In celebration of Canadian Environment Week (May 31 to June 5), Clean Air Day (June 2) and World Environment Day (June 5), let’s make a commitment to do better, environmentally speaking. There are so many actions we can take such as cleaning up after ourselves and others by not littering the environment, becoming better informed … More Idling Gets You Nowhere. Turn Your Engines OFF!
Did you know that Burlington City Council approved a Climate Action Plan in 2020 setting a pathway to become a net carbon neutral community by 2050? What does this mean? In simple terms, we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced within our community as much as possible and to ‘subtract’ any remaining emissions by … More Climate Change – It’s not just about City Hall (but we can help!)
The Burlington Sustainable Development Committee is partnering with the Burlington Public Library (BPL) to present a free virtual event called “Could Your Next Vehicle Be Electric?” Brian Millar of Plug’n Drive will speak about the benefits of making your next vehicle electric with an opportunity for a live Q&A period for participants. Event Details Monday, … More FREE Event: Could Your Next Vehicle Be Electric?
April 8, 2021 update: Due to the current stay-at-home order, Burlington’s Community Clean-Up has been postponed until the order is lifted. Once that happens, the opportunity will then be extended through to the end of October. Spring has sprung. The days are getting longer, outdoor temperatures are rising, spring bulbs are emerging, and early spring … More Register for BurlingtonGreen’s Annual Community Clean Up
The previous Take Action Burlington post highlighted recognition the City of Burlington received from the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) for completing two phases under the climate mitigation badge. Work is now underway to develop Burlington’s first climate adaptation plan to help us better prepare for our changing climate. Why are we working on a … More Burlington Prepares for a Changing Climate
Burlington is one of 25 Canadian municipalities that successfully completed the Showcase Cities pilot focusing on local climate action. Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change. By participating in this pilot, Burlington has been recognized as a leader on local climate action both nationally and internationally. As reported in a Dec. 2019 Take … More Burlington successfully completes Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Showcase Cities pilot in Canada
The Bay Area Climate Change Council would like to invite you to a free virtual event called “Around the Kitchen Table: Discussing Climate Change with Others.” Hear updates on progress of the climate goals in the Burlington-Hamilton region and learn how to have better climate conversations. Keynote speaker Katharine Hayhoe is an award-winning climate scientist, … More Register for the 2021 Bay Area Climate Change Forum
Feeling the winter blues? Check out Halton Garden Week, a week-long celebration of spring and gardening inspired by Seeds of Diversity Canada from Feb. 20-27, 2021. Hosted by Halton Food, Halton Environmental Network, Greening Sacred Spaces and Oakvillegreen, this free online event will celebrate gardening across Halton Region with a public event focused on sustainable, … More Dig into Halton Garden Week!
Happy New Year! With a new year comes hope for positive change. The last Take Action Burlington blog post of 2020 presented a Year in Review. This blog post will present some of the upcoming programs, initiatives and reports related to the environment planned so far for 2021. Climate Change Adapting to a Changing Climate … More 2021 Environmental Action Sneak Peek
For most of us, 2020 has been a year unlike any other that we have experienced in our lifetime. With the year almost over, I thought it would be a good opportunity to highlight some environmentally related initiatives that have taken place in Burlington this year. In January, Burlington staff began using an updated template … More 2020: A Year in Review
Did you know that 98 percent of homes built before 2017 need to be retrofitted by 2050 for the cities of Burlington and Hamilton to reach their carbon reduction goals? If you are a Burlington or Hamilton homeowner interested in learning more about energy efficiencies for your single-family home (detached, semi-detached or townhouse), register for … More Home Energy Retrofit Orientation Program Webinar
Let’s face it, climate change is a complex issue. Climate change has often been described as a ‘wicked problem’ due to its complexity and interconnected nature with other issues where a variety of solutions are required. And that’s why the HCC Reads campaign was developed. What is the HCC Reads campaign? The HCC Reads campaign … More Let’s Talk about Climate Change!
