Mayor Moonbeam Goes to Copenhagen

[whatnext]

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Vancouver has a 'green' message for the world. Mayor Gregor Robertson is off to Copenhagen tomorrow for a mayors' conference on climate change, and he's got a little bit to brag about.

Robertson's main goal is to attract eco-friendly businesses to Vancouver, but he also says Vancouver has proven a city can 'go green' and cut greenhouse gas emissions while still creating jobs. He says Vancouver has reduced emissions to 1990s levels, while still seeing a 27 per cent increase in population and 18 per cent increase in jobs and employment.

Robertson says one of the biggest challenges will be getting the federal government on side with Vancouver's push to be the 'greenest' city in the world in 10 years. The mayor wasn't able to say how much money his trip to Copenhagen will cost. (Bold mine)
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20091210_150218_9044

Hardly a necessary trip when you have a $61 million deficit. :koko:

[raggedy13]

The cost of a plane ticket seems like a very cheap way to market the City in my mind. Deficit or not it is money well spent.

[Metro-One]

Well it depends, if he is flying economy, that is ok, but if he is flying first class, then prices start to mount. Also you have to remember accommodation, food, etc.. and for some reason prices always seem to skyrocket when a politician goes somewhere compared to your common vacation traveler. (Also, is it just him, or is an entire entourage going)

[whatnext]

The cost of a plane ticket seems like a very cheap way to market the City in my mind. Deficit or not it is money well spent.

Its not just the cost of a plane ticket. If it was, I'm sure Gregor the Green could have easily told us the cost of this junket.

[Spork]

Totally a personal interest thing for him. Is the objective for this summit not to bring about climate change targets?

[Stingray2004]

Mayor Moonbeam? Hmmmm... yeah he does have some affinity with former Governor Moonbeam.

At least Gregor hasn't proposed the establishment of a city space academy and the purchasing of a satellite that would be launched into orbit to provide emergency communications for the city. (unlike Governor Moonbeam) :D

I hope that Gregor has also purchased his carbon credits to offset the jet fuel exhaust. Or at least planted some more vegetables on the former city lawn.;)

All kidding aside, there is certainly nothing wrong for Vancouver's mayor to attend the Copenhagen mayor's conference on climate change. It would be something right up his green alley.

[flight_from_kamakura]

vancouver's about to have the olympics with a green theme. if mayor gregor weren't there, that would be the weird thing.

[whatnext]

vancouver's about to have the olympics with a green theme. if mayor gregor weren't there, that would be the weird thing.

I would expect our Prime Minister and Premier to represent. The whole dog and pony show doesn't need to go, especially since nothing meaningful will be established as a result.

[Yume-sama]

Yes, if all of these people weren't flying over on large airliners, or private jets, to combat climate change, that would be just silly.

Just as the "anti-flying" ads are coming out...

[Metro-One]

as long as it is for pushing businesses to set up shop in Vancouver, then i am all for it. Even green machines need to be designed and built somewhere.

[paradigm4]

I would expect our Prime Minister and Premier to represent. The whole dog and pony show doesn't need to go, especially since nothing meaningful will be established as a result.

You don't know that. It's actually a great opportunity to showcase our green cred on an international stage and important to show that Vancouver is taking action on climate change - even if our federal gov won't.

It's a small cost with many long term benefits. If he convinces even one city to travel to Vancouver to study our podiums and seawall, the trip will have paid off. I'm sure there will be plenty of dividends.

[WBC]

Good. Finally somebody to help Gore fight the Man-Bear-Pig.

[WarrenC12]

Its not just the cost of a plane ticket. If it was, I'm sure Gregor the Green could have easily told us the cost of this junket.

File a freedom of information request.

[WarrenC12]

[I]VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Vancouver has a 'green' message for the world. Mayor Gregor Robertson is off to Copenhagen tomorrow for a mayors' conference on climate change, and he's got a little bit to brag about.


This is my problem. What exactly can he brag about? So far he's full of hot air. No results, not even any real plans. STFU and GBTW. :tup:

Regarding the deficit, give me a look at the finances, I'm betting I could balance the budget and make sure all of the services stay open. There's tons of fat in the system, guaranteed.

[deasine]

I just want to point out that whatever he is "bragging" about is years of work of the city through some previous mayors, not actually his.

[furbe]

For years, the city of Vancouver has lacked direction. Our economic calling card was once forestry, mining, and fisheries, but for years now those industries have all been in decline. Ask someone from Europe what they know about our city, and they'll likely tell you about how "pretty" we are, or how we're a "nice place to live".

Gregor Robertson at least has a vision, whether you buy into it or not. He's the first mayor to truly attempt to rebrand Vancouver as something more than a mountain and ocean that happens to also house a city. Where there is change, there is always great opportunity, and he is attempting to capitalize on that by positioning Vancouver as the greenest city in NA. It's a natural fit for the city that gave birth to Greenpeace and individuals like David Suzuki.

I'm a Marketing professional, and in my opinion, this is something that is long overdue. We are in a global fight for talent and relevance, and if we don't attempt to carve out our niche, we will easily be surpassed by other cities that better understand the issues at hand.

I'm not saying that becoming the Greenest city is the answer to all our problems, but I do think it makes perfect sense and could pay huge dividends for us further down the line. Better to be known as a progressive, forward thinking, and tolerant city, than simply a pretty one searching for its voice.

Poster "Whatnext" actually mentioned that he expects our Prime Minister and Premier to represent us. That's the funniest joke I've heard all year. At this moment, our federal government is over there fighting tooth and nail against the environmental movement, and would rather protect the status quo than taking initiative and leadership on the subject.

With all that's at stake, and the multi-billion dollar Olympics right around the corner, I think a few bucks spent on a plane ticket and a hotel room is money well spent. We've dumped billions of dollars on getting the Olympics, and yet we bitch about spending a few thousand dollars to brand ourselves for when those TV cameras actually arrive and attempt to tell our story.

[Hed Kandi]

Hardly a necessary trip when you have a $61 million deficit. :koko:

:rolleyes:

[whatnext]

...Poster "Whatnext" actually mentioned that he expects our Prime Minister and Premier to represent us. That's the funniest joke I've heard all year. At this moment, our federal government is over there fighting tooth and nail against the environmental movement, and would rather protect the status quo than taking initiative and leadership on the subject.
.

Perhaps the PM is more realistic than Mayor Moonbeam. And if you're not keen on Harper, our beloved Gordon Campbell ushered in N. America's first carbon tax, surely giving him the best of green credentials. Who exactly is Gregor preaching to at Copenhagen?

And then there's this stat he trotted out:

Robertson's main goal is to attract eco-friendly businesses to Vancouver, but he also says Vancouver has proven a city can 'go green' and cut greenhouse gas emissions while still creating jobs. He says Vancouver has reduced emissions to 1990s levels, while still seeing a 27 per cent increase in population and 18 per cent increase in jobs and employment.

A bit disingenuous, as that could easily be explained by Vancouver turfing out (higher paying) manufacturing and primary industry jobs to the suburbs and replacing them with (lower paying ) service industry jobs. And if we've had a 27% increase in population, but only an 18% increase in jobs, that's 9% who are driving somewhere else to work.

