Airdrie family enters 'Live Net Zero' competition
Samantha and Kevin Shannon and their three children will be drastically reducing their energy usage by squaring off against other Canadian families as part of the 'Live Net Zero' competition.
"We were going to do this before we even knew about the Canadian Geographic challenge with 'Live Net Zero'," said Samantha Shannon from outside her home on Thursday.
The Airdrie residents say they hope to inspire other typical middle class families to reduce carbon emissions and lessen the effects of climate change.
"We still have a long long way to go," she added.
The Live Net Zero challenge is hosted by Canadian Geographic and Shell, a national charity dedicated to environmental initiatives.
A total of eight households across Canada will complete six challenges starting after Labour Day through to late November, with the winners receiving a $50,000 grand prize.
The challenges cover commuting, home improvements, addressing drafts, heating and cooling efficiencies, electrical power consumption, and eco-friendly vacation planning.
Officials with Canadian Geographic say the competition provides tangible examples any family could implement.
"To help Canadians figure out where to start and to show them practical examples of what Canadians are doing to try to make a difference," said Aran O'Carroll, national director for Canadian Geographic.
A panel of judges will determine the winner based on proof of completion and the quality of videos submitted by participants, and will make the announcement in April 2024.
ENERGY EFFICIENT GOALS
The Shannon household already installed solar panels and are planning to replace the garage natural gas furnace with an electric heat pump, which would disconnect it from the non-renewable energy grid.
The family's front yard is also in the process of becoming a source of geothermal power from deep underground to provide heating and cooling from renewable resource.
These projects have been self-funded through grants and loans, but winning the prize money would be a welcome help.
"We are not the Rockefellers we do not have this in our piggy bank to accomplish everything we are going for," said Samantha Shannon.
She is also helping produce a documentary about upcoming building code changes in Canada, and said that inspired her own family to get ahead, and begin energy efficient retrofits.
"I don't want our house to be left behind when it comes to 2030 and 2050 when all the new builds are net zero ready or completely energy efficient and sustainable on their own."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Loblaw boycott organizers say they plan to keep movement going past May
The organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores say they've decided to extend the boycott past May.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Winnipeg trial hears admitted serial killer searched web for serial killer definition
The trial of a Winnipeg man who has admitted to killing four women has heard he searched the internet to look up the definition of what it means to be a serial killer.