Greenspiration News: Take direct action for climate justice

Thu Nov 26 00:27:09 EST 2009

Greenspiration News

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No More Stalling while People Die.
Take direct action for climate justice

Help build the grassroots movement for climate justice and tip the scales
of power back towards community and ecological sustainability by engaging
in acts of civil disobedience in the days leading up to Copenhagen
probably the most important climate summit of our times.

This is a call out for people to organize sit-ins and occupations
targeting elected officials, tar sands financiers, and destructive
industries in the days before the climate change treaty negotiations in
Copenhagen.

Find out more: http://canadaclimatejustice.wordpress.com/

The Canadian government has, and continues to, fail to address the climate
crisis. They continue to stall while millions die or become displaced due
to the climate crisis and have prioritized destructive projects like the
tar sands over the fate of our planet and the health of our communities.

There is no more time for excuses!

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Our carbon plan ranks at bottom

Canada prides itself on being an international do-gooder. We bask in our
high rankings in the UN's Human Development Index and reflexively point to
our historical contribution as peacekeepers.

But environmentally, we rank at the bottom of the barrel.

With climate change negotiations now in the home stretch, Canada won the
"Fossil of the Week" award, handed out earlier this month by Climate
Action Network International. At a time of worldwide foot-dragging, that
is a dubious distinction by any measure.

But we've clearly earned it, according to the Washington-based umbrella
group. Canada was cited for doing "the most to block progress in climate
negotiations," beating out the United States, which remains paralyzed by
Congressional gridlock...

The reason for Canada's head in the tar sands approach is the pull of
Alberta's energy industry.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/728805--our-carbon-plan-ranks-at-bottom

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What you should know about N1N1

This season’s flu bug known as Swine flu or H1N1, seems to have prompted a
lot of people to ask me, “Should I get vaccinated or not?”

http://www.commonground.ca/iss/220/cg220_h1n1.shtml

What’s in your H1N1 flu vaccine?

http://www.straight.com/article-270843/vancouver/whats-your-vaccine?page=0%2C0

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How Green is Your Pet?

Should owning a great dane make you as much of an eco-outcast as an SUV
driver? Yes it should, say Robert and Brenda Vale, two architects who
specialise in sustainable living at Victoria University of Wellington in
New Zealand. In fact, the Land Cruiser's eco-footprint is less than half
that of a medium-sized dog.

As well as guzzling resources, cats and dogs devastate wildlife
populations, spread disease and add to pollution. It is time to take
eco-stock of our pets.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427311.600-how-green-is-your-pet.html

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New study shows Canada can meet global-warming reduction targets while
growing jobs and economy

Climate Leadership, Economic Prosperity is the first Canadian study of its
kind to show regional impacts on employment and gross domestic product,
and the first to comprehensively examine how Canada can meet a greenhouse
gas reduction target for 2020 that goes beyond the federal government’s
target.

http://climate.pembina.org/

Climate-change deniers horrified by Pembina report should read it

In fact, the report is a relatively upbeat document that says not only can
we can meet targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without devastating
the economy, we could reduce emissions and "still have a strong growing
economy, a quality of life higher than Canadians enjoy today, and
continued steady job creation across the country."

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Climate+change+deniers+horrified+Pembina+report+should+read/2166550/story.html

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Carbon Hunters - Doc Zone

The carbon trading market is worth billions but what does a carbon credit
actually buy? And can carbon hunting save the planet?
Click here to watch a promo and read more about carbon credits.

Thursday November 26 at 8 pm on CBC-TV

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Toronto congestion costs Canada $3.3-billion: OECD

Traffic backup in the region and urban sprawl leads to loss of
productivity each year - the result of urban sprawl, decades of
underinvestment in public transit by Ottawa and a disjointed system, the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development says.

... with 71 per cent of commuters still dependent on the automobile – one
of the highest rates of car use among cities in the organization's 30
member countries.

