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INSPIRING STORIES

Each month we present a link to stories that profile individuals and groups who are involved in creative projects relating to climate change and social justice.

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Ontario tree pageant

Tree Trust is hosting a Provincial Tree Pageant inviting folks to enter a tree they treasure. Send in a fetching photo of your special tree along with 20-30 words about why it is important to you or your community. The competition is the first of its kind, you can find more details on our website. A panel of judges will award the winners during Forest Week in September.

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Bags to Sleeping Mats

The two pillars of Pivot Green are climate change and social justice issues. A creative program that originated in Waterloo, Ontario manages to combine these two goals. Called Bags to Sleeping Mats, groups are collecting plastic bags and converting them into sleeping mats for homeless people. It's a terrific initiative. 

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​Photo by MTSOfan

Image by Master Wen

Green Power: Four Reasons to Bet on Renewable Energy

When Fortis Inc. updated its five-year plan for capital spending this week, the company highlighted renewable energy as one of its key areas of growth.

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Cultivate Toronto - Share Your Yard

Cultivate Toronto is a registered not-for-profit organization with the goal of turning urban yards and rooftops into a sustainable source of fresh, organic food for the city's inhabitants.

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Solar Powered Planes

Many experts told Bertrand Piccard that he would not be able to circumnavigate the globe using a solar-powered plane. He proved them wrong. In that spirit, he has since started the Solar Impulse Foundation to find 1000+ clean and profitable solutions to protect the environment.

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Think local on climate change

Neighbours helping neighbours fight climate change!  A neighbourhood group in Toronto has created a Couchside Climate Action program focused on “small ways you can make a big difference without leaving your home/neighbourhood.”  Online workshops are being offered on reducing food waste, sustainable living through gardening as well as cycling readiness and clothing repair.

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Success in campaign to protect 250-year old tree

The pictures don’t do it justice. Its breadth defies two-dimensionality. What seems like another big oak in photos is, in person, so lavish in proportion that it has been known to elicit uncontrollable laughs, buckling knees and incredulity among first-time visitors.

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Free bikes for London, Ont. low-income essential workers

London's Big Bike Giveaway has teamed up with the Squeaky Wheel Bicycle Co-op to supply low-income essential workers with free bikes so they can get to and from their jobs.

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Food for Thought

In this latest Hidden Gems podcast, Food for Thought, host and Pivot Greener, Tom Scanlan, tackles the issue of food waste and food production. Tom interviews Julia Girmenia about Not Far from the Tree, a program that salvages fruit from backyard trees and Mike Gallay who tells Tom about the planter boxes he builds and shares with others

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With season cancelled, ecotourism groups tackle marine waste

When COVID-19 prevented the 2020 tourism season from going ahead, eco-tourism operators in coastal BC banded together to put their resources to use. The Marine Debris Removal Initiative employed over 100 locals aboard 9 BC-owned tour vessels to clear 127 tonnes of marine debris from over 500 km of coastline. This is a great example of using the COVID-19 pandemic to pivot green.

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10 Inspiring Women Who Bring Environmental Stories to their Craft

Independent photographer, Ore Huiying, believes in the power of storytelling, choosing to tell stories that she feels emotionally connected to and that are important. 

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Climate Heroes - Get Inspired to Act Against Climate Change

Climate Heroes is a multimedia storytelling platform: we produce documentaries about the women and men around the world who fight tirelessly to protect our environment and mitigate climate change.

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