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Published by the Kingston Greens
GREEN LIGHT KINGSTON #226 |
Issue #226
Monday, February 15, 2010 |
Printed in cyberspace on recycled electrons
Compiled and edited using 100% clean, renewable power (wind and low-impact hydro) from Bullfrog Power.
To publicise future events, corrections and/or if you have comments, please email Green Light Kingston:
We welcome new submissions!
Quote of the Week:
The machine has got to be accepted, but it is probably better to accept it rather as one accepts a drug -- that is, grudgingly and suspiciously. Like a drug, the machine is useful, dangerous, and habit-forming. The oftener one surrenders to it the tighter its grip becomes.
- George Orwell, novelist (1903-1950)
In This Issue:
| 1. Website of the Week | |
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| 2. Cartoon | |
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| 3. Current Events | |
| 4. Coming Events | |
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| 5. Elsewhere Events | |
| 6. Community Action | |
| 7. Worth Reading | |
| 8. Community Notices | |
| 9. Wanted! | |
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| 10. Local Organic Produce | |
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1. Website of the Week
| New! Debt Week Now |
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Debt relief for developing nations.
http://www.debtweek.org/ |
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2. Cartoon
3. Current Events
| New! An Evening With Farley Mowat & Elizabeth May |
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010 6:30 PM
Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Time: 6:30-9:30 pm Farley Mowat will speak/sign books 7:00-7:30 pm Elizabeth May will speak 8:00-8:30 pm Place: Bredon House, home of Stephen Smith 105 Dorset Street West, Port Hope, Ontario Details: Gourmet food and wine, casual chic dress VIA Rail tickets from Toronto can be arranged RSVP: FarleyMowatEvent@greenparty.ca Note: This special event is limited to 60 guests so please RSVP early. From Elizabeth May Farley Mowat is a well-loved Canadian icon: author of 25 books and published in over 20 languages in more than 60 countries. I am honoured that he has publicly declared his support for me as leader of the Green Party of Canada, and that he and his wife Claire—a well known author in her own right—have so generously agreed to an event in support of my efforts to become Canada’s first elected Green Party Member of Parliament. I am equally delighted that another of my dear friends, Stephen Smith, has graciously offered his historic home, Bredon House in Port Hope, for this special occasion. At 88 years old Farley Mowat does not make public appearances. He is still busy at his typewriter every day, but you won't find him at public events. This unique opportunity to spend time with him, in this beautiful home, is the chance of a lifetime. Farley will give a short speech and be available for book signings. Feel free to bring your dog-eared copy of your favourite Farley Mowat book! We will have a variety of Farley’s books available for purchase, including his most recent book and memoir, Otherwise, as well as my most recent book, Losing Confidence: Power, Politics and the Crisis in Canadian Democracy. This special event is by invitation only. Our pricing – a minimum donation of $550 per guest -- reflects this rare opportunity to be with Farley Mowat and to generously support my campaign to become Canada’s first elected Green Party Member of Parliament. You will receive a federal tax receipt for $500--a $350 direct rebate off your 2010 federal taxes. I look forward to your company on February 24. If you are travelling with us by VIA Rail from Toronto (departing Toronto at 5:30 pm, arriving back in Toronto at 11:23 pm), I’ll see you on the train! |
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| New! Poverty In Wealth - A Debate on How to Address Canada’s Savage Inequalities |
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:00 PM
Senator Hugh Segal and Marvyn Novick (Co-founder of Campaign 2000) debate different approaches to poverty reduction in Canada today. Facilitated by Elaine Power, Queen’s University. Wednesday, February 17th at 7 p.m. In Memorial Hall in City Hall 216 Ontario Street (2nd floor) For more information, contact Martha at (613) 547-2012. |
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| New! Mulberry School - Open House |
| Mulberry School invites you to our Open House on Saturday, February 27th from 10:00am to noon at 25 Markland Street. Teachers will offer talks on Waldorf Grade One at 10:30am and Waldorf Kindergarten at 11:00am . Walk through our beautiful classrooms and view student academic and artistic work. For more information phone 613-542-0669. | Top |
| New! Awakening The Dreamer - Changing The Dream |
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Saturday, February 27, 2010 9:00 AM
