food products.
Sunday, September 11
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Free
Centennial Square
Victoria, BC
Find more info: Victoria Downtown Public Market Society
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"Engaging Sustainability in BC Education"
PICS presents seminar on how environmental education including climate change is being successfully infused into current curriculums
Wednesday, September 14
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Vancouver, BC or via Webinar
Free
More info and to RSVP: PICS
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"Victoria Secrets Tour - Car-Free Sunday"
Find out some of Victoria's cycling jewels and secrets: Those places where bikes can go but cars cannot, and participate in Car-Free Sunday! The ride begins on the Douglas Street side of the fountain at Centennial Square at 10am and ends at the same location at about 2pm. Be sure to bring a lunch for the lunch stop. The ride is approximately 20 easy kilometres.
Sunday, September 18
Start time 10:00 am
Meet at Centennial Square,
Victoria, BC
More info: GVCC
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"World Car-Free Day"
Every September 22, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections, and neighbourhood blocks to remind the world that we don't have to accept our car-dominated society. Commit to go car free on September 22nd!
Thursday, September 22
All day
More info: Car Free Day
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"Earthfest: Connection, Belonging, Place"
Earthfest is the back-to-school festival organized by the UVSP and the Student Transition Centre that strives to offer students an exciting, interactive, and sustainable first week festival. Earthfest has featured live music, sustainable workshops, presentations, and display tables from environmental groups on campus and in the community. The UVSP believes that students need an alternative to the typical corporate dominated frosh week that often sees international companies selling disposable merchandise to students.
Thursday, September 22 & Friday, September 23
University of Victoria
Find out more: UVSP
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"Bike to Work Day Victoria"
The main Bike to Work Week event was a blast! We hope that everyone has gotten the cycling season off to an exciting start!
Join us on Friday September 23rd for Bike to Work Day! NO REGISTRATION NECESSARY!
Friday, September 23
Morning station: UVic Petch Fountain (beside Main Library) from 7:30-9:30am
Afternoon station: Dockside Green @ Harbour Road from 3:30-5:30
More info, visit: Bike to Work Day
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Greetings!
Welcome to the monthly ClimateNews Community Edition. This e-newsletter will keep you informed about all the upcoming learning opportunities, carbon reduction strategies, and chances get involved in creating future friendly communities throughout the Capital Region. Please feel free to forward to other community members. |
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Celebrate Climate Action in September!
How are you going to participate?
We are fortunate that throughout month of September there are a number of climate action related events being held around the region
and the world!
Check out some of the events in this e-news and celebrate Climate Action! |
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Attention: UVic, Royal Roads and Camosun College Students!
It's time to sign-up and Ready, Set, Solve!
 This semester put your brain power to work! goBEYOND Campus Climate Network and the CRD are recruiting undergraduate students to form teams what will compete as they solve real life climate and energy challenges facing organizations and municipalities in the Capital Region. Win prizes and build your campus and community network!
Individuals or teams can sign up until Friday, September 23, 2011.
Check out the list of challenges, rules and more here: Ready, Set, Solve: The CRD Student Climate Challenge |
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Selling Your Home in the Capital Region?
Gain a competitve advantage by participating in this exciting program!
 For a limited time residents living in the Capital Regional District (CRD) can get a free home energy efficiency assessment along with an EnerGuide for Houses Rating to post on MLS® through the Time of Sale EnerGuide for Houses Labelling Pilot Project.
Time of Sales Labelling allows potential homebuyers to easily compare the energy efficiencies of various homes and it allows sellers to access cash incentives for upgrades for themselves OR their buyer. It's a win-win situation!
This Pilot is supported by the Capital Regional District, City of Victoria, Township of Esquimalt and Town of View Royal, with BC Hydro, the Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) and the Province. It provides participating homes with a free, third party home energy assessment with an accompanying EnerGuide for Houses Rating-similar to an appliance's EnergyStar rating. The rating will take into account a home's windows, doors, insulation, heating equipment and air leakage and will be posted on the MLS® at the time of listing. Both seller and homebuyers can use this information to direct their energy upgrades and either individual can access LiveSmart and ecoENERGY incentives for the home.
