Greenspirational News: humor, scam, Bush, activism
Angela Bischoff
greenspi at web.ca
Mon Mar 16 09:52:13 EDT 2009
Greenspirational News
"In any case, community is not about perfect people. It is about
people who are bonded to each other, each of whom is a mixture of
good and bad, darkness and light, love and hate."
- Jean Vanier
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For a great laugh, check out the Daily Show’s skewering of those
opposing renewable energy – it’s a must watch.
-a
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This scam is nothing but a handout for motor companies, resprayed green
George Mobiot - Paying drivers to scrap their old cars and buy new
ones will do nothing to catalyse a low-carbon transport revolution
So prepare yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, for the worst scam of
all. It's another reward for failure, but this one offers no prospect
of rescuing the economy. Thanks to its cunning disguise as an
environmental measure, we seem willing to be conned.
Every pound we spend on driving is a pound withheld from the
alternatives, many of which (such as buses and trains) employ far
more people for the same amount of money.
This leaves only the value of preserving the industry for its own
sake. It is hard to think of a less deserving cause. The motor
companies have repeatedly failed to anticipate trends in demand. They
have carried on producing thunderous gas guzzlers long after the
market collapsed. Every so often the bosses wring their hands about
jobs, put out the begging bowl, get the money, then shaft their
workers anyway. Like the bankers, they have wrecked their own
industry. And like the bankers, they want the rest of us to pay.
www.monbiot.com
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Canadians on Climate Change
POLL: CANADIANS CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
"Canadians won't quit on the environment" despite the crisis and
recession, says a recent poll by Ipsos Reid.
More>
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Sand Storm
The U.S. government is changing its environmental policy. Now Canada
may have to rethink its policy as well.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123620661145533445.html?
mod=googlenews_wsj
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Resounding Victory for Public Water
Bottled water’s time is up and the tap is back!
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), representing more
than 1700 municipal members from across the country, passed a
resolution encouraging municipalities to phase out bottled water on
municipal property. Municipalities across the country are expected
to shortly take action on bottled water.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2009/03/07/8666801.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/03/07/bc-fcm-
bottle-water-ban.html
Canadian Statistics:
-28 Municipalities from 6 provinces have voted to restrict bottled
water.
-The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) recently
encouraged their 410 municipal members to take action on bottled water.
-21 Universities and Colleges have established bottled water free zones.
http://InsidetheBottle.org
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Ontario must stop funding nuclear projects if it hopes to become
clean and green
March 14, 2009
by JACK GIBBONS
http://therecord.metrolandwest.com/Opinions/article/503156
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George Bush is coming to Calgary! Join us in saying NO to war
criminals in Canada!
On the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, former US President
George W. Bush is coming to Calgary. To coincide with his visit, a
series of events culminating in a rally have been organized. The
events are centred around the idea that George Bush must be arrested
and put on trial for his war crimes committed in Iraq and
Afghanistan, his crimes against humanity and his disregard for the
rule of law.
For more information:
Webpage: www.peoplevbush.ca
Email: info at peoplevbush.ca
Public Forum
When: Monday, March 16, 2009 - 7:00pm and 9:00pm
Where: Parkdale Nifty Fifies Meeting Room, 3512 5 Ave N.W. (adjacent
to Parkdale Community Association Building), Calgary, AB
A public forum will look at the issues being brought forward in the
trial. Speakers will discuss the illegal invasion of Iraq, the use of
torture and the treatment of American soldiers.
Anthony Hall, Professor of Globalization Studies at the University of
Lethbridge, will speak on Bush's war crimes, in particular about
torture and Guantanamo Bay. Julie Hrdlicka, former executive
director of CANDIL, who will speak on breeches of international law
that directly affect Iraqi citizens and her personal experiences in
Iraq. Chuck Wiley, a US war resister will speak on his experience in
the US navy and why he felt he had to could not continue fighting in
Iraq.
George Bush Go Home Rally!!
When: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 11:30 A.M until 2:00 P.M.
Where: East of 1 St. S.E. on Stephen Avenue (Between Teatro's and
Epcor Centre), Calgary, AB
While Bush is giving his speech, we will be outside of the Telus
Convention Centre letting him know that we don't want him in Canada
and that he must be held accountable for his war crimes.
Confirmed speakers to date are Chuck Wiley, a US war resister, Dijla
Al-Rekabi, a local anti-war activist, Peggy Askin, member of the ad
hoc committee People vs Bush and past president of the Calgary and
District Labour Council, Derrick O'Keefe of Stopwar.ca Vancouver, and
Peggy Morton of ECAWAR (Edmonton Coalition Against War and Racism).
Collette Lemieux, co-chair of the Canadian Peace Alliance, is the MC
and is making opening remarks. The Raging Grannies are performing
"Hang down your head Bush Jr." and "Bush as a War Criminal".
As an act of solidarity with this event, people are sending in shoes
from across Canada that will be displayed as a symbolic gesture. You
can also donate a pair of shoes to the pile. After the rally, some
shoes will be sent to PM Harper and other MPs. The rest will be
donated to charity.
Bring shoes, banners, drums, placards, yourselves and friends.
The rally is a family friendly event.
Lawyers Against the War
Tel: +1 604 738-0338
Fax: +1 604 736-1175
Email: law at portal.ca
Website: www.lawyersagainstthewar.org
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15,000 in German anti-nuclear chain of light
Despite icy weather and light rain some 15,000 Germans demonstrated
against nuclear power generation on Thursday evening with a chain of
light 52 kilometres long.