I wonder how many other industries (ie. shipping) are wondering nervously what costs will be added to their business by Mayor Moonbeam.

[MistyMountainHop]

Perhaps the PM is more realistic than Mayor Moonbeam.

I don't think that neglecting the risks to our planet that most countries seem to acknowledge is being "more realistic".


And if we've had a 27% increase in population, but only an 18% increase in jobs, that's 9% who are driving somewhere else to work.

Not all of those 27% would be workers. Plenty of people move to Vancouver with kids.

[Delirium]

he's going to Copenhagen for a mayors conference on climate change along with 55 other mayors from all over the world.

it would be stupid for him (and the city) NOT to go and be part of those talks.
Calgary, Toronto, LA, Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, London, etc mayors are all there.

but wait. our mayor shouldn't go because of the airline and hotel tab?
give me a f**kn break.

climate summit for mayors website: http://www.climatesummitformayors.dk/

[Stingray2004]

Poster "Whatnext" actually mentioned that he expects our Prime Minister and Premier to represent us. That's the funniest joke I've heard all year. At this moment, our federal government is over there fighting tooth and nail against the environmental movement

Sorry, but I've just gotta interject with a further little bit of humour here based upon your statement.

The feds have recruited reality TV guy Mike Holmes "on Homes" as a climate advisor at the international climacy negotiations in Copenhagen. Somehow that comes across as a bit of a [mis]fit for the occasion.:D

http://www.scrapbookgraphics.com/images/newsletter/MIKE_HOLMES_PICTURE.jpg

Source: www.scrapbookgraphics.com

http://www.canada.com/technology/prominent+Canadians+advise+Canada+greenhouse+talks/2322670/story.html

[whatnext]

he's going to Copenhagen for a mayors conference on climate change along with 55 other mayors from all over the world.

it would be stupid for him (and the city) NOT to go and be part of those talks.
Calgary, Toronto, LA, Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, London, etc mayors are all there.

but wait. our mayor shouldn't go because of the airline and hotel tab?
give me a f**kn break.

climate summit for mayors website: http://www.climatesummitformayors.dk/

As a taxpaying house-owner in the City of Vancouver, I'd like Mayor Moonbeam to give me a "f**kn break" as you call it. At a time when my taxes are going up and services being cut, I'd like a "f**kn break" from politicians going on useless junkets.

Gregor the Green going to lure business? BS. From your weblink:

The Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors will put cities on top of the global climate agenda and send the message to the heads of state, the media and citizens that

Cities act - we must, we can and we will...

In other words, another useless airy-fairy bun toss, where a bunch of talking heads get together to chew the fat. Gregor can do more research at home on his laptop. It blows me away that anyone supports this waster of money, but then perhaps its not your tax dollars going down the drain.

[s211]

As a taxpaying house-owner in the City of Vancouver, I'd like Mayor Moonbeam to give me a "f**kn break" as you call it. At a time when my taxes are going up and services being cut, I'd like a "f**kn break" from politicians going on useless junkets.

Gregor the Green going to lure business? BS. From your weblink:

The Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors will put cities on top of the global climate agenda and send the message to the heads of state, the media and citizens that

Cities act - we must, we can and we will...

In other words, another useless airy-fairy bun toss, where a bunch of talking heads get together to chew the fat. Gregor can do more research at home on his laptop. It blows me away that anyone supports this waster of money, but then perhaps its not your tax dollars going down the drain.

It SHOULD blow you away that anyone supports this boondoggle, but then there were plenty enough to vote him in, and THAT should blow you away even more.

[furbe]

As a taxpaying house-owner in the City of Vancouver, I'd like Mayor Moonbeam to give me a "f**kn break" as you call it. At a time when my taxes are going up and services being cut, I'd like a "f**kn break" from politicians going on useless junkets.

Gregor the Green going to lure business? BS. From your weblink:

The Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors will put cities on top of the global climate agenda and send the message to the heads of state, the media and citizens that

Cities act - we must, we can and we will...

In other words, another useless airy-fairy bun toss, where a bunch of talking heads get together to chew the fat. Gregor can do more research at home on his laptop. It blows me away that anyone supports this waster of money, but then perhaps its not your tax dollars going down the drain.

Why do right wing neo-conservatives sound like grumpy old men?

"Bloody mayor, travelling the world, having all the damn fun on my bloody expense."

I suppose your ideal politician would just work out of his home, spend no money, never undertake any investment, limit all risk, and just cut taxes.

Low taxes - the neo-conservative answer to all problems. Low taxes are good. High taxes are bad. Cities with lower taxes always overcome cities with higher taxes.

All based on a falsehood. An oversimplified argument that assumes all businesses are the same and will go to the cities with the most favorable tax rates.

Richard Florida provided ample evidence that this is simply not the case. Businesses go to where the people are. They go to where the people want to be. They go to the cities that are the most tolerant. That's right - the "airy-fairy" cities with big gay populations like San Francisco, that are the constant butt end of jokes by right wingers like yourself. The kinds of places where people actually believe in the realities of climate change and want to see the issue addressed.

If you truly believe the Copenhagen Climate Summit is an "airy-fairy bun toss", then it's obvious what your politics are and your views on climate change. You surely can't identify the opportunities progressive countries like Germany have, in creating green economies to supply the technology and products that will lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.

But don't bother contemplating such big issues. Go back to complaining about your taxes. About a flight and a hotel. About how you could have saved a dime had our mayor not gone to network, market our city, and discuss solutions to this global problem.

[whatnext]

Why do right wing neo-conservatives sound like grumpy old men?

"Bloody mayor, travelling the world, having all the damn fun on my bloody expense."

I suppose your ideal politician would just work out of his home, spend no money, never undertake any investment, limit all risk, and just cut taxes.

Low taxes - the neo-conservative answer to all problems. Low taxes are good. High taxes are bad. Cities with lower taxes always overcome cities with higher taxes.

Perhaps I sound a like a grumpy old man because some people come across a perpetual starry-eyed grad students. LOL, yes high taxes are great. I'm sure you can volunteer to pay more than what you're assessed (if you indeed are).

All based on a falsehood. An oversimplified argument that assumes all businesses are the same and will go to the cities with the most favorable tax rates.

Richard Florida provided ample evidence that this is simply not the case. Businesses go to where the people are. They go to where the people want to be. They go to the cities that are the most tolerant. That's right - the "airy-fairy" cities with big gay populations like San Francisco, that are the constant butt end of jokes by right wingers like yourself. The kinds of places where people actually believe in the realities of climate change and want to see the issue addressed.

According to statistics more Americans flocked to Dallas-Fort Worth than any other American city recently, which hardly fits your or Florida's thesis.

If you truly believe the Copenhagen Climate Summit is an "airy-fairy bun toss", then it's obvious what your politics are and your views on climate change. You surely can't identify the opportunities progressive countries like Germany have, in creating green economies to supply the technology and products that will lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.

But don't bother contemplating such big issues. Go back to complaining about your taxes. About a flight and a hotel. About how you could have saved a dime had our mayor not gone to network, market our city, and discuss solutions to this global problem.

A federal and provincial presence at these conferences are enough. At the civic level these junkets are a waste of time. Seminars and speeches with other mayors are not going to bring any businesses to Vancouver.

It may have escaped you, but unlike Germany, Canada is in the business of extracting primary resources.

