a greener northern bc

on eating fish and sustainable fisheries

2009-03-30T14:18:00.001-07:00

PACHA Threatens Lawsuit

2009-03-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

February 24, 2009

British Columbia Ministry of Environment
Prince George Office
Attention:
Peter Scharf, Director
Mellissa Winfield–Lesk, Section Head, Air Quality

Hand Delivered

Dear Sir/ Madam:

Re: Concerns about State of Prince George Air Quality

PACHA is very discouraged by the recent information which has shown that the MOE has failed to follow through with Phase ll recommendations that require owners of the most significant fine particulate sources to provide plans to temporarily reduce emissions during air quality advisories! Because we had been told in the past that these recommendations had been fulfilled, failure to comply on this task has led us to question the seriousness of the Ministry of the Environment to resolve the air quality issue. We believe that this lack of diligence by the Ministry in carrying out its responsibilities under the AQ Management Plan leaves the government open to possible legal liability where the health of the citizens of Prince George are compromised as a result.
This lack of action to address industrial emissions (and very specifically, the pulp mills) during AQ advisory episodes is a serious issue. As we see it, there are a number of reasons as to why the pulp mills in particular, can, and should make much more significant contributions to episode emission reductions without further delay:
 Other source owners, including residents, businesses, the City and other industries, have been taking reduction measures during advisories for up to 10 years;
 Ambient monitoring and modelling results demonstrate that sources such as the pulp mills and rail operations likely also contribute substantively to episode PM2.5 levels; and
 Results to date indicate that the source studies will enable average and not short-term emission impacts to be addressed in the Phase III Plan, and therefore the pulp mills in particular should be required to identify substantial episode emission reductions now!

To date we believe that PACHA has expressed good will by trying to work within the system, by learning all we can about air quality and coming up with alternative solutions to the system we found when we first began our quest for cleaner air in Prince George. We do not believe that all parties that we have encountered along this journey have the same goal. We would like to know when these letters to industry are going to be sent out and how the Ministry is going to deal with the follow through!
If the response of these industrial operations is that they cannot for whatever reason reduce their emissions during advisories then another approach needs to be taken and these have to be explored quickly. Either the approach of providing access to new technology to reduce emissions or a forced one of regulation! As it appears to us at present, Industry is the one that dictates how this issue is going to be dealt with now and in the future and the MOE seems unwilling to confront them and deal with this issue.
For the sake of the residents' of Prince George's health and basic human rights and to avoid potential legal repercussions for failure in your office's duty of care to the public, MoE needs to find immediate means of addressing these issues. We would note also that the Supreme Court of Canada has now recognized that industries cannot create excessive annoyance for members of the public without incurring potential liability so it is in these companies' vested interests anyway to take the air quality issues of this city seriously and to act in the interests of the general public during advisories.
We look forward to your quick response and how and when this issue will be dealt with. In light of the very high particulate levels and the ongoing air quality advisory last week, we do not believe that waiting for Phase 3 is a viable option! The people of Prince George need and deserve immediate and effective action to redress these grave air quality problems and unacceptable levels of industrial emissions.

On Behalf of PACHA

David Fuller, Betty Bekkering, Mary MacDonald, Dr. Marie Hay,
Sergio Pettrucci, Kenneth Parker

cc Pat Bell MLA
cc Shirley Bond MLA
cc John Rustad MLA
cc Dan Rogers, Mayor of City of Prince George
cc Media

Sockeye Salmon In Fraser And Skeena Rivers 'Critically Endangered,' Report Says

2009-03-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Mark Hume
Globe and Mail (UK)

Here.

"Open Season - grizzly bear hunting in British Columbia" by Paul Koberstein

2009-03-17T20:45:00.001-07:00

Here.

"Time to End the Multigenerational Ponzi Scheme" Kim Stanley Robinson

2009-03-17T20:40:00.002-07:00

Here.

PACHA Update

2008-05-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

This upcoming week marks National Envoronment week with Clean Air Day falling on Wed. June 4th. PACHA is celebrating this day with Two events.

Tomorrow Sunday June 1st we will be at the YMCA Healthy Kids Day at Masich Place Stadium from 10:00 - 4:00. This going to be a first class children's event with a free hotdog and chicken kebob lunch for everyone. We will be celebrating with a kite flying!!!

On Sat June 7th we will celebrate Clean Air Day at the farmer's market.

At our AGM in early May we welcomed 3 new directors on board:
Scott Roberts,Dr. Kenneth Parker and Dr. Marie Hay.

We invite everyone to come out to our next meeting Tuesday June 10th at the Raven's Haven. This is on Geroge St across from the Ramada, betwen Final Chapeter and Sassafras Savouries.

We placed another order of our ever so cool and sought after PACHA t-shirts. They are available at Ave Maria's for a cost of $20.

If you would like to comment on the present review of Open Burning, please visit our website www.pachapg.ca and click on the link.

Hope to see you all out at the Clean Air Day evnets!!!

Working for healthier air,
From the PACHA board of Directors

Mountain Pine Beetle: From lessons learned to community-based solutions

2008-05-30T08:20:00.001-07:00

June 10 — June 11, 2008

University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia

Conference Information
Are you someone who develops policy, community or land use plans, or conducts management activities in forested areas affected by Mountain Pine Beetle? FORREX Forest Research Extension Partnership, in collaboration with a number of partners, invites you invites you to Prince George, June 10-11, 2008 to attend a conference to listen, contribute, explore, and discuss what we have learned as a result of the past four years of research and other initiatives aimed at addressing the biological, environmental, and socio-economic questions and challenges associated with current mountain pine beetle epidemic, and how we can use this information to help us better plan and manage our natural resources now and in the future.

Key questions to be addressed at the conference include:

How do natural disturbances such as the mountain pine beetle influence the dynamics of the ecosystems in which they occur, and by how much?

What are the future forests in the areas affected by the mountain pine beetle going to look like?

Will the forests and ecosystems continue to provide the economic benefits, traditional non-timber products, ecological, and cultural services that we are accustomed to and expect from our forests?

Al Wiensczyk (Conference Chair)
Extension Specialist, Ecosystems and Stand Management
FORREX Forest Research Extension Partnership
c/o Council of Forest Industries
Phone: (250) 614-4354
Email: Alan.Wiensczyk@forrex.org

Environment Canada muzzles top scientists

2008-02-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

The following article is from the Winnipeg Free Press:

Experts must stick to 'approved lines,' says Ottawa

Fri Feb 1 2008
By Margaret Munro

ENVIRONMENT Canada has "muzzled" its scientists, ordering them to refer all media queries to Ottawa where communications officers will help them respond with "approved lines."

The new policy, which went into force in recent weeks and sent a chill through the department research divisions, is designed to control the department's media message and ensure there are no "surprises" for Environment Minister John Baird and senior management when they open the newspaper or turn on the television, according to documents obtained by Canwest News Service.

"Just as we have 'one department, one website" we should have 'one department, one voice'," says a PowerPoint presentation from Environment Canada's executive management committee that's been sent to department staff.

It laments that there has been "limited co-ordination of messages across the country" and how "interviews sometimes result in surprises to minister and senior management."

Environment Canada scientists, many of them world leaders in their fields, have long been encouraged to discuss their work on everything from migratory birds to melting Arctic ice with the media and public. Several of them were co-authors of the United Nations report on climate change that won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

"It's insulting," says one senior staff member, who asked not to be named. She says researchers can no longer even discuss or confirm science facts without approval from the "highest level."

Until now, Environment Canada has been one of most open and accessible departments in the federal government, which the executive committee says is a problem that needs to be remedied.

It says all media queries must now be routed through Ottawa where "media relations will work with individual staff to decide how to best handle the call; this could include: Asking the program expert to respond with approved lines; having media relations respond; referring the call to the minister's office; referring the call to another department," the presentation says.
Gregory Jack, acting director of Environment Canada's ministerial and executive services, says scientists and "subject matter experts" will still be made available to speak to the media "on complex and technical issues." He would not explain how "approved lines" are being written and who is approving them.

Jack said the policy is meant to bring Environment Canada in line with other federal departments, but insists "there is no change in the access in terms of scientists being able to talk."

He says the intent of the new policy is to respond in a "quick, accurate way that is consistent across Canada."

The reality, says insiders, is the policy is blocking communication and infuriating scientists. Researchers have been told to refer all media queries to Ottawa. The media office then asks reporters to submit their questions in writing. Sources say researchers are then asked to respond in writing to the media office, which then sends the answers to senior management for approval. If a researcher is eventually cleared to do an interview, he or she is instructed to stick to the "approved lines."
Climatologist Andrew Weaver, of the University of Victoria, works closely with several Environment Canada scientists. He says the policy points to the Conservative government's fixation with "micro-management" and message control.

"They've been muzzled," says Weaver of the federal researchers. "The concept of free speech is non-existent at Environment Canada. They are manufacturing the message of science."

"They can't even now comment on why a storm hit the area without going through head office," says Weaver, who's been fielding calls from frustrated media who can no longer get through to federal experts scientists who once spoke freely about their fields of work, be it atmospheric winds affecting airliners or disease outbreaks at bird colonies.

The weather service has been exempted from having to go through head office.

-- Canwest News Service

PACHA -Better Air Symposium -

2008-01-26T23:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday, Feb 2, 2008-Coast Inn of the North

Learn about and discuss Prince George's air quality challenges and what we can do about them - Listen to some great speakers & musicians - Check out the information booths - Admission is Free! Kids Activities!

