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, 3300-37th Avenue, Vernon, V1T 2Y5.  Website:  www.sensociety.org  

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

SENS STUFF

*No SENS evenings planned for July or August.  See you in September!

LOCAL STUFF

1. Bikes Rule! This May, during the filming of the Car vs. Bike challenge, a total of 44 cyclists actually beat the media cars. The winner edged out the fastest media car by about five minutes. The supporting businesses Skyride Cycle, Cycle-Cycle, Olympia Cycle and Ski, Quality Greens, Shuswap Coffee and Natures Fare all took part, providing bike checks, tune ups, refreshments, and snacks.

2. Bosch Eco-Leader Award: Their Canadian Eco-Leader Award celebrates and recognizes the great work instigated by Canadians communities to create greener and more sustainable lifestyles for future generations.  Bosch is accepting for nominations for this Award until September 19th, 2010. Visit www.bosch-home.ca  and click on the Canadian Eco-Leader Award tab to nominate an Eco-Leader. The selected Eco-Leader will receive $5000 to help advance the cause of environmental responsibility within their community.

3. Gleaning Program, 2010:  The Salvation Army has hired a student to coordinate a local gleaning program for 2010.  If you have produce to share or wish to volunteer to pick, call Danielle at 250 307 7770 or e-mail d_dueck7557@hotmail.com.  The donor and picker each receive 1/3 and the non-profit (Salvation Army) receives 1/3  of the produce. See  www.gleancanada.com

4. Komsket Goes Green: The Komasket Music Festival (KMF) is heading into its 9th year, July 30 – Aug 1, 2010.   The KMF has a Strong Mandate of ‘Active Green Consciousness’ and continues to nurture this value through recycling every recyclable possible with a team of 4 volunteers all weekend, using only reusable dishes and cutlery to serve their 300 volunteers and 200 artists through their Volunteer Kitchen, preparing wholesome partially organic/local meals and supporting/promoting organic local food booths such as Mr. Fresh’s Raw Food Booth and Golden Ears Farm Organic Produce. Info at www.komasketmusicfestival.com

5. Native Bee Conservation Training Workshops: This year, China is hand pollinating their apple orchards…the honey bee population on Vancouver island collapsed…but there is expert advice on the horizon on protecting and preserving BC’s 400+ native bee species and integrating thework of our dwindling honey bees with native stock. Ted Leischner of Keremeos is willing to give 1 hour and 1 day workshops. Contact him at tleisch@telus.net .

6. Photo Contests:  a) Healthy Oceans Society has 2 categories for their contest, People on the Water and Ocean Ecosystems. Prize is a Nikon Digital Camera. Contest closing date is September 30. See www.livingoceans.org/photos/default.aspx

b) Greener Steps Sustainable Living is holding a photo contest with a mid August (or later) deadline highlighting the ecological nature of wildlife, environment, seascapes etc with a $350 prize. Companies can become sponsors for the contest as well.  Details at www.greenersteps.com

SENT BY MEMBERS AND READERS

1. Arctic Protection: Currently, there are no known mechanisms for cleaning up an oil spill in the harsh, icy waters of the Arctic. Join WWF-Canada and call on the federal government to halt offshore drilling for oil until or unless we can safeguard our environment, our marine species, and our coastal communities.  Petition our government to reduce the risk to Canada's Arctic. Take action at:   http://wwf.ca/conservation/oceans/oil_spill_petition.cfm

2. Computers, the Environment, and Diabetes: Using high-speed computers and publicly accessible databases, researchers have begun to examine the contributions of hundreds of environmental factors in the development of Type 2 diabetes. One early study found that certain factors, notably a pesticide derivative and the environmental contaminant PCB, were strongly associated with the development of diabetes. Other factors, including the nutrient beta-carotene, served a protective role. The study also suggests that the technique could be applied to other complex diseases that also have environmental factors, such as obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. For the study, go to www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0010746  and http://ourhealthandenvironment.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/.

