Green Venture’s EcoHouse Wins HMHC “Energy Conservation in Heritage” Recognition Award!

Green Venture is proud to announce that we have won the Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee 2011 HMHC “Energy Conservation in Heritage” Recognition Award for our work installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on EcoHouse (aka Glen Manor – The Veevers Estate).

Green Venture's EcoHouse (Glen Manor - The Veevers Estate). This is the original 150-year-old dwelling.

Established in 2007, the HMHC Heritage Recognition Awards were created to highlight the achievements of local heritage property owners, who exemplify heritage conservation; demonstrating outstanding contributions to the conservation, restoration, and preservation of Hamilton’s built  heritage.

We are very please to be recognized for our work at EcoHouse! Find out more about the history of EcoHouse (Glen Manor – The Veevers Estate. Schedule an EcoHouse Group Tour or come and visit us on the 10th Anniversary of Hamilton Doors Open on May 5th and 6th.

BTW – if you are interested in getting your own solar PV system for your residence, use this link to find out how you can make income for generating clean, green electricity!

If you are interested in joining our staff at the celebration, then use the RSVP information below – see you there!

Green Venture's EcoHouse microFIT solar PV system on the 1950's addition.

Thursday February 23, 2012
Doors Open: 6:30 pm Awards Start: 7:00 pm
Reception to follow
Ancaster Old Town Hall
310 Wilson St. E, Ancaster, Ontario

Please RSVP for the event by contacting Alissa Denham-Robinson – HMHC Chair
alissa(at)knyarchitects.com

Award letter from HMHC to Green Venture.

Invite letter from HMHC to Green Venture.

City of Hamilton Receives National Recognition for Climate Change Action

Below is a press release from the City of Hamilton announcing the recognition Hamilton received at the recent Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference. Although we have much more to do, it’s great to see Hamilton get recognized for action on sustainability issues. We should celebrate this achievement together and help it stoke the fire on climate change action in our community.

Cheers,
Pete

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Hamilton Receives National Recognition for Climate Change Action

HAMILTON, ON – February 9, 2012 – Earlier this week the City of Hamilton received an award of recognition for its efforts in combating climate change. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recognized Hamilton along with other municipalities across Canada for achieving “Milestones 3 & 4” under the Partners for Climate Protection Program (PCP) at the launch of FCM’s Sustainable Communities Conference in Ottawa.

“It’s an honour for Hamilton to be recognized with fellow municipalities for taking action on climate change” explains Brian Montgomery, Air Quality and Climate Change Co-ordinator at the City. “Actions on climate change are increasingly local, and our community has stepped things up through our community Climate Change Action Charter, our Corporation’s Action Plan, and actions throughout our community.”

Milestones 3 & 4 include setting an emissions reductions target and developing a local action plan. Hamilton has also been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the top cities in Canada addressing climate change. Community greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 were estimated at 12,891,371 tonnes; a reduction of 26% from 2006 emissions levels (estimated at 17,382,000 tonnes). These changes occurred due to a number of factors such as reduced energy demand due to a cooler summer, improved energy efficiency and conservation actions in the community, and the shifting of energy from coal as part of the Province’s actions towards the phasing out of coal in Ontario’s energy mixture sources by 2014.

On October 2011, Hamilton became the first community in Ontario to launch a community Climate Change Action Charter. Since its inception, 28 organizations (along with the City) have endorsed the Charter including Mohawk College, McMaster University, Hamilton Conservation Authority, Hamilton District Labour Council, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Hamilton Area Steelworkers, Union Gas, North End Neighbours, St. James’s Anglican Church, First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, Hamilton CarShare, Environment Hamilton, and Green Venture. For more information and to join the Charter, please visit: www.climatechangehamilton.ca

The Charter and other actions to combat climate change and improve air quality and health will be featured at the upcoming Upwind Downwind Conference: Unlikely Partners on February 27^th, 2012. As part of the Conference, a free public talk featuring author Jay Walljasper will take place in the afternoon of Sunday, February 26 at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. For more information about the Conference head to: www.cleanair.hamilton.ca

