the ecology of ottawa

7/27/2019 The Ecology of Ottawa

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Did you know?

Ottawahas the same latitudeasVenice, Italy, but itswintersare thethirdcoldestofanycapitalcityoftheworld.

TheCityofOttawahasanareaofover2,790km2,makingitabouthalfthesizeofPrinceEdwardIsland.

Ottawa has 1146 km2 of farmland, an area larger than the cities ofMontreal,Toronto,andVancouvercombined.

AboutaquarterofOttawaresidentswerebornoutsideofCanada.

FamiliesinOttawahadthehighestmedianincomeofanyCanadiancityin2009.

We are connectedAmidsttheasphaltstreetsandtoweringskyscrapersofourcity,itseasyforustolosesightofthenaturalworld.WelosetheconnectionbetweenourselvesandtheEarthandwaterthatkeepusalive.Weickonalightswitchwithoutthinkingaboutwheretheenergycomesfromorwhatitdoestotheearth.Weushthetoiletwith-outknowingwherethewastewatergoesandourgarbageiswhiskedofftosomedistantplacecalledaway.

Butwearedeeplyconnectedtothewater,land,andair.Itaffectsusandweaffectit,everysingledaythroughthewater,energyandotherresourcesthatowthroughourhomes.Thisbookletwillexplainhow.

Butrst,thereareafewthingsweshouldknowaboutthisplacewecallOttawa...

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Welcome to Your HabitatOttawaismorethanacollectionofroadsandbuildings.Itsalsoaplacewherethewater,air,land,plants,andanimalsareallconnectedtogether,formingwhatwecallecosystems.Wearealsoconnectedtotheseecosystemsandwedependonthemforcleanairandwater.

Sojustasmuchasthislandisahabitatforotheranimals,itsahabitatforus.Fromanecologicalperspective,amapofourhabitatwouldlooksomethinglikethis:

Land: Ottawa straddlestwoecologicalzones:therocky, spruce-coveredCanadianShield(seethegreenportionofthemap)andthelowlandplainsoftheSt. Lawrence region

(inyellow),oncecoveredbymixedforests.

Water: The water ow-ing down the OttawaRiver comes fromrivers and streams cov-ering 148,000Km2 --anarea larger than NewBrunswick. That means

that anything thatgets into the lakes andstreams west of Ottawainside this watershed(marked by the brokenlineinthemap)willmakeitswaydownrivertous.

Air: Duringthesummer,the wind carries in pol-luted air from southernOntario and the U.S.,where there is a lot ofindustry. During thewinter, the wind brings

in cleaner air from thenorthwest. BecauseOttawa is located in avalley,airpollutantstendtogettrappedandlingerinthisarea.

Dig deeper!

LearnmoreabouttheOttawaRiverwatershed through the Ottawa-GatineauWatershedAtlasonlineatogwa-hydrog.ca

Get involved in protecting theOttawa River, with the OttawaRiverkeeper:ottawariverkeeper.ca

Get involved in protecting ourlocal biodiversity by checking outtheOttawaFieldNaturalistsClub,Canadian Parks and WildernessSociety,ortheGreenspaceAllianceofCanadasCapital.

Did you know?

At1,271km,theOttawaRiveristhe secondlongestriver inEasternCanada.

Ninepulpandpapermillsreleaseabout160,000billiontonnesofwaste-water, containingcarcinogens and toxic substances, into theOttawaRivereachyear.

Sincethe1940s,radioactivecontaminantshavebeenreleasedintotheOttawaRiverfromtheChalkRivernuclearfacilities.

MostshspeciesintheOttawaRiverwatershedhavesuchhighlevelsoftoxicpollutantsbuiltupintheireshthatchildrenandpregnantwomenareadvisedbyHealthCanadatoavoideatingthem.

Treesandwetlandshelplterandabsorbstormwater.Ottawasurbanforestprovidestheequivalentof closeto fourmillioncubicmetresofstormwaterstorage.Theconstructionofstormwatermanagementfacil -

itiesforthatvolumewouldcostthecityover$200million.

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Legend

Canadian Shield

St. Lawrence lowlands

Ottawa River watershed borders

You are here


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HistoryYou werent always here...Ifyouhadcometothisarea400yearsagoorearlier,youwouldhavefoundalandblanketedbyforests.YouwouldseetheOttawaRiver,whichtheAlgonquinpeoplenativetotheareacalledKichiSibi,runningwildwithrapidsthataretodaysub-mergedbydams.Wildlifewasplentiful.

