Toronto Environmental Alliance

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The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) is a Canadian non-profit environmental organization. Formed in 1988, TEA provides an activist voice on environmental issues affecting Toronto.

Contents 1 Mandate 2 Organization 3 Focus Areas 4 Accomplishments 5 Publications 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Mandate

TEA's mandate is to promote a greener Toronto. TEA works with concerned individuals, community groups, professionals and workers, encouraging the participation of local people on local issues. TEA has a vision of a healthy community based on equity, access, safety and a clean environment. TEA was founded in 1988 to pursue this mission of instilling environmental responsibility within municipal governments, investigating innovative, local solutions and encouraging cities to become advocates for the environment.

[edit] Organization

The Toronto Environmental Alliance is governed by a 9-member volunteer Board of Directors. Michael Shapcott is the President of TEA and Franz Hartmann is the Executive Director.

TEA has over 5,000 members and donors.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Focus Areas

TEA focuses on five major subjects:

• Smog, Climate Change, and Energy
• Public Transit
• Toxics
• Waste Reduction
• Greenbelt

[edit] Accomplishments

• 1998: City adopts TEA's Smog Alert Action Plan to reduce smog emissions on smog days.
• 2000: TEA works with local citizens in Toronto and Kirkland lake to stop city plan to ship Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine in Kirkland Lake.
• 2002: City finally implements TEA plan for Green Bins.
• 2002: TEA is instrumental in developing Toronto’s Wet Weather Flow Master Plan, which outlines a 25 year work-plan to improve Toronto’s beaches, rivers and waterways by reducing pollution resulting from combined sewers and storm water run-off.
• 2003: TEA succeeds in getting the City to pass a pesticide ban on private property.
• 2004: TEA convinces City to increase TTC ridership and expand transit service.
• 2005: TEA works with tenants to launch an innovative tenant-led energy conservation program at an east-end Toronto Community Housing neighbourhood. The program wins a prestigious "Green Toronto" award.
• 2007: City adopts smog and climate change plan including key recommendations made by TEA over the past 10 years.
• 2008: TEA publishes first-ever ethnic food guides that provide information about where Torontonians can buy fresh, locally grown food used in Chinese and South Asian cuisine.
• 2008: City Council adopts a local food procurement policy that includes a target to buy 50% local food as soon as possible.
• 2008: City passes country’s first ever Community Right to Know Bylaw that will require businesses - from dry cleaners to funeral homes and auto-body repair shops - to reveal their discharges of 25 priority chemicals.

[edit] Publications

• Toronto The Green: Mid-Term Environmental Report Card 2008
• Dig Conservation, Not Holes: A report on the GTA's Thirst for Gravel and How to Quench it.

[edit] See also

• Toronto Environmental Coalition

[edit] External links

• TEA website
• Community Right to Know website

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