People from all over Vancouver island and the lower mainland were reporting extended periods of time where buildings were swaying and bouncing as a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck. The USGS reports that it was at a depth of 25.9 kilometers, earlier assessments were reporting only two kilometers below the surface.

Reports of the quake came in from the Fraser Valley to Campbell River at around 12:41 PT p.m., but there are no reports of damage. Officials are saying that after shocks could be felt over the coming days but that the quake was not big enough to trigger a tsunami.

The quake could be felt as far away as Seattle, Washington, but U.S. officials say there are no reports of damage in the city.

Home of your Sustainability Ninjas, Vancouver, BC is gearing up for the big event – the 2010 Olympic games.

In February, Vancouver’s mayor Gregor Robertson announced the Greenest City Action Team, a program that he hoped would advance green economic initiatives in an effort to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world. However, with all the travel, construction and litter the Olympics inadvertently promotes, can Vancouver really achieve anything close to this goal? Linda Coady, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (Vanoc) vice-president for sustainability, said that after sport and culture, “the environment is the third pillar of the Olympics.” She adds that she believes the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver will be “pretty green.”

Coady says that particular, she wants “green planning and buildings, green event management, and new approaches to carbon management” to be part of the Vancouver 2010 games legacy.

Prof David Suzuki agrees with these hopes and says that he would like Vanoc to “inspire the world to get involved in environmental solutions”.

Suzuki wants Vanoc and its TV sponsors to implement an outreach program.

“What could be more powerful than to have respected Olympic athletes talking on TV, in between sporting events, about the Games’ environment initiatives and inspiring spectators and the public to make similar changes in their own lives?”

VANCOUVER, Canada —  the home city of the 2010 winter Olympics and what the city’s mayor hopes will become the world’s greenest city, hosted Western Canada’s only green consumer tradeshow and eco-marketplace this weekend. Yes, the city which serves as home base to the Ninja Network became a hub of green living excitement when more than 300 exhibitors gathered at the beautiful Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver’s newest and greenest convention centre, to share their ideas, inventions and products with environmentally-conscious consumers.

This place had it all. From speakers including Vancouver’s mayor, Gregor Robertson, economist Mark Anielski and author Stacy Malkan, the founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, to a ‘Sustainable Sips’ mixology class at the EPIC Tasting Lounge.

As well as checking out the latest in cool gadgets, jewelry, shoes, foods and eco-friendly clothing, shoppers could also test-drive Toyota or Lexus Hybrids. The companies showcased the upcoming Hybrid models not on the market yet including the all-new third generation Prius, the all-new Lexus RX450h and the Lexus HS250h.

One cool booth we visited was BuenoStyle, whose designer, Christi Jessica York showcased her vintage, hand-made jewelry. York uses vintage and reclaimed material in her designs, which produces a smaller “footprint” than purchasing something new.

We also paid a visit to Green Gal, who was selling her line of eco-tuplip capris, coffee-cuffs and eco-forever dresses, which wraps in 20 or more different ways.

Multiple car companies were on-hand to showcase their latest eco-friendly models, as well as car sharing networks – which offers city dwellers who don’t own a car, and alternative to buying a car, public transportation or expensive car rental services. With car sharing networks, members rent vehicles at low cost on a semi long-term basis. If you are among those city dwellers who only drive a few times in a month, then a car sharing network might be just the ticket.

Some of Vancouver’s top chefs were also on-hand to prepare world-class sustainable cuisine on the EPIC Cooking Stage. Overall, we give the EPIC Sustainable Living Expo two thumbs up.

Vancouver, British Columbia is not only hosting the 2010 Olympics, but is now eying the prize of becoming the world’s greenest city. In February, Vancouver’s mayor Gregor Robertson announced the Greenest City Action Team, a program that he hoped would advance green economic initiatives in an effort to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world.

Most recently, the city is considering that adoption of plug-in electric cars, currently testing the Mitsubishi i MiEV, a zero-emission, pure electric car with extended range.

Under the terms of the agreement, one car would be added to BC Hydro’s fleet of vehicles and one to the City of Vancouver’s fleet for demonstration and evaluation purposes. The agreement also allows for the addition of more cars as they become available.

“Electric cars are part of the sustainable transportation solution for British Columbia and I am pleased that the i MiEV will make its Canadian debut in Vancouver,” said Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Blair Lekstrom. “By looking at new, innovative technologies, we can work toward achieving our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020.”