9am Opening comments by MC, Dan Rogers

9:15 am Dr. Catherine Elliott, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
"How dangerous is our air shed to the community: The link between particulate levels and mortality"

10:30 Key Note - Mark Bekkering, Acting Manager, Environmental & Planning Support, City of Toronto.
"Working together to address climate change and air quality"

12:15-Music - Performance by ColdSnap Musical Artist Carla Luft of the Wailing Jennys

12:30-1:30 Free Lunch
(no cost to first 250 symposium attendees)
Presentation of 1st annual PACHA Clean Air Awards - Awards will be given to Individuals, Businesses, Government / Politicians and Media representatives who have shown leadership and contributed to the improvement of air quality in Prince George-Green Card Children's Art Competition Awards ˆ 2 elementary school students will talk about their experiences with the air quality in Prince George (Awards presented by Hon. Pat Bell, MLA, & Sean Sharpe, Regional Director, Ministry of Environment)

1:30-1:45 -- Performance by Musician - Jeremy Stewart

1:45 - Break-out sessions with short introductions by each of the session speakers.

The Breakout sessions will focus on the following areas from 2:10-3:30 and will include sessions on Monitoring, Implementation Committee, Mayors Task Force, Designing and using effective airshed plans, Politics and Air Quality, Best Available Technology what is it? Reducing Vehicle emissions, Reducing your impact Greenhouse gasses and emissions, Benefits of Transit,

Everyone Welcome - Free Admission - Kids activities
Please drop in to show you care about our air!

See online schedule here

PACHA year end

2007-12-31T20:55:00.000-08:00

from PACHA:

"The year 2007 has been an eventful one in terms of air quality issues. As you know Prince George has some of the worst air quality in British Columbia. The recent report released by Northern Health estimates the mortality rate in Prince George at 60 people per year due to particulate inhalation. This makes the problems associated with our air all the more unacceptable.

Recently we have seen some changes in the attitude of the City Council, in that, air quality could be an issue to the citizens of Prince George. This is fantastic; however, we need more... if this problem is going to change. We need to see movement by the provincial government in terms of how they are going to attack this problem. The technology is available to make the air quality better in Prince George. The political will is not there yet. Government seems more intent on protecting the bottom lines of companies than protecting the health of the citizens that work to make these companies profitable.

On February 2nd 2008, only 1 month away, PACHA is hosting a symposium at the Coast inn of the North. We are bringing in Mark Bekkering an expert in terms of how to make change in Air Quality. Mark helped Hamilton reduce their pollution by approximately 25% - He is going to tell us how that worked. Mark is now working in Toronto on a similar effort. There will be presentations by Northern Health on their recent report on mortality as well as short talks in the afternoon on everything from how individuals can reduce their effect on air quality to presentations on what technology is available to industry to reduce their impact on the air quality. A complimentary lunch will be provided. The first annual PACHA Clean Air awards will be awarded to individuals, companies, politicians, and media who have made a difference to our air quality. Please go to our website www.pachapg.ca and download the information to submit a nomination. There will be music, entertainment as well as a
children‚s environmental art competition. We need you to come out to the symposium and make it successful.

We also need help organizing this event. We need people to phone our members. People are needed to help at the event. People are needed to help put up posters and get the word out. If you can help, please reply to our email or call me at 617-7467

Our thanks for sponsorship of this symposium goes to the City of Prince George, Northern Interior Health, Ministry of the Environment, the Citizen and PGTV. If you know anybody that works at these places please thank them for helping clean up our air.

Finally we know that there are many issues surrounding air quality. I would personally like to thank your board of directors for all the work they have done to continue to bring this issue to the forefront - The number of hours they have put in during the past year is probably in the thousands. Without them we wouldn't be getting the movement we are in terms of this issue. Thank you for joining PACHA and believing that we can make a difference to our air quality. We can and we will make Prince George a better place to live, and breathe

PACHA holds its meetings the first Tuesday of every month at 1400 N. Nechako Rd. We welcome anyone interested in attending. Our next meeting is Tuesday Jan 8th. Meetings run from 7:00pm ˆ9:00pm."

Dave Fuller
"PACHA (People's Action Committee for Healthy Air"

Bus Business

2007-12-29T13:18:00.000-08:00

Effective Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, a bus will be added to the 15 UNBC/15th Avenue route to create a 15-minute service up University Way from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and down University Way from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.

This is great news and the first step in trying to empty that parking lot full of cars at UNBC. See you on the bus!

UNBC Brands Itself "Green"

2007-12-21T15:18:00.000-08:00

The whole "branding" thing makes me nervous, but if it means the UNBC campus becomes more sustainable and the programming becomes even more environmentally conscious, then it is nothing but a good thing. The move to brand threatens to turn the process into an image design with no substance, a promotional tactic, smoke and mirrors. As long as UNBC administration commits fully to making substantial changes to infrastructure, energy consumption, and programming, then the brand is justified.

The university has the potential to change the face of post-secondary institutions around the world if it has the political will to lead and go all the way. Universities have always been leaders in revolutionary action so I would like to see UNBC not just imitate other green initiatives but go further, commit more, and be creative in how it restructures itself in relation to environmental issues.

Here is how UNBC has introduced itself on its website:

"Green may be the University’s official colour, but it is much more than that at UNBC. Our strong connection with nature extends from our academic activities and the architecture of the Prince George campus to our outdoor lifestyle and quality of life. We also recognize that the environment sustains the social, health, economic, and cultural well-being of northern people and our communities. Being innovative in environmental management and educating the next generation of environmental leaders is vital. This approach to sustainability is the basis of much of our teaching, research, campus operations, and community relations."

The university is well on its way to being as environmentally friendly as it says but it still has work to do. I invite students and community member to participate with UNBC in creating a model for sustainable institutions that can be carried into the next decade and beyond.

Beetle Kill and Flooding

2007-06-15T17:52:00.001-07:00

Potentially devastating flooding in B.C. is being exacerbated by the provincial government’s policy to promote clear-cut logging for large-scale salvage in forests infested by the mountain pine beetle, the Sierra Club BC said today.

“We need to stop our gold rush approach to logging forests damaged by the mountain pine beetle,” said Sierra Club BC Forestry Specialist Rob Duncan. “The beetle infestation is causing radical shifts in hydrology and clear-cutting is making the problem worse.”

In March of this year, a B.C. Forest Practices Board report warned that logging in beetle-attacked watersheds could result in a 30 percent increase in peak flow volume during spring runoffs compared with leaving those stands un-logged.

“The dramatic increase in salvage logging, combined with higher than average snowpacks, is resulting in faster run-offs,” said Duncan. “Flooding will be an escalating problem downstream of beetle-attacked watersheds as long as clear-cutting continues.”

A 2007 report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that extreme climatic events like flooding will increase in frequency and intensity this century due to global warming.

Forests attacked by the beetle, like those in the upper Fraser watershed and Bulkley Valley, have larger snow packs at least in part because there are fewer pine needles to intercept falling snow. The lack of forest canopy also means that direct sunlight melts snowpack faster when we get the record-breaking warm temperatures B.C. has seen lately. Vast areas of clearcuts also allow much faster run-off, creating a predictable recipe for disastrous flooding and landslides.

“We are part of an interconnected system that is starting to fail,” said Sierra Club BC Campaigns Director Lisa Matthaus. “The Forest Practices Board, B.C.’s Chief Forester and many others know that we must reduce logging and change our forest management practices to help maintain the resilience of our forests in the face of climate change. Continuing with business as usual is equivalent to just standing by while rising waters threaten B.C. communities and farmland.”

Among other warnings, the Forest Practices Board report pointed out that flooding will occur every three to four years – instead of once every 20 years on average – in watersheds subject to current logging practices and heavy mountain pine beetle infestation.

The March Forest Practices Board report is available at www.fpb.gov.bc.ca. Also see the Sierra Club BC’s March 19, 2007, press release at http://www.sierraclub.ca/bc/media/releases.shtml

Commuter Challenge 2007

2007-06-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Commuter Challenge June 3rd to 9th, 2007 Go Green during Environment Week! The City of Prince George is pleased to continue with past years’ tradition by participating in the 2007 Commuter Challenge during Environment Week. Residents and local organizations are encouraged to part in efforts to reduce air pollution by participating in the National Commuter Challenge. The Commuter Challenge is a friendly competition between Canadian communities that encourages people to use sustainable modes of transportation. Participants are asked to register and leave single-occupancy vehicles at home. Alternative modes of transport include jogging, walking, cycling, in-line skating, public transit, carpooling or teleworking during Environment Week (June 3-9, 2007). For people with longer commutes or a tough climb out of the bowl, residents can use Bike and Bus with bike racks on our local transit busses. The Prince George City Transit has bike racks on all buses allowing commuters to combine two low impact modes of transportation. June 6 th is the Go Green day with transit rides costing only 25c for those wearing the GO GREEN buttons. FREE Go Green buttons are available for pick up at City Hall, UNBC (PGPIRG, NUGS, and the Commissionaires’ Office), Ave Maria, Shoppers Drug Mart at College Heights, Spruceland, and Pine Center Mall and at Hart Drugs, and Second Cup. Involvement in this event has many personal and environmental benefits. Active and sustainable transportation enhances physical, mental, and emotional health. Fuelpowered transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the single largest sources of air pollution in Canada. To register and track the difference made by participating, log on to the Commuter Challenge website at www.commuterchallenge.ca. For more information, visit the City’s website at www.city.pg.bc.ca or contact the City of Prince George at 561-7600.

Bee Line Out of Here

2007-04-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?

Scientists claim radiation from handsets are to blame for mysterious 'colony
collapse' of bees

By Geoffrey Lean and Harriet Shawcross

Published: 15 April 2007

It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some
scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive
food shortages, as the world's harvests fail.

They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile
phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more
bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt
disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops. Late last week, some
bee-keepers claimed that the phenomenon - which started in the US, then
spread to continental Europe - was beginning to hit Britain as well.

