David Suzuki and his Foundation's communications specialist Jode Roberts wrote a piece for Post City this week grading Toronto on its environmental and sustainability efforts. The "report card" notes many of the things the city is doing well, placing a large emphasis on the city's various parks and park initiatives.
Toronto's
Park People, a network of more than 80 parks groups from across the city, were credited with providing innovations in the use of public space. "From installing outdoor brick tandoori and pizza ovens to hosting farmers markets and a litany of cultural festivals, more and more neighbourhood parks are becoming dynamic, vibrant hubs. And the good news continued last month with the announcement that the Garfield Weston Foundation will be supporting innovative new projects with $5 million in funding over the next three years. Watch for exciting things to happen in a park near you," Suzuki and Roberts wrote in the report.
They also applauded one of their own efforts, a new project that aims to establish a "Homegrown National Park in the heart of the city by creating a vibrant green corridor following former path of Garrison Creek, one of Toronto's most important lost rivers." The project will involve the planting of native trees and shrubs, as well as "cultivating bird- and big-friendly gardens and growing food in backyards and balconies" between Dovercourt and Bathurst, stretching from Dupont to the waterfront.
Toronto's "urban dwellers" also helped the city out, especially considering the City of Toronto released a
Biodiversity in the City series of booklets exploring the various critters that live among us. These books are available at libraries and for download.
However, the city lots marks for the high number of bird deaths ("Toronto buildings are estimated to kill at least one million birds each year"), the advent of "fracking" as a home heating measure, and the possibility of potentially hazardous pipeline leaks that may come as a result of piping oil from Alberta's tar sands through Ontario's Line 9.
Overall, Suzuki and Roberts are pleased. "Toronto is on track to have an unprecedented green boom this year."
Read the full report card
here.
Original source: Post City