[jlousa]

I disagree with this trip, as it will accomplish very little, but the biggest issue I have is the timing of it, the mayor left during public meetings regarding the budget, the other meeting missed was a big deal too but not as big as missing the budget public hearing. If the budget crisis is as big as the mayor is making it out to be then he should have stayed, both to save a few bucks but mostly to listen to the public. It is somewhat ironic that in todays day and age an environmental conference couldn't be held electronically,

[whatnext]

I disagree with this trip, as it will accomplish very little, but the biggest issue I have is the timing of it, the mayor left during public meetings regarding the budget, the other meeting missed was a big deal too but not as big as missing the budget public hearing. If the budget crisis is as big as the mayor is making it out to be then he should have stayed, both to save a few bucks but mostly to listen to the public. It is somewhat ironic that in todays day and age an environmental conference couldn't be held electronically,

I had missed that bit about him leaving during budget meetings. Talk about irony :haha:

Civic politics is about local nuts and bolts, keeping the roads (and bike routes :) ) paved etc. If Gregor wants to play at a higher level he should go back into provincial politics, or enter the federal game.

[furbe]

Perhaps I sound a like a grumpy old man because some people come across a perpetual starry-eyed grad students. LOL, yes high taxes are great. I'm sure you can volunteer to pay more than what you're assessed (if you indeed are).

I live in downtown Vancouver, and own a condo at the Mondrian on Richards and Nelson.

I'll tell you what. I'll pay your share of Gregor Robertson's travel expenditures to a major conference, and you can pay my share of the 3.5 billion dollar bridge to Surrey that I'll never use.

According to statistics more Americans flocked to Dallas-Fort Worth than any other American city recently, which hardly fits your or Florida's thesis.

Take a look at an electoral map of the most liberal states and cities in America, and I'll tell you where the majority of high tech industries have chosen to locate.

And isn't it interesting that high tech companies such as Google and Apple have come out in favor of issues such as gay marriage and climate change? They care about such issues because so too do their staff, and it affects their ability to attract and retain the best people.

A federal and provincial presence at these conferences are enough. At the civic level these junkets are a waste of time. Seminars and speeches with other mayors are not going to bring any businesses to Vancouver.

It may have escaped you, but unlike Germany, Canada is in the business of extracting primary resources.

The business of extracting primary resources is one that will continue to decline. In case it escaped you, that's what this conference is all about.

Any smart entrepreneur is adept at looking ahead, identifying future trends and capitalizing on them. It's too bad we're neither smart nor entrepreneurial, at least not at the federal level.

I look forward to using all that German made technology and equipment we will one day import.

I disagree with this trip, as it will accomplish very little, but the biggest issue I have is the timing of it, the mayor left during public meetings regarding the budget, the other meeting missed was a big deal too but not as big as missing the budget public hearing. If the budget crisis is as big as the mayor is making it out to be then he should have stayed, both to save a few bucks but mostly to listen to the public. It is somewhat ironic that in todays day and age an environmental conference couldn't be held electronically,

I respect your opinion. But I also think you're underestimating the importance of this conference. It's not just another environmental conference, it will have profound effects on all of us and it's important enough that all world leaders should attend, including the representatives of all major cities. It's not the kind of conference left to Skype.

Sitting in council and listening to the public, both the reasonable citizens and the nut jobs, will accomplish next to nothing. Neither is it terribly important to be perfectly honest.

Every government, either federal, provincial or municipal has had a budget crisis this year. We just endured the worst financial crisis since the great depression. Yet, 100 other cities have managed to dig deep into their pockets and attend this conference.

[whatnext]

I live in downtown Vancouver, and own a condo at the Mondrian on Richards and Nelson.

I'll tell you what. I'll pay your share of Gregor Robertson's travel expenditures to a major conference, and you can pay my share of the 3.5 billion dollar bridge to Surrey that I'll never use.

Like you I will never use that bridge. But I will enjoy the fruits of the increased trade and mobility it brings to Metro. Mayor Moonbeam's junket will bring no such benefits.

...The business of extracting primary resources is one that will continue to decline....

For all Canadians sake, we should hope not. And is it in decline, in terms of dollar value?

...I look forward to using all that German made technology and equipment we will one day import.

I look forward to continuing to enjoy Germany's largest export: automobiles.

...I respect your opinion. But I also think you're underestimating the importance of this conference. It's not just another environmental conference, it will have profound effects on all of us and it's important enough that all world leaders should attend, including the representatives of all major cities. It's not the kind of conference left to Skype.

Just like Kyoto, huh ?

Sitting in council and listening to the public, both the reasonable citizens and the nut jobs, will accomplish next to nothing. Neither is it terribly important to be perfectly honest.

God forbid the mayor should deign to do what he was elected to.:rolleyes:

.Every government, either federal, provincial or municipal has had a budget crisis this year. We just endured the worst financial crisis since the great depression. Yet, 100 other cities have managed to dig deep into their pockets and attend this conference.

What a surprise, there's 100 other mayors with an inflated sense of self-importance.

[Alex Mackinnon]

The business of extracting primary resources is one that will continue to decline. In case it escaped you, that's what this conference is all about.

Any smart entrepreneur is adept at looking ahead, identifying future trends and capitalizing on them. It's too bad we're neither smart nor entrepreneurial, at least not at the federal level.



:haha: Sure, you keep telling yourself that. Even if we see a drop in massive CO2 emissions and fossil fuel usage in the next century I'd bet a fortune that we won't see the primary resource extraction industry decline unless we blow ourselves to kingdom come. I should know, I'm about to graduate in to mining and mineral process engineering.

Theres a lot more to the industry than just gas, oil and forestry. The fact is, theres more people on this planet using more metals and minerals than ever, and it's not like you can recycle your way to having more metal in use or just go cold turkey and attempt to use alternative materials. The only way we're going to go green energy wise is if we starting building huge amounts of infrastructure which doesn't depend on fossil fuels.

You see, we've grabbed all the low lying fruit when it comes to energy, all of the alternatives are going to use a lot more concrete, steel, copper, iron and industrial minerals than if we just kept on using good ol' dino juice. The bulk of the expense with these projects isn't coming from operating costs, it's with initial capital and startup costs, and for an alternative energy project to just break even in comparison to something like a coal plant over it's lifetime means there is a freaking huge difference. How many times more steel do you think is used to make a GW of wind power compared to a GW of coal power?

You want entrepreneurial attitude, get a jump on the hot commodities of the next century. It's going to be a lot of building supplies and rare earth metals unless battery tech changes. It's a good thing Vancouver is already home to one of the largest hubs of the mineral resource industry.

[furbe]

:haha: Sure, you keep telling yourself that. Even if we see a drop in massive CO2 emissions and fossil fuel usage in the next century I'd bet a fortune that we won't see the primary resource extraction industry decline unless we blow ourselves to kingdom come. I should know, I'm about to graduate in to mining and mineral process engineering.

Theres a lot more to the industry than just gas, oil and forestry. The fact is, theres more people on this planet using more metals and minerals than ever, and it's not like you can recycle your way to having more metal in use or just go cold turkey and attempt to use alternative materials. The only way we're going to go green energy wise is if we starting building huge amounts of infrastructure which doesn't depend on fossil fuels.

