From mfirth at cupe.ca Tue Oct 4 16:15:02 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2011 16:15:02 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: Double blow: Canada's environmental record slammed by auditor, Europeans In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABA8E@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABA8EE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Double blow: Canada's environmental record slammed by auditor, Europeans Heather Scoffield, [cid:_2_09CBBF9409CBBB94006DEB818525791F] Tuesday, Octob= er 04, 2011 3:40 PM Commissioner of the Environment Scott Vaughan holds a press conference at t= he National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, following = the tabling of the 2011 October report in the House of Commons. THE CANADIA= N PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Canada's environmental record was dealt a double blow on Tuesday, = with a scathing federal audit and a European Commission decision to blackli= st oilsands products. Environment Commissioner Scott Vaughan tabled a report saying the federal g= overnment=92s knowledge about greenhouse-gas emissions and oilsands polluti= on is so spotty that key decisions are made without fully understanding the= environmental consequences. Reports said the European Commission has decided to treat exports from Albe= rta's oilsands as dirtier than conventional oil =97 despite intense lobbyin= g from the Canadian government. If the decision is backed up by member countries of the European Union, it = would effectively block oilsands products from that market. "All that foot-dragging on regulations to deal with climate change is comin= g back to bite the industry," said activist Gillian McEachern, climate and = energy manager for Environmental Defence. Exports to Europe are negligible now, but Canadian officials are concerned = about the signal it sends to other countries and the effect it will have on= future export potential, said Canadian trade strategist Peter Clark. He said Canada has excellent grounds to challenge the European decision, "b= ut I wouldn't say it's a tempest in a teapot. The government is taking it s= eriously." In his audit, Vaughan found that the federal government's approach to clima= te change was "disjointed, confused and non-transparent." As a result, there=92s no way of telling whether Ottawa is on track to meet= its targets for cutting greenhouse gases, despite spending more than $9 bi= llion, Vaughan said. Unless there are major changes, he doubts Canada will meet its emission- re= duction targets, even though they have been dramatically scaled back since = the days of the Kyoto accord. The audit showed that targets are now 90 per = cent lower than they were four years ago. "The government has lowered the bar in what it hopes to achieve," Vaughan t= old reporters. "It has made new commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissi= ons, but it is unclear whether they are achievable." Opposition politicians pointed to the audit as more proof that the governme= nt is negligent when it comes to the environment. "With climate-change programming already under fire from this government, i= t's extremely alarming to see that they have failed to put in place a prope= r management system to track the results of funding," said NDP environment = critic Megan Leslie. Vaughan said his calculation of $9 billion in spending on climate change si= nce 2007 was the first attempt to add it all up. But Canadians are not seeing much for their money, he noted. Few of the government programs come with any monitoring. And about $6-billi= on worth of initiatives won=92t really achieve any emissions reductions at = all, at least not any time soon, the audit found. As for the oilsands production which has raised alarm bells in the United S= tates and Europe, Ottawa's lack of basic information prevents officials fro= m understanding how the environment of the broader area is being affected, = Vaughan added. "When there are several development projects in the same region, it=92s imp= ortant to understand their combined impacts on the environment and how to m= inimize them," he said. "Failure to prevent environmental impacts from the start can lead to signif= icant problems down the road." He said Fisheries and Environment Canada have been warning for more than a = decade that they lack the data needed to assess the combined impact of the = massive oilsands developments. They=92re concerned about the impact on the lower Athabasca region and the = wider Mackenzie Basin of the Northwest Territories. Yet the warnings have largely been ignored, until recently, the audit said. "During our audit, we found that, despite repeated warnings of gaps in envi= ronmental information, little was done for almost a decade to close many of= those key information gaps." Some of the environmental effects of the oilsands are actually well underst= ood, Vaughan said. The government has written publicly that the projects are an enormous sourc= e of greenhouse-gas emissions and that air pollution from the oilsands has = doubled over a decade. This has led to acid rain, putting lakes and forests= in the larger area at risk, the audit said. It's the emissions that have raised alarms in Europe, where companies are b= eing driven to cleaner fuels by rules forcing them to cut emissions. But there's much more that Canadian officials don't know about the effects = of the oilsands. Insufficient or inadequate monitoring means the government does not underst= and the impact that airborne toxic substances have on water, land, air, fis= h, wildlife and habitat in the area surrounding the oilsands projects. "As a consequence, decisions about oilsands projects have been based on inc= omplete, poor, or non-existent environmental information that has, in turn,= led to poorly informed decisions." The NDP's Leslie said the findings show it's time to step back and assess t= he oilsands as a whole before allowing development to surge. "We need to take a little break, to find a solution." The government has also recognized that it has significant shortcomings and= is pursuing a plan to fix them, Vaughan noted. In July, Environment Minister Peter Kent introduced a new monitoring system= that is meant to be "world class." It looks at the impact of the oilsands = on biodiversity, air and water in the broader region around the oilsands. "Our government has not given up on the environment," Kent said Tuesday. If Ottawa makes good on its intentions, it may well be a "game-changer," Va= ughan said in an interview, albeit a decade late. "In my view, the federal government has taken an important step forward by = both acknowledging the deficiencies of the current system and setting out a= detailed plan to fix them," Vaughan's report said. =A9 The Canadian Press, 2011 Read it on Global News: Global News | Double blow: Canada's environmental r= ecord slammed by auditor, Europeans --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABA8EE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Description: ATT00001.jpg Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="ATT00001.jpg"; size=15920; creation-date="Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:02:35 GMT"; modification-date="Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:09:55 GMT" Content-ID: <_2_09CBBF9409CBBB94006DEB818525791F> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ATT00001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15920 bytes Desc: ATT00001.jpg Url : http://lists.cupe.ca/pipermail/environmentcomm/attachments/20111004/da2b7e54/attachment-0001.jpg --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABA8EE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Description: ATT00002.gif Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="ATT00002.gif"; size=2323; creation-date="Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:02:35 GMT"; modification-date="Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:09:55 GMT" Content-ID: <_1_09D4D22409D4CD44006DEB818525791F> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ATT00002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 2323 bytes Desc: ATT00002.gif Url : http://lists.cupe.ca/pipermail/environmentcomm/attachments/20111004/da2b7e54/attachment-0001.gif --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABA8EE2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Thu Oct 6 11:03:36 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2011 11:03:36 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] =?windows-1258?q?Member_submission=3A_action_on?= =?windows-1258?q?_XL_pipeline_leads_to_inspiration_/_Article_d=92une_memb?= =?windows-1258?q?re_=3A_un_geste_inspirant_en_opposition_=E0_l=92ol=E9odu?= =?windows-1258?q?c_XL?= Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9172@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9172E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1258" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://cupe.ca/aboriginal/submission-action-xl-pipeline-leads Member submission: action on XL pipeline leads to inspiration CUPE member Jacquie Roberts from CUPE 1063 in Manitoba submitted this inspi= ring piece about fellow member Leo Cheverie for CUPE=92s website. Leo, from= CUPE 1870 in P.E.I., took part in a recent sit-in on= Parliament Hill, using non-violent civil disobedience to protest the XL pi= peline. Here=92s Jacquie=92s story: Our brother Leo I have never met Leo Cheverie in person, but I do have the privilege of bei= ng a friend on Facebook. If his posts are a reflection of his heart and min= d, he is a leader for many on issues of social justice and environmental ac= tivism, not just in his union but in endeavors of his life and activities i= n the community. On Monday September 26, 2011, Leo did an amazing thing. He joined hands wit= h fellow protesters and crossed the fence at Parliament Hill, not knowing w= hat the outcome would be. Knowing he would likely be arrested. Knowing he f= aced the possibility of criminal charges which would affect him for the res= t of his life. His reasons for crossing that fence are his. As a union sister I thank him = for being there and going over the fence. Too often we have to separate our= selves from our union as environmental activists. Too often we take the inn= ocuous route to protest. Leo did what many of us fear to do; he risked his = here and now to protest not just the tar sands and the XL pipeline but the = practices of environmental carnage for profit, and the pillaging of resourc= es with often toxic consequences dumped on the First Nations people of Cana= da. There are a myriad of reasons to take a stand against the XL pipeline as th= ere are a myriad of reasons to be an environmental activist. At the end of = the day it is about the future, not just for indigenous people but all of u= s and all the generations to come. I speak to the impact Brother Leo=92s act of civil disobedience has had on = me. It has been very powerful and has moved me beyond the point of articula= te expression. The expression =93out of sight, out of mind=94 often comes i= nto play regarding environmental or First Nations issues, but on Sept. 26 o= ur brother Leo was is plain view, and now he is very much in my mind. I hop= e he is in yours. I am proud to call him my brother! If you=92d like to share a story about a fellow CUPE member, send it to us = at comm at cupe.ca. http://scfp.ca/autochtones/article-dune-membre-un-geste-inspirant Article d=92une membre : un geste inspirant en opposition =E0 l=92ol=E9oduc= XL le 5 octobre 2011 10 h 03 Jacquie Roberts, membre du SCFP 1063 au Manitoba, a soumis au site Internet= du SCFP cet article inspirant =E0 propos de notre confr=E8re Leo Cheverie.= Membre du SCFP 1870 =E0 l=92=CE.-P.-=C9., Leo a r=E9cemment particip=E9, s= ur la colline du Parlement, =E0 un =AB sit-in =BB de d=E9sob=E9issance civi= le non violente en opposition =E0 l=92ol=E9oduc XL. Voici l=92article de Jacquie : Notre confr=E8re Leo Je n=92ai jamais rencontr=E9 Leo Cheverie en personne, mais j=92ai le privi= l=E8ge d=92=EAtre son amie Facebook. Et si ses interventions refl=E8tent ce= qu=92il a dans le c=9Cur et dans la t=EAte, alors il est pour plusieurs un= e autorit=E9 en mati=E8re de justice sociale et de militantisme =E9cologiqu= e, non seulement =E0 son syndicat, mais dans sa vie et ses activit=E9s dans= la collectivit=E9. Le lundi 26 septembre 2011, Leo a fait quelque chose de fabuleux. Il s=92es= t joint, main dans la main, =E0 une cha=EEne de protestataires et a franchi= la cl=F4ture de la colline du Parlement. Sans savoir ce qui en r=E9sultera= it, mais sachant qu=92il serait probablement interpel=E9 et courait le risq= ue d=92accusations au criminel, chose qui pourrait le hanter pour le reste = de ses jours. Il avait ses propres raisons pour franchir cette cl=F4ture. Quant =E0 moi, = sa cons=9Cur, je le remercie de l=92avoir fait. Trop souvent, nous, militan= ts =E9cologiques, devons nous dissocier de notre syndicat. Trop souvent, no= us choisissons la voie de la protestation b=E9nigne. Leo a fait ce que plus= ieurs d=92entre nous craignons trop de faire : il a risqu=E9 sa situation p= our protester contre les sables bitumineux, oui, et l=92ol=E9oduc XL, encor= e oui, mais aussi contre le carnage de l=92environnement au nom du profit, = le pillage des ressources et le pelletage des cons=E9quences toxiques dans = la cour des Premi=E8res Nations du Canada. Pourquoi s=92opposer =E0 l=92ol=E9oduc XL? Pourquoi =EAtre militant =E9colo= gique? Les raisons sont l=E9gion, mais, au final, c=92est une question d=92= avenir, pour les peuples am=E9rindiens, pour nous tous et pour les g=E9n=E9= rations futures. Je souhaite t=E9moigner de l=92impact qu=92a eu sur moi le geste de d=E9sob= =E9issance civile de notre confr=E8re Leo. Son geste puissant m=92a =E9mue = d=92une mani=E8re que je ne saurais traduire en mots. L=92expression =AB lo= in des yeux, loin du c=9Cur =BB s=92applique souvent aux enjeux environneme= ntaux ou autochtones. Or, le 26 septembre, notre confr=E8re Leo =E9tait sou= s nos yeux et il est maintenant tr=E8s pr=E9sent dans mon c=9Cur et dans ma= t=EAte. Je suis fi=E8re de mon confr=E8re! Vous aimeriez nous parler d=92un confr=E8re ou d=92une cons=9Cur du SCFP? E= nvoyez votre texte =E0 comm at cupe.ca. P Do you really need to print this email? Please think of the environment f= irst. Matthew Firth Senior Officer Health, Safety & Environment Branch Canadian Union of Public Employees 1375 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z7 Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240 Fax (613) 237-5508 mfirth at cupe.ca www.cupe.ca www.cupe.ca/environment --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9172E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="windows-1258" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

http= ://cupe.ca/aboriginal/submission-action-xl-pipeline-leads

Member submission: action on XL pipeline leads to inspiration

 

CUPE member Jacquie Roberts from CUPE 1063 in Manitoba submitted this inspiring piece about fellow member Leo Cheverie for CUPE=92= s website. Leo, from CUPE 1870 in P.E.I., took part in a recent sit-in on Parliament Hill, using non-violent civil disobedience to protest the XL pipeline.

Here=92s Jacquie=92s story:

Our brother Leo

I have never met Leo Cheverie in person, but I do have the privilege of bei= ng a friend on Facebook. If his posts are a reflection of his heart and mind, he= is a leader for many on issues of social justice and environmental activism, n= ot just in his union but in endeavors of his life and activities in the commun= ity.

On Monday September 26, 2011, Leo did an amazing thing. He joined hands wit= h fellow protesters and crossed the fence at Parliament Hill, not knowin= g what the outcome would be. Knowing he would likely be arrested. Knowing he faced the possibility of criminal charges which would affect him for the re= st of his life.

His reasons for crossing that fence are his. As a union sister I thank him = for being there and going over the fence. Too often we have to separate ourselv= es from our union as environmental activists. Too often we take the innocuous route to protest. Leo did what many of us fear to do; he risked his here an= d now to protest not just the tar sands and the XL pipeline but the practices= of environmental carnage for profit, and the pillaging of resources with often toxic consequences dumped on the First Nations people of Canada.

There are a myriad of reasons to take a stand against the XL pipeline as th= ere are a myriad of reasons to be an environmental activist. At the end of the = day it is about the future, not just for indigenous people but all of us and al= l the generations to come.

I speak to the impact Brother Leo=92s act of civil disobedience has had on = me. It has been very powerful and has moved me beyond the point of articulate expression. The expression =93out of sight, out of mind=94 often comes into= play regarding environmental or First Nations issues, but on Sept. 26 our brother Leo was is plain view, and now he is very much in my mind. I hope h= e is in yours. I am proud to call him my brother!

If you=92d like to share a story about a fellow = CUPE member, send it to us at com= m at cupe.ca.

 

= http://scfp.ca/autochtones/article-dune-membre-un-geste-inspirant<= /o:p>

Article d=92une membre : un geste inspirant en opposition =E0 l=92ol=E9oduc XL=

le 5 octobre 2011 10 h 03

 

Jacquie Roberts, membre du SCFP 1063 au Manitoba, a soumis au site Internet du SCFP= cet article inspirant =E0 propos de notre confr=E8re Leo Cheverie. Membre du SC= FP 1870 =E0 l=92=CE.-P.-=C9., Leo a r=E9cemment particip=E9, sur la colline du Parl= ement, =E0 un =AB sit-in =BB de d=E9sob=E9issance civile non violente en opposi= tion =E0 l=92ol=E9oduc XL.

Voici l=92article de Jacquie :

Notre confr=E8re Leo<= span lang=3DFR>

Je n=92ai jamais rencontr=E9 Leo Cheverie en personne, mais j=92ai le privi= l=E8ge d=92=EAtre son amie Facebook. Et si ses interventions refl=E8tent ce qu=92i= l a dans le c=9Cur et dans la t=EAte, alors il est pour plusieurs une autorit=E9 en mat= i=E8re de justice sociale et de militantisme =E9cologique, non seulement =E0 son synd= icat, mais dans sa vie et ses activit=E9s dans la collectivit=E9.

Le lundi 26 septembre 2011, Leo a fait quelque chose de fabuleux. Il s=92est j= oint, main dans la main, =E0 une cha=EEne de protestataires et a franchi la cl=F4= ture de la colline du Parlement. Sans savoir ce qui en r=E9sulterait, mais sachant qu= =92il serait probablement interpel=E9 et courait le risque d=92accusations au cri= minel, chose qui pourrait le hanter pour le reste de ses jours. 
 
Il avait ses propres raisons pour franchir cette cl=F4ture. Quant =E0 moi, = sa cons=9Cur, je le remercie de l=92avoir fait. Trop souvent, nous, militants =E9cologiques, devons nous dissocier de notre syndicat. Trop souvent, nous choisissons la voie de la protestation b=E9nigne. Leo a fait ce que plusieu= rs d=92entre nous craignons trop de faire : il a risqu=E9 sa situation po= ur protester contre les sables bitumineux, oui, et l=92ol=E9oduc XL, encore ou= i, mais aussi contre le carnage de l=92environnement au nom du profit, le pillage d= es ressources et le pelletage des cons=E9quences toxiques dans la cour des Pre= mi=E8res Nations du Canada.

Pourquoi s=92opposer =E0 l=92ol=E9oduc XL? Pourq= uoi =EAtre militant =E9cologique? Les raisons sont l=E9gion, mais, au final, c=92est u= ne question d=92avenir, pour les peuples am=E9rindiens, pour nous tous et pour= les g=E9n=E9rations futures.

Je souhaite t=E9moigner de l=92impact qu=92a eu = sur moi le geste de d=E9sob=E9issance civile de notre confr=E8re Leo. Son geste puissa= nt m=92a =E9mue d=92une mani=E8re que je ne saurais traduire en mots. L=92expression= =AB loin des yeux, loin du c=9Cur =BB s=92applique souvent aux enjeux environne= mentaux ou autochtones. Or, le 26 septembre, notre confr=E8re Leo =E9tait sous nos yeu= x et il est maintenant tr=E8s pr=E9sent dans mon c=9Cur et dans ma t=EAte. Je suis = fi=E8re de mon confr=E8re!

Vous aimeriez nous parler d=92un confr=E8re ou d= =92une cons=9Cur du SCFP? Envoyez votre texte =E0 comm at cupe.ca.<= /o:p>

 

 

 

 

P<= /span> Do you really need to print this email? Please think of t= he environment first.