The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees'
navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding
their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now
evidence to back this up.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly
disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers, like so
many apian Mary Celestes. The vanished bees are never found, but thought to
die singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that
normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to
go anywhere near the abandoned hives.

The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all
American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its
commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.

CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and
Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers,
announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.

Other apiarists have recorded losses in Scotland, Wales and north-west
England, but the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
insisted: "There is absolutely no evidence of CCD in the UK."

The implications of the spread are alarming. Most of the world's crops
depend on pollination by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees
disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".

No one knows why it is happening. Theories involving mites, pesticides,
global warming and GM crops have been proposed, but all have drawbacks.

German research has long shown that bees' behaviour changes near power lines.

Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to
return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn,
who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause.

Dr George Carlo, who headed a massive study by the US government and mobile
phone industry of hazards from mobiles in the Nineties, said: "I am
convinced the possibility is real."

The case against handsets

Evidence of dangers to people from mobile phones is increasing. But proof is
still lacking, largely because many of the biggest perils, such as cancer,
take decades to show up.

Most research on cancer has so far proved inconclusive. But an official
Finnish study found that people who used the phones for more than 10 years
were 40 per cent more likely to get a brain tumour on the same side as they
held the handset.

Equally alarming, blue-chip Swedish research revealed that radiation from
mobile phones killed off brain cells, suggesting that today's teenagers
could go senile in the prime of their lives.

Studies in India and the US have raised the possibility that men who use
mobile phones heavily have reduced sperm counts. And, more prosaically,
doctors have identified the condition of "text thumb", a form of RSI from
constant texting.

Professor Sir William Stewart, who has headed two official inquiries, warned
that children under eight should not use mobiles and made a series of safety
recommendations, largely ignored by ministers.

© 2007 Independent News and Media Limited

Traveling World Community Film Festival

2007-04-14T20:38:00.001-07:00

Prince George hosts the Traveling World Community Film Festival, an amazing week of films to foster understanding and encourage celebration of our world community.

The Festival includes a Brown Bag Cinema: weekday lunch screenings at the London Hotel at 1479 Third Avenue and afternoon matinees and evening showings at Artspace, Sassafras Savouries at 421 George Street, and the Two Rivers Art Gallery.

Pick up a Festival schedule and tickets at Books and Company at 1685 Third Avenue. Check out the film descriptions at www.worldcommunity.ca, however, the PG schedule is not included on that website.

Sunday, April 22, 2007 -
Sunday, April 29, 2007

Contact Jovanka Djordjevich
(250) 564-3859
jovanka@netbistro.com

Sierra Club of Canada

2007-02-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Kyoto Report Card 2007
Executive Summary

Last year, 2006, was a lost year for the federal government in contributing to the fight to stop global warming and meeting Canada’s international obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Federal programs were slashed and the importance of the issue downplayed. The lost year followed a decade of procrastination, half-measures and delays by the previous government. The appointment of John Baird as federal environment minister in early 2007 signaled a positive change in the government’s approach to the climate crisis. Several programs (clean energy, energy efficiency, funding for provincial climate initiatives) that had been eliminated were rebranded and relaunched. However, even with these initiatives, Canada remains an international laggard in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is barely out of the starting blocks in the race to prevent catastrophic climate change, with other nations far ahead.

This fourth Kyoto Report Card prepared by Sierra Club of Canada marks the second anniversary of the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol on February 16, 2005. The year 2007 is also significant in that it is the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Kyoto Report Card first describes a vision for a low-carbon future and summarizes why the Kyoto Protocol is the foundation for achieving that future. Progress achieved by other countries in reducing carbon pollution is highlighted to show that a low-carbon future for Canada is possible. The sorry events of 2006 in which Canada, for a time, lost all momentum in implementing the Kyoto Protocol are described, as well as the more positive federal initiatives in 2007. Highlights of provincial progress (and lack of same) in implementing the treaty are reviewed. A snapshot in the life of a Kyoto-friendly Canadian family is presented. Finally a ten-point plan for meeting Canada’s Kyoto Protocol targets is outlined.

Some of the key findings of the 2007 Kyoto Report Card are as follows:

Other countries have shown that Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction targets can be met. The United Kingdom has already met its targets. Sweden is on track to meet its targets by reducing its dependence on oil from 77% to 32% of its energy needs, even as it phases out nuclear power.

Recently announced Conservative government programs will not achieve an overall reduction in Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. To date, the announcements have been ad hoc and no comprehensive plan is evident. There is no indication that the Conservative government plans to ramp up these programs to the level needed to meet Kyoto Protocol or longer-term targets. More telling is the government’s commitment to a five-fold increase in tar sands oil production, which would dramatically drive up Canada’s emissions.

Bill C-30, the Conservative government’s proposal for a Clean Air act tabled in the House of Commons in October 2006, would have added few powers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond those already set out in federal law. Key amendments proposed by 24 major environmental groups would have created legal obligations to deliver emissions reductions to meet Kyoto and longer-term targets. Also in October, the government issued a notice of intent to
regulate large final emitters under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, but the proposed approach focuses on reducing emissions intensity, rather than on achieving absolute decreases in emissions. Intensity targets are unacceptable and will not reduce overall emissions.

Ontario and Alberta are the biggest provincial laggards in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ontario has delayed the phase-out of coal-fired plants, rejected a California-style vehicle fuel-emission standard, and committed $45 billion to expanding nuclear power production. Alberta has no plan to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions and has failed to regulate reductions in rapidly increasing emissions from the tar sands. While Quebec stands out as a leader for its climate plan, implementation has been slow due in part to federal tardiness in providing financial support.

Canada’s Kyoto Protocol targets can still be met by 2012 without damaging the economy assuming that federal leadership builds on the social consensus that meeting these targets is a top priority for the country. Canadians built a railway to the Pacific, helped defeat the most notorious tyrant in history, led international efforts to close the hole in the ozone layer, and convinced industry and American governments to stop acid rain. We did these things without knowing at the beginning exactly how we were going to achieve them. Canada must not give up on our Kyoto targets before we have even started work.

Trade agreement could terminate B.C.'s climate plan

2007-02-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Gordon Campbell would like to think he's upstaging Arnold Schwarzenegger by proposing strict new environmental regulations. But a little-known trade agreement with Alberta could end up terminating any effort to fight climate change, says the Council of Canadians.

On April 1, 2007, the relatively unknown Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) between B.C. and Alberta will go into effect. “After that date, both provinces can be sued by corporations or individuals for exactly the kind of regulatory changes B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is proposing in his new environmental plan,” says Carleen Pickard, B.C. spokesperson for the Council of Canadians.

TILMA, which was signed into law without public debate last April, is a legally binding agreement between Alberta and B.C. that gives businesses and individuals the right to sue either province when they feel that any regulation or other government policy “restricts or impairs” investment. B.C.’s plan for higher tailpipe emissions standards on new vehicles, anti-idling measures for transport trucks, new low-carbon fuel standards and stricter rules on methane-capture at private landfills will all impair investment and are therefore vulnerable to attack under TILMA.

“TILMA also forbids the introduction of new standards or regulations after April 1, 2007,” adds Pickard. “B.C.’s proposed climate plan is clearly incompatible with this new trade and investment agreement, which is a perfect example of why TILMA should never have been signed in the first place.”

“The Council of Canadians applauds any efforts to deal with climate change,” says Pickard. “But clearly the B.C. government is going to have to either scrap its new climate plans or scrap TILMA. Considering the overwhelming public support for environmental measures, Premier Campbell would be wise to scrap TILMA first.”

Elizabeth May, Wednesday January 24

2007-01-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth May is coming to Prince George on January 24 (Wednesday)

*She will arrive at 3PM
*She will attend a Media scrum, at Books and Company (up stairs: Art Space) 4PM
*She will attend a member/supporter dinner, also at the Art Space 5PM – 6:30PM. If you want to attend the dinner, please contact Ken Benham at the Green office (up-stairs at Books and Company) or e-mail at kenbenham50@hotmail.com or call: 250-561-2887--- we need to know how may will be attending.
*She will attend a Public Presentation at UNBC (The Canfor Aud.) at 7:00PM—9:30PM She will talk to the public about who she is and her future with the Green Party and many of the Green policies.

Check out Peter Mansbridge's half hour interview with Elizabeth May on his show Peter Mansbridge One On One. The show aired last weekend and is now available online.

PACHA News

2006-12-17T18:55:00.000-08:00

On January 22ndPACHA (People's Action Committee for Healthy Air) will be presenting to the town council. The purpose of this presentation is to make council aware that the people of Prince George desire to see Air Quality as a top priority issue. Council responds to concerns/initiatives when the gallery is packed with warm bodies. We need to fill the gallery. If air quality is a concern to you, then you need to be there. We need to show them there is a growing movement desiring to see change in the way we manage our air shed.

We encourage you to copy and paste this announcement and forward it on to your email contacts. Please help spread the word. We will be sending out reminders in January.

PACHA seeks moratorium on new pollution sources in the bowl

2006-11-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

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”

2006-11-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

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)

2006-11-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

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.

West Coast Environmental Law

2006-09-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

___________________________________________________
PACHA
PEOPLE'S ACTION COMMITTEE FOR HEALTHY AIR, PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.
(members@pachapg.ca )
INVITES YOU TO A PRESENTATION BY:

WEST COAST
ENVIRONMENTAL
LAW

West Coast Environmental Law is the legal champion for the environment through legal advice, education and advocacy. West Coast provides citizens and organizations with the knowledge, tools and innovative solutions needed to protect our environment and build sustainability locally, nationally and internationally.