-30-

Media contacts:

Debbie Spence                                                                       Brian Montgomery
Communications                                                                  Air Quality & Climate Change Coordinator
Planning and Economic Development                        Planning and Economic Development
City of Hamilton                                                                   City of Hamilton
Ph:  905-546-2424 ext. 5541                                         Ph: 905-546-2424 ext. 1275

About the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program:

PCP is a network of Canadian municipal governments that have committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change. A five milestone framework is used to guide municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The five milestones are: Creating a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, Setting an emissions reductions target; Developing an action plan; Implementing the local action plan or a set of activities; and monitoring progress and reporting results. For more information on the PCP program visit: www.fcm.ca/home/programs/partners-for-climate-protection.htm

Brian Montgomery
Air & Climate Change Coordinator
Planning & Economic Development
City of Hamilton
T: 905-546-2424 extn. 1275
F:905-643-7250
E: Brian.Montgomery@hamilton.ca
www.cleanair.hamilton.ca

Feds terminate popular ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program early

Below is a press release from the coordinator of the Save ecoENERGY group that Green Venture supports. Green Venture expects to be dramatically affected by the termination of the ecoENERGY program; this will also have serious repercussions on our staff and on our efforts to reduce GHGs locally.

The energy auditing industry is an industry we will need for many years looking forward. Unfortunately, there is no plan to transition the thousands that do this work across Canada (including here in Niagara/Hamilton) into the next generation of energy conservation initiatives. Despite the numerous and well-documented economic and environmental benefits of the ecoENERGY program, our Federal government has chosen to focus on supporting new energy, rather than on energy conservation, which provides the cheapest method of addressing our energy challenges.

Pete Wobschall
Executive Director
Green Venture

Harper Government invests less than half of $400 million promised in Budget 2011 – industry braces for job losses

VANCOUVER, BC — (January 30, 2012) — Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver closed the popular ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program to any new registrants on Sunday, January 29. The sudden closing of the program comes two months before its official end date on March 31, 2012. The government has limited participation to 250,000 registered homeowners.

Industry estimates show that by capping registration the federal government will invest at most $192 million in total ecoENERGY home retrofit grants. This investment is less than half of the $400 million the federal government committed in Budget 2011.

“With the Harper government focused on creating jobs and securing Canada’s energy future, we are surprised that Minister Oliver closed such a successful program early,” says Jeff Murdock, vice-president of Building Insight Technologies, a Vancouver-based energy audit company and Save ecoENERGY Coalition supporter. “We are shocked that the federal government is cutting back its investment in job-creating and energy saving retrofits at a time of global economic, environmental and energy uncertainty.”

Home retrofit incentive programs save energy, help families, and are proven low-tax job creation measures, generating $2 in tax revenue for every $1 invested in homeowner grants. These programs are extremely popular with Canadians. For example, according to the Ontario Real Estate Association, 92 per cent of Ontario homeowners think government should create more incentives for homeowners to make environmentally friendly and energy efficient renovations to their homes.

-30-

Contact: Jeff Murdock, vice-president, Building Insight Technologies Inc.
jmurdock@buildinginsight.com | 604-785-9109 | www.HomePerformance.com

Background:

• In June 2011, the Harper government renewed the ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program with a $400 million investment in Budget 2011: The Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan — A Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth.
• Only 50-80% of the 250,000 homeowners who registered online for a CID number will go on to purchase a pre-retrofit evaluation. Projection calculations assume 80%.
• Historically, only 80% of homeowners who purchase a pre-retrofit evaluation go on to get a post-retrofit evaluation and qualify for an ecoENERGY grant (NRCan figures).
• Average ecoENERGY grant amount $1,200 (industry tracking).
• 192 million = 250,000 x 0.8 x 0.8 x $1,200
• The Save ecoENERGY Coalition formed in March, 2011. See saveecoenergy.ca

Pdf of press release: Feds terminate popular ecoENERGY retrofit program 30 JAN 2012.