3. Cancer From Cars = Mostly a Hoax: According to a dubious email you might have received, you’re in danger of Benzene poisoning if you turn on the A/C immediately in your parked car. It’s not totally accurate! Yes car dashes, sofas, and air fresheners can emit this dangerous carcinogen when sitting in the sun, but the levels are negligible. Still, you may be breathing gases from these chemicals, along with trapped toxins from car emissions around you. As such, It’s a good idea to open your windows for a while when you start your car. If you are driving in heavy traffic close the windows and circulate interior air to reduce outdoor pollutants from entering.

Source: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/automobiles/a/benzene_in_car.htm

4. Banning Fish Farms:  The science is clear: fish farms pose a severe risk to wild salmon populations by intensifying disease and depleting world fishery resources to make the feed. They privatize ocean spaces and threaten food security. Join the petition calling on the Government of Canada to get these farms out of our federal waters at www.salmonaresacred.org!

5. Weeding/Ploughing – A New Alternative: These are basic operations of any farm, and with many farmers being unable to afford a tractor or additional manual labour, a multi-purpose cycle weeder developed by a poor farmer in India is being well received. It is designed with a steel fork connected to the axle while the other end carries different kinds of attachments for weeding, tilling and harrowing. Affordable, convenient and easy to use, it gives poor farmers much needed independence.   Source: www.hindu.com/seta/2010/04/29/stories/2010042950601500.htm

6. Tweaking the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement: A leaked version of the agreement between Canadian pulp and paper companies and environmental NGOs is raising the ire of many. Under the agreement, world-leading sustainable forest management will occur. This includes the completion of a network of protected areas, representing diverse ecosystems, and species at risk (such as the boreal caribou) will be given time to recover. Measures will also be taken to minimize the GHG emissions from cut trees. The issue irking many is that the agreement allows non-signing companies such as Domtar to continue polluting. Even signing partners (eg. Howe Sound Pulp and Paper and Suncor Energy Inc.) can continue polluting. Oh, and indigenous groups weren’t even consulted. The revised version needs more teeth!  Source: www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/6292

7. Drugs, Hormones and Our Water: Intersex fish (fish with male and female traits) are found across the US (and Canada!), and result from a mix of drugs that mimic natural hormones. For example, male bass have been found with immature eggs in their testes.  The chemicals found in our water could include birth control pills and other drugs, toiletries (especially those with fragrances), products such as tissues treated with antibacterial agents, or goods treated with flame retardants. Runoff from fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural areas could also cause intersex fish.  How is this affecting the millions of people take water directly from such major rivers?!?

8. The Big Wild: This conservation Movement was founded by MEC and the CPAWS, and makes it easy for you to stand up for wilderness protection campaigns. You can access their website (www.thebigwild.org/), click on “ACT”, then call on decision makers to protect at least half of Canada’s precious public land and water forever. Do something small to save something big for BC’s Flathead Valley, for Woodland Caribou, for the Nahanni boreal wilderness and more.

9. Environment Canada list of forest industry polluters and toxins released: http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/websol/querysite/results_e.cfm?opt_report_year=2008&opt_facility=ALL&opt_facility_name=&opt_npri_id=&opt_chemical_type=ALL&opt_cas_name=&opt_cas_num=&opt_location_type=ALL&opt_province=&opt_postal_code=&opt_urban_center=&community1=&opt_industry=IS_Code&opt_naics6=322111%2C+322112%2C+322121%2C+322122%2C+322130%2C+322211%2C+322212%2C+322219%2C+322220%2C+322230%2C+322291%2C+322299&opt_naics3=&opt_naics4=&opt_nai6code=&opt_csic=

Information on what the toxins can do to human health: http://database.healthandenvironment.org/index.cfm?id=701

10. Health Effects of Incineration:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38PfTRQlJzQ

11.Organic vs  Synthetic Pesticides:  A study done on soybean aphids found that the certified organic chemicals were harmful to natural enemy species and were more detrimental to biological control organisms.  Generalizations about organics being benign aren’t always true. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011250

FROM PREVENT CANCER NOW

1. “Living Downstream” Documentary: This new and eloquent, feature-length documentary, follows Sandra Steingraber, internationally recognized author of the book of the same name, during one pivotal year as she travels across North America, working to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links. Make sure to catch this great Canadian work!

