The result's are in - LONDON IS READY FOR CHANGE!!!

151 signatures, 7 days, no money, no media, all grassroots. You guys did so great!!!!!

Unfortunately, Board of Control VOTED 'NO' TO ECOLIVING LONDON yesterday.

THERE IS STILL HOPE!!!
If we can sway one councillor to vote on behalf of EcoLiving London - it can be brought back to the table on February 10th or 25th at the committee of the whole meetings to be voted on again by full council.(Note: This happens with other organizations/initiatives quite often).

I have reopened a new letter, so please visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/londons-enviromental-evolution-continues and sign if you haven't already. Then forward this to everyone you know - friends, family, and coworkers.

I will keep up my work on this end - showing the financial viability of our business plan and the social, environmental, and economic benefits to the community - and together we will keep our momentum going and help council understand that Londoners are ready for smart, sustainable development.

With great hope and appreciation,

Tiffany

EcoLiving London: It’s not about doom and gloom…

…it’s about making common sense, common practice. It’s about smart development. It’s about what we can achieve when we are together, focused, strategic.

There’s an old saying that goes “The stone age didn’t end because they ran out of stones…,” the stone age ended because they found a better way to exist, a better way to live.

HOW WILL ECOLIVING LONDON SERVE YOU?
Through the effective engagement of the community, EcoLiving London will:

Minimize our collective environmental footprint
- Help all residents take the “green” initiative and find what they need to make changes in their home and work places
- Help local environmental not-for-profits improve their programs and gain valuable public support through improved awareness, volunteer recruitment and increased donor support
- Help the City of London to increase public participation in existing services - recycling, waste diversion, pesticide compliance, therefore improving the manageability of pick-up, processing, and landfill operation, and encouraging further development - i.e. blue bin expansion, green bin implementation etc.

Brighten our ‘green’ image
- Improve the City’s local and national reputation (a proactive, cutting edge community…).
- Attract top talent and industry - as the city will better reflect the values of the people it is trying to draw in areas of business, science, research, medicine, and academia.

Stimulate our local economy
- Help over 160 “green” organizations find their customer, strengthen their business and receive the recognition they deserve in leading the way to sustainability
- Help the business community connect with sustainability experts and implement eco-efficient business practices - operationally, administratively, and culturally.

Make London a more “livable” city were all residents enjoy an enhanced quality of life.

THE PROPOSAL (link)

118 AND COUNTING…THE LETTER OF SUPPORT
Click here to see what Londoners have to say about our economy, our environment, and the birth of EcoLiving London. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Londons-Environmental-Evolution

Council will decide on EcoLiving London’s funding request tomorrow - January 28th, 2009 between 2-5 p.m.

Thank you to all those who stood up and signed on.

Tiffany

EcoLiving London & the Mayor’s Sustainable Energy Council

What an exciting time to be a Londoner!!!

After listening to the Mayor's passionate state of the city address on Thursday, I rushed to check out the new "ENERGYSAVER" website (http://www.msec.london.ca/) created by her Sustainable Energy Council.

The MSEC comprised of 18-20 members from energy utilities, energy businesses, educational institutions and the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), has created a fine resource that encourages and supports the development and implementation of research and initiatives, technologies, and investment in the area of sustainable energy.

However, developing London into a vibrant and sustainable city will require that we look closely at all aspects of city life. This resource, in addition to others referenced in the speech and currently functioning within the city, still do not fill our most critical niches.

FIRST THINGS FIRST
We, as Londoners, need to focus on all the practical aspects that contribute to cultivating a smart, eco-conscious community.

- what we eat (local, seasonal, organic or transatlantic, mass-produced, genetically-modified)
- where we shop (local, privately-owned, community-focused or multi-national, profit-driven)
- how we spend our leisure time (canoe, bicycle, ski's or motor boat, hummer, snowmobile)
- how we spend our volunteer hours (planting trees or watching TV)
- how we travel (human-powered or gasoline-powered)
- how we utilize resources - our water, our land, our people

ECOLIVING LONDON - THE RIGHT TOOLS
The Mayor said it herself, "People are seeking ways to go green and will gladly get involved with the right tools at their fingertips".

