Happy Halloween! Here are a few tips for greening your Halloween this year. Here are a the highlights:
- Cloth or canvas shopping bags
- Make Do-It-Yourself Costumes
- Give Eco-Friendly Treats
- Walk Instead of Driving
- Make Your Halloween Party Eco-Friendly
- Reuse and Recycle
- Keep Halloween Clean
- Keep it Going (after Halloween)
Check out this slideshow.
A major new global prize celebrating the work of both professional and amateur photographers has been awarded in Paris.Montreal-based Aquin's series of photos is called "The Chinese 'Dust Bowl'" which is about human-induced desertification due to over-grazing and other unsustainable practices.
The Prix Pictet is the first competition of its type to focus on the global issue of 'sustainability' - and, this year in particular, on water.
The winner of 100,000 Swiss francs (£53,000) is the Canadian photographer Benoit Aquin.
Thanks to Region 5 Staff Rep Kathleen Demareski for this suggestion and to Francis Rustia and other OPSEU staff for the implementation.
Every three months, OPSEU produces local-by-local membership listings - one for each local and one for that local's regional office. The lists are used by local executive committees and staff for a variety of purposes including mobilizing for bargaining, convention delegate entitlement, organizing general meetings and signing up new members.
These reports use about 60,000 sheets of paper per year. By posting the lists electronically for use by the regional office staff, OPSEU can now reduce this paper usage by up to 50%. While it is expected that lists will be printed at the regional offices on an as-needed basis, significant savings are expected in terms of paper, money (up to $250), ink, storage and of course greenhouse gas emissions. Says Francis,
I believe this new Greening OPSEU initiative of reducing quarterly local listings by up to 30,000 sheets per year will save some trees. 30,000 is a lot and we can improve even more in the near future with new technologies available.
At OPSEU offices, the new RICOH Aficio printers can easily be set for double-sided printing and copying to significantly reduce paper use. For copying, press the double-sided button and for printing, set your printer default to "duplex".
1) Click "Start", "Programs", "Printers and Faxes"
2) Select the RICOH printer
3) Right click, select "properties"
4) Check the "duplex" checkbox
5) Save.
I had the opportunity to watch a couple of films on the weekend at the "Planet in Focus" film festival. Planet in Focus was one of the groups that had a table at OPSEU's convention earlier this year. OPSEU was one of two union sponsors of this year's festival.
The first film I saw was "Farms without Farmers".
In Paraguay farming has undergone a fundamental shift and much of it is due to the introduction of industrial soybean crops. In a series of four vignettes, a people, a landscape and a way of life are radically transformed by the establishment of a monoculture agricultural crop that leads to razed farms, a diseased population, dislocation and the ironic growth of the private security business busy in the act of uprooting the populace. Agricultural development show’s its most ruthless face.The second film was "The Hunger Season".
The Hunger Season refers to a time when all the grain was eaten and the autumn harvest had not begun. Over the course of two years, filmmaker Beadi Finzi follows two ends of a spectrum dealing with a humanitarian crisis caused by climate change, neglect, commodity markets as well as local and international shortsightedness. Justice, a teacher, and loyal subject to his king in Swaziland, finds himself and his pupils caught in a lingering drought and the reality of diminishing food aid. At the other end of the spectrum are the policy makers, members of the World Food Program (WFP) the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN making decisions about food distribution at a time when aid handouts are at their lowest point since the Cold War. The film looks at the irony of the failure of the Millennium Goals, while also revealing how a country such as Swaziland became dependent on foreign aid rather than producing its own crops in areas that could easily have been developed for food production. This is an important and timely film.
Well this story in Saturday's Globe and Mail is certainly good news.
Maude Barlow: the Al Gore of H2O - by Erin Anderssen
This week, Ms. Barlow was named senior adviser to the United Nations on water issues - a new position created by General Assembly president Miguel d'Escoto, who raised the subject of water as a human right in his first UN speech in September. Ms. Barlow, who has been meeting with Mr. d'Escoto unofficially since August, agreed to take the position without pay...
She says issues around water cover all the areas she feels most passionately about: gender, poverty, the environment, social justice. She describes returning from a trip in which she visited Nairobi's huge Kibera slum, where people use "flying toilets" (you defecate into a plastic bag and throw it in the street), and counting up her faucets and water lines in her Ottawa home. "I could turn them all on and run them for days, and nobody would say a word. We just take it for granted...."
Here are a few interesting stories:
Progress on the green jobs front.
LG Switches Plasma Panel Plant to Photovoltaic Production
vel'oh! Luxembourg City Gets a Bike Sharing System
Greenpeace launches second edition of The Greenpeace Living Guide
Environmental Defence Report: Canada’s Toxic Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth
A new report produced for TD bank Pembina Institute was released today.
New Report Takes Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Policies
TORONTO -- Action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution in Canada is being hampered by a lack of analysis on the most efficient policies from an economic and environmental perspective, according to Don Drummond, Chief Economist at TD Bank Financial Group.You can read the report here.
This has led to a reign of confusion with various factions arguing the relative merits of key policy options such as regulation, cap-and-trade and carbon taxation. Mr. Drummond said: "The uncertainty around this vital issue poses a serious cost as businesses have little idea how to factor future environmental policies into their planning."
An interesting story in Monday's Globe and Mail about the future of energy-efficient homes which are able to function off the electrical grid in Canada's climate.
Just don't call him an envirofreak
David Braden has built a completely energy-efficient home - it generates its own power and won't even need a furnace come winter. But his techniques aren't outlandish...About 4 years ago, I had the opportunity to stay in one of these "totally off the grid" kinds of homes - The Osprey Nest Bed and Breakfast on Manitoulin Island. Some of the features include solar panels, wood stove, no furnace, some kind of geo-thermal energy, propane fridge and super-thick insulation. Owner Bernie told me that he could leave for weeks at a time in the winter and return and wear only a t-shirt the moment he entered the house. He passed on the savings to his customers which did not emanour him with this fellow B&B operators. You can hardly go wrong for $45 a night for two people including homemade breakfast. He also cooks a mean salmon.