Poster Contest

Green Venture and Clean Air Hamilton are pleased to launch our second annual Fighting Climate Change poster contest for Hamilton high school students.  The contest encourages youth to come up with creative ways to fight climate change, to encourage and inspire their peers to take action, and to use art to express their concern for environmental issues.

Students are asked to make a poster demonstrating an action that people can take to combat climate change and conserve energy.  Students will have the chance to have their artwork displayed in several public venues, win some great art prizes, and inspire their peers to take action on climate change.

There will be an opening reception at Central Library on April 13^th, where contest participants and their friends and family can come to see the posters, have snacks, and socialize.  All entries will be displayed at the reception, which will be open to the public as a stop on the James St. N Art Crawl.

Top entries will then stay on display in the lobby at Central Library in April, will be displayed at EcoHouse in May during Doors Open Hamilton, and will be on display at Homegrown Hamilton for the month of June, and as part of the June Art Crawl.

Students have the opportunity to win prizes that encourage further artistic creation:

1st prize: 1 day workshop of your choice at the Print Studio, 1 year membership at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, $50 gift certificate at Mixed Media

2nd prize: 1 day workshop of your choice at the Print Studio

3rd prize: $50 gift certificate at Mixed Media

Entries are due at 4pm on Feb 22^nd.  For contest regulations and details on submitting your poster, visit our website at www.greenventure.ca/poster-contest.  Posters will be judged by members of Hamilton’s artistic, environmental, and educational communities, who will consider creativity, message clarity, composition, and how well the poster portrays a tangible action and encourages people to take action.  Results will be announced on March 7, 2012.

Every time fossil fuels (like oil and natural gas) are used as an energy source, green house gases are released.  Every small action you take to reduce your energy consumption also helps reduce the amount of GHGs entering our atmosphere, helping your community and our planet!  This is your chance to inspire other youth to fight climate change.  All actions help, and every way that we can reduce our use of green house gases will help reduce the impacts of climate change.

Help our environment, inspire others to take action, get your work seen, and win some great prizes!

Art Contest Poster

Green Venture and the Conserver Society Team Up to Clean Up the Harbour!

Green Venture would like to thank the Conserver Society of Hamilton and District for sponsoring the Healthy Harbour! program.  Funding in the amount of $5000 has been generously provided by an RBC Blue Water Project Community Action Grant.

Green Venture is excited about this opportunity to help protect our local rivers and reduce non-point pollution entering Hamilton Harbour.  In recent years, Hamilton has experienced serious problems relating to stormwater and runoff including environmental and water quality degradation, threat to human health and safety, and millions of dollars in property damage.

This program will provide tangible results in eliminating toxins from our environment.  Together with residents in the community, we will construct forty pet waste composters and one rain garden.

The program goals are:

(1) Reduce non point source pollution entering Hamilton Harbour

(2) Educate residents about the effects of stormwater runoff

(3) Motivate behavioural change

Pet waste workshops will improve local water quality by eliminating an expected 4380 pounds of pet waste from landfills and waterways each year.

Rain garden allow stormwater runoff to filter naturally through the ground as nature intended, replenishing groundwater aquifers.

Stay tuned for more details about upcoming Healthy Harbour! workshops.  Contact Kathryn Gold at water@greenventure.ca or 905-540-8787 ext. 114 for more information.

Green Venture is a community-based non-profit organization committed to helping residents live more sustainably at home, at work, and in their daily lives.

Wrapping up Mobile Monitoring

In late 2010 to 2011, Mobile Monitoring, air quality project, took samples from 11 different areas in Hamilton.  While this City has stationary air quality monitors, for example, Hamilton Air Monitoring Network (hamnair.ca), one of the unique aspects of this project is its mobility-data can be collected anywhere in the City.  Rotek Environmental, Inc gathered samples and analyzed the information, using a specialized vehicle with an air quality station mounted on it.  The results were used to determine total health impacts, ie its effects on mortality.  With this information, concerned residents are able to find out the air quality in their neighbourhood and can identify certain predominant pollutants and potentially their sources.  Ideally, with this information, residents can work towards decreasing contaminants in their environment.