Itwasntuntilthe1600sthattherstFrenchexplorerspaddleduptheKichiSibi.SoontheriverswelledwithcanoesbringingbeaverfursfromthewesttoMontreal.Theheftytrade infursdoneby theOdawapeople,whotraveledherefromLakeHuron,earnedtheriver itsnewname, Ottawa,amongthe Europeans.Beaverpopulationsintheareadeclinedduetohighdemandfortheirfur.

In1800,anAmericaninvestorbythenameofPhilemonWrightsetupasettlementandmillonthenorthshoreoftheriver.ThissettlementlaterbecameHull,Quebec.

Wrightpromptlygotdowntothebusinessofdeforestingthearea,latertobejoinedbyloggerbarons likeBronsonandBooth.Bymid-century,OttawaValleyloggingoperationsweresendingmillionsofcubicfeetofold-growthforestdowntherivertoMontrealforexporteachyear.

The place we now call Ottawa, in 1900 The place we now call Ottawa, in 1950

Meanwhile,settlerswereclearingforestcoverthroughoutEasternOntarioforfarm -ing.Between1826and1836,thebuildingoftheRideauCanalsystemtransformedthegeographyoftheentirewaterwaybetweentheOttawaandSt.Lawrencerivers.ThelabourerswhobuiltthecanalmostlyFrenchCanadiansandIrishimmigrantssettled alongside French lumberjacksin what isnow downtown Ottawa. ItwasoriginallyknownasBytown.

By1900,settlerswerefarmingnearlyallthelandaroundthecityandlogginghadmovedfurtheruptheOttawaValley.BytownhadbecomeOttawa,Canadascapitalcity,withapopulationofabout50,000people.Youcouldhoponanelectricstreet -carandheadouttoHintonburg,thecitysrstsuburb.Railroadtrackscriss-crossedthelandscape.PulpandpapermillswerebeingbuiltalongtheOttawaRiverandpumpingchemicalwastestraightintothewater,whereitmingledwithrawsewagecomingfromthecitysnewsewers.

Bythe 1950s,personal automobiles, pavedroads, and buseshad replaced thestreetcars.Ottawaspopulationwassprawlingoutontothecountrysideinlow-den -sitysuburbs.ThegovernmentestablishedagreenbeltaroundOttawain1958inanattempttolimitthisurbansprawl,protectnaturalspaces,andprovidefutureparksandopenspaces.

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Nowherewearetoday.TheecologyofOttawahasbeenutterlytransformedoverthepasttwocenturies.Someformsofpollutionhavebeencleanedup;Ottawahasbeentreatingthevastmajorityofitssewagesincethe1960sandtherearelimitsonthepollutionthatcanbedischargedintotheairandwaterbyindustriesinthearea.Butpollutionstilloccurs.Ourrelianceoncarshasincreasedandsuburbansprawlisthreateningmanyforeststands,wetlands,andotherecologicallycriticalplacesthatremain.

Ottawa today

Key natural areas

1.SouthMarchHighlands

2.LeitrimWetland

3.MarlboroughForest

4.LaroseForest

5.MerBleueBog

6.StonySwampConservationArea

7.SouthGloucesterConservationArea

8.BritanniaConservationArea

9.DeschenesRapids

10.PetrieIsland

11.RichmondFen

12.TorboltonForest

Did you know?

Forestcovers28%ofthecitysruralarea.

Morethan72%ofthewetlandsoriginallyfoundintheOttawaareahavebeenlost.

TheOttawaRivervalleyishometoatleast50speciesthatareatriskofdisappearingfromthewild.

At8,573hectares,MarlboroughForestisthelargestconservationareainthecity.

Land use within the developed urban area:

Land use in the rural area:

*Muchofthisagriculturallandis

notcurrentlybeingusedtogrowcropsorraiselivestock.

Where you fit inThestoryofhowourlandisbeingtransformedisstillbeingwrittenandnotjustbybiglandownersandpoliticiansatcityhall.Itssomethingthatyouplayaroleinshapingeverysingleday.Thematerialsandenergythatowthroughyourhomeand thecityallcome fromsomewhere,andusingthemcreateswastesthatareabsorbedbyourlocalenvironment.

