MARCH 2009

The Sustainable Environment Network Society (SENS) Newsletter

Environmentally active for over 40 years!

 

Support Us! You can become a member (Family - $20.00, Individual - $15.00, Basic - $5.00), attend our monthly meetings (the 4th Thursday usually), donate and/or volunteer.  Mailing address: c/o the Boys and Girls Club, 3300-37^th Avenue, Vernon, V1T 2Y5.  Website:  www.sensociety.org 

*** SENS provides tax-deductible receipts for donations ***

 

SENS MEETINGS/EVENTS

 

March 26: AGM and Second Annual Seed Exchange, Schubert Centre, 7 pm( may be changed to 6:30pm to allow for seed swaps). *** Bring small amounts of seed in envelopes with detailed labeling for others!  Seed security speaker(s)in planning stages. Admission is by donation.

  

April 23: Run of River Power in B.C.

 

May 28: Air Quality in the local area – what is/isn’t happening.

 

LOCAL STUFF

 

1.Shuswap Seed Swap and Sale: March 7, 10 am to 3 pm, AL Fortune School, 500 Bass Ave in Enderby.$3.00/adult.lectures and films all day, silent auction, demo’s, food vendors and more!

 

2. Permaculture Workshop: April 25 – 26, 9 – 5  pm, Falkland. $130 before March 15. Permaculture is “ecological design for sustainable living”  - learn concrete ways to reduce our footprints and cope with and decrease climate change. Info and registration pkg from   mrichoux@telus.net

 

3. Upcoming Green Fair: The Armstrong Spallumcheen Environmental Trust invites green businesses and not-for -profits to take part in their third annual green fair, Saturday, April 18. Contact Aaron at aaronvallejo@hotmail.com

 

4. Okanagan College Environmental Course: Native and Naturalized Trees and Plants of the B.C. Interior Wed. Mar 11, 6:30 – 9:30 pm, Kalamalka Campus.  Cost is $45 + GST. For more information, contact by phone (250-545-7291 Ext. 2850) or visit www.okanagan.bc.ca/csreg  

 

5. Tough Times Input: Black Press, parent company of The Morning Star is asking readers for 75 words on taking action to help ease tough times ahead in our community. Please provide input at www.vernonmorningstar.com  to this question:  “What is the #1 project in your community that you feel would be most effective in helping improve local economic and social conditions?”

 

6. RDNO’s Regional Growth Strategy: Anthony Kittel, coordinator, seeks members of the public to participate in working groups in a variety of categories to establish economic, social and environmental objectives that promote healthy communities. Provide your experience and passion  by filling out a working group application form via www.rdno.ca     Smart Growth BC’s Guiding Principles and the City of Vernon’s new OCP will be mirrored. A public participation element will be planned for later this year to obtain community input.

 

7. Electric Cars:  SENS director, Terry Dyck is spearheading a petition asking for electric cars to be allowed on Vernon streets. He is making his presentation with the petition to city council on March 23.  To sign the petition phone Terry at 545-0191.Electric cars at present are much cheaper to buy & maintain than gas fueled and hybrid cars and keep out air quality high and noise pollution low.

 

8.   We Are All Residents of a Watershed:  The Watershed Sentinel is an award winning bimonthly magazine from BC. It offers a mix of bioregional and global perspectives on environmental, health, and sustainability topics. Info and subscribing at http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/

 

9.  “Seed Satyagraha” Takes on Monsanto:  Many farmers are concerned about the actions of the Monsanto corporation and its GMO seeds.  Allegations include political tampering and intimidation and coercion of farmers in order to build a monopoly in the seed business.  In response, Vandana Shiva, a leading anti-Monsanto activist, has started a Seed Satyagraha - nonviolent non-cooperation around seed laws – and has convinced millions of farmers to sign a pledge to break those laws. Read more at: http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=1991

 

SENT BY MEMBERS AND READERS

 

1. Sustainable Economic Growth: A new report out called "Smart Transportation Economic Stimulation” discusses transportation strategies that can have large long-term economic, social and environmental impacts. Expanding urban highways doesn’t work (increases sprawl, etc.) and domestic automobile industry subsidies are ineffective. Instead, improving alternative modes (walking, cycling and transit) and increasing transport system efficiency are proven strategies that boost the economy. For example, shifting from purchasing fuel to buying consumer goods creates a large number of jobs. To read it in its entirety, download it at www.vtpi.org/econ_stim.pdf

 