The Pilot will run through to the end of 2011. The first 100 sellers in the CRD to participate will receive a free home energy assessment, funded one half by BC Hydro and one half by VREB, the CRD or a sponsoring municipality. For more information on the pilot program, visit www.livesmartbc.ca/energuide or contact a local Realtor. |
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Participate in Park(ing) Day in Victoria!
Individuals and community groups can apply today!
 (City of Victoria, August 29, 2011) For the second consecutive year, the City of Victoria is participating in PARK(ing) Day, a global initiative that encourages citizens to create temporary parks and open spaces out of downtown parking spots - challenging us to rethink how we use space in the urban core.
Individuals and community groups can apply for one of the remaining permits available to create a temporary park or public space at a designated, on-street parking spot downtown. Previous innovative uses of parking spaces have included installing temporary turf and flowers, holding picnics, yoga classes, lawn bowling, Shakespeare in the PARK(ing) Lot, random acts of kindness, as well as Scrabble, croquet, and chess tournaments.
PARK(ing) Day is intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, social interactions, generosity and play. This non-commercial event also provides an opportunity to raise awareness on what individuals can do to lower their carbon footprint.
Find our more here: City of Victoria Park(ing) Day |
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Healthy Families BC: Walking Challenge
Walk, Share and Win!
Did you know that almost 60% of region's greenhouse gas emissions come from our transportation? We all need to do our part to make more sustainable travel choices. One way to do this is to walk more!! Healthy Families BC is asking you to share your favourite walking tips, map your best routes, celebrate your community, and enter to win great prizes. The challenge is open until September 19th.
There are submittals for every community in the region. Check it out to find a new walking spot or a submittal for your chance to win prizes: Walking Challenge |
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Climate Friendly Landscaping...
Grow a Native Plant Garden!
 Residents of the Capital Region are invited to partipate in a FREE workshop on gardening with drought-resistent native plants. Instructor Patricia Johnston will provide instruction on native plant identification, their benefits and how to use them. An overview of CRD Water Conservation programs will be provided and participants will be given a tour of a native plant garden. These informative workshops will be held at Swan Lake Nature House, and pre-registration is required.
There are a number of workshps planned in October and November. The first workshop is on September 28th from 1 - 4 pm. Find out more here: Native Plant Gardening Workshop |
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Introducing the Climate Reality Project
And 24 hours of reality....
What is the Climate Reality Project? The Climate Reality Project aims to bring the facts about the climate crisis into the mainstream and engage the public in conversation about how to solve it. They help citizens around the world discover the truth and take meaningful steps to bring about change.
What is 2 4 Hours of Reality? 24 Presenters. 24 Time Zones. 13 Languages. 1 Message. 24 Hours of Reality is a worldwide event to broadcast the reality of the climate crisis. It will consist of a new multimedia presentation created by Al Gore and delivered once per hour for 24 hours, representing every time zone around the globe. Each hour people living with the reality of climate change will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events - including floods, droughts and storms - and the manmade pollution that is changing our climate. We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapshot of the climate crisis in real time. The deniers may have millions of dollars to spend, but we have a powerful advantage. We have reality.
When: September 14 and 15
Broadcast from around the world, you can experience as much as you like without even leaving your home. Click here to find the location - or locations - where you would like to watch a presentation. There will be a broadcast from Victoria at 7 pm on September 14th. http://climaterealityproject.org/ |
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Introducing the Moving Planet
From 350.org
On September 24, 2011, people all around the world are joining together for an event called Moving Planet. This event is focused on creating solutions to the climate crisis and reducing global emissions down to levels below 350 parts per million. 350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Governments, community organizations, and individuals are using this day to raise awareness and move beyond fossil fuels in communities both large and small. Check out the website for more info and lots of resources: http://www.moving-planet.org/ |
Thanks for your interest in climate action in the CRD. If you have any upcoming events, learning opportunities, resources, school projects you would like us to highlight or suggestions for future editions of ClimateNews please email them to nelliott@crd.bc.ca.
Sincerely,
Climate Action Program 625 Fisgard Street
Victoria, British Columbia V8W2S6
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