Earth Day Challenge
In case you haven’t heard, tomorrow is Earth Day, and Kingstonist is issuing a challenge to everyone in the Limestone City. Essentially, we want to courage you to adopt at least one of the top ten most most widely implemented measures to help the environment. Although we’re hoping that a vast majority of our readership has already adopted some of these standards, perhaps there are a few you hadn’t considered. In no particular order:
- Park It: Leave your car at home; car pool, bike, walk, take the bus.
- Shut Down: Turn off lights, screens, TV, etc. when not in use.
- Where’s the Meat: Try eating meat-free at least one day a week.
- Eat it: Choo-Choo-Choose food produced locally, organic and in season. Check out the Farmers Market behind City Hall.
- Let it Rot: Put a composter in your backyard, at least until we get Green Bins next Fall.
- Don’t be Idle: Turn off your engine if stopped for more than 10 seconds. A draft bylaw in Kingston.
- Ideal Temp: Adjust your thermostat to reduce energy use. Put on extra layers in the winter, and have a cool drink in the summer.
- Bright Ideas: Replace incandescent light bulbs with the money/energy saving compact florescent variety.
- Don’t Dump it: Recycling has more positive effect on the environment that you may think. Use your Blue and Gray boxes, and send used clothing/household items to the Good Will, Salvation Army etc.
- Tell Someone: Pass the word on about Earth Day, and tell them what you’re doing to take part.
Be sure to brag about you’re accomplishments on Earth Day by leaving a fun-filled comment. Remember, Comments = monthly prizes.
Kingston in Bloom
Communities in Bloom is a national initiative that promotes action by citizens, the government and local organizations and businesses to help beautify the city. Kingston has participated for the last three years and will be involved again for the 2008 competition. Read more
Ice Free is the Way to Be
Early last month I put a fork in Old Man Winter, proclaiming the imminent arrival of Spring: newborn woodland critters, and massive amounts of pollen. Four weeks and half a dozen snow storms later, my prediction is finally coming true. Sand covered sidewalks, and soggy patches of grass have been spotted all over the city, however one recent event officially put the final nail in Winter’s coffin. Up until April 1st, the Wolfe Island Ferry had to navigate its way through the maze of ice that covered Kingston’s inner harbour. Yesterday it was as though someone turned up the thermostat, as there was a significant reduction in ice coverage, which extended out into Lake Ontario. Read more
Participated in by Some…
So last night was Earth Hour, and after I turned off all my lights and computers, I took a twilight stroll downtown to gauge the results. I must admit that I was pretty disappointed with some of the local merchants who kept their signage brightly lit, especially those who weren’t even open for business. I mean, if the Golden Arches can be turned off for an evening, I don’t think it’s a stretch for Scotia Bank, Very Sherri and numerous others to dim their lights for an hour. Restaurants including the Chien Noir and Atomica were quite dark, with an ample amount of candle light setting the mood inside. This was also the case inside Second Cup, however Starbucks was lit brighter than the sun. As promised the City turned off all the street lights on Princess Street, and City Hall could only be seen in the shadows. When I approached Market Square, I came across a group of folks congregated around an NDP banner, talking about the significance of Earth Hour, sustainable energy and the importance of making Kingston a greener place to live. On that note, walking to and from the downtown was amazingly dark, which is a good sign that Earth Hour was supported by many households.
With any luck this event will grow next year, with more and more people taking the time to switch off. Be sure to check out the Kingstonist YouTube Channel for a few of the dark videos I took while wandering around last night. To give you a better idea of the scene, there are also some decent Earth Hour pictures on the Kingstonist Flickr page.
Lights Out Kingston
In case you haven’t heard, Earth Hour is taking place this Saturday, March the 29th from 8pm until 9pm. The ultimate goal is to get as many people around the world to go sans electricity for an hour, and you can rest assured that Kingston will be doing it’s part. In an announcement late last week, the City advised that all non-essential downtown street lighting would remain off until 9pm. This will also be the case in Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, and at various business locations across the city, however “safety lighting” will remain functional for your, er…safety? In addition to dimming the lights, all of the refrigeration units at municipal outdoor rinks will remain off during Earth Hour, which will help reduce the cities’ overall consumption.
If you’re looking to celebrate this great initiative with like minded folks and take in some entertainment at the same time, I recommend that you check out the candle lit show going on at the Leopard Frog Recording Studio on Queen Street, featuring the Night Sun, Jenica Rayne, Brian Flynn and more! Otherwise, what are you planning on turning off on the 29th? Will you be busting out some candles and boardgames, or simply enjoying old fashioned conversation with friends and family? Be sure to let Kingstonist know, as each time you comment this month, you’re entered into our draw for a gift certificate from either Minotaur Gifts and Games, or the comic book and video game haven, 4 Colour, 8 Bit.
The Day After Tomorrow
Just before leaving the city in Friday afternoon’s whiteout driving conditions, I took yet another look at the weather forecast. A huge system was just making contact, though in light of my recent prediction of Spring’s imminent arrival, I balked at the prospect that this would be a significant Winter storm. I recall saying, “this one’s going to pass us and really hit those suckers in Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.” Although all of those cities got their fair share of flurries, my guess was way off the mark as the north shore of the Great Lakes received another blast from Old Man Winter. We are on track to officially break some long standing records. Read more
The Green Bin Is In!
As the environment becomes the topic du jour around the world, an increasing number of Kingstonians are taking an interest in green issues ranging from proposed wind farms, to the cosmetic use of pesticides and organic recycling. With respect to the latter, Kingston is trailing communities such as the GTA, Ottawa, Newmarket and Guelph who’ve implemented programs for curbside collection of organic materials. However, thanks to the recent recommendations of a draft Integrated Waste Management Study, we may be closer than ever to realizing our own green box system, which could curb household waste by as much as 65 percent.
Read more
Spring Ready to be Sprung?
I think I speak for everyone when I say that I’m ready for warmer weather. It’s not as though we’ve had an uncharacteristically cold winter, but the mediocre snow removal on city sidewalks, and bottomless puddles of slush have whittled away my tolerance for the season. This past weekend old man winter tried his best to rain down more of the white stuff, but it stuck around for less than 24 hours. While next week’s forecast predicts immediate warmer weather, other “experts” are calling for a long and drawn-out return to higher temperatures. It’s not as though I have a thing against meteorologists, groundhogs, or Farmer’s Almanacs, but they are all wrong way too often. Since Wiarton Willie’s predicting an early spring this year, and the typical signs of a spring melt are all around us, I recommend getting one last skate in before it’s patio season. What do you think, is spring really on it’s way? What sort of weather are you predicting?
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Friends & Supporters
