The bicycle is a very useful piece of equipment. While some might use a bicycle because of health benefits or as a sport, it is also an important form of transportation. A bicycle is more accessible to many offering a cost-effective way to get to school, work, the doctor, the grocery store, etc. and doesn’t … More Celebrate World Bicycle Day on June 3
Transportation emissions account for about 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Burlington. Changing the way you commute to sustainable or active transportation will help us meet our greenhouse gas target to be a net carbon neutral community by 2050. Changes coming to Burlington Transit Starting March 1, 2023, Burlington Transit bus drivers will ask … More Kids can tap into free rides on Burlington Transit
Are you or do you know a Halton student in grade 7 to 12 passionate about protecting the environment and looking to earn 20 community involvement hours? If so, then you might be interested in an upcoming Generation Green opportunity. What is Generation Green? Generation Green is a youth-led initiative to engage Halton students in … More Register for the Generation Green Youth Conference
On February 2, wear your favourite sweater and celebrate National Sweater Day. What is National Sweater Day? National Sweater Day is a campaign encouraging Canadians to show their support for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. What can you do? Turn down your thermostat by 1.5 degrees Celsius or more and wear your … More Put on a sweater and learn about a new energy savings program
It’s hard to believe we started the Take Action Burlington blog seven years ago as a place to highlight the City of Burlington’s environmental accomplishments, profile community initiatives and events, and promote tips for home, work and play to reduce our collective footprint. Since then, we have published 173 posts and over the past five … More 2022: A Year in Review
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the Halton Children’s Water Festival returned to Kelso Conservation Area this past September and welcomed back about 700 students for an in-person program focused on protecting water in our community. This was the 15th year for the festival which has educated about 50,000 elementary school students with the … More Halton Children’s Water Festival – A Successful Return
It’s that time of year again with the last few carefree summer days and the return to routines. For those of you responsible for school aged children, you may be hearing increased groans or anxiety about the prospect of returning to school while at the other end of the spectrum, perhaps excitement about reconnecting with … More Back to School Eco-Friendly Tips
Are you a student in grade 7 to 12 wanting to take climate action? Do you need some community involvement hours for high school graduation? If you answered ‘yes,’ you might be interested in an upcoming opportunity through Generation Green. What is Generation Green? Generation Green is designed for youth by youth wanting to take … More Generation Green Drives Climate Action
Did you know that the City of Burlington has an idling control bylaw to limit unnecessary idling and that idling for more than one minute can result in a $120 ticket? Idling and Climate Change In April 2019, Burlington City Council passed a Climate Emergency Declaration “that Council and staff immediately increase the priority of … More Idling gets you nowhere. Turn your engines OFF!
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
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
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
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
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
January 2020 not only brings a new year but also a new decade. From a climate change perspective, this is a very important decade as the impacts of our daily decisions need to be considered now more than ever. Please continue reading to find out why. The Science The International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) … More Use a climate lens for personal decision-making
Are you or do you know a Halton youth in grade seven to 12 interested in learning about climate action in a fun, engaging and interactive way? If so, you need to check out the Generation Green Youth Un-conference designed by youth for youth. What’s in it for you: Engage in climate action leadership Be … More Check out the Generation Green Youth Un-conference
International Walk to School Month (IWALK) is an annual celebration of active transportation, such as walking and rolling, taking place around the world every October. Hundreds of Ontario schools participate in IWALK each year, with many holding their events on IWALK Day – Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Help to grow the active school travel movement … More October is International Walk to School Month
It’s hard to believe that another school year is here and with it comes a friendly reminder about idling. In an ideal world, it would be great if your kids walked or rolled to school. However, if you are doing school drop-off and pick up by vehicle, please turn your engine off while you wait. … More A back to school reminder for drivers: Turn your engines off while you wait.
On June 17, 2019 City of Burlington sustainability staff presented the Take Action Burlington – An Update on Our Local Environment to Council. This report provides an overview on the state of Burlington’s environment including information on local sustainability efforts and actions that can be taken. This is the second in a series of five … More Take Action Burlington: An Update on Our Local Environment – Land
On June 17, 2019 City of Burlington sustainability staff presented Take Action Burlington – An Update on Our Local Environment to Council. This report provides an overview on the state of Burlington’s environment including information on local sustainability efforts and actions that can be taken. This is the first of five posts about the report. … More Take Action Burlington – An Update on Our Local Environment
Are you a creative and environmentally minded person? If so, this might appeal to you. The Halton Green Screens Amateur Film Festival is about getting our local community involved in environmental stewardship. Who can participate? The Film Festival is open to all residents of Halton, of all ages, including post-secondary students who are currently away … More Halton Green Screens Amateur Film Festival 2019
On Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019, Burlington’s City Council unanimously passed a motion to declare a climate emergency, joining over 400 local governments around the world. There were 12 delegations in support of the declaration – ten in person and two written. What is a climate emergency? A climate emergency helps to raise the profile that … More City of Burlington declares climate emergency
Twelve years ago, residents in Sydney, Australia created a movement by turning their lights off for one hour for climate change. This was the beginning of Earth Hour. Last year, 188 countries and territories celebrated Earth Hour. Earth Hour 2018-2020 is about our connection to nature and the impacts climate change will have on our … More Connect2Earth this Earth Hour
Are you interested in learning more about climate change and how cities like Burlington can take action? If yes, then you should consider attending the Cities in Action – Bay Area Climate Change Summit taking place from March 25 to 28, 2019 at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. You can attend one, two or … More Cities in Action – Bay Area Climate Change Summit
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