The Best Way to Green the Planet -- Mentally

As Earth Hour approaches this weekend, we'll all be huddled in the dark, thinking how to be more green.

Though there is more too it than switching off the lights. Driving fossil fuelled vehicles causes the most pollution in major cities, and is a big part of polluting our air.

A 2010 survey by Colliers International ranked the most expensive places to park.

Topping the list, is London, England where residents pay on average US$933 per month, while the average parking fees people in Hong Kong pay aren’t far behind – it came in second on the most expensive places to park list – at US$744.72.

Some places didn’t seem all that bad, residents in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada only pay on average US$116.94 per month to park their vehicles. The most expensive Canadian city? Calgary, Alberta at US$453.38 – and Calgary is the only Canadian location to make the top ten of the international most expensive places to park.

Whether you drive a Hummer in mid-town New York – the most expensive place to park in the United States – or a Lorry in London, UK – the most expensive place to park in the world – parking fees should be high.

Higher parking fees discourage people from driving in major urban centers, reducing the amount of vehicles in confined city spaces. Not only will this reduce commute times, thanks to the reduction in overall traffic, but all those nasty greenhouse gases spewed out from those vehicles is reduced too.

What a hassle – you say – how am I to go anywhere?

You’ll find a way.

We always do.

As more buildings are jammed into our already overcrowded urban areas, there are fewer and fewer spots to park. This generally increases the costs associated with parking, which is a good thing.

It forces people to think of alternative modes of transportation – such as taking public transit, riding a bike, walking, or if a car is absolutely required, car pooling.

Ironic how environmental disasters like British Petroleum’soil slick in the Gulf of Mexico bring attention to the need for more green solutions, but what really brings about change is our own discomfort.

As parking spots in our urban centers are eaten up by newer developments, bringing even more people into the urban centers with cars and trucks, it constantly takes longer and longer to circle the block looking for a parking spot.

As those parking spots are increasingly rare, the cost to use them constantly increases.

Both the high fees and the hassle of finding a spot to park work on us psychologically, forcing us to think of other ways to get around.

Maybe the solution to our dependence on fossil fuels lies in our minds?

City of Toronto LEAST Environment-Friendly?

Canada’s largest city has many things to be proud of. It’s always the cleanest and friendliest of the big urban centres I've ever been too.

But as we become more aware of our environment and the importance of protecting and preserving it for future generations, Canada’s largest city of Toronto is possibly the least green.

Or that’s the image the city is projecting to the nearly 6 million residents of the Greater Toronto Area, as today’s council meeting is all about environment bashing.

Under the previous mayor, the city implemented a five cent fee for plastic bags. Retailers charged five cents per bag. The fee was designed to reduce the amount of plastic bags going to landfill, by encouraging people to reuse their own plastic bags, or bring cloth shopping bags.

According to many local businesses, this worked. It certainly did for me – I got into the habit of always bringing my own bags.

You’d think that five cents the city of Toronto collected to reduce plastic bag use would go to fund an environmental initiative for the city, or at the very least back to the city.

Nope. It went straight into the pockets of the retailers!

So, many residents became understandably cynical about the five cent plastic bag “tax” and current Toronto Mayor Rob Ford campaigned during the last election to eliminate this fee.

In the Spring, Mayor Ford’s election promise was fulfilled, and then some – not only did council vote out the five cent fee, but they actually did do good for the environment – they voted in a complete ban on all plastic bags period.

Plastic, an oil-based product from foreign –owned petroleum suppliers – takes decades to break down, and leaves a chemical goo behind, poisoning the environment.

Recycled paper bags, or using and reusing cloth bags is a green solution.

Banning plastic bags was good.

However, the city’s Mayor probably took some heat from his backers, and he’s trying to back pedal the decision to ban plastic bags by reopening the debate, and calling for another vote on the ban.

Boo Mayor Rob Ford – boo.

As if plastic bags weren't a big enough distraction for Canada’s largest city, they also are voting today to axe a short bike lane that cost millions to put in.

Toronto is the only major urban centre I have ever been to, where if you don’t own a car, you are considered trailer park trash.

No kidding – when I go someplace nearby and I’m asked if I had trouble finding parking, and I admit I took the subway or bus, people look at me like I’m some sort of lower class peasant.

Ever try to drive in New York City? It’s often faster to walk. London, England’s Underground is world famous for being safe, fast and able to take you to just about anywhere you want. In either place, usually you know who drove – they are always the last person to show up because traffic in both cities is horrendous.

I've never been made to feel bad for not driving in New York, London, or any other major urban centre.

But here in Canada’s largest city, public transit is so severely underfunded, not a year goes by without a fare increase, cuts to service, or both.

Taking green alternatives to sitting in Toronto traffic isn't only underfunded, it’s almost completely discouraged.

Why else would the city of Toronto be voting today to reopen a bike lane to gas guzzling cars?

If Toronto’s councillors were smart enough to jump on the environmental bandwagon, they’d soon reap its many rewards.

Charging people for plastic bags is a nuisance, but if properly done, creates environmentally-friendly habits which will eventually kill the nuisance factor. Funnelling funds from such a fee into environmental programs – such as recycling, the manufacture of locally sourced reusable cloth grocery bags, or other such things – would eliminate the cynicism, and make a solid green initiative which the councillors and mayor would have every right to be proud of. 

Taking a page out of London, England’s green initiatives, Toronto should ban automobiles from the downtown, except for delivery trucks and emergency vehicles. All other vehicles should be charged a steep fee.

Bike and bus lanes need to be increased – NOT decreased!

And public transit needs to be funded – hey maybe that five cent per plastic bag fee can fund this too.

Constantly cutting public transit, bike lanes, and allowing plastic bags sends the wrong message to citizens, and enforces old ways of thinking, which aren't environmentally or economically sustainable.

It encourages people to use their cars no matter how bad traffic is. It encourages wasteful disposable society viewpoints around packaging. And it even worse than what these habits do to the environment, it creates a society where people think less of those who do otherwise.

It’s a dark stain on the fabric of a once great urban city.

One of the world’s most well respected – if not THE most respected urban planner – Jane Jacobs thought so highly of Toronto, she moved up here from her American home in Boston to live out her final years.

Jacob’s book “The Life and Death of Great American Cities” is still required reading for anyone in urban planning, and many other similar degrees.

Oh what would Jane Jacobs say of our once great city if she were alive today?