Greenspiration News - election, tar sands, traffic and more

Tue Sep 30 14:47:21 EDT 2008

Greenspiration News

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Eating meat is like driving a hummer, but no pol has the guts to push a
carbon tax on it.

Wayne Roberts, NOW Magazine, Sept 11, 2008
http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=164886

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Leaders' debates: CBC News will broadcast the federal party leaders'
debates on several services: CBC-TV, CBC Newsworld, CBC Radio and
CBCNews.ca. The debates take place Wed. Oct. 1 (French) and Thur. Oct. 2
(English).

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/11/f-tvradiosched.html#leadersdebates08

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Voters get strategic

Canadians have a powerful online tool available to ensure that our next
federal government takes responsible action on the urgent challenge of
climate change. The website
<http://www.voteforenvironment.ca/>www.voteforenvironment.ca features a
riding-by-riding prediction system that calculates what the likely vote
totals would be for each party based on the day’s polling, showing how
strategic voting can be used.

A similar campaign was launched last week by Avaaz, which secured over
$95,000 in donations in just 4 days to run a series of ads promoting
strategic voting to beat the Conservatives in three key ridings.
<http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_harper/>http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_harper/

Green party leader Elizabeth May calls for 'strategic voting' across party
lines to stop Harper:
<http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/505642>http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/505642 

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Other 2008 green election websites to check out:

Climate Action Network
http://www.climateactionnetwork.ca/e/election-2008/

Canadian Environmental Network
http://www.cen-rce.org/election08.html

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Top 25 Censored Stories for 2009

News that didn't make the news, including:
#1. Over One Million Iraqi Deaths Caused by US Occupation
# 14. Mainstreaming Nuclear Waste
# 20. Marijuana Arrests Set New Record
# 21. NATO Considers “First Strike” Nuclear Option

<http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/category/y-2009/>http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/category/y-2009/

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Environment: Tar sands - the new toxic investment

Report warns against oil industry's equivalent of the sub-prime mortgage
crisis

September 17 2008, The Guardian

Shell and BP have been warned by investors that their involvement in
unconventional energy production such as Canada's oil sands could turn out
to be the industry's equivalent of the sub-prime lending that poisoned the
banking sector and triggered the current financial crisis.

Full article:
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/17/fossilfuels.carbonemissions>http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/17/fossilfuels.carbonemissions

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The methane time bomb

Arctic scientists discover new global warming threat as melting permafrost
releases millions of tons of a gas 20 times more damaging than carbon
dioxide

The Independent, 23 September 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-the-methane-time-bomb-938932.html

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Airing: Tuesday September 30 at Midnight on CBC Radio One
Traffic is defined as the movement of motorized vehicles on a road. Being
stuck in traffic is defined as the complete opposite - no movement, no
patience, just a lot of solitary people stuck in cars parked on a road.
Learn why traffic works the way it does.
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/thechoice/

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As many of you have seen, the Tar Sands is a hot topic during the 2008
Canadian Federal Election.  Let’s keep up the pressure on Canada’s
political leaders to deal with Canada’s dirty tar sands.

Recently a wide-ranging group of Canadian civil society organizations have
come together to co-sign a statement calling on Canada’s political leaders
to commit to renegotiating NAFTA to protect workers and to foster energy
security and environmental sustainability.

Barack Obama recently promised “to work with Canada and Mexico to amend
the North American Free Trade Agreement so that it works for all three”
countries.  While Jack Layton and Stephen Harper have commented on aspects
of the renegotiation, it’s high time that all federal parties declare
their positions and plans for renegotiating NAFTA and dealing with
Canada’s tar sands exports.

We invite you to join Canadians from across the country in calling for our
political leaders to outline their plans for renegotiating NAFTA.  To view
the statement and sign-on visit,
<http://www.tarsandswatch.org/message-canada-s-political-leaders-stop-ducking-obama-s-nafta-challenge>http://www.tarsandswatch.org/message-canada-s-political-leaders-stop-ducking-obama-s-nafta-challenge
.