Five contaminants that were measured:
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO, NO2, NOX)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
• PM10 (Inhalable Particulates, is “coarse” an example is dust stirred up by traffic
• PM2.5 (Respirable Particulates, is “fine” and found in smoke or haze and can only be viewed through a microscope)

Originally, 11 locations were monitored: Beach Blvd / Eastport Drive, Delta, Dundas, Jones Road / Arvin Avenue, Lawrence Avenue to Burlington Street, Limeridge Mall, McAnulty Blvd, near Mountain, North West End, Red Hill neighbourhoods, Wentworth North.  After neighbourhood interest, two locations had previously collected data analyzed: Kirkendall and Strathcona Neighbourhoods.

One of the interesting results from the study was that, on average the City has an increased mortality of 11.5%.  In other words, for every 100 deaths in Hamilton (from non-traumatic causes), there is, on average, an additional 11 deaths due to air pollution.
“Non-traumatic” means not caused by car accidents, etc.  Throughout the 11 areas studied, the increased mortality rates ranged from 6.8% to 18.4%.

Next Steps:
In 2012, Green Venture, in partnership with Rotek Environmental, Inc., Ministry of Environment and Clean Air Hamilton will be submitting a funding application to study other neighbourhoods in Hamilton.  There has been great interest from area residents in this project and the continuation of funding would allow Mobile Monitoring to gather and analyze more data in different areas of the City.

Thank you to Conserver Society of Hamilton and District, Ministry of Environment and Rotek Environmental, Inc., and Public Health for their partnership and dedication to this project.

Special thanks to Mobile Monitoring funders, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Clean Air Hamilton.

Links: The complete report: Hamilton Neighbourhoods: Mobile Air Quality Monitoring to Determine Local Impacts
The map of the boundaries of each area

Living the Hybrid Dream- part 2

The push-button starter is a fun little quirk of the Prius that I have come to love. It makes turning on the car more akin to turning on a computer (a particularly apt analogy, considering the “gas gauge consumption game” one constantly plays with the accelerator) than starting a license-requiring powerful and potentially dangerous machine. With the keyless remote that my Prius came with, you don’t even have to put a key in the ignition. Just open the door, turn on the computer, er.. starter, and away you go…at a silent electric-only glide for the first 20 km/hr.

I have come to learn that while the hybrid car is indeed a fabulous fuel-efficient vehicle, it does have a few quirks, and even (gasp) an occasional drawback.

The fuel efficiency numbers are not quite all they are proclaimed to be, largely because of that wretched quintessential Canadian topic of conversation: winter. Cold tends to reduce the efficiency because the hybrid engine runs during the first five-ten minutes of start-up, bringing the car up to a reasonable warmth level. The length of that warm-up varies by the outside temperature.

When one is used to watching the consumption level like a hawk during driving, always striving to never exceed 5.0 L/100km, it’s very disconcerting to watch the gauge rises to 10, 15, 20 L/100 km during this warm-up and stay there, EVEN when you release the accelerator and coast in neutral or come to a stop. Because of our lengthy education through Green Venture about the evils of idling one’s vehicle, this oddity of the hybrid doing its darnedest to idle makes the veins on my head twitch when it occurs.

Once the car gets up to speed, it generally performs well as per normal. However, I have noticed that I am no longer getting the fabulous 4.0-5.0 fuel numbers I was getting in July (presumably when the car was nice and toasty warm all the time), but instead my numbers are hovering around 6.0 L/100 km on average.

The starter button and my fuel consumption after 20 min. Note the downward trend in the graph.