TheremainingsectionsofthisbookletwillshowyouhowyouareconnectedtotheecologyofOttawathroughthewater,heat,electricity,fuel,consumergoods,andfoodyouconsume.Itwillalsoshowwhatyoucandotohelpcutpollutioninourairandwater,conservetheresourcesthatwealldependon,andprotectOttawasnaturalspaces.

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Education, Employment& Commerce 22%

Roads 21%

Housing 37%

Recreation & Open Space 20%

Wetlands 6%

Other 3%

Recreation/Open Space 2%

Agriculture 43%

Shrubland 9%

Forest 28%

Residential,

industrial & roads 9%

*


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WaterThebasis ofalllife, wateris ourmost preciousresource.Likeair,wearealmostcompletelydependentonourlocalenvironmentforthisresource.

Where does it come from?Unlessyourepartofthe10%ofOttawaresidentswhousewellwater,yourtapwatercomes fromtheOttawaRiver.Hereshowitgetstoyou:

1.WaterisdrawnfromtheOttawaRiveratBritanniaBayandatLemieuxIsland.

1.Wastewater ispumped to atreatmentplantin the cityseastend.2.The water is ltered and settled

to removesediment, thentreatedwithlime,ammonia,andchlorinetokillbacteria.Fluorideisalsoadded.

2.Water isscreenedandsettledto removesol-ids.Bacteriaareaddedtoremoveorganicpol-lutantsandachemical(sodium hypochlorite)isaddedto kill germsduring the swimming

season.

3.Waterispumpedtostoragereser-voirsandthentoyou.

3.The water is returnedto the Ottawa River--alongwithtracesofchemicals,pharmaceu-ticals, heavy metalsand other pollutantsthatcantberemovedbyourwatertreatment

system.

4.Theremaining sludgeis digested bybacteriaintobiosolids,whicharecomposted,spreadonfarmerselds,orusedtocoveruplandlls.Sewagesludgecancontainpathogensandchemicaltoxins.Theiruseonfarmlandhasbeenaccompaniedbyreportsofhumanhealthproblems.

Where does it go?The average Ottawa resident uses 250litres of water every day -- more thantwice theamountusedbyhouseholds inNunavut.

Did you know?

Ottawausesover300millionlitresofwaterenoughtoll 2.3millionbathtubs!-everyday.

MorethanhalftheelectricityusedbytheCityofOttawagoestowardpumpingandtreatingdrinkingwaterandwastewater.

Aleakyfaucetcanwasteover10,000litresofwaterayear;aleakytoi-let,over40,000.

Heres what happens to all that mucky water:

What you can do!

1. Be a water miser.

Inspectyoursystemforleaksandrepairleakyfaucetsandtoilets.

Installatoiletdam,early-closingapper,ordual-ushkitinyourtoilettank.Ifyouarereplacinganoldertoiletwithanewoneoptforalow-owmodel.Investinlow-owshowerheadsandfaucets.

Wateryourlawnsparingly;collectrainwitharainbarreltowateryourlawn.

2. Keep it clean.

Use biodegradable, chemical-free cleaning products like bakingsoda,vinegar,etc.Ifyoubuycleaners,lookforoneswiththeEco-Logosymbol.

Never wash paint, gasoline, oldmedication,or other hazardouswastesdown thedrain. Usethe citys hazardouswastedisposaldepots(ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle/special/hhw)

3. Speak up!

Contactyourcitycouncilorandthemayor.AskthemwhattheyaredoingtoprotectOttawaswaterqualityandquantity.

Heres how its used:

Thenitgoesdownthedrainandintothesewers,alongwithany-thing weve put intoit --soap,chemical cleaners, even tracesofpharmaceuticalsinoururine.

Sometimesourwastewaterisnt treatedatall. Duringheavyrains,the amountofwater owingintosewers thatcarryboth sewageandstormwatercancauseoverows.About400million litresof untreatedwastewater enoughtoll 160Olympic-sizedswimmingpoolsentertheOttawaRiverthroughseweroverowseachyear.Togetarsthandlookatthis,checkoutthehugeoutletontheriverpathwayunderParliamentHillnexttimeitrainsalot!

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HeatHowwekeepwarmhasabigeffectonourlocalenvironment.

