City Sustainability Evaluation. Energy Sources. Term Paper

Sustainability of Vaughan
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Sustainability of Vaughan
Vaughan is a city in Ontario, Canada. In 2016, it has a population of 306,233. Vaughan is the fastest-growing municipality in Canada, with a population growth rate of 80.2%. Having doubled its population since 1991, Vaughan has become the 17th largest city in Canada. This paper provides an analysis of the sustainability of the City of Vaughan.
Energy Sources
Between 2005 and 2016, Canada made efforts towards a shift to non-hydroelectric renewables. Initially, wind, solar, and biomass accounted for 1.5% of the total electricity generation. However, renewable energy now accounts for 7.2%. At the same period, the consumption of coal decreased from 16% to 9.3%. Canada intends to eliminate the use of coal as a source of power by 2030 (Rabson, 2017). Currently, only about 20% of Canada’s electricity is derived from fossil fuels. Nuclear energy accounts for 15% of Canada’s electricity supply. Hydro has remained the largest source of energy. It is responsible for almost 60% of the Canada’s power (Rabson, 2017). Although in the last decade hydro has grown by about 7%, other renewables are increasing at a higher rate. These include solar PV and ground source heat pumps and wind energy. Figure 1 provides a better outlook of the energy sources.
The need to conserve energy has led to the creation of the Municipal Energy Plan (MEP). It is meant to improve energy efficiency, minimize energy use and mitigate the emission of greenhouse gasses. MEP seeks to foster a community culture of energy conservation. The plan also assists in planning ahead for future development including the establishment of energy generation and transmission infrastructure. The implementation of MEP in Vaughan has assisted in outlining options for clean and renewable energy generation. It also helps in addressing the local energy needs for the present and the future.
Vaughan’s MEP is based on the Community Climate Action Plan. It leverages on plans and partnerships to formulate a comprehensive approach to energy planning and conservation. Vaughan is demonstrating leadership in the use of clean energy. It will be one of the first municipalities to leverage on the Community Climate Action plan into a MEP, hence being a good example for the rest of the jurisdictions to follow.
Ecological Footprint
An ecological footprint is a measure of the amount of nature individuals have and how much they use nature. An ecological footprint is critical in enabling governments and other stakeholders to improve sustainability ad well-being of the people. Knowing how much nature an area has and the percentage used is critical in ensuring that policies are formulated to improve the well-being of all the residents. Additionally, ecological footprint facilitates the optimization of public project investments. As governments consider public project investments, they ensure that they do not have adverse effects on the environment. Lastly, ecological footprint is essential for individuals to understand their impact on the planet. Here, citizens discover how their activities impact the environment where they live and to extend the entire globe. This ensures that they work toward protecting the environment.
The waste in Vaughan falls under five major categories. Residual waste, yard waste, appliance and metal items, blue box recycling and green bin organics. These are collected every week on the scheduled collection day. The garbage limit is three times every other week. For those who have items exceeding the three-item limit, they have to purchase a garbage tag. The City of Vaughan collects a maximum of 13 garbage items per location on a particular collection day.
The increasing population is increasing the amount of garbage produced. Unlike a decade ago when the population was smaller, the population is increasing at a higher rate leading to more garbage as indicated in Figure 2. This is putting pressure on the available resources. Recycling has served to keep the garbage in check. One of the companies involved in waste management and recycling is Canada Fibers (Lewis, 2019). The plant is located in northwest Toronto. The plant separates the waste into “recyclables” that the waste management authority in the municipality collects. The recyclable items are collected and sold to manufacturers, who build them again and sell them to the consumers. There is a need to improve waste collection and recycling mechanisms. The increasing population has put more pressure on the existing systems. For instance, the authority needs to have more than one day of collecting waste. This will take care of the increasing waste produced as a result of the increasing population.
While waste management has been problematic, the municipality has done well in the management of pollution. According to Numbeo (2019), the quality of air and water is high. The municipality has ensured that the residents have access to clean water. The level of noise is moderate which makes the environment conducive for the people. Further, a majority of the residents are satisfied with the night lights.
Current Urban Planning
In 2009, the city approved the Green Directions Vaughan. This is a sustainability and environmental master plan. The long-term plan is meant to guide the community towards a more sustainable future. The plan centres on cultural, social and economic issues that affect the city. Green Directions Vaughan is critical in ensuring that planners prioritize on sustainability (City of Vaughan, 2019). Here, the city planners are expected to make decisions and take actions aimed at ensuring a healthy environment for both the current generations and the future ones. Through the policy, individuals involved in urban planning should be stewards of the community. All the decisions should determine the impact on the environment by weighing the social and cultural consequences.
Additionally, Vaughan has taken measures to move towards the consumption of clean energy. Vaughan’s Municipal Energy Plan (MEP) seeks to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses. The plan puts a path that aims at creating a climate-resilient community that can “participate in a low-carbon future” (City of Vaughan, 2016). All individuals are required to be active participants in reducing the emission of greenhouse gases whether at home, school or work. MEP has been essential in improving energy efficiency as well as supporting local economic development. Through the policy, the city has managed to consider alternative sources of energy that are clean like solar and wind.
Public/Mass Transit Systems
* Mass transit
Mass transit options have become common in the city of Vaughan. The options available include express, VIVA, truck, and local services. The express service consists of coach-style buses that operate during peak periods. It usually stops less frequently compared to the other conventional services. VIVA service includes rapid-transit vehicles that operate along major corridors. They serve to connect the major centres and transit stations. The trick service operates along arterial streets. It has frequent stops and slower average bus travel time. The local service operates on arterial and local streets. It feeds the trunk and the express systems.
The transit system presents various benefits to the locals. Firstly, it increases productivity where travellers can engage in other activities like checking emails and reading books. Secondly, it saves time for travellers. Taking the subway or a bus that uses a dedicated line allows individuals to travel faster. People can connect directly to their destination without getting stuck in traffic. Thirdly, public transits save money for the residents. It reduces the cost for gas, parking and maintenance of a car. Lastly, the transit system has been critical in the improvement of the quality of air. Transportation remains a major source of emissions that are harmful to the environment. The use of the transit system on Vaughan has been crucial in enabling the municipality to take action against climate change. When the ...