Walking Culture, Marine Matters & Planning Cities – GC News # 652

652: 19 October 2009 – Published by Green Communities Canada 

HOME ENERGY SOLUTIONS. Visit our beautiful new website at http://www.savehomeenergy.ca/.Features home assessment video, delivery agent locator, maps, FAQs. Add link to your website.

WALKING CULTURE. The 2009 Walk21 Conference held in New York was very successful. Jacky Kennedy, Director of Canada Walks,  presented on the Master Class project and School Travel Planning pilot. Collaborative partners explained walkON model and iCANwalk.

WELL AWARE. "I think that [Well Aware] is a very important program and undoubtedly we will make sure that the funding will be available," said Environment Minister John Gerretsen, at a meeting with Green Communities Canada in Kingston last week. "I’ll certainly do whatever I can to ensure that the funding is there and maybe even enhanced."

ECODRIVER. Hamilton EcoDriver is featured at a car maintenance clinic for women.

PALM OIL. Old growth rainforests are chopped down to make way for large monocultures of palm oil, explains Clean Calgary’s Ashley Lubyk.

FORUM. Reducing Environmental Footprint in Durham Region forum presented by Durham Sustain Ability and Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention, 7 November.

COMPOST. Resource Conservation Manitoba’s new Backyard Composting Coordinator, Kate Bergen, runs a Master Composter Course, 10-26 November … See Humanure Handbook.

CARBON OFFSETS. Purchasing Carbon Offsets: A Guide for Canadian Consumers, Businesses and Organizations ranks 20 popular carbon offset vendors from Canada and around the world.

MARINE MATTERS. Giant  blobs of dead and living organic matter, linked to warmer sea temperatures, smother marine life and carry diseases dangerous to humans … Only 1.7 million of an expected 13 million sockeye returned to the Fraser River last summer … Calling from the Coast follows a juvenile sockeye fry migrating  past the lice plumes of fish farms … See Sustainable Seafood Guide. 

FOODPRINT. Bon Appétit‘s carbon calculator shows emission points for your favorite foods … Guide for climate-friendly food choices developed by Swedish authorities recommends reducing meat and rice consumption.

NOVEL PRODUCTS. E-Hangers are made of post consumer waste board and printed with vegetable soya-based inks  … "P" wipes are reusable toilet wipes … See review of non disposable female products.

PLANNING CITIES. Global Report on Human Settlements 2009 on Planning Sustainable Cities looks at the emergence and spread of modern urban planning, assesses the effectiveness of current approaches, and highlights innovative urban planning approaches and practices that are more responsive to current and future challenges of urbanization.

JOBS. Green Communities Canada, two positions: E-Learning Development Coordinator and and E-Library Development Coordinator. Peterborough, due 30 October … Credit Valley Conservation Authority, Program Coordinator/Residential Outreach.  Due 28 October … Canadian Wind Energy Association ,Communications Officer. Ottawa, no due date … Region of Peel, Energy Services Supervisor. Brampton, due 27 October.