From cco at web.ca Wed Jan 5 14:32:27 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Wed Jan 5 14:31:39 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Green-On -- January 5, 2004 Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.20050103135030.02639008@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Conservation Council of Ontario's e-newsletter Please forward to your friends. To unsubscribe, go to www.greenontario.org January 5, 2005 Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director, The Conservation Council of Ontario In this issue... > A Request for Donations for tsunami relief > Canadian NGOs Quick to Respond > Emergency Preparedness and Conservation -- the Lesson for Ontario > 2004 -- A Year of Progress > Our Agenda for 2005 > Energy Workshops -- Register by January 7. A Request for Donations Usually around this time, we send out a fundraising request to all our contacts asking them to support conservation in Ontario. We will delay this request this year, in order to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to support the relief effort for the survivors of the December 26 tsunami. All donations received before January 11th can be claimed on your 2004 income tax. Please visit the CBC's information page http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/asia_earthquake/helping.html for a list of organizations that are accepting donations. Canadian NGOs Quick to Respond It is with some pride that we can say how quickly Canadian organizations have responded to the crisis. It is also interesting to note how these organizations have developed their programs over the years to help prepare for emergencies. The funding office for Oxfam Canada (one of many worthwhile organizations on the CBC's list) is one floor above our office at 215 Spadina Ave. in Toronto. Staff came in over the holidays to help process the donations and help with the relief effort. Not only does Oxfam provide aid, they help communities prepare for possible future disasters. One of Oxfam Canada's key goals over the next five years has been to support disaster preparedness programmes in vulnerable communities around the world. In Nicaragua, for example, they have been working with communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch to help them prepare for future hurricanes. Doctors without Borders (M?decins Sans Frontieres) is another organization of note -- a past recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. They provide medical relief in war zones and after environmental crises. Speed is critical to successful intervention following a natural disaster. MSF has tested and stored pre-packaged medical and technical kits in its warehouses and is able to immediately dispatch them to devastated areas. An MSF team - currently numbering 40 - has been working in the town of Banda Aceh since Tuesday night and is using four mobile teams to bring medical care along the coast. And here's an interesting partnership to note -- the Greenpeace vessel the Rainbow Warrior Rainbow Warrior is helping M?decins Sans Frontieres to get relief supplies to parts of Indonesia devastated by the Indian Ocean earthquake. http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=700819 Emergency Preparedness and Conservation -- The Lesson for Ontario If there is a positive side to the devastation it is that there will likely be a tsunami warning system set up for the Indian Ocean similar to the Pacific Ocean system. Out of the crisis comes a commitment to make sure a similar event in the future will not result in the same loss of life. Sadly, nothing motivates like a crisis. It was another crisis just over a year ago -- the August 14 blackout in 2003 -- that led to a resurgence in support for conservation and the creation of the provincial Conservation Action Team. It took the Walkerton E.coli tragedy to wake up the government to the dangers of cutbacks in environmental programs. Looking further back, it was Hurricane Hazel in 1954 that led to a stronger role for Ontario's conservation authorities in acquiring and protecting floodplain lands. In each case, the crisis led to a long-term commitment to prevent any future occurrence of a similar scale. Ideally, we want to act in advance of a crisis -- "anticipate and prevent" is the commonly-used term in eco circles. While the challenge is always to be able to predict what the next crisis will be, the key point to remember is that a conserver society is always more resilient to crisis, whether it be a catastrophic event, gradual climate change, pollution, or the gradual loss of essential resources (such as energy, food, water, or raw materials). Emergency preparedness and prevention should be among the goals for conservation, in particular with respect to how we design our buildings, communities, and economy. Energy efficiency, renewable power, conservation, and a diversified energy system will help protect against inevitable energy shortages or emergencies. Efficient urban and building design are critical components -- we need to design for scarcity, not for abundance. Investing in local agriculture will help maintain a secure regional supply of food. Greenspace protection, stormwater retention, and watershed management is protection against both water shortages and sudden storms. Efficiency and recycling of natural resources braces our economy against fluctuations in price and supply. In short, sustainable development is also resilient development. We also need to develop the depth and coordination within non-governmental organizations that will allow us to respond to crises. When the 2003 blackout hit, there was an immediate call for emergency conservation measures. However, there was no effective way to reach people with the conservation message, outside of repeated calls through the media by our political leaders. A year later, and we still have scant few resources or volunteers on the ground. Ontario needs a strong conservation movement with support services and a network of organizations and community networks to get the message out to the public. The Cassandra approach (i.e. fear of shortages and blackouts) may not be the way to market conservation, especially in times of prosperity, but those who plan Ontario's future should certainly ensure that our infrastructure is resilient and that our society can react or adapt to future crises. 2004 -- A year of Progress Much happened on the conservation front in 2004. The Conservation Council had a busy and productive year. We have initiated a strong working relationship with the provincial government through the government-wide Ontario Conserves initiative, the provincial Conservation Action Team, and with key ministries (such as Energy, Environment, and Public Infrastructure and Renewal). On November 25, we co-hosted Ontario's Conservation Summit 2004 with the provincial government and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. 230 people attended and contributed ideas on how we can build a stronger conservation movement in Ontario. For the summit proceedings and final report, please see the summit website, http://www.greenontario.org/summit/index.html. One of our key roles as a "Conservation Council" is to build a stronger conservation movement. To this end, we have provided ongoing support for the Ontario Smart Growth Network as a lead organization for coordinating efforts to control suburban sprawl and promote compact, livable communities. The OSGN has been awarded a short-term grant of $25,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to develop a communications plan and to study the feasibility of establishing a Municipal Smart Community Accreditation Program (a rating system for municipalities that have opted to incorporate principles of smart growth into their plans, community designs and individual developments). For more information on the network, see http://www.greenontario.org/smartgrowth/index.html or contact Marty Collier at marty.osgn@sympatico.ca. We have also seen a rise in corporate interest in conservation. We are particularly grateful to The Beer Store for making us their lead community partner for environmental issues and for supporting the development of a provincial conservation campaign. Corporate interest in the Conservation Summit was strong, and we expect to see some new partnerships between the corporate and NGO sectors over the next year. The provincial government had an ambitious environmental agenda as well for 2004, which kept many of our members and colleagues active in consultation exercises around the Planning Act, the Greenbelt, Places to Grow, the provincial gas tax, a Biodiversity Strategy, and energy conservation and renewable power. Most important, the provincial government realizes the important role of Ontario's conservation organizations in helping build support for conservation and in providing the public with conservation solutions. We look forward to their continued support in 2005. Our Agenda for 2005 We have an ambitious agenda for 2005. Building on the 2004 Conservation Summit, we will be looking to develop a strong conservation movement in Ontario. Our agenda includes: > identifying or establishing coordinating networks for major areas of interest > fostering collaborations between like-minded organizations and companies to assist in marketing and delivering conservation solutions > developing community networks and support programs to facilitate local action and voluntarism > developing special campaigns to promote public involvement in conservation > updating the Green Ontario website as a portal to Ontario's conservation movement. To achieve this agenda, we will work with partner organizations to support their leadership role and areas of expertise, and we will help set up collaborations between organizations that can best deliver results. Details of the action plan will be posted on the Conservation Summit web page by the end of January. Energy Workshops -- January 18, 2005 Two Workshops, One Location The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance's 2005 Energy Conservation Forum and Workshop "Effective DSM implementation for your bottom line!" AND Clean Air Foundation's "Building Partnerships for Energy Conservation" The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Clean Air Foundation are pleased to bring you two concurrent energy conservation workshops. The workshops will be held January 18th at the Liberty Grand on the CNE Grounds in Toronto. Participants will register for one event but are free to move between workshops as they wish. Registration is requested by Friday January 7th. For further information, please see www.climateairconnections.ca or contact Stephanie Thorson, Climate Air Connections Coordinator: sthorson@cleanairfoundation.org -------------------------------------- Green On. is a periodic e-newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario, made possible through the financial assistance of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and The Beer Store. *************************** Promoting conservation leadership, cooperation, and action for over 50 years The Conservation Council of Ontario Suite 132, 215 Spadina Ave, Toronto, M5T 2C7 Ph: (416) 533-1635 Fx: (416) 979-3936 www.greenontario.org Chris Winter, Executive Director -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050105/33048cfa/attachment.html From cco at web.ca Thu Jun 30 16:20:00 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Thu Jun 30 16:40:50 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Heads up for "We Conserve"! Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050627143247.03a4f758@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org to subscribe or unsubscribe We Conserve: Building Ontario's Conservation Movement Dear friends, I want to give you all a heads up about our new initiative -- We Conserve. We will be launching the consultation phase next week, so this is your chance to get a sneak preview. "We Conserve" is a long-term commitment to build a stronger conservation movement in Ontario. It is also an opportunity to work together to make an immediate contribution to Ontario's pressing conservation issues. At a time when Ontario's power consumption has hit a new all time high (26,000 MW) and we have already set a new record for smog advisory days in the GTA this year (less than halfway through the smog season), it's high time we looked at better ways to promote conservation! Our Conservation Summit last November showed that Ontario's NGOs have the solutions. It also showed that there was a clear need for us all to work together to build a stronger conservation movement and to make conservation a core social value. What we have achieved with the Blue Box and recycling, we need to do with energy conservation, urban sprawl, transportation, local organic food, natural lawncare, and so many more issues. "We Conserve" addresses three main priorities for building a social movement 1. Coordination: supporting a stronger movement through lead organizations, issue networks, community networks, and participating organizations 2. Co-Marketing: joint marketing of our services and programs to municipalities, companies and other target markets 3. Campaigns: social marketing campaigns to increase public commitment to conservation and to promote individual conservation solutions. Why "We Conserve"? Two days ago a reporter for CBC interviewed me about the electricity crisis, using our house as an example of how to keep cool without air-conditioning. (It's become an annual tradition to have a tv crew in our house during a heatwave.) At one point she apologized before saying "I have to ask you this, but why should people conserve?" Even with the threat of a blackout and on a smog alert day, she had to ask the question. Of course, there are many reasons, but it all boils down to "because we care". We care about our planet, we care about our health, we care about our future. We need to make conservation a deep-rooted social value. And values lead to actions. And those actions must become habit, not just something we do in times of crisis. As the Ecological Footprint and the David Suzuki Nature Challenge have shown us, saving the planet requires public action on many fronts. It requires (to quote Premier McGuinty) a deep-rooted "culture of conservation", not just a few individual actions. We cannot achieve a deep cultural shift unless we work together. Some of you may also have been following the recent arguments surrounding "The Death of Environmentalism" and the call for a new approach to environmentalism. "We Conserve" is a key part of the solution. It reflects the transition of our movement from the initial protest phase into an implementation phase, which is part of the natural progression of any successful social movement (feminism and civil rights being two examples). It reflects a recognition of the important role Ontario's non-governmental organizations can play in making Ontario a leader in conservation. weconserve.ca Over the summer, we will be asking you to give us your advice on shaping key parts of the initiative -- such as our model for NGO cooperation, a common social marketing campaign, our ability to reach the Ontario public through our combined membership and outreach activities, setting up an Ontario Conservation Fund to support Ontario's conservation movement, and developing marketing agreements with companies offering conservation products and services. Read the Challenge Paper To preview the challenge paper, see www.greenontario.org/weconserve/ Come to our Launch For those in the Toronto area, we will be holding a launch for our consultation phase at our office: Tuesday July 5th, 5:30 to 8:00pm 215 Spadina Avenue, Toronto Our special guests for the launch include Donna Cansfield, MPP Etobicoke Centre and chair of the Conservation Action Team Helen Burstyn, Chair, The Ontario Trillium Foundation Robin Cardozo, Chief Executive Officer, The Ontario Trillium Foundation Sara Taylor, Manager of Communications, The Beer Store Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Peter Love, Chief Energy Conservation Officer, The Ontario Power Authority Space is limited, so please RSVP to Allegra Newman at research@greenontario.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050630/823f3c12/attachment.html From cco at web.ca Thu Jul 7 13:12:35 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Thu Jul 7 13:10:51 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] We Conserve -- Add Your Voice! Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050707130740.03942988@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] In this issue... 1. Announcing We Conserve 2. July 5th Launch a great success 3. Discussion Question: A Movement in Transition: Is environmentalism dead, or is it evolving? Announcing We Conserve Welcome to the consultation phase around We Conserve, a new initiative to build a united conservation movement in Ontario. We think the time is right to take the conservation movement to the next level or organization and public engagement. We have strong public and political support, we have a wealth of expertise and programs within the NGO sector, and recent events (particularly around electricity demand and smog days) continue to reinforce the need for an aggressive and united conservation campaign in Ontario. We're ready to take our movement to the next level. But we want your support and advice. www.weconserve.ca is now live and ready to receive your comments on how we in Ontario can build a united conservation movement. Over the next few weeks we will be sending out a new discussion question each week and asking for your comments. If your group would like to arrange a meeting to discuss We Conserve in detail, please contact me directly at cco@web.ca. July 5th Launch a great success Over 100 people turned out for our reception to launch the consultation phase of We Conserve. Our thanks to all who came -- our colleagues and special guests. Donna Cansfield, MPP Etobicoke Centre and Chair of the Conservation Action Team, pledged her government's continued support for conservation and highlighted work that has been done recently with groups like Reduce the Juice in Shelburne http://powerupenergy.ca/. (Editor's note: I was at the launch for Reduce the Juice and it's an excellent example of community-based public outreach.) Helen Burstyn, Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, expressed the Foundation's support for We Conserve and the important role non-governmental organizations can play in creating a culture of conservation. Other comments and expressions of support came from Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Peter Love, who noted the need to work together to promote and the leadership role that groups like the Clean Air Foundation (www.cleanairfoundation.org) are already playing in engaging the public conservation; Ontario's Environment Commissioner, Gord Miller, who stressed the importance of getting the conservation message out there again and again so that it becomes part of the common lexicon; and Pollution Probe's Executive Director, Ken Ogilvie, who was pleased to see we had identified increased funding for the movement as a priority. Our thanks to everyone who made the evening possible, and especially to The Beer Store for donating the refreshments! A Movement in Transition (this is the first of a regular series of articles and question for discussion. The full series is posted on www.weconserve.ca, where you can also contribute to the discussion) Key questions: Where is our movement going? How do we make conservation a pervasive social value? How important is it to create a united conservation movement? The Evolution of Environmentalism Environmentalism is not dead, at least not in Ontario, it is evolving. Over the past fifteen years it has been quietly morphing into a formidable force for social change. All through the 1990s, after the World Commission on Environment and Development gave high level support to integrating environmental values into our economy and society, our movement has been adapting to meet the demand. Our challenge now is to unite all these organizations as part of a well-funded and coordinated social movement. From our roots to our future. Conservation in Ontario is a century old movement, with some constancies, several distinct periods in our evolution, and continual reinvention. It is timeless, slowly evolving, and rapidly changing. Conservation is timeless, because it has always represented our society's desire to minimize our ecological footprint, to live sustainably and in harmony with nature. The expression of conservation values has evolved over time adapting from being primarily a rural concept of nature and natural resources to incorporate modern environmental values and concerns, such as waste reduction, pollution prevention, climate change reduction, urban design and energy conservation. The conservation movement has evolved as well over the past century, most noticably with the rise of environmentalism in the 1970s and the sustainable development movement of the 1980s. One of the largely unnoticed changes in the movement, however, occurred in the early 1990s with the advent of a new breed of organization dedicated to providing conservation services to the public. Green Communities (www.gca.ca) were launched in municipalities across Ontario with provincial seed funding and they have now blossomed into a highly successful national network of local organizations and a lead agent in delivering the federal Energuide for Homes program. Evergreen (www.evergreen.ca) and Autoshare (www.autoshare.ca) are two other examples of organizations and social venture companies that were launched in the 1990s to provide the public and communities with conservation services. We are changing, evolving one organization and one project at a time. If you look closely at Ontarios conservation movement, you will find that there are now hundreds of groups that are providing solutions to environmental issues, from protecting natural areas, reducing consumption, and eliminating waste and pollution. Be it Earth Day Canada, the Clean Air Foundation, the Clean Air Partnership, the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Ecosource Mississauga, EcoPerth, or the Caledon Countryside Alliance, we are becoming a solutions-based movement. The background paper prepared for the November 25th 2004 Conservation Summit lists hundreds of these groups and projects. (www.greenontario.org/summit/). The majority of these organizations were founded in the 1990s. For this reason, I would argue that the 1990s marked the beginning of the latest transformation for the conservation movement. We may not have noticed it, given the dominance of downsizing and downloading environmental programs during that decade. In spite of the recent debate around The Death of Environmentalism, (see www.grist.org) our movement has already begun to adapt. We need to acknowledge this transition and embrace it. Its time to create a social movement for conservation We are not unique. If you look at other social movements civil rights and feminism for example you can track a period of protests and consciousness-raising followed by a period of integration. Once the public and the political and industrial leaders have accepted your cause, then comes the challenge of integrating your values into society All nuances and differences notwithstanding, conservation is now at that transition point. We have gained widespread public, corporate and political acceptance. We now need to work on integrating our values and solutions into our society and economy. This is the need that We Conserve addresses the transition of conservation into a social movement. It does this in three ways: * coordinating our efforts * providing the products and services that people, companies, and municipalities need to become better conservers * raising public awareness and commitment through social marketing and individual campaigns. For a variety of reasons, we are presented with a unique opportunity to make the transition a reality. The blackout of August 2003 restored conservation as a priority. Other issues, such as smog, climate change and urban sprawl are reinforcing the desire for change. We have a supportive government at the provincial level and the public is calling for action and solutions. And most important, we have the depth of leadership and expertise in Ontarios non-governmental organizations and a widespread network of community groups and volunteers. I believe we have the depth, the experience, and the support necessary to make the transition to a coordinated, well-funded social movement. And if we cant do it now, then when? What do you think? Is the timing right? We made recycling commonplace in the 1980s. Can we do it again for energy conservation? What about other conservation issues, such as pollution prevention, local and organic food, or alternatives to sprawl? What opportunities do you see for making conservation the cultural norm before scarcity and pollution forces it upon us? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050707/2a72b475/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: weconserve.bmp Type: application/octet-stream Size: 39742 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050707/2a72b475/weconserve-0001.obj -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Thu Jul 14 17:42:56 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Thu Jul 14 17:41:03 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] How wide and how deep is conservation? Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050714161355.0329b358@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org/news for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] Discussion Question #2 Please post your comments at www.weconserve.ca/articles/ A Culture of Conservation: How wide and how deep is conservation? A farmer, a naturalist and a recycler were in a grocery store one day and they noticed they were all wearing "We Conserve" buttons (see below...). "Hey, good for you", said the farmer, reaching for the locally grown apples. "Yeah, you too", said the naturalist, reaching for the imported organically grown apples. "Right on", said the recycler, with a glass jar of apple sauce in his basket. "Way to go all of you", said a passing deep ecologist with an empty shopping cart. --------- Okay, so I'm not about to win the next great Canadian joke competition, but it helps make a couple of points. First, we all have a different interpretation of conservation, and second, there are varying levels of commitment. It all comes down to what we mean by "a culture of conservation", one of the stated goals of the Province's Ontario Conserves initiative. On the opening page of the government's website you'll find a letter from Premier McGuinty in which he states, "Everyone has an important role to play in building a new culture of conservation in Ontario. We need to become more responsible about protecting our earth, air, water and energy." "We Conserve" is a commitment on the part of organizations, companies and municipalities across the province to help fulfil this vision of a culture of conservation. In the end, we want everyone in Ontario to be able to say "I conserve". If recycling were the only measure of conservation, then we'd have to say that Ontario already has a strong culture of conservation. But there's more to waste reduction than recycling, and there's more to conservation than waste reduction. We need to look at both the depth and width of the commitment we are asking for. And above all, as the deep ecologist would point out, we need to always be looking to improve. The real statement we are looking for is: "I conserve already, but I will do better". How wide is our movement? Conservation means many different things to different people. In building a conservation movement for Ontario, what issues should we include? Electricity and energy conservation are top priorities during our current heatwave and smog advisories, but they are far from being the only conservation issues. Our scoping of conservation includes the complete cycle of human interaction with the environment: starting with nature, continuing with the use of its resources, and ending with the materials we put back into nature. We need to be able to incorporate a comprehensive list of conservation activities within our scope, and then focus through our campaign work on the key actions we want everyone to take. Who needs to be included in our movement? How can we best reach all Ontarians, all cultures, all languages, all regions and communities, all professions, and all businesses? What role can your organization play? To my mind, our movement should be as wide as can be in order to reach as many people as possible. In addition to the many conservation and environment organizations, it should include as many organizations as possible where conservation is a secondary mandate. This includes cultural and social associations, faith groups, labour, and professional associations. They each reach a special audience and can greatly assist in engaging the Ontario public in conservation. A great example of integrating conservation with other values is a campaign organized by evangelical christian groups in the United States, What Would Jesus Drive? It takes the principles of smart growth and transportation alternatives and shaped them into a christian argument. A great campaign, given the number of SUVs to be found in a church parking lot. (p.s., the answer is: "he'd walk, bike, take transit and, when he had to, drive a fuel-efficient car appropriate to his needs.) Our movement should also include business. At one level, every company in Ontario can engage their employees in conservation. They can also commit to improve their own performance in protecting nature, the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, and the minimization of waste and pollution. Beyond performance, we should also look to include those companies whose products and services support conservation. How deep is our movement? What does it mean to be a conserver? Is it enough to change a lightbulb and use the blue box, or do you have to invest in energy efficient appliances, have an Energuide home audit or an R2000 home, bicycle to work, and buy in bulk and re-usable containers? Can you be a conserver in a couple of issues, or do you have to do it all? This is a tougher question. Is it enough to engage people in simple solutions, or are we asking for a deep lifestyle commitment? To answer this question, let me start with my personal conservation commitment and look at how I fare on some of the online ecological impact calculators. I live in a semi-detached house with my wife, two small children, and a live-in nanny. We have a naturalized, pesticide-free lawn and we avoid using hazardous chemicals in our home. Our electricity consumption is about 380 kWh per month (just over one-half the provincial average). Our house has been given an Energuide audit by Greensaver and was rated at a 60 (acceptable but could be better). We are members of Windshare, Toronto's cooperatively-owned wind turbine. We have no car. We bicycle to work and around our community, we use Autoshare for local car travel, take the train to Cobourg five times per year, and rent a car (preferably a Prius from Discount) for out-of-town travel. We travel on average once a year by jet to Calgary (6 hours) to visit family. We enjoy cycle touring and camping. We are members of a natural food buying club through the Ontario Natural Food Co-op, we get a bi-weekly organic food box through Foodshare and a delivery of produce from a local farmer. We also try to buy organic and local food when we shop at supermarkets and convenience stores. We do eat meat, but order organic or natural meats from local farmers, such as Beretta and Back To Nature Beef. We bank with Citizen's Bank and have all our RRSPs are in socially-responsible investments (SRI). As you can see, we not only try to adopt conservation practices, but we also invest in organizations and companies that contribute to a conserver economy. Here's how I fared on three eco-impact calculators -- the Ecological Footprint, the David Suzuki Nature Challenge, and the One Tonne Challenge... Mountain Equipment Co op http://www.mec.ca/Apps/ecoCalc/ecoCalc.jsp I scored 5.2 hectares, 51.48% of an average North American's footprint and 58.34% of an average MEC Eco-Footprint Calculation. Not bad, but it will still take 3.56 Earths to support the present human population at my level of consumption. NOTE: The food section doesn't give you credit for buying organic and the transportation section assumes you drive a car. David Suzuki Nature Challenge http://challenge.davidsuzuki.org/ This is a very simple calculator based on the highly successful David Suzuki Nature Challenge, a ten step commitment to reducing our impact on the natural environment. Unfortunately, the calculator uses provincial averages instead of an individual's personal commitment. Further, because we have five people in our home, our footprint soars to over the national average for air and water pollution, and the loss of farmland and wetlands. Even by saying yes to all the possible new commitments proposed in the next section my footprint is improved only marginally. The One Tonne Challenge http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/calculator/english/ I generate 1.78 tonnes of CO2, well below the national average of 5 tonnes. Heating and cooling make up 55% of our emissions. NOTE: If it were just me living in the house, my emissions would be 8.02 tonnes, which means that having kids is an effective way to meet the One Tonne Challenge. Of the three, my favourite is the One Tonne Challenge calculator. It offers a good range of activities and it allows you to adjust your entries with relative ease. Another feature of the One Tonne Challenge is that it offers three levels of activities -- simple (1 point), medium (4 points) and major (10 points) -- and individuals can select the options that will help them reach 20 points (a one tonne reduction). Let's Make an Ontario Conservation Calculator In our family, we reached our current level of conservation only because there is a strong support network of organizations and businesses out there. What I want is a conservation calculator that will allow me to enter my existing activities and point me to organizations, companies and/or websites that can help me improve my overall level of commitment. For example: * the question on organic and local food would link to the Ontario Natural Food Coop and others * a question on pesticide-free lawncare would have a link to Pesticide Free Ontario; * the question on car use would link to Carsharing.ca, the Smart Commute Association, and others; * a question on ethical investments would connect to the Social Investment Organization and in turn to SRI advisors and companies. You get the idea. Our calculator should encourage people to support Ontario's conservation organizations and businesses at the same time as they make improvements in their own lives. So how deep is our movement? It depends on the services we provide and on how well we can facilitate translating a individual's personal commitment to conservation into a wide range of actions. Your Turn How can your group, municipality, community, or company contribute to promoting conservation? How do you rate as a conserver, and what would best encourage and help you to improve? Can we design a better online calculator, based on the support programs, products and services offered in Ontario? Submit your comments on www.weconserve.ca/articles/ We Conserve buttons We had a number of 1" buttons made for our launch on July the 5th. They were a great hit. We've decided to develop a set of ten buttons with conservation icons like a bicycle, wind turbine, pedestrian, maple leaf (or trillium) etc. Stay tuned for details. In the meantime, why not order a set of We Conserve pins with your own logo or icon? Orders under 1,000 cost 35 cents each, 1,000 to 4,999 cost 30 cents, 5,000 to 9,999 cost 25 cents, and for orders over 10,000 the cost is 23 cents. We'll cover the design costs if you send a high quality Illustrator EPS file. For more details, please contact me at cco@web.ca [] [] -------------------------- We Conserve is supported by: [] [] [] Ontario Conserves The Ontario Trillium Foundation The Beer Store -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050714/bd21e116/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 17bfb07.