This presentation will interest:
Concerned Citizens wanting to know what more the municipality can do to improve the air; People looking for legal help with environmental issues; Anyone concerned about our air quality.
___________________________________
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Thursday, September 28, 2006 -- Esther's Inn

A GARDEN . . . A FAIR

2006-06-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Join Community Gardens Prince George Society on Sunday, June 4th for their annual Environment Day plant sale fundraiser at 10 a.m. at 1540 Milburn Avenue. Environment Day activities begin at 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with displays and resources to help you protect the environment as you plan and manage your outdoor spaces. There will be local organizations hosting displays and providing resources on everything from bats, birds, composting, land trusts, local foods, water conservation, organic gardening and more. Call 564-3859 for information.

The END of SUBURBIA

2006-06-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

MOVIE

Date: June 7, 2006----(Wednesday)

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Books and Company (Art Space)
1685 3rd Ave. -- Prince George
(Upstairs)

Since WWII North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too the suburban way of life has become embedded in the North American consciousness. As we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge.

No admission, but if you want to give donation it will be accepted.

Sponsored by the Green Party of BC - Prince George

The Challenge!

2006-05-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Commuter Challenge is gearing up again for this year. It is a friendly competition between Canadian communities and workplaces, encouraging Canadians to use sustainable modes of transportation to get to and from work during Clean Air Day (June 7, 2006) and Canadian Environment Week (June 4-10, 2006). Last year Prince George logged the most kilometers for its size class, but lost the competition to Lethbridge which had a higher percentage of participants.

The website is now available to sign up. www.commuterchallenge.ca Team coordinators from last year still have access to manage their groups. Walk, bike, carpool, rollerblade, telecommunicate or bus to work and log your kilometers during Environment Week. Encourage others to join you. Prizes are available for participants!

June 7th and 8th is 25 Cent Bus Day. Wear a "Go For Green" pin and pay only 25 cents to ride the bus. Please contact me for a list of places that will be distributing pins.

For more information about the Commuter Challenge or 25 Cent Bus Day, please feel free to contact me. I have numerous posters that can be displayed at your work place. If you do not wish to receive any further updates, please send me an email.

Jocelyn White, BSc, RPBio.
City of Prince George
(250) 561-7550 ext 261
(250) 565-7825 (cell)
(250) 561-7519 (fax)
jwhite@city.pg.bc.ca

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest
of the world. ~ John Muir

Reinvesting in Community

2006-05-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Read Peter Ewart's article on Opinion250.

Apocalypse Soon

2006-05-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

Canada is facing an environmental and energy crisis
Winnipeg Free Press Wednesday, April 12th, 2006
FRANCES RUSSELL

WHEN it comes to political scandals, this is the genuine article. It combines unethical and irresponsible behaviour with lack of transparency and accountability at the top. It's both federal and provincial in scope. It's the biggest yet.

Canada faces an environmental and energy crisis within the next decade. Not only are the politicians refusing to debate it. They are pretending it doesn't exist. Worst of all, they have no plan, no idea, how to deal with it. Here are just some of its components:

* Canada has less than 10 years of proven conventional oil reserves left, Statistics Canada reports. In 2004, our oil production averaged 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd). We exported 1.6 million bpd to the U.S., requiring us to import some 963,000 bpd to meet our domestic demand of 1.75 million bpd.

* Canada has only 8.7 years of domestic natural gas supply remaining, also according to StatsCan. We produce 17 billion cubic feet per day (bcf) and export 9.7 bcf to the U.S., leaving us with less than half, 7.3 bcf. Even the ever-optimistic and industry-serving National Energy Board now admits Canada's natural gas situation is "unsettling."

* Canada's Prairies face an "impending water crisis with far-reaching" implications, says a new study published by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Dr. David Schindler, the study's lead author and Canada's most renowned environmental scientist, states the deadly combination of global warming, population pressure and the rapacious demands of Alberta's oil industry is draining all western rivers dry. Summer flows are down by 35 to 40 per cent on the Peace, Slave and Athabasca rivers. The South Saskatchewan's flow has dropped a frightening 80 per cent since 1910. Several lakes have simply dried up. And the glacier that feeds the Bow River is melting so quickly that there may be no water left in it in 50 years.

Not only has not a single alarm bell gone off in Edmonton and Ottawa, federal and provincial politicians have ramped up the looming environmental and economic disaster. And all with virtually no public debate. Exploitation of Alberta's Athabasca tar sands, chiefly to serve the U.S. market, is now Canada's Job One. But every barrel of tar sands oil requires 1,000 to 2,000 cubic feet of natural gas and from three to six barrels of water. By comparison, an average Canadian home burns 9,000 cf of natural gas per month in winter. In full production, Fort McMurray's tar sands plants will demand an additional 175 million litres of water per day above the 138 billion litres a year already allocated.

As for climate change, every barrel of tar sands oil produced releases 125 kilograms of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. What happens when -- and it is when, not if -- Canada, a cold country, reaches a domestic supply crunch sometime in the next decade- Thanks to the proportional sharing è\÷ clause contained in the North American Free Trade Agreement, we can't turn off the tap on either oil or gas. We can't even turn it down. We will have to go short ourselves. And there's more, much more, all exposed in a major new report by the University of Alberta's Parkland Institute, the Polaris Institute of Ottawa and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, entitled Fuelling Fortress America: A Report on the Athabasca Tar Sands and U.S. Demands for Canada's Energy.

Most Canadians probably know bits and pieces of this biggest-ever Canadian political outrage. But it's not until they are all pulled together that its staggering impact emerges. The planned $7 billion Mackenzie Valley pipeline, projected to deliver 1.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas through 1,400 kilometres of some of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth, terminates at a tiny station called Bootis, adjacent to Fort McMurray. The pipeline isn't for natural gas consumers; it's for the tar sands.

Alberta has set its royalty rate on tar sands production at a ridiculous one per cent. Ralph Klein's government collected more revenue from gambling than from the tar sands in 2004-05. Reacting to Imperial Oil's threats to withdraw from the pipeline last fall, Ottawa came through with concessions totalling $2.8 billion. And this at the same time Imperial's parent, ExxonMobil Corp., reported a $10 billion quarterly profit, largest in U.S. history. There has never been any public discussion about our loss of energy sovereignty, about Canada's energy security, about Canada's environmental and economic future. Why- Because Canada, alone among oil-producing nations, has not had any energy policy, federal or provincial, for over 20 years. Since Brian Mulroney's government threw Canada's storehouse of non-renewable, strategic resources onto the unfettered free market, federal and provincial governments have prostrated themselves before the oil companies and the deep integrationists in the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

The media mainly keep mum. This scandal is epic. Year after year, it worsens. Year after year, there is no debate, nor even questions.

FrancesRussell@mts.net
© 2006 Winnipeg Free Press. All Rights Reserved.

* ***********************************************************
BC Sustainable Energy Association - www.bcsea.org Seeking Sustainable Solutions for all of BC's Energy Needs

The Mess of Kemess

2006-05-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

At the Amnesty International film night Monday May 8, the Northern BC Mining Action Group & spokespeople from 2 First Nations groups spoke there about the Kemess mine.

Jessica McGregor gave a presentation on behalf of the Northern BC Mining Action Group about the Kemess north proposal. This group is a research group affiliated with PG PIRG at UNBC.

The Kemess mine project is comprised of 2 parts: Kemess south and Kemess north. The Kemess south is already operating as an open pit copper & gold mine. Kemess is a subsidiary of Northgate Minerals with an office in Vancouver. It is estimated that the supply of copper & gold from that open pit mine will end by 2009.

The Kemess north mine if developed could extend the supply of copper & gold to 2020. The prices of these metals on the market is currently very high. To develop the Kemess north portion of the project, Kemess proposes to dump tailings into Duncan (Amazay) Lake which is a multi-species fish (dolly varden, rainbow trout, whitefish) & pristine wilderness lake in the mountains (gorgeous too). It flows into the Finlay River which in turn flows into the Peace River. It is also in the heart of the traditional land of the Tse Keh people.

To do this dumping so would exceed current provincial water quality guideline standards. In addition, section 35 of the federal Fisheries Act and a Metal Mining Effluent Regulation bear on the situation. Schedule II of the federal regulation in question could be amended to allow for this dumping to take place if federal Parliament chose to amend it by Order in Council to name this lake as an allowable dumping place. There are apparently other available options to dumping; however, the cost for Northgate to implement would be considerably higher.

The speaker expressed concerns about the cutting back of BC environmental assessment procedures. The view is that there have not been adequate nor comprehensive environmental impact studies undertaken. There is little data about this remote area other than First Nations traditional ecological data which has been ignored completely to date. Apparently in April 2004, there was a meeting about this project between government & Northgate & First Nations were not invited to participate & only found out about the meeting 3 months later.

The Northern BC Mining Action Group can be contacted for more information at: 960-7474, email nbcmag@gmail.com.

Also, there were spokespeople present from Takla & Tse Keh communities (2 of the 3 First Nations groups whose traditional territories would be directly impacted if this project is allowed to proceed). The spokesperson of the Takla community read out a very eloquent letter from the Chief there by the name of Chief French asking for the support of other people in regard to this issue.

It is very important to the First Nations people of this area that this pristine state of this lake & the quality of the Arctic watershed be protected. These were some of the same people who were dislocated by the Williston Lake project.

There are plans to try to put together a community to community forum sometime this summer at which the chiefs will hopefully speak about these issues & their concerns. They have already been in contact with Peter Ewart of the local Active Voice Coalition to see to organizing such an event.

Amnesty & Women's Reproductive Rights

2006-04-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Amnesty Canada is consulting members to determine whether we support or do not support taking a position or not on the area of SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS; if supporting it, what should AI's position look like.

These rights will be discussed at the national 2006 annual general meeting in Winnipeg near the end of May.