The original statement co-signatories are: Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives; Canadian Labour Congress; Canadian Union of Postal Workers;
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada; Council of
Canadians; KAIROS - Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives; Le Collectif
National stop au Méthanier; Parkland Institute; Polaris Institute; Rideau
Institute.

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U.S. ban on tar sands oil upheld

Environmental groups on both sides of the border are celebrating today,
after a provision of the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA)
of 2007 that curtails the import of energy intensive fuels like the tar
sands was left intact.

Read the story:
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/recent/tar-sands-too-dirty-for-us-federal-purchase

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Thanks to concerted protests, "Secure Canada 2008" military arms show in
Ottawa was cancelled, but our anti-war campaign continues!

We are redoubling our efforts to oppose the hosting of arms shows on
Ottawa City property because:
(1) "Secure Canada" could easily return, and
(2) "CANSEC" scheduled for May 2009, is negotiating with the City to
locate their huge military trade show at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park facility.

Online Petition gaining momentum!
We have now surpassed 800 names. Help us reach 1000 today!  Spread the word!
 http://prax.ca/coat/No-Arms-Shows

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Antidepressants 'could harm sperm'

Sept. 24, 2008, Evening Standard UK

Millions of men who take antidepressants could be damaging their sperm and
risking infertility, according to new research.

The findings, described as "alarming" by one leading expert, suggest that
commonly described drugs for depression can break up DNA in sperm.

Full article:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23559790-details/Antidepressants+%27could+harm+sperm%27/article.do

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In his speech at the Democratic convention Barack Obama laid out plainly
the choices before Americans, pointing out the failure of George Bush
neo-con policies on almost every front. Canadians will soon have a similar
choice to make. Stephen Harper is, perhaps more than Bush himself, a
George Bush style neo-conservative. Harper's policies are essentially the
same as those of George Bush even when those policies benefit the US and
harm Canada.

Since taking over as Prime Minister Stephen Harper has waged a non-stop
attack on Canada and everything Canadians value. He has repeatedly
assaulted Canada's natural environment

http://thetyee.ca/Views/2006/01/20/HardOnNature/

right down to allowing Canadian lakes to be used as toxic dump sites at no
cost to polluters.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/16/condemned-lakes.html

http://www.publicbroadcasting.ca/election/environment.hmtl

Although he promised open accountable government, Harper has lead one of
the most secretive, authoritarian governments in Canadian history.

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/ccs/nav03.cfm?nav03=48215&nav02=44994&nav01=35499

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=cf2b9830-7185-4036-bf8e-f164fca973ca&k=7741

http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=00147

And while he was elected in part due to corruption on the part of the
Liberals, Harper has lead one of the most deeply corrupt governments in
recent memory.

>From the in-out scheme
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-238214-Conservatives-Great-Election-Kickback-Scheme.html

to the Cadman affair
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=1c459ecb-8780-4559-92f7-f440a95f5138

and beyond
http://www.ndp.ca/scandalsheet

http://scandalpedia.ca/Scandals.html

He has waged a relentless assault on the arts from attempts to kill the
Canadian film industry
http://www.millsworks.net/blog/2008/02/29/kill-bill-c-10-opposition-to-film-tv-censorship-bill-grows/

To a copyright bill that is good for big media companies but bad for
artists and that would make most Canadians into criminals
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/06/12/tech-copyright.html

to his rejection of a Heritage Committee recommendation that would have
strengthened and improved the CBC
http://www.insidethecbc.com/fed-govt-will-not-endorse-heritage-committees-report-on-the-cbc

and most recently his cuts to export subsidies for the arts
http://viewoncanadianart.com/2008/08/15/voca-loathescuts-to-arts-funding-harpers-slash-and-burn-continues/

