Beautiful Suzuki, STP Economics, Carrot Mob – GCNews #677

677: 19 April 2010 – Published by Green Communities Canada.

STP ECONOMICS. Green Communities Canada’s policy document Saving Money and Time with Active School Travel looks at the costs of school transportation in Ontario and how incorporating school travel planning policies can save time and money while furthering work for safe, active journeys to and from school.

CARROT MOB. A shopping mob led by a dancing carrot and tomato made a deal with a Toronto food store: a crowd showed up and emptied the shelves with the promise that the business will improve its environmental profile, thanks to some efficiency policy and technical advice from Windfall Ecology Centre.

ENVIRO-SONGS. EcoSuperior wants to create a groovy "green" music list. Suggest your favourite environmental songs.

UNACCEPTABLE AD. A graphic anti-idling commercial showing people peeing in public spaces, wrongly attributed to Green Calgary by one news outlet, has gone viral, says Interim Executive Director, Geoff Braun. “Certainly this ad has brought attention to the issue of unnecessary idling. At Green Calgary our approach is to positively engage the community and to appeal to as broad an audience as possible” … University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team participates in the EcoCAR Challenge with a car which only emission is water. 

POPULAR PLEDGE. Durham Sustain-Ability spread the word about the We Have the Power contest through various appearances, and by allowing residents to sign up for the pledge in popular public places, resulting in 650 people signing up. "The responses at the malls were overwhelming," said Rachael Wraith, DSA public relations coordinator. See video.

NONPROFIT STAFF. “I’m average” announced GCC’s  Beth Jones, as she relayed what she’d learned at the Labour Force workshop of an Ontario Nonprofit Network conference 12-13 April.   Of 1.2 million non-profit staff in Canada, 76% are women, 89% identify as white, and the average age is 43.4, slightly older than the overall average of 41.2, and pretty close to the age of Beth herself.  In response to these and other stats, ONN is discussing developing a Nonprofit Labour Force Strategy to increase diversity and help attract younger workers.

FISHY SITE. Muskoka Heritage Foundation created a new nature reserve, thanks to a donation of 23 acres of land on upper Lake Joseph. The reserve is zoned for the protection of fish spawning.

CHARITY LAW EXPLAINED. Charity Law Information Program helps Canadian charities become more aware of their legal obligations under the Income Tax Act: plain-language resources, tools and practical training. Emphasis on small and rural charities.  See workshops, webinars and webinar archive.

PLANET FOCUS. Theme for 2010 Planet in Focus Environmental Film & Video Festival is biodiversity. Submissions due 15 June.

NATURE GRANT. Rebuilding Nature Grant Program provide community groups with grants of $1,000, $3,000 or $12,000 – plus $2,000 in gift cards – to cover the costs of tools and equipment, native plants and trees, and other expenses. Due 21 May. Sponsored by The Home Depot Canada Foundation and led by Evergreen.

COMMENTS SOUGHT. Environment Canada is seeking input on the structure of a government-wide strategy that incorporates environmental considerations into policy and program decisions in departments and agencies. Due 12 July … Federation of Canadian Municipalities’s Green Municipal Fund is conducting a short survey about sustainable food systems in your municipality.
SUBSIDIZING DESTRUCTION. “The perverse nature of harmful subsidies is especially apparent in the case of oceanic fisheries. The cod fishery off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada is a prime example of what can happen,” writes Lester R. Brown, of US Earth Policy Institute.

BEAUTIFUL SUZUKI. David Suzuki Foundation wants to find out what toxic chemicals are in your cosmetics and personal care products. National survey asks Canadians to register shampoos, soaps,  lotions and makeup.

VELOTAXI. Quebec Un vélo, une ville summer program hires students to provide touring-tricycle services to seniors … See European egg-shaped bike-taxis.

JOBS. Dairy Farmers of Canada, Sustainable Development Coordinator. Ottawa, due 3 May … Nova Scotia Environmental Network, Executive Director. Due 1 June … Toronto Cyclists Union, Advocacy and Operations Director. Due 27 April.