Join Unify Toronto for the fourth of seven Drawdown sector summits. Learn about building and city sector solutions to global warming that are already in place and in action in Toronto. Discover how you can help build humanity's response to global warming by accelerating what is already working. By donation.

Project Drawdown has identified, researched and modeled the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change, grouped into seven sectors. Put together, they reveal a path forward that can roll back global warming by 2050. 

Dense urban human settlement – the cities of the world and the buildings and infrastructure that comprise them – account for a significant percentage of human energy use, mostly for heating and cooling. This makes them a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Rapid urbanization has led to inefficient design of buildings and infrastructure. 
For buildings, the ten Drawdown solutions identified include building automation, green roofs, heat pumps, insulation, LED lighting (both commercial and household), net zero buildings, retrofitting, smart glass, smart thermostats, and solar hot water. For cities, solutions modeled include: district heating, landfill methane, and water distribution.

In this informative and collaborative evening:

• Learn more about the buildings and cities sector solutions identified and modelled by Project Drawdown
• Hear from experts who are making change with buildings and cities sector solutions at the individual, corporate and government level:
• Build a long and local vision for buildings and cities sector solutions in Toronto 
• Offer what you can give and/or request what you need, to help move forward buildings and cities-related solutions in Toronto and reverse our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Speakers at the Buildings and Cities Summit1. Lloyd Alter 

     - Adjunct Professor, Ryerson University 
     - Design Editor and Contributor treehugger.com 
2. Jenny McMinn  

     - Managing Director - Urban Equation, Sustainability Consultant
3. Mary Pickering 
     - Mary Pickering, VP, Programs & Partnerships - The Atmospheric fund
4. Jeff Ranson  

     - Regional director (Greater Toronto area) - Canada Green Building Council  
5. Larry Brydon 
     - Board Director - Building and LandScape Development Association (BILD)
     - Vice President business Development and Regulatory Affairs - Cricket Energy Inc
     - Board Director and Past Chair - Sustainable Buildings Canada 
6. Suzanne Wiltshire 
     - Business Development Representative - Commercial VRF & ERV Technologies
 7. Phil Fung

     - Managing Principal, SRS Consulting Engineers
     - Professor, Sustainable Buildings Design and Energy Modeling - Humber College
8. Donald Peckover  

     - Architectural Designer - SUSTAINABLE.TO 

Everyone welcome!

This is the fourth of seven sector summits:
April 25 - Food Sector Summit
May 16 - Transport Sector Summit
July 25 - Energy Sector Summit
August 29 - Building and Cities Sector Summit
October 24 - Women and Girls Sector Summit
November 28 - Land Use Sector Summit
January 30 - Materials Sector Summit
For reports on previous summits, go to www.unifytoronto.ca/events.
​
More about Project Drawdown and Unify Toronto’s Drawdown program:
Project Drawdown, founded by author and environmentalist, Paul Hawken, is a scientifically based, comprehensive plan to implement the top 100 solutions to reverse global warming by 2050. Reversing climate change is not only possible, but feasible and eminently practical. The New York Times bestselling book sets out the solutions, the math and the economics of how we can actually do this in an inspirational and accessible way. 

Unify Toronto's 13-month program aims to generate enough activity to make Toronto a hub of Drawdown activity in North America. It includes a series of introductions to Drawdown, seven sector summits, and a 4-session course, that will put vital information about how we can reverse global warming in your hands, connect you with other change makers, and galvanize your action with a new sense of optimism and agency. 

Access details of Unify Toronto’s full Drawdown program at www.unifytoronto.ca. 
Find out more about Drawdown at www.drawdown.org.

Learn about the Pachamama Alliance, creators of the Drawdown introduction and course, at www.pachamama.org.

Please join Unify Toronto in collaboration with Pachamama Alliance for "An Introduction to Drawdown," led by Jon Love and Satya Robinson of JLS-Global.ca. By donation. Students attend free.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of stories about Climate Change (aka Global Warming) that imply there's little we can do about it, or that it’s not really happening? Are you feeling despair that the proposed solutions are too little and too late? Having pangs of guilt that you aren’t doing more? 

Well there is a research-based project underway to actually reverse global warming - to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, as opposed to merely slowing down the rate of emissions. It is not only possible, but feasible and eminently practical. The graphic record above, from the first introduction session on January 31st, gives you an idea of the energy and enthusiasm of the 140 participants, and offers a sense of the possibilities for effective action. 

Come and find out what you can do to help reverse global warming!
​
This very interactive evening program will present an inspiring, uplifting and empowering approach to the issue, based on the latest research from a team of over 200 scientists and researchers from around the world.  

This four-session course is designed to take participants deep inside the work of Drawdown.org, including a much greater familiarity with many of the solutions presented in the book, Drawdown, edited by Paul Hawken. You will have a chance to actually get into action on one or more of your chosen solutions as well as learn how to communicate Drawdown to people in your life.

The course is full of useful tools and tips to empower you to have a real impact, as well as how work more effectively with others.
​
The course is 4 sessions of 3 hours each, with research assignments between sessions, and an "Action Break” between sessions 3 and 4 to allow you complete a learning project, either on your own or with a team from the course.

