Green comics - Live or Learn, or vice versa

Yes, this is EXACTLY how we’re addicted to oil, love it! You?

Grand & Toy offers 48-hour delivery as sustainable option for Canadian businesses

Grand & Toy is a large Canadian based office supply company, very similar to Staples.  In 2008, Grand & Toy delivered 8.4 million orders to more than 200,000 customers.  Now that’s a lot of overnight deliveries!  In fact, 4500 tonnes CO2-e was emitted for the 2008 delivery, whcih is equivalent to flying from Vancovuer to Toronto 4500 times a year!  Earlier in 2009, Grand & Toy started a pilot program called “48 Hour Delivery”.  Essentially, recommending their customers to choose the 2-day delivery option, Grand & Toy is able to optimize logistics issue and be more (energy and carbon) efficient in making deliveries.  During the pilot project, Grand & Toy found that 50% of the customers would choose the 48 hour delivery option as an eco alternative.  Grand & Toy is now rolling out this program nation wide!  Personally, I am a little skpetical about the carbon savings that can be acheived, but I would love to be proven wrong and see some data in their carbon footprint for 2009!

Green Gadget - World’s greenest business card?

I came across the Traffic & Marketing Design website today which is marketing and selling “world’s greenest business cards” as one of the products.  It uses 100% post consumer paper and is produced in Canada.  The ink is vegetable based.  I like the idea and I think companies should consider these green business card options. However, I’m not convinced with some of the envirnemental benifits claimed as shown in the table below.  The references included there were not useful in convincing me.  I agree that no new trees are cut to make these business cards, but the water and energy savings as well as emission and waste reduction need to be further verified.  Recycling paper is quite an energy intensive process which requires a lot of water and chemical; further, not all paper is recyclable and I would think that there is still solid waste associated with paper recycling process.  Furthermore, the process energy and solid waste would all results in emissions.  It would be more realistic and environmentally responsible for such comparison.  Just my thought… what do you think?

1 FriendsOfTrees.org: http://www.FriendsOfTrees.org/
2 H2Ouse.org: http://www.H2Ouse.org/tour/details/
3 EPA.gov: http://www.EPA.gov/cleanenergy/powerprofiler.htm
http://www.EPA.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html
4 Montgomery.gov: http://www.MontgomeryCountyMD.gov/

Chapter 1 of The Challenge Series - the story of Vancouver’s Olympic Village at Southeast False Creek: Millennium Water

The Challenge Series is an online book, it tells the story of Vancouver’s Olympic Village at Southeast False Creek: Millennium Water. It will be published in eight monthly installments, available on the web and in print, it focuses on the visioning, planning, design and construction processes and celebrates collaboration and sustainable innovation.  This is the first month and it was published on May 22!  

This introductory chapter provides a glimpse into the history, policy and personalities that shaped the development of a sustainable community in Southeast False Creek (SEFC).  Formerly an important industrial hub for Vancouver, SEFC occupies a key piece of waterfront real estate adjacent to the city’s downtown core. The future of SEFC became a focal point of discussion in the early 1990s, following the city’s decision to release the SEFC lands from the industrial land base. It became clear that the redevelopment of this 80-acre, centrally located site presented an opportunity to make a statement about the direction of future development in Vancouver.

 

In 1991, after years of discussion, consultation and weighing of options, Vancouver’s city council determined that the SEFC lands should be a model sustainable community: “On the south shore of False Creek, develop a neighbourhood that is the model of sustainability, incorporating: forward-thinking infrastructure; strategic energy reduction; high-performance buildings; and high transit access.” This proclamation marked a momentous achievement for the City of Vancouver, and a turning point toward a sustainable approach to urban design. In the ensuing years, city staff and countless people from local interest groups and the professional community became involved in the visioning process for the site’s redevelopment.

 

Chapter One of The Challenge Series describes SEFC’s past and future, discussing the importance of sustainable community development. It looks at the influences that led to the policy development and design of a new sustainable neighbourhood.

from the Challengeseries.ca website