Ecology Ottawa

As with other organizations like the Riverkeeper we worry about about the Chalk River plans as related to the health of the Ottawa River.. let's keep talking about this so that the best decision can be made by Ottawa City Council on this matter.

As much as climate change has been highlighted in the news and debated around kitchen tables, there’s been little discussion as to how fluctuations in the environment will affect physical activity and sport. Excessive heat, air pollution and volatile weather patterns have been independently linked to a decline in physical activity and sports participation, which suggests that as the climate changes, our exercise habits will, too.

We want Ottawa to safeguard public health while providing residents with access to fresh air and exercise. We want city-wide policy direction with resources from general funds in support of this urgent initiative. Sign the petition today! https://2020-ecologyottawa.nationbuilder.com/safestreetshea

Join Ottawa Riverkeeper on a webinar on shoreline cleanups in 2021. They will be arranging several cleanups in Ontario and Quebec so find out more here!

"How can Ottawa afford not to have a bike share system to make our city more liveable?" Robertson asked. We agree. Though the initial cost may be high, we need more ways for Ottawans to use active transportation. Maybe some of the revenues from the camera fines for speeders could be used??

Did you know that there are nearly 60 species at risk only in the city of Ottawa? Learn more interesting facts about endangered species at Ecology Ottawa’s Trivia Tuesday: Species at Risk Edition, online, today at 6pm EDT! Learn more and register here: https://2020-ecologyottawa.nationbuilder.com/trivia_tuesday

'Air pollution (mostly from transportation and tailgating), excessive water use (e.g., for hockey rinks or grass fields), food and drink waste, plastic overuse, improper waste disposal, and high energy use contribute to sports’ large environmental footprint. The bigger the events are, the more resources they use, and the more our climate suffers. But there is hope. Sports organizations can reduce their climate impact. The International Olympic Committee teamed up with UN Climate Change to create the Sports for Climate Action framework. Based on five core principles, this framework outlines environmental responsibilities to both people and the planet. It encourages organizations to reduce their climate impact, educate themselves on climate action, and communicate their knowledge to the sports community.'

See the results of our 15-minute neighbourhood survey and just how walkable your neighbourhood is. Clearly it is time to listen to residents’ concerns and begin to make changes that can bring us closer to the healthy, vibrant communities that develop through the 15-minute neighbourhood concept. Sign the Petition now! https://2020-ecologyottawa.nationbuilder.com/15minuteneighb

In case you missed it... On CBC's Radio One Ideas program last night, a discussion on alternatives to the model of the single-family home. With financial and energy savings and a built-in community to combat loneliness, perhaps it is time to reconsider our options.

'The City of Ottawa presented a webinar on Climate Change and the Ottawa Official Plan 2020-2025 last month. The concept of the 15-minute neighbourhood, the climate emergency, and the importance of green spaces for healthy communities were discussed. Similarly, the National Capital Commission posted its Forest Strategy 2021-2026, stating that urban forests have a significantly higher value per hectare per year than rural forests due to the importance of isolated urban forests in providing ecosystem services and that within its urban setting there should be equitable access to urban parks, woodlands and forests.' As Patricia Turk of Mechanicsville says, this NCC move goes against it's own plans and priorities. It is wrong and should be challenged.

'One way or the other, your perfect summer day will involve water. And for most of Ottawa’s one million residents, the source is the Ottawa River. That’s why many citizens are concerned about plans for a hazardous waste landfill for radioactive material within a few kilometres of the Ottawa River upstream from our city. We will hear from many delegations on Tuesday, at the city’s environment committee meeting, who will be asking for significant improvements to the plans for nuclear waste in our watershed. The radioactive waste mound proposal comes from a consortium of SNC-Lavalin and two Texas-based corporations contracted in 2015 to operate Chalk River Laboratories and other federal nuclear research sites.' We need to fight back on this one as Councilor Kavanagh says. Lobby your councilor and the mayor.

We are joining Walkable Ottawa and arborist Andrew Boyd to hold a workshop to consider neighbourhood walkability with a focus on how to protect the tree canopy and you are invited! Join us for a workshop on maintaining the tree canopy whilst matching the City's need for intensification on two Saturdays of April 17th and 24th. RSVP today!

Thank you to Ottawa River Psychology Group for partnering with us for #EcoGala2020. They do amazing work in the community and offer a range of services, courses and free webinars you should check out! Learn more about their offerings here http://ottawariverpsychology.com/upcoming-events/

Conservation Authorities protect, manage, and restore Ontario's forests, wetlands and natural habitats. Don't let the Ontario government gut them by giving their power away to developers who will push through destructive projects. #onpoli... https://environmentaldefence.ca//expect-bigger-floods-and/

The Eco Gala ticket sales continue for an extra day, until midnight on Wednesday! Get your ticket today, while supplies/dinners last... Only 25 dinners left! https://trellis.org/ecology-ottawas-ecogala

Despite declaring a climate emergency, the City of Ottawa's 2021 Budget has pledged less than 1% of the required annual spending for Energy Evolution - the City's renewable energy strategy. This is not good enough. We only have two weeks left before the budget is finalized! That means only two more weeks to urge the City of Ottawa to put their money where their mouth is. What can YOU do?... Sign the petition: https://2020-ecologyottawa.nationbuilder.com/budget_2021 Join the calling campaign - email [email protected] today to learn more. Our most active volunteer will win a 20$ gift card to the local business of their choice! #ottpoli #ottcity

Hey Ottawa, we are just $5000 away from our goal for #EcoGala2020 ticket sales! Help us reach our goal by buying your ticket TODAY! Join your neighbours this Saturday Nov. 28th at 7pm for a night you will remember! To reserve your dinner, you must order by 11:59pm EST tonight!

