Media coverage saves program for now

Newcomer Kitchen began at Butler’s Pantry on Markham Street before moving to Depanneur on College Street when Butler’s Pantry was closed due to the Mirvish Village redevelopment. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

By Geremy Bordonaro

A streak of luck, international media attention, and more than a little bit of hope have saved Newcomer Kitchen, which had its roots in Mirvish Village. The Gleaner first covered the initiative — which gave Syrian refugees temporarily housed in hotels the opportunity to make a home-cooked meal from a stocked restaurant kitchen — in May 2016.

After running for nearly two years, it seemed like the last meal would be cooked in December 2017. Administrative costs were high and, without funding, there was no way to keep up with the growing program.

Then, an article on the program’s financial troubles appeared in a Toronto daily newspaper, a documentary filmmaker amended her online funding campaign, and donations started to pour in. Within a day, Newcomer Kitchen was saved.

Kelli Kieley is the filmmaker who managed the online fundraising campaign. She used an existing Indiegogo campaign, which she had created to fund her documentary Shway Shway: The Newcomer Kitchen Story. She started working on her film almost as soon as Newcomer Kitchen got cooking.

“It was something that I wanted to witness myself,” she said, highlighting the interest in Syrian culture and the unique setting. “There’s a reason everybody is interested. Many people want to help other people. Hear their stories. Feel connected to the community by helping.”

Kieley heard about the program from someone who had been in one of previous films and was compelled to make a documentary about it.

“We were hearing more and more about the families stuck in the hotels,” explained Len Senater. “It became clear that those families had no access to kitchens at all to cook for themselves or their families. I have this large kitchen and I have a venue…that is not being used during the day. Why not invite these families to come so that they can cook food for themselves and for their family.”

“I…bumped into Len Senater…who had been in a series I had produced at Bell,” Kieley said. “He told me about Newcomer Kitchen and I said ‘Oh my God. I totally have to film this.’ It was myself and a cinematographer, who actually spoke Arabic himself by luck, who would show up and start filming prior to all the news coming out. And then it sort of became a viral story not long after that.”

Newcomer Kitchen got a lot of attention — even landing on the front page of The New York Times in early January. It’s thanks to this attention that it’s been able to keep going.

“It feels really good,” said Kieley. “The whole thing that happened with Newcomer Kitchen was magical.”

While Newcomer Kitchen has been saved for now, there are still worries about the future. It’s not lost on the mind of Atique Azad, a friend and mentor to Senater, who helped set up a pop-up brunch at Butler’s Pantry when it was operating out of Mirvish Village.

“[Longevity] is a driving force,” said Azad. “For a project like this it’s important to keep the future in mind.”

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NEWS (JUNE 2016): Building community over fattoush

Charlie Conacher banner presented to Jesse Ketchum

Charlie Conacher’s nephew Brian applauds at the unveiling of Charlie Conacher’s banner at Jesse Ketchum Public School. COURTESY JOHN CALDARONE

By R.S. Konjek

Jesse Ketchum Public School on Davenport Road received a special gift from the Toronto Maple Leafs just before the holidays, thanks to one of its most famous graduates.

On December 12, the school was presented with the original Charlie Conacher banner that used to hang from the rafters of the Air Canada Centre.

Born in 1909, Charlie was one of ten Conacher siblings who grew up in the Yorkville neighbourhood. They all attended Jesse Ketchum, where the children were encouraged to participate in sports.

A poor skater at first, Charlie found himself playing goalie on the hockey team. Eventually, he grew to over six feet tall and played in the NHL for 14 seasons.

Playing as a power forward, Conacher was known for his dominant size and strength, and nicknamed — courtesy of his booming shots that tore a hole through many a net —The Big Bomber.

Charlie realized the dream of almost every local schoolboy when he joined the Leafs, and became a Stanley Cup winner in 1932 and captain of the team for the 1937-38 season. He retired in 1941 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.

Charlie’s career and legacy are only one part of the Conacher story.

His brothers Lionel and Roy also played in the NHL and won four more Stanley Cups between them. The Conachers are the only family to have three siblings in the Hall of Fame. Over the years, three more Conacher descendants have also played in the NHL.

