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,it’seasyforustolosesightofthenaturalworld.WelosetheconnectionbetweenourselvesandtheEarthandwaterthatkeepusalive.Weflickonalightswitchwithoutthinkingaboutwheretheenergycomesfromorwhatitdoestotheearth.Weflushthetoiletwith-outknowingwherethewastewatergoesandourgarbageiswhiskedofftosomedistantplacecalled“away.”

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

Butfirst,thereareafewthingsweshouldknowaboutthisplacewecallOttawa...

1

Welcome to Your HabitatOttawaismorethanacollectionofroadsandbuildings.It’salsoaplacewherethewater,air,land,plants,andanimalsareallconnectedtogether,formingwhatwecallecosystems.Wearealsoconnected to theseecosystemsandwedependonthemforcleanairandwater.

Sojustasmuchasthislandisahabitatforotheranimals,it’sahabitatforus.Fromanecologicalperspective,amapofourhabitatwouldlooksomethinglikethis:

Land: Ottawa straddlestwoecologicalzones:therocky, spruce-coveredCanadianShield(seethegreenportionofthemap)andthelowlandplainsofthe St. Lawrence region(inyellow),oncecoveredbymixedforests.

Water: The water flow-ing down the OttawaRiver comes fromrivers and streams cov-ering 148,000 Km2 -- anarea larger than NewBrunswick. That meansthat 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 bringsin 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 outthe Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club,Canadian Parks and WildernessSociety,ortheGreenspaceAllianceofCanada’sCapital.

Did you know?

• At 1,271 km, theOttawaRiver is the second longest river in EasternCanada.

• Ninepulpandpapermillsreleaseabout160,000billiontonnesofwaste-water, containing carcinogens and toxic substances, into the OttawaRivereachyear.

• Sincethe1940s,radioactivecontaminantshavebeenreleasedintotheOttawaRiverfromtheChalkRivernuclearfacilities.

• MostfishspeciesintheOttawaRiverwatershedhavesuchhighlevelsoftoxicpollutantsbuiltupintheirfleshthatchildrenandpregnantwomenareadvisedbyHealthCanadatoavoideatingthem.

• Treesandwetlandshelpfilterandabsorbstormwater.Ottawa’surbanforestprovides theequivalentof close to fourmillion cubicmetresofstormwaterstorage.Theconstructionofstormwatermanagementfacil-itiesforthatvolumewouldcostthecityover$200million.

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Legend

Canadian Shield

St. Lawrence lowlands

Ottawa River watershed borders

You are here

HistoryYou weren’t always here...Ifyouhadcometothisarea400yearsagoorearlier,youwouldhavefoundalandblanketedbyforests.YouwouldseetheOttawaRiver,whichtheAlgonquinpeoplenative to theareacalledKichiSibi, runningwildwith rapids thatare today sub-mergedbydams.Wildlifewasplentiful.

Itwasn’tuntilthe1600sthatthefirstFrenchexplorerspaddleduptheKichiSibi.SoontheriverswelledwithcanoesbringingbeaverfursfromthewesttoMontreal.Thehefty trade in fursdonebytheOdawapeople,whotraveledhere fromLakeHuron, earned the river its new name, “Ottawa”, among the Europeans. Beaverpopulationsintheareadeclinedduetohighdemandfortheirfur.

In1800,anAmericaninvestorbythenameofPhilemonWrightsetupasettlementandmillonthenorthshoreoftheriver.ThissettlementlaterbecameHull,Quebec.Wrightpromptlygotdowntothebusinessofdeforestingthearea,latertobejoinedby loggerbarons likeBronsonandBooth.Bymid-century,OttawaValley loggingoperationsweresendingmillionsofcubicfeetofold-growthforestdowntherivertoMontrealforexporteachyear.

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

Meanwhile,settlerswereclearingforestcoverthroughoutEasternOntarioforfarm-ing.Between1826and1836,thebuildingoftheRideauCanalsystemtransformedthegeographyoftheentirewaterwaybetweentheOttawaandSt.Lawrencerivers.Thelabourerswhobuiltthecanal—mostlyFrenchCanadiansandIrishimmigrants—settled alongside French lumberjacks in what is now downtown Ottawa. It wasoriginallyknownasBytown.

