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Environment

Earth Day - April 22

Every spring, the City of Kitchener organizes a number of events in celebration of Earth Day and to remind the community how important it is for all of us to protect our planet.

Earth Month Events and Activities

At the City of Kitchener, we try to find ways to make every day earth day. The spring is such a great time to get folks out and about and thinking about the environment, we have a few special activities in honour of Earth Day happening from the end of March through the month of April.

Earth Hour -- Once again we were thrilled to participated in Earth Hour. From 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, the lights of City Hall were darkened and community members were encouraged to do the same in a symbolic gesture to show that it's possible, when we work together, to make a huge impact and to bring attention to the issue of global warming. Thank you to the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Association for hosting the event on Civic Square at Kitchener City Hall to help bring attention to our earth and celebrate our collective "power".

I Will if You Will Challenge

Tell us what actions you take to reduce your impact on the environment! Share your tips, ideas and actions on our facebook page and you could win a tour of our Kitchener operations facility that features one of Canada's largest solar roofs, a geothermal heat recovery system and an environmentally friendly lighting system. Mayor Zehr will host your tour and then take you to lunch where you'll have his undivided attention as you chat about the city, the environment or whatever you like!The winner will be randomly selected from the posted comments on April 21 during the Bloomin' Earth Eco-Fair.

Environmental Showcase Thursday, April 19, 4 to 6 p.m.

Come speak to members of the Environmental Advisory Committee, past grant recipients, local environmental non-profit agencies and researchers; learn how you can get involved. Kitchener City Hall, Conestoga Room, 200 King St.W. Call 741-3400 x3148 for more information. Hosted by the environmental advisory committee.

Join us on Saturday, April 21 to Celebrate, Learn and Give

Bloomin Earth Festival* - Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Kitchener CIty Hall. Informational and interactive displays, speakers, workshops and videos will enlighten and challenge us on how we can improve our environmental practices and reduce our environmental foot-print in various areas of our lives. Sponsored by 105.3 Kool FM and 99.5 KFUN.

Tim Hortons Community Clean up * - Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m.- noon, McLennan Park (Ottawa and Strasburg).

Kitchener Natural Areas Events *- Saturday, April 21, 1 - 4 p.m., Huron Natural Area for a free, family Earth Day event each year, featuring hands-on educational activities.

* A free bus shuttle service (schedule below) will be provided by the City of Kitchener between these events. Or bring your bike and join the guided bike tour and see how easy it is to get from one site to another. If you are interested in the guided bike tour please RSVP to Josh Joseph, transportation demand management coordinator, or use the route map to guide yourself.

Free Bus Shuttle Service (first come, first served)

Leaving Kitchener City Hall	Leaving McLennan Park	Leaving Huron Natural Area
9:45 a.m. - to McLennan Park	10:10 a.m. - to City Hall
10:30 a.m. - to McLennan Park	11 a.m. - to City Hall
12 p.m. - to McLennan Park and HNA	12:20 p.m. - to HNA and City Hall	12:40 p.m. - to McLennan Park & City Hall
	1 p.m. - to City Hall
1:30 p.m. - to HNA		2:30 p.m. - to City Hall
3 p.m. - to HNA		3:30 p.m. - to City Hall

Community Clean-ups

Organize your own clean-up of a local park, public space or school yard at any time of year. Register your clean-up for supplies and support. Clean-ups taking place during the month of April in honour of Earth Day are eleigible for prizes from Tim Hortons while supplies last.

The 20 Minute Makeover (for businesses primarily) will be held on Friday, April 20 in and around 2 p.m..

Tim Hortons Community Clean up * - Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m.- noon, McLennan Park (Ottawa and Strasburg).

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Faith Communities Celebrate Earth Day 2012!

Is your faith community or faith-based school or organization interested in celebrating Earth Day? Check out the Earth Day resources at Greening Sacred Spaces. You'll find ideas for activities, worship resources, hands-on volunteer projects and more!

Earth Day Canada (EDC) is a national environmental communications organization mandated to improve the state of the environment by empowering Canadians to achieve local solutions. Since 1991, EDC has been coordinating Earth Day/Earth Month events, and creating successful community programs and award-winning artistic and media projects.

How You Can Make Every Day Earth Day!

Every year, each Canadian uses the products of one tree, 100 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter. Head out and replace what you have used by joining a local community group at a tree planting event.
Every day, each Canadian produces 2.2 kilograms of waste. That means that together we create more than 25 billion kilograms of waste each year. Rethink how you view garbage, what happens after you toss it out.
Canada is the third largest producer of greenhouse gases per capita in the world, following the United States and Australia. To do your part in helping Canada achieve its Kyoto goals, cut back on your energy use at home, work and on the road.
You can save four per cent of your heating costs by turning your thermostat down just one degree Celsius. Make a habit of turning it down before going to bed or on vacation.
A five minute shower with a standard showerhead uses 100 litres of water. Install a flow aerated showerhead and reduce the amount of water used by as much as two-thirds.
You have seven days each week in which to enjoy the outdoors. Hike a trail, visit a local park, go exploring at the beach, strap on some snowshoes, paddle down the river, sketch a bird, and organize a community picnic.
The average driver spends five to 10 minutes idling each day. That figure does not seem like much until you realize that at that rate, Canada idles for more than 80 million minutes each day. Remember 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off your engine.
95 per cent of energy is saved by producing aluminum from a recycled can rather than from "scratch". Choose recycled products, products with less packaging, and reusable items to reduce your environmental impact.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs last 10 times longer and use 75 per cent less energy than standard light bulbs. Install these energy saving bulbs and save $35 in energy costs over the lifetime of the bulb.
Be sure to check your local listings or Earth Day Canada's website to find out what events are planned in your area in celebration of Earth Day.

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