[greenon-l] Conservation in a Time of Financial Crisis

Fri Oct 3 17:07:48 EDT 2008

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Chris Winter
Executive Director
The Conservation Council of Ontario
October 3, 2008

1.	Conserver <>  Solutions for a Financial Crisis 
2.	Conservation <>  Summit - Hold the Date!
3.	Membership <>  Drive
4.	Donations <>  Drive: Become a Friend of Conservation
5.	Transportation <>  Futures - Ontario's Inaugural Road Pricing Forum

Conserver solutions for a financial crisis
Chris Winter, Executive Director, The Conservation Council of Ontario

Ever since the blackout of 2003, I've been talking about the need to invest
in "conservation by choice" in order to help people live better and reduce
their bills, to create a more resilient economy, and to build the social and
economic infrastructure that could help in times of crisis.

Well, here we are.  Five years later, a whole new crisis, and no better
organized.  

Once again, we are witnessing a form of "conservation by crisis".  In the
face of higher energy costs and financial instability, people are cutting
back wherever they can.  Less travel, smaller cars, smaller houses, fewer
pleasures and toys.   And what of the impact on the economy?  We are already
seeing the impact of consumer preference on the auto industry, airlines and
even housing.  I expect we will see a feedback loop, where economic
uncertainty and loss of savings or income will result in further reductions
in consumer spending on inefficient and frivolous items.    

Tough times, to be sure, but there are two things that give me hope. First,
there is a lot of waste in our society that can be easily expunged.   Most
families can easily trim $10,000 a year in unnecessary costs. Second, this
is a unique opportunity to shift our economy to a more resilient, conserver
path.  There are tremendous opportunities in developing a green economy,
including energy conservation, renewable power, and local value-added
employment.  

In short, this is a time to be brave, not timid.  It is time we invested in
a conserver economy of our choosing -- and not the one that will be thrust
upon us if we continue on a path of blind faith.

If you go to http://www.weconserve.ca/conservereconomics.html, you'll find
my suggestions for personal savings through conservation, a list of
recommendations for the transition to a conserver economy, and (to tie the
two together), the role of a conservation movement to connect personal
conservation choices with an emerging green economy.

Pull together, and we can use the current financial crisis as the catalyst
for a healthier and more resilient economy.  We still have time to make the
right choices! 

Now, if you agree that conservation has a vital role to play in solving our
current economic woes, read on.  It's time to take action

Ontario's Conservation Summit #4

THE CONSERVER ECONOMY:

strategies for a resilient and healthy future

We are laying the groundwork for our fourth conservation summit to summarize
progress towards a conserver society in Ontario, and to highlight efforts to
support a green, conserver economy.

Please hold the date:  Thursday, December 4, 2008

Details will be forthcoming in a week, including details on the background
paper for the summit.  As in past years, we will be encouraging groups and
businesses to submit a one-page summary of the products and/or services they
offer that can help people adopt conserver solutions.  

MEMBER PARTNERS: Member organizations of the CCO and other major provincial
organizations working on conservation and a green economy can be listed as
partners of the summit.  Please contact us.

SPONSORS:  If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact us. 

Contact:  Chris Winter - cco at web.ca 

Membership Drive

If you are an organization, municipality, or business in Ontario that
supports the goal of a conserver society and is actively integrating or
promoting environmental considerations in your operations, then you should
be a member of the Conservation Council of Ontario.

Yes, that probably means you (with the exception of all our friends in the
provincial and federal governments who are on this listserve).

The Conservation Council is the one organization in Ontario, and virtually
unique in the world, with a mandate to act as a secretariat to a united
conservation movement - all of us working together in our own ways to
promote a healthier, sustainable future for our province.  For more
information, you can view our five <http://www.weconserve.ca/are_you_in.pdf>
year plan on the www.weconserve.ca <http://www.weconserve.ca/>  website.

