Decarbonize Ottawa
By David Paré
Decarbonize OttawaMay 01, 2022
Where are the Cars?
Covid and war in Europe have thrown a wrench into electric vehicles supply chains. Decarbonize Ottawa invited Ottawa’s electric car guru back for an update on buying an electric car in the Ottawa region.
Featuring Raymond Leury with music by Paul Paré.
Goodbye, Boiler
This is the second of two episodes on heat pumps--an energy-efficient alternative to heating and cooling with natural gas. The first looked at ducted systems to replace forced air furnaces. This episode is about heat pumps for homes with boiler and radiator systems.
Featuring Jason Creaghan and Holly Bickerton. Music by Paul Paré.
Heat from the Cold: Lowering your Home's Carbon Footprint
Air source heat pumps are a high efficiency alternative to burning natural gas--both for home heating and air conditioning, all with the same unit. Meet a couple of Ottawans who have taken the plunge.
Featuring Jason Creaghan and Holly Bickerton.
Greening the Neighborhood
What to do when an asphalt roadway is sitting virtually unused beside a prime piece of parkland in your neighbourhood? The residents of Ottawa's west end had a radical idea--tear it up, and turn it into gardens and forests instead. This is the story of how Champlain Park won a Greener Greenspace Award from the Society for Organic Urban Land Care.
The National Healing Forests Initiative
The National Healing Forest project was born on a May day walk in Ottawa. This episode tells the tale of how this collaborative initiative came to be, and explores the possibilities for sustainability and reconciliation offered by the growing number of healing forests in Canada.
Featuring Peter Croal and Patricia Stirbys. Music by Paul Paré.
Going Electric, Part Two: Practical Considerations of Owning an Electric Vehicle in Ottawa.
In the first of this two-part conversation, Raymond Leury, President of the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa broke down the environmental impact of EV’s versus internal combustion vehicles. In this episode, Raymond and David explore common questions about owning and driving an electric car in Ottawa.
Featuring Raymond Leury with music by Paul Paré.
Going Electric, Part One: The Carbon Footprint of Electric Vehicles
The transportation industry is converting to electric at a rapid rate--presumably a good thing, But just how different is the carbon footprint of electric compared to internal combustion vehicles? In the first of two parts, this episode unpacks the question with a vehicle specialist.
Featuring Raymond Leury with music by Paul Paré.
Scoping the Urban Forest: Doing an Inventory of the Tree Canopy in Old Ottawa South.
Volunteers in Ottawa South are busy counting trees on private land in their neighbourhood. Not just counting, but identifying, measuring and assessing age and health. They're following a protocol called "Neighbourwoods", and the data they collect will give them leverage to advocate for trees in their community.
Featuring Mark Burgham with music by Paul Paré.
Decarbonize Ottawa: An Introduction
Decarbonize Ottawa is a podcast series devoted to exploring climate change—what it means, and what we can do about it in Canada’s capital city. This short trailer gives you a peek at what the series is all about.
Featuring music by Paul Paré.
Looking out for Trees in Your Neighborhood
Thirty percent of Ottawa is covered in tree canopy--an urban forest that plays a crucial role in both mitigating and adapting to climate change. Each tree makes a difference. And yet how often do we see a healthy tree destroyed by new construction? Ottawa has a tree bylaw that sets rules for which trees can be cut, and which trees cannot. This podcast tells you what you can do to ensure no trees in your neighbourhood are being damaged or destroyed by careless building practices.
Featuring Daniel Buckles with music by Paul Paré.