Come this winter, Mr. Braden predicts he'll be warm and toasty in a house that doesn't have a furnace. He plans to keep it warm at practically no cost, relying mainly on sunlight streaming through his bank of south-facing windows to heat the place, and perhaps a little help from the waste heat from appliances such as hair dryers.
"Do I think this house absolutely needs no furnace and could easily heat with either a hair dryer or 10 light bulbs?" he asks. "Absolutely I do."
Mr. Braden, a former municipal politician and retired home builder, is part an emerging trend, the next frontier in residential construction beyond R-2000 homes, the current gold standard for energy-sipping housing in Canada.
OPSEU's plan to phase out water coolers and small, disposable water bottles is moving ahead as planned. The target date for implementation has been adjusted from November 1 to December 1, 2008 for OPSEU offices, membership centres and other facilities. Once complete, I will report fully but in the meantime, here's a few highlights:
Head office
On October 16th, OPSEU began to use new green cleaning products at its Lesmill, Wellesley & Coopers offices. These OPSEU-owned offices are cleaned by OPSEU staff and as such are the appropriate place to begin the transition to eco- and people-friendlier cleaning products.
OPSEU has contracted with Allcare Maintenance for their green cleaning system and products. These products include washroom cleaner, chemical neutral disinfectant, glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner and heavy duty cleaner. Products are colour coded. Using a special mixer and dispenser, concentrated, colour-coded cleaning products are diluted with just the right amount of water. In addition to the cleaning products, there are colour-coded micro-fiber cloths so that different cleaners are not mixed together on the same cloth.
Here's what Allcare has to say about themselves (note - not all their bullets apply to OPSEU).
So what exactly is green cleaning?Time will tell whether these new products perform as well as the cleaning chemicals that were used before. Initial assessment from Leo Arellano in OPSEU's Building Services is that the five core products are performing as promised. There are still some areas, such as floor waxing, where further investigation is needed before switching over to effective, greener products.
It’s an earth friendly approach to maintenance that protects the health of your employees without harming the environment. Surprising, it’s no more expensive than a regular approach to cleaning. In many ways, it can actually save you money.Our certification was granted by Franken LeDrew Consulting. For more information, visit their website.
- We use “EcoLogo Certified” and “Green Seal certified” cleaning products.
- We promote recycling and having a proper Waste Management program.
- Micro fibre cloths and HEPA vacuums are used. They remove 99.97% of dust and allergens from your workspace.
- Water and electricity conservation are a priority for us.
- We make an effort to reduce the amount of chemicals that are used in the cleaning process and only use eco-friendly chemicals with low VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound).
- We sell only Oxo-Degradable garbage bags which reduce the carbon footprint to landfill sites.
- We try to control areas of moisture and cross-contamination by using a colour coded cleaning system as well as provide Moisture Control Logs for all sites.
- We also try to implement guidelines and practices which follow the CaGBC LEED rating system where possible.
OPSEU is in the process of rolling out a new recycling at head office. Through OPSEU's Building Services, we have contracted with Wasteco to pick up all recyclables except fine paper (which OPSEU already sells to another company). All cans, bottles, cardboard and other paper will be collected in one large bin that will be picked up by Wasteco when it is full. Wasteco then takes the recyclables to their plant where they are separated and sold.
Given that most, if not all municipalities have not established office, commercial and industrial recycling programs, the onus is on each organization to develop their own plans. This is both ineffective and inefficient. Clearly more needs to be done establishing provincial benchmarks (and support) for expanded recycling programs.
The remaining challenge at Lesmill will be food waste, aka green bin material. This will continue to end up in the garbage until a solution is found.
While recycling solutions need to be found for each of OPSEU's offices and membership centres around the province, one thing that we can do now is to reduce waste and reuse items such as plates and cups.
India's humble rickshaw goes solar
A state-of-the-art, solar powered version of the humble cycle-rickshaw promises to offer a solution to urban India's traffic woes, chronic pollution and fossil fuel dependence, as well as an escape from backbreaking human toil.Having spent a few months in India back in 1980, I can tell you that these rickshaws will be highly popular.
The "soleckshaw", unveiled this month in New Delhi, is a motorised cycle rickshaw that can be pedalled normally or run on a 36-volt solar battery.
Developed by the state-run Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), prototypes are receiving a baptism of fire by being road-tested in Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk area.
This October 4, a group of like-minded people began a walk with friends from Toronto to Ottawa to deliver our message, and yours on climate change solutions. Please join us along the way - share your vision of the best solutions or what you or people in your community are already doing to make the shift away from dirty energy.For those of you in the Ottawa area, the Sunshine Walk will be arriving in Ottawa on Monday, October 20th. Join the Sunshine Walkers for a demo at the PM's office:
Editorial
With the federal election now over, it doesn't look like too much will change on the green front for the next couple of years. As noted a couple of weeks back on this blog, climate change was sidelined in the campaign by financial woes. "Canadians have spoken" or some might lead us to believe - and that Harper's re-election is both a vindication of his approach to climate change and an indictment of any other plan to do something else.
The planet must be looking at us now and rolling their eyes after some of the shameful , stalling maneuvers Harper & Baird have pulled on the world stage. "How could Canadians have put this guy back in the driver's seat?", they may be asking. Well, the details can be left up to the pundits but at the centre of all this lies the need for electoral reform - for proportional representation - for more democracy. If polls are right and the majority of Canadians want concrete efforts made on the environment, why do we keep ending up with ineffective or even hostile governments?
The election has changed nothing in terms of the challenges that we face. The more we learn, the worse the story gets. And at the same time, there are good news stories from far and wide - some small - some massive. Some say we're in a race for time but that there is room for hope. So let's share those success stories.
So in terms of "what next", I'm having another look at "Tomorrow Today: How Canada can make a world of difference." This report was produced by 16 of Canada's largest environmental groups including The David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, Environmental Defence, WWF, Pollution Probe and the Sierra Club. I recommend that everyone have a look at it as a reminder and helpful tool for prioritizing the hard work ahead.
HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it 'Stephen Harper'.
