Assessing the parties through an environmental lens

At the risk of sounding like a single-issue voter, it will be no surprise to anyone who has read any of my columns that the environment ranks high. There are lots of other issues, such as healthcare, debt, economic growth, but all that is moot as we stare mass extinction in the face. If you think I’m being hyperbolic, you aren’t paying attention. Before his death, Stephen Hawking gave humanity another two centuries before we’re toast. To me, the long-term survival of our species trumps any short-term issue we are facing at the moment, no matter how pressing it might seem.  Read more

[Read more →]

Toronto is busy planning for yesteryear

Mayor John Tory doesn’t think much of me. He doesn’t even acknowledge my existence. In fact, he said there are incredibly few of me.

The “me” in this case is a parent without a car.  Read more

[Read more →]

The danger of equating pop culture with the periodic table

This neighbourhood is known for great people and I’m lucky enough to call many of them neighbours. I had the pleasure of joining some friends for dinner recently. After dinner, the gracious host pulled out a game and continued their after-dinner tradition of playing the latest trivia game they received for Christmas.  Read more

[Read more →]

Invest in transit and public works, not roads and parking

If all goes according to plan — and with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) it never does — Torontonians should enjoy time-based transfers starting in August. It’s great news for transit users but critics — who claim it’s an unfair subsidy — are livid.  Read more

[Read more →]

Toronto shouldn’t have to pay for roads used by non-Torontonians

I love a good history lesson.  Read more

[Read more →]

PHOTO BY TERRI CHU/GLEANER NEWS: Cars rule the road in Madrid (above), a city whose culinary delights and historic sights are marred by the population’s refusal to use public transit.

Time to end the car era

By Terri Chu  Read more

[Read more →]

Governments need to change behaviour through policy

By Terri Chu  Read more

[Read more →]

It’s hard to borrow a cup of sugar…but the problem isn’t Toronto

Kellie Leitch is reportedly getting packets upon packets of sugar in the mail as a response to her comments that in Toronto, you can’t walk next door and borrow a cup of sugar. She’s right, to an extent…just not in Toronto.  Read more

[Read more →]

Embrace the green and lower your footprint

Christmas came a little late for me this year. I woke up on New Year’s Day and looked out of the window at the gas station sign. The ever slightly higher gas price was a pleasant reminder of the new carbon tax that Ontarians are now paying and I couldn’t be happier. Natural gas will be increased by about 7 cents a cubic metre, and gasoline about 4 cents a litre. This is truly a great day for our children. It’s a small but important step in the right direction.  Read more

[Read more →]

Five alternatives to store-bought gifts

By Terri Chu

When I was a child, Christmas was a magical time. But as I grew older and became more environmentally aware, the holiday quickly became one of my least favourite times of year. Now I can’t even step into a mall during the holidays: just the mere sight of so many useless gifts meant as a token, ultimately destined for the landfill, makes me grieve for the planet.  Read more

[Read more →]

Draw attention to what really matters

By Terri Chu

Sometimes I wonder why, knowing what we know about climate change, there are people who continue to buy things they don’t really need for the sake of it. We have our share of green businesses in the Annex, but that doesn’t make us immune from replacing our perfectly functioning phones with newer ones, or falling for the latest fashion trends (none of which are sustainable).  Read more

[Read more →]

By Terri Chu

Having a kid is expensive, anybody can tell you that. What nobody told me though was how expensive raising a child can be when you try to stay low on environmental impact. Cloth diapers are a huge capital outlay and I’m not convinced they are used long enough to break even against disposables. Using a diapering service costs around $25 per week while disposables are about $0.30 each, which even at 10 per day comes in at $21.  Read more

[Read more →]

What the industry doesn’t tell you is that plastic doesn’t get recycled very well.

By Terri Chu

An attempt by Toronto city council to dispense with the 5-cent fee on plastic bags has instead resulted in the outright ban of the bags.  Read more

[Read more →]