Environmental Ambassador Declaration
As an EarthCare Sudbury Environmental Ambassador, I have pledged to do my part to help the City of Greater Sudbury
become a more sustainable community. In so doing, I have promised to carry out ONE OR MORE of the actions
recommended in EACH of the following categories. These categories reflect the priorities of the EarthCare Sudbury Local
Action Plan (www.greatersudbury.ca/earthcare).
COMMUNITY ACTION
ENERGY – Be energy efficient!
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Contact municipal councillors, provincial and federal
representatives about supporting environmental programs.
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Conduct a home energy audit and implement the
recommendations. Visit http://sudbury.yourhomeaudit.com
to complete the do-it-yourself Interactive Home Energy Audit,
or have a professional audit done to qualify for the ecoENERGY
Home Retrofit Grant Program
(www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ecoenergy for details).
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Join a local community group or organization that is committed
to improving environmental sustainability in Greater Sudbury.
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Share this declaration with friends and family and encourage
them to take action as well. Those interested in becoming
EarthCare Sudbury Environmental Ambassadors can sign on
to this declaration at www.greatersudbury.ca/earthcare.
WASTE – Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! Rethink!
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Pursue waste reduction at the source - buy products that have
less packaging and avoid purchasing products in containers
that are not recyclable at home.
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Compost household organic waste using a backyard
composter or a vermi-composting (with worms) system.
Organics account for up to 30% of household waste.
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Shop with reusable, cloth bags
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Use the Sudbury Freecycle Network* instead of throwing
away unwanted but usable items. There are over 1100 active
Freecycle members in the Sudbury region.
*www.freecycle.org/group/Canada/Ontario/Sudbury
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Find out what items are recyclable in Greater Sudbury
and recycle as much as waste as possible.
WATER – Protect and Conserve!
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Prevent chemicals from entering storm drains by repairing
vehicle leaks, using commercial car washes and handling fuel,
antifreeze and other common chemicals with care.
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Disconnect downspouts from the sanitary sewer system.
Instead, consider collecting rainwater in a rain barrel for
watering the garden. Visit www.junctioncreek.com to learn
how preventing rainwater inflow helps local waterways.
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Avoid using non-essential pesticides. Fertilizers, pesticides and
herbicides should never be applied near water.
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Plant a buffer of native vegetation along exposed shorelines.
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Use salt alternatives such as calcium magnesium acetate
(CMA) to remove ice, and use sand, not salt, for traction.
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Volunteer to participate in annual clean-ups of local waterways.
FOOD – Eat Local!
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Buy local food at the Greater Sudbury Farmers’ Market, held
Saturdays and Sundays at Market Square from May to October.
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Buy items that have the ENERGY STAR label. These items are
the most energy efficient performers on the market, performing
10% to 50% more efficiently than their counterparts.
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Install Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs in frequently used
fixtures. CFLs used 75% less electricity and last 10 times
longer than incandescent lights.
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Get rid of an old fridge for free through the Greater Refrigerator
Round-Up. Details about this and other conservation programs
offered by Greater Sudbury Utilities and the Ontario Power
Authority are available at www.sudburyhydro.com.
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Be conscientious about energy consumption when using
household appliances. Simply using a dishwasher’s Economy
Cycle can cut associated energy costs in half.
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Become educated on alternative energy options for the home.
The following websites are good starting points:
www.energy.gov.on.ca, www.bullfrog.com, and
www.cleanairfoundation.org/gosolar.
TRANSPORTATION – Drive Clean!
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Keep vehicles well-maintained. Simply checking tire pressure
every month could reduce fuel consumption by 5% and save
0.3 tonnes of GHG annually.
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Never idle, unless at a stoplight. If a vehicle will be idling for
longer than 10 seconds, turning it off and restarting it will use
less fuel than idling.
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Use public transportation whenever possible. Extended
hours, new routes and new buses are making Greater
Sudbury’s transit system more convenient to use.
See www.greatersudbury.ca/transit.
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Carpool to work. To find other commuters wanting
to carpool in Greater Sudbury, register at
http://greatersudbury.carpoolzone.ca.
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Bike, roller blade, or walk. New trail maps and directional
signage help trail users in Greater Sudbury navigate the
dozens of trails in the Rainbow Routes system.
See www.rainbowroutes.ca.
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Take Sudbury’s 150 mile diet challenge by eating only local
food for a week, a month, or a year!*
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Become a member of a local CSA
(Community Shared Agriculture).*
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Join the Eat Local Sudbury Local Food Buyer’s Club.*
* See www.eatlocalsudbury.com for information on these
regional food programs.
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Download The Foodshed Project Climate Friendly Shopping
Planner at www.foodshedproject.ca and start reducing your
food miles by meal planning and shopping locally.
www.greatersudbury.ca
I
pledge
to do my part to help the City of Greater Sudbury become a more sustainable
community. In so doing, I promise to carry out one or more of the actions
recommended in each of the following categories.
Date: ______________ Phone: ___________________
Email: _________________________________________
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I want to receive more information about local environmental initiatives,
CLICK HERE TO PRINT FORM
(Optional)
and ways I can further minimize my impact on the environment. EMAIL FORM TO EARTHCARE SUDBURY
- CLICK HERE q
I agree to have my name published on the EarthCare Sudbury website
as one of EarthCare Sudbury’s Environmental Ambassadors.