With toilets accounting for up to 30 % of domestic in-house water, replacing your current toilet with a low -flow toilet is a sustainable approach to saving both water and money.
The City of Peterborough offers a $50.00 per toilet rebate on the purchase and installation of “WaterSense certified” low – flow toilets as part of an effort to conserve water. Over 900 residential toilets were replaced through the rebate program in 2012.
The Low -flow Toilet Replacement Rebate Program is funded to a maximum of $40,000 for 2013. These rebates will be available on a first come, first served basis or until the funding has been exhausted.
To qualify for a rebate, you must be replacing a residential toilet. The rebate program is open to all residential units, including apartments, condominiums, townhouses, social housing, and single family houses. The rebate, however, does not apply to toilets being installed as part of additions or new construction. Industrial, commercial and other non-residential properties are not eligible at this time.
The Low – flow Toilet Replacement Rebate Program application forms are available on the City’s website or may be picked up at the Recreation Division at City Hall.
For more information on the rebate program contact the City of Peterborough
Sustainability Office at 705-742-7777 ext. 1441 or view our web site at
The Masters in Sustainability Studies Graduate Program at Trent University is pleased to present and welcome everyone to their Community Colloquium series of special presentations beginning this coming Wednesday, February 27th and continuing on Wednesdays through to Wednesday, March 27th.
Over the next five weeks, Trent University – both the main Symons campus as well as the downtown Traill Campus will host some renowned and important guests exploring various sustainability topics.
Robert Paehlke is a political scientist and Professor Emeritus of Environmental and Resource Studies at Trent University. He is a founding editor (1971) of the Canadian journal/magazine Alternatives: Canadian Environmental Ideas & Action. He is the author of: Some like It Cold: the Politics of Climate Change in Canada (2008); Democracy’s Dilemma: Environment, Social Equity and the Global Economy (MIT Press, 2004), a book on sustainability in a global age; and Environmentalism and the Future of Progressive Politics (Yale UP, 1991). He also edited Conservation and Environmentalism: an Encyclopedia (1995) and Managing Leviathan: Environmental Politics and the Administrative State (1990 and 2005). He has published more than a hundred articles and chapters on environmental policy, the history of environmentalism, sustainability and climate change.
Talk description: Sustainability, Society and Economy: Six Key Concepts: Efficiency, Economic Growth, Entrepreneurship, Social Class, Citizenship and Democracy”
Stephen Hill is an Associate Professor of Environmental & Resource Studies at Trent University with an education and professional background spanning the fields of engineering, renewable energy, environmental policy and corporate environmental management. His research is sponsored by Carbon Management Canada and SSHRC. He was the 2011 winner of the Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the 2011 CMHC Award for Excellence in Education.
Talk description: Feeling the Wind: Contested Notions of Wind Power, People, Place and Climate
Gilles Paquet is currently Professor Emeritus at the School of Management and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre on Governance of the University of Ottawa. He is also associated to the consulting firm INVENIRE.
For some 18 years, he taught economics at Carleton University where he also was Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in the 1970s. From 1981 to 1988, he was Dean of the Faculty of Administration at the University of Ottawa, and in 1997, he became the Founding Director of the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa.
Professor Paquet has authored or edited over 50 books and written over 400 reports, scientific papers or chapters in books on issues pertaining to the economic history of Canada, urban and regional studies, industrial organization, public management, knowledge management, and governance; he has authored an equally large number of papers in a variety of magazines and newspapers .
In 1982, Gilles Paquet was awarded the Jacques-Rousseau medal in recognition of important contributions to research of a multidisciplinary nature, and in 1989 the Esdras-Minville medal for the corpus of his work in social sciences. He was made a Member of the Royal Society of Arts in 1989, and a member of the Order of Canada in 1992.
Gilles Paquet has been active as a journalist on the radio and television network of Radio-Canada since the 1970s, as an editorial writer for some 5 years in the print media in the 1990s, and as a regular commentator on national affairs on TV Ontario from 1995 to 2006. He has also been the Editor in Chief of www.optimumonline.ca — a journal of public sector management and governance that reaches over 10,000 subscribers since 1994.