Where on Earth are we going? And what can we do about it? Awakening the Dreamer Changing the Dream Symposium Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul $ 10 per person Registration Contact: Bridget Doherty 613-544-4525 ext. 145 email: RSVP Friday, February 12, 2010 This symposium will bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Earth. “The symposium is a journey of discovery and hope. It's global, it's local and it's you! Don't miss it.” PROVIDENCE MOTHERHOUSE AUDITORIUM 1200 Princess St. Kingston, Ontario Saturday, February 27th 9 a.m - 3 p.m. |
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4. Coming Events
5. Elsewhere Events
| New! GPC Campaign Workshop |
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20 March 2010 - 10:30am - 4:30pm
A training event hosted by the Kitchener-Waterloo GPC EDA and the University of Waterloo Campus Greens, March 20, at the University of Waterloo (PAS Building). Join us for talks and workshops that will help candidates, campaign teams, volunteers and members talk about the Green Economy. Featured speakers and facilitators include the Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, the Senior Advisor to the GPC, the Chair of the national Campaign Committee, four members of Shadow Cabinet, and a professional videographer. Keynote I: Ralph Benmergui Workshops I: Communicating Economic Policy (Ralph Benmergui) Poverty Relief and the Green Economy (Rebecca Harrison-White) Economy and Environment (Cathy MacLellan) Lunch and Mock All-Candidates meeting on the economy (Kathy Acheson, moderator) Workshops II: Prosperity With or Without Growth (Ard Van Leeuwen) Canada's Youth and the Green Economy (Griffin Carpenter) Your 15 Seconds of Fame: Presenting the Green Economy in the Media (Peter Shannon) Keynote II: Mike Schreiner 10:30-4:30, March 20th, 2010: $25 regular, $12 student and unwaged (includes lunch) Register by March 4th: ceo@kwgpc.ca or according to instructions on attached form. |
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| New! Dinner Fundraising Event with Mike Schreiner |
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WHAT: Dinner Fundraising Event with Mike Schreiner
WHEN: Saturday, February 20th (6pm) WHERE: Earth Indian restaurant (5949 Yonge St. Toronto, ON) WHY: A chance to meet with the GPO’s new leader, Mike Schreiner, and share in some casual discussion and networking, while enjoying a delicious meal The town hall meeting will be followed by a dinner fundraiser at the Earth Indian restaurant, located at 5949 Yonge St, February 20th at 6pm. We encourage all to attend the very interesting and motivating event the GPO has put together, and also, to show their support at the evening event, while grabbing a bite to eat and share in some casual discussion and networking. Tickets for the event will be $25.00, and will include dinner, dessert and a drink. Please email thiviyak@gpo.ca or call 416-977-7476 to reserve your spot. |
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| New! Town Hall Meeting on Green Economy |
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WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on Green Economy
WHEN: Saturday, February 20th (1pm-5pm) WHERE: Council Chambers – North York Civic Center (5100 Yonge St. Toronto, ON) WHY: A chance to engage in an interesting discussion concerning green economy and GPO policy! A Town Hall meeting on the Green Economy featuring Green Party members and guest speakers will take place on Saturday, February 20th at Council Chambers in the North York Civic Centre (located at 5100 Yonge St, Toronto), from 1pm-5pm. The event will involve guest speakers and policy workshops that will allow the audience to engage in discussions, educate themselves and others on creating green jobs, renewable energy and a sustainable economy for Ontario. The discussions will focus on several areas of potential Green Party policy, with regards to how the Earth’s materials and human needs can be supported in a way that will benefit the ecosystem and communities. We will also presenting policy resolutions being prepared for the June 2010 APC for your members' discussion and input. Please email thiviyak@gpo.ca or call 416-977-7476 to RSVP. |
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| New! GPO Office Open House |
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WHAT: GPO Office Opening Celebration
WHEN: Friday, February 19th (4pm-8pm) WHERE: 191 John St. Toronto, ON, M5T 1X3 WHY: Join us in the celebration of our new office and new beginnings, while getting the chance to meet the GPO team at a more personal level! This year has been a very exciting start for the Green Party of Ontario. We're thrilled to get things up and running in our new office, located at 191 John St, lower level (north of Queen St, west of University Ave.). We're so energized by our new space, that we decided to throw a party so that you could have a chance to check it out! The GPO will be holding an Office Open House on Friday, February 19th from 4pm – 8pm and welcomes all to check out the new office and drop by to say hello. The GPO's new Leader, Mike Schreiner, will be present to say a few words of welcome at 7:30pm. For more information, and to RSVP, please email thiviyak@gpo.ca or call 416-977-7476. |
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| New! Film Screening - Collapse |
