Moving forward
and a step closer to having pet waste accepted in the green bin
“time is not a straight line but one that is curved by the currents of living, you do not have to see the full measure of its bend, all you have to do is place one foot before the other and be surprised.” a divination by Willow Defebaugh
Can you fix a bike? Announcing the launch of the Canadian Bicycle Industry Skills Coalition (CBISC) / Coalition canadienne des compétences de l’industrie du vélo (CCCIV)—Canada’s new national sector council dedicated to strengthening and growing the bicycle mechanic workforce.
CBISC brings together employers, educators, trainers, mechanics, advocates, and industry leaders to address workforce challenges, improve training pathways, and advance recognition of bicycle mechanics as a vital part of Canada’s growing green economy. We’d love to have you involved.
Turning textile waste into materials to enrich soil
Hoping to find unique ways to keep used clothing that couldn’t be resold from ending up in landfill, Goodwill partnered with Western’s Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) and Jennifer Wright, professor and researcher from Fanshawe’s Fashion Design program and Centre for Research and Innovation.
“Textile waste is often difficult to recycle using conventional methods because it’s a mixture of different kinds of fibres with dyes and additives. That means many textiles end up in landfills,” said Heejin Lee, a postdoctoral research associate appointed at Fanshawe and collaborating with ICFAR.
“I used a thermal process called pyrolysis, where materials are heated in the absence of oxygen and broken down into different components like biochar.”
“Through our research, we have developed a way to lock carbon into the soil instead of releasing it as CO2 into the atmosphere.
Neha Batta, a Western postdoctoral research fellow with ICFAR, focuses her research on natural fabrics and how enzymes can help break them down.
“About 80 per cent of thrifted textiles (in North America) still end up in landfills, so it’s imperative that we find different ways of disposing of them,” said Batta.
Youth Alert! 2026 Youth Summit for Mother Earth, an in-person, cross-cultural event, planned and hosted by Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth leaders from across Ontario will be held at Tawingo Outdoor Centre in Huntsville from September 11-13, 2026 for youth aged 14-20. The event is hosted in partnership with Ontario Nature and Indigenous advisors. View last year’s agenda. Apply Now
A chartered bus will pick-up and drop-off youth in Toronto and Barrie.
New Course: Earth’s Changing Climate- Confronting the Challenge offered online. Oct 13-Dec 1; 1pm-2:30ET, including a weekly Q&A. Presented by Dr. Martin Bush.
N’Amerind Friendship Centre is seeking donations of new or gently used children’s shoes as they honour Residential School Survivors (shoes will be donated to local non-profit organizations after Orange Shirt day on Sept 30).
At the July 21, Council Meeting: ratification for increased green bin materials and air conditioning support.
(video 5:00:00) (4.3) Pilot Program for Air Conditioning Support for Low-Income Seniors
part a) to report back by Q1 2027 for implementation for summer 2027. Passed 13-2 with Councillors Stevenson and Hillier opposed
parts b)+c) to advocate to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Federal Government for funding assistance. Passed 15-0
(video 5:17:00) Pet waste pilot project: Approved for Wards 11 (Councillor Franke) and 12 (Councillor Peloza). Communication to 1,900 eligible residents will be forthcoming for implementation in Fall 2026. Passed 15-0
(video: 5:20:50) Transit Baseline Funding Agreement with Federal Government. Passed 12-3 with Councillors VanMeerbergen, Hillier and Stevenson opposed
(video 5:33:34) Green Development Framework Staff report was received. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has confirmed that the Green Development Framework project and proposed Terms of Reference do not conflict with provincial legislation, and that the City of London is able to develop and implement voluntary green development measures.
to identify voluntary green development measures informed by sustainability objectives and supported by the establishment of consistent definitions, measures, and metrics.
Engagement with the development industry, community, advisory committees, and other interested parties will be prioritized
Approved 15-0, funding approved 14-1 with Councillor Stevenson opposed
The city’s Strategic Plan Performance Dashboard has 8 Areas of Focus.
Strategic Area of Focus: Climate Action and Sustainable Growth, by ensuring infrastructure is built, maintained, and secured to support future growth and protect the environment.
Strategy A: London has a strong and healthy environment
Work with residents and organizations to implement the 60% Waste Diversion Action Plan including the Green Bin.
Complete Resource Recovery Plan to maximize value and divert more materials from landfill.
Pursue beneficial reuse of waste solids from the wastewater treatment process.
Fri July 24-25, Home County turns 50! at Victoria Park. TREA volunteers will be helping turn food waste into compost. Thank them at the EcoStations!
Sun July 26 2-4pm Beading workshop with Mikayla Stevens, Museum London
Sun July 26, 2pm Webinar: How to Plan your Butterfly Big Year, hosted by David Suzuki Foundation. Whether you want to find new species or see as many butterflies as possible, this webinar will provide the “butterflying” skills you need to make it happen.
July 27-Aug 3, Backyard Bioblitz by Nature Conservancy Canada. Sign up to upload your photos of nature to iNaturalist. It’s a fun and easy way to contribute to conservation. No experience necessary.
Sat Aug 1, 9am Mid-summer Native Plant Sale hosted by Kevin Gauci, 750 Inverness Avenue
Sat Aug 8, 2pm River Revery – Music and Poetry with Penn Kemp & Ann Denny at Westminster Ponds Centre, hosted by Thames Talbot Land Trust
Wed Aug 12, 4-5pm Monthly Dose of Climate Hope with Bill McKibben. In conversation with Sam Matey-Coste, of Climate Action Now
Sat Aug 29, 10am-4pm 2nd annual London Urban Farm Tour hosted by London Urban Farmers
Fridays for Future is paused for the summer. This is a small group, dedicated to holding a place for youth in support of Greta Thunberg’s global movement.
Podcast: Beyond Ecological Grief, Tipping Points
By Amy Romer of the National Observer
Beyond Ecological Grief is a six-part podcast, hosted by Amy Romer, investigating the emotional realities of living through a planetary health crisis. This episode Nicola Smith talks about her personal story, with comments from climate psychologist Britt Wray. (27 min)
There is a reframe of HOPE that I find extremely helpful and its when we understand that hope is not an emotion, hope is instead a mindset that demands your own active participation in the story and requires 3 things. It requires goals, it needs to have viable pathways for making change that you can get involved in, and then thirdly, it requires willpower - the belief that it’s worth trying to do something. (Britt Wray)
In this definition, hope isn’t something you wait for, it’s something you participate in and commit to. (Amy Romer)
Passivity and having hoping in other people solving this is not going get us there. It requires courage, conviction, stamina, dedication and finding purpose in all of this. It’s only then when we act in these ways, and link arms with others, to express and work with this mindset that we get to have hope. In other words, hope comes later. It’s not something we have upfront. (Britt Wray)
What follows from this way of thinking is harder, it means acting without guarantees, without certainty of our outcomes. Because as Britt says, the climate crisis is not a pass/fail test. There is no single moment when everything collapses. and actions stops counting. Every fraction of a degree matters and every fraction of a degree means lives are protected. So the question becomes, how do people continue acting when hope feels thin? (Amy Romer)