If you'd like to provide your opinion on whether Amnesty should include these rights in its mandate or not , please do so at the May 18th Amnesty International Prince George meeting (Books and Company at 5:00 on Thursday).

If you feel this topic is not of interest to you or that you think it is too controversial for Amnesty to deal with, please
still attend and respond.

These rights and the abuse of them is critical to the whole area of women's rights and violence against women especially in the following areas:

*preventable causes of maternal and child death

*girls and maternal death

*preventable causes of maternal illness

*sexual violence against women

*access to family planning and contraception

*child marriage

*sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Ensure that your voice is heard on this important issue.

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada on Climate Change Science

2006-04-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

April 18 2006
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A3

Dear Prime Minister:
As climate science leaders from the academic, public and private sectors across Canada, we wish to convey our views on the current state of knowledge of climate change and to call upon you to provide national leadership in addressing the issue. The scientific views we express are shared by the vast majority of the national and international climate science community.

We concur with the climate science assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2001, which has also been supported by the Royal Society of Canada and the national academies of science of all G-8 countries, as well as those of China, India and Brazil. We endorse the conclusions of the IPCC assessment that “There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities” and of the 2005 Arctic
Climate Impact Assessment that “Arctic temperatures have risen at almost twice the rate of those in the rest of the world over the past few decades”.

Climate variability and change is a global issue and the international IPCC process for assessment of climate science, with its rigorous scientific peer review processes, is the appropriate mechanism for assessing what is known and not known about climate science. Many Canadian climate scientists are participating in the preparation of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report which will be completed in 2007.

The following points emerge from the assessments and ongoing research by respected Canadian and international researchers:

• There is increasingly unambiguous evidence of changing climate in Canada and around the world.
• There will be increasing impacts of climate change on Canada’s natural ecosystems and on our socio-economic activities.
• Advances in climate science since the 2001 IPCC Assessment have provided more evidence supporting the need for action and development of a strategy for adaptation to projected changes.
• Canada needs a national climate change strategy with continued investments in research to track the rate and nature of changes, understand what is happening, to refine projections of changes induced by anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases and to analyse opportunities and threats presented by these changes.

We have supplied justification and more detail for each of these points in the accompanying documentation.

We urge you and your government to develop an effective national strategy to deal with the many important aspects of climate that will affect both Canada and the rest of the world in the near future. We believe that sound policy requires good scientific input. We would be pleased to provide a scientific briefing and further support, clarification and information at any time.

Yours sincerely:

Signed by 90 Canadian climate science leaders from the academic, public and private sectors across the country.

Seeds of Change

2006-04-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

EARTH DAY

On April 22nd we will be celebrating Earth Day by the opening of an Art Show at Art Space above Books & Co. followed by a showing of the seventy minute documentary, “Seeds of Change”. This is a newly released film that concerns the controversy around genetically modified crops and documents the views of western Canadian farmers on both the benefits and risks associated with their use. This video provides an opportunity to hear both sides of the debate. The showing of this film follows on the recent successful screening of “Future of Food” in Prince George. You won’t want to miss this documentary. It is both enlightening and thought provoking. This is not a time to point fingers but an opportunity to come together with innovative ideas to improve our health and the life of the planet. The previous film showed to a full house, so come early, enjoy the art work at 7pm and be stimulated by the documentary at 8pm, April 22nd at Art Space on 3rd Ave. Admission is by donation.

Amnesty Films

2006-04-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

The CNC Human Rights and International Solidarity Committee along with Amnesty International present:

Monday, April 10th at 6:45 PM at CNC room 1-306:

Bhopal: The Search for Justice
On December 2, 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, leaked poisonous methyl isocyanate gas, killing at least 15,000 men, women and children. Hundreds of thousands more were permanently maimed. Union Carbide is now owned by the Dow Chemical Corporation. Twenty years later, amid charges of corruption, graft and suppression of medical and environmental research about the tragedy, the victims are still not adequately compensated and cared for. Journalist Raajkumar Keswani, whose prediction of the Union Carbide disaster proved prophetic, documents the legacy and introduces us to the leading scientists, doctors and activists in his search for justice.

&

Between Midnight and the Rooster's Crow
In the aggressive search for the 'black gold' that drives Western economies, multinational corporations are working to extract billions of dollars of oil reserves from beneath Ecuador's rainforest. BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND THE ROOSTER'S CROW investigates the operations of the EnCana Corporation, a firm that, despite proud public declarations of its social responsibility, is shown to be answerable for widespread environmental contamination and human rights violations.

Monday, May 8th at 6:45 PM at CNC room 1-306:

The Devil's Miner
“The Devil's Miner” is the story of 14 year-old Basilio Vargas and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the Bolivian silver mines of Cerro Rico, which date back to the sixteenth century. Through the children's eyes, we encounter the world of devout Catholic miners who sever their ties with God upon entering the mountain. It is an ancient belief that the devil, as represented by hundreds of statues constructed in the tunnels, determines the fate of all who work within the mines.

from the Quesnel Cariboo Observer, by Ben Parfitt

2006-03-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

A long-time logger I know once quipped that "greed and stupidity make a lethal cocktail and this industry’s been drinking doubles for a long time."

These words took on new meaning for me recently while touring two radically different forestry operations a half-hour drive’s east of Prince George, near the eastern front of the pine-beetle outbreak now sweeping through the Interior.

These days, Prince George is awash in wood. Trucks laden with logs are everywhere, coming into the city from all directions and, in some cases, heading out because so many trees are coming down that not even milling powerhouses like Prince George can consume them all.

The first site lay just south of the Yellowhead Highway, off a logging road covered in fresh snow. Driving up the crystalline corridor where a moose had cut a fresh trail earlier that morning, small-scale logger Dave Jorgenson pointed to a thick stand of towering trees.

"That’s what I logged."

Down a thin skid trail, Jorgenson stopped to explain how he had taken roughly 1,000 trees out of this forest, 95 per cent of them killed earlier by beetles. The fruit of that labor now lay by the logging road in neat rows beside Jorgenson’s idled green forwarder.

However, he wasn’t so much interested in what he’d logged as what he’d left behind.

Following logging, three-quarters of the trees remained untouched, many of them tall, commercially prized spruce. And climbing up out of the shade rose other young spruce and balsam trees.

After driving five minutes east, we veered north into a clearcut that branched in so many directions it defied description.
Jorgenson reckoned at least 50,000 trees had come down in this now-barren landscape, enough wood to build a major subdivision.

All the trees here were allegedly "salvaged" to extract economic value before the "pine beetle-attacked" trees lost their use for lumber or pulp.

The trouble was many of the trees were perfectly healthy spruce trees. Greed had trumped common sense.

As we passed by a long deck of stacked logs, all of them spruce, not a pine among them, he shook his head.

"If they’re logging a spruce tree right now, that’s a pine tree they’re not logging. And 10 to 15 years down the road when that pine tree is rotting, there won’t be that spruce tree either."

If all the forests those marauding beetles are attacking these days were homogenous tracts of pine trees, then the massive salvage logging operation now underway on public lands might make sense.

But as work by scientists with the Canadian Forest Service, B.C.’s Ministry of Forests and the University of Northern British Columbia is showing, just over one-quarter of forests attacked by the pests are comprised of trees that are 80 per cent or more pine.

This means the vast majority of stands now being salvage logged have some pine in them but are also comprised of other trees, like spruce in the north and fir in the south.

In fact, in many attacked stands almost all the trees are non-pine, while in others a significant minority of trees are non-pine and perfectly healthy.

Such a continuum should dictate very different approaches to logging.

Instead, a cookie-cutter approach is used.

Clearcuts race across the landscape - clearcuts where perfectly healthy trees are logged and vigorously growing young trees in the understorey are mowed down as well, thus denying future generations wood - all on the specious grounds the forest is dead and must be salvaged before losing its value.

If a concerted effort was made to put a stop to the clear-cutting of so-called mixed forests, it is interesting to note the province might not have to ratchet up Interior logging rates to today’s record highs.

Nor might many Interior communities be faced with the humbling prospect of precipitous declines in future logging rates, the price paid for today’s over-consumption.

For the sake of a saner and more sustainable future, let’s hope provincial Forests Minister Rich Coleman listens to what forest scientists are saying.

Ben Parfitt is resource policy analyst with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ BC Office and author of Battling the Beetle: Taking Action to Restore British Columbia’s Forests

http://www.quesnelobserver.com/portals-code/list.cgi

GREEN ADVOCATE

2006-03-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

Prince George-Peace River, Green Party of Canada newsletter

1ST ISSUE March 2006

The Prince George Peace River electoral district association, is our federal organization. The Prince George North constituency association is the Provincial organization. The Cariboo Prince George electoral district association still needs to be formed, as does Prince George Mt Robson and Prince George Omineca constituency associations. Does Cariboo North and Cariboo South and Peace River North and Peace River South have constituency associations?

The newsletter may have a Prince George bias since this is where most of us are centred but we welcome input from throughout the region. If other Green newsletters exist in the Peace or in the Cariboo, please let us know so that we are not duplicating a service. As many of you know, we opened a Green Party office during the election, which is situated above Books & Co. on 3rd Ave. in Prince George. We have decided to maintain this office for a 6 month trial or as long as funds last in order to continue important work on behalf of the Green Party. The office is funded by both the Provincial constituency association and the Federal EDA. We were very successful in fund-raising during the election enabling this asset but we still need to raise funds both for the office and to prepare for future elections.

Ken Benham is looking after the office but we need volunteers to help with this project. If you can spare an hour, one day a week or any time at all to help in the office, please let Ken know. This entails answering the phone, receiving visitors and working on any of the issues that are of interest to you. The office is open from 10am – 3pm, Monday – Friday.