3. Empty the Recycle Bin.
4. Send ‘Stephen Harper’ to the Recycle Bin.
5. Empty the Recycle Bin.
6. Your PC will ask you: Are you sure you want to delete 'Stephen Harper?'
7. Click 'Yes.'
8. Feel better?
"Please sir, I want some democracy."An interesting initiative from Fair Vote Canada.
Are you an Orphan Voter? A democratically neglected and abused citizen who yearns to be represented in Parliament, only to be spurned because your vote elects no one?
predict the number of Orphan Voters (people casting votes that elect no one) across the country, in your own province and in your local riding.
World Habitat Day Message: Harmonious, Greener Urbanization
By the end of this year, more than half of the world's population will live in urban areas for the first time in human history, and it is no coincidence that climate change is now at the forefront of international debate, the top United Nations habitat official said to mark World Habitat Day...In a related story, the world's mammals are in BIG trouble with up to a quarter of species facing extinction.
The theme of this year's World Habitat Day is "harmonious cities," and the global observance this year is being led from the Angolan capital, Luanda...
Of the world's 6.7 billion people, there are now more than one billion urban slum dwellers Tibaijuka said, emphasizing the need to ensure that rapid urbanization is accompanied by decent living conditions and efforts to preserve the environment.
The most exhaustive study every undertaken on the future of mammals, the broad family of animals to which humans belong, has found that more than a third of all marine species and a quarter of those living on land are at risk of extinction.
The researchers - who are publishing their results in the current issue of Science - found that the larger the size of mammal, the more likely it was to be facing a perilous future...
Habitat loss and hunting are by far the main threats for land mammals, the study says, although marine species are also being affected by chemical pollutants, climate change and mortality through ship collisions and entanglement in fishing nets.
A number of people have brought this anti-conservative "strategic voting" website to my attention so I thought I would share the link. Please note that OPSEU has not endorsed this initiative. If you are considering voting in a way that will help to either boot out a conservative incumbent or prevent the ascension of a new conservative, this site provides up to date polling information and recommendations.
Vote for Environment
What we're all about
VoteForEnvironment.ca was designed by Canadians who believe what the vast majority of the world’s scientists have told us. That we are out of time and we must start to reduce our fossil fuel pollution now to save the planet from dangerous climate change.
We believe that the Harper Government’s collusion with the Bush White House to obstruct progress on climate change at recent international summits does not reflect how Canadians want their leaders to behave on the world stage. The Harper and the Conservative Party are simply not in step with what scientists say is needed, with Canadians' concerns, and with economic benefits of dealing with climate change.
I had the opportunity yesterday to attend a workshop organized by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) and the Greater Toronto Apartment Association (GTAA) on the topic of retrofitting apartment buildings. While OPSEU doesn't operate apartment buildings, we do have many members who work in building maintenance and trades for different employers.
So what did I learn?
The session was kicked off by Brad Butt from thhe GTAA who came at it from the perspective of landlords who hoped to improve their bottom line. He argued that energy efficient buildings have a higher resale value than energy hogs. He talked a bit about the challenge of retrofitting while residents are still living in the building. Utilities now comprise about 1/3 of an apartment buildings cost - a big change from the days of cheap oil, natural gas & water. He had positive comments about Toronto Mayor David Miller's plan to support the retrofit 1,000 buildings in Toronto.
Tim Stoate from the TAF was up next. His main point was that the business case for retrofitting was very strong because these capital INVESTMENTS (not costs) were paid back in fairly short order. So not only is the money recouped but the property value increases and further income is generated after the payback period. And of course, energy usage & greenhouse gases are reduced. He suggested that these investments can be made without raising rents.
The panel of speakers from both private and public highrise apartment housing suppliers were next. First up was Adam Krehme from the O'Shanter Development Company. Krehme has been involved with energy efficiency since 1980. He talked about changing technologies and the challenge of choosing the right ones. Another benefit from retrofitting and putting in measurement and monitoring systems was the credits that will be available in the future should a "cap and trade" carbon system be implemented in Ontario and Canada. Krehme stongly highlighted the necessity of:
1) Monitoring current use with reports that show hourly and even minute by minute usage of different types of energy and water. Monitoring - and setting a baseline - is the only way to be able to verify energy (and dollar) savings.
2) Upgrade building automation systems. Once the baseline is set, changes can then begin to be implemented.
3) Continued monitoring and review can determine if the systems are performing as promised by vendors. One of the weaknesses of organizations which implement improvements is that they do not regularly review the results.
Next up was Andrew Pride from the Minto Green Team. Minto was the first (and perhaps only) company to have an apartment building designed and built to The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. His first advice to building managers who wanted to improve their "energy planning" was to "understand your building" and to go into the basement and other places one might not visit. In his slide presentation, he showed "before and after" examples of new hot water boilers. Many of the inefficiencies of the old system were evident from the photos. Pride also talked about the relationship between retrofitting old buildings and designing new buildings and how the expertise is shared within his company. He identified the importance of communicating with and involving the operators in looking for more efficiencies and to allay their fears that new technology might imperil their jobs. His main message was "measure, measure, measure". He also advised of the importance of holding vendors feet to the fire so that the payoffs are the same as the promises made. He talked about "greenwashing" and that there are some vendors who make promises that they don't deliver on. He recommends building guarantees into the contracts.
Last up in this panel was Philip Jeung from the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC). OPSEU represents a number of workers at the TCHC in Local 529. Jeung noted that TCHC manages thousands of rental units which use about $100,000,000 a year in energy. Jeung outlined the steps for developing a business case including a feasibility study, risk assessment and environmental mandate. He reiterated the importance of setting an example because the TCHC is in the public sector. In addition to a variety of energy saving steps taken including compact fluourescent lighting, low flush toilets and high efficiency boilers, Jeung touched on some pilots TCHC is involved in for the production of clean energy.
All in all, it was a very useful workshop. Whether one is retrofitting an entire apartment building, house or office building, the same principles apply - Monitor, review regularly, develop information systems to measure & tweak and communicate.
An interesting story. Not sure yet whether it applies in Canada.
Toshiba Expands Free Recycling Program
Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (TDPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., announced today that its free recycling program now accepts electronics that are not Toshiba products. TDPD, along with Toshiba America, has set a goal to recycle 12 million pounds of electronics by 2010 through the new program.For more on the concept of "e-waste", check out Earth911.
