Greenspiration News: election, activist burnout, climate, CFD

[angela bischoff]

Greenspiration News

"There is a tremendous lot we can learn from elephants. The elephant
relationship with its family continues beyond death. They will visit the
bones of a loved one for years afterwards.....come to that place to
remember and sometimes take a piece of a body to carry off with them. And,
always remember with tremendous love their family member. Really, in a
perfect world, that is how we all should be."
- Daphne Sheldrick, Sheldrick Trust Orphans

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Burning Bright -- a CBC radio documentary on Activist Burnout

Sun. Sept. 21 - 10 a.m. -- CBC radio, Sunday Edition
produced by Frank Faulk

I (Angela Bischoff) am featured in this documentary, in reference to
Tooker's burn out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Countries abusing human rights by failing to fight global warming, should
be held legally accountable: Oxfam

September 9, 2008

<http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html>CBC News

Rich countries are violating the human rights of millions of the world's
poorest people by failing to tackle global warming, causing more people to
starve, lose their homes and struggle to find clean water, a report
released Tuesday says.

"Climate change was first seen as a scientific problem, then an economic
one. Now we must also see it as a matter of international justice," said
Kate Raworth, who authored the report by Oxfam International.

In the report, the aid agency pushes for countries to be held legally
accountable for the "devastating effects of more frequent and severe
climatic events" on people around the world.

The report, titled "Climate wrongs and human rights: Putting people at the
heart of climate-change policy," says greenhouse gas emissions primarily
produced by industrialized nations are creating floods, droughts,
hurricanes, rising sea levels and seasonal unpredictability. <snip>

Full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/09/09/oxfam-report.html#socialcomments

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harper's Index - Oct. 2008

Estimated number of U.S. lives saved by $4 gasoline, through reduced
driving nationwide: 1,000 per month

Number of U.S. gas stations where the group Pray at the Pump has gathered
to ask God to lower the price: 12

Total donations that John McCain received from the oil and gas industry in
June: $1,100,000

Portion of this that came after he endorsed new offshore drilling on June
16: 3/4

Number of middle eastern nations that have announced plans to pursue
nuclear power since Jan. 2007: 13

Average number of names added to U.S. terrorist watch list each month: 20,000

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celebrate International CAR FREE DAY!

The big day every year is September 22. On this day, millions of
people everywhere leave their car at home and publicly celebrate the
non-car lifestyle.

For many resources, including press release template, links to movies,
action tips, and much more, see http://www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

$100 billion could yield two million 'green' jobs

Sept. 10, 2008
NewScientist.com news service

To put the amount in perspective, Podesta said that the stimulus program
put into place in the US in April 2008 to boost the economy by providing
tax rebates to taxpayers and tax incentives to businesses cost $168
billion. <snip>

Pollin said the plan would create four times more jobs per dollar spent
than spending the equivalent amount of money within the oil industry.

Full article: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=100-billion-could-yield-2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green Events in Canada - the Planetfriendly Calendar
<http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/>http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/

The Planetfriendly Calendar is Canada's leading calendar
of green and sustainable events, used by thousands of
green-minded individuals, organizations and journalists
from across Canada:

~ Find eco-events, screenings, workshops, courses, conferences, festivals
~ Get ideas for things to do in *your* community
~ Meet & collaborate with others who care about the same things you do
~ Make the leap from participant, to volunteer, to organizer
~ Promote your own event, and plan ahead to avoid date conflicts
~ Find your niche and make a difference

* Visit the Planetfriendly Calendar:
<http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/>http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/

* Add an event, course or conference:
<http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/>http://Planetfriendly.net/calendar/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cleared: Jury decides that threat of global warming justifies breaking the
law

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor
Thursday, 11 September 2008

The threat of global warming is so great that campaigners were justified
in causing more than £35,000 worth of damage to a coal-fired power
station, a jury decided yesterday. In a verdict that will have shocked
ministers and energy companies the jury at Maidstone Crown Court cleared
six Greenpeace activists of criminal damage.

Jurors accepted defence arguments that the six had a "lawful excuse" to
damage property at Kingsnorth power station in Kent to prevent even
greater damage caused by climate change. The defence of "lawful excuse"
under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 allows damage to be caused to property
to prevent even greater damage – such as breaking down the door of a
burning house to tackle a fire. <snip>

"This verdict marks a tipping point for the climate change movement. When
a jury of normal people say it is legitimate for a direct action group to
shut down a coal-fired power station because of the harm it does to our
planet, then where does that leave Government energy policy? We have the
clean technologies at hand to power our economy. It's time we turned to
them instead of coal."

Full article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/cleared-jury-decides-that-threat-of-global-warming-justifies-breaking-the-law-925561.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

With $60 million slashed from cultural programs since the Tories were
elected in 2006, Naomi Klein is lending her support to a new
initiative called the Department of Culture: a loose coalition of
Canadian artists who are using their creative skills to unseat
vulnerable Tories in the upcoming elections.

<http://departmentofculture.ca/>http://departmentofculture.ca/ 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Conservatives have cut over $48 million to Canadian arts & culture
programs in the past 5 months. Sign the petition:

<http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/542778273>http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/542778273

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sierra Club Launches Climate Crisis Blog: GH  

You can track the Sierra Club’s thoughts on the Climate Crisis Election on
their new blog at:
<http://www.sierraclub.ca/climatecrisis/>http://www.sierraclub.ca/climatecrisis/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Youths Pledge to Vote for the Environment:

Power Vote Canada is a new non-partisan voter's pledge, aimed at
encouraging young people to make the climate a top priority in their vote.

Check it out at:
<http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/powervotecanada>http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/powervotecanada

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vote for climate

Vote for Climate is a grassroots campaign to elect a federal government
committed to bold action to reduce the emissions which cause climate
change.

Find out more at: <http://www.voteforclimate.ca/>www.voteforclimate.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rabble's got a bad case of the election feeever!  On Sunday, rabble
launched an election blog, bringing together progressive contributors from
across the country, including Maude Barlow and the Council of Canadians,
the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Parkland Institute, The
Rideau Institute, Murray Dobbin, Alice Klein, Matthew Good and many more
voices whose analysis you won't want to miss!

http://www.rabble.ca/
http://election.rabble.ca/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The CBC is inviting Canadians to submit questions for the Oct 2nd
leaders debate. Send your question to: question at electiondebate08.ca

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

How you can help ban bottled water

Across the country, concerned citizens are visiting their municipal
councils and local school boards to say that bottled water is an
unnecessary drain on the environment and on budgets.

Canada has one of the best drinking water systems in the world, but the
bottled water industry has worked hard to undermine our faith in public
water. The industry sells water ˆ what should be a shared public resource
ˆ for huge profits. Producing and transporting bottled water creates large
amounts of fossil fuels, and plastic water bottles continue to end up by
the millions in local landfills. We are not immune to the growing threats
of water scarcity in Canada. Twenty per cent of Canadian municipalities
have faced shortages in recent years. Bottled water production places huge
stresses on increasingly scarce water resources.

But communities and citizens are starting to fight back. Here are some of
the examples of school boards, cities and companies across North America
that are saying "no" to bottled water:

More:  http://www.canadians.org/water/issues/Bottle%20Bans/index.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


-- 
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Eulogies for Tooker and Stories for a
healthy mind, body and planet
http://www.greenspiration.org
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Join our email list by emailing us at:
greenspiration at web.ca
Write "subscribe" in the subject line
and tell us what city/country you live in
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<