It’s terrifically tempting to do an extra drive across the lower City of Hamilton  (a nice flat uninterrupted run in many spots, particularly Cannon Street).  This would get me a few miles of “zero” consumption: running the car at speed, and only “feathering” the accelerator enough to keep the electric motor turning the wheels without actually drawing any gas. The unfortunate reality is that there is always a stop light, braking for another  vehicle, or other reason for minor slowdowns and the subsequent need to push on the accelerator again and get back up to “cruising” speed.

One other interesting feature about the Prius is that you can reset the average consumption meter when you fill up, or leave it. This allows you to keep an ongoing record of average fuel consumption or a trip-specific one (between fill-ups). Sometimes, after a particularly inefficient trip (driving at high speeds for a long time, driving up the escarpment back and forth, short trips of 5 minutes or less where the car never gets a chance to fully warm up), it’s very tempting to just “push the button” and wipe the slate clean.

All in all, the hybrid experience has been a good one so far. I am hopeful the car holds up well to the abuse it is likely to get in my household.  Keep you posted…

Hamilton Port Authority funding to protect Hamilton Harbour water quality

December 22, 2011

Hamilton, ON

The Hamilton Port Authority (HPA) is throwing its support behind two projects that share the aim of protecting water quality in Hamilton Harbour.  Through its Environmental Trust Fund, the HPA will provide financial support to projects being undertaken by the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) and Green Venture, two well-established local environmental groups.

Implemented in 2010, the Environmental Trust Fund allocates funding to support projects that benefit the Hamilton Harbour ecosystem. Up to two projects a year are chosen for funding, which covers half of the project cost, typically up to a maximum of $10,000 per project.

“We recognize that a healthy Hamilton Harbour benefits both port users and the community,” explains HPA president Bruce Wood. “As the owner of more than 600 acres of waterfront land, we’re committed to environmental respect and sustainability.”

For 2011, funding will support the production of the 2012 Toward Safe Harbours Report Card by the Bay Area Restoration Council. Produced every five years, the report card updates the overall health of the harbour and indicates areas that need improvement in the push toward harbour and watershed restoration.

“It’s great to have the HPA’s support, particularly for 2012 with our third Report Card on progress toward delisting the harbour as an Area of Concern,” said Scott Koblyk, BARC president. “The Port Authority’s contribution will allow us to ensure it receives wide distribution and can be an interesting, engaging and dynamic part of our hamiltonharbour.ca website.”

The Environmental Trust Fund will also support Green Venture’s Healthy Harbour! Residential Best Practices Project. By encouraging lower city residents to disconnect downspouts and install rain barrels, the project aims to divert stormwater from the sewer system and reduce sewer overflow from being released into the harbour during storms. Data and experience gathered through the project will be used to build long-term strategies to deal with stormwater overflows.

“Stormwater is a major source of pollution in Hamilton Harbour,” said Pete Wobschall, executive director of Green Venture. “Funding will provide citizens with the tools, knowledge, and support necessary to reduce stormwater flows into the harbour. Green Venture applauds the HPA for their generous support of initiatives that improve the quality of life in our community.”

The two 2011 projects selected for funding were chosen by a committee of the HPA board, following a community stakeholder meeting held to gather input on potential projects. In 2010, the Environmental Trust fund provided money to support a McMaster University project to monitor and manage colonial nesting birds in the harbour, as well as a the planting of 12 Ivory Silk Lilac trees on the Navy League lawn on Pier 8.

The Port of Hamilton is the largest Canadian port on the Great Lakes in terms of both size and cargo handled. The Hamilton Port Authority’s strategic vision is to be the Great Lakes port of choice.

-30-

Media Contacts:

Hamilton Port Authority
Marilyn Baxter, Environmental Manager
(905) 525-4330 ext. 240

Bay Area Restoration Council
Chris McLaughlin, Executive Director
(905) 527-7111

Green Venture
Pete Wobschall, Executive Director
905-540-8787 ext. 117

Three Great Upcoming Climate Change Sessions in #HamOnt

Thanks to Dave Carson at Dundas in Transition for the info below on some great upcoming workshops in Hamilton. See you there!

Cheers,
Pete

What’s Up with the Weather?

