Election Issue No. 3 – The Environment

With Canada plunged into its fourth election campaign in seven years, the environment is one issue Canadians want to hear about.

As it relates to the environment, The Salvation Army believes that humans are called to careful stewardship of the earth and its resources.

Among other environmental initiatives, the Army makes environmental concerns an integral part of planning and decision making in all facility designs and ongoing maintenance projects.

The Army takes advantage of power smart technologies and incentives from utilities during the development of projects and installs solar hot water heating when possible to supplement energy costs. Where appropriate they are adopting LEED certification. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a Green Building Rating System)
The Army targets LEED GOLD designation.

The reasons for certifying include:

• Gain recognition for green building efforts
• Validate achievement through third party review.
• Qualify for a growing array of government incentives
• Contribute to a growing green building knowledge base

The Army believes that promoting good environmental stewardship and sustainability will better facilitate its mission to give hope and support to vulnerable people.
When it comes to the election and environmental issues, which one should receive the greatest attention?