3.1.1 Community Generated Environmental Goals Through Ottawa 20/20, the community identified four comprehensive environmental goals to achieve a Green and Environmentally Sensitive City over the next twenty years. This section takes a closer look at what these goals mean and identifies their common features and relationships. At one level, the environmental system is so complex that we cannot expect to ever fully understand ecological interconnections and relationships, or fully predict the outcomes of our actions on natural processes. In addition, since we are a part of the environment, as our interactions change, our role in the environment and our influence will also change. We are part of a dynamic system. However, on another level, the complexity and inter-related nature of the environment means that a single action we may take can help work towards multiple goals for environmental protection. For example, removing forty cars from making a daily commute to work, the equivalent of one standard transit bus full of people, would decrease greenhouse gas emissions by one hundred and thirty-five tonnes per year4. There would be a corresponding decrease in air pollutants such as particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides. With the cleaner air, both people and plant and animal life would see health benefits. As well, the road infrastructure and those vehicles that are now used less would last longer, delaying the need for replacement materials, as well as extending the life of our fossil fuel resources. The interconnectedness of the goals means that the benefits from implementing one goal can result in a corresponding positive gain towards other goals. For example, the retention of greenspaces (Goal 1), can positively influence the design of new communities (Goal 2) and can provide more opportunities for safe and enjoyable cycling (Goal 3). Greenspaces also lead to cleaner water (Goal 4) because their porous surfaces can accept and filter surface runoff from less porous areas such as roofs, parking lots and roads. Implementation of our environmental goals will also provide other benefits beyond those associated with the Environmental Strategy. The dependence of human health on environmental health reflects one of the key areas of sustainable development commitments from the Earth Summit in Johannesburg. The quality of our air, water and soil are direct determinants of human health because they provide us with the ability to breathe and provide us with a source of water and food and if contaminated, can lead to human ingestion of these contaminants. If we work towards maintaining and restoring clean air, water and earth through such efforts as reducing energy consumption, reducing smog, preventing contaminated surface runoff and managing contaminated sites (Goal 4), our community will be healthier overall. In addition, the retention of greenspace (Goal 1) and emphasis on walking and cycling (Goal 3) can result in an overall health benefits to the community as more people take their bikes to commute to work and enjoy their local natural features. It is common threads such as these that help to simplify the development of a strategic approach to environmental protection by the City. The following sections explore the four goals that have been identified as forming the fundamental foundation upon which the Environmental Strategy is built.
Goal 1: A city with trees, park spaces, forests, healthy rivers, creeks and streams, shorelines and undeveloped areas, all of which form a network of green spaces. A greener city is a calmer city, where residents feel more relaxed walking, driving or playing. Greenspaces, trees and forests are accessible to the public and support healthy watercourses by improving water quality and regulating water quantity. They also provide a range of habitats across the city, helping to protect biodiversity. They also help improve air quality, help shade buildings and ground surfaces, and sequester carbon to help reduce climate change. A green city relies on strong communal transportation networks and land use planning. A Green City is one that is overall environmentally responsible.
Goal 2: Using developed spaces wisely to make the best use of existing infrastructure and to minimize disturbance of existing greenspaces and subwatersheds. It means considering natural cycles such as water, carbon and nutrient movement through the environment, prior to development, to protect their function and integrity. Development is planned on the basis of subwatershed units and incorporates greenspace and natural features into development designs, where possible, using both traditional and creative conservation measures. It means considering how resources will be used during and after development, and maximizing the efficiency of their use. Design in harmony with the environment will mean changes to some standards (for stormwater management, for example) and it may mean presenting incentives for full use of infill opportunities (such as use of brownfield sites).
Goal 3: Creating transportation corridors where pedestrians enjoy walking and feel safe from traffic, noise, pollution, and crime. Similarly, cyclists have routes available for commuting or recreation that are pleasant and safe. Focusing on transit means developing a public transit system that is convenient, and provides cost-benefits in comparison to single vehicle use. This goal also includes initiatives that reduce the need to travel or to travel long distances. Tools include development fees and taxes to provide incentives to use alternative modes of transportation, or disincentives to single vehicle use. This goal may also mean developing a new kind of transit system. Implicit to a focus on alternative transportation modes is recognition of air quality improvements, human and ecosystem health improvements and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are possible through reduced traffic.
Goal 4: Air that does not cause harm to human health or plants and animals; air that does not contribute to climate change; drinking water that is safe to consume; healthy groundwater aquifers; rivers, creeks and lakes that support healthy aquatic environments; soils that support agricultural activities, provide adequate nutrients for healthy plants and animals, and are safe for recreational and other uses. Clean air, water and earth also means managing our businesses and our lifestyles in such a way that we limit the amount of waste produced and that we moderate the amount of noise and light travelling through the air so that living beings, including people, are not adversely impacted. 4 This figure is based on an assumption of an individual reducing their car use by seventy percent by using transit for their work commute. Each car would reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 3.4 tonnes per year. |
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