PACHA seeks moratorium on new pollution sources in the bowl

The People’s Action Committee for Healthy Air (PACHA) agrees with the Prince George Mayor and Council when they say “A place for everything, and everything in its place”, but they don’t agree on the location.

Prince George citizens already live in and breathe the worst air in British Columbia. PACHA is therefore gathering the support of citizens, Government, unions and organizations in the Prince George airshed, with the goal being the creation of a moratorium on degrading the air quality even further.

Enough is enough and more is too much. Residential areas and industrial zones are simply too close to each other and now is the time to create a positive change, before additional particulates make the Prince George airshed not just the worst in BC, but the worst in the Nation. Prince George’s air is dangerous.

Prince George has an exceedingly high level of PM 2.5. Research is clear that combustion sources generating particulates that are PM 2.5 enter deeply into human lungs, causing serious disease and associated health-related conditions.

PACHA is of the opinion that for the sake of public safety, additional industrial toxins not be released into the airshed.

Unquestionably, PACHA is supportive of the continued growth of the PG economy but it believes new and expanding businesses need to be situated properly and with some foresight, and not be located at the expense of the health of the citizens.

The purpose of the Moratorium is not to increase, but to reduce the load of emissions on the Prince George airshed.


# # #

If you would like more information about this subject, or to schedule an interview,
please contact Betty Bekkering at 250 562 5036.

carbon neutral flights

If you are booking flights on Westjet - they have arrived at a partnership to make the CO2 generated by you flying with them carbon neutral - thus mitigating its effect on climate change. There is no additional cost for this service.
To do this, all you have to do is book online as usual, but go to the westjet link from

http://www.offsetters.ca

Offsetters is an organization that, among other things, purchases technology in third world countries to reduce energy consumption and therefore CO2 generation.

Chili Blanket IV: “It’s Chillier Than Ever”

D i s c o u r a g e d,
D e l a y e d, and
D e n i e d: A Rally to Protest Welfare Cuts

presented by The Northern Women's Forum

Saturday, December 9, 2006: noon – 2:00 p.m. PG Courthouse: 3rd Ave. and George St.

Chili and hot chocolate will be served.
Donations of Blankets, Winter Wear, and Children’s Clothing/Accessories would be appreciated.

Donations (new or used) can be dropped at the CNC Library; the BCGEU Office, 1070 4th Ave.; the UNBC Northern Women’s Centre, or the Rally. (Donations will be distributed during the event with any remainder given to local agencies for distribution to those in need.)

For further information: Call Jan at 564-7880 or Terry at 562-2131 (548).

FIELD SCHOOL (Sustainable Communities)

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

ENPL Field School
INFORMATION SESSION
Thurs., Nov. 30 4pm-5pm
Room 1079 Senate Chambers (Admin Building)

David J. Connell, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Environmental Planning
University of Northern British Columbia
www.unbc.ca/planning
Tel.: 250-960-5835
connell@unbc.ca
Research website: www.unbc.ca/planning/localfood/



**** DRAFT Proposal ****

ENPL 498-6 FIELD SCHOOL
(Sustainable Communities)

May 3- 24, 2007

AIM
The aim of the course is to expand upon students’ course-based understanding of sustainable communities by engaging them directly in on-going efforts by BC residents to live in sustainable communities.

PRE-REQUISITE
ENPL 301 Sustainable Communities, or permission of the Instructor.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The purpose of the three-week Field School course is to provide students an opportunity to directly engage with people who are promoting models of sustainable communities in different parts of British Columbia. These people have designed and live in ecovillages (O.U.R. Ecovillage) and cohousing developments (WindSong, Roberts Creek), as well as on sustainable farms (Linnaea Farm). The Field School provides a setting for students to discuss, apply, and integrate principles from undergraduate course work and life experiences. Students participate in workshops on natural building techniques, community design, and sustainable farming practices. Students also meet with local planning departments who are responsible for these sustainable communities and worked closely with them during the design and development stages of each project. This field experience draws on students’ understanding of sustainable communities gained from ENPL 301 Sustainable Communities. The course begins with two days of in-class orientation.


RECOMMENDED READINGS

Bang, Jan Martin 2005. Ecovillages: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Communities. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.

Holmgren, David 2002. Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability. Hepburn, Australia: Holmgren Design Services.

Scott Hanson, Kelly and Chris Scott Hanson 1996. The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community. Hartley & Marks Publishers

Canadian Cohousing Network: www.cohousing.ca

COURSE THEMES

The Field School carries forward the themes of ENPL 301 Sustainable Communities. These themes are:

- The social dimension of planning, including the organization, function, development, and decline of human settlements;
- The sociology of community and the relations between social interaction and physical structures;
- Social impact assessments, indicators of sustainable communities; and,
- Current planning paradigms (e.g., healthy communities, new urbanism, and Smart Growth).
Students are expected to continually reflect upon these themes as lens through which they can experience, understand, and evaluate their field experiences.

Block 486

Press Release from RJO Productions:

Award winning filmmaker Richard Olak's short documentary "Block 486" will Premier in Prince George this Novemeber followed by shows in McBride and Valemount.

The film is about a small stand of Ancient Cedar trees outside of Dome Creek BC. It follows Richard as he interviews the people who want to log it, the people who want it to stay standing, and those in between.

Screening information is as follows:

Prince George - Friday November 17
UNBC Campus Room 7-150
Tickets available @ Books and Company

McBride - Saturday November 18
Roundhouse Theatre (Mcbride Secondary)
Tickets available @ Stedmans V&S

Valmount- Sunday November 19
Valemount Community Hall
Tickets available @ Stedmans V&S

All shows $5 and start at 7pm.
The film is already scheduled to screen at a festival in Vancouver and is ready for International festival and broadcast release.
For more information please contact Richard Olak at block486film@yahoo.ca

Richard Olak's critically acclaimed films have been screened at numerous festivals picking up major awards and have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

Deep Ecology

The following are the eight basic principles of deep ecology. These were originally posited by philosopher Arne Naess and have now spread to become the essential doctrine of the deep ecology movement.

1. The well-being and flourishing of human and nonhuman life on Earth have
value in themselves. These values are independent of the usefulness of the
nonhuman world for human purposes.

2. Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of
these values and are also values in themselves.

3. Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to
satisfy vital needs.

4. The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with a
substantial decrease of human population. The flourishing of nonhuman life
requires such a decrease.

5. Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.

6. Policies must therefore be changed. The changes in policies affect basic
economic, technological, and ideological structures. The resultant state of
affairs will be deeply different from the present.

7. The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating life quality
(dwelling in situations of inherent worth) rather than adhering to an
increasingly higher standard of living. There will be a profound awareness
of the difference between big and great.

8. Those who ascribe to the foregoing points hace an obligation directly or
indirectly to participate in the attempt to implement the necessary changes.