2. Too Much Garbage! Why is Vancouver even considering waste to-energy incinerators? With a 25 year extension to continue filling up the Cache Creek landfill, there’s no “garbage crisis.” There is time to move away from the old landfill format, adding organic waste removal (Port Moody and Port Coquitlam are already piloting this) and other recyclables (Sweden has 12), increasing fines for non-compliance and making all plastics recyclable. At least the non-recyclable plastic already in landfills represents a stable, solid form of carbon. Incinerate them though, and that carbon is immediately released as carbon dioxide (various toxic by-products will be released too as batteries and electronics are incinerated). Incineration is not a sustainable or ecologically responsible energy source, nor does it deal with the root problem: that our society has become unwittingly locked into a culture of too much waste. For every incinerator job, we lose about 12 recycling-oriented jobs. For some good articles on solid waste incineration projects in Canada, visit www.zerowaste4zeroburning.ca/media.  And, for updatyed information on the risk of burning waste visit http://preventcancernow.ca/main/issues-actions/stop-incineration . There are safer and more sustainable alternatives to incineration. Mobilize your community and lobby your political representatives at all levels to move your community towards these options.

FROM RECYCLING COUNCIL OF BC (RCBC)

China’s Plastic Bag Limits: This has resulted in a cut in crude oil consumption of about 3 million tonnes per year and  a cut of about 9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions yearly.

POLIS WATER SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT

Worth Every Penny: A Primer on Conservation-Oriented Water Pricing:  In Canada, water is relatively cheap. Yet, Canadians, supplied high quality drinking water by expensive pipes and pumps, are among the biggest water users in the world. Inevitably, infrastructure is deteriorating and municipalities, unable to recover the costs of providing the service, must depend on subsidies and grants from higher levels of government. The strain on communities is showing but an alternative approach exists. A new report on conservation-oriented water pricing has just been released. The report, Worth Every Penny: A Primer on Conservation-Oriented Water Pricing provides practical economic and technical information about how to implement conservation-oriented water pricing—starting with setting water rates sufficiently high to encourage conservation. Lead examples from communities on Vancouver Island and cities such as Halifax and Guelph, demonstrate successes: these are communities that have reduced water demand and improved the environmental performance of water utilities, without negative impacts on low-income families.

FROM CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK

1. Stop “Enviropig”: Health Canada could soon approve this genetically modified (GM) pig for human consumption. Ugh! Write to the Minister of Health from www.cban.ca/enviropigaction and tell her that GM animals are not acceptable in our food system.

FROM GUY DAUNCEY’S ECONEWS

1. Green Those Bums:  If you buy recycled toilet tissue, each kilogram will save 30 litres of water and 3-4 kilowatt hours of electricity, compared to non-recyclable. Of the 7 billion toilet rolls used every year in America, only 2% are made from recycled fibres. If everyone in Canada switched to 100% recycled paper (non-bleached), we could leave 48,000 trees standing every year. Ponder this, the next time you sit on the throne.

2. Stop Coal Use: When we burn coal, the released carbon is trapped in the atmosphere. Coal is now the biggest cause of global warming, and its continued use must be stopped. And yet, despite the government’s commitment to reduce BC’s carbon emissions, four new coal mines are being proposed for BC.  In fact,  BC exports over 20 million tonnes of coal a year (that’s 56 million tonnes of CO2 a year!), mostly to Korea and Japan. This has to end. For more: www.bit.ly/bmi75B.

