624: 23 March 2009 – Published by Green Communities Canada
GREEN JOBS. Sarah White from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) delivered a dynamite keynote speech at the Green Communities conference in Hamilton last week. Sarah described the difficult bridge-building between labour, environment, and community activists to create a green jobs coalition that has transformed the U.S. political landscape and captured support from the Obama White House. Her talk, introduced by Hamilton area Steelworkers Union coordinator Tony De Paulo, was attended by local labour and environmentalists, who stayed afterwards to participate in the monthly Hamilton Green Drinks.
URBAN TREES. Peterborough Green-Up’s Urban Forest Program presents Tree Tips From The Experts with Bruce McGauley. 26 March … Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – Evergreen Community Tree Planting Grant Program offers up to $15,000 grants to support native tree-planting projects on publicly accessible lands in cities and towns. Due: 27 March.
LET THERE BE LIGHT. Clean Calgary Coordinator of Residential Environmental Services Ashley Lubyk makes light of the safety of energy saving bulbs.
WEST COAST NEWS. City Green Solutions (Victoria) completed a course curriculum for realtors called Getting to Green: Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Housing; initiated development and co-delivery of a Residential Energy Efficiency Training curriculum through Vancouver Island University for BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; and is developing a pilot project for mandatory point of sale home energy ratings with a local real estate agency … BC offers promotion money and grants for solar hot water. Local advocates are working on a bulk buy purchase.
WALKING. Registrations are underway for Ontarian Walking Now, a project that supports the creation of walkable communities and encourages everyday walking.
HARD TIMES. Ontario Nonprofit Network has compiled resources to assist nonprofits during financially trying times. Includes links to resources from Charity Village, Vancouver Foundation and article downloads … 2008 report Fundraising in Tough Times – A No-Nonsense Guide to Surviving in a Challenging Economy looks at steps to diminish damage during the recession. (Source: Sustainability Network)
GREEN ECONOMY. PowerUP Canada holds the first in a series of Dialogues to PowerUP the Green Economy. Vancouver, 7 April … United Nations’ global Green New Deal sees “enormous economic, social and environmental benefits likely to arise from combating climate change and re-investing in natural infrastructure” … Zero Carbon blogger wonders about the next generation of environmentalists.
O2, H20 AND GHG. Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators Initiative: 4th Annual Report tracks Canada’s performance on air and water quality, and greenhouse gases, three areas that “continue to be of concern.” GHG emissions in 2006 were 22% higher than in 1990.
RESEARCH HELP. Urban Thinkers are looking for actions, projects and programs associated with sustainable transportation and teenagers and secondary schools. Contact Arthur Orsini.
IMAGES AND WORDS. A Sense of Wonder, a film about Rachel Carson, tours North America in March … Bacon, the Film questions the social and environmental impacts of huge hog operations.
TRANSPORTATION. The first hybrid double-decker bus in North America hit the streets of Greater Victoria on 11 March … Region of Peel accepts used cooking oil to convert to biodiesel fuel.
WEALTH AND POWER. Cape Wind tells how a 2001 offshore wind farm project enraged Cape Cod’s elite … Watch hilarious video report on the subject.
JOBS. Food Net Ontario, Project Coordinator. Due 30 March … Canada Green Building Council, LEED Program Coordinator. Vancouver or Ottawa, due 30 March … Citizens’ Environment Watch, Environmental Education Coordinator. Toronto, due 1 April.