Talk description: The Governance of Sustainability as a Wicked Problem
Dr David B. Brooks, who was educated in geology and economics, spent much of his professional career with the International Development Research Centre. He now advises several Canadian Non-Governmental Organizations, including the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance (University of Victoria). His main research interests are split between water soft paths (an approach to sustainable governance of fresh water) and water demand management in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Israel and Palestine. Among his books are Zero Energy Growth for Canada (McClelland & Stewart, 1981); Watershed: The Role of Fresh Water in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (IDRC Books, 1994 – co-author); and Making the Most of the Water We Have: The Soft Path Approach to Water Management (Earthscan, 2009, co-editor). In 2012, Dr Brooks received an honorary doctorate of environmental studies from the University of Waterloo.
Talk description: Trans-boundary water agreements are usually conceived as allocation agreements. In other words, water is treated as if it were a pie to be divided among the riparian states. Though sometimes useful to avoid conflict in the short term, this approach is flawed as a way to ensure efficient, equitable, and sustainable management of water over the long term. This presentation proposes adoption of a joint management structure that allows for ongoing conflict resolution concerning water demands and does so in a way that effectively de-nationalizes and de-securitizes water uses. Though specifically applied to water shared by Israelis and Palestinians, the objectives, principles and institutional structure are relevant to any place in the world where trans-boundary water divides rather than unites two or more peoples.
Elizabeth (Lisa) Nisbet is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Trent University in Peterborough and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa. Her research encompasses personality, social, health, and environmental psychology, exploring individual differences in ‘nature relatedness’ and the links between human-nature relationships, happiness, health, and sustainable behaviour. Her work is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and appears in Environment and Behaviour, Canadian Psychology, the Journal of Happiness Studies, and Psychological Science. Dr. Nisbet teaches courses on health psychology, emotion and motivation, personality, and the psychology of environmental behaviour. She is an avid (and happy) nature enthusiast. For more information, visit http://www.naturerelatedness.ca
Talk description: Sustainability is in our Nature: Linking Individual Differences in Nature Relatedness to Well-being and Environmental Behaviour
Bob Paehlke: Wed, Feb 27th, 4 pm – 7 pm: Traill College, Bagnani Hall, Room 101
Stephen Hill: Wed, March 6th, 4 pm – 6 pm: Blackburn Hall, Room 126
David Brooks: Wed, March 20th, 2 pm – 5 pm: Blackburn Hall, Room 126
Lisa Nisbet: Wed, March 27th, 4 pm – 7 pm: Traill College, Bagnani Hall, Room 101
Quick Facts:
The Community colloquiums are a required course for all MA Sustainability Studies students, bringing together students, community members, faculty, visiting scholars and experts for an intensive exploration of relevant historical, theoretical and practical issues. Each talk examines how we, as a global human community, can foster social equity, stimulate our economy and still limit our impact on the natural environment.
The M.A. in Sustainability Studies is an interdisciplinary research and reflective practice training program designed to enable students to explore the sustainability of human societies and the natural environment on which they depend. The program aims to provide students with education and training that will prepare them to be intellectual and organizational leaders within academia, government, industry, and the non-profit sector. The program attracts students from around the world and this coming September will see the fourth cohort begin the two year full-time program.
The research area of MA students is vast and covers everything from:
sustainability of aid work in post-earthquake Haiti
social and cultural sustainability in Northern and Indigenous communities
urban food security and the potentials of vertical farming and
how small rurally situated cities in Ontario can learn from successful and sustainable economic initiatives in developing countries and Scandinavian.
For further information on any of these events or the Masters in Sustainability Studies program, please visit www.trentu.ca/sustainabilityma or contact Laurie Collette at 705-748-1011 ext. 7721 or .
The City of Peterborough is undertaking a multi-phased project designed to improve the safety, appearance and functionality of the section of George St. between Sherbrooke and Perry Sts. The initial concept includes cycling lanes, left turn lanes and pedestrian islands. These changes are designed to reduce collisions, improve traffic flow, and make the street more amenable to pedestrians and cyclists.
The City would like to hear your concerns relating to the proposed design!
To contribute to this process, you can attend a public information session scheduled for this Thursday:
Thursday, March 7th, 2013 4:00pm – 6:00pm Simcoe Street Transit Terminal Transit Terminal Training Room 190 Simcoe Street If you have any questions regarding the George St. Project, or if you would like to submit your comments in writing, please contact:
Susan Sauve Transportation Demand Management Planner City of Peterborough 705.742.7777 ext 1458 |
The City of Peterborough, Social Services Division is pleased to announce the launch of a new Community Service Map located at www.peterborough.ca/CommunityServiceMap. This is a web-based map that currently contains agencies and services related to “Children and Youth” in the City and County of Peterborough. Over time, the map will be expanded to other social and economic sectors.