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 16388 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050714/bd21e116/17bfb07-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 17bfb57.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8609 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050714/bd21e116/17bfb57-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: 17bfc70.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4760 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050714/bd21e116/17bfc70-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Mon Jul 25 16:43:19 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Mon Jul 25 16:45:34 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Doors Closed -- An A/C campaign! Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050707123605.039c5008@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] Doors Closed Please help us reach out to every store and restaurant in Ontario! www.weconserve.ca/august2005.html Time for a little action. Our first two entries on this blog focused on the broader questions of where the movement is going ? history, trends and the scope of the conservation movement. This week, we?re launching a quick start campaign to ask stores and restaurants to close their doors and windows when the air conditioning is on. Our question for you is: How can you help? Can your organization promote the campaign and help find volunteers? Can you become a community distribution centre for posters? ?Cool the Store ? and nothing more? For the week of August 8 to 14, culminating with the second anniversary of the 2003 blackout, the CCO will be orchestrating a campaign to ask stores and restaurants across Ontario to close the doors when using air conditioning. To counter the concern that a closed door means less business we are distributing a poster that says "Our door is closed, but we are open" and we will conduct a media blitz asking the public to support stores and restaurants displaying the sign. In our media work over the past couple of weeks related to the heat wave, one of the big complaints we heard was from people who are doing their best to conserve but see stores and restaurants with the front door wide open and cold air spilling out into the street. My suggestion was that store owners should close the door and put up a sign saying ?our door is closed, but we are open?. Later I thought, ?why not do the sign for them?? And this is the genesis of our first ?quick start campaign? for We Conserve. Our goal is to create a positive change in attitudes towards electricity conservation by both store and restaurant managers and consumers. We are asking local groups to be a community distribution centre for posters, to handle local media, and to provide volunteer training in positive outreach techniques. We are also looking for provincial partners who can help spread the word through their communications (membership and public outreach) and via outreach programs. Already, we have some great partners. Cool Shops will distribute 1,000 posters in Toronto, Ottawa, London, Peterborough and Markham. The Beer Store is developing their own We Conserve poster and material for their 436 stores. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has sent a notice to all its members. For campaign details, see www.weconserve.ca/august2005.html The Bigger Picture At the July 5th launch for We Conserve, I mentioned that we were looking at doing a quick start campaign to demonstrate the potential for a united conservation movement. We may not be able to cover the entire province and all cultures and communities just yet, but we need to show early results, and we need to test the ability of Ontario?s organizations to mobilize in support of a common campaign. The Doors Closed campaign is not just a cool idea; it?s a way for us to test just what can be achieved through a common campaign. Procott Now! Doors Closed is an example of a new approach to social change ? procotting! It?s very much a central approach to our conservation movement and creating a sustainable conserver economy. Procotting is actually an offshoot of the Seattle anti-globalization protests. A group from Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned from the protest committed to making change in their area. They founded the Procott movement as a means of organizing people to make a positive difference through their buying practices. See http://www.web.net/~procott/origins.html There?s one difference in our approach. The Indiana procott movement suggests organizing small groups of seven to ten people. We Conserve proposes to mobilize conservers across Ontario The Doors Closed campaign is an example of procotting. It asks people to support stores that display the We Conserve sign. The effect is the same as a boycott, but the approach is positive. Please Help Provincial and National Groups: Can you promote the campaign to your members? Can you provide a link on your website to the campaign? Can you distribute posters? Community groups: Can you be a distribution centre for your community? Can you engage local media? Can you ask for volunteers to distribute the poster to stores and restaurants in your community? Individuals: Can you distribute posters to the stores and restaurants in your area? Can you print copies of the poster on your own computer? Allegra Newman, our outreach coordinator, will be handling offers of support. She can be reached at research@greenontario.org, 416-533-1635 ext 3. Please note that for groups that can distribute 500 or more (or for PDF versions), we are offering to put your logo on the poster. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050725/354d1032/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1af0d9c.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 17054 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050725/354d1032/1af0d9c-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Sat Jul 30 09:55:57 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Sat Jul 30 09:56:02 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] We Conserve -- Gaining Momentum Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050730001611.03a40e98@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] July 30, 2005 In this issue... 1. We Conserve Update 2. Doors Closed Update 3. Annual funding request 4. Free Copies of Green Living We Conserve Update One month old and growing fast! It's been less than a month since we officially launched our consultation for the We Conserve initiative. The response has been tremendous. Our first couple of articles on the website, www.weconserve.ca/articles/, looked at where the conservation and environmental movement is going, and at how we should scope conservation. In short, we are at a turning point for the movement, where we can begin to integrate a wide range of conservation values into our society and economy. How far we can take this transition depends on many external factors (such as the price of oil) but also on how well we can support that transition with social marketing and support services. My thanks to those who have posted comments -- there are some excellent ideas on social marketing, conservation calculators, and building a movement. I will be posting more articles in August and September to touch on fundraising, social marketing, the conserver economy, and a conserver rewards program. Stay tuned and keep adding in your comments! Doors Closed Update Cool the Store and Nothing More Last week we proposed a quick start campaign to ask stores and restaurants across Ontario to keep the doors closed when running an air conditioner. The blitz of Ontario stores will run for the week of August 8, culminating with the second anniversary of the August 14, 2003 blackout. This year, we will be able to say that we are taking action! I'd like to express our thanks to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, all of whom have promoted the campaign to their membership. As a result, the early list of participating groups includes ENGOs, other NGOs, municipalities, chambers of commerce, and companies. Here's who's involved to date: Provincial Cool Shops (Clean Air Foundation) is distributing 1,000 posters via their teams in Toronto, Ottawa, London, Peterborough, and Markham. The Beer Store is conducting a "We Conserve" electricity conservation campaign for their 436 retail stores. Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business & Professionals is distributing posters to its Ontario members Local London Thames Region Ecological Association is distributing 200 posters. Ottawa Envirocentre is distributing 500 posters. Toronto North Toronto Green Community is distributing 500 posters. Toronto Eneract is distributing posters. Toronto One Tonne Toronto is distributing posters. Toronto Earth Day Canada is distributing posters. Oakville Sudbury Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is distributing posters Town of Oakville is distributing 500 posters Toronto Canada-China Environmental Cooperation Council is distributing posters We still need your help! To join in the campaign, as an organization or as an individual volunteer, please go to http://weconserve.ca/august2005.html Please Donate Make an online contribution at http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d16902&Language=en You may remember that in January we decided to postpone our annual donations appeal in support of the tsunami relief effort. We also wanted to release the We Conserve challenge paper and give everyone a sense of where we are going before asking for your support. Like many organizations, the majority of the Council's funding is project related, so your individual donations provide us with much-needed flexible funding that can be used where needed the most. You can make an online donation at the above link (and receive an instant charitable receipt) or send a cheque to The Conservation Council of Ontario, Suite 132, 215 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C7. Free Copies of Green Living Available to NGOs for distribution to their members www.greenlivingmagazine.ca Re-named, re-sized and re-focused, Green Living (formerly the Enviroguide) is an organic lifestyle magazine that gives our readers all the information they need to live in a greener and healthier way. With trends now focused on more natural and chemical-free solutions for better living, we have the power to affect real change ? in our own health and in the health of the planet. Over 110,000 copies of Green Living are currently distributed through the award-winning Toronto Life Magazine, World Wildlife Canada, Federation of Ontario Naturalists, newsstands and non-profit organizations This dynamic magazine, now in its 7th year, is a well-respected and enjoyable source of information for readers becoming more concerned about the environment. Green Living has the latest information on organic foods, healthy diets and nutrition. Read about the hottest natural beauty products, eco-travel, spas and fitness. Home makeovers with environmentally friendly paints, chemical-free cleaners, pesticide-free gardens and energy-smart appliances . Green Living is currently offering complimentary copies for distribution to your membership. If you are interested, please c ontact Marla Slavner, Associate Publisher, Marla Slavner -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050730/cce16e27/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 36e28e.