"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world."*

Notes From Our May Meeting

On May 27, 2007, Green Gatherings hosted a group of 23 like-minded folk interested in sharing experiences and learning more about how to reduce global warming. The purpose of the meeting, which was held at the Brookfield Fire Hall Community Room, was to share information, learn from others, and decide what to do next to help save our home, Planet Earth.

Attendees came from Middle and Upper Stewiacke, Brookfield, Fort Ellis, Windsor, and Truro. We consider this a good turnout for our first gathering but encourage those attending to try to bring along friends, family, neighbours, strays from the street, etc. We especially invite anyone with interests in any of the areas below to join us to share their ideas and experiences.

Those attending the meeting were able to view a Climate Change display (four poster boards) with:

  • new media clippings
  • a new series of self-help booklets from the Earth Day EcoAction Teams
  • new lists of “things to do” taken from the Websites of nine organizations

Signup sheets were available to order copies of the “ten things to do” lists and the Canadian Living GoGreenGuide (permission to copy has been obtained). In addition, attendees were able to drop off used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones for recycling.

The meeting began with background on how this Green Gathering is a follow-on to a screening of An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning, which was attended by 42 people in April, 2007, at Knox United Church in Brookfield.

This was followed by a presentation from representatives of the Living Earth Council, now operating for six months in Truro. Among the points made by the speakers were the following:

  • Their group is organized from the ground up rather from the top down.
  • They are aware that a creating/maintaining sustainable community is very much in keeping with trying to save the planet.
  • They consider it important to look for allies in the community.
  • They encouraged networking with others who are already taking actions (avoids duplication of effort and provides a source of information).
  • A key objective of their group is to have fun, not get burned out; meetings are attended by the whole family, including children, with pot-luck dinners that make it fun and allow for informal conversations.
  • They want to engage the business community and have an awareness of economic issues.
  • They want to engage local government. They began this process by hosting a showing the film An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning for the Town Council. They are hoping to involve Truro in Partners for Climate Protection, a program to assist municipal governments in climate protection. More than 100 municipal governments, representing approximately 50% of Canada’s population, are participating in PCP.
  • They encourage members of their group to focus on their areas of interest.
  • The group is now conducting a residential electricity challenge and is developing a community garden.

The LEC representatives were followed by a representative from the Ecology Action Centre, who discussed that organization's Food Action program, which encourages people to purchase locally grown foods (or grow their own) and encourage local supermarkets to do the same. She encouraged us to “vote with your dollars” when buying food, asking retailers to supply not just local food, but Nova Scotian food. EAC has a cookbook, Eating by the Seasons, available for purchase and sponsors an annual Harvest Festival to promote local food producers.

Those attending the meeting had many useful items of information to share. These included:

  • Our area now has Community Supported Agriculture program to supply families with locally grown (Brentwood) vegetables (almost totally organic). Families joining the program receive a share of vegetables grown throughout the season. There are still a few memberships left in this program; if you're interested, please email us and we will provide additional information.
  • The Nova Scotia Government will be implementing. in February 2008, a plan to recycle computers.
  • Brookfield MacQuarries accepts used household batteries and cell phones for recycling. These items are then taken to the Hazardous Waste folks by volunteers.
  • The book The Circle of Simplicity was recommended.
  • The DVD of An Inconvenient Truth is available at the Library in Truro.

Small groups have formed to further discuss ideas related to:

  • Food/Gardening
  • Home/Recycling/Electrical usage
  • Communications/Awareness/Publicity
  • Liaison with Living Earth Council

In addition, a member of the group offered to provide technical assistance to the communications and publicity group and enthusiastically created our own Website just one day following the meeting; now that’s action! Please visit http://www.greengatherings.org/ and bring your comments on Website content and management to the next Green Gathering. Please note that a decision was made to not include individuals’ names on the Website, for privacy reasons.

Some points to consider for the future:

  • We would like to find persons interested in the issue of transportation/vehicle usage.
  • Needs of seniors and youth deserve special consideration.
  • A visit to the Ecology Action Centre might be in order.
  • Consider engaging local municipalities in Partners for Climate Protection.

Another Green Gathering is now scheduled for Sunday June 24 at the Brookfield Fire Hall, 7-9 pm. Many thanks to the Brookfield Fire Department for allowing us to once again use the Fire Hall’s community room at no charge. The agenda will include a sharing of information from the discussion groups that have formed, and possibly presentations from some families who can share their experiences.

A Final Word

If there is anything missed that will not be covered by one of the discussion groups, please bring that idea or comment back to the next meeting.

We’ve had a very successful start to saving our home, Planet Earth. Please consider becoming ambassadors, spreading the message. See the film, read books, attend meetings, and to start to Take Action!

Labels:

Become Informed: Earth's Climate Crisis and What You Can Do

The following is a resource guide for learning about global warming and ways to take personal action to prevent climate change.
Updated June 28, 2007.

Note: While every effort has been made to quote reputable Web sites, be aware that the list below has been compiled by volunteers; readers are invited to use their own judgement in evaluating materials. This is not intended to be a complete list.

