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Green Team promotes Earth Day with green living

Want to do something about the environment? Well here is your chance.

Want to do something about the environment? Well here is your chance.

This year the Earth Day “Ponoka Pride” project is happening again and is organized by the Ponoka Green Team, which is a local group carrying out environmental projects in Ponoka.

Ponoka Pride is a registered event with Earthday Canada. Earth Day is April 22 but many events are planned at different times throughout the year in Canada.

The environmental issue taking the forefront is climate change, mainly because we are seeing the effects of it almost every day. The argument that it is just a weather cycle is no longer valid and useable.

Ponoka Pride does a couple of things: first it promotes environmental issues awareness to the community, teaches citizens what they can do locally to make a difference and in turn saves each home money.

Secondly, by registering, each and every project it gives the government a signal that we need changes in government policy to ensure we have a brighter future.

“I think our government is not doing enough,” said Maurice Mazurat, encouraging people to write to their MPs and MLAs.

This year each day of the week has been broken up into different sectors of our community.

This gives the focus to each of these sectors of our community.

• May 4, community day, if you have items that can be possibly used by other families or can be used by anyone else we will be glad to Freecycle these items. If you wish to donate cash or bottles and cans, you are welcome.

• May 6 is Industry Can day. Local industries can cleanup and recycle materials or commit to leaving less of an imprint on the environment. Industries in Ponoka can also commit to being a Green Business in Ponoka.

• May 7 is Home Can day. Homeowners can cleanup or commit to working towards being a green home. Information is available at Cmaz7@shaw.ca or the town of Ponoka.

Mazurat says there are requirements that need to be met to apply as a green home. They include reducing water usage by 15 per cent, heating by 10 per cent, lighting by 15 per cent, reduce fuel use by 20 per cent and materials sent to landfills by 30 per cent.

• May 8 is Retail Can day. Retail stores can carry an environmental project or just clean and recycle. Also during the week they can advertise green or locally grown products.

• May 9 is Organizations Can day. Clean a public area or plant a tree or do any environmental project.

• May 10 is Schools Can day. Schools in the community get together and carry out a community cleanup.

There will be a photo shoot at Centennial Park with lunch with local youth. Part of the photo shoot is an entry into “Faces of Climate change,” a photo competition with Earthday Canada. Event starts noon sharp.

The public is welcome to attend and support our youth for the great work they have been doing in the past years.

Families can sign up to being a green home by filling out an application available at town hall or contacting me.

If you wish for more information about the project and what you can do call or text Maurice Mazurat at 403-783-0703 or email cmaz7@shaw.ca.

If you wish to email an event you are planning rather than filling out the application call or email the same contacts.

— Submitted