Where does it come from?Share of space heating methods in Ontario homes:

Most buildings inOttawa are heatedby naturalgas,whichcomesmainlyfromSaskatchewan,Alberta,orBritishColumbia.

Itistransportedthroughthousandsofkilometersofundergroundpipelines,usinguplotsofenergybeforeitevenreachesourfurnaces.

(Details onwhere our electricityand oilcome from are found in thenext twosections.)

Where does it go?

The heat

Muchoftheheatproducedinbuildingsisoften lostthroughleaks, drafts,andpoorinsulation.Energyisnt cheap,sothiswastedheatiswastedmoney!

The fuel

Theoil orgasburnedbyourfurnacesis released as pollution into the airwe breathe, causing health problems,smog,acidrain,andglobalwarming.

Althoughnosuchpollutionisreleasedfromelectricallyheatedbuildings,muchmoreisreleasedfrom theelectricitygeneratingplants,especiallythe coal-redplantsusedduringtimesofpeakdemand.

What you can do!

1. Stop losing heat.

Properroofandwallinsulation,weather-stripping,andcaulk-ingcangoalongwaytokeepingheatinyourhome.

Check out Ottawas EnviroCentre, which provides home

energyaudits,draftsealing services, andproducts likehotwatertankinsulatorsandreplacedraft-stoppers.

Buyinganewhome?MakesureitsR-2000orEnergyStarcertieditwillconsumeupto40%lessenergythanahousebuilttominimumOntariostandards.

2. Get efcient

Getan on-demandor tank-lesswaterheater,whichdoesntrequireaholdingtanktostorepre-warmedwater.

Keepyourfurnaceoperatingefcientlybyhavingitservicedannuallyandcleaningorreplacingthefurnacelters.

Turndowntheheat.Youcanuseaprogrammablethermostattosetlowertemperaturesforwhenyouareawayorsleeping.

Getaprofessionalauditofyourhomesenergyefciency,soyoullknowwhichimprovements(orretrots)youcanmaketogiveyouthebiggestsavings.

3. Ditch the furnace, go renewable. Checkoutgreeneroptionslike:

Ground-sourceheatpumps,whichmakeuseoftheconstanttemperatureundergroundforheatingorcooling;

Airsourceheatpumps,whichcutenergyusesignicantly;and

Solarenergy,whichcanbeusedtoheatyourwaterorindoorspace.

4. Speak up!

Contactyourcitycouncilorandthemayor.Ask themwhatthey are doing tomake Ottawas buildingsmore energyefcient.

Did you know?

SpaceheatingeatsupmorethanhalfoftheenergyusedinanaverageOttawahomeandcauseshalfofitsgreenhousegaspollution.

Nearly 2/3 of Ottawas total greenhouse gas pollution comes frombuildings

Waterheatingaccountsforupto20%oftheaveragehomeenergybill.

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Other 6%

Wood 1%

Heat pump 5%

Electricity 13%

Oil 6%

Gas 69%

MeasurePotential

energy savings

Insulating walls, basement, attic, water pipes and hot water tank 30%

Caulking and weather-stripping 20%

Set water heater to 50C or lower 15%

Reduce themostat by 5C 10%


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ElectricityThepowerofelectricityisrightatourngertips;allwehavetodoisipaswitchorpressabuttonandwehaveallthepowerweneedtorunourmanygadgets.Butallthatenergycomes from somewhere. Producing it takes a toll on ourenvironment.

Where does it come from?ThroughlocaldistributorslikeHydroOttawa,weareconnectedtoaweboftransmis-sionlinesthatdeliverelectricityacrossOntario.Linelossesaverageat10%.

Major* power stations:

Ottawa gets most of its electricityfromtheR.H.Saundershydrostation,the Lennox oil/gas-powered plant,andtheDarlingtonnuclearplant.Weuse a lot ofelectricityfor aircondi-tioning on hot summer afternoonsand forheatingandlightingonwin-terdaysandevenings.Atthesepeaktimes,someofourelectricitycomesfrom coal-burning plants,which willbephasedoutin2014.

Impacts:Hydroelectric:Disturbsthenaturalowofriversandoodslargeareasof land. Trees andplants are drowned under dams andtheyreleasegreenhousegasesastheyrot.

