Learning from each other Coffee house series on how to reduce our carbon footprint

Hear from your neighbours how their carbon-footprint choices were made, in a series of GCA-led coffee houses this winter. Here we see a solar panel installation. PHOTOS: JOHN HUMPHRIES

By Della Wilkinson

Are you thinking of replacing your furnace? Do you need a new vehicle? Maybe you just want to reduce the cost of groceries by eliminating food waste? Perhaps you want to landscape your outdoor spaces? Or want to explore renewable energy sources?

The Glebe Community Association (GCA), specifically the Environment Committee, would like to help residents make sustainable choices when faced with these major and minor consumer decisions. So, we applied to the City of Ottawa’s Community Environment Project Grant Program (CEPGP) to run a series of five coffee house sessions where Ottawa residents can drop by the Glebe Community Centre (GCC) to learn more about the options available for embracing sustainability in everyday life. The city liked our proposal and has awarded us the funding!

Starting in January, the GCA will host a monthly, weekend-morning, drop-in session that will cover a different aspect of urban life and the decisions

Saturday, we all make on a daily basis that can have a significant impact on reducing our individual carbon footprint. The sessions will start at 9:30 a.m. with a 15-minute presentation followed by several coffee table chats where individuals can ask knowledgeable neighbours specific questions on topics related to the overall session theme. This cycle will be repeated at 10:30 a.m.

For example, the session on homes might open with a presentation of the home audit process or the Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program and then proceed to coffee table chats on specific recommendations such as upgrading windows, replacing a gas furnace with a heat pump and options for managing a comfortable inside temperature such as upgrading insulation, programmable thermostats, ceiling fans, light-coloured roofing, awnings to provide shading, etc.

The general idea involves sharing knowledge gained when making consumer choices that impact the carbon footprint of our lifestyles (some examples are shown in the insert). What

Saturday, February 24 9:30 - 11:30 am

Sunday, March 24 9:30 - 11:30 am

Saturday, April 27 9:30 - 11:30 am

Sunday, May 5 9:30 - 11:30 am worked, what didn’t work and what did you wish you’d known before making the change? By providing a forum to learn about how Ottawa residents have reduced their carbon footprints while living in older homes, the GCA Environment Committee hopes to provide residents, both homeowners and home renters, with the knowledge they need to seek and employ environmentally sustainable options when they face similar consumer decisions. We also want to highlight choices that will result in our homes and subsequently our communities becoming more resilient to our changing climate.

*dates are fixed but topics may shift depending on the availability of knowledgeable neighbours and subject matter experts.

Although we know quite a few Ottawa residents who have a wealth of knowledge to share, we are very interested to hear from more people who have learned from experience when making sustainable consumer choices. If you would like to share your knowledge, please email us with ‘Knowledgeable Neighbour’ in the subject line.

We are also interested in hearing from community members about what decisions they are contemplating, so please get in touch with ‘Topic Question’ in the subject line. Email: environment@glebeca.ca.

Mark the dates in your calendar and look out for ads in the local newspaper.

Della Wilkinson is chair of the Glebe Community Association’s Environment Committee.

Coffee house possible topics

Homes

• replacing a gas furnace with an electric heat pump

• purchasing an induction stove

Energy

• installing solar panels or geothermal energy sources

• installing a programmable thermostat

Transport

• incorporating active or public transit into daily routines

• joining a car share program

Food & Waste

• transitioning to a sustainable pantry

• eliminating food waste

Green Spaces

• planting trees for shade

• Installing a permeable driveway to reduce water runoff