Some of the issues that we are working on are:
Food security
Canadian sovereignty
Climate change
1st Nations water supply
Cancer prevention
Renewable energy
If anyone would like to get involved with any of these issues, please let us know.

Recent Events:
Election 2006; We garnered 6.4% of the vote in Prince George-Peace River and made history on election night by leading in the polls on the early results, which caused some excitement! Cariboo Prince George gained 5.5 % of the vote. Both of these results are impressive since both Ridings have been strongly Conservative and nationally the Green Party received 4.5% of the vote. We substantially increased our membership and our funds during the campaign. A highlight was the showing of the video “The Future of Food” in both Dawson Creek and Prince George, which was well received in both locations and received good Press, particularly in the Peace.

2 General meetings have been held since the election and we are gradually gaining focus for the future. We invite everyone who is interested, to give input to the building of our association and to contribute to forming policy.

Pine Beetle Forum was hosted by the Active Voice Coalition in Prince George on March 2nd. Lara Beckett, from the Green Party, was on the panel representing eco-forestry. It was an excellent forum designed to find Northern solutions to prepare for the inevitable looming economic and social crisis.

Hadani Dittmars, journalist, gave an excellent discourse on events in Iraq from her personal perspective of life in Iraq and the disastrous consequences of sanctions, war and occupation. This too was hosted by the Active Voice Coalition.

Charlie Russell gave a fascinating presentation on living with grizzly bears in a remote location in Russia. Amazing stories with superb photography. This presentation was hosted by the Prince George Backcountry Society.

Future Events:

Earth Day - April 22nd
REAPS have invited us to join with them at their location next to South Fort George Park. We can set up a table and should have some materials ready to share with the public. We also hope to show the DVD “Seeds of Change” in conjunction with this event, at Art Space. This film will be of particular interest to conventional farmers and to academics, as release of this documentary was originally denied by the University of Manitoba, due to corporate funding issues. Any help with this event is welcome.

Environment Week: June 5th-10th
We need to plan for this and again could collaborate with other interested groups to host an event, such as promotion of clean air day.

BC Rivers Day; September
Canoe trip. Anything else?

How to Prepare for Climate Change, Conference:
A committee was struck at our meeting on March 9th to address this issue and to help form Green Party policy concerning preparation for the effects of climate change. It is hoped that we can host a dynamic conference on this issue, maybe this Fall. Anyone who would like tocontribue ideas to this initiative, please let Ken know at the office.
The committee includes Hilary Crowley, Jackie Dewhurst and Lutz Ruahe.

Prince George North Constituency Association meeting: March 25th
This date is not confirmed yet, please contact Ken or Don Roberts for confirmation.

A friendly reminder about political donations for 2006:
Federal donations;
$100.00 - $75.00 rebate – actual cost to donor = $25.00
$200.00 - $50.00 rebate – actual cost to donor =$150.00
$400.00 - $300.00 rebate – actual cost to donor = $300.00

Provincial donations:
$25.00 - $18.75 rebate – actual cost to donor = $6.25
$100.00 - $75.00 rebate – actual cost to donor = $25.00
$200.00 - $100.00 rebate – actual cost to donor = $100.00

All donations should be mailed to Roy Howard, General Delivery, Dunster, BC VOJ 1E0 or can be dropped off at the office. Cheques should be made out to:
Prince George-Peace River electoral district association for federal donation or to
Prince George North constituency association for provincial donations.

These donations are essential for the running of our associations and for the office. Political donations provide generous tax rebates at income tax time. Donations can include annual membership dues.

We invite comments and feedback from this initial newsletter. Please send submissions for next issue. Please come and visit the office above Books & Co. on 3rd Ave. It is open from 10am-3pm Monday to Friday. This is your Party, your Association, help it to flourish. Next meeting of Prince George-Peace River EDA to be announced.

Green Party Office, 1685 3rd Ave. Prince George, V2L 3G5 Tel. (250) 561-2887

WMST 498: CREATIVITY, CULTURAL STUDIES, & SOCIAL JUSTICE (UNBC)

2006-03-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

(CRN#30145)

Instructor: Dr. Si Transken (si@unbc.ca) Please email or call 960-6643 for more detailed information.

Days/Times: Friday June 16, Saturday June 17, Sunday June 18 and Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25 from 9:00 – 4:30. (Room 6-307)

Course Description:
Have you ever wondered about the Raging Grannies? Do your eyes water up when you think of Terry Fox and his accomplishments? Do you want to become more informed about some of the issues in the news – and what you personally can do to be part of those community struggles?

This course will consist of a vigorous, playfully intelligent introduction to three intersecting fields of knowledge: Creativity, Cultural Studies and Social Justice Activism. We will look at Turner’s 5 realms of creativity (creative expression; creative presentation of self; creative conceptualization at the direct practice level; creative conceptualization at the community practice level; and the creative cosmology ‘paradigm shifting’). We will explore what various disciplines (Women’s Studies, Social work, Expressive Arts, Sociology, First Nations Studies, Education, and Literature) have to say about creativity in general (how to recognize it, increase it, understand it, and effectively apply it). In this course we will develop an understanding of some core concepts from Cultural Studies (as discussed by scholar-activists such as Norman Denzin, Garrett-Petts, bell hook). The third field of knowledge we will engage with is an overview of some social justice debates and activities (women’s rights, animal rights, anti-racism efforts, anti-poverty protests, environmental issues, etc.).

Each student will produce two integrated journaling assignments where they locate themselves as being somewhere in relationship to one of these struggles. There will be one group assignment and an essay that is due near the end of the semester. We will be viewing videos such as The Vagina Monologues; A Cow at my Table; Race is the Place; The Laramie Project; or The Corporation.

The precise focus of the course will be refined with the students who sign up. This is a perfect entry course for activists who have wanted to begin a university degree but haven’t known where to start. This is a perfect course for students who haven’t had employment/ grassroots experiences – but who want to ‘test’ the theories they’ve been exposed to in academia. This is also a perfect course for students who want to deeply challenge themselves about the issues in the world and their own emotional/intellectual/spiritual/practical relationship to citizenship.

Tentative Readings:
1. Creativity in education and learning by A. J. Cropley
2. The Small Cities Book: On the cultural future of small cities edited by W.F. Garrett-Petts
3. A Glossary of Cultural Theory by Peter Brooker (2nd Edition)
4. One of J. Cameron’s ‘work books’ such as The Vein of gold, The Artists way or Walking in this world
5. But is it art? The spirit of art as activism edited by Nina Felshin

lulu lemon manifesto

2006-03-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

* Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins and keeps your brain sharp.

* Observe a plant before and after watering and relate the benefits to your body and brain.

* Coke, Pepsi and all other pops will be known as the cigarettes of the future. Colas are NOT a substitute for water. Colas are just another cheap drug made to look great by advertising.

* Be yoga. Breathing has you live in the moment and stretching releases toxins from your muscles.

* Do yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.

* Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.

* SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.

* Compliments from the heart elevates other’s spirit and will often result in an encouraging word for someone else ... a domino effect.

* Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.

* Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.

* Write down your short and long term GOALS four times a year. 2 personal, 2 business and one health goal. A university found only 3 percent of the students had written goals. 20 years later, the same 3 percent were wealthier than the other 97% combined.

* You ALWAYS have choice and the conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.

* Communication is COMPLICATED. Each person is raised in a different family with a different definition of each word.

* Love.

*Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.

*Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. Be creative. Do one thing a day that scares you.

* Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.

* Dance, sing, floss and travel.

* Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Try vinegar and lemon. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.

* Rules of Marriage: respect the other person, compromise, be open to communicate, and build a common set of life values. If you don’t do this, you are in a lot of trouble.

* Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them. Children are the orgasm of life.

* Friends are more important than money. Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.

* Stress is related to 99% of all illnesses.

* One hour of aerobic exercise will release endorphins to regenerate cells and offset stress.

* A daily hit of athletic induced endorphins will give you the power to make better decisions and help you be at peace with yourself.

* Wake up and realize you are surrounded by amazing friends.

* The world is changing AT SUCH A RAPID rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you two steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!

Thanks Vince DeCoste!

Passages

2006-03-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

The gilly, by Ken Belford

2006-03-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

They put me to work on the shore, grabbing and landing the hens.
I brought fish to my lure but had no hook. It is easy to imagine
the Steelhead among the boulders. I charmed them
but did not deceive them. The Steelhead were drawn to my intrigue.
I did not chase them. I drew them from their hiding places
and soothed them. I brought them close so I could see them.
But I would not imitate the hen so I could hook the buck.
I would not need the techne reel. I carried no gadgets.
In high water I saw them in the bush. They were love-sick
so I didn’t tease them or set the hook. Fishermen brag
about their hot hens. And they brag about their technology.
The photos degrade the fish, especially the hero shot.
Steelhead are the most vulnerable to men.
Mimicry, language and gadgets are their tools of the slaughter.
The focus is mostly on the men and their desire
and little is on the fish. The fish is just a thing but
at the same time the men seek to experience the life of the fish.
The fish experiences the hard hand of the fisher, and
just as in hate and sex crimes, apathy and empathy are there.

Living on the Hundred Mile Diet, Alisa Smith

2006-03-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

I would like to talk about this in a Prince George context. Can we compile a list of food producers within a certain distance (maybe more than 100 miles given our latitude)? It makes sense.

Read about The Hundred Mile Diet and see what we can do!

2006-03-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

THE YATRA TRILOGY:
SACRED JOURNEYS

A Visionary Documentary Film Series • Produced and Directed by John Bush

L AOS • T H A I L A N D • B U RMA • BA L I • CAMBOD I A • JAVA • T I B E T

DHARMA RIVER is a timeless journey through legendary rivers to the great Buddhist temples and mystical sites of Laos,
Thailand & Burma. It offers a direct experience of lost civilizations, sacred spaces and ancient wisdom traditions. The
Buddha image reverberates continually in dozens of temples, caves, and shrines but is never the same. The narration
explores the different cultural representations of this universal icon of inner peace and its contemporary relevance.
DHARMA RIVER
Journey of a Thousand Buddhas
81 min.