SKILL DEVELOPMENT, ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES, INSPIRATION TO ACT
The public lecture series suggested by MSEC is great, as it will get people to think about sustainability - but we need to move from ideas to action - and lectures rarely lead to action. EcoLiving London will implement experiential eco-lifestyle workshops and events that will make information accessible, and help Londoners to develop practical and solution-oriented life skills, so they can then choose their own level of engagement and personal change.

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Motivating the masses means connecting with them, asking them what they need, and then working in partnership to provide it. In order to create programs and initiatives that Londoners will participate in - it is important that the City and MSEC join forces with the people who work with the public everyday and represent their voice - local citizens, NGO's, and sustainable lifestyle experts. This inclusivity is the only way to ensure that London will achieve the Mayor's beautiful vision.

STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY
EcoLiving London will work with the City to promote over 160 local organizations who offer products and services that support sustainable lifestyle. EcoLiving London will create effective supports for moving our business community in a competitive, sustainable direction. EcoLiving London will directly create jobs - two full-time permanent and several contract as projects continue to unfold. EcoLiving London will cultivate a workforce that stimulates the innovative minds of our youth, by engaging future leaders in environmental stewardship and encouraging them to stay in London. EcoLiving London will help the city attract top talent and industry by improving our reputation and quality of life.

The City can not do it alone. EcoLiving London, in partnership with local government, business, and not-for-profit organizations, will act as a bridge - bringing everyone together to fill in the gaps for the good of the city.

89 AND COUNTING… click here to see what Londoners have to say about our economy, our environment, and the birth of EcoLiving London.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Londons-Environmental-Evolution

Council will decide on EcoLiving London's funding request on January 28th, 2009.
A LITTLE INSPIRATION
"I Pledge…" VIDEO on Oprah.com
"...let us summon a new spirit of responsibility, were each of us resolves to PITCH IN, and look after not only ourselves, but eachother..."

http://www.oprah.com/media/20090119_tows_ipledge

Warm Regards,

Tiffany

EcoLiving London: Letters of Support

Hi Tiffany, I highly support your progressive approach to assisting the public in living a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Most people just want to do what's right for themselves within their household. Your EcoLiving London proposal sounds like a great initiative (with a very reasonable budget) to help people access information, programs, etc. to assist them in moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Public advocacy supported by groups such as the Council of Canadians is also important but it is clearly different from what you are trying to do with the EcoLiving proposal and targets a different group of participants. Keep up the great work! Jaclyn
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Dear Tiffany - I have signed the petition; interestingly, I also received it from Betsi, who encouraged me to act now. Please let me know how this turns out! all the best, Carol

Thank you so much for your support Carol, interestingly, I was speaking to Don this morning and he told me he had recieved your email requesting that he sign. This is wonderful - even if it doesn't pass - this is grassroots at it's finest. I am proud to stand together with all of you. Enjoy your day. And please watch along with me - it is exciting to see the names of people you know. I am endlessly hopeful for our city. Tiffany
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Tiffany, I love it and it’s a bargain for the City. Nice Work! D
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Great initiative Tiffany! Wow, you've been busy. I quickly skimmed over the proposal. I like that you spotlighted Peterborough. They are definitely ahead of us in many respects. Their recycling system is so, so much better than ours. (I often end up storing recyclables to take home to my parents when in Peterborough County - since London doesn't take many items). It's wonderful that you mentioned Green-Up. That organization is pretty amazing, they do some great work. My friend has been working there for a couple of years now. Anyways, best of luck with your proposal! Take care, Melissa
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Tiffany, Good on you; I have not had a chance to review the proposal yet but I can see from the Email message sent out today that you’ve initiated a discussion with the city. I would like to congratulate you on taking the initiative and leading the rest of us to water (good timing when it comes to harnessing Obama energy at the local level – you don’t miss a drum beat, do you?). I will take time to review the proposal and follow through and I hope the response is strong after all the hard work you’ve put in to make it impossibly easy for everyone else to fall in line. It’s time and I hope people are letting you know that the energy and effort you have put forth is appreciated. Thank you, Holly