Nuclear: Produceswastethatwillberadioactivefortensofthousandsofyears.Ontarioproduces1,800 tonnesperyear.Mininguranium torunnuclearplantscreatesgreenhousegasesandradioactivepollution.Nuclearplantslose2/3ofenergyaswasteheat.

Coal, oil, and gas: Increases smog, acid rain, and green-housegaslevelsintheatmosphere.Coalisparticularlyharmfulbecauseitreleasesplentyofglobe-warmingcarbonandover30toxiccompoundsintotheairwebreathe.

Wind and solar: Thesedo theleast damage.Resourcesandenergyareonlyusedtomanufacturethepanelsandturbines.

Whats the cost of producing the electricity we use in Ottawa?Thehealthofour localriversandstreamshasbeendamagedbyninedamsbuiltalongtheOttawaandMadawaskarivers.Wearealsoaffectedbypollutedairfromthecoal-red Nanticokeplant insouthernOntario,whichblowsintotheOttawaValley.Meanwhile,ourelectricityuseaddstoairpollutionandnuclearwastepro-ductioninotherOntariocommunities.

Where does it go?

What you can do!

1. Turn it down, turn it off!

Turnoffpowerbarsorunplugelectronicapplianceslikestereos,TVs,DVDplayers,andmicrowaveswhen theyre not in use,

thesemachinesusuallyconsumepowerevenwhenturnedoff.2. Get efcient!

Buyinganewappliance?MakesureitsENERGYSTARcertied,whichmeansitwillconsumeabout10-50%lesselectricitythanaconventionalmodel.

Tryusinga ceilingfaninsteadofairconditioning.Andonthereallyhotdays,youcanboosttheefciencyofyourACbyupto50%bykeepingtheceilingfansturnedon.

3. Be peak-conscious.

Cutbackonthepoweryouuseonhotsummerafternoonsandoncoldwintermorningsandevenings.

4. Green your power.

Buyyourelectricityfromagreenelectricityproviderorinstallsolarpanels.

5. Speak up!

Contactyourcitycouncilorandthemayor.Askthemwhattheyaredoingtocutelectricityconsumptionandpromotethedevelopmentofdecentral-ized,renewablepowergenerationinOttawa.

Ontario Energy Mix:

Ontario residential electricity consumption by end-use:

Did you know?

About2/3oftheenergygeneratedbypowerplantsislostaswasteheatand10%islostinpowerlinesbeforetheelectricityreachesourbuildings.

Ontariosnuclearreactorsproduceover1,800tonnesofhighlevelradio-activewasteeachyear.

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Legend:

Nuclear

Hydroelectric

Coal, Gas/Oil

* Ontario also has several dozen

small-scale hydro and wind generators.

Gas 14. 7% (22.0 TWh)

Nuclear 56.9% (85.5 TWh)

Other 0.8% (1.2 TWh)

Hydro 22.2% (33.3 TWh)

Coal 2.7% (4.1 TWh)

Wind 2.6% (3.9 TWh)

Water heating 20

Heating 60%Appliance 10

Lighting 5%

Space cooling 5%


10/15

FuelWithpeoplescatteredacrossanareaofnearly3,000squarekilometres,Ottawaisacityofpeopleonthemove.Thefuelwe feed into ourcars, trucks, and busesalong with theroadswe drive them ondamages our local environmentmorethananyotherpartofourdailyroutine.

Where does it come from?ThegasolinethatweuseinOttawacomesfromoilreneriesinOntarioandQuebec,whichimportmorethanhalfoftheiroilfromforeigncountries.WesternprovincessupplymostoftheoilfromCanadaandsomeofthiscomesfromAlbertastarsands,thedirtiestsourceofoilinCanada.

Did you know?

Airpollution inOttawa triggered290 prematuredeaths, 3,000 emer-gencyroomvisits,andover$25millioninhealthcarecostsin2005.

Two-thirdsof housing builtin Ottawaoverthenextdecadewillbe insuburbsfarfromdowntown,somostpeoplewillhavetotravelfurther.

TheCityofOttawaspent$254.8milliononroadsandtrafcoperationsin2010

Ottawahasover170kilometresofcyclingpaths.

Where does it go?MostofthetransportfuelusedinOttawagoesintothetanksofprivateautomobiles.Ofteneachcarisonlycarryingoneperson.