Waste Reduction Week in Canada Waste Reduction Week in Canada is a national campaign led by the Recycling Council of Ontario. It is a year-round campaign focused on the principles of circular economy, resource efficiency and waste. Each year, the third week of October focuses on celebrating environmental efforts and achievements and empowering Canadians to … More Take Action on Waste
In April 2020, Burlington City Council adopted the Climate Action Plan. The Plan identified and laid out a path for the community as a whole to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to as close to zero as possible by the year 2050. One of the major sources of GHG emissions in Burlington is transportation. Let’s … More Take Action to Reduce Your Impact – Register for Upcoming Events
It’s that time of year again where the end of August typically marks the end of summer vacation and the return to a routine. For those of you with kids, you may be hearing some groaning or at the other end of the spectrum, some excitement at the prospect of your kids seeing their friends … More Back to School Eco Tips
Are you one of many gardeners who is growing your own food this year either for enjoyment, to teach your kids or grandkids about where food really comes from (before it gets to the grocery store), or because it is something to do during the pandemic? Depending on what you planted, you’re likely already enjoying … More How Burlington residents are growing the gift of food
With summer travel plans altered due to COVID-19, backyard staycations and pools are increasing in popularity. While backyard pools offer a refreshing and fun option creating many lifelong memories, it’s important to follow some basic environmentally-friendly actions. Good eco-friendly pool, spa and hot tub maintenance actually starts with knowing about sanitary and storm sewers. Did … More Eco tips to maintain your pool, hot tub and spa this summer
Here’s a ‘good news’ story to share with you on World Environment Day and Canadian Environment Week! A dedicated team of students from the Halton District School Board (HDSB) recognized that they can have a significant impact on mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation efforts for climate action. Over the past year, they developed … More Halton District School Board Student-led Climate Emergency Declaration Approved
Now that retail stores are open for pick-up, many residents are rolling up to get their packages or food orders in their vehicles. Please remember to turn your vehicle off while you patiently wait. I am sure you don’t want to get a $120 ticket for idling unnecessarily. And, no one wants to inhale your … More Idling Bylaw Still in Effect
With physical distancing due to COVID-19, many organizations are staying engaged with residents by creating and promoting different activities that you can do or learn at home. This post highlights some of the environmentally related or nature-based activities that are currently available. Since early April, the Royal Botanical Gardens has been running interactive content on … More Enviro Fun @ Home
Food security or being able to buy and get enough food to meet nutritional needs, is a very serious issue for some households and even more so with the COVID-19 pandemic due to increasing job losses. Burlington Food Bank is experiencing increasing demand and relies on community support to ensure sufficient supplies are available to … More Grow your own fruit and veggies!
Last year, Burlington City Council declared a climate emergency, recognizing that our community is already experiencing the impacts of climate change and that action is needed to support a low carbon resilient community. In response to the emergency declaration, city staff worked with community and local stakeholder groups to develop a Climate Action Plan for … More Burlington’s Climate Action Plan Approved by City Council
Did you know that ‘flushable’ wipes are actually NOT flushable? While you might see the wipes go down your toilet bowl, it’s what you’re not seeing that is having a great impact. (Wipes vs. Toilet Paper video concept and creative courtesy of Metro Vancouver). While toilet paper breaks down quickly, wipes do not. Wipes twist … More Flush only the three P’s … Poop, Pee and Toilet Paper!
Increased heat waves, windstorms, ice storms, drought and flood events are just a few of the climate change impacts being felt in many communities around the world. Burlington is not exempt from such events and we need to be prepared. Communities are increasingly setting up extreme weather resiliency hubs with local faith-based organizations to offer … More Forming Partnerships with Local Faith Based Organizations
Climate change has been described as a wicked or complex problem as there isn’t a single, simple solution. This could result in individuals becoming overwhelmed and believing that they can’t make a difference, so they continue with their current behaviour. However, as I always highlight in this blog; every individual action matters as ‘collectively we … More Do one thing … Put on your sweater
