EcoHomes » Programs
EcoHomes programs offered by DSA focus on action that you take today to start the shift to a bright sustainable future. Check out our programs below:
We Have the Power
Durham Region, the power for change is in your hands! We want you to take action and make a stand for the environment. The answer to our climate crises is conservation of our precious resources, and it starts with you. Together we can all take simple steps that will lead to a bright future for Durham Region and beyond.
DSA is pleased to announce our We Have the Power campaign has successfully wrapped-up. We are happy to report that over 640 households took the pledge resulting in 1,600 residents taking part in conservation and reduction actions. We are thrilled with the positive response we received from the community, this program just goes to prove how small actions taken by many people add up and significantly contribute to a region wide reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. DSA would like to congratulate and thank all those who made a stand for the environment and took the We Have the Power Pledge.
Related Links
We Have the Power™Online Resources.
Useful links and information to help you make as stand for the environment.
Interested in Booking a Lunch and Learn for your business? Click here.
Durham Sustain Ability proudly recognizes the support of our sponsors, Investors Group Pickering, Indaco Manufacturing Ltd., Veridian Connections, Whitby Hydro, Smart Commute Durham, The Region of Durham, Tasco Pickering and Windfall Ecology Centre.
We Have the Power™ is a project of Durham Sustain Ability and is delivered with generous support from the Government of Ontario. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Province of the contents of this material.
Scugog Connections
Scugog Connections is a collaborative project of four local organizations and agencies; Durham Sustain Ability as the lead organization, along with Kawartha Conservation, the Scugog Lake Stewards, and the Durham Land Stewardship Council. Scugog Connections seeks to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Lake Scugog watershed, while maintaining the sustainable capacity for development that is inevitable within a growing GTA population.
The Scugog Connections program is a resource for local residents looking to take the small but impactful steps to ensure a sustainable quality of life on Lake Scugog. The program aims to encourage the community to play an active role in the health of their environment while promoting responsible water stewardship. The program is a part of the Lake Scugog Environmental Management Plan (LSEMP) and serves as a hub for educational and outreach activities.
For more information please visit the Scugog Connections website.
Scugog Connections is made possible through funding from Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
Well Aware
Well Aware encourages Ontario's residential well owners to protect their wells and our common groundwater supplies. Well owners in Ontario are responsible for the safety and operation of their own wells and septic systems and for what those systems put back into the water cycle. There are an estimated 16,000 wells in Durham Region and it is important for all well owners to do their part to protect Durham Regions ground water sources.
The Well Aware program in Durham Region currently offers a comprehensive free information kit and a free on-site guided assessment of your well by a certified Water Guide.
Guided Self-Assessments
The guided self assessment offers well owners an opportunity to make a few simple changes that can have a significant impact on their water quality. It offers well owners practical information on maintaining a healthy well, septic system, and minimizing sources of contamination.
The Water Guide will provide recommendations on well maintenance and upgrading, properly sealing unused wells, water conservation, yard naturalization and septic system best practices.
The Water Guide can provide solutions to individual concerns and troubleshoot specific well and septic problems as well as help well owners understand when they need to call a licensed well contractor for repairs or upgrading.
The Well Aware Guided Self-Assessment is a free, confidential, non-regulatory service that guides the resident in identifying risk of contamination to their well.
Please note that we are no longer booking assessments for 2011.
Well Aware is a project of The Green Communities Canada Association. Funding support is provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
EcoDriver
The EcoDriver program is dedicated to teaching drivers fuel efficient driving techniques that are not only guaranteed to save you money, but also reduce the amount of green house gases (GHG) you emit while driving.
Outlined below are some simple driving techniques and useful tips that will help you become an EcoDriver.
Drive Efficiently
- Slow Down and Save: For every 10 km/h you go over 90, fuel efficiency drops by 10%. Driving 120 on the highway instead of 90 is like paying 30% extra for gas.
- Easy on the Pedal: Jackrabbit starts from one stoplight to the next save only 2.5 minutes per hour, but increase fuel consumption by 37%.
- Smooth Sailing: On the highway, keeping a steady speed uses less fuel. Accelerate smoothly and avoid hard braking by leaving room between your car and the one in front.
- Be Idle Free: Just 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine. In 10 minutes the average car will burn through 300 ml of fuel (approx. 1/3 of a litre).
- Warm Up on the Go: Today's cars shouldn't be idled to warm up, and too much idling can cause damage. Driving gently for the first few minutes lets your transmission, steering, and engine all warm up at once.
- Combine Trips: Trips under 5 km are the most polluting because the engine and the pollution control system never reach peak operating temperature. Combining several trips into one can cut fuel use and emissions by 20 to 50%.
- Travel Light: Every extra hundred pounds reduces fuel efficiency by up to 2%, so keep your trunk clear of unnecessary items, and in the winter remove all snow and ice.
- Make the Most of Your Transmissions: Using overdrive at high speeds saves fuel and reduces engine wear. With a manual transmission, shifting up gently but quickly to higher gears allows the engine to work more efficiently.
- Use a Fuel Consumption Display: If your car comes with a consumption computer, use it to get instant feedback on fuel use. Drivers who learn to adjust their habits can save up to 10% this way. If your vehicle doesn't have one, they're easy to install. The ScanGuage II is one model you can order online.
Maintain and Save
- Tire Pressure: Just one tire under-inflated by 8 psi can increase fuel consumption by 4%, and reduce the life of the tire by 15 000 km. Check the pressure once a month.
- Motor Oil: Using worn-out oil, or the wrong grade of oil, can increase fuel use by 2%. Change it regularly with the grade listed in your owners' manual. "Energy Conserving" brands can reduce friction, improving efficiency even more.
- Air Filter: Fuel use can increase up to 10% when the air filter is clogged because not enough air makes it to the combustions chambers. Check it on the same schedule as you change oil, or more often if you travel on dusty roads.
- Tune Ups: Keeping your vehicle in tune can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% and smog causing emissions by even more. Follow the schedule in your owners' manual.
Drive Less
- Carpool: It saves money, reduces pollution, and creates a friendlier commute.
- Let Someone Else do the Driving: Taking transit frees up time to read the paper, catch up on work, or chat with friends. And it's often cheaper than taking the car. Visit Durham Region Transit for route maps.
- Get Active: Cycling or walking is a healthy alternative, especially for short gas-guzzling errands. In 20 minutes the average person can walk 2 km or bike 5 km.
- Telecommute: Working from home is increasingly feasible and doing it just once a week can boost job satisfaction and productivity while cutting your commute emissions by 20%.
Click Here to access Natural Resources Canada fuel Calculator.