“There can be only one Royal Family of Hockey, the Conachers,” wrote Paul White in a recent biography of the sporting family. “The list of scoring titles, all-star game appearances, Stanley Cup and league championships, not to mention other unique hockey achievements, are all documented.”

Charlie’s number 9 is one of thirteen numbers, honouring nineteen different players, that were officially retired in 2016. At that time, the hockey club created brand new banners that now hang at the ACC.

Since then, the Leafs have been delivering the old banners to the hometowns of their honoured players. Charlie’s banner made the shortest trip, just four kilometres up Bay Street to the primary school where he spent his formative years.

“Like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jesse Ketchum Public School has been part of the fabric of this city for a very, very long time,” said school principal Elizabeth Holmes at the presentation. “In fact, our school actually predates our beloved hockey team. And like the Leafs, our school is about community. That’s why this event is so important for us. It recognizes the importance of community and how our school and our community helped to shape Charlie Conacher into not just the great player that he was, but also the person that he was.”

Charlie’s connection with the Leafs is special because he is a home-grown hero.

In the club’s entire history, the Leafs have had only three Toronto-born captains. The most recent one was Sid Smith in the 1950s. Since then, the team has named captains from far-flung locales ranging from Saskatchewan to Sweden (Wendell Clark and Mats Sundin, respectively).

Today, there are only two players on the team roster who were born in this city. Professional hockey is now an international affair, and a local-born player making it to the top is increasingly a rarity.

At the presentation ceremony, Charlie’s banner was raised to its new home inside Jesse Ketchum school with the help of his sons Peter and Brad, and his nephew Brian.

Perhaps Charlie’s image will help inspire the youngsters at Jesse Ketchum to pursue their dreams, be they athletic, academic or artistic. Maybe other tributes and banners will someday join Charlie’s.

“Our school today is home to about 450 students whose cultural backgrounds represent countries from all over the world, just like the Leafs of today,” said Holmes. “But what remains constant is that commitment to community, and to working together as a team to achieve success.”

As go the Leafs, so go the kids at Jesse Ketchum.

Ward boundaries redrawn

By Geremy Bordonaro

Joe Cressy has confirmed that he will be standing for re-election at the next municipal election. He’s just not sure which ward he’ll be running in, now that the Ontario Municipal Board has approved Toronto City Council’s decision to increase the number of wards from 44 to 47.

This landmark decision will see one ward removed and three added in an attempt to create voter parity in the upcoming municipal election.

Local wards 19 and 20 (both Trinity-Spadina) have been significantly redefined. Ward 19 — represented by Mike Layton — will now absorb Seaton Village into its boundaries and Ward 20 — represented by Cressy — will be split.

The boundaries of the new Ward 20 will be Queen Street West to Harbourfront from Bathurst to John streets. The boundaries of new Ward 24 will be Queen Street West to Dupont Street from University Avenue to Bathurst Street.

A large factor in splitting up Ward 20 was giving residents of the ward a fair amount of voting power and the more undivided attention of the city councillor.

“Ward 20, as it exists today, has nearly 100,000 residents. Some other wards in the city have 30,000,” said Cressy. “What that means, practically, as the local councillor I’m not able to respond to my constituents’ concerns and requests as quickly as many of my colleagues simply due to the fact that it is three times larger than some wards.”

Cressy was happy with the review as the highly researched project of over four years stayed sensitive to the needs and issues of certain communities.

“There was an exceptionally robust process towards the development of these boundaries,” he said. “Consultants were hired, who I should note live in the Palmerston area of our community, and they did detailed research looking at population patterns and historical boundaries. They made proposals and consulted with the public.”

Ward 19 will expand to encompass the entirety of Bathurst Street along with Seaton Village. Layton said the ward review was necessary to prevent further disparities between the wards.

“A ward boundary review was the necessary thing to do. We had the obligation to review whether or not there was voter parity across the city. And there was not,” said Layton. “We had some wards with 140,000 people represented by [one vote on the council], and some wards with 40,000 people with one vote on the council.”

At its worst this disparity in population made a voter’s power in the largest areas a third of what the power of the votes from the smallest areas was. Though this issue was pressing there was still, however, a need to have some mindfulness about splitting neighbourhoods into different wards.