By1900,settlerswerefarmingnearlyallthelandaroundthecityandlogginghadmovedfurtheruptheOttawaValley.BytownhadbecomeOttawa,Canada’scapitalcity,withapopulationofabout50,000people.Youcouldhoponanelectricstreet-carandheadouttoHintonburg,thecity’sfirstsuburb.Railroadtrackscriss-crossedthelandscape.PulpandpapermillswerebeingbuiltalongtheOttawaRiverandpumpingchemicalwastestraightintothewater,whereitmingledwithrawsewagecomingfromthecity’snewsewers.

By the 1950s, personal automobiles, paved roads, and buses had replaced thestreetcars.Ottawa’spopulationwassprawlingoutontothecountrysideinlow-den-sitysuburbs.Thegovernmentestablisheda“greenbelt”aroundOttawain1958inanattempt to limit thisurbansprawl,protectnaturalspaces,andprovide futureparksandopenspaces.

54

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%ofthecity’sruralarea.• Morethan72%ofthewetlandsoriginallyfoundintheOttawaareahavebeenlost.

• TheOttawaRivervalleyishometoatleast50speciesthatareatriskofdisappearingfromthewild.

• At8,573hectares,MarlboroughForestisthelargestconservationareainthecity.

Land use within the developed urban area:

Land use in the rural area:

*Muchofthisagriculturallandisnotcurrentlybeingusedtogrowcropsorraiselivestock.

Where you fit inThestoryofhowourlandisbeingtransformedisstillbeingwrittenandnotjustbybig landownersandpoliticiansatcityhall. It’ssomethingthatyouplayarole inshapingeverysingleday.Thematerialsandenergythatflowthroughyourhomeand the cityall come fromsomewhere, andusing themcreateswastes that areabsorbedbyourlocalenvironment.

TheremainingsectionsofthisbookletwillshowyouhowyouareconnectedtotheecologyofOttawathroughthewater,heat,electricity,fuel,consumergoods,andfoodyouconsume.Itwillalsoshowwhatyoucandotohelpcutpollutioninourairandwater,conservetheresourcesthatwealldependon,andprotectOttawa’snaturalspaces.

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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%

*

WaterThebasis of all life,water is ourmost precious resource.Likeair,wearealmostcompletelydependentonourlocalenvironmentforthisresource.

Where does it come from?Unlessyou’repartofthe10%ofOttawaresidentswhousewellwater, your tapwater comes from theOttawaRiver.Here’showitgetstoyou:

1.WaterisdrawnfromtheOttawaRiveratBritanniaBayandatLemieuxIsland.

1.Wastewater ispumped to atreatmentplantin the city’seastend.2.The water is filtered and settled

to remove sediment, then treatedwithlime,ammonia,andchlorinetokillbacteria.Fluorideisalsoadded.

2.Water is screenedandsettled to remove sol-ids.Bacteriaareaddedtoremoveorganicpol-lutantsandachemical(sodium hypochlorite)is added to kill germsduring the swimmingseason.

3.Waterispumpedtostoragereser-voirsandthentoyou.

3.The water is returnedto the Ottawa River-- alongwith traces ofchemicals,pharmaceu-ticals, heavy metalsand other pollutantsthat can’tbe removedbyourwatertreatmentsystem.

4.The remaining sludge is digested by bacteria into “biosolids”, which arecomposted,spreadonfarmer’sfields,orusedtocoveruplandfills.Sewagesludgecancontainpathogensandchemicaltoxins.Theiruseonfarmlandhasbeenaccompaniedbyreportsofhumanhealthproblems.

Where does it go?The average Ottawa resident uses 250litres of water every day -- more thantwice the amount used by households inNunavut.

Did you know?

• Ottawausesover300millionlitresofwater–enoughtofill2.3millionbathtubs!-everyday.

• More thanhalf theelectricityusedby theCityofOttawagoes towardpumpingandtreatingdrinkingwaterandwastewater.

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

Here’s what happens to all that mucky water:

What you can do!1. Be a water miser. • Inspectyoursystemforleaksandrepairleakyfaucetsandtoilets.• Install a toiletdam,early-closingflapper, ordual-flushkit inyourtoilettank.Ifyouarereplacinganoldertoiletwithanewoneoptforalow-flowmodel.Investinlow-flowshowerheadsandfaucets.

• Wateryourlawnsparingly;collectrainwitharainbarreltowateryourlawn.

2. Keep it clean. • Use biodegradable, chemical-free cleaning products like bakingsoda,vinegar,etc.Ifyoubuycleaners,lookforoneswiththeEco-Logosymbol.