Green Technology Used to Repair Highway 10
Five kilometres of Highway 10 between the Town of Flesherton and the Township of Markdale have been repaired using innovative green technology.This is the same Cox Construction that was fined $200,000 in August 2008 in the death of one of their workers in an construction accident near Cambridge. While efforts to improve the environment are laudable, this underscores the importance of good corporate behaviour in all areas of operations - not just the environment. Hope that Cox will solve the "signal" problem that led to this tragedy.
The process pulls up existing asphalt, treats and reapplies it. This
conserves both aggregate resources and energy.
The $1.5-million contract was completed by Cox Construction Ltd. of Guelph.
Note what a high priority rescuing Wall Street has become for both Republicans and Democrats. If only the same political will could be focused on the environment, things could have begun getting cleaned up a long time ago. How far do you think a trillion dollars will go toward fixing the environment? Instead, we'll be hearing very shortly about how nothing can be afforded except military spending and further bailouts. So much for the environment they will say. So much for social programs. The bankers must always come first.
Project Censored: The Top 10 Stories the US News Media Missed in the Past Year
I always enjoy seeing this list to see which of these stories I never heard about. Those will be asterisked. So here they are:
1. HOW MANY IRAQIS HAVE DIED?
2. NAFTA ON STEROIDS
3. INFRAGARD GUARDS ITSELF *
4. ILEA: TRAINING GROUND FOR ILLEGAL WARS? *
5. SEIZING PROTEST
6. RADICALS = TERRORISTS
7. SLAVERY’S RUNNER-UP
8. BUSH CHANGES THE RULES
9. SOLDIERS SPEAK OUT
10. APA HELPS CIA TORTURE
Jackson Browne Nails Nuke Power on Colbert
Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne nailed the nuclear power industry on the Colbert Show. Browne is in New York touring for his new album "Time the Conqueror." He is also suing the John McCain campaign for the illegal use of his "Running on Empty...."
Browne is a long-time opponent of atomic energy. In 1978 he joined Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie before 20,000 opponents of New Hampshire's Seabrook Nuclear Power at what was until that time the biggest demonstration against a reactor in U.S. history...
Browne has continued to do benefit concerts for safe energy groups over the years. In the fall of 2007 he helped form NukeFree.org with Bonnie Raitt and Graham Nash. They came together to oppose a proposed Congressional $50 billion loan guarantee package meant to fund new reactor construction. After an October 23 media conference and lobby day in Congress, the bill was withdrawn, marking what may be remembered as a critical landmark turning point in the fight against nuclear power.
Must see. Thanks to Jackie Larkin for the link.
Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.
Just wanted to say that. At least that's how "conservative" columnist Bill Kristol frames the issue. Pretty much everyone else seems to be critical of McCain's bold move to delay his first debate and to scuttle the vice-presidential debate. McCain is evoking "9/11" and "patriotism" to justify his "bold" move. And yes, the environment is suddenly off the agenda.
The Evolution of John McCain
Why He Picked Sarah Palin, Carbon Queen
Another good read about why we shouldn't expect any serious action on the environment if McCain wins.
....her willingness to put Creationism up against the teaching of evolutionary science in the classroom on a he-says-she-says basis, that's far more revealing of just who our new Republican vice presidential candidate is than we generally assume....
Whether we know it or not, we should now be duly warned: The Palin nomination is the equivalent of launching a "surge strategy" in the Republican war on the environment...
If you believe that a look-alike God made the world for you to dominate and use, that you are among God's chosen few, and that He will provide for you no matter what you do to your surroundings, then you are likely to see yourself as above the natural order. If you believe that the world will be ending soon anyway, that you will be "raptured" while non-believers are "left behind" (as fundamentalist Tim LeHay so vividly describes the process in his bestselling novels), then precaution and restraint are moot...
Evolutionary theory shapes and informs the ecological sciences that are the very basis for our environmental laws and policies...
We need environmental science in our schools more than ever. An ecologically illiterate generation of students will be ill-prepared to meet our real, less than rapturous future...
The Evolution vs. Creationism debate appears to be an argument over the distant past. But it's actually about the future. It's about, in fact, who will define the cultural mindset that will generate that future. Let us pray it is not defined by a pit bull with lipstick who thinks she is "tasked by God" to drill for oil.
This just in. The Canadian oil industry has decreed that the environment will no longer be a priority issue in the upcoming elections. You'd think that this would take a lot of nerve but the oil industry has never been known for being shy. They've declared themselves and politicians off the hook.
Environment will take back seat to economy, says oil patch czar
CALGARY -- The United States will likely soften its stance on environmental issues tied to the much-criticized oil and gas industry as that country faces tough economic times, according to the new face of Canada's energy lobby organization."Soften its stance"? Can it get much softer than it already is?
Dave Collyer, who took the helm of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers last week, on Monday said the all-important U.S. market will put the economy on the top of its priority list rather than the environment.I'm sure Dave is feeling really terrible about that.
While CAPP represents producers large and small, cleaning up the oil sands' dirty image is a priority.Of course cleaning up the oil sands is not a priority - just the image.
The McCain family has got 13 including a number of foreign-built cars. Obama & Michelle have one. Here's what the UAW had to say.
" 'Buy American' can't just be a slogan that John McCain rolls out when he is in Michigan. It's insulting to our members. We need a president who's committed to rebuilding the auto industry here in America, not a president who buys foreign cars and then lies about when he thinks autoworkers are watching."I'm suppose we'll be hearing a lot soon about how 3 of his cars are electric.
Worth reading.
On Climate, Who Will Lead by Example?
"Americans must make strategic choices both in their individual lives and collectively as a nation - from the local community to national levels - in order to balance the increasing pressures of human activity and their climate change impacts."
Federal Elections - Call for a moratorium on GE crops and foods
Greenpeace and a number of other organizations are banded together in the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. They are
calling on all candidates and Parties in the federal election to support an immediate moratorium on all new genetically engineered (GE) crops and food approvals until the government’s procedures for GE risk assessment have be reviewed and strengthened to meet strict international and scientific standards.The issue of labeling is a big one in which Canada is tailing after the US and food giants like Monsanto.