Burninggasolinesendstoxicpollutantsintotheairthatwebreathe,contributingtohealthproblemslikeasthma,cancers,andheartdisease.Smogalsoincreasesacidrainandglobalwarming.

Other local impacts of car dependency:Urban sprawl.Nearly1/4ofOttawasurbanareaiscoveredbyparkinglots,roads,anddriveways.Bytakingupsomuchspace,roadsandpark -inglotsincreaseurbansprawl,eatingupourforestsandfarmland.

Wildlife destruction.Buildingnewroadsandhighwaysdestroyswild-lifehabitatandthetrafcthenkillsmanyoftheanimalsthatareleft.

Asphalt overkill.Ottawasseasofpavementincreasewaterpollution,asrainwaterrunsofftheirsurfaceandcarriesoil,pesticides,andotherpollutantsintolocalwaterways.Asphaltalsoabsorbsheat,crankingupsummertemperaturesinthecity.

What you can do!

1. Drive less.

Hoponthebike,bus,orO-train,orhitthesidewalk.

2. Drive better. Choosethesmallest,most fuel-efcientvehicleyou cannd.Ifyouarentinthemarkettobuyacar,considerjoiningOttawasVirtuCarcar-sharingservice,whichgivesyouaccessto a fuel-efcientvehicleforshortperiodsatatime.

Combineasmanytripsaspossibleandcarpool.

3. Going long distance? Consider taking the bus or the train.

Avoidshort-haulightsasmuchaspossible.

4. Speak up!

Contactyourcitycounci lorandthemayor.AskthemwhattheyaredoingtomakeOttawaacitywherewalking,cycling,andtransitarethenorm.Tellthemtoprioritizesustainabletransportationovercarusage.

Join localgroups that promoteand advocatefor green,healthytrans-portationmodes,liketheOttawaTransitRidersUnion,CitizensforSafeCycling,ortheCityofOttawasadvisorycommittees.

Drilling, shipping, and refining oil causes:Deforestation, as trees are cleared tomake way forexplorationanddrilling

Soil and water pollutionfromleaksandspills

Air pollutionfromdrilling,processing,andtransportation

Source of oil consumed in Canada:

Trips in the National Capital Region:

1514

Other 6%

Canada 45%

Europe 28%

OPEC nations 21%

Walking 11%

Other 4%Bicycle 1%

Public transit 13%

Automobile 71%


11/15

Did you know?

In2010,onaverage,eachpersoninOttawagenerated360kgofgarbage.

Abouthalfofourcitysresidentialgarbageismadeupofpackaging.

Ottawasrateofresidentialrecyclingof44%isverylowforalargecityinOntarioandmuchlessthanMarkhamrateof71%.

ItcostsOttawataxpayers$70/tonnetoputwastein landllsand$44/tonnetorecycleit.

In2010,Ottawaresidentsputmorethan$9millionworthofrecyclablesinthebluebin.

TheaverageresidentinOttawaproduced6.9tonnesofCO2emissionsin

2008.Onefthofthatcamefromwaste.

What you can do

1. Buy less stuff.

Beforeyoubuy,askyourself:DoIreallyneedit?Iftheanswerisyes,lookforitinoneofOttawasmanythriftstoresbeforeyouhitthemalls.OrseeifyoucannditusedatUsedOttawa.com,Kijiji,OttawaFullCircles,orCraigslist.

2. Buy better stuff.

Optforproductsthathaveminimalpackaging,aremadelocally,arefreeoftoxicsubstances,andcontainrecycledmaterials.

LookforproductswiththeEco-logosymbol.

3. Keep it out of the trash.

Ifitsstilluseable,sellitorgiveitaway.

The City ofOttawas Take it Back! program provides a directory ofretailersandorganizations thatwill takeback awidearrayofmateri-als, from leftovermedicationtousedprintcartridges.Checkit outatapp01.ottawa.ca/takeitback

Doyouknowwhatbelongsinyourblueandblackrecyclingbins?Findoutonlineat:ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle

Gotoldaerosolcontainers,ovencleaners,oilpaint,orpropanetankstogetridof?Bringthemforpropertreatmentanddisposaltoahouse-holdhazardouswastedepot.

Startabackyardcompostandtransformyoufoodscrapsintorich,fertilesoil.

4. Speak up!

ContactyourcitycouncilorandthemayorandaskthemwhattheyaredoingtoreduceconsumptionandkeepOttawaswasteoutofthelandlls.