 

Matthew Firth<= /span>
Senio= r Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian Union of Public Employees
1375 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 237-5508
mfirth at cupe.ca

www.cupe.ca

www.cupe.ca/environment<= /span>

 

 

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9172E2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Thu Oct 6 16:11:11 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2011 16:11:11 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: Bill McKibben on tar sands, Obama, geoengineering and population growth Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E945B@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E945BE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Bill McKibben on tar sands, Obama, geoengineering and population growth The US environmentalist explains why he is now in a 'fight' with the oil in= dustry over climate change Guardian, October 6th 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/oct/06/bill-mckibben-keysto= ne-pipeline-oil Bill McKibben, one of the US's leading enviro= nmental writers and campaigners, visited the UK briefly earlier this week t= o teach a course entitled Building Social Movements and Organising for Chan= ge at the Schumacher College in Devon. He was scheduled to also give a lecture this weeken= d at the Schumacher Centenary Festival in Br= istol, but will now deliver it via video-conference as he had to return ear= ly to Washington DC for Friday's final hearing into the proposed 1,711-mile= Keystone XL pipeline that, if built, would transport oil extracted from Canada's tar sand fields acr= oss the Mid-West and down to ports in the Gulf of Mexico. McKibben was arre= sted in A= ugust during a protestaimed at try= ing to convince President Obama not to authorise the pipeline. We began the interview by discussing his battle to stop the pipeline... BM: This pipeline fight has turned into the most interesting environmental = battle of modern years. The odds are still probably against us, but they ar= e better than they were a little while ago because people are really starti= ng to pay attention and realise what a terrible idea it is. LH: What's going to happen on Friday? BM: It's just the last hearing and they will say they are not going to make= any decisions for another 6-8 weeks. Friday will be another rally, but the= big date we are heading towards is 6 November, which is exactly one year b= efore the next election. On that day, we are going to try and circle the Wh= ite House with people which I'm not sure is something tha= t has ever been done before. We'll all be carrying signs from the president= 's last election campaign. No attacks on him, just his own words. "It's tim= e to end the tyranny of oil"; "In my administration, the rise of the oceans= will begin to slow and the planet will begin to heal". The tag line will b= e something like: "If you didn't mean it, you shouldn't have said it. Stop = the pipeline". LH: What is your ultimate message to Obama, but, perhaps more importantly, = those that might vote for him next year? BM: The ultimate message is just "stop this pipeline". It is a serious deal= . It's not just some token thing. It is the second largest pool of carbon o= n the planet and it's utter folly to expand the oil operation there. When y= our best federal climate scientist Jim Hansen says heavy tapping o= f the tar sands means game over for the climate, you, as the president, are= paid to pay attention to stuff like that. LH: Would this be a bigger failure on Obama's record than, say, Copenhagen? BM: The biggest failure in environmental terms was the failure to get, or e= ven try to get, serious climate legislation and the second is the failure t= o move the diplomatic ball at all. But in both those cases the president ca= n with some accuracy blame Congress for at least part of this failure. Our = Congress is inane at the moment and hard to work with. I have some sympathy= for the guy when trying to persuade people like Jim Inhofeto do the rig= ht thing. But, in the case of this pipeline, the reason why people are so f= ocused on it is because the president has to make the call all by himself. = Congress has got nothing to do with it. He has to sign something called the= Presidential Certificate of National Interest and if he doesn't sign the thing the pipeli= ne doesn't get built. LH: Are you going as far as to say people shouldn't vote for Obama next yea= r if he passes the pipeline? BM: No. I don't even think that's the issue really. Most hardcore environme= ntalists probably aren't going to go and vote for Rick Perry= . The problem is that they won't be out there building the surge behind the= president that got him elected in the first place. Presidents get elected,= at some level, by movements of people deciding that there's something good= here. And that's what people did in 2008 with Obama. It almost feels as if= this pipeline thing is one of the last chances he has to rekindle even a s= mall part of that. LH: I was re-reading an interview the Guardian did with you in 2007 and= it's striking the difference between now and then. You were right in the m= iddle of Step it Up, Obama's election was a year = away, it was pre-credit crunch, it was pre-Copenhagen, pre-Climategate, etc.= You were talking about being very optimistic; that this was your moment an= d predicting that serious global action would happen by 2009... BM: I think what we classically failed to understand then was just how much= financial power the fossil-fuel industry had and how they were going to br= ing it to bear. And they have mostly beaten us in these last few years. LH: But do you think it is just fossil-fuel lobbying etc, or is it an ideol= ogical/psychological opposition to action on climate change and one feeds the other? BM: The single biggest contributors to the GOP in the last elections were the Chamber of Commerce and the Koch brothers. That ideological pos= ition is rooted in Big Energy more than anywhere else. LH: I can see how in US politics that's a big deal, but polling in other co= untries also shows a slight decline in interest or concern about climate ch= ange. Is that a credit crunch thing? Or are environmentalists being seen to= cry wolf? BM: No, I don't think it's that. Yes, when you're in the middle of a seriou= s recession/depression, everything else goes down a notch in interest, but = the new UK government has at least rhetorically and, in some degree, in act= uality stayed on the hunt. The Australians are about to adopt serious clima= te legislation. At root, more than anything else, it's a US problem. And wi= thout the US, you can't get the Chinese on board. The diplomatic failure wa= s one of things that kept the whole thing from advancing at all because eve= ryone began to see that there was no end game. Without the US in motion, ho= w were we going to get anything else to happen? That was the failure of Cop= enhagen. But it's not a "cry wolf" issue at all. Just the opposite. The iro= ny of the last four years is that it has become absolutely clear what globa= l warming is like in its early stages. We've had catastrophes far greater t= han we would have imagined 20 years ago when I wrote my first book about all this. Look at 2010: 19 na= tions set all-time temperatures records, we see wetting on a scale never se= en before, we see drought on a scale we've never seen before. The world's b= iggest insurance company says there's no other explanation for what's going= on other than rising greenhouse gases. LH: But shouldn't these enliven people more than talk of distant targets on= the far horizon such as 2050? BM: That's why we went with the name 350.org, because = it's a very good way of reminding people that we're already passed where we= need to be. The good news is that our organising efforts of much stronger = than they've ever been. We built a movement over the past four years that w= asn't there before. Now we operate in every country in the world, except fo= r North Korea, and increasingly effectively and loudly. The movement turns = out to be what we didn't understand then, the prerequisite for getting anyt= hing done. Because the financial power of the fossil-fuel industry is so gr= eat it can, and has, delayed any real action of the climate issues almost e= verywhere. Until we find a different currency to work in, we're always goin= g to lose. We're never going to have enough money to compete with these guy= s head on. That's why we're experimenting with lots of different currencies= . There's a lot of spirit, creativity and energy is these global days of ac= tion. And now we're spending our bodies with people getting arrested in wha= t was the largest civil disobedience action in the US on anything for 35 ye= ars. LH: What is the next gear shift for the campaign? Where do you go next? BM: I assume it goes to more of that. If the question is will it escalate t= o violence, I sure hope not. Our most powerful weapons are the ones we are = starting to use now and I'm glad to see that happening. LH: Without resorting to violence, what other ways could you step it up? BM: Even this year is beginning to reveal that there are all kinds of tacti= cs in the non-violent arsenal from Egypt to Occupy Wall Street. The thing that is becoming clearer= and clearer is that this is a fight. The idea that held for years that we = could all talk rationally to politicians about this and that they would do = the right thing is now over. What we failed to count on was while we talked= to them rationally in one ear with science and economics the oil industry = was doubling in the other ear the threats to keep anyone from doing anythin= g. The money for the Tea Party came from the Koch Brothers. There will always be those who say, "Don'= t tell me what to do', that's a uniquely American idea. But they are a smal= l part of the population. What's given them power and legs is the endless a= vailability of resources from the fossil-fuel industry. In a fair fight, we= would have won this battle long ago because the science is clear and most = people have a sincere desire to build a different kind of world that will w= ork best for their kids. But the battle is not being fought on science, but= on money. There is an enormous interest within the fossil-fuel industry to= prevent change for even a few more years while they wrack up records profi= ts. It's the biggest obstacle we face. The other obstacle is the different = levels of development around the world. We are trying to come to grips with= the reality that the rich world needs to provide the poor world with a tin= y amount of money they have accumulated in 200 years of being allowed to bu= rn carbon to lift their people [out of poverty] without burning more carbon= . That's what makes the diplomatic thing so hard. The hardest part is the s= cience is always shrouded by the power of the fossil-fuel industry. LH: What is it going to take, ultimately? Will it be another part of the wo= rld, say China, taking the lead and showing the western world what to do? W= ill it take a Gandhi-like internationally respected leadership figure? Or a= n Arab Spring-type uprising of outcry and revolution, driven through social networking? BM: A bit of everything, probably. But the last of those is the most likely= at this point, I think. It's going to take a movement. In a sense, that is= already happening, but it just isn't big enough yet to fight full on again= st the oil companies, although we are getting closer. This tar-sands battle= is a good example. Read the New York Times today about the emails from the st= ate department. And the terrific editorial in the New York Times saying stop= this pipeline. There are signs this movement is beginning to talk hold. Th= ere is some chance that all of this is moot and that we've waited too long = to get started. You know the science. But we have to operate on the assumpt= ion that there may still be enough time. LH: Will another Katrina-= type event, but in somewhere like a DC or Manhattan, be the difference? BM: Mother Nature is going to continue to provide a long series of teachabl= e moments and we're waking up a little more with each one of them. Where I = live in Vermont, we have just had the biggest rainfall events ever recorded= . There's not many people left in Vermont denying climate change. The gover= nor said the other day that they most important thing anyone can do is join= 350.org and go to work to stop climate change because Verm= ont was turning into Costa Rica and our terrain and topography couldn't han= dle that. LH: But what about the Texas drought and Rick Perry... BM: You know what, I don't think Rick Perry is going to go all that far and= one of the reasons is that people are beginning to understand that he is w= rong about this issue. LH: Would Perry running, rather perversely, be a good thing for climate-cha= nge awareness? BM: I think he's already started to expose the folly of his position. There= was some recent polling that showed the number of people worried about glo= bal warming increased slightly and one of the explanations was that having = Bachmann and Perry in the TV debates was just causi= ng normal, rational Americans to think that if these people think that glob= al warming is nuts then there must actually be something to it. LH: Where do you stand on some of the solutions being talked up by so-calle= d "pragmatic" environmentalists? Nose-peg technologies, such as nuclear, ge= oengineering, GM foods, etc? BM: Geoengineering to me looks like a serious dead end. We just have idea i= f they'll work and the early modelling shows they'd be disastrous. I used t= o run a homeless shelter so I knew a lot of junkies. This is just the kind = of answer that junkies provide. LH: Nuclear? BM: Set aside everything else and just run the numbers. The economics just = doesn't even begin to work. No one is going to set aside everything else po= st-Fukushima so it's just columnist talk, it's not serious talk. LH: CCS [carbon, capture and storage]? BM: I just spent a day with the guy in China running their CCS programme an= d after a day of him explaining it all to me I asked him what percentage of= China's coal plant emissions will be captured and buried by 2030. He said = 2%. I realised then that I probably didn't need to have spent a day talking= to him. Even if you could do these other things there's no getting away fr= om the fact that we have to reduce emissions dramatically. There's no easy fix. There's stuff we have to do now to adapt to the things= we have already caused. We need to build bridges and culverts that can wit= hstand far greater rainfall than they were designed to handle. The real cha= llenge is preventing the changes for which we simply can't adapt. To do tha= t we have to get off fossil fuels fast and the only real way to do that is to put a serious price = on carbon. It's always been the only real show in town. The problem is that it interferes with the most profitable industry the wor= ld has ever seen. Exxon made more money last year than in the history of mo= ney. And it doesn't take much in politics to stop things from happening. Th= eir only goal is to delay action. It took 20 years to work round the delayi= ng efforts of the tobacco industry. And the tobacco industry is a mere pimp= le on the butt of the oil industry. It is the most profitable enterprise th= at humans have every engaged in. This is going to be a fight. The 'We'll solve this in a rational way' optio= n kind of ended for good when the US Senate refused to take a vote on even = modest, tepid climate legislation. That convinced everyone that it is going= to be a fight. It's also apparent that we're not going to get any help fro= m peak oil because while co= nventional oil might well have peaked, without a price on carbon, we've now= found plenty of unconventional oil - shale gas, tar sands etc. This is whe= re we're headed without any political leadership. While we used to have a d= iscussion about how long it would take to transition over to renewable form= s of energy, now it seems there's enough fossil fuels out there to postpone= peak oil a lot longer than that. And the ones who want to postpone it are = the ones getting rich off oil. And that's why tar sands have emerged as rea= l battles. Clearly, we're under-gunned, but we're fighting even harder now. The day we got out of jail after being arrested, all the major environmenta= l groups in the US sent out a letter saying that there's not an inch of day= light between them and the protesters. The guy in the cell next to me was G= us Speth. He's in his lat= e 60s and has done every establishment environmental job there is to do. Bu= t he decided at some point in the last couple of years that none of that is= working. When we were in jail, he managed to smuggle out a statement to th= e press that said, "I've held a lot of important positions, but none of the= m seem as necessary as the one I'm in right now." He sums up some of the fe= eling. LH: Are we entering an age of great environmental activism? BM: I hope so! LH: Do you think the western democratic process can deal with a problem lik= e climate change? BM: Protests are a key part of the western democratic process. LH: Some say that these forms of protest are not democratic; it's just the = actions of a vocal minority? BM: I disagree. In the history of the US, we see just the opposite. The dem= ocratic forces were the ones working in the civil rights movement. This sum= mer, we had 1,200 people from all 50 states. They weren't radicals in any s= ense. Not in the sense that oil companies are radicals, whereby they are al= tering the composition of the atmosphere, just about the most radical actio= n you can imagine. I think it's purely democratic to try and influence the = system that way. The point of protest like that is to influence other peopl= e, in the same way that Exxon will take out a full-page ad in the Wall Stre= et Journal, or buy a slot for a TV commercial. We don't have the money to d= o that, but we can spend our bodies instead. LH: Do you anticipate the equivalent of a Million Man March descending on DC within the next five year= s? BM: We'll see. More helps, certainly. We're going to need lots and lots of = people, but we're starting to get there. We're doing what we can and we're = making it up as we go along as people in this field tend to do. I'm not an = activist by trade, I'm a writer. LH: Are we trying to deal with the symptom, not the cause? Is it our neo-li= beral, growth-obsessed economy that is, ultimately, the problem? BM: That's one of these chicken-and-egg questions. For my money, the thing = that bred this growth-based economy around us was the easy availability of = cheap fossil fuels. Without that we couldn't have built the economy that we= have. I don't know how you would do a frontal assault on the economy. But = I think the best way to get change in the growth model is to restrict what = has been its lifeblood. If oil and coal paid for the damage they do to the = atmosphere, my guess is that within just a few years we'd have things like = really serious local agriculture because we would be able to do the highly = industrialised agriculture that we do now. LH: But then we move on to the fact that this month the global human popula= tion reaches seven billion for the first time. Our future is one of me= ga-cities, not people living the good life, growing all their own food, etc= ? BM: I don't agree with that at all. All the data shows that you get more ag= ricultural yield per acre on small farms than big ones. I don't have any Po= l Pot-style aspirations to move peopl= e around, but over time I think it will become clear that many more of us w= ill need to be feeding ourselves. In the US, two-thirds of agricultural pro= duction is in counties adjacent to metropolitan areas; it's just now it dis= appears into the global commodities market. But that's stating to change. I= hope it does because it's ruinous that we're spreading our form of commerc= ialised agriculture around the world. That's why we have many of the mega-c= ities that we do because we're continuously driving people off land. LH: Obviously, you wrote a book about it, but where do you stand today on the issue of population control? BM: I've always been opposed to population control. In climate terms, popul= ation is not the biggest problem going forward. Most of the population grow= th we will see over the next four decades will use very little energy so th= at it doesn't matter that much. The average American family uses as much en= ergy between the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve and dinner on 2 Janua= ry than a Tanzanian family uses across a whole year. In global warming term= s, Tanzanians become almost a rounding error in terms of emissions growth. = Most of the emissions growth is coming from relatively stable populations w= ith rapidly growing consumption. We've done a fairly remarkable job as a sp= ecies in lowering fertility rates. We've figured out how to do that: educat= e and empower women. But we don't really know yet what the answer for consu= mption is beyond putting the real price on carbon. LH: The environmental movement has long talked about abstinence, cutting ba= ck, reducing, etc, when it comes to consumption, which is a very difficult = sell. Do you think this is a mistake because people hate being told what to= do, and, ultimately, this is about global action rather than the actions o= f individuals? BM: Maybe, but I also think many people have been inspired by that message,= too. Individual actions are still important to do. But you can't make the = math work by a process of addition. It's not going to happen fast enough li= ke that - my neighbour does it, then his neighbour does it, etc. It's not a= n either/or, but you also have to figure out how to do multiplication and m= ultiplication means politics, namely, changing the rules under which we bur= n carbon. I always say spend 70% of your spare time doing things close to h= ome and the other 30% doing work at the global and national level. LH: If they do get the go-ahead and start building the pipeline, will the p= rotests continue? BM: The greatest moment of leverage is probably right now, but, yes, it wou= ldn't surprise me at all if people who live along that route get out there = protesting and I might well be tempted to join them. This pipeline is a par= ticularly brutal and dumb idea. The US needs to treat tar sands in much the= same way that Brazil has risen in recent years, following an international= call, to try and protect its rainforests. The one thing I think we have ac= complished recently is to get the Canadians themselves to think what on ear= th are they doing ruining their international reputation. Canada was known = for not starting wars and now their legacy for the 21st century will be tha= t they put the final nail in the climate change coffin. LH: Compared to the optimism you expressed in 2007, where do you stand now?= Are you pessimistic about the future? BM: I'm older and wiser now. I understand now that it is really a fight, wh= ich I didn't get before. The fossil-fuel industry is not going to wave the = white flag voluntarily. This is the first truly global issue we've ever had= to figure out at a species. If we can't figure it out, we're not going to = get through. There's very little question that unchecked climate change wil= l very quickly reduce civilisation into an on-going rescue effort. I try no= t to think about the ultimate destination of all of this because at the mom= ent we've got a window - albeit closing fast - to do something about it. --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E945BE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

 

Bill McKibben on tar sands, Obama, geoengineering and population growth

The US environmentalist explains why he is now in a 'fight' with the oil industry = over climate change

Guardian, October 6th 2011

Bill McKibben, one of the US's leading environmental writers and campaigners, visited the UK briefly earlier this week to teach a course entitled Building Social Movements and Organising for Change at the Schumacher College=  in Devon. He was scheduled to also give a l= ecture this weekend at the Schumacher Cente= nary Festival in Bristol, but will now deliver it via video-conference as he had to return early to Washington DC for Friday's fi= nal hearing into the proposed 1,711-mile Keystone XL pipe= line that, if built, would transport oil extracted= from Canada's tar sand fields across the Mid-West and down to ports in the Gulf = of Mexico. <= font color=3Dblack>McKibben was arr= ested in August during a protestaimed at tr= ying to convince President Obama not to authorise the pipeline.

We began the interview by discussing his battle to stop the pipeline…<= /p>

BM: This pipeline figh= t has turned into the most interesting environmental battle of modern years. The = odds are still probably against us, but they are better than they were a little while ago because people are really starting to pay attention and realise w= hat a terrible idea it is.

LH: What's going to ha= ppen on Friday?

BM: It's just the last= hearing and they will say they are not going to make any decisions for another 6-8 weeks. Friday will be another rally, but the big date we are heading toward= s is 6 November, which is exactly one year before the next election. On that day= , we are going to try and circle the White= House with people which I'm not sure is something that has ever been done before. We'l= l all be carrying signs from the president's last election campaign. No attac= ks on him, just his own words. "It's time to end the tyranny of oil"= ; "In my administration, the rise of the oceans will begin to slow and t= he planet will begin to heal". The tag line will be something like: "= ;If you didn't mean it, you shouldn't have said it. Stop the pipeline".

LH: What is your ultim= ate message to Obama, but, perhaps more importantly, those that might vote for = him next year?

BM: The ultimate messa= ge is just "stop this pipeline". It is a serious deal. It's not just so= me token thing. It is the second largest pool of carbon on the planet and it's utter folly to expand the oil operation there. When your best federal clima= te scientist Jim Hansen says heavy tapping of the tar sands means game over for the climate, you, as the president, are paid to pay attention to stuff like that.<= /font>

LH: Would this be a bi= gger failure on Obama's record than, say, Copenhagen?

BM: The biggest failur= e in environmental terms was the failure to get, or even try to get, serious cli= mate legislation and the second is the failure to move the diplomatic ball at al= l. But in both those cases the president can with some accuracy blame Congress= for at least part of this failure. Our Congress is inane at the moment and hard= to work with. I have some sympathy for the guy when trying to persuade people like Jim Inhofeto do the right thing. But, in the case of this pipeline, the reason why peopl= e are so focused on it is because the president has to make the call all by himself. Congress has got nothing to do with it. He has to sign something called the Presidential Cer= tificate of National Interest and if he doesn't sign the thin= g the pipeline doesn't get built.

LH: Are you going as f= ar as to say people shouldn't vote for Obama next year if he passes the pipeline?

BM: No. I don't even t= hink that's the issue really. Most hardcore environmentalists probably aren't go= ing to go and vote for Rick Perry. The problem is that they won't be out there building the surge behind the president that got him elected in the first place. Presidents get elected, = at some level, by movements of people deciding that there's something good her= e. And that's what people did in 2008 with Obama. It almost feels as if this pipeline thing is one of the last chances he has to rekindle even a small p= art of that.

LH: I was re-reading a= n interview the Gu= ardian did with you in 2007 and it's striking the differenc= e between now and then. You were right in the middle of Step it Up, Obama's election was a year away, it was pre-credit crunch, it was pre-Copenhagen, pre-Climategate, etc. You were talking about being very optimistic; that this was your momen= t and predicting that serious global action would happen by 2009…<= /o:p>

BM: I think what we classically failed to understand then was just how much financial power the fossil-fuel industry had and how they were going to bring it to bear. And t= hey have mostly beaten us in these last few years.

LH: But do you think i= t is just fossil-fuel lobbying etc, or is it an ideological/psychological opposi= tion to action on climate change&nbs= p;and one feeds the other?

BM: The single biggest contributors to the GOP in the last elections were the Chamber of Comme= rce and the Koch brothers. That ideological position is rooted in Big Energy more than anywhere else.<= o:p>

LH: I can see how in U= S politics that's a big deal, but polling in other countries also shows a sli= ght decline in interest or concern about climate change. Is that a credit crunc= h thing? Or are environmentalists being seen to cry wolf?

BM: No, I don't think = it's that. Yes, when you're in the middle of a serious recession/depression, everything else goes down a notch in interest, but the new UK gove= rnment has at least rhetorically and, in some degree, in actuality stayed on the h= unt. The Australians are about to adopt serious climate legislation. At root, mo= re than anything else, it's a US problem. And without the US, you can't get the Chinese on board. The diplomatic failure was one of thing= s that kept the whole thing from advancing at all because everyone began to s= ee that there was no end game. Without the US in motion, how were we goi= ng to get anything else to happen? That was the failure of = Copenhagen. But it's not a "cry wolf" issue at all. Just the opposite. The irony of the last four year= s is that it has become absolutely clear what global warming is like in its earl= y stages. We've had catastrophes far greater than we would have imagined 20 y= ears ago when I wrote my first book ab= out all this. Look at 2010: 19 nations set all-time temperatures records, we se= e wetting on a scale never seen before, we see drought on a scale we've never seen before. The world's biggest insurance company says there's no other explanation for what's going on other than rising greenhouse gases.

