[All] GREN News: Lots happening!

Thu Dec 6 23:29:31 EST 2012

http://www.climateactionwr.ca/ is the website link.

Susan K 

From: All [mailto:all-bounces at gren.ca] On Behalf Of Louisette Lanteigne
Sent: December-06-12 6:46 PM
To: gren
Subject: [All] GREN News: Lots happening!

GREN news

LOCAL NEWS

EVENBRIGHT DEC. 5th Event:

Evenbright held a workshop was held on December 5th featuring various
environmental groups, social agencies etc. Here are the headlines from that
event.

An announcement was made that if we lobby our local politicians we may be
able to help establish a central hub for environmental groups to be included
in the new Transit corridor facility planned for King Street and Victoria.
This building will be 25 feet tall and is the nexus for all transportation
grids including Go Train, Grand River Transit etc. The facility will be a
high profile location and can provide with plenty of networking
opportunities and can serve as a centralized working space for groups, a
think tank and central point for all things environmental in our region.
Citizens are asked to contact their local city and municipal reps to help
support the project. 

Also featured at the meeting was ClimateActionWR which is a collaborative
initiative who's focus is on developing a community climate action plan and
reduction target to propel local sustainability efforts.  They are asking
folks to join on to contribute various skills towards the efforts. Folks can
connect to the group online at www.climateactionnowwr.ca or by email at
Connect at climateactionnowwr.ca. Twitter user @ClimateActionWR and facebook
page: ClimateActionWR

Also discussed: The Green Rocket which is an on line collaborative group.
Official website is at: http://www.thegreenrocket.com/ . The function of
this group is information sharing of environmental reports, blog sites you
name it. Visit the site and you can follow up on more of their efforts. 

Also announced was the Waterloo Region Green Directory. Function is self
explanatory. All attendees got a draft master list of groups signed on thus
far and this list was prepared by Community Information Centre of Waterloo
Region under the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo. 

OMB approves Jigs Hallow Pit 

Jigs Hallow Pit approved at the OMB and 2 major pit fights coming for
Woolwich Township as pits encroach upon the Grand River, primary recharge
and A1 farmlands.

http://observerxtra.com/2/news/jigs-hollow-gravel-pit-cleared-to-proceed/

Maude Barlow coming to Paris ON

On Jan. 12th at the Paris Fair Grounds Maude Barlow will be speaking about
the risks of the Dufferin Quarry pit application.  More details to come but
you can follow up at this link for more info: http://ccob.ca/

More Pit FIghts In Paris

Another pit fight looming in Paris Ontario over A1 Farmlands:
http://www.parisstaronline.com/2012/11/27/residents-voice-concerns-over-prop
osed-gravel-pit?utm_source=addThis
<http://www.parisstaronline.com/2012/11/27/residents-voice-concerns-over-pro
posed-gravel-pit?utm_source=addThis&utm_medium=addthis_button_facebook&utm_c
ampaign=Residents+voice+concerns+over+proposed+gravel+pit+%257C+News+%257C+P
aris+Star#.ULYd2EtH1wA.facebook>
&utm_medium=addthis_button_facebook&utm_campaign=Residents+voice+concerns+ov
er+proposed+gravel+pit+%257C+News+%257C+Paris+Star#.ULYd2EtH1wA.facebook

GREN person in the news

Carol Maas was featured in Water Magazine in an article called Building Blue
regarding how to reduce the water footprint for residential housing. Great
read! 

http://polarisinstitute.org/bigoilsoilygrasp

PROVINCIAL NEWS

Application is now filed for Enbridge Line 9B from Westover to Montreal has
begun. Information regarding the project is now online here:
<https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/ll-eng/livelink.exe?func=ll&objId=890501&objActio
n=browse>
https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/ll-eng/livelink.exe?func=ll&objId=890501&objAction
=browse

Those who wish to participate with either written comments or personal
appearances should contact the National Energy Board at info at neb-one.gc.ca

Let them know you wish to be updated on procedural timelines and submission
information for "Enbridge Line 9B line reversal and capacity expansion
application".  

Great Lakes Alliance report calls for prioritization of chemical
contaminants going into the Great Lakes.

http://www.greatlakes.org/Report/PriorityContaminants

Ontario has a new building code that will reduce all new home emissions by
50% that of pre 2006 homes.