StuffComedianGeorgeCarlinoncedescribedahouseasaplacetokeep your stuff while yougo outand getmore stuff.Indeed,itseemsliketheonlythingwespendmoretimedoingthanbuyingstuffisearningmoneytobuymorestuff.AllthisshoppingisconnectedtoecosystemsacrosstheworldandhereinOttawa.

Where does it come from?ThestuffwebuyinOttawaismostlyproducedoutsideofCanada.ThatpairofjeansyouboughtlastyearattheRideauCentrewasprobablystitchedtogetherinAsia.Thecottonusedtomakethefabricmayhavebeengrownonyetanothercontinent.

Extractingtherawmaterials,manufacturingtheproducts,andtransportingthemarelinkedto:

Where does it go?Afterweveusedup,wornout,orgottentiredofallthisstuffwebuy,wethrowitoritspackagingaway.Butwhereisaway?

About60%ofthewastethatOttawaresidentsputatthecurbongar-bagedayinOttawaissenttolandlls.Abouttwo-thirdsofthisgoestotheTrailRoadlandllandmostoftherestgoestotheCarpRoadfacility.Bothwilllikelybefullin15yearsandtheCarpRoadlandllmaysoonbeexpanded.

Theremaining40%iseitherrecycledorcomposted.ThecitysortsandsellsrecyclablestomarketsinCanadaandoverseas.

Ottawa Landlls

Heres what all this waste being sent to landfills means for

Ottawas ecosystems:Soil and water pollution:Chemicalsandotherpollutantsinourgarbagecanseepintothesoilandgroundwaterunderlandlls.Forthe10percentofOttawaresidentswhodependonwellwater,thatsbadnews!

Climate changing methane isreleasedfromorganicmaterialrottinginOttawaslandlls.Fortunately,someofthismethaneiscapturedandusedtoproduceelectric-ityatthecitysTrailRoadfacility.Andsincethecitystartedtocollectandcompostourorganicwastein2009,wecanuseourgreenboxestocutdownonthemethane-producingmaterialsgoingtolandlls.

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Destruction of

forests and other

ecosystems

Energy

Consumption

Air and water

pollution

Greenhouse gas

emissions which

increases climate

change


12/15

FoodBecauseweallneedtobuyitsofrequentlyandbecauseitsproductionhassuchabigeffectonecosystems,foodisaspe-cialcategoryofstuffthatdeservesacloserlook.

Where does it come from?Like most of the stuff we buy,

muchofthefoodweconsumeisgrownandprocessedinfarawayplaces.Thismeansalotofgreenhousegasesandairpollutionarecreatedtogetittous.

Fortunately,someofour food,especiallysummer pro-duce,isstillgrownrighthereinOttawa

Did you know?

Onaverage,ourfoodtravelsover2,400kmfromfarmtotable.

Producingasinglehamburgerpattyusesenoughfueltodriveacar20miles.

AgriculturalrevenueinOttawaisgreaterthanthatofToronto,Montreal,Vancouver,Edmonton,andCalgarycombined.

Thereareover42,000cattleand61,000hensandchickensintheOttawaarea.

In2007,anestimated38%ofsolidfoodavailableforretailsaleinCanadawaswasted.Thatstheequivalentof183kgperperson.

Deforestation. Forestsand otherecosystemsareoftendestroyedtoclearlandforfarming.

Soil and water pollution.Chemicalpesticidesandfertilizersoftenendupinwaterways,killingwildplantsandanimals.

Burning of fossil fuels.Largeamountsofoilandgasareusedtorunfarmmachinery,pumpwater,andproducepesticidesandfertilizers.

Theseproblemsareallmadeworsewhenweeatalotofanimalprotein,because livestock consume far more energyintheformofgrainthantheyproduceasmeat.Ittakes7kgofgraintoproduceonekgofbeef.Cows,pigs,andchickensalsoproducetonsofmanure,whichcanendupinourwaterandmethane,aglobe-warminggas20timesstron -gerthancarbondioxide.

Benets of Local Food

Eatinglocalfoodbenetsourbodiesandisoneofthebestthingswecandoeverydaytocreatethesocietyinwhichwewanttolive.Eatinglocal:

Boostsourlocaleconomy.

Protectsagriculturallandforfuturefoodproduction.

