By ELIZABETH SHEARER At Green Action Centre, we know being green isn’t always easy. That’s why we wanted to give you a simple 5-point checklist to...
Archive for category: sustainability
Rethink, Reduce, and Reuse: Textile Edition!
Did you know? If you’re an average North American, you’ll throw out 81lbs of textile waste (shoes, sheets, blankets, coats, underwear, clothing, etc) every single year! Our landfills are filling up faster than ever, and consumption is a national pastime, yet fashion is one of the single most polluting industries on Earth. The good news is, there’s lots YOU can do about it! As always, we’re talking Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
What is the Triple Bottom Line and Why is it Crucial for Business Success?
The ‘triple bottom line,’ a phrase first coined by John Elkington in 1994, is a concept that expands how a business’s performance is measured to include social and environmental goals to its financial bottom line.
The triple bottom line is therefore used as a measure of a company’s economic performance and valuation, its level of corporate social responsibility (CSR), as well as its environmental sustainability standards and impacts. And it matters: for example, a 2013 study by Cone Communications and Echo Research showed that 82 percent of consumers in the United States considered the company’s CSR when deciding where to purchase goods and services.
This One Simple Action Could Enhance Your Health and Wellbeing
Spend time outside.
Yup, that’s it! Just go outside, in nature as wild as possible, as often and for as long as you can. More exposure to nature seems to be more helpful, but even a little bit – indoor houseplants, tree-lined streets, the sound of birdsong through an open window – has incremental benefits.
For thriving cities, people vs. nature is a false choice
Municipal leaders face hundreds of difficult choices every day. With so many needs and worthy programs, how does one choose where to invest limited funding? In the face of pressing human needs, cities too often decide that funding for environmental programs will have to wait.
Eco-Friendly Tips for Pet Owners
Pets are cherished members of our family, essential for companionship and improving our health/ well-being. Just as we generate a lot of waste, our pets have a large ecological “paw print” of their own. Being a pet owner doesn’t have to drastically impact our household carbon footprint if we make responsible decisions. We hope you find the following tips helpful for maintaining a eco-friendly household with your furry friends!
Solving for Water Security at the Source
Water funds are a collective investment vehicle in which stakeholders collaborate to implement nature-based source water protection. Downstream water users invest in upstream land and water management practices, compensating upstream land managers for restoration activities and better management of agricultural land. Rural landowners and communities can benefit economically from these investments as well. Mutual benefits are the hallmark of successful water funds.
Greening Your “Back to School”
We know we need to improve active school travel rates and health outcomes of youth. We also know the reasons why. Here’s how to plan for a healthy school!
How to design an energy efficient bedroom
Saving energy is always a good idea. In some ways, it’s part of being a good neighbor. Reducing your household’s energy consumption reduces the strain on your city’s electrical grid.
But here’s the best part: making your bedroom energy-efficient nets you significant savings on your monthly utility bills. Talk about sleeping easy.
Follow these tips to save energy in your bedroom.
Sprynt – A Sustainable Urban Mobility Solution from the U.S.
Sprynt is in an innovative startup that provides 100% free transportation to the passengers. It started its operation in June 2017 in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor in Arlington, Virginia (United States), covering five different neighborhoods. This original business model includes highly targeted and customized advertising solutions to local businesses and national brands, while keeping the rides 100% free of charge for passengers. Sprynt is an on-demand transportation mode, similar to Uber and Lyft, where passengers request the service through an app on their phone. Different than the others on-demand ride services, Sprynt is 100% free of charge and is 100% electric.
The company not only contributes to sustainable urban mobility, but also to the economic development of the area in which it operates, by creating local jobs, and fostering the sales of local businesses, including restaurants and shops. The company currently employs ten people and is planning to hire more in the future. With 13,000 mobile app downloads, Sprynt connects residents to local businesses with an average of 5,000 rides per month, with both recurrent passengers and new ones.