• Never wash paint, gasoline, old medication, or other hazardouswastes down the drain. Use the city’s hazardous waste disposaldepots(ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle/special/hhw)

3. Speak up! • Contactyourcitycouncilorandthemayor.AskthemwhattheyaredoingtoprotectOttawa’swaterqualityandquantity.

Here’s how it’s used:

Thenitgoesdownthedrainandintothesewers,alongwithany-thing we’ve put into it -- soap,chemical cleaners, even tracesofpharmaceuticalsinoururine.

Sometimesourwastewater isn’t treatedat all. Duringheavy rains, the amountofwaterflowing intosewers thatcarrybothsewageandstormwatercancauseoverflows. About 400million litres of untreatedwastewater – enough to fill 160Olympic-sizedswimmingpools–entertheOttawaRiverthroughseweroverflowseachyear.Togetafirsthand lookat this,checkout thehugeoutletontheriverpathwayunderParliamentHillnexttimeitrainsalot!

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HeatHowwekeepwarmhasabigeffectonourlocalenvironment.

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

Most buildings in Ottawa are heated by natural gas, which comesmainly fromSaskatchewan,Alberta,orBritishColumbia.

Itistransportedthroughthousandsofkilometersofundergroundpipelines,usinguplotsofenergybeforeitevenreachesourfurnaces.

(Details on where our electricity and oil come from are found in the next twosections.)

Where does it go?The heat

Muchoftheheatproducedinbuildingsis often lost through leaks,drafts, andpoor insulation. Energy isn’t cheap, sothiswastedheatiswastedmoney!

The fuel

The oil or gas burned by our furnacesis released as pollution into the airwe breathe, causing health problems,smog,acidrain,andglobalwarming.

Althoughnosuchpollutionisreleasedfromelectricallyheatedbuildings,muchmoreis released from theelectricitygeneratingplants,especially thecoal-firedplantsusedduringtimesofpeakdemand.

What you can do!1. Stop losing heat. • Properroofandwallinsulation,weather-stripping,andcaulk-ingcangoalongwaytokeepingheatinyourhome.

• Check out Ottawa’s EnviroCentre, which provides homeenergy audits, draft sealing services, and products like hotwatertankinsulatorsandfireplacedraft-stoppers.

• Buyinganewhome?Makesureit’sR-2000orEnergyStar®certified–itwillconsumeupto40%lessenergythanahousebuilttominimumOntariostandards.

2. Get efficient • Get an on-demand or tank-less water heater, which doesn’t require aholdingtanktostorepre-warmedwater.

• Keepyourfurnaceoperatingefficientlybyhavingitservicedannuallyandcleaningorreplacingthefurnacefilters.

• Turndowntheheat.Youcanuseaprogrammablethermostattosetlowertemperaturesforwhenyouareawayorsleeping.

• Getaprofessionalauditofyourhome’senergyefficiency,soyou’llknowwhichimprovements(or“retrofits”)youcanmaketogiveyouthebiggestsavings.

3. Ditch the furnace, go renewable. Checkoutgreeneroptionslike:• Ground-sourceheatpumps,whichmakeuseoftheconstanttemperatureundergroundforheatingorcooling;

• Airsourceheatpumps,whichcutenergyusesignificantly;and• Solarenergy,whichcanbeusedtoheatyourwaterorindoorspace.

4. Speak up! • Contactyourcitycouncilorandthemayor.Askthemwhatthey are doing to make Ottawa’s buildings more energyefficient.

Did you know?

• SpaceheatingeatsupmorethanhalfoftheenergyusedinanaverageOttawahomeandcauseshalfofitsgreenhousegaspollution.

• Nearly 2/3 of Ottawa’s total greenhouse gas pollution comes frombuildings

• Waterheatingaccountsforupto20%oftheaveragehomeenergybill.

1110

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 50˚C or lower 15%

Reduce themostat by 5˚C 10%

ElectricityThepowerofelectricityisrightatourfingertips;allwehavetodoisflipaswitchorpressabuttonandwehaveallthepowerweneedtorunourmanygadgets.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 of electricity for air condi-tioning on hot summer afternoonsand for heatingand lightingonwin-terdaysandevenings.Atthesepeaktimes,someofourelectricitycomesfrom coal-burning plants, which willbephasedoutin2014.

Impacts:Hydroelectric: Disturbsthenaturalflowofriversandfloodslargeareasof land. Trees and plants are drowned under dams and they releasegreenhousegasesastheyrot.

