Go Green Initiatives
Environmental/HEAL (Healthy Eating and Active Living) Initiatives
Going Green: Our commitment to contributing to a healthier environment
At our joint conference this year, OPHA, alPHa and Niagara Region Public Health would like to minimize the amount of waste associated with our annual conference We have reviewed areas where we can reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Paperless registration: You won’t find a registration form in this preliminary program. Online registration is easy and simple to use, and we’re encouraging all delegates to take advantage of it. The registration form will be available online, fully linking you to the program schedule. This will save approximately 12,000 sheets of paper.
Name badges: Many delegates are used to recycling their name badges. We encourage this practice and will have drop off areas set up throughout the Sheraton on the Falls.
Delegate bags: These will be made of recycled material. After the conference, they will be ideal to use as grocery or shopping bags.
Conference folders: We will not be using folders to hold conference material; instead, conference material can be placed directly in your delegate bags. This saves approximately 800 pages of hard stock paper and ink.
Paper and pens: A small quantity of paper and pens will be available in each room, we will not be distributing pens and paper for each conference registrant.
Health breaks: Plastic water bottles will be replaced by pitchers of ice water. All dishes, cutlery and linens are reusable. No single-serve containers for food and condiments will be available.
Paper/glass/aluminium recycle program: Bins will be available throughout the Sheraton on the Falls.
We ask for your cooperation and help in making this conference a “green” one. Thank-you.
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Carbon Offsets
What is a carbon offset?
A “carbon offset” is an emission reduction credit from another organization’s project that results in less carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than would otherwise occur. Carbon offsets are typically measured in tons of CO2-equivalents (or 'CO2e') and are bought and sold through a number of international brokers, online retailers, and trading platforms.
For more information on carbon offsets please check out the David Suzuki website:
www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/carbon_neutral.asp
We understand that not all conference attendees will have the option of buying their carbon offsets. In the event you are able to offset your travel to the Niagara Public Health Summit we have provided the following links to assist you with calculations and/or purchasing carbon credits.
Carbon Offset Calculator: This site is free of charge to calculate travel emissions and associated credits without the commitment to purchase.
http://www.trailcanada.com/green/travel/carbon_offset_calculator/
The Gold Standard is a non-profit foundation, based in Basel, Switzerland. Projects that use the Gold Standard method are the premium projects in the carbon market. All Gold Standard projects are rigorously tested for environmental quality by registered third parties. The Gold Standard carbon credit label is awarded after third party validation and verification of the offset project.
www.cdmgoldstandard.org
Please be aware that the City of Niagara Falls has an Anti-Idling By-law, found here:
www.niagarafalls.ca/city_hall/departments/clerks/bylaws/pdf/idling_of_vehicles.pdf
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Healthy Eating
Niagara region is host to a wide array of restaurants. The following sites, hosted by Niagara Region Public Health, provide additional information on Niagara’s EatSmart! award winning restaurants and our restaurant disclosure program.
Niagara Eat Smart Restaurants
Niagara Info Dine
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Active Living
NPHS conference organizers are pleased to promote social and physical activities for our 2008 conference. www.ophaconference.ca/files/special.html/#social
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