“It’s important for us to remember that change needed to happen. I was supportive of the ways the boundaries were redrawn because I thought, in particular in Ward 19, that it kept communities intact,” Layton said. “It didn’t split communities so that they would be dealing with two different councillors if they crossed the street.”

Although there is going to be little change for most communities the increased attention from a lower population area is a welcome change for community groups like the Annex Residents’ Association (ARA).

“I think it’s better. We certainly made the plea for it,” said David Harrison, ARA chair. “It’s basically a much more cohesive unit for the interests of the neighbourhoods. Whoever happens to be councillor at the time will be able to focus on our needs and on the needs of the people of the ward. The ward at the moment is just too big…. It’s just too much work.”

Cressy said he is planning to run in one of the wards created by the redrawn boundaries.

“I will be running for City Council in 2018. I will be running for re-election. I have not decided in which of my current areas I will be running,” said Cressy. “The ward south of Queen has many projects that I care deeply about that I’ve been working on for years. In the north there are also neighbourhoods that I love and adore. The Annex is where I was born, and raised, and live today. So I’m agonizing over that decision.”

Mitzie Hunter (right), Ontario’s minister of education, sits in on a Kensington Community School kindergarten class discussion about climate change. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS

Just in time for the relentlessly extreme cold this winter, Kensington Community School on College Street is basking in warmth, thanks to two new energy-efficient boilers. The provincial government spent $358,000 on the installation, using funds from a $200 million dividend from the carbon market created by its cap and trade program. So far, 594 schools have received energy-efficient upgrades totalling $84 million from the dividend.

Mitzie Hunter, the provincial minister of education, announced the investment at the school on January 12. She said that buildings, and the energy they consume, account for almost one quarter of Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution, and that reducing our carbon footprint was critical in order for us to “leave a sustainable legacy for our children and grandchildren”.

“The province’s public schools are doing their part to fight climate change,” she said. “These upgrades will reduce green gas emissions to create a greener school environment for students and staff and a healthier future for the province.”

With Ontario’s public schools facing an estimated $15 billion backlog in deferred and major maintenance, Hunter was asked how such a relatively small investment of $358,000 could begin to address this general condition of deterioration.

Hunter explained that the Kensington investment was part of a larger plan to upgrade schools with solar panels and replace roofs, flooring, and plumbing systems.

“We are investing $1.4 billion in school boards, and that’s an annual figure, to help them begin to address the backlog,” added Hunter.

—Brian Burchell/Gleaner News

The future of the Annex Family Festival is up in the air after most of its funds were cut by the Bloor Annex BIA at its annual general meeting on January 9. The organization’s board of directors presented the annual budget, which included funding for the festival, for approval by the general members.

Barry Alper from Fresh Restaurant moved from the floor to reduce the festival budget from $22,800 to $2,800 and was seconded by Miranda Black from Theodore 1922, a men’s clothing store. The motion passed 11 to six, effectively ending what’s been a Bloor Street tradition for 20 years.

Alper and Black argued that the money could be better spent on more research on the economic impact of the Bloor Street bike lanes, improving the design of the lanes themselves, and promoting local business.

“It seems a bit hasty to just pull the funds on the Annex Festival without a whole lot of research or response,” said board member Chris Cousineau, who represents Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop. “I would have thought maybe a more thorough investigation on whether or not to kill the festival would be prudent first.”

Member Eric Mills said he was perplexed by Alper’s motion.

“You say this to help redesign the bike lanes, but that consultation and design change is something the city is prepared to do for free and all this does is offset the city’s costs, at the expense of the businesses.”

Those who supported the motion said they did so because of low sales on the day of the festival.

Black explained that her store had always suffered on the day of the festival and now, as a result, she closes her shop during the festivities.

BIA chair Brian Burchell, who also publishes this newspaper, said that the point of the Family Festival is not to necessarily enhance same-day sales but make a broader audience more aware of the street.

“Merchant participation reached a record high last year, and as a result of a recent merchant survey it is not evident that our members oppose it,” he said.

The Annex Family Festival has run every June for 21 years as a cooperative effort between the Bloor Annex BIA and the Miles Nadal JCC.