RPRAJNA EARTH
This Yatra, or pilgrimage, explores the lost civilization of Angkor in Cambodia including the largest temple in the world -
the magnificent Angkor Wat. The journey continues on to the sacred nature sites of Hindu Bali, to trance dancers in the
jungles of Java, and finally to the gigantic seven level mandala wonder of Buddhist Borobudur. This yatra visits spiritual
intersections where Buddhist and Hindu wisdom traditions merged with the animist worship of nature.
Journey into Sacred Nature

This Yatra, or pilgrimage, explores the lost civilization of Angkor in Cambodia including the largest temple in the world -
the magnificent Angkor Wat. The journey continues on to the sacred nature sites of Hindu Bali, to trance dancers in the
jungles of Java, and finally to the gigantic seven level mandala wonder of Buddhist Borobudur. This yatra visits spiritual
intersections where Buddhist and Hindu wisdom traditions merged with the animist worship of nature.
NARRATED BY SHARON STONE
85 min.

VAJRA SKY is a cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, bearing witness to the indomitable faith of its endangered Buddhist
community and the imminent threat to its very survival. Traveling through breathtaking Himalayan terrain, VAJRA SKY
visits extraordinary temples, monasteries and festivals, while revealing a covert policy of Chinese authorities to destroy this
ancient wisdom tradition from within. “John Bush, who has taken a long interest in our traditions, has created this full length
documentary of pilgrimage to Central Tibet, bearing witness to the enduring faith there as well as the current restraints on
religious freedom. I wish this film every success.” THE DALAI LAMA
VAJRA SKY
O V E R T I B E T

Saturday April 1, College of New Caledonia, room 1-306
"The Yatra Trilogy offers up the mesmerizing beauty and
ineffable power of places most of us will never see." - TRICYCLE

The case for local and organic, by Hilary Crowley

2006-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

What’s all the fuss about organic produce anyway? I spoke with Robert Bucher of P& R Farms recently to learn more about it. They have a certified organic farm in Salmon Valley and run an organic food store on 3rd Ave. In a future column, we will explain what it takes to be certified organic. Peter Amyoony, a well known gardener from Dunster, also gave an interesting talk recently at REAPS. Peter grows a wide variety of plants and vegetables from an abundance of seeds to ensure diversity in his products. These include heritage seeds. February 25th is “Seedy Saturday” in Prince George, which will be held at Exploration Place and interested gardeners will have a chance to buy and exchange heritage seeds which have adapted to local conditions over generations of planting.

Many will have noticed that produce in the organic section of grocery stores is nearly always more expensive than the rest. The main reason for this is that the local organic farmers are more likely to be receiving a fair wage for their produce whereas the corporate farms are likely to employ low-wage workers. In the same way agriculturalists in the developing world only receive a tiny portion of the cost of the product, for their labour. That is how the Fair Trade system came into being as we realized this discrepancy between the cost of produce and the poverty of farmers in the developing world.

Most of the produce in grocery stores has not only traveled thousands of kilometres, causing greenhouse gas emissions on the way, but also has been sprayed by toxic pesticides that often contain cancer producing agents. Also there is a good chance that some of these substances have been genetically modified, GM, which involves introducing foreign substances, into the cells of fruit or vegetables. These substances may also include toxins and could be allergenic but since, in this country, it is not mandatory to label GM foods, we don’t know which ones have been modified.

Food safety is becoming a big issue in our society. The same corporations that are responsible for GM foods, also make the pesticides, patent the seeds and have introduced the terminator seed, which is designed to be sterile, preventing any seed collection. This technology would devastate farmers in the developing world. These trends are removing local control of our food supply and are centralizing power in multinational corporations.

Switzerland recently banned GM technology in their country. Europe won’t buy some Canadian produce that has been genetically modified. A pasta supplier in Italy was recently sued by the Italian Government for mixing Canadian durum wheat with the local flour, as the cancer producing agents in the batch of Canadian wheat were above the acceptable levels allowed in Italy. Why don’t we make the Prince George area, including the Robson Valley, Cariboo, Peace country and Nechako/Bulkley Valley a GM and pesticide free zone? It has been done on the Sunshine Coast. Why not here? If we do this and support a “buy local campaign”, we could go a long way to improving our health and reducing health care costs.

Eating nutritious food and leading an active lifestyle are the most important elements leading to good health. BC was recently identified as having the healthiest population in Canada and this was attributed to the active lifestyle of many British Columbians. We can build on this trend by making a transition to organic and locally grown produce.

First published in PGTW.

Amnesty's Share Power

2006-03-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Holding Canadian companies accountable for human rights

SHARE POWER is a new project of Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights campaign.

SHARE POWER harnesses the powerful connection between individuals and companies to advance corporate responsibility for human rights.

SHARE POWER shows you what you can do to hold companies accountable for human rights.

No matter who you are, where you work, or where you study, you can find your connection to powerful multinational corporations and pressure change from the inside! Share Power helps you find this connection and use it to help end corporate abuses of human rights.

All members of the public have the right to send a direct message to the CEO of any company to raise concerns about their company. This is one technique that we can all use. For Share Power to be most effective however, we will use a variety of campaigning techniques.

By approaching companies indirectly, through our connection to other people and institutions that hold shares in those companies, we have a great potential for impact. This approach to corporate change is called shareholder activism and it is a key component of the Share Power campaign.

Go to http://www.amnesty.ca/campaigns/sharepower/ for more information or to get involved.

Thinking About Think Tanks

2006-03-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Newspapers quote the Fraser Institute quite often and I have been dismayed at how authoritatively the institute’s pronouncements have been taken. The Fraser Institute is not a government body; it is an independent, right-wing think tank that virulently defends a corporate agenda. Among the institute’s policy recommendations are:

--privatizing everything: auto insurance, education (even elementary & secondary), health care, pharmaceuticals, liquor retail, and on and on . . .
--an end to current treaty negotiations
--corporate freedom based on the premise that “economic freedom is key to fostering prosperity,” less corporate taxes and regulations
--anti-Kyoto Accord because they don’t believe global warming is happening
--they advocate “market-friendly solutions to environmental problems”
--Alberta is their Mecca, Ralph Klein their god
--reduced immigration, especially by families
--anti-union
--pro-free trade: less government protection for local, provincial, and Canada businesses
--support of Canada’s participation in the Ballistic Missile Defense system and greater integration with US defense and military
--less welfare support

If these policy statements seem extreme, they are. The Fraser Institute does not speak for British Columbians in any way, shape, or form. Their corporate affinities are obvious and those interests are rarely in the interest of ordinary British Columbians. Privatization and corporate rule in our communities might mean a raft of short-term jobs but it also certainly means job instability (what does the Chicago office of CN care about us?), environmental degradation, a lower overall standard of living, and a lack of regional identity. I do not believe in big, ungainly government, but I do believe in keeping our communities’ utilities, infrastructure, and natural resources in our own hands.

The next time you see the institute quoted by a news agency, make sure to mentally put in brackets, “from an extreme right and corporate-controlled point of view” beside the statement. The Fraser Institute hides behind shaky research and authoritative-sounding statements to advance a single-minded and, in my view, destructive way of thinking.

[published in PG Citizen February 2006]

Poem Lives Off the Land

2006-02-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

On the wrong word, a roadless plan, a jettisoned part of something else. The excess securities did not float. His arrival in the place was reflexive, interdependent, economical in a prehistoric way. He began by relearning pronouns and listening to the dissertations of a glance, an anecdote. The text, which was not one, did not lift free like a pull-tab. He un-asserted himself, became a slave, landless, literate.

Land Conservancy

2006-02-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

Kevin Hutchings will be performing songs by the eighteenth-century visionary poet William Blake, as well as a number of original compositions and traditional favourites. Barry Booth (of the Prince George Cantata Singers) will sing a few duets, and Eric Tompkins of CNC—one of PG’s premiere musicians—has offered to accompany on guitar.

Admission is free (no cover charge). We will be passing the hat to seek donations for the Prince George office of The Land Conservancy; and Kevin will be donating his humble performer’s wage to the cause as well. (If you have any friends who enjoy folk music, please feel free to pass this email along to them.)

Where: Café Voltaire, Books and Company, 1685 3rd Avenue, Prince George

When: Friday, March 3, 2006; 8:00-9:30 PM.

Why: To have fun and raise funds for The Land Conservancy, a non-profit, charitable Land Trust working throughout British Columbia. TLC protects important habitat for plants, animals and natural communities as well as properties with historical, cultural, scientific, scenic or compatible recreational value.

For more information, please visit TLC’s website at www.conservancy.bc.ca .

SEEDY SATURDAY

2006-02-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

COMMUNITY GARDENS PRINCE GEORGE SOCIETY
presents:

SEEDY SATURDAY
At Exploration Place (Pr George Museum)

11a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb 25, 2006.

Workshops:
11:20 a.m. "Getting the Dirt on Soils" with Cynthia Rebman
12:00 p.m. "Vermi-Composting" with Terri McClymont
1:00 p.m. "Saving Seeds" with Yvonna Breed.

Learn about Heritage Seeds. Exchange and Buy seeds.
Talk with other gardeners and gardening groups.
Sign-up for a community garden plot.
Call 564-3859 for information.

2006 Green Election Results

2006-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

We had the most successful election ever in the Green Party's history. We made significant gains in winning 665,940 votes - an increase of 14.4%.

- We won almost 100,000 more votes for the Green Party in this election than in 2004.