The goal of creating the map was to increase awareness and access to local services.
The Community Service Map was made possible through a collaborative effort between the City of Peterborough and the United Way of Peterborough and District. All the information found on the map is based on the Fourinfo.com database which is maintained by the United Way.
This information is also available on the City of Peterborough website at www.peterborough.ca.
For more information contact: Chris Kawalec Social Services Division City of Peterborough 178 Charlotte Street Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 8S1 705-748-8830 ext. 3834 Toll Free: 1-855-738-3755 Fax: 705-876-4620
The Peterborough region has many economic strengths to brag about. Our close tie to our many lakes and rivers ensure our region is a magnet for tourists. Industries such as General Electric and Quaker are doing well, providing jobs and spurring the local economy, and we have an ever-growing small business community and vibrant downtown.
Businesses large and small are key to the growth of any region, and we in Peterborough are fortunate to have a solid business community.
Our business community is also very forward thinking, which adds to its continued success. When it comes to taking the environment into consideration in day-to-day operations, there are countless examples of local businesses that have stepped up to the plate, serving as positive examples for others.
Examples include Kawartha Chrysler Dodge Jeep Fiat, East Side Mario’s and Merrett Home Hardware who all upgraded their lighting and are now using significantly less energy because of it. One of the largest and most recognizable faces of the retail business community, Lansdowne Place, has worked hard to achieve environmental excellence. They’ve done everything from sending away organic waste for composting to installing a weather-based smart irrigation system to control water usage outside.
To further help businesses go green, Sustainable Peterborough in partnership with the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation and the Green Business Peterborough program are launching the Sustainable Business Initiative (SBI).
The SBI is designed to foster sustainable economic activities among our region’s small and medium sized businesses and aims to educate, motivate and empower local businesses.
The SBI kick-off event will embrace the compelling case for sustainability with guest speaker Bob Willard author of The Sustainability Advantage- Seven Business Case Benefits of a Triple Bottom Line. Mr. Willard is a leading expert on quantifying and selling the business value of corporate sustainability strategies and has given hundreds of keynote presentations to corporate, government, university, and NGO audiences. Mr. Willard applies his business and leadership experience from his 34-year career at IBM Canada to engage the business community in proactively avoiding risks and capturing opportunities associated with environmental and social issues.
Mr. Willard identifies three ways to frame the business case for sustainability: improved profit, high return on investment (ROI), and higher share price/market valuation.
Sustainability has become the new buzzword similar to green business. However, as Mr. Willard notes, the success of any corporate sustainability initiative needs to revolve around more than just what is socially correct. In short, it needs to measure up financially, demonstrating it will increase profit, provide a higher more aggressive return on investment and, for publicly traded companies, must improve share value.
As a business leader with IBM Canada, Mr. Willard actively engages the business community to be proactive in capturing opportunities associated with environmental and social issues.
The SBI is supported by local small and medium size business, those who can speak firsthand about the compelling case for adopting sustainable practices. Some of these local sustainability champions will participate in a panel discussion at the event on January 17th. This intriguing perceptive will provide justification for embracing sustainability strategies within our local region.
Since September 2012, the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and GreenUP have been running a program for local businesses that supports the SBI. Called Green Business Peterborough, the program recognizes and encourages businesses to formulate goals and a plan of action that will help move businesses down the path to environmental sustainability.
The Green Business Peterborough program will help local organizations, discover how becoming more environmentally sustainable can bring many lasting benefits. This program will help to identify incentives, opportunities, resources and create a network within Peterborough of mentors and testimonials; further making the case for businesses to embrace sustainability as a corporate practice that leads to success.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Sustainable Business Initiative, be sure to attend the kick off event on Thursday, January 17th at the Holiday Inn in Peterborough. The event runs 7:30 to 9:30 am and includes a local continental breakfast. The registration fee is $10. Those interested in attending can register online at http://businesscaseforsustainability.eventbrite.com/ or contact Brigid Ayotte 705-743-0777 ext 2160 or by email at ..
This blog appears courtesy of Peterborough Green-Up.
