Lecture 8: Green Initiatives Flashcards
Conservation
Preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment and of wildlife
Sustainability
Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance
TZNet0 Plan
- sustainability plan
- have a net 0 impact on the environment and wildlife
- counter the negative impacts through positive impacts
Environmental Management System Manual
- A comprehensive, systematic, planned , and documented system to manage an organization’s environment program
- includes: organizational structure, planning, training, record keeping, and resources
GEZT
- Green Eco-zoo team
- The Toronto Zoo’s green team
- manages and implements the Environmental Management System Manual
According to the Environmental Management System, what are 8 areas we impact the environment
- waste management
- energy management
- water management
- sustainability and purchasing
- stewardship of the land
- programs and awareness
- engagement and innovations
- chemical management
Three areas under this process
- action
- science
- awareness
Circular economy
Aim to have nothing end up in the landfill. Circulate products and materials.
Zero Waste by 2027
- Zero waste program for the employees where they are being educated
- hopes to eliminate waste sent to landfills through reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting
- aims to achieve this goal by 2027
-Mainly for the staff since they are easier to reach - trying to increase recycling
- problem: different areas have different recycling programs
Material Exchange
- only 18% of what we recycle goes into the Blue Box Program
- this program, we provide our waste to others
- sometimes, we use others’ waste to make resources (Coca Cola barrels for the Polar Bears)
Ongoing Projects
- 14 water bottle filling stations
- working with vendors to reduce single use plastics and wastes
- by 2025 - have no plastics in their gift shop or have recyclable plastics
Plastic Pathway
- Area in the zoo where along the different path roads, there are touch points that talk about different elements of plastics
- guest get to learn about plastic use and the important efforts underway to address plastic pollution
Elements of the plastic pathway
- sustainable design
- reuse and repurpose
- collection , sortation, and recycling
- recycled content and upcycling (asphalt - extending product life cycle)
- community science and engagement
- plastics in the environment
Understanding our waste
- Oscar
- AI technology Bin Sensor Pilot Project
Net Zero Carbon by 2030
- from 1990, decrease in CO2 emissions from the Toronto zoo
- natural gas is the energy consumer at the zoo because in the past, it was the cheapest
- with the carbon tax, it won’t be
- starting to do conversion from natural gas to electric which has lower carbon
- by 2030, the Zoo wants to have net zero greenhouse gas emission
Renewable Energy
- one way to reduce consumption
- use renewable energy sources (solar panels)
- don’t have a large production because it is very expensive
Energy Efficient technologies
- heat pumps (alternate to boiler systems and they are electric and net 0 carbon)
- installed variable frequency drives that drives electric motors
Creating energy from manure
by adding zoo poo to biogas plant, they can create electricity
Zero carbon transportation by 2030
- zoo has 146 cars and majority of them are gas and diesel
- trying to have vehicles that are low carbon
- however, covid created a supply chain issue with electronics
- zoo also has charging stations
Net Zero Water by 2030
- net zero portable water consumption
- we have never get net 0 water
- 90% of the decline has been based on behaviours of the staff
Protecting water resources : Greenhouse
- for the greenhouse, it was able to collect water and garderners use it to water plants and excess are use to water plants on other areas
- technology needed to filter rain water to help clean exhibits
How do green roofs protect water resources?
- green roof captures water run off thus, preventing erosion and flooding
- there are other benefits
- plants can increase biodiversity and creates a natural habitat
- retains energy in the building by acting as an insulation
How does the hyena’s exhibit help to protect water resources
- have a self filtering rain capturing system inside their exhibit
- don’t need to fill it
- allow snow and rain to fill it and create a water cascade
- have filters that filter out negative nutrients and microorganisms
- this is their drinking source and they can play in it
- aesthetically pleasing as well
Cleaning up the water way
- water way is where they have a series of ponds that are connected
- captures 75% of the storm runoff from the Toronto Zoo
- not a good system as it collects nutrients and contaminants
- Not a self filtering systems
- Not safe to use for animals and humans
- Finding ways of cleaning water way using nature-based systems
- Also make it aesthically pleasing
Sustainable purchasing
- you are a consumer, you have a choice and a voice
- every time you purchase something, you are telling something to the manufacturer
- ex. plam oil
- need to reduce purchase or purchase products that acquired palm oil sustainably
- the zoo has messages to the customers to inform them about the issue
- have shopping guides
- Apps that tell - problem is it is based on the U.S. so can’t guarantee if Canada has sustainability palm oil
Problem with palm oil
- cheap and easy source of oil that are found in everything that you buy - food and personal care products
- produced in monoculture rainforest which are being cut down
Stewardship of land
have a target to restore over 200 acres of land whether that be at the zoo or off site of the zoo
How is the zoo trying to achieve stewardship of land
- invasive species management plan
- network of nature community program
invasive species management plan
- Mapped out every location and every invasive species and plant species
- Looks at the impact they have in terms of our agriculture and spread
Network of nature community program
high density planting in urban centres to increase biodiversity
Putting words into Action
- sustainable events guide for all the staffs
- bullfrogpowered renewable energy source for various events
- education programs for the staff (ex. national waste reduction week)
- rainbarrel sale
- polar dip
- reusing and repurposing workshop
- Phone apes
Rain barrel sales
to try and make people catch rain water at home and raise issue of rain water
polar dip
people can come do a polar dip and learn about the issue of climate change on the artic environment
Workshop for reusing and repurposing
Turned old tires into swings
Phone Apes
- Cell phone recycling program called Phone Apes
- Coltan is found in every electronic
- Mined in the rainforest of South America but mainly in Africa
- That is the prime habitat for Gorillas
- Open pit mine - brings a lot of toxins to the surface, clear cutting
- Contaminated sites from the mines - don’t clean up
- Also use child labour in these mines
- Don’t need to continue mining for it, if we recycle our electronics properly