A New Day: London's Environmental Evolution

EcoLiving London

Hello Everyone,

On January 13th I went in front of city council and requested funding for an environmental initiative I would like to launch here in the city. The presentation went well, and council was receptive, however, they will need to hear from all of us in order for this to go forward.

Environmental “State of the City”
As all of you know, our current environmental state of the city - isn’t great compared to the rest of the nation. We have a recycling program that is very basic in regards to what it will and will not accept, and a low percentage of residents that actually engage in using it properly. Our local environmental not-for-profits struggle to create impactful programs under the weight of stretched (even non-existent) resources, and the average Londoner wanting to make sustainable lifestyle changes doesn’t know where to begin.

What is Possible: ECOLIVING LONDON
My goal is simple: to compile a comprehensive directory of all the local resources that support Londoners in living more sustainably and then create fresh, innovative ways to continually bring these resources to the public’s attention.

Why is this needed?
While we currently have wonderful conservation, tree planting and clean-up programs in place we are lagging behind in areas of public engagement, lifestyle change and the development of a sustainable business culture.

We need to pool our talent and resources, so that city programs are better used and the community in general has access and interest in making lifestyle change. In a time of economic crisis people will be more inclined to want to live more frugally. Frugality often goes hand in hand with eco-friendly - waste less, stretch a dollar - so we are in the perfect position to leverage our current situation to nurture the required paradigm shift.

CALL TO ACTION: We are all in this together
Attached you will find the proposal that could get us started in a powerful new direction. Please give it a quick read (link). If you see value in it - if you could see yourself taking some of the workshops, attending some of the events, or using some of the resources to make your own life more eco-friendly - then go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Londons-Environmental-Evolution and sign the letter of support.

Let council know that you would like to see this become a reality; that it is something you will use, something you’ve been waiting for.

PAY IT FORWARD
Please forward this to everyone you know - friends, family, co-workers. Help me create a buzz, help me shape our sustainable future.

Your friend and feisty optimist,


Tiffany Roschkow

New Year, New London

At last nights GreenDrinks gathering our group came together to discuss the current environmental “state of the city” - what’s working and what’s not. Here is what you came up with.

In 2009, I would like the City of London to:

-improve our existing blue bin recycling program by expanding the materials that are accepted, extending service to the downtown core, and effectively engaging constituents in using it (our current program just scratches the surface and is, quite frankly, embarrassing)
-implement a ‘green bin’ organic waste program throughout the city. (St. Thomas has one). Interim, city rebates on at home composters/clothelines.
-put recycling bins in all public spaces (parks, buildings etc.)
-convert all city building’s to “green” power (Bullfrog), all city vehicles to hybrid, electric, bio diesel (buses)
-stop post-poning the ban of bottled water
-carpooling – where is it?
-add more drinking fountains
-change street lights to LED – all public lighting
-more accessible hazardous waste depots
-resurface and continue to develop new bike paths / lanes on the city streets
-partner in developing more “green” building projects (LEED)
-partner with London Hydro - Solar Buildings
-replace the neon statue trees downtown with real trees
-ANIMATOR / PORTAL - needs to be created so that environmental info and resources are more easily accessible to the public (green issues, green resources, etc. etc.)
-local eco-friendly business listing
-funding for green businesses – to support start-up’s

Things to celebrate (what’s working):

-Sister of St. Joseph’s (a shining local example of what is possible)
-EnviroWestern - UWO’s Environmental Group
-Clean & Green
-Community Gardens
-GREENDRINKS, GreenDrinks, GreenDrinks