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WED. FEB 17th at 7 PM
Come watch the film and join the discussion... Film: " COLLAPSE " Inspired by the book: ' Confronting Collapse - The Crisis of Energy and Money in a Post Peak Oil World ' A 25-Point Program for Action. by author Michael C. Ruppert Length: 80 minutes (7:00 pm to 8:20 pm) Discussion: 40 minutes (8:20 to 9:00 pm) Informal schmooze with tea and coffee: 30 minutes (9:00 to 9:30) Location: Hintonburg Community Centre 1064 Wellington Street (3 blocks west of Somerset) Ottawa, ON |
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6. Community Action
| New! Prison Farms - Call for Picketers |
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Call for Picketers:
Monday, Feb 15, 7:30-9:00am, CORCAN Headquarters off Gardiners Rd. near the 401 Monday, Feb 22, 7:30-9:00am, Frontenac Institution on Bath Rd. Monday, Mar 1, 7:30-9:00am, CSC Headquarters on 440 King St. Monday, Mar 8, 7:30-9:00am, Pittsburgh Institution on Hwy 15 The Prison Farm campaign continues, although the government seems intransigent and the farms will be dead by June if we can't move them. There were campaign events in Manitoba, Kingston and New Brunswick last week. Here is a link to a great news source with podcast on the most recent events: http://kootenaycoopradio.com/deconstructingdinner/020410.htm Next Monday and for the following four Mondays, we will be picketing various Corrections Service of Canada sites in Kingston at the beginning of the work day. Next Monday, Feb 15, anyone who is interested can meet on the corner of Gardiners Road and Centennial Drive out near the 401 from 7:30am-ish (yes!) to 9:00am. The CORCAN headquarters are down the street at 1484 Centennial Dr. and picketing both this corner and their front door will do the trick. CORCAN http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/prgrm/corcan/organization-eng.shtml is the organization within the CSC that manages training and job placement for offenders - they are in charge of Canada's six prison farms. |
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7. Worth Reading
| New! No nukes - an essay by Ralph Nader |
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by Ralph Nader, Saturday, February 13, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/02/13 A generation of Americans has grown up without a single nuclear power plant being brought on line since before the near meltdown of the Three Mile Island structure in 1979. They have not been exposed to the enormous costs, risks and national security dangers associated with their operations and the large amount of radioactive wastes still without a safe, permanent storage place for tens of thousands of years. All Americans better get informed soon, for a resurgent atomic power lobby wants the taxpayers to pick up the tab for relaunching this industry. Unless you get Congress to stop this insanely dirty and complex way to boil water to generate steam for electricity, you'll be paying for the industry's research, the industry's loan guarantees and the estimated trillion dollars (inflation-adjusted) cost of just one meltdown, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, plus vast immediate and long-range casualties. The Russian roulette-playing nuclear industry claims a class nine meltdown will never happen. That none of the thousands of rail cars, trucks and barges with radioactive wastes will ever have a catastrophic accident. That terrorists will forgo striking a nuclear plant or hijacking deadly materials, and go for far less consequential disasters. The worst nuclear reactor accident occurred in 1986 at Chernobyl in what is now Ukraine. Although of a different design than most U.S. reactors, the resultant breach of containment released a radioactive cloud that spread around the globe but concentrated most intensively in Belarus, Ukraine and European Russia and secondarily over 40% of Europe. For different reasons, both governmental and commercial interests were intent on downplaying both the immediate radioactively-caused deaths and diseases and the longer term devastations from this silent, invisible form of violence. They also were not eager to fund follow up monitoring and research. Now comes the English translation of the most comprehensive, scientific report to date titled Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment whose senior author is biologist Alexey V. Yablokov, a member of the prestigious Russian Academy of Sciences. Purchasable from the New York Academy of Sciences (visit nyas.org/annals), this densely referenced analysis covers the acute radiation inflicted on both the first-responders (called "liquidators") and on residents nearby, who suffer chronic radioactive sicknesses. "Today," asserts the report, "more than 6 million people live on land with dangerous levels of contamination--land that will continue to be contaminated for decades to centuries." Back to the U.S., where, deplorably, President Obama has called for more so-called "safe, clean nuclear power plants." He just sent a budget request for another $54 billion in taxpayer loan