LH: But shouldn't thes= e enliven people more than talk of distant targets on the far horizon such as 2050?

BM: That's why we went= with the name 350.org, because i= t's a very good way of reminding people that we're already passed where we need t= o be. The good news is that our organising efforts of much stronger than they= 've ever been. We built a movement over the past four years that wasn't there before. Now we operate in every country in the world, except for North Korea, and increasingly effectively and loudly. The movement turns out to be what = we didn't understand then, the prerequisite for getting anything done. Because= the financial power of the fossil-fuel industry is so great it can, and has, delayed any real action of the climate issues almost everywhere. Until we f= ind a different currency to work in, we're always going to lose. We're never go= ing to have enough money to compete with these guys head on. That's why we're experimenting with lots of different currencies. There's a lot of spirit, creativity and energy is these global days of action. And now we're spendin= g our bodies with people getting arrested in what was the largest civil disobedience action in the US on anything for 35 years.

LH: What is the next g= ear shift for the campaign? Where do you go next?

BM: I assume it goes t= o more of that. If the question is will it escalate to violence, I sure hope not. = Our most powerful weapons are the ones we are starting to use now and I'm glad = to see that happening.

LH: Without resorting = to violence, what other ways could you step it up?

BM: Even this year is beginning to reveal that there are all kinds of tactics in the non-violent arsenal from Egypt to Occupy Wall Stre= et. The thing that is becoming clearer and clearer is that this is a fight. The idea that held for years that we could all talk rationally to politicians a= bout this and that they would do the right thing is now over. What we failed to count on was while we talked to them rationally in one ear with science and economics the oil industry was doubling in the other ear the threats to kee= p anyone from doing anything.

The mon= ey for the Tea Party=  came from the Koch Brothers. There will always be those who say, "Don't tel= l me what to do', that's a uniquely American idea. But they are a small part of = the population. What's given them power and legs is the endless availability of resources from the fossil-fuel industry. In a fair fight, we would have won this battle long ago because the science is clear and most people have a sincere desire to build a different kind of world that will work best for t= heir kids. But the battle is not being fought on science, but on money. There is= an enormous interest within the fossil-fuel industry to prevent change for eve= n a few more years while they wrack up records profits. It's the biggest obstac= le we face. The other obstacle is the different levels of development around t= he world. We are trying to come to grips with the reality that the rich world needs to provide the poor world with a tiny amount of money they have accumulated in 200 years of being allowed to burn carbon to lift their peop= le [out of poverty] without burning more carbon. That's what makes the diploma= tic thing so hard. The hardest part is the science is always shrouded by the po= wer of the fossil-fuel industry.

LH: What is it going t= o take, ultimately? Will it be another part of the world, say China, = taking the lead and showing the western world what to do? Will it take a Gandhi-li= ke internationally respected leadership figure? Or an Arab Spring-type uprising of outcry and revolution, driven through social networking?

BM: A bit of everythin= g, probably. But the last of those is the most likely at this point, I think. = It's going to take a movement. In a sense, that is already happening, but it jus= t isn't big enough yet to fight full on against the oil companies, although w= e are getting closer. This tar-sands battle is a good example. Read the = New York Times t= oday about the emails from the state department. And the terrific editori= al in the New York Times saying stop this pipeline. There are signs this movement= is beginning to talk hold. There is some chance that all of this is moot and t= hat we've waited too long to get started. You know the science. But we have to operate on the assumption that there may still be enough time.

LH: Will another = Katrina-type event= , but in somewhere like a DC or Manh= attan, be the difference?

BM: Mother Nature is g= oing to continue to provide a long series of teachable moments and we're waking up = a little more with each one of them. Where I live in <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Vermont, we have just had the biggest rainfall events ever recorded. There's not many people left in Vermont denying = climate change. The governor said the other day that they most important thing anyo= ne can do is join 350.org and go to work to sto= p climate change because Vermont was turning into Costa Rica and our terrain = and topography couldn't handle that.

LH: But what about the= Texas drought an= d Rick Perry…<= o:p>

BM: You know what, I d= on't think Rick Perry is going to go all that far and one of the reasons is that people are beginning to understand that he is wrong about this issue.<= /o:p>

LH: Would Perry runnin= g, rather perversely, be a good thing for climate-change awareness?=

BM: I think he's alrea= dy started to expose the folly of his position. There was some recent polling = that showed the number of people worried about global warming increased slightly= and one of the explanations was that having Bachmann<= /font> and Perry in the TV debates was just causing normal, rational Americans to think that if these people think that global warming is nuts then there must actually be something to it.

LH: Where do you stand= on some of the solutions being talked up by so-called "pragmatic" environmentalists? Nose-peg technologies, such as nuclear, geoengineering, = GM foods, etc?

BM: Geoengineering to = me looks like a serious dead end. We just have idea if they'll work and the early modelling shows they'd be disastrous. I used to run a homeless shelter so I knew a lot of junkies. This is just the kind of answer that junkies provide= .

LH: Nuclear?

BM: Set aside everythi= ng else and just run the numbers. The economics just doesn't even begin to work. No= one is going to set aside everything else post-Fukushima so it's just columnist talk, it's not serious talk.

LH: CCS [<= font color=3Dblack>carbon, capture = and storage]?

BM: I just spent a day= with the guy in China runni= ng their CCS programme and after a day of him explaining it all to me I asked = him what percentage of C= hina's coal plant emissions will be captured and buried by 2030. He said 2%. I realised then that I probably didn't need to have spent a day talking to hi= m. Even if you could do these other things there's no getting away from the fa= ct that we have to reduce emissions dramatically.

There's= no easy fix. There's stuff we have to do now to adapt to the things we have already caused. We need to build bridges and culverts that can withstand far greate= r rainfall than they were designed to handle. The real challenge is preventin= g the changes for which we simply can't adapt. To do that we have to get off fossil fuels = fast and the only real way to do that is to put a serious price on carbon. It's always been the only real show in town.

The problem is that it inter= feres with the most profitable industry the world has ever seen. Exxon made more money last year than in the history of money. And it doesn't take much in politics to stop things from happening. Their only goal is to delay action.= It took 20 years to work round the delaying efforts of the tobacco industry. A= nd the tobacco industry is a mere pimple on the butt of the oil industry. It i= s the most profitable enterprise that humans have every engaged in.

This is= going to be a fight. The 'We'll solve this in a rational way' option kind of ende= d for good when the US Senate refused to take a vote on even modest, tepid climate legislation. That convinced everyone that it is going to be a fight= . It's also apparent that we're not going to get any help from peak oil beca= use while conventional oil might well have peaked, without a price on carbon, w= e've now found plenty of unconventional oil – shale gas, tar sands etc. Th= is is where we're headed without any political leadership. While we used to ha= ve a discussion about how long it would take to transition over to renewable for= ms of energy, now it seems there's enough fossil fuels out there to postpone p= eak oil a lot longer than that. And the ones who want to postpone it are the on= es getting rich off oil. And that's why tar sands have emerged as real battles= . Clearly, we're under-gunned, but we're fighting even harder now.=

The day= we got out of jail after being arrested, all the major environmental groups in the= US sent= out a letter saying that there's not an inch of daylight between them and the protesters. The guy in the cell next to me was Gus Speth. He's in= his late 60s and has done every establishment environmental job there is to do.= But he decided at some point in the last couple of years that none of that is working. When we were in jail, he managed to smuggle out a statement to the press that said, "I've held a lot of important positions, but none of = them seem as necessary as the one I'm in right now." He sums up some of the feeling.

LH: Are we entering an= age of great environmental activism?

BM: I hope so!

LH: Do you think the w= estern democratic process can deal with a problem like climate change?<= /span>

BM: Protests are a key= part of the western democratic process.

LH: Some say that thes= e forms of protest are not democratic; it's just the actions of a vocal minority?

BM: I disagree. In the= history of the US, we see just the opposite. The democratic forces were the ones working in th= e civil rights movement. This summer, we had 1,200 people from all 50 states. They weren't radicals in any sense. Not in the sense that oil companies are radicals, whereby they are altering the composition of the atmosphere, just about the most radical action you can imagine. I think it's purely democrat= ic to try and influence the system that way. The point of protest like that is= to influence other people, in the same way that Exxon will take out a full-pag= e ad in the Wall Street Journal, or buy a slot for a TV commercial. We don't hav= e the money to do that, but we can spend our bodies instead.

LH: Do you anticipate = the equivalent of a Million Man Marc= h descending on DC within the next five years?

BM: We'll see. More he= lps, certainly. We're going to need lots and lots of people, but we're starting = to get there. We're doing what we can and we're making it up as we go along as people in this field tend to do. I'm not an activist by trade, I'm a writer= .

LH: Are we trying to d= eal with the symptom, not the cause? Is it our neo-liberal, growth-obsessed economy = that is, ultimately, the problem?

BM: That's one of thes= e chicken-and-egg questions. For my money, the thing that bred this growth-ba= sed economy around us was the easy availability of cheap fossil fuels. Without = that we couldn't have built the economy that we have. I don't know how you would= do a frontal assault on the economy. But I think the best way to get change in= the growth model is to restrict what has been its lifeblood. If oil and coal pa= id for the damage they do to the atmosphere, my guess is that within just a fe= w years we'd have things like really serious local agriculture because we wou= ld be able to do the highly industrialised agriculture that we do now.

LH: But then we move o= n to the fact that this month the global human population reaches seven billion for the first time. Our future is one of mega-cities, not people living the goo= d life, growing all their own food, etc?

BM: I don't agree with= that at all. All the data shows that you get more agricultural yield per acre on sm= all farms than big ones. I don't have any Pol Pot-style aspirations to move people around, but over time I think it will become cle= ar that many more of us will need to be feeding ourselves. In the US, two= -thirds of agricultural production is in counties adjacent to metropolitan areas; i= t's just now it disappears into the global commodities market. But that's stati= ng to change. I hope it does because it's ruinous that we're spreading our for= m of commercialised agriculture around the world. That's why we have many of the mega-cities that we do because we're continuously driving people off land.<= o:p>

LH: Obviously, you wrote a book about it, but where do you stand today on the issue of population control?=

BM: I've always been o= pposed to population control. In climate terms, population is not the biggest prob= lem going forward. Most of the population growth we will see over the next four decades will use very little energy so that it doesn't matter that much. Th= e average American family uses as much energy between the stroke of midnight = on New Year's Eve and dinner on 2 January than a Tanzanian family uses across = a whole year. In global warming terms, Tanzanians become almost a rounding er= ror in terms of emissions growth. Most of the emissions growth is coming from relatively stable populations with rapidly growing consumption. We've done = a fairly remarkable job as a species in lowering fertility rates. We've figur= ed out how to do that: educate and empower women. But we don't really know yet what the answer for consumption is beyond putting the real price on carbon.=

LH: The environmental = movement has long talked about abstinence, cutting back, reducing, etc, when it come= s to consumption, which is a very difficult sell. Do you think this is a mistake because people hate being told what to do, and, ultimately, this is about global action rather than the actions of individuals?

BM: Maybe, but I also = think many people have been inspired by that message, too. Individual actions are still important to do. But you can't make the math work by a process of addition. It's not going to happen fast enough like that – my neighbo= ur does it, then his neighbour does it, etc. It's not an either/or, but you al= so have to figure out how to do multiplication and multiplication means politi= cs, namely, changing the rules under which we burn carbon. I always say spend 7= 0% of your spare time doing things close to home and the other 30% doing work = at the global and national level.

LH: If they do get the go-ahead and start building the pipeline, will the protests continue?<= /o:p>

BM: The greatest momen= t of leverage is probably right now, but, yes, it wouldn't surprise me at all if people who live along that route get out there protesting and I might well = be tempted to join them. This pipeline is a particularly brutal and dumb idea.= The US needs to treat tar sands in much the same way that Brazil has risen in recent years, following an international call, to try and protect its rainforests. The one thing I think we have accomplished recently is to get = the Canadians themselves to think what on earth are they doing ruining their international reputation. Canada was known for not starting wars and now their legacy for the 21st century w= ill be that they put the final nail in the climate change coffin.

LH: Compared to the op= timism you expressed in 2007, where do you stand now? Are you pessimistic about th= e future?

BM: I'm older and wise= r now. I understand now that it is really a fight, which I didn't get before. The fossil-fuel industry is not going to wave the white flag voluntarily. This = is the first truly global issue we've ever had to figure out at a species. If we c= an't figure it out, we're not going to get through. There's very little question that unchecked climate change will very quickly reduce civilisation into an on-going rescue effort. I try not to think about the ultimate destination o= f all of this because at the moment we've got a window – albeit closing fast – to do something about it.

 

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E945BE2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Fri Oct 7 12:00:21 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2011 12:00:21 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] final interview with Claude Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABAA8@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> FYI ... please see the link below for an interview with Claude wherein he identifies climate change as one of the key issues CUPE must continue its work on: http://cupe.ca/nsto/genereux-podcast-fall-2011 Matt From mfirth at cupe.ca Tue Oct 11 13:42:34 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:42:34 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] SaskPower, tribal council advance biomass power deal Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9CDD@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9CDDE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable SaskPower, tribal council advance biomass power deal Utility SaskPower in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has signed a let= ter of intent with a tribal council to negotiate terms for a 25-year purcha= se agreement for up to 36MW of biomass power. Known as the Meadow Lake Bioenergy Centre in northern Saskatchewan, the pla= nt will use wood byproducts from the nearby NorSask Forest Products mill as= fuel. The Government of Saskatchewan, SaskPower and the= First Nations Power Authority (FNPA) are working with= the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) to develop the project. "This is the first project to come about through the support of FNPA, which= reflects the vision of the Government of Saskatchewan to actively engage F= irst Nations in the province's growing economy," says Rob Norris, minister = in charge for provincially-owned SaskPower. He expects to power purchase deal to be completed this year. The project is= scheduled to be in service in early 2014. Established this spring, FNPA is a non-profit, membership-based corporation= , which sets out a partnership framework to help First Nations move their g= eneration projects forward. Each of the 74 Saskatchewan First Nations is el= igible to hold membership. In addition to adding more renewable electricity to the province's power sy= stem, the base load generation project will create about 300 new jobs in th= e Meadow Lake region, including 25 permanent jobs at the facility. "SaskPower is making a significant investment into renewing the province's = electricity system," says chief executive Robert Watson. "New generation pr= ojects like this will help us meet the province's growing need for power, a= nd open the door for First Nations to benefit from economic development opp= ortunities that may emerge as a result." Although known for wheat production, 52% of Saskatchewan is forest. About 3= 7% of wooded land is commercial forest and the sector contributes about C$1= bn a year to the provincial economy. Dozens of mills produce wood scraps an= d other byproducts that could be used to produce electricity. Richard A. Kessler Published: Monday, October 10 2011 P Do you really need to print this email? Please think of the environment f= irst. Matthew Firth Senior Officer Health, Safety & Environment Branch Canadian Union of Public Employees 1375 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z7 Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240 Fax (613) 237-5508 mfirth at cupe.ca www.cupe.ca www.cupe.ca/environment --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9CDDE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

S= askPower, tribal council advance biomass power deal

 

 

Utility SaskPower in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has signed a letter o= f intent with a tribal council to negotiate terms for a 25-year purchase agreement for up to 36MW of biomass power.

 

Known as the Meadow Lake Bioenergy Centre in northern Saskatchewan, th= e plant will use wood byproducts from the nearby NorSask Forest Products mill as fu= el.

The Government of Saskatchewan, SaskPower and the First Nations= Power Authority (FNPA) are working with the Meadow Lake Tri= bal Council (MLTC) to develop the project.

“This is the first project to come about through t= he support of FNPA, which reflects the vision of the Government of Saskatchewa= n to actively engage First Nations in the province’s growing economy,̶= 1; says Rob Norris, minister in charge for provincially-owned SaskPower. =

 

He expects to power purchase deal to be completed this y= ear. The project is scheduled to be in service in early 2014. =

 

Established this spring, FNPA is a non-profit, membership-based corporation, which sets out a partnership framework to hel= p First Nations move their generation projects forward. Each of the 74 Saskatchewan First Nations is eligible to hold membership.

 

In addition to adding more renewable electricity to the province’s power system, the base load generation project will create about 300 new jobs in the Meadow Lake region, includ= ing 25 permanent jobs at the facility.

 

“SaskPower is making a significant investment into renewing the province’s electricity system,” says chief executi= ve Robert Watson. “New generation projects like this will help us meet t= he province’s growing need for power, and open the door for First Nation= s to benefit from economic development opportunities that may emerge as a result.”

 

Although known for wheat production, 52% of Saskatchewan is = forest. About 37% of wooded land is commercial forest and the sector contributes ab= out C$1bn a year to the provincial economy. Dozens of mills produce wood scraps= and other byproducts that could be used to produce electricity.

 

Richard A. Kessler

= Published: Monday, October 10 2011

 

 

P<= /span> Do you really need to print this email? Please think of t= he environment first.

 

Matthew Firth<= /span>
Senio= r Officer
Health, Safety & Environment Branch
Canadian Union of Public Employees
1375 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 0Z7
Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
Fax (613) 237-5508
mfirth at cupe.ca

www.cupe.ca

www.cupe.ca/environment<= /span>

 

 