There is so much at stake with the city's upcoming budget process. For the hundreds of thousands of Ottawans who want strong climate action, it's critical that we follow the money and demand leadership from the mayor and councillors. Join the campaign to ensure climate is prioritized in the 2021 budget. Sign the petition (https://2020-ecologyottawa.nationbuilder.com/budget_2021) and contact Velta Tomsons (velta.tomsons [at] ecologyottawa.ca) to join the Budget 2021 phone campaign.

This is a timely and compelling piece from Brigitte Pellerin. It's timely because it comes amidst discussions on Ottawa's new Official Plan. The city has just released its draft plan, and it's up to us to inform it over the coming weeks and months. It's compelling because it makes the case that real climate action requires a change from business-as-usual. Like many cities, Ottawa is basing its climate plan on rapid uptake of electric vehicles. To go further and faster, coun...cil will have to look at land use planning, so that car travel isn't an inescapable requirement of daily life for many in our city. We can build a better city while tackling the climate crisis. Sign the petition for 15-minute neighbourhoods today! https://www.ecologyottawa.org/action_plan_petition

This would never happen with a road project in Ottawa. A roughly three-storey utility pole christened "Joel lePole" currently sits in the middle of a new cycle track being installed along Booth Street just south of the Chaudière Bridge. The City of Ottawa has much further to go to embed cycling and pedestrian safety into our urban fabric. Sign the petition today: https://www.ecologyottawa.org/its_time_vision_zero.

Urban areas - like Ottawa - are the epicentres of biodiversity loss. Concrete jungles, disconnected greenspaces, highly manicured and used natural areas, not to mention the stress of pollution and climate change. We need Ottawa to take biodiversity seriously and evaluate our natural resources. Help us show City Hall how important nature is to you, sign the petition: https://www.ecologyottawa.org/biodiversity_petition

(--> pour la version française) Spending time outside brings many benefits to your mental health! Sign the tree petition to help us reach our goal of 40% tree canopy cover! ... Passer du temps à l'extérieur apporte de nombreux avantages à votre santé mentale! Signez la pétition sur les arbres pour nous aider à atteindre notre objectif de 40% de couvert forestier!

If you measure it, and you understand where the problem is greatest, then you can start to do something. Head here to check out Ottawa's air quality map, supported by the Trottier Foundation and Ottawa Sustainability Fund: https://noznoc.github.io/breathe-easy/#10/45.3744/-75.7755 https://theenergymix.com//air-pollution-nanoparticles-lin/

"Changing our car-centric lifestyles into walkable lifestyles is the single greatest thing any one of us can do for the environment." Sign the petition for 15-minute neighbourhoods here: https://www.ecologyottawa.org/action_plan_petition https://www.walkableottawa.ca/post/to-walk-or-not-to-walk

Canadians drive the worst gas-guzzling cars on the planet, and Ottawa is no exception. If we really want to get serious about carbon pollution in our city, we must tackle rising emissions from transportation. The city's new climate strategy prioritizes electric cars in order to get there fast. While that's a start, we must also curb sprawl, and use gas taxes and fuel-efficiency standards. The time for action is now. Sign the petition for better urban design and less car-dependency today: https://www.ecologyottawa.org/action_plan_petition

Stay tuned for tips and tricks to reduce your (and your city's) climate impact in the Breathe Easy report... Coming soon!

Help us reach our goal of 40% canopy cover to reduce air and noise pollution and let City Hall know that you want them to fund the Urban Forest Management Plan by signing the urban canopy petition. Aidez-nous à atteindre notre objectif de 40% de couverture de la canopée pour réduire la pollution atmosphérique et sonore et faites savoir à la mairie que vous voulez qu'elle finance le plan de gestion de la forêt urbaine en signant la pétition de la canopée urbaine.

Have you completed the City's super survey on active transportation yet? It's pretty well done (it's even fun!), and your time is put towards a good cause. https://ottawaatplan.metroquest.ca/

Sign the greenspace protection petition to protect vulnerable greenspaces in the city and demand more sustainable patterns of development across the city. --> https://ecologyottawa.ca/greenspaceprotection/ Signez la pétition de protection des espaces verts pour protéger les espaces verts vulnérables dans la ville et réclamer des modèles de développement plus durables dans toute la ville. --> https://ecologieottawa.ca/garder-la-nature-dans-nos-quarti/

Let the City of Ottawa know what a fair and equitable transportation system looks like, and help guide the policies and actions for the development of the city’s pedestrian and cycling network. https://engage.ottawa.ca//fill-out-the-new-online-question

While the design of new developments in Ottawa has been improving, we're still a long way from achieving walkable communities. Too often, we're still building car-dependent communities dominated by single family homes and cut off from amenities. All of this has massive costs - to local climate action, to the viability of our transit system, and to the city's bottom line. Let's demand better. Sign the petition for 15-minute neighbourhoods today: https://www.ecologyottawa.org/action_plan_petition