You see, we've grabbed all the low lying fruit when it comes to energy, all of the alternatives are going to use a lot more concrete, steel, copper, iron and industrial minerals than if we just kept on using good ol' dino juice. The bulk of the expense with these projects isn't coming from operating costs, it's with initial capital and startup costs, and for an alternative energy project to just break even in comparison to something like a coal plant over it's lifetime means there is a freaking huge difference. How many times more steel do you think is used to make a GW of wind power compared to a GW of coal power?

You want entrepreneurial attitude, get a jump on the hot commodities of the next century. It's going to be a lot of building supplies and rare earth metals unless battery tech changes. It's a good thing Vancouver is already home to one of the largest hubs of the mineral resource industry.

I think you misunderstood my point. I'm not suggesting that there isn't going to be huge money to be made in oil and gas in the short term. In fact, I believe the opposite to be true.

What I am suggesting however is that the issues of climate change are not going away, and in the long term there is a race to find alternatives. In that race to find alternatives, there is also a race to come up with alternatives.

I suggest watching this video:

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/the_gospel_of_green/video.html

You may be correct in your assessment in regards to the demand for commodities. I can't say either way. But the simple fact remains that the resource based industry in British Columbia has been in steady decline over the last 20 years. It now only accounts for 9% of the workforce, down from 13% in 1990.

Vancouver cannot pin it's economic future on these volatile industries. It needs to become a city that is home to the designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, that solve the problems we face tomorrow.

That's never going to happen if you don't have the courage to come out and make bold decision like becoming the greenest city; or marketing ourselves as progressive and supportive.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Vancouver cannot pin it's economic future on these volatile industries. It needs to become a city that is home to the designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, that solve the problems we face tomorrow.


That is largely what is happening. :tup:

You don't really see that many companies basing supporting their projects off of Vancouver's industrial base, but there's a whole lot of engineering and consulting companies running everything from a far. At last count there's over 600 mining related companies based in Vancouver, the bulk of which don't have operations in BC.

[furbe]

That is largely what is happening. :tup:

You don't really see that many companies basing supporting their projects off of Vancouver's industrial base, but there's a whole lot of engineering and consulting companies running everything from a far. At last count there's over 600 mining related companies based in Vancouver, the bulk of which don't have operations in BC.

In Germany, jobs in alternative energy will soon be the single largest employer, exceeding even those in the auto industry. Think about that for a second.

[geoff's two cents]

Vancouver cannot pin it's economic future on these volatile industries. It needs to become a city that is home to the designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, that solve the problems we face tomorrow.

That's never going to happen if you don't have the courage to come out and make bold decision like becoming the greenest city; or marketing ourselves as progressive and supportive.

Indeed, it's important to keep in mind just how economically-minded the current mayor is when it comes to marketing this city abroad as "green." This issue came up in the viaducts thread as well. The decision to go to Copenhagen (very small potatoes expense-wise) should be seen in the same light as the mayor's decision to study the possibility of viaduct removal (also relatively small potatoes, in that there's no actual monetary commitment to tearing them down). I would bet anyone that Robertson is acting in large part for both scenarios on the assumption that these little things, combined with the city's existing reputation, could very well reap economic benefits well in excess of their fairly minimal cost - in the form of an unambiguous message to prospective investors as to where to spend their "green" dollars.

In other words, these are smart expenditures, in my opinion. More frugal but less sure-fire, I suppose, would be for Robertson to simply forgo the suit for a T-shirt that says "world's greenest city."

As to electronic conferencing, while I'm generally in favor, it presents obvious limitations for building and cementing potential economic relationships. The perennial handshake alone would be an insurmountable challenge.

[Stingray2004]

In Germany, jobs in alternative energy will soon be the single largest employer, exceeding even those in the auto industry. Think about that for a second.

Yeah, solar voltaic panels/solar electric modules are a burgeoning industry in Germany particularly in the former eastern German state of Saxony and around baroque Dresden.

Nevertheless, we also have our own growing industry in that regard and one comes to mind - Day4 Energy, which was founded by Dr. John MacDonald (co-founder of MacDonald Dettwiler).

Day4 Energy has seen phenomenal growth (2nd fastest growing BC company in 2008) albeit it is still considered to be a start-up company and has yet to be profitable.

Paradoxically speaking of Germany, ~6 weeks ago Day4 Energy:

...executed an agreement to deliver a turnkey 2.4 megawatt (MW) roof-mounted turnkey photovoltaic power plant for Günther Heiss Solar Gmbh & Co. KG in Germany. Day4 Energy will design, engineer and construct the PV power plant

http://www.day4energy.com/EN/company.htm

I also look forward to expanding this type of industrial base among everything else.

[Alex Mackinnon]

In Germany, jobs in alternative energy will soon be the single largest employer, exceeding even those in the auto industry. Think about that for a second.

That really doesn't surprise me. The auto industry workforce isn't exactly growing over there, due to industrial automation it's probably shrinking and probably has been for a while. Also my last point was me saying that the components required to mass fabricate alternative energy supplies was going to go nuts shortly.

I'm not a big right wing anti-eco-agenda evilness if thats what you may think I come off as. I'm pretty centrist. My gripe is unrealistic expectations for a lot of things that largely seem to come off as green washing, rather than real advance. That and I'm a bit of a jerk in real life too :shrug:

Food for thought. If it is just another construction boom and we somehow manage to cover our asses for energy consumption, there's going to be a big alternative energy bust. You really don't want our eggs all in one basket now do you? Even alternative energy will have its own boom and bust cycles.

[twoNeurons]

http://www.minispace.com/mediadata/teaser/200810/549x262/2reidlo3.jpg
Made in Germany.

[whatnext]

Indeed, it's important to keep in mind just how economically-minded the current mayor is when it comes to marketing this city abroad as "green." This issue came up in the viaducts thread as well. The decision to go to Copenhagen (very small potatoes expense-wise) should be seen in the same light as the mayor's decision to study the possibility of viaduct removal (also relatively small potatoes, in that there's no actual monetary commitment to tearing them down). ...

The problem is that the small potatoes come together very quickly to become one very large potato.

The suggestion that was made up thread, that Mayor Moonbeam's time is better spent jetting around the world rather than on such mundane issues as budget hearings is ridiculous.

[geoff's two cents]

The problem is that the small potatoes come together very quickly to become one very large potato.

The suggestion that was made up thread, that Mayor Moonbeam's time is better spent jetting around the world rather than on such mundane issues as budget hearings is ridiculous.

The mayor isn't exactly "jetting around the world," and I never said a budget hearing was "mundane." He's in Copenhagen for what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city to play its "green" card on such a prominent world stage, after which he'll be back and doing everything a mayor is supposed to do.

My point is that the rationale for the trip is obvious. For a city with an increasingly global profile - one, moreover, of only a select group of large cities worldwide that can lay claim to a "green" or "sustainable" reputation (easily the most prominent "green"-wise in North America) - one would expect a Vancouver presence at this conference. It's an opportunity to show off at minimal taxpayer expense - minimal compared to, say, the Olympics.

