The sounds of summer usually include the splashing of swimmers at the beach, the repetitive midi tune of the ice cream man’s truck, and the sound of your neighbour mowing the lawn. It may however be a little-known fact that gas-powered lawn mowers are serious environmental offenders.
A gasoline-powered lawnmower run for an hour puts out about the same amount of smog-forming emissions as 40 new automobiles run for an hour. (California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board. May 20, 1999)
Each summer weekend, about 2.7 million Canadians mow their lawns, using 40 million gallons of gasoline a year. (Environment Canada, One-Tonne Challenge, 2005)
Running your gas powered lawnmower for one hour is equal to driving a new car for almost 500 kilometres. (Environment Canada)
Photo by Darren Barefoot at the CAF’s Mow Down Pollution Launch in Victoria
Lawn and garden equipment users in California spill 17 million gallons of fuel each year while refilling their outdoor power equipment.
A typical 3.5 horsepower gas mower… can emit the same amount of VOCs – key precursors to smog – in an hour as a new car driven 340 miles (540 km), say industry experts. [Clean Air Foundation]
So how can we trim our grass so that its length is still conducive to hours of croquet without loosing the ball in the mossy brush of the backyard lawn? Simple – use an electric mower. To enable Canadians to take another step towards green living, “Mow Down Pollution” is educating Canadians about the eco-friendliness of using electric tools around the yard.
Bring your working or non-working gas-powered mower or trimmer to any Home Depot location between April 17 and 27, 2008 and receive up to a $100 instant rebate on the purchase of a new push-reel, electric, rechargeable or low-emission alternative mower or trimmer. [Mow Down Pollution]
Photo by Darren Barefoot at the CAF’s Mow Down Pollution Launch in Victoria
If you’ve spent a hot summer in Vancouver then you know how terrible our air can get – especially by the time it all blows out to the valley and they warn seniors to stay indoors to due its low and harmful quality.
By bringing in your old mower – or trimmer – you’re not only recycling something old and stinky that takes up space in the corner of the garage, but you’ll also get some green points (which are kind of like warm-fuzzies). You’ll know that achieving that perfect putting-green lawn for your next BBQ get together with the Jones’ won’t hurt clog the air with pollutants that can cause and irritate respiratory problems such as asthma. That’s a good thing – for you, the Earth, and well… Chilliwack.
There are a lot of award sites on the internet, but when it comes to the most trusted and widespread nothing comes close to the Webby Awards, which are handed out annually with winners hand-picked by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The most engaging part for the common internet user is the crowd-powered People’s Voice portion of the Webby Awards.
The Webby People’s Voice honors excellence in 100+ categories including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile. Last year, nearly half a million votes were cast and even more comments were posted to mark the biggest turnout in Webby history. And this year we expect even more spirited participation with addition of 25 new categories. [Webby Awards – About]
In 2007 the locally produced environmentally-conscious social networking site ChangeEverything.ca was a Webby Award honoree. They’ve grown over last year and have now been officially nominated for the ‘web award of web awards’, pitted against the likes of Flock, Bebo, Ning, and Facebook.
If you want to make changes – in your own life, in your neighbourhood or in your world – then Change Everything is the site for you. It’s fun, it’s free and it’s a great way to work towards positive change for you and our community.
ChangeEverything is a social networking site that allows you to…
Create a list of changes you want to make (big or small)
Help others change by joining their cause, community or conversation.
Basically, it’s an online community of change makers, “Some of us are longtime activists; some of us are community leaders; and a lot of us are just regular people with a few ideas for how we’d like to change things.” [ChangeEverything – About].
Using the web community for social change is a noble feat by this homegrown project, which is powered by those who would like to participate in ‘change’. Being nominated for a Webby Award is an excellent accomplishment, anyone and everyone can go here to cast their vote for ChangeEverything.
A big shout out goes to Rob and Alexandra of Social Signal for working with Vancity to make ChangeEverything a very successful reality for Vancouverites, Victoria, and the Lower Mainland.
How to get there by transit: Umm, you can’t. However, you can take your bicycle on the 98 to Airport Station. From there cycle west on Miller Road toward Russ Baker Way (i.e. the Airport) and turn right onto Templeton Street heading North, then keep going as it becomes Ferguson Road. The distance from the Airport Station to the park is about 8km.
Features and selling points: This is a quiet park, apart from the birds! Approximately 300 species of birds call it home and the park is one of the best places in North America to study shore birds. Unsurprisingly dogs must be kept on a leash. The 4km jetty takes you way out into the sea! In addition to fantastic birding, you will be rewarded with amazing skies, beautiful sunsets as well as the old jet to watch landing at YVR – the walkers and cyclists have their own paths. The beach has the biggest collection of drift wood anywhere which means there’s always a place to sit. This is a classic piece of the Pacific North West, you can ponder your thoughts by sand dune habitats, saline dune meadowns, wetlands and riverbank not to forget the beach of course.
History: The park was opened in 1990 by the then BC Premier, William N. Vander Zalm and later developed as a part of the YVR Habitat Compensation Program after the second runway was built in 1992. 400 metres of tidal channels were created for herons and fish as well as the planting of around 1500 native trees and shrubs.
Notes: For Leftantler and I this is a great place to take photographs. In a sometimes hectic city this is a fantastic escape and a perfect place to recharge!
How to get there by transit: 250 Horseshoe Bay from Downtown or 250 from Horseshoe bay to Vancouver (non-express).
Size: 75 hectares/185 acres
Features and selling points: The perfect mini-hike for an afternoon is following the 5km network of pathways at Lighthouse Park to experience the beauty and majesty of its old growth forest which reveal one of the most spectacular views around.
History: “Charted and named by Captain George Vancouver in 1792, Point Atkinson was an ideal geographic aid to shipping as colonial activity in the area increased. Late in the 19th century, the Government of Canada set aside 75 hectares as a lighthouse reserve, preserving the area for the park we enjoy today. The park is maintained by the Municipality, which leases it from the Department of National Defence. The park derives its name from Point Atkinson, one of Canada’s first manned lightstations. While a lighthouse has been on Point Atkinson since 1874, the current lighthouse was built in 1912, the year West Vancouver became a separate municipality. The lighthouse is a municipal landmark and can be seen from several viewpoints in the park. Old military buildings can be found near the lighthouse, remnants of the site’s military importance during World War II.” – [West Vancouver Parks]
Notes: As John and I have yet to make it past the parking lot of Lighthouse Park, these are some photos snapped by some other local bloggers. It’s definitely at the top of the list for our next day trip around the region. This forest and view are not to be missed.
It’s widely-known that I love my husband, however it’s a lesser-known fact that during a part of our wedding ceremony a song by Ben Folds was played. This is not that song, but it is still one that we both enjoy and sit here lip syncing to while on our laptops – totally geeking out.
It was an official Bollwitt meetup this evening. In this face-paced life filled with day jobs, meetups, conferences, blogging (which is our choice), family time and time for friends, sometimes we need to remember that there’s also an entirely seperate unit known as “John and Rebecca Bollwitt” that needs just as much attention as all of these other elements in our lives.
Photo by Darren Barefoot at the CAF’s Mow Down Pollution Launch in Victoria