Nuclear: Produceswastethatwillberadioactivefortensofthousandsof years. Ontario produces 1,800 tonnes per year. Mining uranium torunnuclearplantscreatesgreenhousegasesandradioactivepollution.Nuclearplantslose2/3ofenergyaswasteheat.

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

Wind and solar: Thesedo the leastdamage.Resourcesandenergyareonlyusedtomanufacturethepanelsandturbines.

What’s the cost of producing the electricity we use in Ottawa? ThehealthofourlocalriversandstreamshasbeendamagedbyninedamsbuiltalongtheOttawaandMadawaskarivers.Wearealsoaffectedbypollutedairfromthe coal-fired Nanticoke plant in southern Ontario, which blows into the OttawaValley.Meanwhile,ourelectricityuseaddstoairpollutionandnuclearwastepro-ductioninotherOntariocommunities.

Where does it go?

What you can do!1. Turn it down, turn it off! • Turnoffpowerbarsorunplugelectronicapplianceslikestereos,TVs, DVD players, and microwaves when they’re not in use,thesemachinesusuallyconsumepowerevenwhenturned“off.”

2. Get efficient! • Buyinganewappliance?Makesureit’sENERGYSTAR®certified,whichmeansitwillconsumeabout10-50%lesselectricitythanaconventionalmodel.

• Tryusingaceilingfaninsteadofairconditioning.Andonthereallyhotdays,youcanboosttheefficiencyofyourACbyupto50%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.

• Ontario’snuclearreactorsproduceover1,800tonnesofhighlevelradio-activewasteeachyear.

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Legend:

Nuclear

Hydroelectric

Coal, Gas/Oil

* Ontario also has several dozensmall-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%

FuelWithpeoplescatteredacrossanareaofnearly3,000squarekilometres,Ottawaisacityofpeopleonthemove.Thefuelwe feed into our cars, trucks, and buses—along with theroads we drive them on—damages our local environmentmorethananyotherpartofourdailyroutine.

Where does it come from?ThegasolinethatweuseinOttawacomesfromoilrefineriesinOntarioandQuebec,whichimportmorethanhalfoftheiroilfromforeigncountries.Westernprovincessupplymostof theoil fromCanada—andsomeof this comes fromAlberta’s tarsands,thedirtiestsourceofoilinCanada.

Did you know?

• Air pollution in Ottawa triggered 290 premature deaths, 3,000 emer-gencyroomvisits,andover$25millioninhealthcarecostsin2005.

• Two-thirds of housing built inOttawa over the next decadewill be insuburbsfarfromdowntown,somostpeoplewillhavetotravelfurther.

• TheCityofOttawaspent$254.8milliononroadsandtrafficoperationsin2010• Ottawahasover170kilometresofcyclingpaths.

Where does it go?MostofthetransportfuelusedinOttawagoesintothetanksofprivateautomobiles.Ofteneachcarisonlycarryingoneperson.

Burninggasolinesendstoxicpollutantsintotheairthatwebreathe,contributingtohealthproblemslikeasthma,cancers,andheartdisease.Smogalsoincreasesacidrainandglobalwarming.

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

Wildlife destruction.Buildingnewroadsandhighwaysdestroyswild-lifehabitatandthetrafficthenkillsmanyoftheanimalsthatareleft.

Asphalt overkill.Ottawa’sseasofpavementincreasewaterpollution,asrainwaterrunsofftheirsurfaceandcarriesoil,pesticides,andotherpollutantsintolocalwaterways.Asphaltalsoabsorbsheat,crankingupsummertemperaturesinthecity.

What you can do!1. Drive less. • Hoponthebike,bus,orO-train,orhitthesidewalk.

2. Drive better. • Choosethesmallest,most fuel-efficientvehicleyoucanfind.Ifyouaren’tinthemarkettobuyacar,considerjoiningOttawa’sVirtuCar car-sharing service,whichgivesyouaccess toa fuel-efficientvehicleforshortperiodsatatime.

• Combineasmanytripsaspossibleandcarpool.

3. Going long distance? Consider taking the bus or the train. • Avoidshort-haulflightsasmuchaspossible.

4. Speak up! • Contactyourcitycouncilorandthemayor.AskthemwhattheyaredoingtomakeOttawaacitywherewalking,cycling,andtransitarethenorm.Tellthemtoprioritizesustainabletransportationovercarusage.