That said, I'm sure he's in touch with what's going on back home, perhaps via electronic conferencing, to adapt jlousa's suggestion. I don't think his physical presence is as important for a Vancouver budget hearing as it would be, say, in Copenhagen. The world is not watching Vancouver's budget meeting; everyone, however, is watching what's what and who's who in Copenhagen.

[jlousa]

Everyone is watching the mayors conference in copenhagen? I can only assume that the mayor of Copenhagen is there I wouldn't be able to tell you any other mayor that's there, I'm sure most people would be in the same boat, so let's not say everyone is watching. Any businesses that are there are there to shop their products, and/or looking at business subsidies from regions in order to locate there. I'm fairly confident that no company is there looking for the greenest city to move to unless by greenest you mean for their bottom line.
I'm completely in favor of being greener, I just hate watching us chasing tails. I just can't help but feeling deja vu this is like the tech boom of only a few years ago with Vancouver chasing the dot.com industry offering tax incentives as we would be the tech capital of Canada etc etc.

[whatnext]

The mayor isn't exactly "jetting around the world," and I never said a budget hearing was "mundane." He's in Copenhagen for what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city to play its "green" card on such a prominent world stage, after which he'll be back and doing everything a mayor is supposed to do..

I didn't suggest you said it, However in post #28 it was stated by another poster that: "Sitting in council and listening to the public, both the reasonable citizens and the nut jobs, will accomplish next to nothing. Neither is it terribly important to be perfectly honest."

Which is a shockingly ridiculous sentiment. If the Mayor feels civic duties are beneath him, perhaps he should angle for a job with the Gates Foundation.

Gregor's presence in Copenhagen will accomplish nothing. Find me a an international link to show it was even noticed anywhere else in the world. First we were told he was soliciting business for Vancouver, but it turns out he's just jawboning with other mayors.

Perhaps we should look for an example south of the river where the uncharismatic Malcolm Brodie managed to secure an award-winning skating oval, give Richmond a true city centre, build new roads and manage to have city boulevards that are maintained to better standards than the backyard of a crack house.

[geoff's two cents]

As for the comparison to the tech boom/bust, jlousa, you may be right - I couldn't say.

A hunch of mine, however, is that a further reason to go would be to offset the nearly universal negative impression fostered by the federal government's lukewarm stance on progressive climate action. Given that the upcoming Olympics are going to be most likely perceived as "Canadian" by the watching world (and advertised as such), it may be in the city's best interests to work to cultivate a very different local or municipal persona with interested groups.

Also (and I'm not trying to pick on anyone in particular here) it frequently comes up on this forum that Vancouver is somehow less legitimate as a "world-class" city like, say, Toronto or Montreal by virtue of having a business economy less geared toward high profile corporate head offices (particularly vis a vis Calgary), and a more dispersed, smaller scale business environment - a great tourist "resort" (another word frequently used here), but not a place for serious business. If we're so ready to criticize our city for its relative lack of corporate presence, shouldn't we be welcoming the current civic administration's pro-active stance on this issue?

Toronto's got the banking; London's got insurance; Calgary and Edmonton are energy hubs (also notable, by the way, for their proneness to boom and bust cycles). A high-tech, "green" civic-corporate strategy would seem very much in this line. It's also, btw, a strategy currently being pursued by some of our smaller neighbors to the east - Waterloo (known as one of Canada's most innovative cities) and Hamilton come to mind. Now, it seems, might be a good time to do some wooing - provided, of course, given the city's current finances, it isn't too extravagant (and a one-time plane flight + hotel + accommodation for our city's top dog doesn't strike me as such - others will disagree).

[furbe]

Gregor's presence in Copenhagen will accomplish nothing. Find me a an international link to show it was even noticed anywhere else in the world. First we were told he was soliciting business for Vancouver, but it turns out he's just jawboning with other mayors.

I guess you consider Richard Branson, multi-billion dollar entrepreneur, founder of the Virgin empire, and leading branding and marketing authority, a nobody...

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+Richard+Branson+team+tackle+climate+change/2344912/story.html

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is teaming up with Virgin founder Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room in a bid to get entrepreneurs to tackle climate change and make the city greener.

The so-called “philanthropic initiative,” founded by Branson, will be launched in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, at a time when the world’s eyes will be focused on the city.

The announcement, being made Wednesday morning at the Climate Summit for Mayors in Copenhagen, is expected to help Robertson achieve his goal of making Vancouver the world’s greenest city by 2020.

“The partnership is a great boost for our efforts to build Vancouver’s green economy,” Robertson said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Although the details still have to be ironed out, Robertson said the international program will allow Vancouver to connect its green entrepreneurs with global financing through the War Room as well as other entrepreneurs around the world.

As a result, Vancouver will be able to move ahead with initiatives such as building retrofits, energy efficiency in residential buildings and electrical vehicle infrastructure.

Peter Boyd, of the War Room, said the aim of the program is to identify “market failures” or inefficiencies and find ways to improve them.

For instance, landlords may not be willing to upgrade their buildings to be more energy efficient because the savings will go to the tenants. The program looks at getting private capital to come in and fix the problem.

Branson, who will come to Vancouver to collaborate with Robertson on the program during the Olympics, said in a statement he was impressed by Robertson’s “Vancouver Green Capital” initiative.

“We will be actively seeking partners who are interested in collaborating with us on finding the best solutions.”

Robertson said the plan is to launch the program during the Olympics in hopes of capitalizing on “robust business development” and to attract companies and entrepreneurs to invest here.

“It’s super-exciting,” he said. “It’s a good breakthrough and validates the work we’re doing.”

ksinoski@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

[Hourglass]

I guess you consider Richard Branson, multi-billion dollar entrepreneur, founder of the Virgin empire, and leading branding and marketing authority, a nobody...

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+Richard+Branson+team+tackle+climate+change/2344912/story.html

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is teaming up with Virgin founder Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room in a bid to get entrepreneurs to tackle climate change and make the city greener.

The so-called “philanthropic initiative,” founded by Branson, will be launched in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, at a time when the world’s eyes will be focused on the city.

The announcement, being made Wednesday morning at the Climate Summit for Mayors in Copenhagen, is expected to help Robertson achieve his goal of making Vancouver the world’s greenest city by 2020.

“The partnership is a great boost for our efforts to build Vancouver’s green economy,” Robertson said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Although the details still have to be ironed out, Robertson said the international program will allow Vancouver to connect its green entrepreneurs with global financing through the War Room as well as other entrepreneurs around the world.

As a result, Vancouver will be able to move ahead with initiatives such as building retrofits, energy efficiency in residential buildings and electrical vehicle infrastructure.

Peter Boyd, of the War Room, said the aim of the program is to identify “market failures” or inefficiencies and find ways to improve them.

For instance, landlords may not be willing to upgrade their buildings to be more energy efficient because the savings will go to the tenants. The program looks at getting private capital to come in and fix the problem.

Branson, who will come to Vancouver to collaborate with Robertson on the program during the Olympics, said in a statement he was impressed by Robertson’s “Vancouver Green Capital” initiative.

“We will be actively seeking partners who are interested in collaborating with us on finding the best solutions.”

Robertson said the plan is to launch the program during the Olympics in hopes of capitalizing on “robust business development” and to attract companies and entrepreneurs to invest here.