Canada and the U.S. are currently the only two countries in the developed world that refuse to impose mandatory labeling of GE food. “Monsanto’s excessive influence in Ottawa explains why the Harper government and a majority of MPs voted against Bill C-517 last May that would have labeled GE foods and given Canadians the right to know ,” said Tony Beck, steering committee member with the Society for a GE Free B.C..
An interesting look at the role played by forests in absorbing carbon & releasing CO2 in the context of California's Global Warming Solutions Act and its carbon caps.
The Sierra Forests Can Prevent Global Warming
Imagine a grand formula that somehow left out - cars. Or industrial manufacturing. Leaving out one of these huge emissions sources would render any climate legislation toothless.
Fortunately, both will likely be accounted for. But will forests?....
Deforestation and logging account for one-fifth of all global carbon emissions - more than all trains, planes and, yes, automobiles combined. Any serious attempt to address California's contributions to climate change must include an understanding of what's happening in the forests of the Sierra Nevada.
Here are a couple of handy links for green-related and other election issues.
NUPGE
Rabble.ca Election Blogs
Sierra Club of Canada
Interesting story about the acquittal of 6 Greenpeace activists in Britain, arrested for damaging a coal plant in order to prevent a greater crime - global warming.
Greenpeace Kingsnorth trial collapse is embarrassing for Gordon Brown
Six activists admitted trying to shut down the station and painting "Gordon" down the chimney in a protest at EON's plans to build an even bigger coal-fired station next door...
But a jury of nine bought the activists' argument, supported in person by James Hansen, the US climate scientist and director of Nasa, that Greenpeace were legally justified because they were trying to prevent climate change causing greater damage to property around the world.
Very interesting development on the paper front.
Recently launched on the market by GPA, a Chicago paper company, Ultra Green paper is 100% tree free. And of equal importance; the paper is produced without any water.
Hats off to Jack Layton and the NDP for coming out in support of a moratorium on all new Alberta oil / tar sands projects "until emissions are capped". Personally, I'd support even more drastic action considering that the tar sands oil extraction is probably the world's largest greenhouse gas producer. Why? To provide cheap oil to the United States.
Meanwhile the story gets even more interesting as Harper and the Conservatives try to position themselves as the defenders of "good, union jobs". Check out this story in today's Globe & Mail.
The Conservative Party of Canada, well-known bastion of the working class, is concerned about the loss of "good union jobs" across the country if NDP Leader Jack Layton succeeds in his quest to quell further expansion of Alberta's oil sands because of the onetime dinosaur haunt's huge impact on the environment.Meanwhile, in the same article, it's noted that former BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair is running as a candidate for the Green Party. Other interesting contradictions are pointed out as well.
A Tory election press release entitled "Just the Facts" lists 20 unions that it says would be affected by an oil sands moratorium
It's getting strange out there, isn't it?
Peter Lougheed and Jack Layton agreeing on the oil sands. Stephen Harper, Carole James and Jack Layton on the same side of the carbon-tax issue. Vancouver Centre Conservative hopeful Lorne Mayencourt supporting Gordon Campbell's carbon tax while a member of the provincial Liberal caucus, but days later agreeing with his new party's attack on the very idea of such a tax.
With the federal election entering the end of the first week, many people will be thinking about environmental policies and solutions for global warming. The Sierra Club has issued a Voters Guide and report card for each of the major political parties. Here are their initial scores (from best to worst):
Green Party - A-
Liberal Party - B+
New Democratic Party - B
Bloc Quebecois - B
Conservative Party - F+
In terms of pricing carbon, here's what the Sierra Club has to say,
Under the current economic system, the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions are not borne by the polluter, but by all Canadians and the world at large through long-term changes in global climate. As a result, the market is distorted; the prices of goods and services do not reflect their true value to society, today and in the future. The solution is to put a price on carbon. Carbon pricing embodies the ‘polluter pays principle’: “the polluter should bear the costs of activities that directly or indirectly damage the environment.” The atmosphere’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide – without causing harmful climate change – is a finite and (globally) shared resource that must be regulated.Karen Hawley, NUPGE's environmental point person, will be posting up to date information on environmental issues related to the election on the NUPGE website.
When comparing the two forms of carbon pricing, a carbon tax system and a cap and trade system, we should not see them as mutually exclusive options. One could adopt a ‘hybrid’ approach: implement a carbon tax immediately and a cap and trade system within a few years. Because Canada has delayed action until now, it is critical that the government does not wait the two to three years that it would take to set-up a cap and trade system in order to put a price on carbon, as the urgency of the climate crisis requires that we reduce our emissions as soon as possible.
Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is no friend of the environment. She does not believe that climate change is caused by human activity although she established a commission in Alaska to look at the impact of warming in Alaska. One of her most celebrated accomplishments as governor has been to sue the U.S. Department of Interior to overturn its May preliminary ruling to list the polar bear as a threatened animal. Palin is also a big supporter of expanded oil drilling in Alaska and offshore. The Republicans are playing a cynical game by enticing voters with the idea that drilling everywhere possible in the US will bring immediate relief at the gas pumps.
And speaking of oil prices, anyone notice that while the price of crude dropped to $100 a barrel yesterday, the price of gasoline (in Toronto anyway) rose about 13 cents a litre last night? Why? Because of a storm in the Gulf of Mexico that might disrupt oil production. Might.
And let's not forget that Stephen Harper is cut from the same conservative oil company cloth as Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, John McCain and Sarah Palin. "Drill, drill, drill, drill".
Check out Planet Friendly's calendar of conferences, concerts and events related to the environment. There are lots of upcoming events around the province and around the country including events this weekend in North Bay, Woodbridge, Caledon, Mississauga, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Orangeville and Ottawa.
Spent two wonderful weeks on vacation - good weather and all - on Manitoulin Island and Algonquin Park.