2. B C's 'Green' Energy Plan (by Peter Endisch Jr):  Despite our abundance of water and natural resources, these resources are not limitless, especially in the face of climate change and other threats. Our public rivers are being handed over to independent power producers (IPP) without concern or compensation through a 2002 Liberal Government law. As part of the Liberal energy plan, BC will export more then we import, and electricity prices for individuals will increase about 6-times over today’s price.
We need true green energy but as well, conservation is the greenest and cheapest energy option since energy use can be reduced 50% just by insulating homes etc. Run of river projects must be kept in public hands, regionally managed, considerate to first nations, and sensitive to the cumulative environmental impacts of multiple run of river projects. Under current legislation, once an IPP establishes itself on the river, there's no way to revoke their licence. As well, under NAFTA, IPPs may jump into the lucrative business of bulk water exports!

 Petition and info at www.tenthousandvoices.org.

 

3. Save Silver Star Park: In 1975, Minister and MLA Pat Jordan asked for an ironclad agreement that no housing development would take place within Silver Star Provincial Park, with 22,230 acres set aside to preserve the subalpine environment and community watersheds and to protect the area for recreational use by all British Columbians. Yet today, 40% of the land has been taken out of the park and over 8,500 acres is now reserved for private housing endeavours.   

 

Help put this land back before it's too late by publicizing this information, signing the petition, getting as many people as you can to sign it and sending the following link to other groups who could help save the park. For the petition and background info: http://savesilverstarpark.org/

 

4. BC Poverty Reduction News: With over 240 organizational endorsers, the Initiative is pleased to announce that they already have over 350 individual signatures to their online petition! Please sign it and keep circulating the Open Letter of endorsers. Spread the word by contacting family, friends and your local media. The need for a commitment that introduces targets and timelines to reduce poverty in B.C. remains high. The petition, letter, and much more at www.bcpovertyreduction.ca

 

5. Ink Cartridges: About 95 % of the 100 million ink cartridges annually in Canada are thrown into our landfills ( it takes 400 to 1000 years for these plastics to break down).  Either refill the empties and save money and energy or donate empties to Canadian Association of Food Banks or Homeless International to help them raise funds for their work.

 

6. Some Tidbits:  from “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan… “As technology reduces the time cost of food, we tend to eat more…”  “ In 1960 Americans spent 17.5% of income on food and 5.2% of national income on health care. Now, food spending is 9.9% of income; health care is 16% of national income.”  “…20% of all eating now takes place in the car.” The author discusses why we need to escape the Western diet, and shows how. He notes how we eat from packages of ”edible food-like substances’ that are products of food science, not nature.

 

FROM RECYCLING COUNCIL OF BC

1. RCBC Encyclopedia:  RCBC is offering a  new searchable database of recycling drop-off services throughout BC. This is complementary to the province-wide Recycling Hotline that features the top 10 most asked-about material types on the Hotline: batteries, beverage containers, appliances, electronics, flammable liquids, paints, pesticides, metal, used oil, paper, metal, plastics and rubber.  You can also join the RCBC Listserv, an open forum for sharing information and discussing zero waste and recycling. Visit:  www.rcbc.bc.ca/rcbc-community.

2. Recycling Industry Adding Surcharges to Stay Alive:  The paper recycling industry has been hit hard by increasing supplies that have cut into prices, causing some companies to put a surcharge on their collection services.  The prices of all recyclables have dropped dramatically, but the paper industry has been hit hardest as there was an overwhelming supply to begin with.  Some companies see surcharges as their only way to survive.  Read the full article at:  http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/commodities/article.jsp?content=20090127_10013_10013

2. Province Helps Hybrid Trucks Gain Ground in B.C. Industry:  Victoria-based R&B Trucking is meeting the tough economic times with a new diesel-electric hybrid refrigerated delivery truck that should save the company as much as 35 % in fuels costs and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by over 20 tonnes/year, thanks to support from the B.C. Ministry of Environment and the Fraser Basin Council's Green Fleets B.C. program. R&B Trucking will collect and share operational data and driver feedback with other Green Fleets B.C. participants.  Read the full article at:  http://greenfleetsbc.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=85

3.  Delta Considers Banning Bottled Water in Civic Facilities:  Delta’s parks and recreation department is investigating the possibility of a ban on the sale of single-use plastic water bottles in civic facilities, (also being considered by other B.C. and Canadian cities).  Last fall, Burnaby council passed a resolution to phase out the sale of bottled water at city facilities. The city is to install drinking fountains in parks and other public places.  Burnaby made the move in conjunction with Metro Vancouver's Tap Water Campaign. The regional district is asking residents to make a "tap water pledge" to drink tap water in refillable bottles and not buy plastic water bottles. http://www.canada.com/deltaoptimist/story.html?id=cf9c786e-dcd5-4935-a8b6-af0faad9455f

