North Shore - Vancouver - page 500

Green Vancouver
It's hard to see Vancouver as anything but a green city: its dense forests
and verdant, rain-fed plant life make nature an ever-present fact of life
here. But beyond the breathtaking visuals, how does the city measure up
to its environmental responsibilities? And - just as importantly - what can
a Vancouver-bound visitor do to reduce their own eco-footprint in the re-
gion without turning their vacation into a monastic, fun-free zone?
Vancouver has an active plan to be the world's greenest city by 2020. Among its raft of
goals, the city aims to drastically cut waste and carbon emissions as well as improve re-
gional ecosystems.
Painting the Town Green
Vancouver has an international reputation for being a green city, but that doesn't mean
everyone here wears biodegradable socks and eats only elderly vegetables that have died
of natural causes. In fact, if you stroll the Robson St boutiques or dip into a takeout cof-
fee shop, it's easy to think that 'green Vancouver' doesn't exist at all. As with many of
the city's best features, you have to do a little digging.
Given the city's breathtaking natural surroundings, it was just a matter of time before
Vancouver's residents were inspired to protect the planet, which explains why a few of
them began gathering in a Kitsilano basement in 1969 to plan the fledgling Don't Make
a Wave Committee's first protest against nuclear testing in Alaska. By the time their
campaign boat entered the Gulf of Alaska in 1971, they had renamed themselves Green-
peace and sailed into environmental history. Greenpeace set the tone, and the city has
since become a headquarters for environmental groups from the Wilderness Committee
to Farm Folk City Folk and the David Suzuki Foundation.
Actions speak louder than words, however, and Vancouver's green scene is not just
about protest and discussion. The city is home to dozens of large and small eco-initiat-
ives, enabling many locals to color their lives as green as they choose. Vancouver has
one of the largest hybrid-vehicle taxi fleets in North America and has a commitment to
mass public transportation, including electric trolley buses and a light-rail train system.
Carpooling is also big, with the Jack Bell Foundation's ride-share scheme ( www.ride-
share.com ) matching travelers with shared vehicle trips throughout the region. In con-