guarantees on top of a previous $18 billion passed under Bush. You see, Wall Street financiers will not loan electric companies money to build new nuclear plants which cost $12 billion and up, unless Uncle Sam guarantees one hundred percent of the loan. Strange, if these nuclear power plants are so efficient, so safe, why can't they be built with unguaranteed private risk capital? The answer to this question came from testimony by Amory B. Lovins, chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, in March 2008 before the [House of Representatives of the U.S.] Select Committee on Energy Independence (rmi.org). His thesis: "expanding nuclear power would reduce and retard climate protection and energy security ... but can't survive free-market capitalism." Making his case with brilliant concision, Lovins, a consultant to business and the Defense Department, demonstrated with numbers and other data that nuclear power "is being dramatically outcompeted in the global marketplace by no and low-carbon power resources that deliver far more climate solution per dollar, far faster." Lovins doesn't even include the accident or sabotage risks. He testified that "because it's [nuclear power] uneconomic and unnecessary, we needn't inquire into its other attributes." Renewable energy (eg. wind power), cogeneration and energy efficiencies (megawatts) are now far superior to maintain. I challenge anybody in the nuclear industry or academia to debate Lovins at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with a neutral moderator, or before a Congressional Committee. However, the swarm of nuclear power lobbyists is gaining headway in Congress, spreading their money everywhere and falsely exploiting the concern with global warming fed by fossil fuels. The powerful nuclear power critics in Congress want the House energy bill to focus on climate change. To diminish the opposition, they entered into a bargain that gave nuclear reactors status with loan guarantees and other subsidies in the same legislation which has passed the House and, as is usual, languishing in the Senate. Long-time, staunch opponents of atomic power who are leaders in countering climate change, such as Cong. Ed Markey (D-MA), have quieted themselves for the time being, while the Republicans (loving the taxpayer subsidies) and some Democrats are hollering for the nukes. All this undermines the valiant efforts of the Union of Concerned Scientists, NIRS, Friends of the Earth, and other established citizen groups who favor a far safer, more efficient, faster and more secure energy future for our country and the world. Just recently, a well-designed and documented pamphlet from Beyond Nuclear summarize the case against nuclear power as "Expensive, Dangerous and Dirty." The clear, precise detail and documentation makes for expeditious education of your friends, neighbors and co-workers. You can download it free and reprint it for wider distribution from www.BeyondNuclear.org. It is very well worth the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to absorb the truth about this troubled technology -- replete with delays and large cost-overruns -- that has been on government welfare since the 1950s. |
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| New! How personal actions can kick-start a sustainability revolution |
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by Cathryn Clarke Murray, Kai Chan Author Feed
From Grist.org http://www.grist.org/article/2010-02-01-how-personal-actions-can-kick-start-a-sustainability-revolution/ Step it up! Small is the new big.The environmental movement is divided over the importance of small steps—are they a critical starting point or a distraction from needed policy and institutional changes? A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but will small changes add up to the kind of massive shift needed to bring us toward sustainability? We say sweat the small stuff—but not because small decisions add independently to big change. Rather, because societal change isn’t just additive like stair-climbing, it’s transformative like metamorphosis, and small actions play a crucial role. Practiced consistently, small steps facilitate both gradual evolution and rapid revolution for positive lasting change. Of course institutional and policy change is crucial, but it doesn’t happen on its own; it happens when people fight for it, motivated by their values. And if structural change happens without support from people’s values, then people resent it and resist or revolt. So it’s not a choice between small stuff or large, it’s a question of how we can integrate the two to get value change that also motivates broad action. The abolitionist movement in England in the 1800s was bolstered by personal actions, such as hosts refusing to serve sugar. Not only did this small step give participants, primarily women, a feeling of virtue or self worth, but it became a way to demonstrate their values and instigate dialogue about slavery with those in their inner circles. These “small” actions empowered women and transformed them into activists who played a pivotal momentum-building role in the fight against