Thank you to everyone who has supported “The Power of Poo” campaign so far. The petition has grown to more than 4,500 signatures in just over three weeks, and facilitated some great discussion about waste in the city. Now, it’s time to make the shift from idea to reality! Before we move forward I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Laska and I recently moved to the thriving West Coast from Ontario so I could become engaged in B.C’s environmental scene and help support a new narrative for our collective future. In recent years, waste diversion and recycling have become personal passions, and I have been doing my best to lead a Zero Waste lifestyle. I have worked hard to understand waste management challenges at the local level, and share this information with others in a meaningful way. Drawing on my background as a storyteller, in February (2018) I partnered with Shaw TV to develop short videos on varied environmental protection topics. The videos were featured on Shaw TV and are also posted to YouTube. (You can find the video links in the footnotes at the bottom of the page). While researching content for my recent video feature, Paws & Poop, I Iearned how big the poo issue is in Greater Victoria and the lack of sustainable options available to pet owners. We all want to be good stewards of the environment. This is why we go out of our way to look for biodegradable bags and be as earth-friendly in as many ways as possible. Unfortunately, the term “biodegradable” isn’t very clear to most consumers and when it comes to dog waste bags, it’s not easy to be as “green” as we’d like to be. I started to learn about what other cities are doing to reduce the amount of poo sent to landfills. Some of the more innovative solutions include using dog poo to power streetlamps, and human sewage to power buses. Naturally, I thought: Why can’t we do this in Victoria? Our city is known for its progressive lifestyle, thriving technology sector, abundant parkland, and some of the nation’s best educational intuitions. My goal for “The Power of Poo” campaign is to maximize the potential of waste diversion by producing something useful, as well as to foster connections between the small changes we can make at the local level, and the impact of these changes on our local environment. Imagine if the streetlamps in parks across Greater Victoria were powered by bio-gas from dog poo? How satisfying would it be to recognize our furry friends as a source for clean energy instead of waste producers. Now that I’ve introduced myself, I want to hear from you. Maybe you are asking: How can I get involved? Educators, you can speak about poo solutions with your students. Information and learning materials are listed at the bottom of this update, including a brief resource for classroom teaching. Caregivers, you can speak with children about the campaign and help them develop connections between waste, waste management, and the environment. Learning resources are available at the bottom of the page, including those on how to motivate children to freely express their thoughts in order to develop innovative solutions. Pet owners, public space users, and everyone else, talk with your neighbours, your coworkers, and share your ideas on this page. It’s up to ALL of us to invent the goods and technologies needed to realize our clean energy future. When it comes to solutions, consider that it’s not about producing more, it’s about acting differently. Let’s work together and use this petition as an opportunity to make affordable change. Please continue to share this campaign with your networks since we all share the responsibility of inspiring our communities. Resources 1. Microplastics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REGGD8uGe-o 2. Sip on This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayAy79_uUEA&t=47s 3. Paws & Poop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq6sjuLCI2o&feature=em-share_video_user 4. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/01/stools-to-fuels-street-lamp-runs-on-dog-poo-bio-energy-waste- Classroom Teaching Resources 1. Gary the unicorn's best pal, scientist David Suzuki, find out how much poop humans make. http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/watch/studio_k/the-nature-of-thingies/gary-and-david-suzuki-learn-about-poo 2. Heifer International helps farmers turn the manure from livestock into clean, renewable energy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O35Yy_AFot0 3. Gross Science – Power poop http://www.pbs.org/video/gross-science-power-poop/ 4. Kenyan teenager converts his school’s poop into safe, clean energy. https://inhabitat.com/kenyan-student-converts-schools-waste-yes-poo-into-safe-clean-cooking-fuel/ 5. Scientists pull clean, renewable energy from human waste. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/powered-poop-and-pee 6. Poo Power to generate electricity at waste water treatment plants. https://www.yorkshirewater.com/poo-power 7. Six things poop can do for us. http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/six-things-poop-can-do-for-us Motivating Your Kids To Express Their Ideas Highlights: • Have meaningful conversations with them • Consider their capabilities • Express appreciation for their perspective • Let them lead the conversation, otherwise they withdraw from learning • Share your enthusiasm for learning 1. https://www.educationcorner.com/motivating-your-child-to-learn.html 2. https://www.parents.com/kids/development/behavioral/6-ways-to-motivate-your-kids/ 3. http://living.thebump.com/teaching-children-express-thoughts-14169.html 4.https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/7_ways_to_foster_creativity_in_your_kids