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15972 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050730/cce16e27/36e28e-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Sun Aug 28 15:36:58 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Sun Aug 28 15:37:11 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Conservation 1, 2, 3. Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050828153157.032de140@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] Conservation 1, 2, 3. This week, we're asking for your comments on how to design a common social marketing approach for conservation. But first... Doors Closed a Huge Success In our one week blitz, the Doors Closed campaign reached (we're told) 4.3 million people through over 100 media spots. Over 5,000 posters were distributed in 15 different communities via 24 partner organizations, dozens of volunteers, 2 municipalities and 2 chambers of commerce. For a quick-start campaign, designed to show the potential of a united movement, I'd say that's a success. Even better, everyone we talk to says that we need to be back again next summer with a bigger and better campaign. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped out! We'll have a full report online in a couple of weeks. The United Conservation Campaign Doors Closed has demonstrated the strength and depth of our movement. It has shown that there is strong public support for conservation, and an equally strong interest on the part of municipalities and retailers to be part of Ontario's conservation movement. Our challenge now is to design a conservation campaign that is both universal and meaningful. * It has to be universal, so that an individual, a building, a store, a school, a municipality, a company, and a farmer, can all participate in the campaign. * It must be flexible, so that the core principles will be relevant for all participants. * It must be able to address all issues and activities under the conservation umbrella. * It must have depth and support the programs and services provided by organizations and companies across Ontario. * It must stimulate a desire to improve. I propose we develop a simple three-level approach to We Conserve. It's based, in part, on the "ABC" approach used by the One Tonne Challenge, where you can achieve your one tonne C02 reduction through twenty simple steps, five medium steps or one major change. http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/english/index.asp Level One: Taking the first steps -- easy things you can do yourself. Level Two: Making an investment (time and/or money) -- things we can help you with, through our services and conservation products. Level Three: Making a commitment -- things that require a significant shift in lifestyle. Applying the Model We need a common checklist, covering nature, energy, transportation, household hazards, and waste reduction (for an example, see Eneract's Smart Living guidebook at www.smartliving.ca). Each section would list the three levels of activities with links to supporting organizations. This could also be done as the online conservation calculator referred to in the second posting (How Wide and Deep is Conservation) The checklist can be adapted for different applications. For retailers, it might incorporate the "Doors Closed" message along with maintenance of HVAC systems and other tips from the Cool Shops program. Cultural associations can also adapt (and translate) the checklist for their communities. This is a self-assessment model, which means that anyone can participate in We Conserve. For example, any store can display a poster if it has completed the checklist and is committed to promoting conservation. The challenge comes in defining Level Two and Level Three commitments, especially with respect to our economy. For a company, the level one activities would refer to adopting basic environmental management policies and actions (Responsible Care, for example). Level Two would involve an investment in new technology and marketing conservation products. Level Three would require a complete commitment to conservation in operations and products. This, then, becomes the common framework for We Conserve. We can then look at designing individual campaigns, co-marketing initiatives, and other activities designed to help catalyze the shift to a conserver economy and a conserver society. Your Comments Here's three questions for you: 1. How can you help develop the checklists? 2. How would you adapt a checklist for your organization or membership? 3. Will a common, three-level approach help in promoting your organization/company and programs/products? Please post your comments at http://weconserve.ca/articles/?p=7 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050828/c2f16765/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 36e28e.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15972 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050828/c2f16765/36e28e-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Mon Sep 19 15:55:44 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Mon Sep 19 15:55:21 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Collaborations for Conservation Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050919155122.03365298@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] September 19, 2005 In this issue... Conservation Collaborations -- the Next Step in Building the Movement Health and the Environment : -- a Health and Sprawl seminar -- a primer on Child Health and the Environment. Post your ideas for collaborations Conservation Collaborations -- the Next Step We?re building the conservation movement one step at a time. This summer, we tested the waters with the Doors Closed Ontario! campaign which demonstrated the amazing potential for cooperative outreach campaigns, especially when Ontario's businesses and business associations, municipalities, community groups and volunteers, and provincial organizations all work together towards a common goal. Next on the agenda is the development of new collaborations. And once we have a track record with the collaborations, we will be able to introduce some of the high-level programs for the conservation movement, including a provincial Conservation Fund and a conservation rewards program in support of a conserver economy. Here are some of the innovative ideas we've been involved with over the summer months. These are all fledgling concepts and programs in the making, but they give a good idea of our potential 1. Student Power: a co-marketing initiative for environmental education and school-based programs. A key innovation is to include a renewable power program to help schools set up windmills as a learning experience (see PURE?s trailblazing pilot project www.powerupenergy.ca/press.html). Just as Evergreen helps schools to naturalize their playgrounds, the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association in partnership with environmental education groups will give students practical learning experiences in renewable energy. The real bonus comes with a new generation that is willing to invest in renewable power and conservation. 2. Selling Energy Conservation: a number of groups in the energy conservation sector are looking at how to combine forces in social marketing, and in packaging our services for municipalities with respect to energy conservation. 3. Natural Yards: very much in the pre-planning stage, but with many municipalities considering pesticide by-laws there is a strong need for community-based programs to help people switch to natural pest control and to create wildlife habitat in their yards. Maybe we?ll even need a new category in the annual ?Communities in Bloom? competition www.communitiesinbloom.ca 4. Cultural Connections: an exciting collaboration is forming between cultural agencies in the Greater Toronto Area and the conservation community. We are pulling together an initial proposal to scope out the pressing conservation issues, the best practices, and the opportunities for engaging Ontario?s new immigrants and cultures in the conservation movement. These collaborations and more will be fleshed out for our Annual Meeting on November 15. Details to follow. Are you working on any other solutions-oriented collaborations. Let us know! There are so many other conservation issues and opportunities out there: such as local and organic food, transportation alternatives, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and natural areas stewardship. Please post your comments and ideas at http://weconserve.ca/articles/?p=8 Health and the Environment: News from the our Networks Here?s a couple of items from two of the networks we are working with Health and Urban Sprawl Seminar http://www.greenontario.org/osgn/fall05.html The Ontario Smart Growth Network is hosting a one-day seminar on the links between urban sprawl and health. Speakers include Dr. Sheela Basrur, Chief Medical Officer of Health; Dr Riina Bray, Ontario College of Family Physicians; and Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga. Child Health and the Environment http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca Two years in the making, the Canadian Partnership for Children?s Health and the Environment has released an excellent primer on the links between exposures to toxic chemicals and other hazards and prenatal and child health. It?s available on the CPCHE website. (Can a social marketing campaign be far behind?) Your Comments Here?s two questions for you: 1. What can we hope to achieve through collaborations? Measurable results? Cultural shift? Synergy? 2. Where else can we build partnerships and collaborations? Please post your comments at http://weconserve.ca/articles/?p=8 Chris Winter Executive Director The Conservation Council of Ontario -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050919/8010220d/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 8a5ae5.