—Geremy Bordonaro/Gleaner News

Re: “Height-ened fears” (December 2017)

In response to the comments of Ms. McKenna of KPMB Architects in Height-ened fears:

First — the BSUC proposed 38 story tower will not be glorifying Bloor Street — it will be behind the church on a smaller side street, Huron Street, where traffic for the proposed 220 residence units, plus three office floors, plus two parking levels plus major service vehicles all will enter and exit as kids pass by on their way to their elementary school down the block.

Second — it is interesting that not one of the people whom she states came up to her personally at the end of the community feedback evening saying they were for it, were ever heard from in the public forum.

Her sample of one such feedback — “look, my tomato plants will be shadowed for half an hour. I get it. I’m in favour of this” — eerily echoes a complaint made in the public forum from someone who said “I hope you plan to send me a bushel of tomatoes every summer because I’ll never be able to grow them again”.

That’s because the shadowing from the proposed height will shut off sunshine for hours — not half an hour — each day.

The proposal for 38 storeys is over-reaching and greedy — it serves the United Church Canada while negatively affecting the well-being of the surrounding community.

—Sheila Arkin

Prince Arthur Avenue

Provincial fund for making homes energy-efficient

By Han Dong

As I look to the new year, I always look for ways we can improve. There are so many great organizations, businesses, and non-profits looking to make positive changes in our community. In many ways, these places are on the forefront for creating opportunities to make Ontario a world-class place to live.

[pullquote]Helping families make their homes greener with small changes[/pullquote]

Ontario’s new Spadina-York subway line has replaced 2,500 bus trips per day. The trip to York University has never been easier (or greener!). What used to be a lengthy commute to the university has been shortened significantly. Getting to school is easier, faster, and more energy-efficient.

The provincial government is working to help Ontarians make similar changes in their own lives. Sometimes a simple, small fix can make the greatest impact. The Green Ontario Fund helps families adjust to make their homes more energy-efficient. Climate change is real and is not going away. We need those who are willing to make changes with us.

The Green Ontario Fund, a non-profit provincial agency funded by Ontario’s carbon market, can help families make their homes greener with small changes. The program helps homeowners save money on major retrofits to fight climate change.

GreenON Rebates, which will require homeowners to work with qualified contractors, includes:

• Up to $20,000 to install ENERGY STAR certified ground source heat pumps
• Up to $4,500 to repair existing heat pump systems
• Up to $5,800 off air source heat pumps that are ENERGY STAR certified or meet program requirements
• Up to $5,000 for high-performance replacement windows that meet program requirements
• Up to $7,200 off new insulation and an additional $100 rebate for air sealing.

Any contractors willing to participate should visit GreenON.ca/contractor-signup, find out how to qualify, and then register. Only certified contractors can ensure the best results for energy efficiency.

GreenON Rebates is one of the agency’s first consumer programs focused on helping people save money as they reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home.

The Green Ontario Fund was launched in August 2017 with a mission to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and the production of goods — two of the most significant contributors to climate change. You can learn more at GreenOn.ca.

The agency is a key pillar in the province’s Climate Change Action Plan, which has more than 90 measures to reduce Ontario’s carbon footprint to help meet the province’s short- and long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Without Ontario’s cap and trade program, these programs couldn’t exist. Cap and trade has been controversial in some circles, but the funds made available have been able to finance green initiatives across the province. The November cap and trade auction generated an estimated $422,081,073 in proceeds. By law, these funds must be invested in programs reducing greenhouse gas.

It’s important to ask ourselves: how can we be better for the community? How can we come together to solve problems? What can we do better than we did last year? Big problems like climate change require complete community support to solve. I want to raise my family in a clean and healthy province. Together, I know we can make Ontario a leader in climate change policies.

Han Dong is the member of provincial parliament for Trinity-Spadina.