• Join local groups that promote and advocate for green, healthy trans-portationmodes,liketheOttawaTransitRidersUnion,CitizensforSafeCycling,ortheCityofOttawa’sadvisorycommittees.

Drilling, shipping, and refining oil causes:Deforestation, as trees are cleared to make 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%

Did you know?

• In2010,onaverage,eachpersoninOttawagenerated360kgofgarbage.• Abouthalfofourcity’sresidentialgarbageismadeupofpackaging.• Ottawa’srateofresidentialrecyclingof44%isverylowforalargecityinOntarioandmuchlessthanMarkhamrateof71%.

• ItcostsOttawataxpayers$70/tonnetoputwaste in landfillsand$44/tonnetorecycleit.

• In2010,Ottawaresidentsputmorethan$9millionworthofrecyclablesinthebluebin.

• TheaverageresidentinOttawaproduced6.9tonnesofCO2emissionsin2008.Onefifthofthatcamefromwaste.

What you can do1. Buy less stuff.• Beforeyoubuy,askyourself:DoIreallyneedit?Iftheanswerisyes,lookforitinoneofOttawa’smanythriftstoresbeforeyouhitthemalls.OrseeifyoucanfinditusedatUsedOttawa.com,Kijiji,OttawaFullCircles,orCraigslist.

2. Buy better stuff.• Optforproductsthathaveminimalpackaging,aremadelocally,arefreeoftoxicsubstances,andcontainrecycledmaterials.

• LookforproductswiththeEco-logosymbol.

3. Keep it out of the trash.• Ifit’sstilluseable,sellitorgiveitaway.• The City of Ottawa’s Take it Back! program provides a directory ofretailers and organizations thatwill take back awide array ofmateri-als, from leftovermedication to used print cartridges. Check it out at app01.ottawa.ca/takeitback

• Doyouknowwhatbelongsinyourblueandblackrecyclingbins?Findoutonlineat:ottawa.ca/en/garbage_recycle

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

• Startabackyardcompostandtransformyoufoodscrapsintorich,fertilesoil.

4. Speak up!• ContactyourcitycouncilorandthemayorandaskthemwhattheyaredoingtoreduceconsumptionandkeepOttawa’swasteoutofthelandfills.

StuffComedianGeorgeCarlinoncedescribedahouseas“aplaceto keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.”Indeed,itseemsliketheonlythingwespendmoretimedoingthanbuyingstuffisearningmoneytobuymorestuff.Allthisshopping isconnectedtoecosystemsacrosstheworldandhereinOttawa.

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

Extractingtherawmaterials,manufacturingtheproducts,andtransportingthemarelinkedto:

Where does it go?Afterwe’veusedup,wornout,orgottentiredofallthisstuffwebuy,wethrowitoritspackaging“away.”Butwhereisaway?

About60%ofthewastethatOttawaresidentsputatthecurbongar-bagedayinOttawaissenttolandfills.Abouttwo-thirdsofthisgoestotheTrailRoadlandfillandmostoftherestgoestotheCarpRoadfacility.Bothwilllikelybefullin15yearsandtheCarpRoadlandfillmaysoonbeexpanded.

Theremaining40%iseitherrecycledorcomposted.ThecitysortsandsellsrecyclablestomarketsinCanadaandoverseas.

Ottawa Landfills

Here’s what all this waste being sent to landfills means for Ottawa’s ecosystems:Soil and water pollution:Chemicalsandotherpollutantsinourgarbagecanseepintothesoilandgroundwaterunderlandfills.Forthe10percentofOttawaresidentswhodependonwellwater,that’sbadnews!

Climate changing methane isreleasedfromorganicmaterialrottinginOttawa’slandfills.Fortunately,someofthismethaneiscapturedandusedtoproduceelectric-ityatthecity’sTrailRoadfacility.Andsincethecitystartedtocollectandcompostourorganicwastein2009,wecanuseourgreenboxestocutdownonthemethane-producingmaterialsgoingtolandfills.

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Destruction of forests and other

ecosystems

Energy Consumption

Air and water pollution

Greenhouse gas emissions which increases climate

change

FoodBecauseweallneedtobuyitsofrequentlyandbecauseitsproductionhassuchabigeffectonecosystems,foodisaspe-cialcategoryofstuffthatdeservesacloserlook.

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

muchof the foodweconsume isgrownandprocessedinfarawayplaces.Thismeansalotofgreenhousegasesandairpollutionarecreatedtogetittous.