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15665 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050919/8010220d/8a5ae5-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Mon Sep 19 16:55:52 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Chris Winter) Date: Mon Sep 19 16:57:07 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] We Conserve - Childproofing for Environmental Health Message-ID: <200509192054.j8JKsQRp025915@smtp0.beanfield.net> Childproofing for Environmental Health National Awareness Campaign Begins Today The Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE) is pleased to announce its ' Childproofing for Environmental Health' campaign, aimed at providing parents, care givers, service providers and decision-makers with the tools to protect children from environmental risks. At a news conference on September 15, 2005, Dr. David McKeown, Medical Officer of Health, Toronto; Paul Muldoon, Executive Director, Canadian Environmental Law Association; Dr. Hilary de Veber, Pediatrician; and Dr. Ann Phillips, Environmental Health Promoter and Researcher, South Riverdale Community Health Centre launched this national campagin. As a foundation for this campaign, CPCHE has launched two new educational resources (on-line links provided below) alongside the release of a detailed technical report from Toronto's Medical Officer of Health. Materials are available online at www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca or go directly to: * CPCHE Media Release * Child Health and the Environment - A Primer (large download - 2.5 MB) * Playing it Safe - Childproofing for Environmental Health (brochure) * Ne prenons pas de risque, prot?geons la sant ? environnementale de nos enfants (brochure) * Order Form for Primer and Brochure * Toronto Public Health - media release, backgrounder, detailed technical report, summary report, transmittal report to Board of Health. Member organizations of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment include: Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment Canadian Child Care Federation Canadian Environmental Law Association Canadian Institute of Child Health Environmental Health Clinic, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Ontario College of Family Physicians Ontario Public Health Association Pollution Probe South Riverdale Community Health Centre Toronto Public Health For more information : Kathleen Cooper, Senior Researcher, Canadian Environmental Law Association (author of the Primer and co-author of the Toronto Public Health report) 416-960-2284, ext 221 or kcooper@cela.ca Tonya Surman, Partnership Director, Canadian Partnership for Children's HEalth and Enviornment (CPCHE) at 416-595-9579 or tonya@commons.ca. Support for this campaign has come from a variety of supporters including the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Laidlaw Foundation. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20050919/9c060634/attachment.html From cco at web.ca Tue Oct 11 14:49:05 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Tue Oct 11 14:48:18 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Doors Closed campaign report Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051011144801.03288f70@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] ?Doors Closed? proves the power of conservation! We now declare the Doors Closed Ontario! campaign over for 2005 and the planning for 2006 is now open! Doors Closed was a tremendous success on so many levels. The most important result was that, in the space of a few short weeks, we demonstrated what a conservation movement can accomplish. Over 5,000 posters were distributed by 27 organizations in 15 communities. Five municipalities signed up, as did two chambers of commerce. The poster was translated into French, Mandarin and Cantonese, and Portuguese. Based on the reports from local canvassers, we estimate that * 49% of businesses approached displayed a poster * 12% of businesses visited had their doors open * 64% of businesses with their doors open closed their doors when asked Clearly, the true success of the campaign was in raising public awareness and commitment to conservation. That said, we estimate that the campaign did result in a savings of up to 7 megawatts of peak power demand through store and restaurant owners responding to our request to keep their doors closed. Not bad for $3,000 worth of posters. At a time when Ontario is considering its power supply options, Doors Closed demonstrated the power and cost-effectiveness of the conservation option. In this case, the conservation solution was an attitude change. It cost nothing to implement and would save Ontario up to 200 megawatts of peak demand (40% of the power from a nuclear reactor). We delivered those savings through a public campaign ? our distribution system was people and organizations, not hydro wires. Our report concludes that Ontario needs to make an immediate commitment to the conservation option with a conservation investment fund equal to the investment in a new power plant, and an investment in community-based outreach and provincial campaigns equivalent to a new hydro distribution line. Everyone says conservation is the first option. Let?s make it so. Final Report Summary Here?s a summary of our report on the Doors Closed Ontario campaign for 2005 ? the little campaign that grew! For the full report, see www.weconserve.ca/august2005.html * The pilot year of the Doors Closed Ontario campaign: * achieved Ontario wide media support for energy conservation, * brought together conservation groups across Ontario to work together on a specific initiative, * forged new links between non-environmental organizations, businesses and ENGOs across the province, * provided a successful example of ?procotting?: rewarding those businesses that are already supporting conservation initiatives ?The campaign was a great idea to spread awareness to Ontario about energy conservation and a great learning tool for businesses to realize how much energy they were leaking and how much they could be saving. Our members reacted positively with the campaign downloading the poster and were more than willingly to show it off and spread the message.? Ron Moniz Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals Media Coverage The media launch on Tuesday August 9th, 2005 was a great success. Doors Closed Ontario accumulated over 100 media hits. The audience numbers for the electronic media (radio and TV) alone (taken from the media monitoring notes) indicates 4.2 million listeners were exposed to the message. The campaign was featured in over 35 newspapers across the province from the Toronto Star to the North Bay Nugget, in Chinese papers, and in weekly community newspapers. Volunteers who distributed posters after the media blitz reported that stores and restaurants were often already familiar with the campaign. The media was a vital part of this campaign as stores are more likely to put up a poster and close their door if there is a possibility that a news camera will be coming by. One Toronto retailer suggested that this fear of exposure by the media was directly responsible for their compliance. Poster Distribution The campaign was most successful in urban centers like Toronto and Ottawa and in surrounding suburban centers like Oakville and Burlington with thriving downtowns. The larger stores located in urban shopping districts were the worst perpetrators since they can afford to waste money for the sake of gaining business. In contrast, some towns reported that none of their stores kept their doors open. Large chains posed a problem. Staff were all too willing to comply, but their hands were tied by corporate policy made in some far off city. A Toronto merchant reported having lost customers because their doors were open. She also suggested that peer pressure among stores in a neighbourhood would force stores to choose to close their doors. As we suspected, congratulating stores on their conservation minded actions with a poster will have an impact on those stores who have their doors open. Partnering NGOs responded positively to having their logo displayed on the posters as distribution partners. As partners in the campaign, their investment of time gave them valuable publicity, both in stores and in local media. The support of municipalities and chambers of commerce was a tremendous boost to the campaign. The town of Oakville posted the names of those stores that participated in the campaign on their website. Susan Austin for the Town of Oakville reports, ?Stores were very happy to post the poster in their windows after I said that I would post their store name on our website as a participating store, to give them some free exposure. It worked very well.? You can check out their results at http://www.oakville.ca/3826.htm (67 stores!). When we had a cultural association as a partner, we produced a bilingual version of the poster for them. Both the Canada-China Environmental Cooperation Council and the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals received media local coverage of their efforts. Some Observations Support for conservation is strong, and from all sides. The public response to the campaign was strong and emotional. People hate to see stores and restaurants wasting electricity. A provincial campaign with community-based outreach is a potent combination. The involvement of business associations, chambers of commerce and municipalities made a significant impact Big chains need to step up to the plate, with head office committing to conservation. Small convenience stores, many owned by new Canadians, need friendly advice on energy conservation, such as is offered by Cool Shops Did we achieve a measurable reduction in electricity consumption? Yes, although the true impact of the campaign was in raising public awareness about conservation and beginning to sow the seed for a long-term cultural shift in consumption patterns. We are encouraged by the interest in continuing the campaign next year and we expect that Doors Closed will make a significant contribution to creating a culture of conservation in Ontario. Recommendations As this was the pilot year for this initiative the Conservation Council of Ontario was happy with the participation and feedback from both Ontario NGOs and volunteers. Here are some recommendations for Doors Closed year two: * Start the campaign earlier in the summer * Produce an easy to read energy tip sheet to accompany the distribution * Print removable stickers instead of posters * Provide more support for the volunteers and make sure they understand the facts behind the campaign * Target chain stores by contacting their head office * Connect with more community groups to help with distribution Another recommendation is to work with the retail sector to design an integrated We Conserve campaign that would allow stores to identify the conservation measure that make sense for them (i.e. not everyone has air-conditioning) and to promote their conservation products and services (organic cotton, recycled paper, energy efficient appliances, and organic food, for example). Finally, voluntary programs like Doors Closed need to be supported by peak pricing. Smart meters and peak power pricing for medium and larger stores and restaurants would help reinforce the message that air-conditioning the great outdoors is a waste of electricity and money. Thanks to all who helped Thank you to all the groups and volunteers who participated in the Doors Closed campaign. We look forward to working with you again on Doors Closed Ontario 2006! * Canada-China Environmental Cooperation Council * Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention * City of Stratford * Clean Air Champions * Cool Shops (Peterborough, London, Toronto, Markham, and Ottawa) * Don Valley West One Tonne Challenge * Earth Day Canada * East Toronto Climate Action Group * Ecoperth * Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence * Eneract * EnviroCentre * Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals * Halsall Associates Limited * North Toronto Green Community * One Tonne Toronto * Peterborough Green-Up * Pollution Probe * Reduce the Juice, Shelburne * Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce * The Beer Store * Timmins Chamber of Commerce * Town of Aurora * Town of Markham * Town of Oakville * Town of Uxbridge * Thames Region Ecological Association (TREA) A special thanks to the hundreds of stores and restaurants across the province who displayed the poster and kept their doors closed. Thanks to the Peter Love, Ontario?s Chief Energy Conservation Officer and the Conservation Bureau of the Ontario Power Authority for logistical support. Thanks to Scott Rouse (Energy@Work), NAIMA Canada, and the Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada for technical support Thanks to the organizations who helped us promote the campaign to their membership: * The Association of Municipalities of Ontario * The Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association * The Ontario Chamber of Commerce. And finally, our thanks to The Beer Store and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, whose financial support for We Conserve allowed us to organize the campaign and print the posters. Posted by Allegra Newman, Campaign Coordinator Chris Winter, Executive Director, CCO Key Questions: What made Doors Closed a success? How should Ontario invest in conservation? Post your comments on the website, http://weconserve.ca/articles/ . