In this section, you will find good news stories of people, groups, and companies who have made changes in their lives and workplaces to reduce their impact on the planet.
This section will contain FRESH stories about communities.
Hope Church creates inspiring climate change video
Hope Mennonite Church, Winnipeg
Lynell Bergen, Pastor
Story submitted by: Sean Campbell
Here's their video:
In 2009 at a Mennonite Church Canada national conference in Saskatoon churches were asked to consider making a public statement for peace in their communities. The Hope Mennonite Church on Furby Street here in Winnipeg responded by making a YouTube video to promote reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Many of the church’s members are environmentally conscious and when they gathered in early November to decide on a possible public statement of peace they naturally turned to the issue of climate change. “A lot of our members work hard at minimizing their ecological footprint,” said Lynell Bergen, the pastor of the church. “We believe environmental issues are a peace issue.”
The church decided to find 350 verses in the Bible about God’s love of creation and care for the earth, said Lynell. The congregation decided to focus on the number 350, because the goal of the U.N.‘s Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen was to create a treaty that would limit the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.
Lynell said that their major challenge was the short time line they had. They decided to make the video in mid-November and wanted it complete in time for the Copenhagen conference in early December 2009.
Over the next three weeks Christine Penner Polle, one of the champions of the project, found the 350 verses. Then at a regular Sunday potluck in December Curt Wiebe, a member of the congregation and film maker, filmed the video. It is a montage of individuals and families holding up signs with Bible verses on them in various creative ways.
One example of a verse included in the video is Genesis 8:22: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Many of our members are in the video. We told them to bring props and then we gave them the Bible verses,” said Lynell.
The video has been successful in raising awareness of the issue of climate change. It has had over 2900 views on YouTube, was shown at the most recent Mennonite Church Canada national conference, and a Christian environmental organization from the U.S. has incorporated it into their educational presentations at universities.
“For us this is part of our faith. We are called to be caretakers of the earth,” said Lynell.
Tara C-K walks to work year round. She is part of a two-car family, but she chooses to leave her car parked in the driveway. It takes her 30 minutes to get to work in the morning, a little longer in heavy snow.
By choosing to frequent businesses that are close to her home, she has managed to cut down her driving by 50%.
She chose an esthetician a few blocks away, and walks to her workouts at a local facility.
Even her social life is mostly car free: she entertains at home, or dines at nearby restaurants.
Her shopping needs are met by a nearby shopping mall – about a 20-minute walk from her door. “Walking to shop also helps to limit the amount of purchases you make,” says Tara, “when you have to consider hauling everything home with you, you aren’t as likely to impulse shopping. Everything has to fit into a backpack.”
As a new homeowner and full-time career woman, Tara was busy and stressed-out. Walking to work means that exercise and “down time” are now built into her daily activities; “Now that I walk, I’m more relaxed when I get to work in the morning, and I sleep better at night.”
She feels a certain obligation to do her part to protect the earth, and she enjoys the time she spends outdoors, “I like to bike and hike and garden. I hate to think there might be a future where these activities are limited because of climate change or air quality.”
Her commitment to active transportation was also motivated by finances – saving money is a huge priority for Tara and her family, and greening her lifestyle has led to many savings. “By saving money, I get to choose to spend it on other things that I really want instead of automatically forking over my income for gas, and unnecessary consumer goods.”
By choosing to leave her car parked in the driveway, Tara saves time, money, produces less greenhouse gasses and, “I don’t have to worry about parking or paying for parking.”
Walking to work in really cold weather can be a challenge, but Tara learned to take pride in keeping her commitment – even when temperatures dip to -40°C: “Winter is so much more enjoyable when you exercise and spend time outdoors.” Tara likes a challenge, and she embraces her attempts at climate friendly living with curiosity and enthusiasm.
If you want to give active transportation a try, Tara recommends investing in a nice long dress coat for winter, “So you can be warm, but still look professional when you get to work. And buy yourself a good backpack. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, but you should make sure it fits really well.”
When it comes to active transportation, Tara has the recipe for success, “Don’t let anybody else’s reasons be your reason. Do it because it means something to you. Figure out what you are really passionate about and start with those activities. If you don’t enjoy your efforts, you might end up resenting them. Be realistic about what you can accomplish, but take the challenge. Setting realistic goals will help you succeed.
Remember, active transportation doesn’t have to mean walking – shake it up a bit with bikes and rollerblades, especially those of you with longer commutes.”
Local commuter takes on idling Transit buses!
Richard C, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Story submitted by: Shoni Shukster Litinsky
It was just like any morning that Richard catches his bus to get to work (okay he is also an avid cyclist!). This particular bus is one that sits and waits for about ten minutes at the stop before starting their morning route.
Richard decided to change up this idling bus tradition, and asked the driver to turn of his engine and stop idling until he was ready to depart. After an initial brush off from the driver, Richard pointed out to the driver that he had already been idling the bus for several minutes and still had another five minutes to wait before departure - with no response, he then took his seat.
But this seemed to work...the driver switched off the engine until it was time to go! Richard decided to exit out the front door of the bus (even though he was closer to the back) to commend the driver for his actions, and even called in a commendation for the driver to Winnipeg Transit.
The next morning when Richard arrived at the bus stop, the bus was quiet...the driver had already turned the engine off...a serene and idle free morning for the happy green transit commuters.
Kudos to Richard....the power of one action can really make a difference in this city!
This section will contain FRESH stories about schools.
The Seine River School Division talks anti-idling
Wayne Pearon, Transportation Supervisor, Seine River School Division, Winnipeg
Story submitted by: Francine Pym
The Seine River School Division is among the pioneering schools and school divisions that are creating and implementing anti-idling for their schools and fleets. The division has been following the anti-idling policy, which discourages all vehicles from having their engines running while standing still, since 2008.