Fortunately, some of our food, especially summer pro-duce,isstillgrownrighthereinOttawa

Did you know?

• Onaverage,ourfoodtravelsover2,400kmfromfarmtotable.• Producingasinglehamburgerpattyusesenoughfueltodriveacar20miles.

• AgriculturalrevenueinOttawaisgreaterthanthatofToronto,Montreal,Vancouver,Edmonton,andCalgarycombined.

• Thereareover42,000cattleand61,000hensandchickensintheOttawaarea.• In2007,anestimated38%ofsolidfoodavailableforretailsaleinCanadawaswasted.That’stheequivalentof183kgperperson.

Deforestation. Forests andotherecosystemsareoftendestroyed toclearlandforfarming.

Soil and water pollution.Chemicalpesticidesandfertilizersoftenendupinwaterways,killingwildplantsandanimals.

Burning of fossil fuels.Largeamountsofoilandgasareusedtorunfarmmachinery,pumpwater,andproducepesticidesandfertilizers.

Theseproblemsareallmadeworsewhenweeatalotofanimalprotein,because livestock consume far more energy in the formof grainthantheyproduceasmeat.Ittakes7kgofgraintoproduceonekgofbeef.Cows,pigs,andchickensalsoproducetonsofmanure,whichcanendupinourwaterandmethane,aglobe-warminggas20timesstron-gerthancarbondioxide.

Benefits of Local Food

Eatinglocalfoodbenefitsourbodiesandisoneofthebestthingswecandoeverydaytocreatethesocietyinwhichwewanttolive.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. • Cutyourfood’stravelmilesbybuyingfromOttawa’smanyfarms,localfarmers’ markets, and community shared agriculture programs. Whileyou’reatit,goorganic!

2. Eat less meat. • Bycuttingout justoneservingofbeefaweek,youcanreducegreen-housegaspollutionbythesameamountasyouwouldbydriving1,860fewerkilometers!

3. Go organic • Keeptoxicchemicalsoutofourecosystems--andoutofyourmeals!• Organicproduceandotherfoodscanbefoundatmostgrocerystores,atOttawa’smanynaturalfoodstoresandattheOttawaOrganicFarmers’Market,heldyear-round.

4. Grow your own. • Ottawa’smanycommunitygardensandgroupsofferinggardeningwork-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*

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

~John Muir

Rememberthatnomatterhowdisconnectedyoufeelfromnatureinthecity’surbanstreets,theecologyofOttawaisbeneathyourfeet,aboveyourhead,andintheairmovingaroundyou.Youareverymuchapartofitandeveryactionyoutakeaffectsit.Byjustchangingsomeofyourdailyhabits,youcanhelpcutbackonpollutionin our air andwater, conserve the resources thatwe all depend on and protectOttawa’snaturalspaces.

ItwillalsorequirecollectiveactionforOttawatobecomethetrulyhealthyandsus-tainablecitythatwedeserve.Wemustdemandthatourpoliticalleaders,especiallyourmayorandcitycouncil,putenvironmentalmattersrightatthetopoftheirlistofpriorities.Bigbusinessgroupsare inconstantcontactwithcityofficials,push-ing agendas that are often at oddswith protecting our ecosystems.We need tospeakoutwithjustasloudavoicetoremindourleadersthatweneedahealthyenvironment.

Pleasedon’tthrowoutthisbookletoutwhenyouarefinishedwithit.Leaveitwhereotherscanpickitup,orpassitaroundtoyourco-workers,neighbours,friends,andfamilymembers.HelpothersseehowmuchapartofOttawa’secosystemstheyareandworkwiththemtocreateagreener,healthiercity.

Our ThanksEcologyOttawawouldliketothankitsfinancialsupportersandallthevolunteerswhomadethisbookletpossible.

Ourvolunteerresearchersandreviewers:

20

KenAllison

LizBernstein

MarilynBlattel

SabrinaBowman

MikeBuckthought

MichelChevalier

JenniferCollard

MiquelonDeller

MoeGarahan

KanchanGautam

CarolGudz

ChristineHanrahan

GabrielleHardy

MurielHow

EricKatmarian

NadiaKhan

DavidMulrooney

SwaraNarayanan

DonnieNorthrup

JenelleOrchard

DorothyRogers

GrahamSaul

DanaSilk

FabianSuceveanu

KerriSwail

LindaWangui

MaudeWarren-Paquin

MikeWorden

SiuHongYu

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