slavery. We propose a theory of change focused on small steps and rooted in the powers of virtue, rationalization, and participation. We all have a deep-seated need to feel virtuous in our circle of friends and family. Not virtue à la chastity and sobriety, but deep confidence that we are worthy of respect from those who matter. What counts as virtuous varies hugely across groups, but all groups—even gangs—have their own notions of appropriate behavior and character. Rationalization is a powerful force that helps people justify their past actions according to their values. People hate to feel that they’ve wasted effort, time, and money. Because of this, consistent repeated actions can reinforce values (as long as they’re voluntary and not coerced): people seek to rationalize their sunk costs as necessary for an important value. Once the two of us started recycling consistently, we both found ourselves unconsciously searching for additional reasons to continue, subsequently identifying ourselves as people who go to lengths to reduce waste and even compost—that is, committed environmentalists. The circle closes with participation: daily conscientious actions can cement a gradual shift in our deepest values. Kai’s grandparents scrimped and saved as young parents during World War II. Every little bit helped, so their frugality was reinforced and became an entrenched value. “Waste not, want not,” was their mantra of daily action. Over the years they became outspoken against society’s excesses and imbued these values in their children. That’s the kind of tenacity and longevity the environmental movement needs! Rooted in this theory, three approaches might inspire others to take small steps toward transformative change. First, let’s address people in a way that makes them feel recognized as virtuous, with new opportunities to practice their sustainable values. Environmental activists have long been criticized for characterizing people as villains, which often engenders recoil. A subset of anti-smoking advocates, in contrast, employed virtue brilliantly in the early ‘80s with campaigns that featured cartoon heroes stamping out smoking. Not only did these characters entrench in kids the virtue of fighting smoking, it also armed them to pressure their parents. And what parent doesn’t want to be thought of as virtuous by their children? Second, let’s focus not only on engaging the “public,” but also our closest friends and family on these issues of value. We both squirmed under scrutiny from friends about factory-farmed meat before we eliminated it from our diets. Our brave friends wielded their compelling arguments in a way that left us feeling not like bad people, but rather very good ones—too thoughtful to hold steadfastly to flawed arguments. After fidgeting for a while, we finally recognized that we had not been living by our core values and changed our diets. Third, let’s embrace the notion of “cool” so that a person’s very sense of style can reinforce a commitment to sustainability. Gas-electric hybrid cars can appeal to technology fans and trend followers, but they can also inspire value change, giving drivers an opportunity to feel virtuous and think of themselves as conscious consumers. Revolution-promoting design can extend to T-shirts and shopping bags and furniture, with stylish items serving as Trojan Horses for sustainability. Of course, sustainability will also require that we model desirable lifestyles that don’t include driving and that limit consumption of new goods. The key is to make these items and lifestyle choices attractive, not to preach about them. The challenge before us as environmentalists is immense. To succeed, we must realize that while small stuff can seem trivial, it’s actually critical. People need to feel invested in a movement on a personal level before they can embrace and advocate change on a societal level. Strung together with purpose, small steps can carry us great distance. |
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| New! Canada should take page out of South Korea's green playbook |
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By Keith Stewart
Published On Thu Feb 04 2010 We're falling behind on building a national strategy that will set the table for a low-carbon economy Canada and South Korea may be co-chairing this year's G20 meeting in Toronto, but the two countries are worlds apart on their approach to greening the economy. There was a time not so long ago when this might not have mattered to many people. But in a world that is waking up to the threat posed by unconstrained climate change, how we deal with the environment becomes central to our economic future, whether we want it to or not. Post-Copenhagen climate action will be on the table at this year's G20 meetings. This will put South Korea's strategic investments in a greener economy on full display, vividly illustrating the economic development path not (yet) taken in Canada. We got a taste of this last month, when the Ontario government announced a major investment by a group of Korean companies in wind and solar power manufacturing operations. The provincial government