4.  Voters Interested in Protecting Oceans' Health:  Pre-federal budget polling, conducted on behalf of WWF-Canada, indicated that many voters in swing coastal ridings are looking for more protection of Canada's oceans.   The WWF is urging the government to include some of the measures proposed in WWF-Canada's pre-budget submission in its upcoming Budget.  For more information and to see the WWF’s proposed measures please visit:  http://wwf.ca/newsroom/?2280

5.  Calgary’s Plastic Bag Ban:  Calgary city council voted unanimously to look into the feasibility of making Calgary plastic bag-free by 2010.   Calgary could join the growing international movement to divert plastic bags from landfills. For more info read http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/city-to-look-at-phasing-out-plastic-bags-3175/

6. Environment Should Be Included In Economic Calculations:  David Suzuki argues in a recent Georgia Straight article that the costs to replace natural services that have been lost or degraded are prohibitively high and as such, Ottawa should take a close look at the real value of the services nature provides.  One example is the wild bees that pollinate the blueberry fields that are B.C.’s biggest fruit crop and account for almost $100 million in annual sales. Full article: http://www.straight.com/article-193991/david-suzuki-environment-should-be-included-economic-calculations

FROM LIVING OCEANS SOCIETY

1. Waterways Act Change:  Please e-mail Prime Minister Harper and your MP and urge them to withdraw the proposed amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) from C-10, the Budget Implementation Act.

For over 100 years, access to and protection of Canada’s waterways has been upheld by the Federal Navigable waters Protection Act  Now our waterways are under threat from proposed amendments that will limit our right to navigate and access our waterways and subject many of them to development without review or public consultation.

When we protect public access to waterways in Canada, we are also protecting the natural environment of those waterways. Tell the government that protecting our oceans and rivers, and the rights of the public must not be compromised in the pursuit of short-term economic stimulus. Visit http://www.cpaws.org/ and info@livingoceans.org  for  information. Sign the petition at www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca,

 

FROM CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK

 

1. Canada on a Non-Sustainable Path: In a report to the House of Commons, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development states that the government cannot demonstrate that some of its key environmental programs are making a difference. The Report notes that environmental problems such as species extinction, risks to human health from environmental contamination, and climate change are serious problems that governments and the public must face today. At least Canadians are being better informed on how the federal government is failing us! J

 

FROM SMART GROWTH BC

 

1. Regulating Carbon Dioxide: Under President Obama, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to act for the first time to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that scientists blame for the warming of the planet. Such a move will have profound effects on transportation, manufacturing costs, and power utilization and reverses years of inaction. Once the environmental agency determines that carbon dioxide is a dangerous pollutant under the Clean Air Act, regulation would begin.  A plan to minimize Congressional and industry opposition is being devised. Expect to see emissions regulated for new coal-burning power plants and heat-trapping gases in the coming months.

Will it be enough? Some who want more aggressive action argue no, citing that it places too much reliance on future technology (e.g. carbon capture) and that it isn’t broad enough, missing many economic sectors. Critics call regulation a disaster in the making. For many environmental advocates, however, this action is long overdue. A comprehensive climate change legislation passed by Congress is still needed though.

2. Hometown Heroes (Deadline is April 22, 2009): Earth Day Canada, in partnership with Cascades Inc., is searching for Canada’s 2009 Hometown Hero. The Hometown Heroes Award program recognizes and encourages environmental leadership and achievement in local communities. This year’s hero receives a cash-prize of $10 000 ($5,000 to keep and $5,000 to donate). For information, or to nominate yourself, a local individual or group , please visit www.earthday.ca/hometown

 

3.   $3.3 Billion Freeway Bridge a "Super-Sized Mistake":  Wilderness Committee Healthy Communities campaigner Ben West is concerned that the “super-bridge” proposed by Premier Campbell to replace the Port Mann bridge will actually make traffic congestion even worse within a short period of time, and in the process also increase pollution, suburban sprawl and global warming emissions.  Premier Gordon Campbell and BC Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon claim this massive freeway expansion project will create jobs, reduce congestion and reduce carbon emissions from idling cars stuck in traffic.  Many citizens debate these claims. More at: http://www.livableregion.ca/blog/blogs/index.php/2009/02/04/3_3_billion_freeway_bridge_a_super_sized

 

FROM GUY DAUNCEY’S ECONEWS

 

1.Single Transferrable Vote:  You will be voting on it May 12…

STV in three easy steps:

        Fewer Ridings, more MLAs per Riding. BC will have 20 ridings instead of 79, and each will have between 2 and 7 MLAs. BC will still have 79 MLAs.