Dates and times:
Wednesdays: June 13, 20, 27 & August 1, 6:30-9:30

Promise of the Course

You will:

• Gain a basic understanding of how it is possible to reverse global warming, accelerate and expand the work being done
• Know yourself as someone truly making a difference in reversing global warming with a new attitude of hopefulness,
• Be engaged in one or more solution(s) and/or become an “ambassador” for Drawdown

Join Unify Toronto for the third and fourth of seven Drawdown sector summits. On July 25, learn about Electricity Generation sector solutions, and on August 29, about Buildings and Cities-related solutions to global warming that are already in place and in action in Toronto. 

Discover how you can help empower humanity's response to global warming by accelerating what is already working. By donation.

Project Drawdown has identified, researched and modeled the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change, grouped into seven sectors. Put together, they reveal a path forward that can roll back global warming by 2050. 

In each informative and collaborative evening:

• Learn more about the solutions in those sector identified and modelled by Project Drawdown
• Hear from experts who are making change with related solutions at the individual, corporate and government level:
• Build a long and local vision for accelerating solutions in those sectors in Toronto to their fullest potential
• Offer what you can give and/or request what you need, to help move forward those solutions in Toronto and reverse our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The transport sector accounts for 23% of energy-related emissions, which is around 14% of all emissions. Project Drawdown has identified 11 of the most impactful transport-sector solutions for reducing emissions. These include less fuel-intensive shipping, airplanes and trucks, increased use of hybrid cars, electric bikes, electric vehicles, electric trains, mass transit, high-speed rail, and ridesharing, as well as telepresence. 

In the second of seven Drawdown sector summits, participants learned more about the transport sector solutions identified and modelled by Project Drawdown. Then they heard from Toronto experts who are making change with transport solutions at the individual, corporate and government level:

• • Tim Grant – Green Party of Ontario transportation critic 
  • Tomislav Svoboda, MD PhD – Active transport advocate
  • Hamish Wilson – Cycling activist
  • Isabelle Boulard – CarpoolWorld
  • Kamilla Petrick – TTCriders
  • John Filion – Toronto city councillor 
    
    

Toward the end of the evening, they met in three groups to built a long and local vision for accelerating transport sector solutions in Toronto to their fullest potential and to make offers and requests to help move forward transport solutions in Toronto and reverse our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Below you'll find notes from the discussion groups:

1. MUNICIPAL ACTION 
What’s happening now?

• Dominance of the suburbs
• Municipal election
  
• Mini (Super)PACS
  • Can raise up to $25K each
  • Corporate donations are OK
• Commercial interest groups
  • More involved than public interest groups
  • Some of their names sound like they are in the public interest
  • “Non-political” or “Non-partisan”
    

How could we get engaged?

• Volunteer for local campaigns
• Identify high-leverage seats to influence
  
  • Willowdale
    
  • Progress Toronto
    
  • Do this with other people – Make it fun
    
• Get involved in the mayoral campaign
• Form a PAC?
  • For non-candidates
  • A climate PAC
  • Change the mind set—Have a “spiritual side”
  • A values-based PAC…a vision
• ​Become identified as a “Climate Voter”
  

​2. Improving mass transit in the GTA
Interests:

• Transit is a key equity issue
• Parking costs—do the math!
• Free transit
• Faster transit

​What is happening in the GTA:

• 2-hour transfer
• Under 12 travel free
• “Fair fare coalition” – Discounts
• Community bus program (to get to common destinations)
• Uber pod – not so great
• Too many cars
• ​King Streetcar Pilot
  
  

Possible actions:

• Express bus network
• Fund (attach $) to the relief line
• Advocacy
• Return the tax exemption for fares (for cross-jurisdiction transfers)
• Pay an extra fare for a bike
• “Bus n’ Bike” – Dedicated bus for just bikes
• Equip all buses with a bike rack (do it!)
• More accessibility for special needs
• How to get more mass transit, 1st mile / last mile efficiency in the suburbs
• Couple free/discounted TTC with free entrance to venues
• Tax break for leaving car at home
• Road tolls
• BIA initiatives
• Employer subsidy of TTC passes
  
  

​​Take action

• Join/help TTCRiders.ca
• Support “free transit day” (sponsored by a corporate donor, as on New Year’s Eve)
• Read lemming5 blog (climate change and automobiles)
• May 23 day of Action – TTCRiders
• June: book launch about free transit

3. ACCESSIBLE, SAFE CYCLING IN THE GTA
What is happening in the GTA now?

• We need better infrastructure
• Cycle Toronto
  • Giving a voice to cyclists in TO
    
  • Scarborough Cycles
    
  • Ward groups
• ARC: Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists
• Improved snow clearing in TO? – Erratic
• Cyclist education:
  • Libraries
    
  • Workplaces
    
  • Schools
• ​Bells on Danforth ride—June 16th

Action: What is possible?

• Network: Identify cycling groups in TO and bring them together
• Hold events at bike shops to engage them in advocacy
• Advocate for better quality pavement?
• Hamilton: example of how to change streets with little material—paint
• Getting kids on bikes
• Work with councillors for change
• “Passholes”: cyclist education and bike etiquette
• ​Copenhagenize – look at what works elsewhere

How will you/we engage?