Wayne Pearon, the Transportation Supervisor, says, “We are really impressed with the policy and it is very important to us.” They are pro-active in their approach because, “We are trying to set an example to parents and visitors, who are encouraged to turn off their engines while waiting to pick up their children.”
When they have the opportunity, the schools’ staff educates the schools and the communities about why it is important not to idle:
Idling affects local air quality. Tailpipe emissions carry real health risks, especially to children, who require more air per kilogram of body weight and have lungs which are still developing and therefore are more sensitive to irritants.
Idling wastes money. Most divisions run fleets of buses, and the cost of fuel to run those vehicles can take a big bite out of operations budgets. Policies to reduce idling in fleets have been tremendously successful. With rising fuel prices, an idling policy for bus fleets is a good tool for school divisions to save money.
Finally, idling contributes to climate change. Climate change impacts are already being felt by Manitobans. Shorter winter road seasons are driving food prices higher for remote communities and the trip more dangerous for truckers. Melting permafrost is threatening infrastructure like roads and railway beds. These are economic burdens that will be difficult to bear. And speaking of bears, humans are not the only ones affected - polar bears are already suffering because of a shorter hunting season on the ice.
Wayne gives the following advice to school divisions looking to adopt the policy, “You need a statement saying who the anti-idling policy will apply to, and why you wish to pursue the policy.” Which, in Seine River’s case, was to eliminate emissions and make the school a healthier place for children, staff and visitors.
The Seine River School Division enforces the policy by having posting signs around their schools, and they also talk to parents and visitors about the policy.
A major component of the policy is that the bus drivers are educated on how the policy works, and what they can and cannot do.
There are, however, a few limitations to the policy that have been built in to balance the need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions with existing health and safety regulations. In the colder, winter months, the policy can’t be as affective because the busses need to be warm before the children load them, for health reasons. Also, when the busses are loading and unloading children, the lights need to be on for safety reasons, which require the engine to be running.
Seine River isn’t the only school division taking action: Portage la Prairie and Beautiful Plains School Divisions also have an anti-idling policy up and running. Portage La Prairie’s anti-idling policy is strictly for busses, but they are looking into expanding the policy to all visitors of the schools.
If you are interested in starting an anti-idling policy for your school, please contact Climate Change Connection at (204) 943-4836 for more information.
Eco-Centre volunteer’s FRESH advice: Be Aware
Francine P,
Osborne Village, Winnipeg
My name is Francine and I am a volunteer for the Manitoba Eco-Network and Climate Change Connection. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Urban Development. I recently finished a 9 month Eco-Internship, where I helped a company develop an environmental sustainability plan. Here’s what I do in my personal life to be green.
I have never owned a car and use active transportation to get around, biking or walking in the warmer months and bussing in the winter. I enjoy living in an apartment in Osborne Village because everything is so close that I usually walk everywhere I need to go. I am close to Osborne Street, Downtown and the Forks. It is more convenient for me to use active transportation than it is to drive, as I find driving just creates more problems (Parking, insurance, traffic, fuel costs, all of the one-way streets etc).
Aside from transportation, I usually always use re-usable water bottles and mugs, bring my own bags when I go grocery shopping, and most of my belongings are either given to me, or bought from a thrift store or a garage sale in the summer. I also participate in a few clothing swaps per year. One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday morning in the summer is biking around to different garage sales.
In terms of my diet, I am a vegetarian who is conscious about where my food comes from. The majority of the food I eat is also vegan and/or organic. It was not a hard choice for me to make, as I didn’t eat much meat growing up. I have always had a love for animals and I always felt guilty if I ate meat. I remember one childhood incident where my dad brought home live lobster from Halifax and I burst into tears, trying to convince my parents to let me keep my lobster as a pet.
I find that my green choices also affect others, which makes me happy. I have noticed that my parents and my roommate are all becoming more aware of where their food comes from. I feel that the earth should be a union of humans, animals and plants, and I feel great knowing that I am doing my part to create a sustainable earth. I also feel great because I know that I have a healthy diet by choosing organic and vegan foods. One of my goals is to eventually grow most of my own food.
I am a part of my community, as I take dance classes at the local community centre, practice yoga at the local studio, and support local shops and restaurants.
I guess you could say that my green lifestyle is a result of my university education, as I learned a lot about environmental issues and how to do my part. I was a member of EcoPIA, an environmental group at the University of Winnipeg. I participated in a lot of rallies and petitions, and also helped to get the U of W plastic water bottle ban approved. I also enjoy teaching friends and family about environmental issues and how they can help.
If you are looking to make greener lifestyle choices, I offer you this piece of advice: Be aware.
The internet is a great tool for finding out information about transportation, where your food comes from, and how to reduce your carbon footprint.
If you have taken steps to fight climate change we want to hear about it.
E-mail Susan at climate.connection(at)mymts.netor phone us at 943-4836.
We may feature your story here and/or in our Connection Update Newsletter. First names only will be used in our publications. You can write your story yourself, or we can interview you.
Criteria
Stories must be about Greenhouse Gas reduction
Must be about Manitobans
Must be original, personal stories
Please Include
Your name
Contact info (email and phone number)
The City or town where you live
Any tips you have to share with others
Any barriers you might have overcome
Everyone loves to hear good news. Let's hear yours!
By choosing to frequent businesses that are close to her home, she has managed to cut down her driving by 50%. 
Richard decided to change up this idling bus tradition, and asked the driver to turn of his engine and stop idling until he was ready to depart. After an initial brush off from the driver, Richard pointed out to the driver that he had already been idling the bus for several minutes and still had another five minutes to wait before departure - with no response, he then took his seat.
