656: 16 November 2009 – Published by Green Communities Canada.
LOW INCOME. Energy retrofits for low-income housing should be part of a comprehensive Canadian housing strategy, according to a brief submitted by Green Communities Canada to a federal legislative committee. The Human Resources Standing Committee is studying Bill C-304, a private members bill that calls on the government to establish a housing strategy. As part of the brief, GCC submitted the road map from our 2008 Time for Action conference.
NEW NAME. Clean Calgary Association has changed its name to Green Calgary to reflect the diversity of its programs that address waste reduction, water, energy, air quality, transportation, food, and more … New environmental educator Lynn Robb focuses on school programs … EcoStore‘s Products of the Month are thyme oil hand sanitizer, organic cotton reusable gift bags, and Slingshot organizers.
S’NOW PROBLEM. Peterborough Green-Up Winter Cycling 101 course teaches real-world skills to empower and protect cyclists in cold and slippery weather. 28 November.
WATER. Wellington Water Watchers, dedicated to the protection, restoration and conservation of drinking water in Guelph and Wellington County, advertises Well Aware on its website … Green Venture Water Use Coordinator Kathyrn Gold convened 15 City of Hamilton and water treatment facility storm water management stakeholders to examine local storm water solutions and issues. Upcoming strategy will prioritize storm water education programming for Hamilton-area homeowners.
BIKE LANES. Share The Road Cycling Coalition and Green Communities Canada wrote letters in defence of bike lanes in St. Catharines. The municipality decided to scrap bike lanes, contrary to original plans.
POLICIES AND EFFECTIVENESS. Study reveals that not-for-profit organizations that invest in orientation programs for new board members, ongoing director training, and documented board policies and mandates are perceived as better organizations overall, have more effective boards, and better quality individual board members.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. Toronto Community Foundation provides one-year grants of up to $30,000 for strategic activities beyond direct programming. Deadline 1 December.
COURSES. The Natural Step presents webinar Communicating Sustainability as a Change Agent on 26 November, and a two-day course, Sustainability for Leaders, Toronto, 25-26 November … Power Lunch webinar Financing Community Power: Ontario’s microFIT in action, 26 November.
CLIMATE CHANGE. New analysis shows that without rapid and massive action, global warming will be about twice as severe as previously estimated … Global attempts to craft a new climate treaty in Copenhagen are being stymied by a multinational backlash led by fossil fuel industries and other heavy carbon emitters, says International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report … David Suzuki invites Canadians to leave Canada’s PM a message about the upcoming UN Climate Summit … Leave a love letter from this generation to the future in a time capsule in Copenhagen.
BREAD AND BOOKS. Edible City features essays on poverty, public gardens, rats and school lunches as well as studies of food-safety policy and waste. Book launch, Toronto, 2 December … Eating local has far less impact on the environment than eating lower on the food chain, says 2009 study … See slideshow on Climate change and livestock farming.
IS THIS A JOKE? The Yes Men, a pair of political pranksters, have focused their attention on environmental issues … Not Evil Just Wrong aims "to prove that the only threats to America are the flawed science and sky-is-falling rhetoric of Al Gore and his allies in environmental extremism" … "Certain aspects of the modern green movement […] are not about protecting the environment but [about promoting] an agenda of fear and control," says Green Agenda.
JOBS. City Green Solutions, Administrative Assistant. Victoria, BC, due 23 November … RCEN, twointernship opportunities : Youth Caucus Intern and Biodiversity Caucus Intern. Ottawa, due 20 November … Toronto Environmental Alliance, Community Animator, Live Green. Toronto, due 4 December … EcoSource, Local Food Coordinator. Mississauga, due 23 November.