        Vote for as many candidates as you want, ranking them in order. Vote for just one, or several.


        2nd and 3rd choices are also counted. The vote-count is done in rounds. After each round the candidate with the fewest votes is removed. When a voter selects a candidate who is eliminated, their second choice vote is counted. This continues until clear winners emerge.

Ten Reasons Why STV Makes Sense:

        The Citizens Assembly that recommended STV was created by a unanimous vote of the BC Legislature.


        After studying many possible ways of voting, the members of the Citizens Assembly chose STV by a 95% margin. 


        STV is very simple: you put a “1” by your first choice of candidate, and rank more candidates if you want to. 


        More women get elected under STV (50% more in Australia), and people from minorities stand a much better chance of being elected.


        Voting does not require a computer, unless you want to tally the votes faster.


        Under STV, almost no votes are wasted. 90% of voters will see one of their choices elected, compared to less than 50% in the current system.


        STV does not cause minority governments. It causes coalition majority governments. This creates more respect, since parties need the support of other parties to form a government.


        In most Ridings, voters will elect MLAs from different parties, giving them a choice of who they can turn to.


        STV will encourage less negative campaigning, because parties may need to cooperate to form a government.


         STV does not encourage the election of fringe candidates. Each candidate will need around 20,000 votes out of 100,000 to be elected – and if they have that much support they deserve to be elected.

To learn more, go to www.stv.ca, where you can volunteer to help.

 

2.Carbon Footprint:  In Britain, the British Standards Institute, The Carbon Trust and the government have launched a new standard that provides a consistent way of measuring the greenhouse gases associated with any goods or services, from cradle to grave. The new standard (PAS 2050) encourages companies to find ways to reduce a product’s footprint.  Their effort involved almost 1,000 industry experts from the UK and internationally, and covers everything from cosmetics to cottage pies, and will lend itself to carbon-labeling for everyday products and services. See www.carbon-label.com and www.bsigroup.com/pas2050

Examples, measured in CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent):  Men’s large white T-shirt: 650 gm

100% orange juice: 360 gm per 250ml                               Potatoes: 160 gm per 250 gm serving

Men’s medium black hoodie: 2.8 kg

Canada would do well to emulate, since this will soon catch on globally. 

 

3. CUPE’s Eco-bargaining:  The Canadian Union of Public Employees is creating green clauses that CUPE Local branches can insert into their collective agreements to improve the environmental health of the planet  and thus enhance workers’ lives. Clauses include such things as CO2 reductions, energy efficiency, car-sharing, public transit passes, green cleaning products and establishing workplace environment committees.   www.cupe.ca

4. Global Zero: Initially launched 18 years ago, this movement is dedicated to achieving the elimination of all nuclear weapons.  The global zero group wants to collect as many signatures as possible, so please sign on at www.globalzero.org

5. Cluster Bombs: They have been used in Kosovo, Iraq, and most recently by Israel in Gaza. A third of all the casualties are children, and 60% of people are injured while going about their normal activities. In May 2008, 95 nations signed a global treaty to ban their current design (including Canada and the UK, but not the US, Russia, or Israel). 30 ratifications are needed urgently for the treaty to become international law. see www.stopclustermunitions.org and click on “Take Action” to encourage Canada to support a ban on cluster bombs.

FROM ECOJUSTICE (www.ecojustice.ca)

 

1.Killer Whale Habitat Protection Victory: Canada’s 85 remaining southern resident killer whales now have legal protection. Congratulations go out to Ecojustice Lawyers Lara Tessaro and Margot Venton who, in November last year, launched the lawsuit that challenged the Canadian government to protect the habitat of Canada's west coast killer whale populations.

As a result of the lawsuit, the federal government issued a Protection Order. When finalized, March 4, 2009, this order will legally protect the critical habitat of this endangered species. For the 9 environmental groups Ecojustice represents, this stunning policy reversal marks the first time an order to protect critical habitat has ever been issued under the Species at Risk Act.


Ecojustice is now launching a prosecution against Syncrude Canada  to ensure that the oily death of hundreds of ducks that landed on a tailings pond in northern Alberta does not become the status quo in the Tar Sands.

 

 

Edited by: Egan Mandreck & Claire Truesdale