- Almost three times as many candidates won more than 10% of the vote - the magic threshold to receive reimbursement for 50% of campaign expenses. In 2004 only three candidates broke 10% - in 2006 it was eight!

- In Quebec we won almost 147,000 votes - roughly the same number of votes that the NDP won in 2004.

- Our Albertan candidates won about as many votes as the party won in all of Canada in 2000.

- Sean Maw in Wild Rose, Alberta placed second - ahead of the Liberal and NDP candidates; and Shane Jolley in Bruce Grey Owen Sound and Danielle Roberts in Calgary West both finished third.

- More than 50,000 Canadians have signed the petition to ensure the Green Party is included in the televised leaders debates. The TV broadcasters were proud that 10,000 Canadians emailed questions to ask the leaders of the old-line parties - but five times as many Canadians wanted to see us included in the debates.

- During the 2004 election only one polling company prompted for the Green Party â“ today the most frequently cited polling companies in this election - Strategic Counsel used by the Globe and Mail, SES used by CPAC, EKOS used by the Toronto Star and Ipsos-Reid all now prompting for the Green Party.

- With a fair electoral system we'd have at least 12 seats in parliament today (see Fair Vote Canada site at www.fairvotecanada.org/fvc.php/).

- We have had a profound impact on Canadian politics already. On Saturday January 7, 2006 Prime Minster Martin announced a $1 billion water clean up. If you look at the exact same announcement two years ago it was a $25 million announcement. The announcement during the election was 40 times greater. Now I am deeply concerned about water quality in Canada - but even I don't think that water quality has deteriorated 40 fold in just two years - it may be marginally worse but not 40 times worse. Could there be anything else that would motivated Martin to commit to water clean up? Well 18 months ago the Green Party presented 308 candidates and won almost 600,000 votes and we just ran another 308 candidates and won 665,000 votes â“ so 616 candidates later and 1.25 million votes later the PM found new commitment to water quality. We are incredibly powerful and our dramatic rise is forcing every other party to adopt our issues.

The biggest disappointment, of course, was not being included in the televised leaders debate. Had we been included we would have we would have doubled our vote and elected Greens, in my opinion. Remember that:

- In 1993 the Bloc had never elected anyone under its' banner, was included and won 54 seats becoming the opposition.
- The Reform party won 275,767 votes in 1988, and then in 1993 won 52 seats. The difference? Mr. Manning was included in the televised leaders debate.

- Gordon Wilson, the leader of the Liberal Party in BC, had no seats but was included in the televised leaders debates in the 1991 provincial election and won 17 seats becoming leader of the opposition.

- The BC Green Party's vote jumped from 2% in 1996 to 12.4% in 2001. What accounts for the 640% increase? Adriane Carr's inclusion in the leaders' debate.

Going forward getting included in the leaders debates in the next election will continue to be one of our top priorities.

I am so proud to be a member of the Green Party. We ran the most effective campaign ever in the party's history:

- The Green Party ran candidates in all 308 ridings - just 18 months after the last election - so we have run 616 candidates in under two years!

- Only the Green Party and the NDP ran a full slate of candidates in 2006 - both the Conservatives and Liberals disavowed one candidate.

- A number of campaigns spent $25,000 or more - more than the Green Party of Canada historically used to spend for its' entire central party operations a year!

- BC broadcaster Rafe Mair, the most popular talk show radio host in Vancouver, endorsed the Green Party on the Tyee.

- The Ottawa Citizen endorsed our Ottawa Centre candidate David Chernushenko for the second election in a row (David won 10.2%).

- The Kingston Whig Standard endorsed our candidate Eric Walton over the former Liberal Speaker of the House, Peter Miliken.

- The National Post published an article "Nunavut's Green Hope" talking about our candidate Feliks Kappi in Nunavut because climate change is affecting the Artic at twice the rate of any other region

- Barbara Yaffe of The Vancouver Sun wrote that electing Greens would put the bees in the bonnet of Ottawa.

- Newspapers across the country ran editorials arguing for our inclusion in the debates (see some of them at http://greenparty.ca/inthenews.html)

- Our web site www.greenparty.ca took millions upon millions of hits a week as Canadians were hungry to learn more about the Green Party.

Fun Facts

- Sharon Labchuk ran in Malpeque PEI, and her daughter, Camille Labchuk ran in Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe in New Brunswick.

- Thanks to the fantastic media team, we generated more media coverage in this campaign than any other in our history!

- Once again the stats available after the election will show that the Green Party is the most efficient political party in Canada. In 2004 we won a vote for every 86 cents that the central party spent. By contrast the NDP had to spend $5.66 to win each vote, the Conservatives $4.30; the Liberals $3.34 and the Bloc $2.86.

Leaders' Debate

The four leaders' debate were a huge disappointment: first because we were excluded, but more importantly critical issues were not discussed because our voice was excluded. I am proud of the unique positions we took in this election and was the only party talking about:

- Enshrining in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms the right of every Canadian to have access to clean air, clean water and uncontaminated soil;

- Dramatic rise in childhood asthma from less than one in every 50 just 30 years ago to more than one in five;

- Predicted doubling of cancer cases in Canada over the next 30 years

- Admitting to the use of Agent Orange on Canadian troops and military personnel and calling for immediate compensation for those suffering from dioxin based illnesses

- Banning the commercial seal hunt

- Health not just health care

- Green Tax shift

Democracy, however, will not be silenced, and we are profoundly grateful to more than 50,000 of Canadians who registered their protests with broadcasters over the unfairness of this decision. These protests make real a difference: the CBC Ombudsman in a normal year receives only 2,000 complaints. The French CBC ombudsman receives only 1,600 complaints a year. Our exclusion from these four debates received over 50,000 complaints - 14 times the normal annual volume in just 56 days.

And we are not going to stop - we will keep running the petition. Keep talking about it. We will break 100,000; then 250,000, then 500,000 then a million. We will not stop till we are included in the next debate!

Democracy Reform

We desperately need to reform our electoral system. Imagine five parties running in every riding and each getting 20% of the vote, but one party getting one more vote in all 308 ridings - that would give them 100% of the seats in Ottawa, with the same percentage of the popular vote as the other parties. Would you call that democratic? Meanwhile, the other four parties with 80% of the vote would not have a single seat. Would you call that democratic? Consider:

- We won over 666,000 votes and received no seats. The Liberal Party won 475,000 votes in Atlantic Canada and received 22 seats.

- We won almost half of the Bloc's 1.55 million votes. The Bloc won 51 seats and we got none. If we had seats proportional to the Bloc's, we'd have 22 MPs.

- If the government had adopted a mixed members system as recommended by the Law Commission of Canada (LCC) (www.lcc.gc.ca/en/themes/gr/er/er_report/er_report_toc.asp), we would have 12 MPs today. The LCC proposes that two-thirds of candidates be elected using our current system with larger ridings and one-third from regional lists.

- We are the only party in this election to have advocated a system of proportional representation that would double the number of women in parliament.

Strategic or negative voting was something advocated by the Liberal and NDP in this election. Let's look at the concept: First identify the party you most loathe and then work to figure out who has the best chance of beating them. You may not like this party at all - you may loathe them too - but you loathe them less. You then hold your nose and vote. But when you vote for bad government to avoid the worst government, the bad news is that you're left with the bad government.

Voters want positive change, and until we change the system we can't expect any better. For an excellent critique of the current electoral system go to Fair Vote Canada's web site www.fairvotecanada.org/fvc.php/

Benchmarking Our Success

Two parties saw their vote fall (Liberals & Bloc); and three saw their vote increase (Conservative, NDP & Green Party):

Party 2004 Vote 2006 Vote Difference Change

Liberal 4,982,220 4,477,217 -505,003 -10.1%
Conservative 4,019,499 5,370,903 +1,351,404 +33.6%
NDP 2,127,403 2,590,808 463,405 +21.8%
Bloc 1,680,109 1,552,043 -128,066 -7.6%
Green Party 582,247 665,940 +83,693 +14.4%

2006 Federal Election

2006-01-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

If the recent Prince George weather delights you and you’re the type to praise global warming--“Bring it on if it means less snow!”--then don’t read on; this is not for you.

I’ve only been in Prince George five years but, in talking to long-time residents and just using common sense, it is clear to me the warmer weather is a dramatic and recent phenomena. This has everything to do with the upcoming election.

Raise your hands everyone who would like to see a government with long-term vision and a clear sense of how to secure our lively-hoods and communities for decades to come. If this is what you think government should be doing, the election landscape must seem pretty bleak to you. Future fiscal security first and foremost has to do with the environment. The Liberals have failed miserably to address environmental issues; even the United States has reduced damaging emissions more than we have as a nation. The Conservatives seem to have no specific plan in their platform; traditionally environmental issues have conflicted with Conservative pro-business and pro-free trade agendas. The NDP have made their platform more environmentally conscious and have some good specific goals, but I am distressed that it took pressure from the popular vote of the Green Party for them to make that move. It seems to me ethical issues like this takes leadership not playing games with votes. The Greens are the only party who have that vision but are being marginalized by mainstream media in favour of the status quo. Clearly, if you are environmentally aware and concerned, the landscape (at least the one painted by the CBC—without representation by the Green Party) is bleak indeed.

Receding polar ice caps, increased hurricane activity, pine beetle epidemics, disappearing frog populations in the southern americas—these are just the tip of the iceberg; we are in for a rough time. If you look around you and, in the pit of your gut, feel like something is not right . . . perhaps even horrific . . . in the air, then it seems to me dramatic political change is needed. Tell politicians they have to have long-term environmental vision, vote Green, support electoral change, force the issue, so that when our kids are our age, they won’t be sitting in a stew of failing ecosystems and economies.