We are a 57 year-old organization, with a membership of 44 organizations and
62 individual members.  For most of our history, we worked as an advisory
think-tank on conservation issues, producing a number of cutting edge
strategies and undertaking projects to demonstrate new ideas.  Around five
years ago, we began a transformation, recognizing that the
conservation/green movement had evolved over the last twenty years to the
point where the role of a Council should be more of a catalyst for existing
initiatives.  Where we were once a handful of individuals, organizations,
and businesses, now we are an army.

We hope you will join us.  We will do our best to provide you with good
services and opportunities for networking and mutual benefit.  At the very
least, we can promise you a strong and effective voice in support of the
transition to a green economy and a conserver society.

Membership for NGOs is still free (we know you are all on just as tight a
budget as us).  Membership rates for businesses and municipalities are on
the application form (and yes, we do recognize that money is tight for you
too!)

FIRST CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:  Please submit your membership applications by
October 24.  

For more information, please see our membership page at
http://www.greenontario.org/cco/members.html. 

Information on the November Annual Meeting of the Conservation Council,
where we will vote on new members, will be circulated shortly.

Donations Drive:  Become a Friend of Conservation

Yeah, I know.  What fool starts a fundraising drive in the middle of a
financial crisis.  Me, that's who.

What I'm seeing worries me.  Scares me, in fact, because we have built an
economy without a safety net.  

I know the Conservation Council of Ontario can help.  We can organize
Community Conservation Networks across Ontario; develop conservation
campaigns to promote solutions; and develop a United Conservation Appeal to
fund community projects and campaigns across Ontario.  

Now is exactly the right time to start fundraising for an alternative
economic future for Ontario - a conserver society and a conserver economy.  

We'll be starting up a Friends of Conservation page in the new year to list
all the personal supporters of a conserver society.  I need you all to
consider making a $10/month personal contribution to building a conserver
society.  One time donations are also welcome.

If you can help, please go here.
<http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d16902> Donate
Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

Transportation Futures 

Want to tackle the transportation issue head-on?  Here's a great forum for
you.

Transportation Futures: 

Ontario's Inaugural Road Pricing Forum

www.rccao.com/events

Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008 

Location: Hart House at the University of Toronto 

Traffic congestion.  Lost time.  Crumbling roads.  Increasing emissions.
Few transportation choices.  

Most Canadians agree that there is an urgent need to bring predictability
and ease of mobility to the country's transportation network -- especially
near large urban centres. Can road pricing play a role in improving
mobility, air quality and the state of the nation's transportation
infrastructure?  Or is it just a cash grab?

To answer these questions, the non-partisan Transportation Futures Forum
will showcase how several countries have dealt with road pricing issues
related to policy development, public acceptance, technology, governance and
investment.  They include:

.      London's Congestion Charging Scheme 

.      France's Variable Tolling System

.      Germany's Satellite-based Toll Collection System for Heavy Trucks

.      Oregon's VMT-Based Road Charging Pilot Project 

.      Holland's "Different Payment for Mobility" Plan

A round table of local experts will be on hand to assess which of these road
pricing approaches might be best for the Ontario context and when the time
might be right for implementation -- if ever.  And your participation with
over 150 decision makers, transportation practitioners, land use planners,
business leaders, academic researchers and NGO representatives will make
this event truly interactive and educational!

Register today for Ontario's first ever Road Pricing Forum and take
advantage of our Early Bird Rates!  See www.rccao.com/events  for more
information.  We look forward to seeing you on November 13th!

Presented by:  Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario in
conjunction with Healthy Transport Consulting

Sponsored by:  Local 183 Toronto, ReNew Canada Magazine, Halcrow Consulting,
Ontario Professional Planners Institute

The Conservation Council is providing additional support for this workshop.

Feeling Empowered Yet?

I know, there is a lot to digest in this newsletter.  And I am asking you to
take action to help put Ontario on the right path.

Please give it serious consideration. 

With thanks,

Chris Winter

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