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90729E9CDDE2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Thu Oct 13 10:54:04 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:54:04 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: Work and Climate Change Report - Issue # 2 - October 2011 Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A28FC9@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A28FC9E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: Work and Climate Change Report - Issue # 2 - October 2011 Having trouble viewing this email? Click here [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_fb.png] [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_twit.png] [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_linked.png] [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_more.png] [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_btn_like_sm.png] [http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs010/1104412491262/img/7.jpg] Issue 02 | October 2011 = Elizabeth Perry, Editor Work and Climate Change Report Monthly updates on research and new developments in green transition for the economy, the workplace and public policy The Work and Climate Change Report is a monthly online publication which al= erts and informs academics, practitioners and students about important new = research and legislation from Canada and around the world. WCR is published= by the Work in a Warming World Research Unit, York University. For questions, comments, or if you wish to subscribe to our monthly report,= please e-mail us at: w3info at yorku.ca Visit us at: www.workinawarmingworld.yorku.ca In this issue: 1. Global Report on Skills for Green Jobs by the ILO 2. Green Jobs in the B.C. Forestry Sector 3. Solar Industry Shows Superior Growth 4. Jobs in Recreational Tourism in the U.S. 5. Online Workplace Education about Climate Change for B.C. Public Sector 6. News and Notes 7. Announcement: International Panel- November 17 2011 Greening Work in a Chilly Climate: Canadian Challenges and International Pe= rspectives FORTHCOMING ILO STUDY ON SKILLS FOR GREEN JOBS Watch for an important new report, Skills for Green Jobs, to be released by= the ILO Green Jobs Programme on October 15, 2011. It will examine the expe= riences of 21 developed and developing countries, including Australia, Braz= il, China, India, South Korea, South Africa, France, Germany, Spain, U.K., = and the U.S. Canada is not profiled. This comprehensive work identifies the= sectors most affected by the shift to green restructuring, the changing an= d emerging occupations in major economic sectors, as well as gender implica= tions. It concludes that, while a few new occupations will emerge in the tr= ansition to a greener economy, "massive change" will occur in existing occu= pations, and at all levels of occupations, across all sectors. Of note for = further research: discussions of "Measuring and classifying green jobs and = related skills", and "Identifying skill needs: Evaluating existing systems = and tools". The report concludes that successful transition to a greener ec= onomy will require efficient re-training and skills upgrading, especially f= or the disadvantaged in the labour market. A key message is the need for co= herence and coordination of environmental and skills policies. LINKS: Summary and links to Skills for Green Jobs are available at: http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/forthcoming-publications/WCMS_= 159585/lang--en/index.htm. This webpage also provides links = to detailed country study reports for each of the 21 countries summarized i= n Skills for Green Jobs. A PLAN FOR GREEN JOBS IN A GREENER SECTOR: BRITISH COLUMBIA'S FORESTRY INDU= STRY A paper released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in August 2= 011 envisions a more carbon-focused, "green" approach to the forests and fo= rest industry of B.C. Author Ben Parfitt covers a lot of ground in this doc= ument, including the prospects for exports to China; the loss of wood proce= ssing jobs to other provinces; the need for a workable carbon tax accountin= g system for forestry. Of the employment benefits of a greener approach, th= e report estimates 2,630 new jobs from processing logs into solid wood, pul= p and paper and bio-energy products in B.C. rather than out of province, 2,= 400 forest industry jobs from processing usable wood waste left behind at l= ogging operations, 5,200 seasonal jobs in tree-planting and associated tree= nursery work, as well as eventually 10,100 jobs as a result of increased h= igher value manufacturing. He provides detailed policy recommendations whic= h centre on: greater secondary forest products manufacturing; maximum use o= f forest industry wood waste in a range of bio-products; greater forest con= servation (with carbon credits acting as an incentive to achieving such con= servation); and more effective reforestation efforts. As he has done before= , Parfitt calls for a restoration of staff levels in the provincial Forest = Service. LINKS: "Making the Case for a Carbon Focus and Green Jobs in BC's Forest Industry"= by Ben Parfitt is available from a link at: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/greenforests BC forestry missing out on great green job potential at: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/commentary/bc-forestry-missin= g-out-great-green-job-potential is a conversational summary of the report = by the author. SOLAR INDUSTRY SHOWS SUPERIOR JOB GROWTH With most eyes on the continuing story of the bankruptcy of U.S. solar manu= facturer Solyndra, the Solar Foundation of the U.S. has pre-released prelim= inary data from the National Solar Jobs Census 2011, ahead of the full rele= ase scheduled for October 19, 2011. Census 2011 measured employment growth = in the U.S. from August 2010 to August 2011 and found that solar businesses= added 6,735 new workers since August 2010, representing a 6.8 percent grow= th rate. When measured against overall economic data from Economic Modeling= Specialists, Inc. (EMSI), this rate of job growth outpaced the overall U.S= . economy (which grew by 0.7 percent) and fossil fuel electric generation (= which lost 2 percent of its workforce). Notably, Solyndra announced layoffs of approximately 1,100 full-time and te= mporary employees on August 31st. However, if the New York Times coverage i= s any indication, the real story of Solyndra is less about the viability of= the solar power industry and more about political interference and lobbyin= g in Washington. A July 2011 report from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)= provides good news for the solar energy industry. The 10th edition of the = PV Status Report provides data on the solar industry in the EU, India, Chin= a, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S. It shows that global production of pho= tovoltaics more than doubled in 2010, making it one of the world's fastest = growing industries. The EU has the most PV installations, providing more th= an 70% of the total worldwide solar PV electricity generation capacity as o= f the end of 2010. China has become the major manufacturing centre for sola= r cells and modules followed by Taiwan, Germany and Japan. The most recent survey of the Canadian solar photovoltaic sector comes from= the Canadian Solar Industry Association, in a report they commissioned fro= m Clear Sky Advisors Inc. and released in July 2011. The Economic Impacts o= f the Solar Photovoltaic Sector in Ontario 2008-2018 states that the solar = PV sector in Ontario provides 8,200 full-time jobs in 2011, and is projecte= d to create over 74,000 jobs by 2018. As the report acknowledges in its sce= narios, these projections depend on political support for long range energy= policies. LINKS: National Solar Jobs Census 2011 press release is at: http://www.thesolarfoundation.org/sites/thesolarfoundation.org/files/2011%2= 0Jobs%20Census%20Topline%20Release%20FINAL.pdf The Solar Foundation homepage is at: http://thesolarfoundation.org/home/rich-history-bright-future Solyndra company press release of August 31 2011 is at: http://www.solyndra.com/news "In Rush To Assist A Solar Company, U.S. Missed Signs", from the New York T= imes, September 23, 2011 at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/us/politics/in-rush-to-assist-solyndra-un= ited-states-missed-warning-signs.html?_r=3D1&hp PV Status Report by the European Commission Joint Research Centre is availa= ble at: http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/refsys/pdf/PV%20reports/PV%20Status%20Report%202= 011.pdf The Economic Impacts of the Solar Photovoltaic Sector in Ontario 2008-2018 = is available at: http://www.cansia.ca/sites/default/files/economic_impacts_= of_the_solar_photovoltaic_sector_in_ontario_2008-2018_july_26_0.pdf JOBS IN THE U.S. RECREATIONAL TOURISM SECTOR This report from the Center for American Progress reviews recent research i= n the United States on the direct, indirect, and induced jobs created by th= e conservation economy-recreational tourism, renewable energy, land restora= tion, and sustainable forestry and land management. The report estimates th= e size of the current job market in each of these sectors, with the disclai= mer that these numbers are likely underestimated because of a scarcity of r= esearch on jobs in restoration and forest management. The size of this sector is impressive, e= ven if it is underestimated: recreation and tourism on Department of the In= terior Lands is estimated at 388,000 jobs, with an additional 224,000 jobs = on Forest Service Lands. The report makes 15 policy recommendations to enco= urage further job creation, including a call for increased effort to track = the number of jobs and the economic impact of land conservation on rural co= mmunities. LINKS: The Jobs case for Conservation: Creating opportunity through stewardship of= America's public lands by Jessica Goad, Christy Goldfuss, and Tom Kenworth= y is available at the Center for American Progress website at: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/09/pdf/public_lands.pdf WORKPLACE EDUCATION REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE FOR B.C. PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS On August 29th, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) at the U= niversity of Victoria launched an online climate change course aimed at pub= lic sector workers, most specifically policy analysts in British Columbia. = "Climate Insights 101" is the first of four planned modules; it uses a comb= ination of animation, interviews and click-thrus to educate about the basic= concepts and findings of climate science research. Module two (regional cl= imate change and its impacts), module three (adaptation) and module four (m= itigation) are currently in production and are planned for release next yea= r. In launching this workplace education initiative, the provincial Ministe= r of the Environment, Terry Lake, is quoted as saying that "building a soli= d knowledge base within the province's civil service is essential because c= limate change will impact not only the environment but also the economy, th= e way we live, how we use our land and water, and what our future agricultu= ral options are". LINKS: Press release describing the initiative at: http://www.pics.uvic.ca/assets/pdf/news/MR_Short_Courses_29August2011.pdf Climate Insights 101 course at: http://www.pics.uvic.ca/insights/ NEWS AND NOTES: KEYSTONE PIPELINE PROTEST INCLUDES A CONCERN FOR LOST JOBS: Dave Coles, President of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union,= was among those arrested in Ottawa on September 26th for protesting agains= t the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas. The union has consistentl= y opposed construction of the pipeline, on the grounds of environmental dam= age, energy security for Canada, and because of the loss of potential oil r= efining jobs in Canada. The CEP bases its arguments on a 2006 study by Info= rmetrica, which estimated that the increased export of Alberta bitumen will= cost the Canadian economy 40,500 potential direct and indirect jobs. CEP i= s calling on the federal government to reverse the decision to allow constr= uction of the Keystone pipeline. LINKS: Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union Backgrounder on Keystone XL at= : http://www.cep.ca/docs/en/110922-keystone-xl-backgrounder-e.pdf National Energy Board Reasons for Decision regarding the Keystone Pipeline,= case OH-1-207, issued in September 2007. Note chapter 9, which summarizes = the socio-economic arguments made by CEP, the Alberta Federation of Labour,= Parkland Institute and Dr. Laxer at: https://www.neb.gc.ca/ll-eng/livelink= .exe/fetch/2000/90464/90552/418396/446070/478070/477791/A1A4H2_-_Reasons_fo= r_Decision_OH-1-2007.pdf?nodeid=3D477856&vernum=3D0 (English) https://www.neb.gc.ca/ll-eng/livelink.exe/fetch/2000/90464/90552/418396/446= 070/478070/477791/A1A4H3_-_Motifs_de_d%E9cision_OH-1-2007.pdf?nodeid=3D4778= 59&vernum=3D0 (francais) FIFE WIND FARM TO FUND APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING: Carbon Free, a wind farm developer, has partnered with Adam Smith College i= n Fife, Scotland in a unique community benefit scheme. According to the agr= eement, the revenues from the electricity generated will support a minimum = of 5 apprenticeships per year over 25 years, to provide employment opportun= ities to people living near the wind farm, and to address skills shortages = in the engineering sector. The 8-turbine Earlseat wind farm was approved by= local councils on September 20th and is expected to be built by the end of= 2013. For a fuller news report go to: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2110580/fife-wind-farm-hails-green-app= renticeship WEBSITE TO MONITOR COUNTRY ACTIONS ON MITIGATION: On September 9, 2011, the Open Climate Network website was launched as a pl= atform for updates and analysis on country actions on climate mitigation an= d the provision of climate finance. The website provides information on the= latest policy developments and results of Open Climate Network analysis. P= articipant countries include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Un= ion nations, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, and the United Sta= tes. Clare Demerse of Canada's Pembina Institute is one of the five Network= Experts. Visit the network at: http://insights.wri.org/open-climate-network/2011/09/open-climate-network-l= aunches-website-track-national-progress-climate-c FEED IN TARRIFF PROGRAMS AND THE WTO: A new paper released by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable = Development (ICTSD) examines the local content regulations of the FIT progr= ammes implemented by Ontario, Germany and the United Kingdom in the context= of the World Trade Organization subsidy rules. The Ontario cases are the f= irst WTO disputes related to climate change, and are being watched for thei= r ramifications for all future climate-change related trade disputes. LINKS: Feed-in Tariffs for Renewable Energy and WTO Subsidy Rules: an initial lega= l analysis by Marie Wilke of the ICTSD is available at: http://ictsd.org/i/= publications/112508/ INTERNATIONAL PANEL: GREENING WORK IN A CHILLY CLIMATE: CANADIAN CHALLENGES AND INTERNATIONAL PE= RSPECTIVE Climate change is of intense concern to Canadians today, but its growing im= pact on existing jobs and on the next generation of workers is almost absen= t from the agendas of public policy, business and labour. OECD governments of all political stripes are crafting ambitious national p= olicies that include the work world, to reduce their carbon footprint. In c= ontrast, the political climate in Canada is decidedly chilly. But the world of work may be the most effective site for reducing Canada's = GHG emissions, and transitioning to a greener economy. What can we learn from EU, the US, and from around Canada? What role can la= bour play in national climate policy? How can the work world take leadershi= p in reducing GhGs? What works, in greening workplaces? Sectors? Occupation= s? Education and training? What can we learn from green restructuring of ha= rd-hit industrial communities in the EU? The US? Canada? Join us for an International Panel discussion with experts from the UK, the= US, and Canada, to discuss these challenging issues. Speakers: Charles Campbell Research Director United Steelworkers-Canada Linda Clarke Professor of European Industrial Relations University of Westminster. UK. Marc Lee Senior Economist Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-British Columbia Sarah White Senior Associate Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS). US. Date & Time: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 5:30 PM-8:00 PM. Reception follow= s. Location: Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yo= nge Street, Toronto Ontario M4W 2GB (one block north of Bloor Street) The Panel is free, but seating is limited. Please RSVP to: w3info at yorku.ca Organised by Work in a Warming World (W3) "We have options. The past is not one of them" Work in a Warming World Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability York University 4700 Keele St. 337 York Lanes Toronto, On M3J 1P3 (416) 736-2100 ext 44106 If you do not want to receive future monthly issues, please select the Safe= Unsubscribe below. [http:= //ih.constantcontact.com/fs010/1104412491262/img/8.gif] [http://www.cse.yorku.ca/~wolfgang/ima= ges/redefine_small1.gif] Designed By: Ann Kim Forward email [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/SafeUnsubscribe_Footer_Logo_= New.png] [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/CC_Footer_Logo_New.png] This email was sent to mfirth at cupe.ca by w3info at yorku.ca | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(tm) | Privacy Policy. Work in a Warming World (W3) | York University | 4700 Keele Street, 337 Yor= k Lanes | Toronto | Ontario | M3J 1P3 | Canada --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A28FC9E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Subject: Work and= Climate Change Report - Issue # 2 - October 2011

 

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3D"Wind

 

 

 

 

 

Issue 02 | October 2011                         &nbs= p;                   &nbs= p;                   &nbs= p;            Elizabeth Perry, Editor 

 

Work and Climate Change Report

Monthly updates on research and ne= w developments in green transition 

for the economy, the workplace and public policy

 

 

The Work and Climate Change Report is a monthly online publication which alerts and informs academics, practitioners and students about important new research and legislation from Canada and around the world. WCR is published by the Work in a Warming Wor= ld Research Unit, Yo= rk University.=  

 

For questions, comments, or if you wish to subscribe t= o our monthly report, please e-mail us at: w3info at yorku.ca 

 

Visit us at: www.workinawarmingworld.yorku.ca  

 

 

 

 

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  In this issue:

1.Global Report on Skills for Green Jobs by the= ILO

2.Green Jobs in the B.C. Fo= restry Sector

3.Solar Industry Shows Supe= rior Growth

4.Jobs in Recreational Tourism in the U.S.

5.Online Workplace Educatio= n about Climate Change for B.C. Public Sector<= /span>

6.News and Notes

7.Announcement: Internation= al Panel- November 17 2011<= /p>

Greening Work in a Chilly Climate: Canadian Challenges and International Perspectives  <= o:p>

 

 

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3DA=

FORTHCOMING ILO STUDY ON SKILLS FOR GREEN JOBS   

  =  

Watch for an important new report, Skills for Green Jo= bs, to be released by the ILO Green Jobs Programme on October 15, 2011.= It will examine the experiences of 21 developed and developing countri= es, including Australia, Brazil, China, India, South Korea, South Afric= a, France, Germany, Spain, U.K., and the U.S. Canada is not profiled. = This comprehensive work identifies the sectors most affected by the shif= t to green restructuring, the changing and emerging occupations in major economic sectors, as well as gender implications. It concludes that= , while a few new occupations will emerge in the transition to a gree= ner economy, "massive change" will occur in existing occupati= ons, and at all levels of occupations, across all sectors. Of note for further research: discussions of "Measuring and classifying gr= een jobs and related skills", and "Identifying skill needs: Evaluating existing systems and tools". The report concludes t= hat successful transition to a greener economy will require efficient re-training and skills upgrading, especially for the disadvantaged = in the labour market. A key message is the need for coherence and coordination of environmental and skills policies.

 

LINKS:

Summary a= nd links to Skills for Green Jobs= are available at:
http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/book= s/forthcoming-publications/WCMS_159585/lang--en/index.htm= . This webpage also provides links to detailed country study reports = for each of the 21 countries summarized in Skills for Green Jobs.  = ;

 

 

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3Da=

A PLAN FOR GREEN JOBS IN A GREENER SECTOR: BRITI= SH COLUMBIA'S FORESTRY INDUSTRY     

 

A paper released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in August 2= 011 envisions a more carbon-focused, "green" approach to the forests and forest industry of B.C. Author Ben Parfitt covers a lot= of ground in this document, including the prospects for exports to Chi= na; the loss of wood processing jobs to other provinces; the need for a workable carbon tax accounting system for forestry. Of the employme= nt benefits of a greener approach, the report estimates 2,630 new jobs from processing logs into solid wood, pulp and paper and bio-energy products in B.C. rather than out of province, 2,400 forest industry jobs from processing usable wood waste left behind at logging operations, 5,200 seasonal jobs in tree-planting and associated tre= e nursery work, as well as eventually 10,100 jobs as a result of increased higher value manufacturing. He provides detailed policy recommendations which centre on: greater secondary forest products manufacturing; maximum use of forest industry wood waste in a range= of bio-products; greater forest conservation (with carbon credits acti= ng as an incentive to achieving such conservation); and more effective reforestation efforts. As he has done before, Parfitt calls for a restoration of staff levels in the provincial Forest Service. =       

 

LINKS:

"Making the Case for a Carbon Focus and Green Job= s in BC's Forest Industry" by Ben Parfitt is available from a link = at:  

http://www.policyalternatives.ca/greenfores= ts=

 

BC forest= ry missing out on great green job potential at:

&nb= sp;

 

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3Da=

SOLAR INDUSTRY SHOWS SUPERIOR JOB GROWTH   

 

With most eyes on the continuing story of the bankrupt= cy of U.S. solar manufacturer Solyndra, the Solar Foundation of the U.S. has pre-released preliminary data from the National Solar Jobs Cens= us 2011, ahead of the full release scheduled for October 19, 2011. Cen= sus 2011 measured employment growth in the U.S. from August 2010= to August 2011 and found that solar businesses added 6,735 new workers since August 2010, representing a 6.8 percent growth rate. When measured against overall economic data from Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI), this rate of job growth outpaced the over= all U.S. economy (which grew by 0.7 percent) and fossil fuel electric genera= tion (which lost 2 percent of its workforce).

 

Notably, Solyndra announced layoffs of approximately 1= ,100 full-time and temporary employees on August 31st. However, if the N= ew York Times coverage is any indication, the real story of Solyndra i= s less about the viability of the solar power industry and more about political interference and lobbying in Washington.

 

A July 2011 report from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides good news for the solar energy indus= try. The 10th edition of the PV Status Report provides data on the solar industry in the EU, India, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.= It shows that global production of photovoltaics more than doubled = in 2010, making it one of the world's fastest growing industries. The = EU has the most PV installations, providing more than 70% of the total worldwide solar PV electricity generation capacity as of the end of 2010. China ha= s become the major manufacturing centre for solar cells and modules followed by Taiwan, Germany and Japan. =

 

The most = recent survey of the Canadian solar photovoltaic sector comes from the Canadian Solar Industry Association, in a report they commissioned = from Clear Sky Advisors Inc. and released in July 2011. The Economic Imp= acts of the Solar Photovoltaic Sector in Ontario 2008-2018 states that t= he solar PV sector in On= tario provides 8,200 full-time jobs in 2011, and is projected to create o= ver 74,000 jobs by 2018. As the report acknowledges in its scenarios, t= hese projections depend on political support for long range energy polic= ies.

 

 

LINKS:

National Solar Jobs Census 2011 press release is at: <= /span> 

htt= p://www.thesolarfoundation.org/sites/thesolarfoundation.org/files/2011%20Jo= bs%20Census%20Topline%20Release%20FINAL.pdf 

 

The Solar Foundation homepage is at:   

htt= p://thesolarfoundation.org/home/rich-history-bright-future 

 

Solyndra company press release of August 31 2011 is at= :

htt= p://www.solyndra.com/news <= /p>

 

"In = Rush To Assist A Solar Company, U.S. Missed Signs&quo= t;, from the New York Times, September 23, 2011 at:

 

PV Status Report by the European Commission Joint Research Centre is availabl= e at:

 

The Economic Impacts of the Solar Photovoltaic Sector = in Ontario 2008-2018 is available at: htt= p://www.cansia.ca/sites/default/files/economic_impacts_of_the_solar_photovo= ltaic_sector_in_ontario_2008-2018_july_26_0.pdf 

 

 

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3Da=

JOBS IN THE U.S. RECREATIONAL TOURISM SECTOR   

 

This report from the Center for American Progress revi= ews recent research in the United States on the direct, indirect, = and induced jobs created by the conservation economy-recreational touri= sm, renewable energy, land restoration, and sustainable forestry and la= nd management. The report estimates the size of the current job market= in each of these sectors, with the disclaimer that these numbers are likely underestimated because of a scarcity of research on jobs in =

restoration and forest management. The size of this se= ctor is impressive, even if it is underestimated: recreation and tourism= on Department of the Interior Lands is estimated at 388,000 jobs, with= an additional 224,000 jobs on Forest Service Lands. The report makes 1= 5 policy recommendations to encourage further job creation, including= a call for increased effort to track the number of jobs and the econo= mic impact of land conservation on rural communities.

 

LINKS:

The Jobs case for Conservation: Creating opportunity through stewardship of America's public lands by Jessica Goad, Christy Goldfuss, and Tom Kenworthy i= s available at the Center for American Progress website at:  

htt= p://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/09/pdf/public_lands.pdf  

 

 

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 3Da=

WORKPLACE EDUCATION REGARD= ING CLIMATE CHANGE FOR B.C. PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS   

 
On August= 29th, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) at the University of Victoria launched an online climate change course aimed at public sector workers, most specifically policy analysts in British Columbia. "Climat= e Insights 101" is the first of four planned modules; it uses a combination of animation, interviews and click-thrus to educate abo= ut the basic concepts and findings of climate science research. Module= two (regional climate change and its impacts), module three (adaptation= ) and module four (mitigation) are currently in production and are planned for release next year. In launching this workplace educatio= n initiative, the provincial Minister of the Environment, Terry Lake,= is quoted as saying that "building a solid knowledge base within = the province's civil service is essential because climate change will impact not only the environment but also the economy, the way we li= ve, how we use our land and water, and what our future agricultural opt= ions are".