“It’s super-exciting,” he said. “It’s a good breakthrough and validates the work we’re doing.”

ksinoski@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Well, that's something. The problem with these sorts of events is that there is so much other 'noise' around (watch CNN, and they'll talk about the protesters, have interviews with people that have far more star power such as Desmond Tutu, etc etc) that the message he wants to get out will be lost. I've attended many conferences, and while I suppose it's good for branding, I'm yet to be convinced that these sorts of things represent money well-spent. Just because the mayors of Calgary, Sydney and Toronto and other major cities are going doesn't make it a good thing -- or the right thing.

As a sidebar, Vancouver and Canada have a LONG way to go to prove their green creds. I'm on a long-term stint in Vienna, Austria and I can only say that North America seems to be way behind Europe in this area.

[geoff's two cents]

Wow, furbe, thanks for posting!

[furbe]

Well, that's something. The problem with these sorts of events is that there is so much other 'noise' around (watch CNN, and they'll talk about the protesters, have interviews with people that have far more star power such as Desmond Tutu, etc etc) that the message he wants to get out will be lost. I've attended many conferences, and while I suppose it's good for branding, I'm yet to be convinced that these sorts of things represent money well-spent. Just because the mayors of Calgary, Sydney and Toronto and other major cities are going doesn't make it a good thing -- or the right thing.

As a sidebar, Vancouver and Canada have a LONG way to go to prove their green creds. I'm on a long-term stint in Vienna, Austria and I can only say that North America seems to be way behind Europe in this area.

You're missing the point. What do you think the Olympics are all about? It's a branding opportunity, plain and simple. The key word being opportunity. It's the equivalent of buying advertising space in a magazine; you still have to come up with your message or ad.

Our Olympic games are right around the corner, and we've spent billions of dollars to date. Billions. But what's our message? What are we pitching? What's our story?

He doesn't need to get headlines on CNN, although it would be a major accomplishment if he could distance us as much as possible from the Harper government. He would serve us well by forging alliances, networking with other mayors, and learning about the things other progressive cities are doing. There's no question Vancouver has a long way to go and has lots to learn. That's part of the challenge.

The Beijing Olympics was all about the re-branding of China. The Vancouver Olympics is our opportunity to re-brand Vancouver to the world. If you'd rather have a mayor that was more concerned with parking tickets and paved roads, then we will agree to disagree. I'm relieved that we have a mayor that understands business and marketing, and is doing his best to make the most of our investment. I'd say the announcement regarding Richard Branson launching initiatives in Vancouver as proof it's not in vain.

[raggedy13]

Thanks for the info, furbe. That is a big partner to attract. I'm glad to see Robertson isn't just all talk.

[Hourglass]

You're missing the point. What do you think the Olympics are all about? It's a branding opportunity, plain and simple. The key word being opportunity. It's the equivalent of buying advertising space in a magazine; you still have to come up with your message or ad.

Our Olympic games are right around the corner, and we've spent billions of dollars to date. Billions. But what's our message? What are we pitching? What's our story?

He doesn't need to get headlines on CNN, although it would be a major accomplishment if he could distance us as much as possible from the Harper government. He would serve us well by forging alliances, networking with other mayors, and learning about the things other progressive cities are doing. There's no question Vancouver has a long way to go and has lots to learn. That's part of the challenge.

The Beijing Olympics was all about the re-branding of China. The Vancouver Olympics is our opportunity to re-brand Vancouver to the world. If you'd rather have a mayor that was more concerned with parking tickets and paved roads, then we will agree to disagree. I'm relieved that we have a mayor that understands business and marketing, and is doing his best to make the most of our investment. I'd say the announcement regarding Richard Branson launching initiatives in Vancouver as proof it's not in vain.

And you're missing mine: while it may be a good networking opportunity, Copenhagen is NOT the best forum to market Vancouver's key messages (whatever those message are). You've hit the nail on the head -- Vancouver's opportunity to rebrand itself is as host of the Olympics, which is precisely why I question the need for a trip to Copenhagen.

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but this whole initiative smacks of marketing spin and not much else. How much investment will this attract? How much is Branson putting into it? The article doesn't say. In business terms, what is the bottom line?

Someone who really understands business should be looking at concrete ways to market the city instead of making a junket trip to Europe. For starters, instead of each municipality in the Lower Mainland working on its own, a priority should be to set up a Metro Vancouver economic development board to market Metro Vancouver to international companies and to attract investment. Singapore has the EDB that aggressively works to attract investment. HK has the HK Trade & Development Council to facilitate trade and market the city. Vancouver has **what** exactly? Or how about opening up rep offices in selected markets in conjunction with the Canadian consulates in those countries? Or how about making business taxes in the city more equitable and attractive to companies? Or how about working with federal and provincial governments to set-up a carbon-trading exchange? Or how about working with the provincial government to offer incentives and rebates for companies in the renewable energy sector who want to set-up in the city -- in the way the government helps the film industry?

I'm not saying that the Branson initiative is all smoke and mirrors -- I really hope it isn't. But that Vancouver Sun article is rather fluffy. It takes much more to make a 'business-minded' mayor than nice words and marketing spin.

[geoff's two cents]

Someone who really understands business should be looking at concrete ways to market the city instead of making a junket trip to Europe. For starters, instead of each municipality in the Lower Mainland working on its own, a priority should be to set up a Metro Vancouver economic development board to market Metro Vancouver to international companies and to attract investment. Singapore has the EDB that aggressively works to attract investment. HK has the HK Trade & Development Council to facilitate trade and market the city. Vancouver has **what** exactly? Or how about opening up rep offices in selected markets in conjunction with the Canadian consulates in those countries? Or how about making business taxes in the city more equitable and attractive to companies? Or how about working with federal and provincial governments to set-up a carbon-trading exchange? Or how about working with the provincial government to offer incentives and rebates for companies in the renewable energy sector who want to set-up in the city -- in the way the government helps the film industry?

I'm not sure what you mean by "concrete ways to market the city." Marketing is marketing, and I don't see the harm in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to what is currently the world's most watched city, to meet some very key players with lots of money and a like-minded interest in things "green" - the most prominent stage this city will likely have for some time outside of the Olympics on which to market itself and its "green" credentials. I like your suggestions, but I'm not certain that any of them are necessarily all that much more "concrete" than the current opportunity the city is pursuing in Copenhagen.

As much as I like your suggestions, furthermore, all of them would certainly cost well in excess of this one-time trip to Copenhagen - whether in temporary loss of tax revenue or simply in the cost of bureaucratic wheeling and dealing - commissioning experts, setting up panels, etc. They sound great, but investing what would probably amount to hundreds of thousands or millions is a different kettle of fish than, say, spending thousands or tens of thousands (don't have the figure on me) on a plane trip and accommodation.

[Hourglass]

I'm not sure what you mean by "concrete ways to market the city." Marketing is marketing, and I don't see the harm in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to what is currently the world's most watched city, to meet some very key players with lots of money and a like-minded interest in things "green" - the most prominent stage this city will likely have for some time outside of the Olympics on which to market itself and its "green" credentials. I like your suggestions, but I'm not certain that any of them are necessarily all that much more "concrete" than the current opportunity the city is pursuing in Copenhagen.