To curb traffic jams, the Toronto region should consider measures such as
toll lanes, local fuel and parking taxes, and a Singapore-style congestion
charge in which roads in the city centre and major routes such as the
400-series highways would be subject to fees that vary according to peak
hours, the OECD says.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-congestion-costs-canada-33-billion-oecd/article1357220/

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Climate Rage
The only way to stop global warming is for rich nations to pay for the
damage they've done - or face the consequences

by Naomi Klein

The developing world has always had plenty of reasons to be pissed off
with their northern neighbors, with our tendency to overthrow their
governments, invade their countries and pillage their natural resources.
But never before has there been an issue so politically inflammatory as
the refusal of people living in the rich world to make even small
sacrifices to avert a potential climate catastrophe. In Bangladesh, the
Maldives, Bolivia, the Arctic, our climate pollution is directly
responsible for destroying entire ways of life - yet we keep doing it.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/11/14-5

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Europe Offers to Cut CO2 Emissions 95%

Europe attempted to reassert its international leadership in the fight
against global warming today, offering to slash its greenhouse gas
emissions by up to 95% by 2050 and by 30% by 2020 if a climate change pact
is sealed in Copenhagen in six weeks' time.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/40624

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Study claims meat creates half of all greenhouse gases

Livestock causes far more climate damage than first thought, says a new
report

In a paper published by a respected US thinktank, the Worldwatch
Institute, two World Bank environmental advisers claim that instead of 18
per cent of global emissions being caused by meat, the true figure is 51
per cent.

"We already know that the meat and dairy industry causes more
climate-changing emissions than all the world's transport," said Clare
Oxborrow, senior food campaigner.

"These new figures need further scrutiny but, if they stack up, they
provide yet more evidence of the urgent need to fix the food chain. The
more damaging elements of the meat and dairy industry are effectively
government-sponsored: millions of pounds of taxpayers' money is spent
propping up factory farms and subsidising the import of animal feed that's
been grown at the expense of forests."

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/meat-creates-half-of-all-greenhouse-gases-1812909.html

Livestock and Climate Change
- World Watch magazine

http://www.elabs5.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=lizj,6pc2,db,fgxf,9kii,cdbq,7xpq&MLM_MID=312770&MLM_UNIQUEID=8ce765a66e

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Let's name a nuclear plant after ON Premier Dalton McGuinty!

Watch the hilarious 3-minute video and sign the petition.

http://ilovenukes.ca/home

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Ever wonder what impact advocacy campaigns are having on Canadian MPs?
Do they prefer hand-written letters over emails, for example?

In April of 2009, all Canadian MPs plus 63 former MPs who lost their seat
in the last election were invited to participate in a study to gauge how
they use online communications & respond to grassroots campaigns.

A few highlights:
- Almost all parliamentarians are collecting personal information from
constituent correspondence for future uses.
- Email is given as much weight as other forms of constituent communication.
- In terms of motivating MPs to take action, personal correspondence on an
issue is almost twice as effective as form letters
- MPs are counting the number of messages they receive and some will use
this to gauge relative support on issues

This project was sponsored by Nanos Research, J. Thompson Communications
and Five Stones New Media Consulting. Complete results are available at:
http://e-politics.ca

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Check out these fantastic activist training and legal tools:
www.blackcrosscollective.org - First Aid for Radicals and Activists
www.lawcollective.org - downloadable handbooks for legal and jail these
are US specific but a handy resource.
www.vernalproject.org/papers.shtml - papers on nonviolent action and
cooperative decisionmaiking.
ruckus.org - training manuals for action planning, media, climbing,
scouting, video and more
www.trainingforchange.org/tools.html - descriptions of exercised to be
used in training
starhawk.org/activism/activism-resources.html - resources for nvda and
anti oppression and training opportunities.
www.ic.org/pop/ocac/ - info on consensus
https://www.yousendit.com/download/Z01PSkhhV3JveE0wTVE9P - Downloadable
Canadian legal guide
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Cracking down on corporate pill-pushers
Billion-dollar fines just a minor cost of doing business for
pharmaceutical giants

http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/sundayreader/story.html?id=33e08a37-31ac-4ae2-9a6e-75c992686402

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Dr. Bonkers presents

Online gallery of modern and vintage psychiatric drug advertising.

http://www.bonkersinstitute.org/medicineshow.html

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Tar Sands Blow

WATCH the Brand New MUSIC VIDEO Today and sign the petition

In two week’s world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to deal with climate
change.  What Canadian megaproject will be on the agenda – the TAR SANDS!

 Click here or visit http://polarisinstitute.thetarsandsblow.org

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