  

LINKS:

Press release describing the initiative at:

htt= p://www.pics.uvic.ca/assets/pdf/news/MR_Short_Courses_29August2011.pdf 

 

Climate Insights 101 course at: http://www.pics.uvic.ca/insights/ 

 

 

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 3DA=

NEWS AND NOTES:  &nbs= p;

 

= KEYSTONE PIPELINE PROTEST INCLUDES A CONCERN FOR LOST JOBS:  

Dave Coles, President= of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, was among those arrested in Ottawa on September 26= th for protesting against the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas<= /st1:State>. The union has consistently opposed construction of the pipeline, on= the grounds of environmental damage, energy security for Canada, and because of the loss of potential oil refining jobs in Canada. The CEP bases= its arguments on a 2006 study by Informetrica, which estimated that the increased export of A= lberta bitumen will cost the Canadian economy 40,500 potential direct and indirect jobs. CEP is calling on the federal government to reverse = the decision to allow construction of the Keystone pipeline.

 

LINKS:  

Communications Energy= and Paperworkers Union Backgrounder on Keystone XL at: http://www.cep.ca/docs/en/110922-keystone-xl= -backgrounder-e.pdf 

 

National Energy Board Reasons for Decision regarding the Keystone Pipeline, case OH-1-207= , issued in September 2007. Note chapter 9, which summarizes the socio-economic arguments made by CEP, the Alberta Federation of Lab= our, Parkland Institute and Dr. Laxer at: https://www.neb.gc.ca/ll-eng/livelink.exe/fe= tch/2000/90464/90552/418396/446070/478070/477791/A1A4H2_-_Reasons_for_Decis= ion_OH-1-2007.pdf?nodeid=3D477856&vernum=3D0 (English)

  =

https://www.neb.gc.ca/ll-eng/livelink.exe/fe= tch/2000/90464/90552/418396/446070/478070/477791/A1A4H3_-_Motifs_de_d%E9cis= ion_OH-1-2007.pdf?nodeid=3D477859&vernum=3D0 (francais)

 

 

FIFE WIND FARM TO FUND APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING:  

Carbon Free, a wind f= arm developer, has partnered with Adam Smith College in Fife, Scotland in a unique community benefit scheme. According to the agreement, the revenues = from the electricity generated will support a minimum of 5 apprenticeshi= ps per year over 25 years, to provide employment opportunities to peop= le living near the wind farm, and to address skills shortages in the engineering sector. The 8-turbine Earlseat wind farm was approved b= y local councils on September 20th and is expected to be built by the= end of 2013. For a fuller news report go to:  <= /o:p>

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2110580= /fife-wind-farm-hails-green-apprenticeship  

 

 

= WEBSITE TO MONITOR COUNTRY ACTIONS ON MITIGATION:  

On September 9, 2011,= the Open Climate Network website was launched as a platform for updates= and analysis on country actions on climate mitigation and the provision= of climate finance. The website provides information on the latest pol= icy developments and results of Open Climate Network analysis. Particip= ant countries include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union nations, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, and the United States. Clare Demerse = of Canada's Pembina Institute is one of the five Network Experts. Visit the net= work at:

http://insights.wri.org/open-climate-network= /2011/09/open-climate-network-launches-website-track-national-progress-clim= ate-c 

 

 

= FEED IN TARRIFF PROGRAMS AND THE WTO:=  

A new paper released = by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) examines the local content regulations of the FIT programmes implemented by Ontario, Germany and the United Kingdom in the context of the World Trade Organization subsidy rules. The <= st1:State w:st=3D"on">Ontario = cases are the first WTO disputes related to climate change, and are being watched for their ramifications for all future climate-change relat= ed trade disputes.   

 

LINKS:=

Feed-in Tariffs for Renewable Energy and WTO Subsidy Rules: an initial legal analysis b= y Marie Wilke of the ICTSD is available at: http://ictsd.org/i/publications/112508/  

 

 

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 &nb= sp;3Da=

INTERNATIONAL PANEL:<= /p>

 

GREENING WORK IN A CHILLY CLIMATE: CANADIAN CHALLENGES AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

 

Climate change is of intense concern to Canadians toda= y, but its growing impact on existing jobs and on the next generation = of workers is almost absent from the agendas of public policy, busines= s and labour.

 

OECD governments of all political stripes are crafting ambitious national policies that include the work world, to reduce their carbon footprint. In contrast, the political climate in Canada is decidedly chilly.

 

But the world of work may be the most effective site f= or reducing Can= ada's GHG emissions, and transitioning to a greener economy.

 

What can we learn from EU, the US, and from around Canada? What role can labour play in national climate policy? How can the w= ork world take leadership in reducing GhGs? What works, in greening workplaces? Sectors? Occupations? Education and training? What can = we learn from green restructuring of hard-hit industrial communities i= n the EU? The = US? Canada?

 

Join us for an International Panel discussion with exp= erts from the UK, t= he US, and Canada, to discuss th= ese challenging issues.

 

Speakers:

 

Charles Campbell 

Research Director

United Steelworkers-Canada

 

Linda Clarke 

Professor of European Industrial Relations 

Univers= ity of We= stminster. = UK.

 

Marc Lee  

Senior Economist

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-British Columbia<= /span>

 

Sarah White 

Senior Associate

Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS). US.

 

 

Date & Time:= Thursday, November 17, 201= 1, 5:30 PM-8:00 PM. Reception follows.<= /b>

 

Location: Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge= Street, Toronto On= tario M4W 2GB (one block north of Bloor Street)

 

The Panel is free= , but seating is limited.

 

Please RSVP to: w3info@= yorku.ca 

Organised by Work in a Warming World (W3)<= /a>

 

"We have options. The past is= not one of them"

  

 

 

 = ;

 

 = ;

 

Work in a Warming World  

Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability 

York Unive= rsity

4700 K= eele St. 

337 York<= /st1:place> Lanes

Toront= o, On

M3J 1P3

 

(416) 736-2100 ext 44106

 

If you do not want to receive future monthly issues, please select the SafeUnsubscribe below. 

<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:#86470F'> 

 

3D"W3

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Designed By: Ann Kim 

 

&nb= sp;

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A28FC9E2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Thu Oct 13 12:08:54 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:08:54 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: Docs Talk - The heart of the matter on climate change Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A29080@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A29080E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: Docs Talk - The heart of the matter on climate change David Suzuki Foundation and Canadian Association of Physicians for the Envi= ronment (CAPE) - Docs Talk The heart of the matter on climate change Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:23 PM PDT Bradley J. Dibble is a cardiologist working in both Barrie and Newmarket, O= ntario. In addition to his commitment to health care with a particular emph= asis on risk-factor management and preventative medicine, he has a special = interest in environmental issues and the climate crisis. He was appointed b= y the federal Minister of the Environment in 2009 to the Sustainable Develo= pment Advisory Council and is an Eco-Leader with the Canadian Association o= f Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Dr. Dibble ha= s written a book titled Comprehending the Climate Crisis, which will be pub= lished later this year. Docs Talk asked Dr. Dibble to share his perspective= on climate change. Docs Talk: As a cardiologist, what sparked your interest in climate change = issues? Dr. Dibble: First and foremost, my concerns about climate change stem more = from simply being a concerned citizen of this planet. However, as physician= s we have a duty to care for people in our communities, and not just those = who are sick; we also do our best to prevent health problems. I believe tha= t duty extends beyond those who step into our offices. Additionally, cardio= vascular and respiratory patients are particularly sensitive to changes in = temperature and humidity, so many of the types of patients I treat are goin= g to be the most susceptible to adverse effects on health due to climate ch= ange. Docs Talk: What effects could climate change have on the "heart health" of = Canadians? Dr. Dibble: Studies have already shown us that increases in heat and humidi= ty lead to a much greater risk of heart attack and death, especially in tho= se people who have cardiovascular disease or are at an increased risk for i= t, particularly in seniors. On hot and humid days, we always advise those i= ndividuals to do their best to stay cool and to keep themselves well hydrat= ed. If climate change continues as it is projected to do -- with 10 out of = the last 11 years having been the hottest on record -- then we are going to= see greater numbers of people affected than ever before. In addition, the = warmer temperatures associated with climate change are expected to exacerba= te air-quality problems. In particular, the formation of ground-level ozone= , a component in smog, is temperature-dependent. Climate change scenarios p= roject increasing concentrations of this gas, and that will take a major to= ll on human health. Already, 5.5 per cent of cardiopulmonary (heart and lun= g disease-related) deaths in Canada can be attributed to ground-level ozone= exposure and levels have been increasing over the past decade. This = will only worsen if present trends continue. Docs Talk: As a physician, what other impacts from climate change are you c= oncerned about? Dr. Dibble: There are almost too many to list, but I'll highlight a few tha= t are of particular concern to me. One will be the territorial expansion fo= r many disease vectors such as the mosquito, which plays a part in the tran= smission of malaria. The regions where the mosquito spreads the disease wil= l extend greatly as global warming worsens. The 250 million people on this = planet who are infected each year could easily double in years to come. The= mosquito is only one example, and many other diseases transmitted by vecto= rs will be affected in a similar manner. An example that's closer to home a= nd has more direct impact on Canadians is Lyme disease, which has the deer = tick as its vector. It will similarly expand its territory with climate cha= nge. Another concern I have is that climate change is going to cost us all = financially. When you realize that hurricane Katrina cost more than $80 bil= lion dollars, and such severe weather phenomena are going to become more co= mmon with global warming, that is money that unfortunately has to go toward= helping our planet cope with these catastrophes rather than going to other= things such as health care. Docs Talk: Energy-related emissions account for 80 per cent of Canada's gre= enhouse gas pollution. What would you say are the healthiest energy options= for Canadians? Dr. Dibble: It's well-known that our cardiovascular health benefits from ph= ysical activity. Some of the best energy options then are when we rely on o= ur own people power rather than vehicles to get us from point A to point B.= For those who can, it would be far better to walk or bike to school or wor= k than to drive. Since about 30 per cent of our emissions are from vehicles= , this is one of the best ways we have to not only help our cardiovascular = health but to reduce our carbon footprint. Looking to other options, Canadi= ans can do their best to reduce their carbon footprint by targeting electri= city consumption, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. By makin= g efforts to steer clear from fossil fuels and look to renewable sources of= energy as the best answer to this problem, substantial reductions can be a= chieved. Many health care professionals in Canada have already teamed up to= support a campaign to achieve this very goal. Docs Talk: If you could write a "prescription" to solve climate change, wha= t would it be? Dr. Dibble: Having international agreement about the severity of the proble= m is the first important step, because until governments come together to t= ackle this issue on a global scale, in the spirit of cooperation, I believe= it will be too difficult for us as individuals to do it all on our own. My= prescription would be for the leaders in the industrialized and rapidly de= veloping worlds to place themselves in a room and not come out until a bind= ing agreement on the price of carbon is reached that can be enforced worldw= ide. In the meantime, I would like to see Canada lead by example. Yes, we s= it on a large deposit of bitumen with the Athabasca oil sands, but they are= the dirtiest source of oil on the planet, and the fastest growing source o= f emissions in this country. Just because there's a demand doesn't mean we = should supply it. As it stands now, oil is the drug, the world is the junki= e, and Canada is the dealer. I think a real opportunity to spearhead an int= ernational move toward renewable sources of energy and away from fossil fue= ls is at our fingertips. It's up to our political leaders to do the right t= hing and we need to voice our concerns to them so they know how we feel abo= ut the issue. Docs Talk: As individuals, what can Canadians do to protect their health fr= om the effects of climate change? Dr. Dibble: Minimizing the risk of disease by living healthy is a great sta= rt. That means exercising, eating healthy and in the right amounts, not smo= king, and knowing your risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, and c= holesterol levels and treating them as needed. A healthy body will cope muc= h better with the effects of climate change than a diseased one. But becomi= ng an advocate for a healthy planet and combating the problem in our person= al lives and as families so we can minimize such effects is critical as wel= l. The old adage still stands: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of c= ure. --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A29080E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable David Suzuki Foundation - Docs Talk

Subject: Docs Tal= k - The heart of the matter on climate change

 

 

David Suzuki Foundation and Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) - Docs Talk 

 

 

The heart of t= he matter on climate change

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 05:23 PM = PDT

Bradley J. Dibble is a cardiologist working in both Barrie and Newmarket, Ontario. In addition to h= is commitment to health care with a particular emphasis on risk-factor management and preventative medicine, he has a special interest in environmental issues and the climate crisis. He was appointed by the fede= ral Minister of the Environment in 2009 to the Sustainable Development Adviso= ry Council and is an Eco-Leader with the = Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Dr. Dibble has written a book = titled Comprehen= ding the Climate Crisis, which will be published later this year. Docs Talk asked Dr. Dibble to share his perspective on climate chan= ge.

Docs Talk: As a cardiologist, what sparked your interest in climate ch= ange issues?

Dr. Dibble: First and foremost, my concerns about climate change stem m= ore from simply being a concerned citizen of this planet. However, as physici= ans we have a duty to care for people in our communities, and not just those = who are sick; we also do our best to prevent health problems. I believe that = duty extends beyond those who step into our offices. Additionally, cardiovascu= lar and respiratory patients are particularly sensitive to changes in tempera= ture and humidity, so many of the types of patients I treat are going to be th= e most susceptible to adverse effects on health due to climate change.

Docs Talk: What effects could climate change have on the "heart health" of Canadians?

Dr. Dibble: Studies have already shown us that increases in heat and humidity lead to a much greater risk of heart attack and death, especially in thos= e people who have cardiovascular disease or are at an increased risk for it= , particularly in seniors. On hot and humid days, we always advise those individuals to do their best to stay cool and to keep themselves well hydrated. If climate change continues as it is projected to do -- with 10= out of the last 11 years having been the hottest on record -- then we are goi= ng to see greater numbers of people affected than ever before. In addition, = the warmer temperatures associated with climate change are expected to exacer= bate air-quality problems. In particular, the formation of ground-level ozone,= a component in smog, is temperature-dependent. Climate change scenarios pro= ject increasing concentrations of this gas, and that will take a major toll on human health. Already, 5.5 per cent of cardiopulmonary (heart and lung disease-related) de= aths in Canada can be attributed to ground-level ozone exposure<= /b> and levels have been increasing over the past decade. This will only wors= en if present trends continue.

Docs Talk: As a physician, what other impacts from climate change are = you concerned about?

Dr. Dibble: There are almost too many to list, but I'll highlight a few= that are of particular concern to me. One will be the territorial expansion fo= r many disease vectors such as the mosquito, which plays a part in the transmission of malaria. The regions where the mosquito spreads the disea= se will extend greatly as global warming worsens. The 250 million people on = this planet who are infected each year could easily double in years to come. T= he mosquito is only one example, and many other diseases transmitted by vect= ors will be affected in a similar manner. An example that's closer to home an= d has more direct impact on Canadians is Lyme disease, which has the deer t= ick as its vector. It will similarly expand its territory with climate change= . Another concern I have is that climate change is going to cost us all financially. When you realize that hurricane Katrina cost more than $80 billion dollars, and such severe weather phenomena are going to become mo= re common with global warming, that is money that unfortunately has to go to= ward helping our planet cope with these catastrophes rather than going to othe= r things such as health care.

Docs Talk: Energy-related emissions account for 80 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas pollution. What would you say are the healthiest energy options for Canadians?

Dr. Dibble: It's well-known that our cardiovascular health benefits fro= m physical activity. Some of the best energy options then are when we rely = on our own people power rather than vehicles to get us from point A to point= B. For those who can, it would be far better to walk or bike to school or wo= rk than to drive. Since about 30 per cent of our emissions are from vehicles= , this is one of the best ways we have to not only help our cardiovascular health but to reduce our carbon footprint. Looking to other options, Canadians can do their best to reduce their carbon footprint by targeting electricity consumption, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.= By making efforts to steer clear from fossil fuels and look to renewable sou= rces of energy as the best answer to this problem, substantial reductions can = be achieved. Many health care professionals in Canada have already teamed = up to support a campaign to achieve this very goal.

Docs Talk: If you could write a "prescription" to solve clim= ate change, what would it be?

Dr. Dibble: Having international agreement about the severity of the problem is the first important step, because until governments come toget= her to tackle this issue on a global scale, in the spirit of cooperation, I believe it will be too difficult for us as individuals to do it all on ou= r own. My prescription would be for the leaders in the industrialized and rapidly developing worlds to place themselves in a room and not come out until a binding agreement on the price of carbon is reached that can be enforced worldwide. In the meantime, I would like to see Canada lead by example. Yes, we sit on a large deposit of bitumen with the Athabasca oil sands, but they are the dirtiest so= urce of oil on the planet, and the fastest growing source of emissions in this country. Just because there's a demand doesn't mean we should supply it. = As it stands now, oil is the drug, the world is the junkie, and Canada is the dealer. I think a real opportunity to spearhead an international move tow= ard renewable sources of energy and away from fossil fuels is at our fingerti= ps. It's up to our political leaders to do the right thing and we need to voi= ce our concerns to them so they know how we feel about the issue.

Docs Talk: As individuals, what can Canadians do to protect their heal= th from the effects of climate change?

Dr. Dibble: Minimizing the risk of disease by living healthy is a great start. That means exercising, eating healthy and in the right amounts, no= t smoking, and knowing your risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, = and cholesterol levels and treating them as needed. A healthy body will cope = much better with the effects of climate change than a diseased one. But becomi= ng an advocate for a healthy planet and combating the problem in our persona= l lives and as families so we can minimize such effects is critical as well= . The old adage still stands: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cu= re.

 

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[Environmentcomm] Europeans fear climate change more than financial turmoil, poll shows Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A6408A@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A6408AE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/07/europeans-climate-change-= poll Europeans fear climate change more than financial turmoil, poll shows Respondents said climate change was the second most serious issue facing th= e world, after poverty * Fiona Harvey, environm= ent correspondent * guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 October 2011 13.46= BST Europeans believe that dangers of climate change represent a more serious problem than the curre= nt financial turmoil, according to a new poll. The Eurobarometer poll (pdf) suggests that the majority of the public in the European = Union consider global warming to be one= of the world's most serious problems, with one-fifth saying it is the sing= le most serious problem. Overall, respondents said climate change was the s= econd most serious issue facing the world, after poverty. Connie Hedegaard, European climate commissioner, said: "This is encouraging= news. The survey shows that the citizens of Europe can see that economic c= hallenges are not the only ones we face. A clear majority of Europeans expe= ct their politicians and business leaders to address the serious climate ch= allenge now." She said it was striking that the public were even more concerned about cli= mate change than in the runup to the landmark Copenhagen summit on climate = change in late 2009. The number of people rating climate change as a very serious problem has ri= sen slightly, from 64% when the poll was last conducted in 2009, to 68% thi= s year. When asked to rank the seriousness of the problem, people put it at= 7.4 out of 10, compared with a score of 7.1 out of 10 two years ago. People also said there were economic benefits to tackling climate change, w= ith eight out of 10 people saying that dealing with the problem would provi= de an economic boost and create jobs. Two years ago the number was just und= er two-thirds. There was also wide support for moving taxation to penalise greenhouse gas = emissions and encourage energy efficiency, with an average of 68% of people= across the EU in favour of such a move. However, there was less enthusiasm for people taking personal responsibilit= y for tackling climate change. Only one in five said they took personal res= ponsibility, with more people saying it was the responsibility of national = governments, EU authorities and businesses. Despite this, most respondents said they had taken action to combat climate= change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the previous six months. But= for the greatest number that action was recycling household waste, which r= anks fairly low on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The results of the Eurobarometer poll were hailed by the European commissio= n as evidence that the public across member states maintain support for mea= sures to tackle climate change. The commission is currently engaged in an argument over whether to toughen = the EU's target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020, compare= d with 1990 levels, to a more stretching target of cutting emissions by 30%= by the same date. Hedegaard wants to toughen the target but she is opposed by several other c= ommissioners, including the energy commissioner, G=FCnther Oettinger. Hedegaard said on Friday: "The fact that more than three out of four Europe= ans see improving energy efficiency as a way to create jobs is a strong sig= nal to Europe's decision makers. I see this poll very much as an encouragem= ent for us in the commission to continue fighting for ambitious and concret= e climate action in Europe." R=E9mi Gruet, regulatory adviser to the European Wind Energy Association, s= aid: "Science and public opinion are pointing in the same direction: more a= ction on climate change. The survey is a wake-up call to decision-makers wh= o need to embrace the economic and competitive benefits of progress on ener= gy efficiency and renewables. It would be a historic mistake to listen only= to those who have vested interests in climate-damaging fossil technologies= ." The poll was conducted in June and questioned 27,000 people aged 15 and abo= ve in 27 countries. --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A6408AE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/07/europeans-c= limate-change-poll

Europeans fear climate change more than financial turm= oil, poll shows

Respondents said c= limate change was the second most serious issue facing the world, after poverty

Europeans believe that dangers of climate change rep= resent a more serious problem than the current financial turmoil, according to a n= ew poll.

The Eurobarometer poll (pdf) suggests that the majority of the public in the European Union con= sider global warming to be one of the world's most serious problems, with one-fif= th saying it is the single most serious problem. Overall, respondents said cli= mate change was the second most serious issue facing the world, after poverty.