• Speak with my councillor
• Support my friends
• ​Keep riding

Join Unify Toronto for the second of seven Drawdown sector summits. Learn about transport sector solutions to global warming that are already in place and in action in Toronto. Discover how you can help reverse global warming by accelerating what is already working. By donation.

Project Drawdown has identified, researched and modeled the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change, grouped into seven sectors. Put together, they reveal a path forward that can roll back global warming by 2050. 

The transport sector accounts for 23% of energy-related emissions, which is around 14% of all emissions. Project Drawdown has identified 11 of the most impactful transport-sector solutions for reducing emissions. These include less fuel-intensive shipping, airplanes and trucks, increased use of hybrid cars, electric bikes, electric vehicles, electric trains, mass transit, high-speed rail, and ridesharing, as well as telepresence. 

In this informative and collaborative evening:

• Learn more about the transport sector solutions identified and modelled by Project Drawdown
• Hear from experts and practitioners working on inspiring transport solutions in Toronto:
  • Tim Grant – Green Party of Ontario transportation critic 
  • Hamish Wilson – Cycling activist
  • Isabelle Boulard – CarpoolWorld
  • Kamilla Petrick – TTCriders 
  • John Filion – Toronto city councillor
• Build a long and local vision for accelerating transport sector solutions in Toronto to their fullest potential
• Offer what you can give and/or request what you need, to help move forward transport solutions in Toronto and reverse our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Everyone welcome!

This is the second of seven sector summits:
April 25 - Food Sector Summit
May 16 - Transport Sector Summit
July 25 - Energy Sector Summit
August 29 - Building and Cities Sector Summit
October 24 - Women and Girls Sector Summit
November 28 - Land Use Sector Summit
January 30 - Materials Sector Summit

More about Project Drawdown and Unify Toronto’s Drawdown program:
Project Drawdown, founded by author and environmentalist, Paul Hawken, is a scientifically based, comprehensive plan to implement the top 100 solutions to reverse global warming by 2050. Reversing climate change is not only possible, but feasible and eminently practical. The New York Times bestselling book sets out the solutions, the math and the economics of how we can actually do this in an inspirational and accessible way. 

Unify Toronto's 13-month program aims to generate enough activity to make Toronto a hub of Drawdown activity in North America. It includes a series of introductions to Drawdown, seven sector summits, and a 4-session course, that will put vital information about how we can reverse global warming in your hands, connect you with other change makers, and galvanize your action with a new sense of optimism and agency. 

Access details of Unify Toronto’s full Drawdown program at www.unifytoronto.ca. 
Find out more about Drawdown at www.drawdown.org.

Learn about the Pachamama Alliance, creators of the Drawdown introduction and course, at www.pachamama.org.

Please join Unify Toronto in collaboration with Pachamama Alliance for "An Introduction to Drawdown," led by Jon Love and Satya Robinson of JLS-Global.ca. By donation. Students attend free.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of stories about Climate Change (aka Global Warming) that imply there's little we can do about it, or that it’s not really happening? Are you feeling despair that the proposed solutions are too little and too late? Having pangs of guilt that you aren’t doing more? 
Well there is a research-based project underway to actually reverse global warming - to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, as opposed to merely slowing down the rate of emissions. It is not only possible, but feasible and eminently practical. The graphic record above, from the first introduction session on January 31st, gives you an idea of the energy and enthusiasm of the 140 participants, and offers a sense of the possibilities for effective action. 

Come and find out what you can do to help reverse global warming!

This very interactive evening program will present an inspiring, uplifting and empowering approach to the issue, based on the latest research from a team of over 200 scientists and researchers from around the world.  

Project Drawdown, founded by author and environmentalist, Paul Hawken, is a scientifically based, comprehensive plan to implement the top 80 solutions to reverse global warming by 2050. The book sets out the solutions, the math and the economics of how we can actually do this. It’s inspirational and accessible. 
Unify Toronto has planned a 13-month program (Jan 2018-Feb 2019) which aims to generate enough activity to make Toronto a hub of Drawdown activity in North America. It includes a series of introductions to Drawdown, sectoral events, and a 4-session course, that will put vital information about how we can reverse global warming in your hands, connect you with other change makers, and galvanize your action with a new sense of optimism and agency. For more information on the program and key dates, check out the Unify Toronto website.

​The introduction and course are being put together by the Pachamama Alliance, creators of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream symposium (a not-for-profit based in San Francisco, California, USA).
Project Drawdown has identified the 100 best solutions that taken together could realistically keep us from catastrophe, and, at the same time, create the world we all want to live in. The team carefully measured the 80 solutions that are already up and running and modelled how they might be scaled up and carried out over the next 30 years. They also modeled the possibilities of 20 solutions that are under development and could soon be utilized – several of which, like energy storage technologies which will make wind and solar viable alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear, are pioneered in Canada. They then ranked all 100 solutions to see which ones make the biggest impact and should be prioritized by investors, city planners, business leaders, educators, and NGOs.