Although most protesters were from the region, people travelled from
all over Germany to the demo, called by trade unions, churches,
advocacy groups, local governments, neighbourhood associations,
firms, farmers with their tractors, to protest against irresponsible
handling of nuclear waste.
The anti-nuclear movement is particularly incensed about a recently
passed law that will have taxpayers footing the bill for nuclear
dumps although the waste in them was produced by power companies,
which will not be paying.
If waste disposal costs were completely factored into the power
price, opponents say, the legend of cheap nuclear electricity would
be blown away.
http://de.indymedia.org/2009/02/242814.shtml
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The High Cost of Nuclear Waste
3 min. video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EG7k4rHjfQ
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Greenpeace blockades Pickering nuke plant
Protesting plan to build new reactors
Greenpeace is blockading the Pickering nuclear plant to protest the
Ontario government's plan to build new reactors.
"We don't think they need to build new reactors," spokesman Brian
Blomme said.
"It's our view that nuclear energy minister (George) Smitherman's
massive nuclear building plan, which he has done nothing but promote,
actually undermines his Green Energy Act and will undermine the
development of green energy."
Blomme said Ontario has a chance to forego replacing Pickering when
it reaches the end of its operational life and instead develop
renewable energy.
The province has introduced the Green Energy Act intended to promote
solar, wind and biomass electrical generation but is still committed
to replacing its aging nuclear fleet with new reactors – at an
estimated cost of $26 billion.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/03/12/8723671.html
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Eli Lilly and the Case for the Corporate Death Penalty
By Bruce E. Levine, Mar. 3, 2009, Alternet
At this point, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is basically a
public menace.
Eli Lilly & Company's rap sheet as a public menace is so long that
for Lilly
watchers to overcome the "banality-of-Lilly-sleaziness" phenomenon,
the drug
company must break some type of record measuring egregiousness. Lilly
obliged earlier this year, receiving the largest criminal fine ever
imposed
on a corporation.
If Americans are ever going to revoke the publicly granted charters of
reckless, giant corporations -- well within our rights -- we might
want to
get the ball rolling with Lilly, whose recent actions appalled even the
mainstream media. And with Lilly's chums, the Bush family, out of
power, now
might be the right time.
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/129709/
eli_lilly_and_the_case_for_a_c
orporate_death_penalty/?page=entire
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To support a pesticide ban in provinces and territories across Canada
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/GardenContest/Take_Action.asp
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Earth Hour 2009
Candlelight Vigil at Pickering Nuclear
March 28th,
8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Come out and enjoy an Earth Hour Candlelight Vigil at the Pickering
Nuclear Generating Station. Safe And Green Energy, a Peterborough
citizen’s group, is extending an invitation to all supporters of
renewable energy to attend this important community gathering. Bring
a candle to show your support.
To find out how renewable is doable visit www.renewableisdoable.com.
The six reactors that remain operating at the Pickering Nuclear
Station are the oldest and most dangerous reactors in the country.
In the coming months, the McGuinty government will decide on whether
to rebuild or replace the four 30-year-old Pickering “B” reactors
when they reach the end of their operational life in 2013. Join us to
urge the McGuinty government to shut down these old, dirty, dangerous
reactors, and replace them with cheaper, cleaner, safer green power.
The candlelight vigil will take place at the entranceway to the
Public Information Centre at the Pickering Generating Station. For
further information please contact: Safe And Green Energy .
The Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is located on Montgomery
Park Road. Take HWY 401 to the Brock Road exit (#399) in Pickering.
Take Brock Road south 2.7 km to Montgomery Park Road; turn right onto
Montgomery Park Road and proceed to the gate on your left.
Hope to see you there,
Jeff Brackett
SAGE
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Prentice to weaken Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
The Globe and Mail reports this morning that, "A leaked government
document
outlining the proposed changes to the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Act
indicates Environment Minister Jim Prentice has asked for a bill
'overhauling' the legislation as soon as possible."
CHANGES WOULD MEAN 95% DROP IN FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS
"Under the new system, the government should 'expect to capture 200-300
projects per year,' the document states. That would represent a more
than 95
per cent drop from the roughly 6,000 federal environmental
assessments that
currently take place each year."
THIS FOLLOWS CHANGES TO THE NAVIGABLE WATERS PROTECTION ACT
"The changes would come on the heels of a similar change included in the
budget legislation that passed this week, which reduced the ability to
trigger environmental assessments through the Navigable Waters
Protection Act."
PRENTICE SAYS RULES DELAY STIMULUS SPENDING
Environment Minister Jim Prentice "said the proposed changes are in
response
to the provinces, who recently told Prime Minister Stephen Harper that
overlapping environmental rules will delay public stimulus spending from
creating jobs."
NDP FOUND THAT CONSERVATIVES MAY DO AWAY WITH ASSESSMENTS FOR PROJECTS
UNDER $10 MILLION
"The issue surfaced in January when the NDP released an internal
government
e-mail indicating Ottawa wanted to do away with environmental
assessments
for projects that cost less than $10-million."
SIERRA CLUB OF CANADA
The leaked government document outlining the proposed changes to the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act was released to the media by the
Sierra Club of Canada.
The full article can be read at
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090314.ASSESS14/
TPStory/N
ational
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