Environmental Awareness
Follow Up and New Initiatives
Environmental Awareness includes environmental efforts by the municipality, businesses and private citizens of a community. It includes such things as sustainable development, policies and by-laws, waste reduction, landfill sites, hazardous waste collection, sewage disposal, transfer/recycle stations, recycling initiatives, Plant Health Care, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), water source, treatment and conservation, naturalization, environmental clean up activities, environmentally friendly transportation.
"Peterborough has set a very high bar in regards to best practices in Environmental Awareness". (Matt Rosen, Dave Hilton, 2006)
The City of Peterborough is a leader in the waste management industry, as defined by the Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators, in partnership with Stewardship Ontario, through their “Best Practices” review amongst medium urban centres with the City boasting a 45% diversion rate. "The Waste Management Calendar was ‘Brilliant’". (Betty Lamonte, Martin Quinn, 2005) The 2008 calendar featured Communities in Bloom. Over 30,000 copies of the calendar were distributed to Peterborough Households. The calendar presents the public with guidance and information to encourage participation in recycling, waste management and tips to use the incentives the city has brought forward to ensure a clean and safe environment as well as information about Communities in Bloom.
Peterborough continues to open up the margins of knowledge and opportunity for informed action in environmental stewardship. In May 2008, Trent University hosted the 51st Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research. The highlight of the conference was a lecture by renowned environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who spoke about ‘Our Environmental Destiny’. Kennedy’s green message spoke to the need for new laws, enforcement and knowledge to protect and conserve water resources in Canada and the United States. 
New for 2008, ‘A Passport to Green Homes’ invited residents to learn hands-on about Renewable Energy, Water Conservation, Lifestyles and Garden Naturalization. Sponsored by Peterborough Green-Up, the Passport opened the door to six outstanding local initiatives for sustainable living. At one of the tour sites you can clean your laundry with a clear conscience at Peterborough’s first environmentally friendly Laundromat! Here, your unmentionables are washed with water heated in solar tubes on the rooftop, wrung out in ultra-efficient front loading washers and tumbled in Energy-Star rated dryers. This local business has cut 33% of its energy consumption by using solar power, making smart machine choices and through other green initiatives including sensor-controlled lighting, retrofits using insulation made of recycled plastic, high efficiency windows and recycled rubber flooring. 
Wise use of natural resources is a learned behaviour. It starts at a young age. This year, the seventh annual Children’s Water Festival was held at the Riverview Park and Zoo attracting 1,200 Peterborough area pupils from Grade 2 to 5. The festival is supported 22 sponsors and 18 partners who provide expert guidance at 35 activity centres run by local high school students. The comprehensive trail system provides users an opportunity of recreating within the river shore area and park system. The trail system is well marked, has interpretive signage and includes well done promotional material”. (Matt Rosen, Dave Hilton, 2006) In 2008, the City established new milestones in pedestrian access policy and facilities. Walking is supported as a form of transportation. In 2008, implementation of a Sidewalk Strategic Plan was adopted by City Council. In this plan, all missing sidewalks are mapped and ranked. Priority 1 and 2 sidewalks will be constructed over the next several years. 
New trails, trail improvements and 12 km of new cycling lanes have been approved to provide infrastructure to support cyclists. Cycling is a rapidly growing activity for both recreation and transportation. Even Maggie got a tune up. For the fifth year, the month of May will have more than 25 workplaces competing against each other for the most sustainable commuter prize. Employees record trips to work and every time they walk, cycle, carpool or take transit points accumulate for their company. Participants are eligible for great prizes. The Active and Safe Routes to School coalition promotes active transportation to school. New in 2008 is the monthly ‘I WALK’ program in which each school encourages students to make a special effort to walk or cycle to school or their bus stop the first Wednesday of the month. 
An optic cable system is being installed to co-ordinate traffic signals. More green lights equals lower fuel consumption and reduced vehicle idling at intersections. Of the City’s 104 traffic signals, 80 will be co-coordinated by the end of 2008. The system includes a transit signal priority component whereby Peterborough Transit buses will be given the green light as a priority over private vehicles. In 2007, traffic signal lights were converted to LED technology, reducing electricity consumption by 75%. 