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051011/f835a565/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 4fdc79.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15972 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051011/f835a565/4fdc79-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Wed Oct 12 22:40:35 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Wed Oct 12 22:42:09 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Province to Honour Bob Hunter Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051012222918.0327c550@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Throne Speech Highlights October 12, 2005 In today's Speech from the Throne there were numerous references to environmental commitments. Many old promises were restated and reinforced, such as the commitment to phase out coal plants by 2009. But there were some new commitments as well. One new commitment is the creation of the Bob Hunter Memorial Park in the Rouge Valley. This is a fitting gesture for a man who was at the heart and forefront of the environmental movement and a founder of Greenpeace. Bob once said, "conservationists are a pain in the ass, but they make great ancestors". He'd probably be the last person to suggest that a hunk of nature should bear the name of a human, but tough. He deserves to be remembered, and remembered as someone who dedicated his life, and even put his life on the line, to protect nature. I hope my children's children will know and appreciate who Bob Hunter was, what he stood for, and how he chose to stand for it. You'll further note, tucked away in the speech, a commitment to introduce new measures and new legislation to encourage conservation. Duly noted, and as the conservation movement in Ontario is gaining momentum, legislative and economic instruments will be a tremendous support. This is also an opportune time to offer our congratulations to the new Minister of Energy, Donna Cansfield, who is well known to us in her role as chair of the provincial Conservation Action Team. We wish her well with her new responsibilities. Chris Winter, Executive Director The Conservation Council of Ontario -------------------- CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY: EXCERPTS FROM THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE October 12, 2005 Your government is determined to protect Ontarians' health by cleaning up the air they breathe and protecting the water they drink. It will replace coal-fired electricity generation with cleaner forms of energy, with the last coal-fired plant slated to close in early 2009. It will protect drinking water by introducing legislation, as recommended by the Walkerton Inquiry, that would protect water at its source. It will improve the environmental assessment process by making it more transparent and efficient. And because a healthy lifestyle includes activity in the great outdoors, it will introduce legislation that would ensure our precious provincial parks are protected forever, while pursuing our strategy to map and sign 64,000 kilometres of Ontario trails. To symbolize the value we place on our natural environment ... and the power of people to make a positive difference, your government will be creating a new park in the Rouge Valley -- the Bob Hunter Memorial Park. To his children and his wife Bobbi, we say: Bob's passionate defence of the environment blazed a trail and left a legacy. It will not be forgotten. ------------------------ A reliable supply of clean energy at a reasonable cost is absolutely essential to Ontario's prosperity. We have just 15 years to refurbish, rebuild or replace 25,000 megawatts of electricity supply. In just two years, your government has brought more than 2,200 megawatts on line. It has advanced new generation projects that will provide us with another 9,000 megawatts over the next five years -- enough power for 4.1 million homes. And it is on target to meet Ontario's goal of renewable generation accounting for five per cent of our electricity capacity by 2007. But there is much more to be done. To ensure the necessary long-term planning takes place, your government has created the new Ontario Power Authority, and it will act on the best, unvarnished advice on what must be done next. Commodity prices for new generation will no longer be subsidized or capped. Your government has taken the politics out of electricity pricing. The Ontario Energy Board now sets residential prices. But your government is taking action to ensure Ontario's prices remain competitive -- by achieving a diverse mix of supply, a reliable transmission grid and stability in the energy sector. It will also give Ontarians the tools they need to better manage their costs, including the installation of smart meters in 800,000 homes and businesses by 2007, and every home and business by 2010. Smart meters -- which tell you what you're paying for electricity at each time during the day -- will allow consumers to gear their energy use to when the price is lower. Your government will introduce new measures -- and new legislation -- to encourage energy conservation. We are making these changes in a way that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 megatonnes. This means cleaner air and healthier Ontarians. It represents 10 per cent of Canada's total Kyoto goal. We expect the federal government to recognize this contribution in their Kyoto plan. --------------------------------------- The Drive Clean program includes newer vehicles that are passing emission tests more than 99 per cent of the time. Drive Clean will be reformed to end this waste of Ontarians' time and money. ------------------------------------- Your government was the first to provide gas tax funding for Ontario public transit. The proof is now on the streets and rails of Ontario: there are new streetcars, new buses and new levels of service. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051012/263bef1d/attachment.html From cco at web.ca Wed Oct 26 14:06:41 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Wed Oct 26 14:05:32 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] November 15 meeting -- Registration now open! Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051026135421.0329aac0@pop.web.ca> Stand Up for Conservation November 15th, from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. is our annual meeting. Please register and come show your support for a strong conservation movement in Ontario! http://www.greenontario.org/cco/agm2005.html In three short months, we've done a lot. We've laid the foundation for a new conservation movement; through Doors Closed we've demonstrated how this movement can achieve results;and we're looking at new approaches to social marketing, co-marketing of services, and fundraising. We are also anticipating the first report from Ontario's Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Peter Love, and new Conservation Leadership legislation from the provincial government. That said, we have reached a crucial point in building an effective conservation movement, and it hinges around the current debate over Ontario's electricity supply and demand. Ontario faces a critical decision: * On the one hand we can opt for the traditional expensive, unreliable, and polluting approaches to meeting our electricity demand; or * * we can invest in conservation and energy efficiency: the cheapest, cleanest, and most reliable option. Bit of a no-brainer, isn't it. Electricity is just the beginning. Think transportation, urban design, food, air quality, public health, garbage, pollution. Think health: healthy children, healthy communities, and a healthy economy resilient to energy and resource shortages. This is the kind of decision we as a society are facing on so many fronts. If we don't collectively stand up and say "we conserve!" we will get, by default, more pollution, less nature, a weaker economy, and poorer health. Over the next few weeks, we will be asking you to take several key steps in support of conservation. The first is to register for our annual meeting and first progress report on We Conserve. http://www.greenontario.org/cco/agm2005.html You will shortly receive another e-mail on a membership drive for the Conservation Council. This drive is aimed at Ontario's non-governmental organizations and individual conservation leaders. For the business community, business associations, and municipalities, a later posting/e-mail and our progress report will include a call for a conservation pledge as the first step in a five year campaign to promote the integration of conservation values into our society and economy. We are also designing a database to help keep track of all the participants in the conservation movement and better connect those of you with conservation services with the market opportunities. We will also keep you posted on new developments and reports on the conservation front, and let you know where to send your comments and letters of support. Piece by piece, we are finding ways to turn a complex issue into a cohesive movement! I look forward to your continued support and to seeing you on the 15th, Chris Winter Executive Director The Conservation Council of Ontario -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051026/073f1dea/attachment.html From cco at web.ca Wed Oct 26 14:19:15 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Wed Oct 26 14:18:02 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Comp. Tickets to Nader this Friday Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051026140724.0329afe0@pop.web.ca> To: CCO members and friends From: Chris Winter Re: complimentary tickets to Ralph Nader http://the215.ca/events/nader/ As a member of the Centre for Social Innovation, the Conservation Council of Ontario has purchased a block of 50 tickets for the Ralph Nader event this Friday. Ralph will be tackling the big challenge of connecting climate change with social justice, and you can bet he will cover everything from American politics to public disconnect and social change. It should be a stimulating evening! Friday, October 28, 2005 8:30 p.m. Ryerson Theatre, 43 Gerrard Street East. Toronto If you are interested in attending (and promise to mention conservation solutions at least once during the evening :)), please send me an e-mail at cco@web.ca and I will arrange to have a ticket set aside at the door for you. First come, first served! Chris From cco at web.ca Mon Oct 31 14:49:17 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Mon Oct 31 14:48:00 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Doors OPEN CCO -- a membership drive! Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051031142917.0349d2d8@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] Doors Open CCO! A membership drive for the Conservation Council of Ontario Here's another way to stand up for conservation -- become a member of the Conservation Council of Ontario. At our annual meeting on November 15, we'd like to vote in new member organizations and individuals. 1. Don't forger to register for the annual meeting, "Stand Up for Conservation": www.greenontario.org/cco/agm2005.html 2. If you or your organization is a leader in conservation, please consider applying for membership Organization membership is open to all environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and to all other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that seek to integrate conservation values and practices into their activities and membership services. To apply, send an e-mail with a brief description of your organization, its mission and activities to Chris Winter, Executive Director, at cco@web.ca. Individual membership is open to people who have demonstrated leadership in conservation and who can assist us in our mission. We seek a wide range of expertise and experience in our individual membership. To apply, send an e-mail with a brief bio to Chris Winter, Executive Director, at cco@web.ca. If you look at our current roster of 25 member organizations and 50 individual members, you will see we have a diverse membership that includes conservation groups, professional associations and labour as well as provincial and local organizations. A list of our membership is at www.greenontario.org/cco/members.html. It's been a while since we've had a membership drive, but with the new focus and mission for the Council on building a conservation movement, and with the success of the first Doors Closed campaign under our belt as an example of what we can achieve when we all work together, it's time we open our own doors and invite you in. Some Details Applications for membership are reviewed by the Board of Directors and a slate of nominees will be presented at the annual meeting, November 15. New members are elected to the Council by a majority of members present at a Council meeting. The next meeting is November 15, so act now! Membership is free. We value your support and contribution to the cause. We do, of course, ask each individual member to include the Council on the list of charities they support. We currently have two main membership meetings a year (the annual meeting and the Conservation Summit), however we may add in a winter meeting as We Conserve gets rolling. More importantly, our work will focus on looking for opportunities to foster new collaborations between our members: everything from co-marketing to new value-added programs in social marketing, promoting a conserver economy, and fundraising. Also this year, we will be setting up an Ontario Conservation Fund to accept funds on behalf of the conservation movement. As a member, you will be better able to contribute to the discussion of how we raise money and how we can best allocate it to support leadership, effective collaborations, and outreach campaigns. We look forward to hearing from you, Chris Winter Jeb Brugmann Executive Director President To post a comment on this article, go to http://weconserve.ca/articles/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051031/4f3708f4/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 4fdc79.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15972 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051031/4f3708f4/4fdc79-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- From cco at web.ca Thu Nov 10 16:47:20 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Thu Nov 10 16:45:59 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] We Conserve -- draft Progress Report #1 Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051110162452.033250e0@pop.web.ca> Dear friends: A draft of our first Progresss Report for We Conserve is now online at http://www.greenontario.org/cco/progress1.pdf. The report reviews our amazing progress to date (just four months after launching our consultation). More importantly, it sets out an agenda for an aggressive five year campaign to maximize the potential for conservation in Ontario. It covers many issues -- including energy conservation and renewable power, smart growth, local and organic food, shifting to a conserver economy. There are two items which stand out in our progress to date: the emergence of new collaborative projects involving several like-minded organizations with different skill sets, and the ability of the Doors Closed campaign to bring together 27 organizations (including four municipalities and two chambers of commerce) to promote a common conservation message. This movement has legs! Let's get it up and running ... Our agenda is ambitious, but achievable if we work together. It includes: 1. A common conservation pledge, followed up with an action plan to go from simple steps to integrated commitment over a five year period 2. More collaborations to address conservation priorities 3. A $5 million annual fund to support the conservation movement 4. Integrated public engagement campaigns to promote conservation and connect people with solutions 5. Supporting a measurable shift to a conserver economy (everything from housing, transportation, food, consumer goods, natural resources, tourism, and financial investments) I welcome your comments and PLEASE, if you can make it to our meeting next Tuesday (from 12 - 4 pm at the Holiday Inn on King), register before Friday at 3pm (we have to give the hotel catering numbers then). Go to www.greenontario.org/cco/agm2005.html for details. With thanks, Chris Winter Executive Director Stand Up for Conservation November 15, 2005 www.greenontario.org/cco/agm2005.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051110/1d3cf722/attachment.html From cco at web.ca Thu Dec 15 13:06:35 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Thu Dec 15 13:10:35 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Help design a conserver budget Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051215130526.03061cd8@pop.web.ca> Green On. The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario see www.greenontario.org to subscribe or unsubscribe Editor: Chris Winter, Executive Director Note: The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We Conserve Initiative Please see www.weconserve.ca for details. [] Help design a conserver budget This week I attended a pre-budget consultation with the Ontario Ministry of Finance. I suggested that this is the year that the government needs to look at a conservation budget. This is the year that Ontario needs to make a visible commitment to a conserver economy ? as a new area of economic growth, and to create an efficient economy that is more resilient to resource scarcity and rising gas prices. Ontario Power Authority?s Supply Mix Advice Report says that Ontario does not have a credible track record in conservation. The Ministry of Energy and the Conservation Bureau are trying to foster a "culture of conservation" with respect to electricity. Where is the pricing mechanism that will penalize overconsumption, reward conservation, and facilitate the shift to renewable power? Places to Grow, the growth management plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe seeks to encourage compact, livable communities and vital downtown cores. Where are the fiscal instruments to ensure that greenfield development is more expensive than brownfield or infill development, and to provide funding for community infrastructure (health and social services, bike lanes, recreation areas)? Ontarians have already seen a rise in gas prices, and even higher prices are just around the corner. We also had the worst air quality summer on record. Where are the fiscal instruments to support a transition to fuel efficient (6.0 litres/100km and under) and hybrid cars? Michigan may soon close its borders to Toronto?s garbage. Beyond the Blue Box, how can the government support waste reduction? Resources are at the heart of our economy. Protecting significan natural areas and ensuring sustainable and viable forestry, agriculture and other resource industries are vital to the future well-being of our province. What new economic measures can be introduced to ensure a efficiency? Please Help Ontario?s 2006 budget has to demonstrate clear fiscal measures that support the government?s conservation initiatives. Here?s how you can help. Tell me your favourite economic instrument in support of a conserver economy. I will post some of the ideas to solicit further comment and compile a submission of the best ideas to submit to the Province early in the new year. 1. Post a short comment or suggestion. Use the comment form below to make a concise comment or suggestion (please be brief). 2. Send me an e-mail.. If you have details on your suggestion, please send them to me in an e-mail to cco@web.ca 3. Post a suggestion on the Ministry of Finance website. The ministry wants your views on three questions: creating a new generation of economic growth, addressing external challenges and risks, and improving accountability. Let them know how supporting growth in a conserver economy will improve economic resiliency against fluctuating resource prices, and how connecting overconsumption surcharges with subsidies for conservation will improve transparency and accountability. http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/consultations/prebud06/feedback.html. You can also make detailed submissions to submissions@fin.gov.on.ca Many thanks, Chris Winter Stand Up for Conservation www.weconserve.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051215/999d0403/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: a9adb1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15972 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051215/999d0403/a9adb1-0001.jpg From cco at web.ca Thu Dec 15 14:13:43 2005 From: cco at web.ca (Conservation Council of Ontario) Date: Thu Dec 15 14:11:20 2005 Subject: [greenon-l] Conservation Budget -- link Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20051215141012.030dc6a8@pop.web.ca> [] Help design a conserver budget Correction (or addition) To submit a comment on a conservation budget, please go to http://weconserve.ca/articles/?p=12 From the original e-mail... 1. Post a short comment or suggestion. Use the comment form below to make a concise comment or suggestion (please be brief). 2. Send me an e-mail.. If you have details on your suggestion, please send them to me in an e-mail to cco@web.ca 3. Post a suggestion on the Ministry of Finance website. The ministry wants your views on three questions: creating a new generation of economic growth, addressing external challenges and risks, and improving accountability. Let them know how supporting growth in a conserver economy will improve economic resiliency against fluctuating resource prices, and how connecting overconsumption surcharges with subsidies for conservation will improve transparency and accountability. http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/consultations/prebud06/feedback.html. You can also make detailed submissions to submissions@fin.gov.on.ca Thanks, Chris Stand Up for Conservation www.weconserve.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.web.net/archives/greenon-l/attachments/20051215/429df127/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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