Connie Hedegaard, European climate commissioner, said: "This = is encouraging news. The survey shows that the citizens of Europe can see that economic challenges are not the only ones we face. A clear majority of Europeans expect their politicians and business leaders to addr= ess the serious climate challenge now."

She said it was striking that the public were even more concerned about climate change than in the runup to the landmark Copenhagen summit on climate change in = late 2009.

The number of people rating climate change as a very serious probl= em has risen slightly, from 64% when the poll was last conducted in 2009, to 6= 8% this year. When asked to rank the seriousness of the problem, people put it= at 7.4 out of 10, compared with a score of 7.1 out of 10 two years ago.

People also said there were economic benefits to tackling climate change, with eight out of 10 people saying that dealing with the problem wo= uld provide an economic boost and create jobs. Two years ago the number was jus= t under two-thirds.

There was also wide support for moving taxation to penalise greenh= ouse gas emissions and encourage energy efficiency, with an average of 68% of pe= ople across the EU in favour of such a move.

However, there was less enthusiasm for people taking personal responsibility for tackling climate change. Only one in five said they took personal responsibility, with more people saying it was the responsibility = of national governments, EU authorities and businesses.

Despite this, most respondents said they had taken action to comba= t climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the previous six mont= hs. But for the greatest number that action was recycling household waste, whic= h ranks fairly low on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The results of the Eurobarometer poll were hailed by the European commission as evidence that the public across member states maintain suppor= t for measures to tackle climate change.

The commission is currently engaged in an argument over whether to toughen the EU's target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, to a more stretching target of cutting emissions= by 30% by the same date.

Hedegaard wants to toughen the target but she is opposed by severa= l other commissioners, including the energy commissioner, G=FCnther Oettinger= .

Hedegaard said on Friday: "The fact that more than three out = of four Europeans see improving energy efficiency as a way to create jobs is a strong signal to Europe's decision maker= s. I see this poll very much as an encouragement for us in the commission to continue fighting for ambitious and concrete climate action in Europe."

R=E9mi Gruet, regulatory adviser to the European Wind Energy Association, said: "Science and public opinion are pointing in the sam= e direction: more action on climate change. The survey is a wake-up call to decision-makers who need to embrace the economic and competitive benefits o= f progress on energy efficiency and renewables. It would be a historic mistak= e to listen only to those who have vested interests in climate-damaging fossil technologies."

The poll was conducted in June and questioned 27,000 people aged 1= 5 and above in 27 countries.

 

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A6408AE2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Fri Oct 14 14:21:48 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:21:48 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: Vancouver Sun re: Canadian Environmental Network Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A64141@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A64141E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Tories cut off Canadian Environmental Network Kent abruptly ends longtime funding partnership Environment Minister Peter Kent has cancelled a 34-yearold funding partners= hip with a major grassroots network that has helped the federal government = deliver landmark policy and legislative changes to crack down on industrial= polluters and protect fragile ecosystems. The Canadian Environmental Network, which helped the government engage the = public in the creation of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency as w= ell as the adoption of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, was actua= lly told by Environment Canada in May that the government was expecting to = renew funding of about $547,000 for the year. But it will now be forced to lay off staff and temporarily close its doors = after being told Thursday in a letter that its partnership with government = would not be renewed. "If we had known this ahead of time, we would have planned for a transition= al period," said network chairman Olivier Kolmel. "We've been operating sin= ce May on good budgets and contracts we had coming through and trying to ke= ep up until we had an [approval] for the core funding. ... Certainly, we're= not planning on shutting down." The network brings together more than 600 environmental groups across the c= ountry, helping them co-ordinate services, discuss issues and participate i= n formal federal consultations through a democratic and transparent process= . The government has proposed to promote a "more direct use of webbased consu= ltation" on the Internet, instead of working with the network on future con= sultations. But Maggie Paquet, a biologist and director on the network's bo= ard, suggested that this approach would jeopardize the effectiveness and cr= edibility of action to protect the environment. Kent's office indicated that the decision reflected the government's "rigor= ous process to manage spending" and show vigilance during difficult economi= c times. NDP environment critic Megan Leslie urged Kent to reconsider the decision, = describing it as a "mean-spirited" move to "hobble" conservation groups acr= oss the country. "It's a cynical blow to the environmental movement in Canada," she said. Leslie added that the arguments about saving money don't add up in the cont= ext of the government's liberal spending policies that allowed Treasury Boa= rd President Tony Clement and mayors in his federal Ontario riding to hand-= pick millions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects, including a gaze= bo, without going through the normal approval process in the department. (c) Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Tories+Canadian+Environment= al+Network/5549609/story.html#ixzz1alpN7YWA --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A64141E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Tories cut off Canadian Environ= mental Network
Kent abruptly ends longtime funding partnership


Environment Minister Peter Kent has cancelled a 34-yearold funding partners= hip with a major grassroots network that has helped the federal government deli= ver landmark policy and legislative changes to crack down on industrial pollute= rs and protect fragile ecosystems.

The Canadian Environmental Network, which helped the government engage the public in the creation of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency as w= ell as the adoption of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, was actually = told by Environment Canada in May that the government was expecting to renew fun= ding of about $547,000 for the year.

But it will now be forced to lay off staff and temporarily close its doors after being told Thursday in a letter that its partnership with government would not be renewed.

"If we had known this ahead of time, we would have planned for a transitional period," said network chairman Olivier Kolmel. "We'v= e been operating since May on good budgets and contracts we had coming throug= h and trying to keep up until we had an [approval] for the core funding. ... Certainly, we're not planning on shutting down."

The network brings together more than 600 environmental groups across the country, helping them co-ordinate services, discuss issues and participate = in formal federal consultations through a democratic and transparent process.<= br>
The government has proposed to promote a "more direct use of webbased consultation" on the Internet, instead of working with the network on future consultations. But Maggie Paquet, a biologist and director on the network's board, suggested that this approach would jeopardize the effectiveness and credibility of action to protect the environment.

Kent's office indicated that the decision reflected the government's "rigorou= s process to manage spending" and show vigilance during difficult econom= ic times.

NDP environment critic Megan Leslie urged <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Kent to reconsider the decisi= on, describing it as a "mean-spirited" move to "hobble" conservation groups across the country.

"It's a cynical blow to the environmental movement in Canada,= " she said.

Leslie added that the arguments about saving money don't add up in the cont= ext of the government's liberal spending policies that allowed Treasury Board President Tony Clement and mayors in his federal Ontario riding to hand-pic= k millions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects, including a gazebo, without going through the normal approval process in the department.

© Copyright (c) The Vanco= uver Sun


Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/busin= ess/Tories+Canadian+Environmental+Network/5549609/story.html#ixzz1alpN7YWA<= /a>

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072A64141E2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Thu Oct 20 16:02:53 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:02:53 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: [BULK] Climate Action News: Canadian Government still trying to drag Europe through the tar sands Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AA86F0@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AA86F0E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/Climate_Acti= on_News_this_week_banner.jpg] Thursday October 20, 2011 [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/Tarnished_re= p_1.1.jpg][http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/ha= rper_oil_sands_truck.1.jpg][http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2f= c27328c/images/zoe_at_the_table.jpg][http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c2513= 7b6bcab2fc27328c/images/invest_in_the_future_now.jpg] Canadian Government still trying to drag Europe through the tar sands The European Commission is getting ready to finalize its Fuel Quality Direc= tive, that seeks to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of transportation f= uels. In order to achieve this, the directive assigns different carbon-outp= ut values for different types of oil so that lower-carbon fuels can be prio= ritized. Oil from the Alberta tar sands, being some of the dirtiest and mos= t carbon-intensive on earth, were given a higher greenhouse intensity value= than other fuels. The Harper government has vehemently protested this deci= sion, calling it 'discrimina= tory'. Joe Oliver, Canada's Natural Resources Minister, flew to Eurpoe to t= ry to convince the European Commission not to proceed with the directive, a= nd to threaten a challenge to the World Trade Organization over 'unfair' tr= ade practices. His appearance in London was interrupted by protestors who offered Oliver an award for= being the "greenwash propagandist of the year." On the bright side, all in= dications show that the EC will be standing by its decision, and will pursue reducing transportation em= issions 6% by 2020. Read Climate Action Network's response here. ________________________________ Environment Minister Peter Kent pulls funding for the Canadian Environmenta= l Network For 34 years, the Canadian Environmental Network has brought together more = than 600 environmental groups, helping them co-ordinate services, discuss i= ssues and participate in formal federal consultations through a democratic = and transparent process. Most of its funding has always come from Environme= nt Canada, but Peter Kent has decided to end the funding partnership, citing 'budget cuts', despite te= lling the CEN at the beginning of the year that its funding would be renewe= d. "Don't be fooled. This isn't about austerity. It's vindictive petty poli= tics -- part of a systematic campaign by right-wing extremists to marginali= ze voices of the environment," John Bennett, the executive director of Sier= ra Club Canada, said in a statement. Olivier Kolmel, chairman of CEN's board, stated that the unexpect= ed cuts would force the group to lay off staff. ________________________________ Beyond Talking Points: A panel discussion on the upcoming climate negotiati= ons The UNFCCC climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, are only a little = more than a month away, and groups from across Canada a preparing to demand= that our government participate in acheiving a fair, ambitious and binding= climate agreement. On Thursday October 20, at 7pm at the University of Ott= awa, there will be a panel discussion on the best ways to achieve climate j= ustice at the conference. Panel members include Louise Casselman of the Pub= lic Service Alliance of Canada Social Justice Fund, Ben Powless of the Indi= genous Environmental Network, Tony Clark of Polaris Institute, Tasha Peters= of the Canadian Youth Delegation and Graham Saul of Climate Action Network= Canada. This will be a fundraiser for the Canadian Youth Delegation, admis= sion is on a $5-$20 sliding scale. For more information, check out the face= book event. ________________________________ Climate Action Network Canada's Annual Report for 2010- 2011 Climate Action Network Canada is an indispensable part of the Canadian clim= ate change movement, as we make it possible for Canadian organizations to w= ork together to improve climate [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6b= cab2fc27328c/files/annual_report_cover.1.png] change policy. We are the only organization in the count= ry with a mandate to promote the climate movement as a whole, rather than t= he interests and programs of any one organization. Every year, we put out a= report highlighing all of the work that we do with the support of our wond= erful members. Check it out here. [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/Right_Bar_CA= N_logo.png] [http://www.climateactionnetwork.ca/images/subscribe-by-e-mail.jpg] Connect with us: [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/Facebook.jpg= ][http://gallery.mailchimp.= com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/twitter.jpg][http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328= c/images/youtube.1.jpg] Action Alert: Kumi Naidoo on why we should support the Occupy movement Headlines: Australian Parliament passes divisive carbon tax Canadian firms warming to climate change measures Oilsands expansion jeopardized by absence of climate plan, ambassador told<= http://climateactionnetwork.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3D4cf9c25137b= 6bcab2fc27328c&id=3Dbb0b4476ee&e=3Db053c97847> Russ Girling, TransCanada CEO, surprised at furor over Keystone XL pipeline= 10 reasons renewable energy may beat the predictions New Zealand oil spill cleanup begins amid storm fears KAIROS study reveals billions in Canadian tax subsidies to Big Oil come at = the expense of conservation and climate Europeans fear climate change more than financial turmoil, poll shows Bill McKibben on tar sands, Obama, geoengineering, and population growth Rick Perry officials spark revolt after doctoring environmental report Alta. pine beetles infestation forces firefighters to 'rewrite the book' Obama allies' interests collide over Keystone pipeline Animal shrinking blamed on global warming Climate change 'grave threat' to security and health PM's big oil 'no brainer' an emotional issue in the US Contact Us: media at climateactionnetwork.ca Support our work: [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4cf9c25137b6bcab2fc27328c/images/paypal_donat= e.jpg] view email in browser | unsubscribe | update your profile | forward to a friend You are receiving this email because you signed up for our newsletter at ww= w.climateactionnetwork.ca. If you prefer, you unsubscribe by clicking the = link above. --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AA86F0E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =09 Climate Action News: Canadian Government still trying to drag Europe through the tar sands =09

 

Thursday October 20, 2011

Canadian Government still trying to drag Europe through the tar s= ands

The European Commission is getting ready to finalize its Fuel Quality Directive, that seeks to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of transportation fuels. In order to achieve this, the directive assigns different carbon-output values for different types of oil so that lower-carbon fuels can be prioritized. Oil from the Alberta tar sands, being some of t= he dirtiest and most carbon-intensive on earth, were given a higher greenh= ouse intensity value than other fuels. The Harper government has vehemently protested this decision, calling it 'discriminatory'. Joe Oliver, Canada's Natural Resource= s Minister, flew to Eurpoe to try to convince the European Commission not= to proceed with the directive, and to threaten a challenge to the World Tr= ade Organization over 'unfair' trade practices. His appearance in London was interrupted by protestors who offered Oliver = ;an award for being the "greenwash propagandist of the year."&nbs= p;On the bright side, all indications show that the EC will be standing by its decision, and will pursue reducing transportation emissions 6% by 2020. Read Climate Actio= n Network's response here.


Environment Minister Peter Kent pulls funding for the Canadian Environmental Network

For 34 years, the Canadian Environmental Network has brought toget= her more than 600 environmental groups, helping them co-ordinate services, discuss issues and participate in formal federal consultations through = a democratic and transparent process. Most of its funding has always come from Environment Canada, but Peter Kent has decided to end the funding partnership, citing 'b= udget cuts', despite telling the CEN at the beginning of the year that its funding would be renewed. "Don't be fooled. This isn't about austerity. It's vindictive petty politics -- part of a systematic campa= ign by right-wing extremists to marginalize voices of the environment,"= ; John Bennett, the executive director of Sierra Club Canada, said in a statement. Olivier Kolmel, chairman of = CEN's board, stated that the unexpected cuts would force the group to lay off staff.


Beyond Talking Points: A panel discussion on= the upcoming climate negotiations

The UNFCCC climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, are only a lit= tle more than a month away, and groups from across Canada a preparing to de= mand that our government participate in acheiving a fair, ambitious and bind= ing climate agreement. On Thursday October 20, at 7pm at the University of O= ttawa, there will be a panel discussion on the best ways to achieve climate justice at the conference. Panel members include Louise Casselman of th= e Public Service Alliance of Canada Social Justice Fund, Ben Powless of t= he Indigenous Environmental Network, Tony Clark of Polaris Institute, Tash= a Peters of the Canadian Youth Delegation and Graham Saul of Climate Acti= on Network Canada. This will be a fundraiser for the Canadian Youth Delegation, admission is on a $5-$20 sliding scale. For more informatio= n, check out the facebook event.


Climate Action Network Canada's Annual Report fo= r 2010- 2011

Climate Action Network Canada is an indispensabl= e part of the Canadian climate change movement, as we make it possible fo= r Canadian organizations to work together to improve climate change policy. We are the only organization in the country with a mandate= to promote the climate movement as a whole, rather than the interests and programs of any one organization. Every year, we put out a report highlighing all of the work that we do with the support of our wonderfu= l members. Check it out here.

3D"Subscribe


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Action Alert:

= Kumi Naidoo on why we should support the Occupy movement

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--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AA86F0E2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Fri Oct 21 16:18:56 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:18:56 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] 2011 Earth Day poster winners Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB1B@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> http://cupe.ca/earth-day/2011-earth-day-poster-winners-offer From mfirth at cupe.ca Mon Oct 24 12:05:55 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:05:55 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] =?iso-8859-1?q?Be_a_green_convention_delegate_/?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Soyez_un_d=E9l=E9gu=E9_vert_au_congr=E8s?= Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEB8D1@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEB8D1E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://cupe.ca/cupe-national-convention/green-convention-delegate Be a green convention delegate Oct 23, 2011 10:58 AM We can all reduce our impact on the environment while we're in Vancouver at= CUPE's national convention by walking, using public transit and taking ful= l advantage of the convention centre's environmental features. Here's a quick guide to being green at CUPE convention. CUPE goes green at convention CUPE has taken many steps to make this the greenest national convention yet= , including: * In the pre-registration package, Cutting Convention Carbon shows how delegates can reduc= e their impact on the environment. * All drinking water at convention is publicly-supplied municipal water.= There is no bottled water being distributed on the convention floor. * The convention kit contents have been reduced to only essential conven= tion documents. Kit bags are made of hemp. * A strict set of gallery rules are in place to reduce paper use and was= teful items. * Delegates will be able to view all documents online in a new virtual g= allery, instead of taking printed copies. * All delegate and staff travel and all printed materials are being full= y offset at this convention for the first time. This means our national con= vention will be carbon-neutral thanks to an investment in a municipal socia= l housing retrofit project in Montreal with CarbonZero. CUPE's investment in the project will lead to environmental improve= ments that are equal to the environmental damage of all delegate and staff = travel and all the materials that are printed at convention. What's more, t= he workers in the social housing retrofit project are CUPE members. Environmental features of the convention centre The Vancouver Convention Centre boasts many environmental features that red= uce the environmental impacts of events held there. * The West building of the Convention Centre is a Platinum-certified LEE= D (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) structure, making it the = first convention centre in the world to receive this rating. * The West building has a six-acre living roof - the largest in Canada. = It has 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses and four beehives. Drainage is= set up to collect rainwater for irrigating the roof during summer months. * The convention centre has been designated "Power Smart" by BC Hydro af= ter converting to state of the art energy-efficient lighting, HVAC and ener= gy control systems. * The convention centre's catering and food services boast many environm= entally progressive steps, such as: * Using fresh and local ingredients without additives, while avoiding= pre-packaged and canned goods. * Offering "Happy Earth" menus with certified organic and free-range = food choices. * Using cutlery, china, glass and cloth napkins, and serving nearly a= ll condiments in bulk or reusable containers. * The convention centre has an extensive recycling program that keeps 18= 0,000 kilograms of materials out of landfills each year - about half of all= the materials used. The centre recycles batteries, wood, paper, organics, = glass, plastic and lighting ballasts. Waste reduction The convention centre has extensive recycling and composting facilities. Pl= ease recycle and compost materials properly to cut back on our waste, and m= ake sure to choose the right bin, so the recycling centres aren't contamina= ted. Public transit Vancouver has an excellent public transportation system, especially for get= ting downtown to the convention centre from the airport. The green choice t= o get downtown is the SkyTrain. The train's Canada Line runs from the airport to downtown Vancouver (Waterf= ront Station) on average every 6-7 minutes during peak travel times and eve= ry 12 minutes during off-peak times. The trip from the airport to the Waterfront Station is approximately 25-35 = minutes and costs $7.50. This is just as quick as a cab but much cheaper. T= he Waterfront Station is walking distance (approximately 1.6 kilometres) fr= om most downtown hotels. There's more information on taking public transit in Vancouver here. Downtown Vancouver is well-serviced by city bus routes for travel between h= otels and the convention centre. * Map of downtown bus routes * Bus route trip planner * Vancouver transit tips Walk Vancouver Vancouver is a very walkable city with a concentrated downtown core beautif= ully situated next to Vancouver Harbour and with mountains in the backgroun= d. * Downtown walking map with walking tour information Bike Vancouver Vancouver is also a very bicycle-friendly city, with 400 kilometres of bicy= cle lanes, including separated lanes on Dunsmuir and Hornby Streets. Vancou= ver does not have a public bicycle sharing system yet but is planning to im= plement one in the next 18-24 months. Some hotels (e.g., The Fairmount Hotel Vancouver, Opus Hotel, Best Western = Plus Downtown and some others) offer guests complimentary use of a limited = number of bicycles. Bicycles can also be rented easily from shops including= Spokes Bicycle Rentals and Simon's Bike S= hop. * Cycling guide to Vancouver For more tips on going green at convention, please see members of CUPE's N= ational Environment Committee in the CUPE Gallery. http://scfp.ca/congres-national/soyez-un-delegue-vert-au-congres Soyez un d=E9l=E9gu=E9 vert au congr=E8s le 23 octobre 2011 10 h 58 Lorsque nous serons =E0 Vancouver =E0 l'occasion du Congr=E8s national du S= CFP, nous pourrons tous r=E9duire notre empreinte environnementale en march= ant, en utilisant les transports en commun et en prenant pleinement avantag= e des caract=E9ristiques environnementales du Centre des congr=E8s. Voici un petit guide du d=E9l=E9gu=E9 vert au congr=E8s du SCFP. Le SCFP se met au vert pour son congr=E8s Le SCFP a adopt=E9 de nombreuses mesures afin de faire en sorte que ce cong= r=E8s soit le plus vert de son histoire. * Dans la trousse de pr=E9inscription, le document, R=E9duire notre empr= einte =E9cologique au congr=E8s explique comment les d=E9l=E9gu=E9s peuvent diminuer leur imp= act sur l'environnement. * Toute l'eau potable consomm=E9e =E0 ce congr=E8s sera de l'eau trait= =E9e et distribu=E9e publiquement par la municipalit=E9. Aucune bouteille d= 'eau ne sera distribu=E9e pendant ce congr=E8s. * Le contenu de la trousse du congr=E8s a =E9t=E9 r=E9duit aux documents= essentiels au congr=E8s et le sac contenant cette trousse est fabriqu=E9 a= vec du chanvre. * Des r=E8gles strictes ont =E9t=E9 =E9dict=E9es afin de r=E9duire le pa= pier et les d=E9chets g=E9n=E9r=E9s par la galerie. * Les d=E9l=E9gu=E9s peuvent prendre connaissance de tous les documents = en ligne dans une nouvelle galerie virtuelle plut=F4t que de prendre des co= pies papier. * Pour la premi=E8re fois, l'empreinte environnementale des d=E9placemen= ts des d=E9l=E9gu=E9s et du personnel ainsi que de toute l'impression du ma= t=E9riel sera enti=E8rement compens=E9e pour le congr=E8s. Ceci signifie qu= e notre congr=E8s national sera neutre en carbone gr=E2ce =E0 un investisse= ment dans un projet de modernisation de logement social de Montr=E9al avec = CarbonZero. L'investissement du SCFP dans ce pr= ojet g=E9n=E9rera des am=E9liorations environnementales =E9quivalentes =E0 = tous les dommages environnementaux caus=E9s par l'impression du mat=E9riel = et les d=E9placements des d=E9l=E9gu=E9s et du personnel participant au con= gr=E8s. De plus, les travailleurs qui r=E9aliseront les travaux de modernis= ation des logements sociaux sont des membres du SCFP. Caract=E9ristiques environnementales du Centre des congr=E8s Le Centre des congr=E8s de Vancouver est dot=E9 de nombreuses caract=E9rist= iques contribuant =E0 la diminution des impacts environnementaux des =E9v= =E9nements qui y sont organis=E9s. * L'=E9difice Ouest du centre a obtenu la certification platine LEED (Le= adership in Energy and Environmental Design (certification =E9cologique pou= r les b=E2timents)), ce qui en fait le premier centre des congr=E8s au mond= e =E0 recevoir une telle certification. * L'=E9difice Ouest est dot=E9 d'un toit vert de 6 acres - le plus grand= au Canada. On y retrouve 400 000 plantes et gramin=E9es indig=E8nes et 4 r= uches. Les drains sont con=E7us de fa=E7on =E0 r=E9colter l'eau de pluie et= =E0 irriguer le toit pendant les mois d'=E9t=E9. * Le Centre des congr=E8s a =E9t=E9 d=E9sign=E9 "Power Smart" par Hydro = BC apr=E8s s'=EAtre converti =E0 des syst=E8mes =E0 la fine pointe de la te= chnologie en mati=E8re de syst=E8me d'=E9clairage =E0 haut rendement =E9ner= g=E9tique, de syst=E8me de chauffage, ventilation et climatisation et de sy= st=E8me de contr=F4le. * Les services de traiteur et de restauration du Centre des congr=E8s co= mptent de nombreuses caract=E9ristiques progressistes en mati=E8re d'enviro= nnement, comme : * L'utilisation d'ingr=E9dients locaux et frais sans additifs et le r= efus d'utiliser des aliments pr=E9emball=E9s et en conserve. * L'offre de menus "Happy Earth" confectionn=E9s avec des aliments bi= ologiques et =E0 partir d'animaux =E9lev=E9s en libert=E9. * L'utilisation de coutellerie, de vaisselle de verrerie et de nappes= en tissu et le service de pratiquement tous les condiments dans des conten= ants r=E9utilisables. * Le Centre des congr=E8s s'est dot=E9 d'un important programme de recyc= lage qui permet d'=E9viter l'envoi de 180 000 kilos de mati=E8res r=E9sidue= lles au site d'enfouissement - environ la moiti=E9 de tout ce qui est utili= s=E9. Le centre recycle les batteries, le bois, le papier, les mati=E8res o= rganiques, le verre, le plastique et les tubes au n=E9on. R=E9duction des d=E9chets Le Centre des congr=E8s dispose d'un important site de recyclage et de comp= ostage. Nous vous demandons donc de vous assurer de recycler et de composte= r de la bonne fa=E7on afin de r=E9duire notre production de d=E9chets. Il f= aut donc choisir les bons conteneurs pour assurer que les centres de recycl= age ne soient pas contamin=E9s. Transport en commun Vancouver est dot=E9 d'un excellent syst=E8me de transport en commun, parti= culi=E8rement pour se rendre de l'a=E9roport vers le centre-ville et le Cen= tre des congr=E8s. Le choix vert est de se rendre au centre-ville par le Sk= yTrain. La ligne Canada du train se rend de l'a=E9roport au centre-ville (station W= aterfront) en moyenne toutes les 6 ou 7 minutes pendant les p=E9riodes de p= ointe et toutes les 12 minutes hors des p=E9riodes de pointe. Le trajet de l'a=E9roport au centre-ville dure environ 25 =E0 35 minutes et= le passage co=FBte 7.50 $. C'est tout aussi rapide qu'un taxi, mais beauco= up moins cher. La station Waterfront est =E0 distance de marche (environ 1,= 6 kilom=E8tre) de la plupart des h=F4tels du centre-ville. Vous trouverez plus d'informations sur les transports en commun de Vancouve= r ici. Le centre-ville de Vancouver est bien desservi par son syst=E8me d'autobus = et les d=E9placements entre les h=F4tels et le Centre des congr=E8s sont do= nc tr=E8s faciles. * Map of downtown bus routes (carte des circuits d'autobus) * Bus route trip planner (planificate= ur d'itin=E9raire par * Vancouver transit tips (conseils pour les d=E9placements en transport en commun =E0 Vanco= uver) Vancouver =E0 pied Vancouver est une ville dont qui se marche bien, son centre-ville est compa= ct et magnifiquement situ=E9 tout pr=E8s du port de Vancouver avec les mont= ages en arri=E8re-plan. * Downtown walking map (carte de d=E9placement =E0 pied au c= entre-ville de Vancouver avec informations sur une visite =E0 pied). Vancouver =E0 v=E9lo Vancouver est aussi une ville bien adapt=E9e au v=E9lo avec ses 400 km de p= istes cyclables et ses voies distinctes sur les rues Dunsmuir et Hornby. Va= ncouver n'a pas encore de syst=E8me de v=E9lo en libre-service, mais pr=E9v= oit en implanter un au cours des 18 =E0 24 prochains mois. Certains h=F4tels (comme le Fairmount Vancouver, l'Opus, le Best Western Pl= us du centre-ville et d'autres) offrent =E0 leurs clients un acc=E8s gratui= t =E0 un nombre limit=E9 de v=E9los. Il est aussi possible de louer un v=E9= lo de certaines boutiques comme Spokes Bicycle Rentals et Simon's Bike Shop. * Cycling guide to Vancouver (guide du v=E9lo =E0 Vancouver) Pour d'autres conseils sur une participation plus verte au congr=E8s, adres= sez-vous aux membres du Comit=E9 national de l'environnement du SCFP =E0 la= galerie. P Do you really need to print this email? Please think of the environment f= irst. Matthew Firth Senior Officer Health, Safety & Environment Branch Canadian Union of Public Employees 1375 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z7 Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240 Fax (613) 237-5508 mfirth at cupe.ca www.cupe.ca www.cupe.ca/environment --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEB8D1E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

= http://cupe.ca/cupe-national-convention/green-convention-delegate<= /o:p>

 

Be a green convention delegate

Oct 23, 2011 10:58 AM

We can all reduce our impact on the environment while we’re in Vancouver at CUPE&= #8217;s national convention by walking, using public transit and taking full advant= age of the convention centre’s environmental features.<= /font>

Here’s a quick guide to being green at CUPE convention.


CUPE goes green at convention

CUPE has taken many steps to make this the greenest national convention yet, including:

  • In the pre-registration package, = Cutti= ng Convention Carbon shows how delegates can reduce t= heir impact on the environment.
  • All drinking water at convention = is publicly-supplied municipal water. There is no bottled water being distributed on the convention floor.
  • The convention kit contents have = been reduced to only essential convention documents. Kit bags are made of h= emp.
  • A strict set of gallery rules are= in place to reduce paper use and wasteful items.
  • Delegates will be able to view al= l documents online in a new virtual gallery, instead of taking prin= ted copies.
  • All delegate and staff travel and= all printed materials are being fully offset at this convention for the fi= rst time. This means our national convention will be carbon-neutral thanks= to an investment in a municipal social housing retrofit project in Montreal wit= h CarbonZero. CUPE’s invest= ment in the project will lead to environmental improvements that are equal = to the environmental damage of all delegate and staff travel and all the materials that are printed at convention. What’s more, the worke= rs in the social housing retrofit project are CUPE members.

 

Environmental features of the convention centre<= /span>

The Vancouver Convention Centre boasts many environmental features that reduce = the environmental impacts of events held there.

  • The West building of the Conventi= on Centre is a Platinum-certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) structure, making it the first convention centre= in the world to receive this rating.
  • The West building has a six-acre = living roof – the largest in Canada. It has 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses and four beehives. Drainage is set up to collect rainwater for irrigating the roof during summer months. <= /o:p>
  • The convention centre has been de= signated “Power Smart” by BC Hydro after converting to state of the= art energy-efficient lighting, HVAC and energy control systems.
  • The convention centre’s cat= ering and food services boast many environmentally progressive steps, such a= s:
    • Using fresh and local ingredient= s without additives, while avoiding pre-packaged and canned goods.
    • Offering “Happy Earth̶= 1; menus with certified organic and free-range food choices.
    • Using cutlery, china, glass and = cloth napkins, and serving nearly all condiments in bulk or reusable containers.
  • The convention centre has an exte= nsive recycling program that keeps 180,000 kilograms of materials out of landfills each year – about half of all the materials used. The centre recycles batteries, wood, paper, organics, glass, plastic and lighting ballasts.

 

Waste reduction

The convention centre has extensive recycling and composting facilities. Please recycle and compost materials properly to cut back on our waste, and make s= ure to choose the right bin, so the recycling centres aren’t contaminated= .

 

Public transit

Vancouver<= /st1:City> has an excellent public transportation system, especially for ge= tting downtown to the convention centre from the airport. The green choice to get downtown is the SkyTrain.

The train’s Canada Line runs from the airport to downtown Vancouver (Waterfront Station) on average every 6-7 minutes during peak travel times = and every 12 minutes during off-peak times.

The trip from the airport to the Waterfront Station is approximately 25-35 minu= tes and costs $7.50. This is just as quick as a cab but much cheaper. The Waterfront Station is walking distance (approximately 1.6 kilometres) from = most downtown hotels.

There’s more information on taking public transit in Vancouver here.

Downtown Vancouver is well-serviced by city bus routes for travel between hotels and the conventi= on centre.

 

Walk Vancouver

Vancouver is a very walkable city with a concentrated downtown core beautifully situated n= ext to Vancouver Harbour and with mountains in the background.

 

Bike Vancouver

Vancouver<= /st1:City> is also a very bicycle-friendly city, with 400 kilometres of bic= ycle lanes, including separated lanes on Dunsmuir and Hornby Streets. Vancouver does no= t have a public bicycle sharing system yet but is planning to implement one in the n= ext 18-24 months.

Some hotels (e.g., The Fairmount Hotel Vancouver, Opus Hotel, Best Western Plus Downtown and some others) offer guests complimentary use of a limited numbe= r of bicycles. Bicycles can also be rented easily from shops including Spokes Bicycle Rentals and Simon’s Bike Shop= .

 For more tips on going green at convention, please see members of CUPE’s National Environment Committee in the CUPE Gallery.

 

 

h= ttp://scfp.ca/congres-national/soyez-un-delegue-vert-au-congres

Soyez un d=E9l=E9gu=E9 vert au congr=E8s

le 23 octobre 2011 10 h 58

Lorsque nous serons =E0 Vancouver =E0 l’occasion du Congr=E8s national du SCF= P, nous pourrons tous r=E9duire notre empreinte environnementale en marchant, en utilisant les transports en commun et en prenant pleinement avantage des caract=E9ristiques environnementales du Centre des congr=E8s.

Voici un petit guide du d=E9l=E9gu=E9 vert au congr=E8s du SCFP.


Le SCFP se met au vert pour son c= ongr=E8s

Le SCFP a adopt=E9 de nombreuses mesures afin de faire en sorte que ce congr= =E8s soit le plus vert de son histoire.

  • Dans la trousse de pr=E9inscripti= on, le document, R=E9d= uire notre empreinte =E9cologique au congr=E8s explique= comment les d=E9l=E9gu=E9s peuvent diminuer leur impact sur l’environnem= ent.
  • Toute l’eau potable consomm= =E9e =E0 ce congr=E8s sera de l’eau trait=E9e et distribu=E9e publiquement p= ar la municipalit=E9. Aucune bouteille d’eau ne sera distribu=E9e pend= ant ce congr=E8s.
  • Le contenu de la trousse du congr= =E8s a =E9t=E9 r=E9duit aux documents essentiels au congr=E8s et le sac contenant cet= te trousse est fabriqu=E9 avec du chanvre.
  • Des r=E8gles strictes ont =E9t=E9= =E9dict=E9es afin de r=E9duire le papier et les d=E9chets g=E9n=E9r=E9s par la galerie. =
  • Les d=E9l=E9gu=E9s peuvent prendr= e connaissance de tous les documents en ligne dans une nouvelle galerie virtuelle<= /u> plut=F4t que de prendre des copies papier.
  • Pour la premi=E8re fois, l’= empreinte environnementale des d=E9placements des d=E9l=E9gu=E9s et du personnel= ainsi que de toute l’impression du mat=E9riel sera enti=E8rement compens= =E9e pour le congr=E8s. Ceci signifie que notre congr=E8s national sera neutre en c= arbone gr=E2ce =E0 un investissement dans un projet de modernisation de logem= ent social de Montr=E9al avec Carbon= Zero.  L’investissement du SCFP dans ce projet g=E9n=E9rera des am=E9li= orations environnementales =E9quivalentes =E0 tous les dommages environnementau= x caus=E9s par l’impression du mat=E9riel et les d=E9placements des d=E9l= =E9gu=E9s et du personnel participant au congr=E8s. De plus, les travailleurs qui r=E9aliseront les travaux de modernisation des logements sociaux sont = des membres du SCFP.

 

Caract=E9ristiques environnementales du Centre d= es congr=E8s

Le Centre des congr=E8s de Vancouver est dot=E9 de nombreuses caract=E9ristiqu= es contribuant =E0 la diminution des impacts environnementaux des =E9v=E9nemen= ts qui y sont organis=E9s.

  • L’=E9difice Ouest du centre= a obtenu la certification platine LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (certification =E9cologique pour les b=E2timents)), ce qui en f= ait le premier centre des congr=E8s au monde =E0 recevoir une telle certifica= tion.
  • L’=E9difice Ouest est dot= =E9 d’un toit vert de 6 acres – le plus grand au Canada. On y retrouve 400 000 plantes et gramin=E9es indig=E8nes et 4 ruches. Les drain= s sont con=E7us de fa=E7on =E0 r=E9colter l’eau de pluie et =E0 irrigue= r le toit pendant les mois d’=E9t=E9.
  • Le Centre des congr=E8s a =E9t=E9= d=E9sign=E9 “Power Smart” par Hydro BC apr=E8s s’=EAtre converti= =E0 des syst=E8mes =E0 la fine pointe de la technologie en mati=E8re de syst= =E8me d’=E9clairage =E0 haut rendement =E9nerg=E9tique, de syst=E8me d= e chauffage, ventilation et climatisation et de syst=E8me de contr=F4le.
  • Les services de traiteur et de restauration du Centre des congr=E8s comptent de nombreuses caract=E9r= istiques progressistes en mati=E8re d’environnement, comme :
    • Le Centre des congr=E8s s’e= st dot=E9 d’un important programme de recyclage qui permet d’=E9vite= r l’envoi de 180 000 kilos de mati=E8res r=E9siduelles au sit= e d’enfouissement – environ la moiti=E9 de tout ce qui est utilis=E9. Le centre recycle les batteries, le bois, le papier, les ma= ti=E8res organiques, le verre, le plastique et les tubes au n=E9on. =

     

    R=E9duction des d=E9chets

    Le Centre des congr=E8s dispose d’un important site de recyclage et de compostage. Nous vous demandons donc de vous assurer de recycler et de composter de la bonne fa=E7on afin de r=E9duire notre production de d=E9che= ts. Il faut donc choisir les bons conteneurs pour assurer que les centres de recyc= lage ne soient pas contamin=E9s.

     

    Transport en commun

    Vancouver est dot=E9 d’un excellent syst=E8me de transport en commun, particuli= =E8rement pour se rendre de l’a=E9roport vers le centre-ville et le Centre des congr=E8s. Le choix vert est de se rendre au centre-ville par le SkyTrain.<= o:p>

    La ligne Canada du train se rend de l’a=E9roport au centre-ville (statio= n Waterfront) en moyenne toutes les 6 ou 7 minutes pendant les p=E9riodes de = pointe et toutes les 12 minutes hors des p=E9riodes de pointe.

    Le trajet de l’a=E9roport au centre-ville dure environ 25 =E0 35 minutes= et le passage co=FBte 7.50 $. C’est tout aussi rapide qu’un taxi, mai= s beaucoup moins cher. La station Waterfront est =E0 distance de marche (envi= ron 1,6 kilom=E8tre) de la plupart des h=F4tels du centre-ville.

    Vous trouverez plus d’informations sur les transports en commun de Vancouv= er ici.

    Le centre-ville de Vancouver est bien desservi par son syst=E8me d’autob= us et les d=E9placements entre les h=F4tels et le Centre des congr=E8s sont donc = tr=E8s faciles.

     

    Vancouver =E0 pied

    Vancouver est une ville dont qui se marche bien, son centre-ville est compact et magnifiquement situ=E9 tout pr=E8s du port de Vancouver avec les montages e= n arri=E8re-plan.

    • Downtown walking map (carte de d=E9placement =E0 pied au centre-ville de Va= ncouver avec informations sur une visite =E0 pied). <= /li>

     

    Vancouver =E0 v=E9lo<= span lang=3DFR>

    Vancouver est aussi une ville bien adapt=E9e au v=E9lo avec ses 400 km de pistes cycl= ables et ses voies distinctes sur les rues Dunsmuir et Hornby. Vancouver n’a p= as encore de syst=E8me de v=E9lo en libre-service, mais pr=E9voit en implanter= un au cours des 18 =E0 24 prochains mois.

    Certains h=F4tels (comme le Fairmount Vancouver, l’Opus, le Best Western Plus = du centre-ville et d’autres) offrent =E0 leurs clients un acc=E8s gratui= t =E0 un nombre limit=E9 de v=E9los. Il est aussi possible de louer un v=E9lo de cer= taines boutiques comme Spokes Bicycle Rentals et Simon= ’s Bike Shop.

     

    Pour d’autres conseils sur une participation plus verte au congr=E8s, adressez-vous aux membres du Comit=E9 national de l’environnement du = SCFP =E0 la galerie. 

     

    P<= /span> Do you really need to print this email? Please think of t= he environment first.