Learn a new language, gain a new skill or try something different

The Japan Foundation, Toronto is celebrating film in January with special screenings of Japanese films, including The Vancouver Asahi, a baseball drama about a Japanese baseball team in Vancouver in the 1930s. COURTESY JAPAN FOUNDATION

By Heather Kelly

Whether you call them resolutions, aspirations, or vows, most of us go into the new year intending to make this one better, do more of some things and less of others. We want to be inspired, reduce stress, learn something new, pursue our interests, meet people, and yes, share more quality time with friends and family members. Did you know that there are more than two hundred arts events — exhibitions, concerts, documentaries, and talks — here in the Annex area every month all year? Here are some ideas for starting your 2018 creatively.

Learn a new skill

For everyone who wants to get hands-on, develop a skill, and get creative, there are beading classes at the Native Canadian Centre, Sketching in the Galleries at the Bata Shoe Museum on January 26, and drop-in clay classes at the Gardiner Museum.

No experience is required for beginner instrument lessons at The Royal Conservatory of Music, where they offer Learn to Play classes for piano, guitar, violin, or cello, and a community chorus. If the stage is calling to you, 918 Bathurst is hosting acting workshops with Joy Tanner.

If you want to learn a new language, you can learn French at Alliance Française, Italian at the Istituto Italiano, Japanese at the Japan Foundation, Mohawk or Oneida at the Native Canadian Centre, and Hebrew, Yiddish, and Sign Language classes at the Miles Nadal JCC.

Ideas and inspirations

The Istituto Italiano di Cultura hosts two English-language lectures on “Rome through Italian Cinema” with Dr. Franco Gallippi. On January 26 at 10 a.m., discover “Rome in Italian Cinema: From La presa di Roma to La grande bellezza,” and on February 2 at 10 a.m., explore “Federico Fellini and the City of Rome.”

For everyone curious to learn more about music, The Royal Conservatory School offers Music Appreciation classes like “Comedy in Mozart,” “Beethoven Symphonies,” and “Double Agents: Musician Spies.” The Miles Nadal JCC offers talks on music, including “Hollywood’s Oscar-Winning Songs” with critic and musicologist Jordan Klapman on January 25, and “Exotic Operas from Around the World” in March. And Tafelmusik’s Listening Club delves into baroque music with radio host and musicologist Dr. Hannah French and violinist Christopher Verrette.

Wildlife photographer and National Geographic contributor Joel Sartore lectures at the Royal Ontario Museum on January 23, where the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition runs until March. And on January 30, you can enjoy an evening with the Bata Shoe Museum’s Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack, as she leads a tour of the museum’s newest exhibition The Gold Standard – Glittering Footwear from Around the Globe.

The popular Curious Minds Morning Speaker Series returns to the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema with three fascinating winter courses: “Starchitects: The Men Who Built America” starting January 15, “Shadow States: Politics on Film” starting January 16, and “Leonard Cohen: Words and Music” starting January 25.

In addition, EstDocs screens an encore of the documentary Naine pildil/The Woman in the Picture on January 21 at 4 p.m. at the Museum of Estonians Abroad.

High profile artists, thinkers, and experts are at the Toronto Reference Library’s Bram & Bluma Appel Salon year-round.

The coming season includes Canadian favourites David Frum on his latest book Trumpocracy, Ken Dryden discussing Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador, and the Future of Hockey, as well as international superstars Andrew Morton and Martin Amis.

Try something different in 2018

Have you been to the Native Canadian Centre lately? The Thursday evening Big Drum Social events have been running for years. Everyone is welcome at the multi-generational drum, dance, and food-sharing events.

The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music is marking the new year with a celebration of new music that runs until January 28 and features some of Canada’s brightest award-winning musicians and composers. COURTESY U OF T FACULTY OF MUSIC

Art exhibitions are a great conversation-starter with young family members and adult friends. At the Japan Foundation you can see Variation and Autonomy: Prints by Contemporary Japanese Painters, and until January 21 you can enjoy Hello, Other Moon illustrations by Yaara Eshet after poems by Ronna Bloom at the Miles Nadal JCC, Steven Heinemann: Culture and Nature at the Gardiner Museum, and I Am Canada exhibition celebrates the work of Canadian illustrators at the Toronto Reference Library’s TD Gallery. On January 31, Black History Month celebrations at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre feature the Welcome to Blackhurst Exhibition. At the Gardiner Museum, Yoko Ono: The Riverbed invites visitors to collaborate and participate in the artwork through contemplation and actions like extending a string across the gallery space, creating a web that will grow and evolve over the course of the exhibition.