Reducesourimpactonclimatechange.

Reducesourdependencyonpetroleum.

Nurturesourbodieswithfreshfood.

*This map only shows farms with farm-gate sales there are many other farms in the area!

What you can do!

1. Buy local.

CutyourfoodstravelmilesbybuyingfromOttawasmanyfarms,localfarmers markets, andcommunity shared agricultureprograms.Whileyoureatit,goorganic!

2. Eat less meat.

Bycuttingoutjustoneservingofbeefaweek,youcanreducegreen-housegaspollutionbythesameamountasyouwouldbydriving1,860fewerkilometers!

3. Go organic

Keeptoxicchemicalsoutofourecosystems--andoutofyourmeals!

Organicproduceandotherfoodscanbefoundatmostgrocerystores,atOttawasmanynaturalfoodstoresandattheOttawaOrganicFarmersMarket,heldyear-round.

4. Grow your own.

Ottawasmanycommunitygardensandgroupsofferinggardeningwork-shopscanhelpyougetstarted.

5. Speak up!

Contactyourcitycouncillorandthemayor.Askthemwhattheyaredoingtosupportlocal,organicfoodproduction.

Dig deeper

Learnmoreaboutmakingfoodchoicesthatwillleaveourwaterandaircleaner,andourplanetgreener,atsustainabletable.org/issues/environmentoreatlowcarbon.org

OurfoodchoiceshavehugeimpactsonecosystemshereinOttawaandaroundtheworld.Whenwebuyfoodproducedbylarge-scaleindustrialfarms,wecontributeto:

1918

Top 5 sources of Ontario

food imports:

1. U.S.2. Mexico3. China4. Italy5. Brazil

Farms in the Ottawa Area*


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WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHERWhen we try to pick out anything by itself we nd that it is bound fast by a thousandinvisible cords that cannot be broken, to everything in the universe.

~John Muir

Rememberthatnomatterhowdisconnectedyoufeelfromnatureinthecitysurbanstreets,theecologyofOttawaisbeneathyourfeet,aboveyourhead,andintheairmovingaroundyou.Youareverymuchapartofitandeveryactionyoutakeaffectsit.Byjustchangingsomeofyourdailyhabits,youcanhelpcutbackonpollutioninour air andwater, conservethe resources thatweall depend onand protectOttawasnaturalspaces.

ItwillalsorequirecollectiveactionforOttawatobecomethetrulyhealthyandsus-tainablecitythatwedeserve.Wemustdemandthatourpoliticalleaders,especiallyourmayorandcitycouncil,putenvironmentalmattersrightatthetopoftheirlistofpriorities.Bigbusinessgroupsareinconstantcontactwithcityofcials,push -ing agendasthatareoften atoddswithprotecting our ecosystems.Weneed tospeakoutwithjustasloudavoicetoremindourleadersthatweneedahealthyenvironment.

Pleasedontthrowoutthisbookletoutwhenyouarenishedwithit.Leaveitwhereotherscanpickitup,orpassitaroundtoyourco-workers,neighbours,friends,andfamilymembers.HelpothersseehowmuchapartofOttawasecosystemstheyareandworkwiththemtocreateagreener,healthiercity.

Our ThanksEcologyOttawawouldliketothankitsnancialsupportersandallthevolunteerswhomadethisbookletpossible.

Ourvolunteerresearchersandreviewers:

20

KenAllison

LizBernstein

MarilynBlattel

SabrinaBowmanMikeBuckthought

MichelChevalier

JenniferCollard

MiquelonDeller

MoeGarahan

KanchanGautam

CarolGudz

ChristineHanrahan

GabrielleHardy

MurielHowEricKatmarian

NadiaKhan

DavidMulrooney

SwaraNarayanan

DonnieNorthrup

JenelleOrchard

DorothyRogers

GrahamSaul

DanaSilk

FabianSuceveanuKerriSwail

LindaWangui

MaudeWarren-Paquin

MikeWorden

SiuHongYu

ThankyoutoLoriWallerforherresearchandwriting;TobyBrooksforherediting;ColinWhite for his illustrations;Elaine Kwok andOnYourMarks for the bookletdesign; Maya Hum for adapting the design with updated content and creatingrevisedillustrations;andAndrewChisholmforhisdesignoftheEcologyofOttawawebsite.


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the ecology of ottawa

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