First I went up to the Island with my son for a few days. Living in Toronto, where the pace of life is always pretty fast, it's great to get away to a quieter and slower pace. No Tim Hortons in site. Water at every turn. Most things shut down by 9:00. We stayed on the M'Chigeeng First Nation at a small cottage court/campground. M'Chigeeng translates from the Ojibway as "village enclosed by stepped cliffs". The stepped cliffs of course are part of the Manitoulin Island section of the Niagara Peninsula which takes a dip in the water at Tobermory and reappears on the Island. No trip to Manitoulin is complete without a hike up to the "Cup and Saucer". Unfortunately, we left the Island (via the Chichimaun Ferry) before the annual big Powwow. Lots of interesting birds including a pair of pileated woodpeckers.
The following week I went on a to Algonquin Park on a camping trip with three other guys. I've been going on canoe trips in the park for close to 40 years now and am always stunned by the beauty and serenity of the park. This year, I joined my brother-in-law and two other guys who take a water taxi to a campsite on the East Arm of Lake Opeongo. That certainly makes things a lot easier. First, no paddling necessary although we brought along my canoe for day trips and emergencies. Second, with a water taxi, you can bring a lot more stuff so we let the tax lug our lawn chairs, cooler and other gear. I'd never seen anyone string a cooler from a tree but with the right branch, it can be done :).
While we didn't see much in the way of mammalian life (i.e. no bears), there were still plenty of birds around and we lucked out in the fishing department and enjoyed a small-mouth bass dinner on the last night. With spectacular end of the summer weather, swimming was in order daily. On our first day, 6 castaways and a dog landed on our campsite with their broken motor boat. We loaned them my canoe and three of them paddled back to "civilization" to get help which arrived just before dark to tow their broken boat back and get them back to their car.
The Science Idol winner is Justin Bilicki from New York. This cartoon contest was organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists. 
Did you know that bees pollinate about 1/3 of the human diet? Remember hearing about all those beekeepers around North American and Europe who were reporting the mysterious disappearance of their bees? As in all things physical, there is an answer to this enigmatic puzzle. I know this may come as a huge shock, but it's called "bug spray" - clothianidin in particular.
Lawsuit Seeks EPA Pesticide Data
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to disclose records about a new class of pesticides that could be playing a role in the disappearance of millions of honeybees in the United States, a lawsuit filed Monday charges.Pesticides responsible? Who would have thought? The US EPA is doing its best to protect the chemical companies by withholding important data and study results from the public.
In the last two years, beekeepers have reported unexplained losses of hives - 30 percent and upward - leading to a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder. Scientists believe that the decline in bees is linked to an onslaught of pesticides, mites, parasites and viruses, as well as a loss of habitat and food.OK, so pesticides are not the ONLY problem but the corporate "bee-nocide" deniers will do everything possible to continue to produce these dangerous chemicals and release them into our environment (and ultimately our bloodstreams).
Well who would have really expected Big Water to sit back while more and more municipalities and organizations (like OPSEU) are phasing out bottled water.
City bottled water ban comes under fire
The move by London's City Council to impose a ban on bottled water at city-run facilities is drawing fire from the Canadian refreshment industry, with Refreshment Canada officials calling the decision a "step backwards" in the recycling effort.
Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the ban, which will see the sale of bottled water coming to a halt at City Hall starting Sept. 1, with the ban being phased in by next spring at other city-run facilities.
London is not the first city to impose such a ban. Last month, Vancouver passed a motion banning water bottles from being sold inside city hall and other Canadian cities are considering similar measures in regard to bottled water including Kitchener and Ottawa.
Another very interesting piece by Thomas Homer-Dixon and Sarah Wolfe about agriculture and the role played by private equity firms in "leveraged buyouts" which maximize profits at the expense of local foods, jobs & the environment.
Everything is not peachy
For the past 40 years, the Smiths have grown everything from onions and tomatoes to cabbages and cauliflower. They also have a large orchard of peach trees. But this year, they had nowhere in Ontario to send their fruit. The canning plant in the Niagara region they'd used for years - the last commercial fruit canning facility east of the Rockies - closed in June.
Endangered Species Law in Danger From Bush
The countdown to January has begun, and the Bush administration is starting to roll out a long, foul list of last-minute policy changes. If its proposal to gut the Endangered Species Act is any indication of what it has in mind, we all have cause to be frightened of the next several months.
The proposal, which does not require congressional approval, would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves whether or not that highway, dam or mine they want to build would adversely impact any endangered species - instead of turning the matter over to independent government scientists in the Fish & Wildlife Service, the way that they’ve done for 35 years.
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
While TD Bank has its name all over this, it still looks like a very exciting initiative with more than 1,100 clean-ups all around the country including many in Ontario. Just enter your postal code on the home page to find clean-ups near you. Or start your own. You can give as much time as you have. Some of the clean-ups are just one day annual events.
This is a sample search result using OPSEU's head office postal code.
Modest financial support is available (to buy lunch for example) from OPSEU's Environment Fund for any members who would like to put together a group.
Thanks to Michael Gauthier at Centennial College for this.
The City of Toronto is holding community consultations on the building of a cross-town light rail transit system. The line could be partly underground.
Why is this so important? Yesterday, another new study was released linking smog to premature deaths - estimated to be 2700 a year across Canada and rising at a pace greater than population growth.
Ottawa, Ont.
Meetings in Toronto begin this evening:
Thursday, August 14
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Forest Hill Memorial Arena, 340 Chaplin Cres. (Map)
Tuesday, August 19
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Leaside Arena, 1073 Millwood Rd. (Map)
Monday, August 25
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Humber Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd. (Map)
Wednesday, August 27
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Don Montgomery Community Recreation Centre
(Formerly the Mid Scarborough Community Centre)
2467 Eglinton Ave, E. (Map)
Thursday, September 4
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Richview Baptist Church
1548 Kipling Avenue (just north of Eglinton Ave W.)
Shell rebuked for 'greenwash' over ad for polluting oil project
The Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell misled the public about the green credentials of a vastly polluting oil project in Canada, in an attempt to assure consumers of its good environmental record, a media watchdog will rule today.
In an embarrassing rejection of Shell's "greenwash", the Advertising Standards Authority said the company should not have used the word "sustainable" for its controversial tar sands project and a second scheme to build North America's biggest oil refinery. Both projects would lead to the emission of more greenhouse gases, the ASA said, ruling the advert had breached rules on substantiation, truthfulness and environmental claims.
