The Junction is on its way to becoming the first urban carbon neutral community in the country with help from local environmental advocacy group, Green 13.
"We are so excited to have been chosen (by Project Neutral) out of 25 applications to be one of two communities in the city to initiate this project to go carbon neutral," said spokesperson Natasha Vaney. "We are looking at the Junction and part of it as a pilot, to engage as many people within the community to reduce carbon emissions."Green 13 is seeking to reduce the neighbourhood's carbon footprint with help from the volunteer group Project Neutral, whose aim is to transition neighbourhoods to carbon neutrality one at a time. Project Neutral, whose partners include the Civic Action Alliance/Emerging Leaders Network, the University of Toronto Sustainable Infrastructure Group and the University of Toronto Climate Lab among others, appealed to Toronto communities in January and received response from more than 20. "We were looking for very committed neighbourhoods with really strong established leadership and a history of activism," said Project Neutral Co-Founder Karen Nasmith. "We were just so impressed by (Green 13's) enthusiasm and knowledge, their networking and what they were proposing to do."Project Neutral chose the Junction, from the railway tracks to the north, to the south side of Annette Street to the south, Runnymede Road to the west and Clendenan Avenue to the east, and Riverdale bordered by Pape Avenue, Logan Avenue, Danforth Avenue and Langley Avenue. Each has a population of approximately 1,000 households and include a mix of housing type and tenure, as well as a mix of uses - from recreational, commercial, residential, and institutional.The project's official launch takes place Saturday, June 18 at the Annette Library, 145 Annette St., at 10 a.m. In an effort to encourage local residents to start thinking more about reducing their carbon emissions, Green 13 is hosting a screening of the film 'Home,' on June 11 also at the library at 1:30 p.m. Directed by photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and narrated by actor Glenn Close, 'Home' approaches the current debate about climate change from a whole new angle, giving viewers the opportunity to see for themselves how our earth is changing.The first step in achieving carbon neutrality is establishing a benchmark of neighbourhood greenhouse gas emissions by conducting a household survey. The survey will track energy and water use, transportation and consumer habits, according to Vaney, who added that Project Neutral is working with Enbridge and Toronto Hydro to obtain energy data directly from the utility companies."Whether you turn down your thermostat or add insulation to your home, there are tiny, tiny actions people in the neighbourhood can take. It'll have great impact," said Vaney.The incentives to this project, she said, are saving money and government rebates. Project Neutral anticipates between a five and 20 per cent reduction in residential greenhouse gas emissions within five years as well as a reduction in smog-causing emissions.Visit www.green13toronto.org for further details.