     

    Matthew Firth<= /span>
    Senio= r Officer
    Health, Safety & Environment Branch
    Canadian Union of Public Employees
    1375 St. Laurent Blvd.
    Ottawa, Ontario
    K1G 0Z7
    Tel. (613) 237-1590 Ext. 240
    Fax (613) 237-5508
    mfirth at cupe.ca

    www.cupe.ca

    www.cupe.ca/environment<= /span>

     

     

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEB8D1E2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Tue Oct 25 11:42:25 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:42:25 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: ACTION: We need to move beyond coal Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEBDDC@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEBDDCE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: ACTION: We need to move beyond coal Tomorrow is the deadline for sending submissions to the federal government = on its weak, loophole-filled regulations on coal. Send a message to the gov= ernment that we need to move beyond coal. Click here: http://action.davidsuzuki.org/beyond-coal Thanks, dale Dale Marshall Climate Change Policy Analyst David Suzuki Foundation 151 Slater St., #415 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5H3 phone: 613-594-8839 cell: 613-302-9913 dmarshall at davidsuzuki.org --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEBDDCE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Subject: ACTION: = We need to move beyond coal

 

Tomorrow is the deadline for sending submissions to the federal government on its weak, loophole-filled regulations on coal. Send a message to the government that we need to move beyond coal. Click here:

 

ht= tp://action.davidsuzuki.org/beyond-coal

 

Thanks,

 

dale

 

 

Dale Marshall

Climate Change Policy Analyst

David Suzuki Foundation

151 Slate= r St., #415

Ottawa, = Ont. K1P 5H3

phone: 613-594-8839

cell: 613-302-9913

dmarshall at davidsuzuki.org

 

 

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEBDDCE2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Wed Oct 26 11:30:07 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:30:07 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: Shale gas -the 'next big oil sands.' Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEC378@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEC378E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable High water use, contamination top list of shale gas concerns: Memo http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/High+water+contamination+list+shal= e+concerns+Memo/5599163/story.html BY MIKE DE SOUZA, POSTMEDIA NEWS OCTOBER 24, 2011 OTTAWA - Water use and contamination are at the top of the list of environm= ental concerns surrounding shale gas exploration in Canada, Environment Min= ister Peter Kent was told earlier this year in an internal memorandum relea= sed on Monday. The advice, drafted by Environment Canada's top bureaucrat and deputy minis= ter, Paul Boothe, acknowledged that the emerging industry is considered a "= game changer" in the energy market, but it also noted that most sites are u= sing millions of litres of water and hundreds of thousands of litres of uni= dentified chemicals that are injected in the ground at high pressure to ext= ract natural gas from shale rock formations. "There is potential for water contamination from the use and disposal of dr= illing muds and fracturing fluids," Boothe wrote in the memo to Kent, dated= March 8, 2011. "There is also a risk of natural gas or saltwater from the = formation leaking into surface water, water wells or water aquifers." Several jurisdictions in North America, including Quebec and New York, have= slowed down development to investigate the impacts of unconventional oil a= nd gas exploration. Environment Canada also launched its own reviews this y= ear, coinciding with the memo that was sent to Kent and released to Postmed= ia News through access to information legislation. "The North American natural gas supply portfolio is shifting from one domin= ated by conventional resources to one dominated by unconventional resources= , particularly shale gas," said the memo. "Shale gas is being referred to a= s a 'game changer' or the 'next big oil sands.' In Canada, shale gas is a r= elatively new endeavour." The memo indicated that a typical shale gas site with average wells would u= se about 110 million litres of water taken from ground or surface sources, = affecting aquatic flora and fauna and potentially resulting in "decreased a= vailability of water for surrounding municipalities." It also said that the= average well "may require between 55,000 and 220,000 litres of chemicals." "Little information is available on the composition of these chemicals," Bo= othe wrote. "I am not aware of any jurisdiction in Canada that requires the= disclosure of chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing: However, the B.C. O= il and Gas Commission has announced that it may require companies to disclo= se chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing in the future." Canada's main lobby group for the industry - the Canadian Association of Pe= troleum Producers - recently made a commitment to five guiding principles f= or exploration that include promoting more transparency on the use of water= and substances injected into the ground, as well as implementing "best pra= ctices" to "reduce potential environmental risks." Boothe's memo to Kent also highlighted the need for more research on a rang= e of other potential impacts linked to the shale gas industry. "Other environmental impacts include but are not necessarily limited to air= emissions (greenhouse gases and air pollutants), habitat fragmentation, an= d the increased traffic needed to transport water, chemicals, and equipment= for shale gas production," Boothe wrote. "Further work is needed to assess= the risks associated with shale gas development in Canada, including quant= ity of water used, surface and groundwater contamination, and emissions of = greenhouse gases and air pollutants from shale gas facilities." The memo said that there is significant shale gas development in the United= States, particularly in Louisiana and Texas, but its growth is not yet wid= espread in Canadian provinces where it could be exploited such as British C= olumbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Sco= tia. Boothe also wrote that growth of shale gas exploration in the U.S. "has res= ulted in depressed prices in the North American market" and "could eventual= ly result in negative implications for exports of Canadian natural gas, nor= thern natural gas projects and liquefied natural gas import terminals." The document said that regulation was mainly a provincial responsibility, b= ut that Environment Canada's mandate could also cover some areas of shale g= as exploration through its responsibilities to regulate air emissions, the = Canada Water Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Fisheries Act. Kent announced in September that the government had launched two separate s= cientific reviews to examine the impacts of shale gas exploration. One revi= ew is being conducted by department officials, while the other will be cond= ucted by the Council of Canadian Academies, a not-for-profit agency that pr= ovides science-based studies. mdesouza at postmedia.com --_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEC378E2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


High water use, contamination top list of shale gas concerns: Memo
 http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/High+water+contam= ination+list+shale+concerns+Memo/5599163/story.html
 
BY MIKE DE SOUZA, POSTMEDIA NEWS OCTOBER 24, 2011

OTTAWA — Water use and contamination= are at the top of the list of environmental concerns surrounding shale gas exploration= in Canada, Environment Minister Peter Kent was told earlier this year in an internal memorandum released on Monday.

The advice, drafted by Environment Canada's top bureaucrat and deputy minis= ter, Paul Boothe, acknowledged that the emerging industry is considered a "= game changer" in the energy market, but it also noted that most sites are u= sing millions of litres of water and hundreds of thousands of litres of unidenti= fied chemicals that are injected in the ground at high pressure to extract natur= al gas from shale rock formations.

"There is potential for water contamination from the use and disposal = of drilling muds and fracturing fluids," Boothe wrote in the memo to Kent, d= ated March 8, 2011. "There is also a risk of natural gas or saltwater from = the formation leaking into surface water, water wells or water aquifers."<= br>
Several jurisdictions in North America, including Qu= ebec and New York, have slowed down development to investigate the impacts of unconventional o= il and gas exploration. Environment Canada also launched its own reviews this year, coinciding with the memo that was = sent to Kent<= /st1:country-region> and released to Postmedia News through access to information legislation.
"The North American natural gas supply portfolio is shifting from one dominated by conventional resources to one dominated by unconventional resources, particularly shale gas," said the memo. "Shale gas is being referred to as a 'game changer' or the 'next big oil sands.' In Canada,= shale gas is a relatively new endeavour."

The memo indicated that a typical shale gas site with average wells would u= se about 110 million litres of water taken from ground or surface sources, affecting aquatic flora and fauna and potentially resulting in "decrea= sed availability of water for surrounding municipalities." It also said th= at the average well "may require between 55,000 and 220,000 litres of chemicals."

"Little information is available on the composition of these chemicals," Boothe wrote. "I am not aware of any jurisdiction in = Canada that requires the disclosure of chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing: However, the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission has announced that it may require companies to disclose chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing in the future."
 
Canada's main lobby group for the industry — the Canadian Association= of Petroleum Producers — recently made a commitment to five guiding prin= ciples for exploration that include promoting more transparency on the use of water an= d substances injected into the ground, as well as implementing "best pra= ctices" to "reduce potential environmental risks."

Boothe's memo to Ken= t also highlighted the need for more research on a range of other potential impacts linked to the shale gas industry.

"Other environmental impacts include but are not necessarily limited t= o air emissions (greenhouse gases and air pollutants), habitat fragmentation,= and the increased traffic needed to transport water, chemicals, and equipment f= or shale gas production," Boothe wrote. "Further work is needed to assess the risks associated with shale gas development in Canada, including quantity of water used, surface and groundwater contamination, an= d emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from shale gas facilities."

The memo said that there is significant shale gas development in the United States, particularly in Louisiana and Texas, but its growth is not yet widespread in Canadian provinces where it could be exploited such as British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Onta= rio, Quebec, New Bruns= wick and Nova Scotia.

Boothe also wrote that growth of shale gas exploration in the U.S. &q= uot;has resulted in depressed prices in the North American market" and "c= ould eventually result in negative implications for exports of Canadian natural = gas, northern natural gas projects and liquefied natural gas import terminals.&q= uot;

The document said that regulation was mainly a provincial responsibility, b= ut that Environment Canada's mandate could also cover some areas of shale gas exploration through its responsibilities to regulate air emissions, the Can= ada Water Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Fisheries Act.

Kent announced in September that the government had launched two separate scient= ific reviews to examine the impacts of shale gas exploration. One review is bein= g conducted by department officials, while the other will be conducted by the Council of Canadian Academies, a not-for-profit agency that provides science-based studies.

mdesouza at postme= dia.com

--_000_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C9072AEC378E2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Wed Oct 26 17:04:29 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:04:29 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: The Interfaith Call - final final versions - French and English] In-Reply-To: <8702cfbdf6e009797bc196bf7b68a52f.squirrel@flymail.web.net> References: <8702cfbdf6e009797bc196bf7b68a52f.squirrel@flymail.web.net> Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB2C@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB2CE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable FYI ... Subject: FW: The Interfaith Call - final final versions - French and Englis= h] Hi Friends; Here is the Canadian Interfaith Call for Leadership and Action on Climate Change. It was a really exciting and historic moment to release it on Parliament Hill Monday. There is link to it on the Canadian Council of Churches website - www.councilofchurches.ca Thanks Joy Joy Kennedy Program Coordinator, Poverty, Wealth and Ecological Justice The United Church of Canada 3250 Bloor Street West, Suite 300 Toronto, ON Canada M8X 2Y4 416-231-7680 ext. 4069 jkennedy at united-church.ca www.united-church.ca --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB2CE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Description: Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ EN.pdf Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ EN.pdf"; size=535326; creation-date="Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:12:28 GMT"; modification-date="Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:12:28 GMT" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ EN.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 535326 bytes Desc: Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ EN.pdf Url : http://lists.cupe.ca/pipermail/environmentcomm/attachments/20111026/e620e138/attachment-0002.obj --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB2CE2K7CLUSTERcu_ Content-Description: Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ FR.pdf Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ FR.pdf"; size=541392; creation-date="Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:12:28 GMT"; modification-date="Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:12:28 GMT" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ FR.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 541392 bytes Desc: Canadian Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Justice - Final Final__ FR.pdf Url : http://lists.cupe.ca/pipermail/environmentcomm/attachments/20111026/e620e138/attachment-0003.obj --_003_75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB2CE2K7CLUSTERcu_-- From edkrawetz at sasktel.net Thu Oct 27 12:02:20 2011 From: edkrawetz at sasktel.net (Donna Krawetz) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:02:20 -0600 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: CHIEFS OF ONTARIO SUPPORT MATAWA FIRST NATIONS' DECISION TO WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR RING OF FIRE DEVELOPMENT Message-ID: <000001cc94c1$cfae08f0$6f0a1ad0$@net> FYI Donna -----Original Message----- From: Elaine Hughes [mailto:tybach at sasktel.net] Sent: October-27-11 8:53 AM To: Council of Canadians Subject: CHIEFS OF ONTARIO SUPPORT MATAWA FIRST NATIONS' DECISION TO WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR RING OF FIRE DEVELOPMENT Circulated on behalf of the Chiefs of Ontario ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ramsey Hart" Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 8:24 AM Subject: [MWC-Alerts] CHIEFS OF ONTARIO SUPPORT MATAWA FIRST NATIONS' DECISION TO WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR RING OF FIRE DEVELOPMENT Circulated on behalf of the Chiefs of Ontario http://chiefs-of-ontario.org/News/Default.aspx?NewsID=246 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CHIEFS OF ONTARIO SUPPORT MATAWA FIRST NATIONS' DECISION TO WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR RING OF FIRE DEVELOPMENT October 26, 2011 Late last week, the Matawa First Nations announced their decision to withdraw support for development in the Ring of Fire area of Northern Ontario. Talks between Chiefs and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) broke down after First Nations' efforts to obtain a Joint Review Panel Environmental Assessment proved to be unsuccessful. According to the Matawa Chiefs, the manner in which the government is proceeding with development in Northern Ontario is going to slowly destroy their traditional way of life, extinguish their treaty rights and destroy their homelands and their children's futures. The CEAA announced that it would start the Environmental Assessment (EA) process for the Cliffs Chromite Project using the Comprehensive EA process instead of the Joint Review Panel EA called for by Matawa Chiefs. The Chiefs believe a Joint Review is necessary in order to safeguard the sustainability and integrity of their lands. The CEAA has determined that the project does not meet the criteria for a Joint Review Process. These criteria include: "significant" adverse environmental effects and public concern, as well as, infringement on Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. However, the Chiefs, representing approximately 8000 people within 9 communities, will continue to call upon Premier McGuinty and Prime Minister Harper to intervene in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process. The "Ring of Fire" is the name given to the resource rich area located in First Nations homelands and traditional territories - the area is at the heart of the boreal forest and also holds the largest collection of intact wetlands in the world. The United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms that First Nations have the right to self-determination and carry the responsibility to ensure the sustainability of their environment - land and waterways. "I stand with the Matawa leadership in this assertion of their jurisdiction", Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse confirmed today, "The health of our people and all people, and the health of the environment are too important to be ignored." Regional Chief Toulouse also noted, "A respectful dialogue amongst First Nations, and Canada is the best way forward. We, First Nations and settler peoples alike, have duties and responsibilities to future generations, to the land, and to the waters - these considerations must inform our decisions and conduct." The Chiefs of Ontario is a coordinating body and secretariat for the 133 First Nations communities located within Ontario. -30- For more information, please contact: Andre Morriseau Communications Officer Ph: 416-580-9320 Email: andre[at]coo.org _______________________________________________ alerts-list mailing list alerts-list at miningwatch.ca https://listes.koumbit.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/alerts-list-miningwatch. ca From edkrawetz at sasktel.net Thu Oct 27 12:06:12 2011 From: edkrawetz at sasktel.net (Donna Krawetz) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:06:12 -0600 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: TEPCO has no plans to sell Saskatchewan uranium stakes Message-ID: <000101cc94c2$59c327f0$0d4977d0$@net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0002_01CC9490.0F28B7F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit FYI Donna From: Elaine Hughes [mailto:tybach at sasktel.net] Sent: October-27-11 8:48 AM To: SDWF; Sask Environmental Society; Sask EcoNetwork Subject: TEPCO has no plans to sell Saskatchewan uranium stakes TEPCO has no plans to sell Saskatchewan uranium stakes NOTE: Regrettably . . . . . Cigar Lake is IN Saskatchewan! Cigar Lake: http://www.cameco.com/mining/cigar_lake/ "Cigar Lake is the world's largest undeveloped high-grade uranium deposit. The mine is currently in development with a target of mid-2013 for first production. Cameco is the operator of the Cigar Lake joint venture. The deposit has proven and probable reserves of more than 209.3 million pounds U3O8 at an average grade of 17.04% (Cameco's share is 104.7 million pounds)" [ . . . ] = = = = = = Elaine Hughes Saskatchewan = = = = = = ----- Original Message ----- From: Gordon Edwards Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 7:56 AM Subject: TEPCO has no plans to sell Saskatchewan uranium stakes Background: All of the radioactive materials released into the environment during Japan's ongoing nuclear disaster are modified forms of uranium atoms. Radioactive iodine atoms and radioactive cesium atoms are just two of the many varieties of "fission products" -- broken pieces of uranium atoms that have been split inside the reactor core to obtain energy. The same is true of the "fission gases", such as radioactive xenon gas and krypton gas. Their atoms all started out as uranium atoms. Even the plutonium that has been found off-site is derived directly from uranium -- when an atom of uranium-238 absorbs a neutron inside the reactor, it turns into an atom of plutonium-239. (See http://www.ccnr.org/breeding_ana.html .) To the extent that Sasktachewan uranium was used in the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors, then, it can be said that a good deal of the radioactive contamination in the ocean and the soil and the food and the playgrounds in Japan are materials that originated (in a different form) from Saskatchewan. Gordon Edwards. = = = == = = = = Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) says no plans to sell all uranium stakes http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/24/tokyo-electric-says-no-plans-to -sell-all-uranium-stakes/ by Osamu Tsukimori. Reuters, TOKYO | Mon Oct 24, 2011 Related News * Japan's Tepco to sell 20 percent stake in wind power unit: repor * Radiation hotspot in Tokyo linked to mystery bottles * Finland names 1st nuclear site following Fukushima Analysis & Opinion * India's nuclear path (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co ( 9501.T) on Monday said it has no plans to sell all the stakes it holds in overseas uranium projects, denying a newspaper report that it would take such a step to raise funds to help victims of the crisis at its Fukushima nuclear plant. Tokyo Electric is considering selling for a total of several tens of billions of yen its stakes in two uranium mining projects in Kharasan in southern Kazakhstan and the Cigar Lake mine in Canada, the Yomiuri newspaper reported. The troubled utility, often referred to as Tepco, issued a statement saying it has no plans to sell all the stakes and that acquiring a steady stream of long-term uranium supplies through investments is important in securing stable power output. When the Kharasan projects reach full production, Tepco should be entitled to obtain a little more than 10 percent of output, or 600 tonnes of uranium concentrate per year, the report said. That would be nearly 20 percent of the firm's annual needs before the March 11 quake crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to the paper. Tepco has a 5 percent stake in the Cigar Lake project, which would allow it to acquire up to 450 tonnes of uranium condensate a year. Tepco is likely to sell the stakes to Japanese firms to help ensure stable energy supplies in Japan, the report added. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Joseph Radford) ------=_NextPart_000_0002_01CC9490.0F28B7F0 Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="winmail.dat" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: winmail.dat Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 11202 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.cupe.ca/pipermail/environmentcomm/attachments/20111027/2cf0d825/attachment.bin ------=_NextPart_000_0002_01CC9490.0F28B7F0-- From mfirth at cupe.ca Thu Oct 27 13:39:15 2011 From: mfirth at cupe.ca (Matthew Firth) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:39:15 -0400 Subject: [Environmentcomm] virtual gallery at Convention Message-ID: <75AEB4393587B34584BB7ABA5FB9049C90718ABB34@E2K7CLUSTER.cupedom.local> http://cupe.ca/cupe-national-convention/virtual-gallery CUPE's Virtual Gallery OCT 26, 2011 09:43 PM As part of our efforts to make this our greenest national convention yet, CUPE is making all of our documents available online in a virtual gallery, rather than having visitors take printed copies. How do I use the virtual gallery? In the map of the gallery, you'll see icons representing each booth. If you hold your mouse over a booth, a small box will pop up showing you who is in that booth. If you click on the booth, you'll have a window appear that will give you information about the organization in that booth, and links to their web site or to download documents. Alternately, you can browse through a list of booths. Again, just click on the name of the booth to get more information. http://scfp.ca/congres-national/galerie-virtuelle Galerie virtuelle du SCFP LE 26 OCTOBRE 2011 9 H 43 Dans le but de faire de ce congr?s national notre ?dition la plus ?cologique ? ce jour, le SCFP propose aux d?l?gu?s de consulter les documents du congr?s dans une galerie virtuelle, plut?t que d?offrir des exemplaires sur papier. Comment utiliser la galerie virtuelle? Sur la carte de la galerie, remarquez les ic?nes qui repr?sentent chaque kiosque. Placez la souris sur un kiosque et une petite fen?tre surgira pour identifier les personnes qui animent celui-ci. Cliquez sur le kiosque et une fen?tre s?affichera; elle contient des renseignements sur l?organisation qui anime le kiosque et des liens vers son site ou des documents ? t?l?charger. Vous pouvez aussi parcourir la liste des kiosques et cliquez sur ceux qui vous int?ressent pour afficher des renseignements suppl?mentaires. From edkrawetz at sasktel.net Fri Oct 28 11:31:04 2011 From: edkrawetz at sasktel.net (Donna Krawetz) Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:31:04 -0600 Subject: [Environmentcomm] FW: MUST WATCH!!! Anti-Fracking Delightful Animated Short on Fracking Message-ID: <000b01cc9586$9bc83f90$d358beb0$@net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01CC9554.512DCF90 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Great short video on Fracking. Donna From: Elaine Hughes [mailto:tybach at sasktel.net] Sent: October-28-11 9:06 AM To: SDWF; Sask Environmental Society; Sask EcoNetwork; Breitkreuz, G. MP; Council of Canadians; SK Premier Wall Cc: TURMEL, Nycole - NDP; Sierra Club - US; Sierra Club - Can.; Sask. Wildlife Fed.; Rae, Bob, Liberal; Pollution Probe; Pembina Institute; Nature Saskatchewan; May, Elizabeth GPC; Lake Ontario Waterkeeper; Mosset, Kandi; Gearon, Jihan; Cobenais, Marty; Goldtooth, Tom; Greenpeace; Friends of the Earth; Environmental Defence; Ecojustice; Dr. David Schindler; Dr. David B. Brooks; David Suzuki Foundation; CIELAP; Cdn. Wildlife Federation; Cdn. Parks & Wilderness; SK Liberal - Leader - Ryan Bater; SK Green Leader - Lau, Victor; SK Watershed Auth.; SK Tourism; SK Party Caucus; SK NDP Caucus Subject: MUST WATCH!!! Anti-Fracking Delightful Animated Short on Fracking This insanity is occurring all over the world - including the pristine 'back-40' in Saskatchewan!!!! [ http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/anti-fracking/delightful-animated-short-on -fracking-.html ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01CC9554.512DCF90 Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="winmail.dat" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: winmail.dat Type: application/ms-tnef Size: 4534 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.cupe.ca/pipermail/environmentcomm/attachments/20111028/68e624d2/attachment.bin ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01CC9554.512DCF90--