He has been no friend to Canadian cities
http://thetyee.ca/News/2007/01/25/Cities/

http://www.thestar.com/article/275075

He scrapped a child care plan years in the making and replaced it with a
much weaker, watered down credit

http://thetyee.ca/Views/2006/05/05/MommyWars/

He has done his best to erode women's rights
http://www.straight.com/article/women-kick-harpers-ass

Including cutting off funding to groups that lobby for womens rights
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/10/04/tory-funding.html

and closing "Status of Women" offices
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/11/29/status-women.html

Harper almost, at one point, had a backbone - placing the U.S. and Israel
on a 'Torture Watch List' - which is a list of countries where prisoners
risk being tortured.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/18/6454/

But Harper's spine quickly gave way when the US and Israel were upset,
though they presented no counter evidence.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/946065.html

He has bungled the economy (one of the few areas the Tories are supposed
to be good at)
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/293735

There have also been cuts to adult literacy, youth employment and
internship programs, Indian Affairs, technology development, citizenship
and immigration, apparel and textiles, workplace skills training, the
National Crime Prevention Centre, Social Development Partnership Programs,
the mountain pine beetle program, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the
Canadian Volunteerism Initiative, Health Canada's policy research, the
elimination of the Canadian Identity Program, cuts to the RCMP impaired
driving program, the Museums Assistance Program, the Closing of Commercial
Heritage Property Incentive Fund run by Parks Canada

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/parliament39/budgetcuts-list.html

and despite cuts to almost everything Canadians care about, may soon take
us back into deficits
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080114/deficit_call_080114?s_name=&no_ads=

He reneged on his promise not to tax income trusts, costing many small
investors - including retirees small fortunes, because Harper had promised
not to tax these trusts many were buying them until days before his
announcement.
http://www.caiti.info/lies.php

Finally he has done considerable damage to Canada's reputation abroad.
>From refusing to attend the world aids conference
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_2709.aspx

to insulting the Chinese people (and Canadian athletes) by his absence
from the opening ceremonies
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=c7894f8d-2b11-4208-8949-34817950dcf3

His administration has interfered in foreign elections by leaking private
information
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080306.wnafta07/BNStory/National/home

and left classified documents with girlfriends
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=af83407f-4678-45e0-bae0-ddef70580cb5

They have also damaged Canada's reputation as a refuge from wars and war
crimes by deporting asylum seekers.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/21/18528416.php

And allowed big business to rewrite immigration policy

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article/235929858-crosscountry-mobilizing-against-bill-c50

In short Stephen Harper's government has been inept, corrupt, incompetent,
immoral and staunchly anti-Canadian on almost every important issue. So,
like the Americans, Canadians have a choice to make between the failed
policies of the Bush Administration (echoed by Harper) and a reversal of
that course.

Stephen Harper and his Tories have never enjoyed more than about 35%
support in Canada, yet they manage to cling to power. If they truly care
about Canada it is time for the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party
to put aside their differences, focus on areas of common ground and at
least temporarily come together in Coalition.

If the next election results in anything less than a majority parliament,
Stephen Dion, Jack Layton and their parties should make it clear to
Stephen Harper and the Governor General that they will act in concert and
prevent the Harper Neo-Con agenda from going any further, that they can
and will form a coalition Government and will block any further
legislation by Stephen Harper until given a chance to do so.

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It is also worth noting that in 2006 the Conservatives won 8 Ridings by
less than 1%, 15 Ridings by between 1 and 5% and 16 Ridings by between 5 -
10% for a total of 39 Ridings out of 124 that they won, where the margin
of victory was 10% or less. Without these ridings the Conservatives would
have had only 85 seats.

http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/analysiscommentary/swingridings.html

You can analyze who to vote for to beat HArper at
http://voteforenvironment.ca

YOU SHOULD ALSO READ: An Open Letter to Stephen Harper from Wajdi Mouawad

http://summerworks.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/wajdi-mouawads-open-letter-to-stephen-harper/

--

This came from Facebook
(http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29529380865 "Canadians united
against Stephen Harper").

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