As much as I like your suggestions, furthermore, all of them would certainly cost well in excess of this one-time trip to Copenhagen - whether in temporary loss of tax revenue or simply in the cost of bureaucratic wheeling and dealing - commissioning experts, setting up panels, etc. They sound great, but investing what would probably amount to hundreds of thousands or millions is a different kettle of fish than, say, spending thousands or tens of thousands (don't have the figure on me) on a plane trip and accommodation.

There is marketing and then there is marketing. I've been at many major 'must-attend' summits and conventions in a business capacity, and for the most part, the vast majority of so-called contacts simply do not result in anything meaningful. The good news in all of this is that Branson IS a brilliant marketer and promoter. The question is how well this will translate for Vancouver.

You're right -- it's much easier and cheaper to fly to the Copenhagen summit to meet other attendees than to look at fundamentally changing the way this city attracts business and investment, but in the long run, the opportunity cost for not doing so is far far more.

In any case, I'll venture a prediction: unless there is real money and resources committed here, this initiative will be forgotten within 12 months.

[whatnext]

And are we to believe the mayor's deal with SRB were concluded on the back of a cocktail napkin in Copenhagen? Surely it was put together beforehand, and the Sun is just reporting on the "photo op".

[furbe]

And you're missing mine: while it may be a good networking opportunity, Copenhagen is NOT the best forum to market Vancouver's key messages (whatever those message are). You've hit the nail on the head -- Vancouver's opportunity to rebrand itself is as host of the Olympics, which is precisely why I question the need for a trip to Copenhagen.

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but this whole initiative smacks of marketing spin and not much else. How much investment will this attract? How much is Branson putting into it? The article doesn't say. In business terms, what is the bottom line?

Someone who really understands business should be looking at concrete ways to market the city instead of making a junket trip to Europe. For starters, instead of each municipality in the Lower Mainland working on its own, a priority should be to set up a Metro Vancouver economic development board to market Metro Vancouver to international companies and to attract investment. Singapore has the EDB that aggressively works to attract investment. HK has the HK Trade & Development Council to facilitate trade and market the city. Vancouver has **what** exactly? Or how about opening up rep offices in selected markets in conjunction with the Canadian consulates in those countries? Or how about making business taxes in the city more equitable and attractive to companies? Or how about working with federal and provincial governments to set-up a carbon-trading exchange? Or how about working with the provincial government to offer incentives and rebates for companies in the renewable energy sector who want to set-up in the city -- in the way the government helps the film industry?

I'm not saying that the Branson initiative is all smoke and mirrors -- I really hope it isn't. But that Vancouver Sun article is rather fluffy. It takes much more to make a 'business-minded' mayor than nice words and marketing spin.

Branding is about saying what you do, and doing what you say. It's hard to position yourself as a leader in green ideals if you don't even bother to attend Copenhagen.

That's exactly the point. He reinforces our brand position by simply attending. By cutting the cities greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. By setting aggressive targets. By supporting the Burrard Bike Lanes. By building an extensive charging network for electric vehicles. By testing and launching cars like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. By attracting Sir Richard Branson, and having him endorse what we're doing.

I think you have good ideas about how to attract business, but our cities are not equipped to fund such initiatives without better support from the Provincial and Federal government. If our cities are the economic engines that drive our economy, our Federal government certainly doesn't recognize and fund them as such. But don't get me started on the subject.

Vancouver is doing exactly what it ought to be doing. Attending a major conference, meeting with other world leaders, sharing our experiences and initiatives to cut our carbon footprint, learning from the experiences of other leading cities, and forging the odd partnership (Richard Branson) along the way.

I hope that we take advantage of the Olympic opportunity before us, and do more than present ourselves as a nice resort worth visiting. We must start to talk about our people, about how progressive, tolerant, forward thinking, and environmentally conscious we are. If we're successful, then just maybe our Olympic investment will not end up being in vain.

[VicDuck]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/12/16/bc-branson-robertson-vancouver-green-initiative.html

[twoNeurons]

And are we to believe the mayor's deal with SRB were concluded on the back of a cocktail napkin in Copenhagen? Surely it was put together beforehand, and the Sun is just reporting on the "photo op".

It's pretty much expected of ANY politician to plan news releases at advantageous moments.

It's the "unplanned" and "leaked" news that is damaging to a career.

[s211]

Robertson said the plan is to launch the program during the Olympics in hopes of capitalizing on “robust business development” and to attract companies and entrepreneurs to invest here.

“It’s super-exciting,” he said.

Moonbeam sounds like a tween hooked on twitter.

[whatnext]

And as expected, Copenhagen boils down to lots of sound and fury signifying nothing:

The world’s most-anticipated climate change conference wound down almost a full day late — only narrowly avoiding utter failure with a limited but politically saleable last-minute pact.

On Saturday, 193 United Nations member countries agreed they would “take note” of the non-binding Copenhagen Accord, which will see countries list individual emission reduction targets, and begin a process for tens of billions in financial aid to flow to poor nations to help them adapt to climate change.

But the accord is non-binding and weaker than many hoped...
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Copenhagen+dodges+utter+failure+with+binding+agreement/2362894/story.html

[jlousa]

Before I go any farther I'd like to state that I'm very big on the environmental movement, I've downsized from a sfh into a Leed certfied condo. I've given up my car completely, walk to work, use a bike/transit for almost every other trip recycle etc etc.

Still do not get what Robertson is trying to accomplish in Copenhagen, I even looked into Branson's global war room, not much there. Did find the following pdf which I thought I'd share.

http://www.carbonwarroom.com/sites/default/files/Vancouver_One_Pager_v1108.pdf

Speaks of using property tax financing to retrofit existing buildings. I'll wait for the details to be released on this, but I really don't like the sounds of it right now. Seems like they will be targeting the built form with Project Vancouver. Umm isn't that what we've been doing for the last decade? Eco-density took a heavy toll on the NPA but it was the right thing to do, as was making LEED silver a requirement and stepping it up to LEED gold in 2010. In fact the current council is reneging on that by postponing the LEED gold requirement by another 6months to June 2010 instead of Janurary. Not exactly the gesture they want to be showing the world. Vancouver already has very tough building codes that are ever strengthening, even in renovating existing properties there are engery upgrades that have become mandatory. I get truly worried when I see terms like property tax financing tossed around and can't help but see tax increases to make up for the lost revenue.
Current stats show that Vancouver is already one of the global leaders. There is certainly more good that can be done globally by making all other cities more like Vancouver instead of making Vancouver a tad greener.

[whatnext]

Before I go any farther I'd like to state that I'm very big on the environmental movement, I've downsized from a sfh into a Leed certfied condo. I've given up my car completely, walk to work, use a bike/transit for almost every other trip recycle etc etc.

Still do not get what Robertson is trying to accomplish in Copenhagen, I even looked into Branson's global war room, not much there. Did find the following pdf which I thought I'd share.

