Idling our cars is an ever increasing problem
“Turning our vehicles off, not idling, not using drive through windows at fast food restaurants, is something each and every person can do to lower the impact of C02 emissions into the atmosphere. Not only does this action assist in the reduction/control of harmful C02 emissions into the atmosphere, but, in fact, it saves money.” Deborah Haswell, Councillor, City of Owen Sound
Towns are enacting anti-idling by-laws to protect their citizens from harmful car emissions that cause pollution and climate change. Any anti-idling by- law must have a strong educational campaign if it is to work. Simply enacting a by-law and not having an educational campaign to work in conjunction with its enforcement is certainly an exercise in futility. The City of Hamilton recognized this a few years ago, and asked Green Venture to put together a campaign to get the city ready for its anti-idling by law. Signs and displays were set up at many schools and events and even twenty-two “clean air ambassadors” were sent out on the streets!
The new Victory Garden: amazingly green front and backyards feed the body and the soul
The days when a family had to have a grass lawn in front of their house is long gone. The bylaws don’t demand that flat monotone fixture anymore. You can throw away all the weed killers and transform a lawn into a fabulous and endlessly fascinating garden. We were very fortunate to have the famous gardening expert, Marjorie Harris, in Collingwood in April to show her slides and create a new sense of excitement for flower, tree and shrub gardens. Her book, ”How to Make a Garden”, is filled with beautiful pictures and very helpful ideas. A walk through local gardens will certainly inspire a person to replace a lawn as well.
International Day of Biodiversity Must be Celebrated Everyday
“Far more than simply a conservation treaty, the Convention {on Biodiversity} encompasses three equally important and complementary objectives: the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. Underpinning the Convention’s three objectives is the recognition that humans, themselves exhibiting a diversity of cultures, are an integral component of ecosystems. All people and nations, whether rich or poor, share the same planet and depend upon the same storehouse of biodiversity.” www.greenfacts.org/en/global-biodiversity-outlook
May 22 is International Day of Biodiversity and these series of articles will explore the extraordinary diversity of life on this planet. Our air, water, fertile soil, climate regulation, protection from pest and disease outbreaks, medicines, food security and economic resilience are all dependent on biological diversity.
United Nations Biodiversity 2010 Targets are in Jeopardy
“A culture is no better than its woods.”—W.H. Auden
“Almost half of all life on earth may exist in the world’s forest canopies. They may also play a vital role in maintaining the planet’s climate…” www.globalcanopy.org
Biologists now believe that the 6 percent of earth’s land surface that tropical rain forests represent contain more than fifty percent of all species. Many primate species live in these forests. The International Primatological Society’s twelve year study that was just released in Edinburgh shows a disturbing picture of our forests: of the known 634 primate species and subspecies, 50 percent are threatened with extinction in the next ten years! Primates in Asia face a 70 percent extinction rate.
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy is Main Mover in Land Stewardship in our Area
Countries around the world search for solutions to stop the destruction of their forests and ecosystems habitats in order to save biodiversity, endangered species, and turn away from run-away greenhouse gas emissions. In the West we have been asked to put together action plans that balance our demand for wood, biofuel, and resource taking with the protection of huge areas of pristine forest. These plans have been the subject of intense scrutiny by the United Nations, International Union for the Conservation of Nature to the World Bank. Deforestation and farm community fragmentation are some of the main causes for an increase in greenhouse gas emissions; we must do more to see real financial value in undisturbed forests and other natural areas that encompass so much of the Earth’s biodiversity!
Kolapore Uplands Wilderness has Many Friends
“Kolapore Uplands constitute one of the largest remaining intact wilderness areas in southern Ontario. This area is home to various endangered species of plants and animals. It is host to Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest. It is drained by cold water streams that shelter breeding populations of speckled trout. The last thing Kolapore needs is an industrial scale water extraction operation.”
Kolapore resident, Richard Griffith, lives in a straw bale sustainable house
Film Festival in Schools to be expanded 2010 to 2012
1600 students attended our November 18/19 2008 Nature Festival. Thank you to Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Visit to the Wye Marsh on May 25, 2009
Visit to the Wye Marsh on May 25, 2009 will bring 260 students for a full day of great conservation fun including rides in large canoes, walks through the marshlands, seeing birds of prey, and conservation awareness talks about climate change issues for wetlands. (Ontario Trillium Foundation has approved this project.)
Our third International Day of Climate Action
Our third International Day of Climate Action to be held during Copenhagen climate Change summit, December, 2009.