Toronto Buying Local Green Action
The home of my blessed Toronto Blue Jays have started a program that, just maybe, might get them closer to their goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 6% by 2012. The program is called “Live Green Toronto,” and with $20 million in its coffers, the program is designed to provide financing to those who want to go green.
“We won’t meet our ambitious targets if we don’t have the support of every Torontonian and every Toronto-based business,” said David Miller, Toronto’s mayor, at the Green Living Show last Friday.
Starting next month, Activators – environmentalists working with non-governmental agencies – will begin meeting with Torontonians to discuss project ideas and collaborate with them through the first stages. If, and only if a project moves beyond the developmental stage, a grant of between $1,000 and $25,000 can be approved.
The Toronto Environmental Office is the official agency in charge of negotiating all the criteria for the grants, and has been closely involved with the project.
Toronto is hoping to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020, and by a total of 80% by 2050.
It is very exciting to see big name corporations like the Blue Jays taking concrete steps to ‘go green.’ I think it is important for us as consumers to support the Blue Jays and similar organizations in their effort. I came across a website http://www.simplestop.net that stops your postal junk mail and benefits the environment. The collective power of individuals can be very strong in the future.
[...] city of Toronto has a program called "Live Green Toronto" that is offering citizens grants for ideas that would reduce their carbon footprint. It may take a while before any U.S. cities follow suit, but this great idea will help promote both [...]