[URL="http://www.carbonwarroom.com/sites/default/files/Vancouver_One_Pager_v1108.pdf"]http://www.carbonwarroom.com/sites/default/files/Vancouver_One_Pager_v1108.pdf[/URL

Speaks of using property tax financing to retrofit existing buildings. I'll wait for the details to be released on this, but I really don't like the sounds of it right now. Seems like they will be targeting the built form with Project Vancouver. Umm isn't that what we've been doing for the last decade? Eco-density took a heavy toll on the NPA but it was the right thing to do, as was making LEED silver a requirement and stepping it up to LEED gold in 2010. In fact the current council is reneging on that by postponing the LEED gold requirement by another 6months to June 2010 instead of Janurary. Not exactly the gesture they want to be showing the world. Vancouver already has very tough building codes that are ever strengthening, even in renovating existing properties there are engery upgrades that have become mandatory. I get truly worried when I see terms like property tax financing tossed around and can't help but see tax increases to make up for the lost revenue.
Current stats show that Vancouver is already one of the global leaders. There is certainly more good that can be done globally by making all other cities more like Vancouver instead of making Vancouver a tad greener.

:previous: I also get ticked when "Vancouver" is used like its in isolation from every other municipality in the Lower Mainland. All this "greenery" needs to take place in a much more coordinated fashion, in a larger metro context, than just the City of Vancouver. Good case for amalgamation I guess.

[furbe]

Before I go any farther I'd like to state that I'm very big on the environmental movement, I've downsized from a sfh into a Leed certfied condo. I've given up my car completely, walk to work, use a bike/transit for almost every other trip recycle etc etc.

Still do not get what Robertson is trying to accomplish in Copenhagen, I even looked into Branson's global war room, not much there. Did find the following pdf which I thought I'd share.

http://www.carbonwarroom.com/sites/default/files/Vancouver_One_Pager_v1108.pdf

Speaks of using property tax financing to retrofit existing buildings. I'll wait for the details to be released on this, but I really don't like the sounds of it right now. Seems like they will be targeting the built form with Project Vancouver. Umm isn't that what we've been doing for the last decade? Eco-density took a heavy toll on the NPA but it was the right thing to do, as was making LEED silver a requirement and stepping it up to LEED gold in 2010. In fact the current council is reneging on that by postponing the LEED gold requirement by another 6months to June 2010 instead of Janurary. Not exactly the gesture they want to be showing the world. Vancouver already has very tough building codes that are ever strengthening, even in renovating existing properties there are engery upgrades that have become mandatory. I get truly worried when I see terms like property tax financing tossed around and can't help but see tax increases to make up for the lost revenue.
Current stats show that Vancouver is already one of the global leaders. There is certainly more good that can be done globally by making all other cities more like Vancouver instead of making Vancouver a tad greener.

I believe Gregor Robertson is trying to brand Vancouver as progressive, forward thinking, tolerant, and environmentally conscious. I, along with Mayor Robertson and intellectuals like Richard Florida, believe that our cities hold the keys to our future, and that we are in a global fight for relevance and talent.

Take his comments in this recent interview:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/francis/archive/2009/12/16/vancouver-and-vancouverism.aspx

The city is diverse, not only ethnically but also socially. English is a first language to only 48% of Vancouver residents and its tolerance for alternative lifestyles is well-known.

“The city is a real mosaic of culture and persuasion. We celebrate these. There is a spirit of tolerance and acceptance here that is refreshing. It’s been that way for decades so we’re well beyond where many cities are in terms of accepting different lifestyles and perspectives. I think that only makes us stronger and more relevant and attractive to people who don’t fear differences,” he said.

Underpinning the city is economic stability.

“We have more small businesses per capita than anywhere in Canada and the U.S.,” said Mayor Robertson, who co-founded juice maker Happy Planet before entering provincial then municipal politics. “A small business driven economy means there’s huge opportunity for emerging technologies and ideas.”

“We have enormous opportunities emerging in the green economy. I’m focused on capturing the opportunities created in clean technology and we’re attracting more talent from all over the world because we’re considered a green city. We’ve got momentum on that front. And our trump card, in terms of attracting talent, is the beauty and liveability of this city.”

So while Gregor Robertson is doing everything in his power to position our city to take advantage of these new opportunities, utilize the branding opportunity of the Olympic Games, and forge alliances with green minded billionaire entrepreneurs, people complain because he's spent the equivalent of a single page advertisement in The Vancouver Sun?

Does anybody realize the value of the media coverage we're about to receive for the Olympic games is valued at? What kind of clueless city wouldn't polish it's image and message to take advantage? Gregor Robertson has come out and staked our claim, and he's now simply walking the walk.

And while our Federal Government is doing a remarkable job at dismissing the threat of global warming, combating environmentalists, and being ridiculed on the international stage, green minded entrepreneurs in Metro Vancouver are not so oblivious to these problems and are working constructively towards solutions.

Companies like General Fusion, who are working on building nuclear fusion technology, and were featured in Popular Science magazine:

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-12/machine-might-save-world

A shame then really, to hear that our conservative "pro business" government is jeopardizing it all by not committing further funds to the "green fund" that made it all possible in the first place:

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/739882--green-fund-may-be-unsustainable

Leadership isn't coming from the top, it's coming from the bottom. It's coming from ordinary citizens like Jlousa that have traded their cars for bikes. It's coming from entrepreneurs who are dedicating businesses to solving these problems. And yes, it's coming from the mayor, whose made green a priority and a platform, and made Vancouver one of the leading centers in NA.

[WarrenC12]

There is certainly more good that can be done globally by making all other cities more like Vancouver instead of making Vancouver a tad greener.

Totally agree. I don't want to see Vancouver lose and momentum, but it shouldn't take much to keep that going, and lets not cripple anything else (like the economy) in the meantime.

Kind of like the electric/hydrogen car argument. Sure, lets get this technology out there and those that want or can afford it can buy it, but in the meantime if you get everyone driving a 15mpg car into a 30mpg car, you're being more realistic and making a bigger difference.

[jlousa]

I hate reviving old threads, but I had this one marked in my calendar to revisit. It's been over 3yrs now since the Carbon War Room was launched and the green capital challenge should be over now.

At the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, the Carbon War room launched a three-year challenge to help cities around the world use innovative mechanisms to bring capital, energy technologies, and jobs to their communities in a sustainable and wealth-creating way. Operation Green Capital is designed to accelerate the implementation of scalable, replicable efficiency and generation technology solutions employing innovative financial mechanisms.

So what are the results? Roaring success or another photo op turned dud? Searched the city site pretty deeply and don't find a single mention of the program at all except the launch back during the games. Anyone have any insight?

[Conrad Yablonski]

My friend's wife works @ City Hall-she says it's to be found in the back of a drawer in the basement-along with the Hydrogen Highway.

[whatnext]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water:


...He (Robertson) also announced a "low-carbon zone" dedicated to businesses in False Creek Flats, and district energy systems to run through many of the city's major neighbourhoods. District energy will "slash pollution and provide stable, low-cost renewable energy to thousands of homes while creating new jobs," Robertson said...
http://www.biv.com/article/20131017/BIV0102/131019950/robertson-lays-out-plan-for-vancouvers-8220-innovation-economy-8221?utm_source=BIV+Daily&utm_campaign=8edb86d4ae-Daily_Thursday_October_1710_17_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7a16d5571-8edb86d4ae-209375701

Is this the same District Energy that OV residents have been complaining about?

[theKB]

Is this the same District Energy that OV residents have been complaining about?

I would guess so, but low cost is debatable since over 50% of the cost was an administration charge from enerpro. I would say energy costs almost doubled living in the OV to comparable size new construction places I have lived.