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page10146.aspx?DateTime=634880586600000000
<http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page10146.aspx?DateTime=634880586600000000&PageMod
e=View> &PageMode=View

Ontario's Green Energy program being challenged by NAFTA because it
prioritizes local jobs however it won't slow the pace of clean energy
expansion.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1297504--ontario-opens-door-for-more
-renewable-energy#.UL7Yeg8vwus.twitter

Environmental Commissioner's latest report shows that after closing coal
plants, Ontario still can't reach climate change obligations unless they
make a plan of action to get there. Latest report and videos online here: 

http://www.eco.on.ca/index.php/en_US/pubs/greenhouse-gas-reports/2012-greenh
ouse-gas

Greenpeace balloon test proves nuclear fallout from a disaster from
Darlington could hit the US

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/recent/Greenpeace-balloon-predicts-the-r
ange-of-Ontario-nuclear-fallout/

Great Lakes Water volumes dropping and small towns struggle to deal with it.

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Great+Lakes+water+levels+plummet+small+to
urist+towns+struggle+keep/7626967/story.html

FEDERAL NEWS

Peter Kent's presentation to Doha climate talks said Canada will reduce
emissions to 17%.  View Canada's official statement here:

http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En
<http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=FFE36B6D-1&news=1D0C0F56-C88A-471
5-9058-86F9C21124CB> &n=FFE36B6D-1&news=1D0C0F56-C88A-4715-9058-86F9C21124CB

Peter Kent's data conflicts with the Climate Trend report produced by
Environment Canada which shows Canada's 2020 emissions will only be reduced
15%. 

http://www.ec.gc.ca/Publications/253AE6E6-5E73-4AFC-81B7-9CF440D5D2C5/793-Ca
nada's-Emissions-Trends-2012_e_01.pdf

New report by Polaris shows oil industry had 2,733 meetings with federal
public office holders since 2008, 463% more than environmental groups. 

http://polarisinstitute.org/bigoilsoilygrasp

Species At Risk Act has been revised. Here's the latest list. Regional
species now included as Threatened: Wood Thrush, Eastern Ribbon Snake etc.

 <http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/rpts/Detailed_Species_Assessments_e.html>
http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/rpts/Detailed_Species_Assessments_e.html

Good signs from Ottawa showing that Northern Gateway Pipeline might not
happen citing "huge challenges".

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/news/energy/blog.html?b=business.financial
post.com/2012/11/30/ottawa-dials-down-support-for-northern-gateway-pipeline-
citing-huge-challenges

Alberta Resources Revenues take 1.4 Billion dollar hit dragging Alberta into
the red because of lack of market access for bitumen says finance minister. 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/11/28/edmonton-alberta-quarterly-
update.html

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

We're looking at a 4 to 6 degree rise with climate change models now. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/dec/03/co2-emissions-climate-chan
ge-certain?CMP=twt_gu

Over 100 colleges sign on to divest from fossil fuel companies

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/100-more-colleges-join-fi
ght-divest-fossil-fuel-companies.html

Gulf of Mexico clean-up makes 2010 spill 52x's more toxic; Mixing oil with
dispersant increased toxicity to ecosystems:

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130110518.htm#.ULwX4WKuuLk.
twitter>
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130110518.htm#.ULwX4WKuuLk.t
witter

Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development produced by
the World Bank in a infograph format: 

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSDNET/0,,contentMDK:23221
288~menuPK:64885113~pagePK:7278667~piPK:64911824~theSitePK:5929282,00.html?c
id=EXT_TWBN_D_EXT

World 'on collision course with nature', OECD green growth report warns:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/dec/04/world-collision-nat
ure-oecd-green-growth?CMP=twt_gu

Greenland and Antarctica lost 4 trillion tonnes of ice in the last 20 years:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/29/greenland-antarctica-4-tri
llion-tonnes-ice?CMP=twt_gu

Concepts for Geotechnical Solutions flopped at the Climate Change talks with
little support for crafty climate solutions 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/02/us-climate-talks-geoengineering-id
USBRE8B103Y20121202

Carbon Dioxide could reduce crop yeilds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130094918.htm#.ULwXSHmEWUY.t
witter

New Report by Natural Resource Defence Council in US shows how the US can
cut emissions by 1/3 rd by closing carbon loophole via a carbon reduction
act. To view article overview visit here:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/12/06/1296521/study-we-can-cut-carbon-
pollution-one-third-by-closing-carbon-loophole-through-the-clean-air-act/ 

To view the actual report visit here: 

http://www.nrdc.org/air/pollution-standards/files/pollution-standards-report
.pdf

Quick sign petitions:

Lead Now petition: Politicians are supposed to be referees who decide what
is in the public interest so why do we allow wealthy private interests to
buy them off with huge donations including secret donations? Sign here to
stop this practice.

http://democracywatch.ca/campaigns/money-in-politics-campaign/

Ecojustice Petition calls for Federal Government to finish it's promised
recovery strategies to help protect Canada's rare species. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/791/100/166/?z00m=20420750

Council of Canadians stop fracking petition:
http://canadians.org/action/2011/fracking.html

Have a good week everybody!

Lulu 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20121206/e1d39a93/attachment.html>