Environment minister wades into Kanata West development dispute
Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen has stepped into the development battle over Kanata West, telling developers and the city that he wants a lot more proof that building there is the right thing to do...More to come.
The project has become a giant headache for the city.
The city began the approval process years ago by deciding to be one of the proponents for development, joining with the owners' group -- in addition to being the government approving it.
When the water resources engineer working on the file, Ted Cooper, repeatedly raised questions about the risks of allowing building in the flood plain of the Carp River, he was taken off the project by the then-planning director. He has continued to question the project as a private citizen.
Another city engineer found problems with private consultants' calculations of possible water flow on and from the proposed development around the river.
Now this is something different - solar powered air conditioning. Not sure how good it is but it sounds really good!
On a Planet 4C Hotter, All We Can Prepare for Is Extinction - Oliver Tickell
We need to get prepared for four degrees of global warming, Bob Watson told the Guardian last week. At first sight this looks like wise counsel from the climate science adviser to Defra. But the idea that we could adapt to a 4C rise is absurd and dangerous. Global warming on this scale would be a catastrophe that would mean, in the immortal words that Chief Seattle probably never spoke, “the end of living and the beginning of survival” for humankind. Or perhaps the beginning of our extinction.
The collapse of the polar ice caps would become inevitable, bringing long-term sea level rises of 70-80 metres. All the world’s coastal plains would be lost, complete with ports, cities, transport and industrial infrastructure, and much of the world’s most productive farmland...
The more the ice melts, the more sunshine is absorbed by the sea, and the more the Arctic warms. And as the Arctic warms, the release of billions of tonnes of methane - a greenhouse gas 70 times stronger than carbon dioxide over 20 years - captured under melting permafrost is already under way...
But what are we to do? All our policies to date to tackle global warming have been miserable failures....
So are all our efforts doomed to failure? Yes, so long as our governments remain craven to special interests, whether carbon traders or fossil fuel companies...
The answer? Scrap national allocations and place a single global cap on greenhouse gas emissions, applied “upstream” - for instance, at the oil refinery, coal-washing station and cement factory. Sell permits up to that cap in a global auction, and use the proceeds to finance solutions to climate change - accelerating the use of renewable energy, raising energy efficiency, protecting forests, promoting climate-friendly farming, and researching geoengineering technologies. And commit hundreds of billions of dollars per year to finance adaptation to climate change, especially in poor countries.
OPSEU's Provincial Young Workers Committee commemorated, celebrated and turned International Youth Day in a 3 session workshop on Unionism 101, globalism and trade and climate change held August 8 and 9th. Over thirty members attended from all parts of the province. The UN's theme this year was YOUTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE: TIME FOR ACTION
I was fortunate to participate as a resource person and co-facilitator with Jennifer Giroux, PYWC R6 & Environment Committee member) in the session on global warming. The workshop, organized and designed by Archana Mathew of OPSEU's Equity Unit and the PWYC members , had several themes:
I'm going to have to make a point of trying to balance off the "bad news" with some positive, hopeful, good news stories. Here's one from California.
Reclaiming an Ecosystem: A California Success Story
Now, 14 years after the city was ordered to reduce the quantity of tributary water it had been diverting into the Los Angeles aqueduct since 1941, Rush Creek has among the highest concentrations of yellow warblers in California - roughly three pairs per 2 1/2 acres.In the words of Greg, OPSEU's native plant advisor, "plant it and they will come".
“Restrict grazing and bring back the water and things really start hopping,” McCreedy said.
Given that it's the middle of summer in the northern hemisphere, it's not surprising that melting is a regular theme. Don't want to sound alarmist and say "the sky is falling", but...... "the ice caps are melting!!"
This from Robin McKee of the UK Guardian:
Meltdown In The Arctic Is Speeding Up
Scientists warn that the North Pole could be free of ice in just five years’ time instead of 60
Satellite images show that ice caps started to disintegrate dramatically several days ago as storms over Alaska’s Beaufort Sea began sucking streams of warm air into the Arctic.
As a result, scientists say that the disappearance of sea ice at the North Pole could exceed last year’s record loss. More than a million square kilometres melted over the summer of 2007 as global warming tightened its grip on the Arctic. But such destruction could now be matched, or even topped, this year...
It’s a scramble for the spoils of global warming as the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice is opening access to previously unreachable deposits of oil and gas, setting off a race by northern nations - including the United States, Canada and Russia - to claim them.So what motivation is there at all for big Oil to slow down? None whatsoever. In fact, the faster they can melt all the northern sea ice the sooner they can start drilling for more oil and gas.
Polar bear eaten by shark: who's top predator?
Scientists researching how far sharks hunt seals in the Arctic were stunned in June to find part of the jaw of a young polar bear in the stomach of a Greenland shark, a species that favors polar waters...
Most shark experts contacted said it was likely the bear was dead before the shark found it. Even a young, two- or three-year-old bear would be a ferocious opponent for a Greenland shark, which can grow to up to 7 meters (23 feet) and weigh more than a tonne.
Check out the pictures in this "home movie"with NDP leader Jack Layton talking about the growing crisis of melting glaciers - in particular the Tweedsmuir glacier in Yukon's Kluane National Park, North America's largest wilderness preserve, which Jack visited with Olivia Chow.
You can also read about the NDP's climate change priorities including investments in public transit, home retrofit programs and just transitions for workers who's jobs are lost due to climate change.
Gravity is moving the melting Tweedmuir Glacier toward the Alsep River where it may block it completely. This movement is known as "surging".
This would be really funny if it weren't such an indictment of the state of politics in the USA.
Hat tip to Manzur Malik for this article from the August 6 Globe and Mail.
We must green the market
Everywhere we look, the prices of goods don't reflect the true environmental costs of their production
THOMAS HOMER-DIXON AND STEWART ELGIE
Thomas Homer-Dixon holds the CIGI Chair of Global Systems at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont. Stewart Elgie is a professor at the University of Ottawa, specializing in environmental law and economics.
