Founded in 2006, Ecology Ottawa is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada. We believe that Ottawans want sustainable communities and that they care about issues such as public transit,pollution, greenspace, global warming, renewable energy, waste disposal, and recycling. We are currently devoted to promote complete streets policy, to protect our city's trees, to clean-up the Ottawa River, to oppose tar sands oil pipelines, and to take action on climate change. We are helping residents come together to nurture sustainable communities and build a grassroots, city-wide movement to ensure that these concerns are heard at city hall.Cities are home to 80 percent of Canada's population, and there is no way to tackle the scale of the environmental crisis that we are facing in the twenty-first century without leadership from every sector of society and all levels of government. Ottawa is where we live, work, learn, and grow, and it is where we must learn to do so in ways that don't degrade our ecosystems. The City of Ottawa used to be an environmental leader among Canadian cities, but today it is falling further and further behind other Canadian cities. It doesn't have to be this way. By increasing citizen participation in decisions that shape Ottawa's environment, we can hold city council accountable for its environmental performance and bring our nation's capital back to the forefront of efforts to foster healthy communities and develop sustainable solutions.Together we can make Ottawa the green capital of Canada!