3. 7 Fresh Ideas To Tackle Climate Change: Downlaod for free from www.earthfuture.com

FROM SMART GROWTH BC

1. Infill Housing: The Resort Municipality of Whistler is considering an initiative that could see housing opportunities expand with little cost to taxpayers. It’s called infill housing, and is the insertion of additional, affordable housing units into an already approved subdivision or neighbourhood. This initiative, along with others, will help Whistler reach its 2020 goal of housing 75 per cent of their workforce locally. To learn more: www.whistler.ca. This initiative sounds great for Vernon to adopt!

2. Time for Population Control: With humans now overpopulating the planet, consuming more than the planet can regenerate, and with the world population predicted to keep on rising to close to 10 billion in 2050, it is time to consider population control. Crack this and our most pressing global issues: climate change, food scarcity, water supplies, immigration, health care, biodiversity loss, even war will decline. (http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/05/population-growth-india-vatican) for the solution.

3. Building Green: The practice of "commissioning," in which an engineer monitors the efficiency of a building from its design through its initial operation, just may be the most effective strategy for reducing long-term energy usage, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. So why is it so seldom used? For the answer, read   www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2276.

4. Summer Reading: in her lively and terrifying book "Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture," Ellen Shell pulls back the shimmery, seductive curtain of low-priced goods to reveal their insidious hidden costs. From fish farms to sweatshops, this book is a highly recommended read. A review of it can be found here: www.salon.com/books/review/2009/07/12/cheap/.

5. Congress for New Urbanism: Check out www.cnu.org/cascadia to find out about this group’s work towards building walk-able, mixed-use, diverse neighbourhoods.

6. Anti-Incineration Video: “Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Breath” takes a quirky look at how Metro Vancouver staff have been pushing waste incineration onto the general public, and pokes fun at flaws in their research and claims. The video also encourages viewers to take action, and directs them to the campaign website ZeroWasteBC.org. The video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fSg5JqWR0I. It’s great!

7. New Urbanist vs Suburban Neighbourhoods: This study explores travel and social behaviour differences between selected new urbanist and conventional suburban neighbourhoods in Canada. The analysis compares urban design characteristics (eg. access to daily destinations, pedestrian routes and connectivity, housing choice and density) and occupant behaviours, attitudes and perceptions (eg. car use for weekday urban travel walking and biking, use of public transit, resident satisfaction with neighbourhood design, use of public open space, social interaction with neighbours and sense of neighbourhood attachment). http://tinyurl.com/26b82y4

8. Feeding Cities: The relationship between agriculture and cities is becoming increasingly important. Daniel Nairn suggests building "garden blocks"  (pockets of agriculture) within cities to meet community food needs instead of embedding hamlets within a rural landscape. Details at

http://www.grist.org/article/food-greening-and-feeding-the-city-with-a-garden-block

9. Green and White Roofs: Both Green and White roofs reduce a building’s carbon footprint and reduce the urban heat island effect. Reflective white roofs provide energy efficiency by reflecting heat, and even though, in northern climates, there may be a winter-time heating penalty, the geo-engineering still reflects heat back into space in the same way polar ice does (or did) to reduce effects of global warming. Researchers have been working on a variety of technologies, including some involving roofing materials that change colour with the temperature — turning a light color in hot weather or darkening in cold weather.  

Apart from energy considerations, green roofs have an attribute missing from white roofs: They help control storm-water runoff.   A vegetative roof with 10 cm of growing medium can hold about 40 litres of water per square metre. So a big roof of 1,000 square metres could hold 40,000 litres, or about 245 barrels of water, releasing it slowly so that storm sewers aren’t overloaded.  A New York City study published in 2009 showed that green roofs really do mitigate urban heat-island effect, absorb stormwater, and help keep the building below them cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  As well, green roofs assist pollinators and resident and migratory birds and provide green space to retreat to including doubling up for food production. 

Co-edited with Egan Mandreck