Modern capitalist markets are among the most amazing institutions humankind has ever created. They are mighty engines of innovation and wealth. They allow societies to quickly adapt to a world full of disruptions and surprises. And by linking billions of producers and consumers every day, they generate price signals that help people around the world decide what to make and what to buy.
But when it comes to conserving Earth's natural environment, our markets are badly broken. For our planet's future - and for our future prosperity - we must fix them.
The underlying problem is that we don't pay the true environmental costs of making, using and getting rid of the products we buy. Take the gasoline we use in our cars. Every time we push down on the accelerator pedal, we emit a blast of carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming. Our children and grandchildren will pay for this warming - in the form of higher food prices from drought, heat waves and floods, greater health expenses from diseases that thrive in warmth, more property damage from storms and rising seas. Those huge future costs aren't reflected in today's gasoline's price. In effect, our children and grandchildren are subsidizing our current mania for driving.
The same problem arises with electricity from coal-fired power plants. This electricity may seem relatively cheap, but air pollution from these plants is a major cause of thousands of premature deaths in Canada each year - costing our society billions of dollars. And the plants' enormous carbon emissions also contribute to climate change. Because neither power companies nor their customers pay the full costs of coal electricity, cleaner sources of electricity (like wind or solar) are relatively more expensive in the marketplace, even though their overall cost to society is often less.
Indeed, everywhere we look, we see products whose prices don't reflect the true environmental costs of their production. Local food often costs more than imported food, because we don't pay for the climate change caused by getting it to our tables or the damage to soil and water from poor farming practices. Recycled paper usually costs more, too, because we don't pay for the loss of virgin forests or for the water and air pollution from making non-recycled paper.
So, while most of us want to protect the environment, we operate in an economic system that encourages us to harm it. Our moral and economic motivations point in opposite directions. It's time we got them pointing in the same direction.
Economists say we can do this in two ways: We can apply green fees or taxes to reflect a product's environmental harm, or we can create a market for nature's environmental services that we now treat as free.
In Canada right now, both approaches are on the table to combat climate change. The federal Liberals have proposed a carbon tax (joining B.C. and Quebec), while the Conservatives and several provinces are proposing carbon trading - creating a market in rights to emit carbon dioxide.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, but most economists say taxes and fees are more economically efficient, because they involve less bureaucracy and provide clearer signals to companies and consumers. Either way, though, both approaches require government intervention - not to distort markets, but to make them work the way they're supposed to work, by counting real costs.
Yet putting a price on carbon is just a first step. If we want to build an economy that can prosper without ruining our natural environment, we'll have to price other types of environmental harm as well, such as water depletion, smog, toxic pollution and the destruction of wildlife habitats.
Such policies would be good not only for our environment, but also for our economy. In fact, they offer a way out of the narrow environment-versus-economy logic that dominates public discussion of environmental protection. The revenues from green fees or taxes, or from auctioning emission permits, can be used to reduce inefficient taxes on income, employment or investment. We can tax things we want to discourage, such as pollution and resource waste, not things we want to encourage, like income, employment and investment. Also, putting a price on environmental harm spurs green innovation, because companies will pursue the huge potential profits from developing technologies and practices that reduce environmental damage.
The economy of the future will reward energy efficiency, clean production and wise use of natural capital. That's why England, Germany, Denmark, Australia and more recently California and British Columbia have been moving ahead with strong policies to integrate environmental costs into market prices. If Canada as a whole doesn't make this shift, it risks being left behind in the transition to a new global economy.
On the other hand, we can leave to our grandchildren a greener, more prosperous Canada - and set a global example of a sustainable society - if we start making markets tell the environmental truth.
Expert report questions Tory greenhouse-gas claims
OTTAWA — The Harper government might be overestimating how much its climate-change plan will lower greenhouse gases, says a federal advisory panel.You can read the full report here.
Flaws in government calculations could skew projections around the Tories' green policies, the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy says...
Part of the Tory plan calls for "intensity targets" on big emitters starting in 2010 and lasting until at least 2017.
Intensity-based targets link greenhouse-gas reductions to a company's industrial output, meaning overall emissions can still rise (Ed.) if a producer is, for example, getting more energy-efficient use out of a barrel of oil.
I haven't seen this documentary yet, but it sounds very interesting. Anyone seen it? Leave your comments below.
Tale of Antarctica not just a story of global warming
The global warming debate has transformed Antarctica from a forgotten landmass at the end of the Earth to the canary in the mineshaft -- a harbinger, scientists theorize, that will give the world a glimpse into the future.To see the trailer, check it out here (for some reason I couldn't embed it directly).
I guess if comes down to a war between asphalt and grass, I'd have to go with the grass. Wouldn't it be great if driveways were replaced with grass and grass was replaced with native plants in most other places? Somehow though, I can't see head office switching over to grass just yet.
Home builders turn to latest thing in high-tech 'green' driveways: grass
OSHAWA, Ont. — It's the latest thing in high-tech driveways, replacing that ugly black asphalt with an environmentally-friendly substitute that filters out impurities and keeps salt, sealants and other noxious chemicals out of municipal sewer systems.
Just be sure to keep it watered, weeded and mowed...
Not even heavy trucks and SUVs - environmentally friendly hybrids only, please - will rip up or flatten the grass, thanks to a plastic support grid that sits just below the surface and absorbs the pressure of vehicles...
Grass driveways help to protect the environment by absorbing and reducing runoff going into the sewers, Marshall said, preventing things like driveway sealants, oil, salt, and car care products from going down the drain.
"It's all about water infiltration into the ground instead of running out onto the street and down into our sewers and into our lakes and rivers," he said.
"The more groundwater you can keep on the site, the less damage it's going to do to the environment and the habitats of fish and things in the rivers and lakes."
Blue-pencil is a document shredding and recycling program. This is OPSEU's second year participating in this program. The writing's a bit blurry but says that we saved 156 trees from destruction and that blue-pencil planted 31 trees on our behalf in 2007.
OPSEU 1st VP / Treasurer Patty Rout was glad to see that progress is being made, "We expect even better results next year - especially in reducing the amount of paper we use in the first place. Expect to see some interesting new initiatives".
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