Wednesday October 26th at 7pm; The McMaster Centre for Climate Change presents Dr David Phillips – senior climatologist at Environment Canada on “What’s Up with the Weather?” at the McMaster Innovation Park. Here’s how the flyer for this presentation introduces the talk.

“Hail, snow dumps, icy rains, weather bombs, super hurricanes, – if you think we’ve been cursed and getting clobbered a lot harder and lot more often recently you are not imagining it. People all over are asking: what’s happening to the weather? It’s almost as if extreme weather has become the norm – an epidemic of ferocious killer, catastophic weather everywhere. Is the global climate going through unprecedented change? Is our weather becoming more extreme? And, if so, are people responsible or some other natural forces?” See climate.mcmaster.ca

Climate Reality Project

Friday November 4th at 7pm; Grant Linney, a presenter with the Climate Reality project will present “Climate reality – It’s better to change laws than light bulbs” at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Here’s how the Climate reality project is introduced:

Climate Change is not your fault for the car you drive, the lights you turn on or the food you eat. The climate crisis is our problem. Real solutions, systemic solutions, innovative solutions, can only come when we address this together. That’s what the Climate reality Project will do. Without doubt. Without delay. And with your help. The Climate Reality project is bringing the facts about the climate crisis into the mainstream and engaging the public about how to solve it. We help citizens around the world discover the truth and take meaningful steps to bring about change. See http://climaterealityproject.org/

Perverse Cities: Hidden subsidies, wonky policy and urban sprawl

Monday November 7th at 7:30pm; The Annual Spirit of Redhill Valley lecture has Dr. Pamela Blais who will present “Perverse Cities, Hidden subsidies, wonky policy and urban sprawl” at The First Unitarian Church, 170 Dundurn St. Dr Blais 2010 book – Perverse Cities: Hidden Subsidies, Wonky Policy and Urban Sprawl – has won critical praise including being short-listed for the Donner Prize. She suggests that urban planning has focused on curbing sprawl by treating its symptoms and failing to recognize the market distortions and flawed policy that drive sprawl. As a result of crude public policies, a wide range of urban goods and services are subject to inaccurate price signals, including housing, non-residential properties, transportation and utilities. Mis-pricing creates hidden, perverse subsidies and incentives that promote sprawl while discouraging more efficient and sustainable urban forms. More information is available at perversecities.ca.

Start a Community Solar Coop in Your Neighbourhood!

As providers of solar PV installations under the Ontario microFIT and FIT program, Green Venture is very pleased to invite you to find out how to start, or participate in, a community solar PV coop. See info below from our good friends and partners at Environment Hamilton (thanks Juby!).

Cheers,
Pete

Environment Hamilton has partnered with OSEA (Ontario Sustainable Energy Association) to deliver a workshop on Wed. Nov. 9th entitled “OSEA’s Community Power Roadmap to Success”.

This event is all about connecting local businesses, community members, and  organizations and providing them with the basic tools to create community-based solar-power projects.

This is  great opportunity to learn more about how to tap into creating solar power projects within Hamilton.

Details:
Wed. Nov. 9th. 6:30-9:30pm
Central Branch – Hamilton Public Library, 55 York Blvd.
905.549-0900

More Information:
Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

Register:
Contact Juby at jlee(at)environmenthamilton.org

More Information:
The exciting increase in solar power opportunities speaks to the environmental and financial benefits of this green energy. We have local examples of Hamiltonians connecting to this power source. One of the challenges of solar is the financial upfront costs as well as location requirements pose a challenge to make putting up solar panels feasible.

The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) is holding a hands-on workshop that will give participants tools to create our own community-based solar power projects. And ideally, connecting businesses, community members and local organizations, so that individuals can come together and share the challenges and successes of solar energy production. We are seeing examples emerging here in Hamilton, such as Melrose United Church putting up solar panels this month. OSEA’s workshop aims to have its participants identify opportunities to have community solar powered projects and give them the tools to achieve those goals.