The University of Toronto Faculty of Music kicks off 2018 with its annual New Music Festival from January 21 to 28.

This year’s festival highlights Canadian composer, sound artist, and keyboardist Nicole Lizée. Tafelmusik has become famous for bringing baroque music to life, and their newest multimedia concert by Alison Mackay, “Safe Haven,” on stage January 18 to 21, explores the influence of refugees on the music and culture of baroque Europe and present-day Canada. Pre-concert chats and talks with the creator, musicians, and guest artists after the performance are an excellent opportunity to have your questions answered while they are fresh in mind.

May 2018 be an interesting, enriching, and inspired year!

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.

“How about transit users paying their fair share?” said one vocal naysayer on my ever-burdensome Facebook feed.

It struck me as an impressive level of cherry-picking data for him to come to the conclusion that transit is being unfairly subsidized at the expense of cars.

I will argue any day that cars benefit from a far greater subsidy than transit.

Road maintenance

A 2013 study showed that drivers pay between 70 to 90 per cent of a $7.5 billion provincial road maintenance bill. This leaves between $750 million and $2.25 billion, which is funded from general tax revenue.

By comparison, the TTC, the province’s largest city transit operator, got a whopping $411 million in 2013. Just last month, a paltry $11 million funding announcement for Brampton’s transit system was photo-op worthy. Even on the low end of the estimate, transit users don’t get the kind of subsidies that drivers do out of general tax revenue.

Opportunity cost

Giving space to cars is often seen as an “investment” and “economic driver” that pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users don’t enjoy. The City of Toronto owns about 160 parking lots containing roughly 20,000 spaces. The lot between Lippincott and Borden streets just south of Bloor Street has 144 spots and takes up almost 37,000 square feet of surface area. This lot charges $4 per hour to park a car there.

The city is essentially sitting on land and subsidizing drivers to park. This land could be put to much more productive uses that generate far greater amounts of revenue for the city. Between Bathurst Street and Spadina Avenue, the going rate for ground floor retail is approximately $75 per square foot per year.

According to the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (or Metrolinx), each off-street space generates roughly $1,000 of net revenue annually, which amounts to slightly under $4 per square foot per year. The city is getting a tiny fraction of the real value of the land by leaving it to languish as a surface lot. This is a massive subsidy for drivers. If arguing against the time transfer is about fiscal responsibility, I demand that the city make better use of these land resources. It’s called responsible asset management.

The city could develop these properties, bringing in a steady stream of revenue, or sell it off to developers for a one-time windfall. Either way, it is worth a lot more than the $4 per hour each parking spot currently generates.

One might argue that this is about promoting businesses, but so is the timed transfer. How much more money would people spend if they could pop out at any station, pick up what they’re looking for, and pop back in for free? There have been many trips I don’t make because paying another fare is just enough of an inhibitor.

“I can do it another day” I tell myself. Meanwhile I don’t spend the money I would have spent.

Viewing subsidized parking as the way of the world and a timed transfer as an unfair subsidy is simply hypocrisy of the highest order.

Investing in transit

We have finally turned a page where transit is getting decent infrastructure investment. For four decades, the Greater Toronto Area has seen one road-widening project after another with limited investment in transit. Now that car manufacturers no longer wield the political influence they once did (i.e. they don’t write cheques nearly as big as they used to), we have woken up and see the light.

Widening roads has gotten us nowhere. A friend who worked at the University of Toronto recently retired. She bought a house in Richmond Hill early in her career. It took her 20 minutes to hit campus every morning and she was quite happy with the commute. Fast forward to her retirement, it takes over an hour to get to campus and the roads have more lanes than when she bought her home.

We now know that roads and cars are an inefficient means of transportation. It was, and continues to be, a highly profitable one for manufacturers and oil companies, but they should no longer be writing our policy books. Multi-car families have created urban planning disasters that will take decades to recover from. There are neighbourhoods where one can’t even access a community centre without hopping into a vehicle.

It’s time to start looking at car costs as “subsidies” and transit costs as “investment”.

Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy, and help distinguish environmental truths from myths.