expects that this $7 billion investment will create 16,000 jobs over the next six years while helping to phase out our highly polluting coal plants. But some observers were asking why Ontario would have to look to Korean firms for this type of investment. The answer lies in the fact that while our federal government has been banking on the oil industry as the engine of the Canadian economy, South Korea has launched a "Green New Deal" that aims to create 960,000 new jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, those 16,000 jobs that are so welcome in Ontario are merely the appetizers rolling off a much bigger banquet table being set by South Korea and other countries building their capacity to manufacture and deploy clean energy technology. In many ways, South Korea and Canada aren't so far apart. We have similarly sized economies, coming in 13th and 14th respectively on the list of the largest economies in the world. We are both in the top 10 of global carbon polluters, although Canada emits about 15 per cent more greenhouse gas with only two-thirds the population of South Korea. Yet, when it comes to a recent ranking of clean energy technology sales as a share of the overall national economy, South Korea came in ninth in the world while Canada ranked a distant 31st. And that gap is growing. In responding to the global financial crisis, South Korea led the world in terms of the proportion going toward improving environmental performance. South Korea invested more than $30 billion, or an incredible 80 per cent, of its economic stimulus package in green projects, with the largest chunks going for investments in improving energy efficiency in buildings, expanding mass transit and railroads, and restoring rivers and forests. In Canada, by comparison, only 8 per cent of our stimulus package was classified as green, with the bulk of that 8 per cent dedicated to public subsidies for carbon capture and storage projects that disproportionately benefit oil companies and coal-fired power generators. While South Korea is leading the way, we're falling behind many other countries as well: total green spending in China and the United States made up 38 per cent and 12 per cent respectively of their stimulus packages. These facts, along with the Canadian government's lack of leadership on climate change, have led many of my international colleagues to hope that South Korea will take the lead at the G20 meeting. Yet, like most Canadians, I'm not ready to abandon the possibility of turning this around. Yes, we have some catching up to do, and not least in getting past the old-school thinking that sees environment and economy as opposing principles to be traded off against one another or as a luxury to be pursued only in good times. But we are already seeing good, green jobs being created from the push to phase out coal, based on policies to boost renewable energy that the Ontario government borrowed from the Germans. So why not take advantage of the preparations for the G20 meeting to lift a page or two from the Korean playbook on building a national strategy for making the transition to a low-carbon economy? I don't think anyone will mind, when the result is a healthy economy and a safe environment for our kids, and theirs. Keith Stewart is climate change program director for WWF-Canada. |
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8. Community Notices
| New! Frontenac Farmer's Market |
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The Frontenac Farmers' Market is re-opening on February 13th at the
Lions' Club hall in Verona. A good variety of vendors are there to welcome you and showcase their products. We have farm products, preserves, local cheeses, crafts, bakery and ready cooked items. Open from 9 to 12 a.m. on Saturdays, indoors, at the Lions' Club in Verona. Watch for the signs on highway 38. Buy local, encourage local producers! |
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| Join the Kingston Greens |
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Free newsletter, articles, talks etc.
Get involved in community actions (for example: Lobbying Council for a Ban
on the Cosmetic use of Pesticides, Fighting Urban Development on
Conservation Land, Survey on Green Issues that affect Kingstonians, Election
Canvassing etc.). Green momentum is building in Kingston. Come out and help us bring a sustainable future to Kingston! Membership to Kingston Greens is free but we encourage membership to the Green Party of Ontario ($10) and the Green Party of Canada ($10). Remember: You can get up to 75% of your donation to the Kingston Greens back at tax time! The current government will help you subsidize the greening of their own non-Green policies! Give generously and you'll receive a generous dividend in return: a 75% tax credit and more progressive government. Please send your cheque made to: KINGSTON GREENS (please specify Provincial or Federal membership on your cheque. Unfortunately, separate cheques are required for each.) - P.O. Box 1691, Kingston ON, K7L 5J6 More info: 384-8504 or ( |
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9. Wanted!
10. Local Organic Produce