Foreword

By now (Spring, 2007) and especially with the most recent three reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), most of us realize that Global Warming is real, is here now, and that unless we all take action, earth will not be the same for our grandchildren. In all the history of mankind there has never been such a need for people to take action individually and collectively, without waiting for government to “fix the problem”. Please, take this seriously, so that the world’s oceans will not rise, severe weather events will diminish, and polar bears will not go extinct. It all starts with you.

We suggest that you begin by talking to your family, friends, and neighbours about seeing the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth, A Global Warning and that you encourage them to start in on the Ten Things To Do.

To help convince others, here’s some material from the film’s Website (footnotes are explained in detail on the Website): “By burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising. The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence.1 The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing:
  • The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.2

  • Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.3

  • The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.4

  • At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.5

  • If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.

  • Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.6

  • Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.7

  • Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.

  • Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.

  • The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.8

  • More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.9

There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now – TAKE ACTION."

In order to arrange for others to see the documentary:

Buy your own copy (available from Amazon.ca and other sources) or borrow it from the Library. Share with friends/family/neighbours at home; have discussions on what impact the film has.

Visit the Website for the film An Inconvenient Truth: a Global Warning: http://www.climatecrisis.net

Visit the Climate Project at http://www.climateproject.ca/ to learn how to request a showing for your community.

To learn more about this issue

The Green Search at http://www.thegreensearch.ca/ is a specialized search engine that searches Canadian environment-related Web sites. Your search yields "green" results from across Canada and around the world. Use it as a research tool, or keep up to date on the latest news, events, and trends happening in our environment.

Websites about the science of global warming:

  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to assess the scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information relevant for the understanding of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation.Visit the IPCC Website at http://www.ipcc.ch/ to monitor ongoing reports.
  • Climatechange.net at http://www.climatechange.net/ provides an explanation of climate change--the science, impacts, and policy--from a professor at Stanford University and includes links to climate-change news sites.

In addition, The Climate Project, at http://www.theclimateproject.org carries on the work of An Inconvenient Truth with training sessions and additional resources. Topics covered include:

  • Consuming Less, Conserving More
  • Driving Smarter
  • Choosing Energy-Efficient Lighting

Some related Canadian Websites:

Websites at the provincial level:

  • Environment Canada Atlantic Region Green Lane: http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/index_e.html
  • Conserve Nova Scotia: http://www.itstartswithme.ca/. Includes information on government rebates and programs, Energy Star and EnerGuide, reducing energy, and more.
  • Ecology Action Centre: http://www.ecologyaction.ca . Nova Scotia nonprofit organization addresses coastal, marine, energy, food, transportation, built environment, and wilderness issues. Has online e-newsletter.
  • Clean Nova Scotia: http://www.clean.ns.ca Nova Scotia nonprofit organization. Website contains sections on climate change/energy (Home Energy Evaluations, DriveWiser Vehicle Fuel Efficiency), solid waste, water, and health & environment.
  • Nova Scotia Power: http://www.nspower.ca/Energy efficiency tips.

At the international level: http://www.treehugger.com/ Includes “how to go green guides” on topics such as car, water, electricity, and many more topics.

Suggested books:

  • The End of Nature by Bill Mckibben
  • The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery
  • The North Pole Was Here by Andrew Revkin (on global warming for kids)
  • Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change by Dauncey and Mazza
  • Hell and High Water by Joseph Romm
  • The Rough Guide to Climate Change by Robert Henson, Rough Guides
  • Wild Weather by Dr. Reese Halter, Altitude
  • The Ten Minute Activist: Easy ways to take back the planet by Lloyd Dangle, Nation Books
  • The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life by Cecile Andrews

Suggested magazines:

Suggested DVD: The acclaimed BBC series Planet Earth, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, in 11 episodes of 50 minute each. Available from Amazon.ca

Your ecological footprint is the biologically productive area required to produce the natural resources you consume expressed in global acres -- that is, an acre of biologically productive space of average productivity. (Source: The Sierra Club)

Calculate your ecological footprint:

From Canadian Living Magazine: http://www.canadianliving.com/

Select: Health/Green Challenge/Quiz: What is Your Ecological Footprint to take an easy quiz, and link to resources on many topics from fighting smog to earth-friendly living to cutting energy consumption to environmentally friendly cleaning products and really, much more. See April, 2007, issue for 10-page “Go Green Guide”.

From the Sierra Club (with link to EarthDay): http://www.sierraclub.org/footprint/

Good quiz provides your footprint in hectares, with a comparison to country average (8.8 for Canada) and the number of “earths” required to support us all if we all lived the way you do! Lots of great references. (Note: the actual footprint quiz is at the Earth Day site, http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp)

Calculate your greenhouse gas emissions: www.climatechange.gc.ca/calculator

This Government of Canada site takes about 10 minutes to complete. By asking about your daily activities, it generates a personalized report of your greenhouse gas emissions, where they come from, and how you compare with other Canadians. Based on your results, the calculator suggests key areas for reducing your emissions and shows you how much of an impact those changes will have.

Calculate your carbon footprint: http://www.bp.com/carboncalculator.do?categoryId=9008641&contentId=7025802

This quiz from BP expresses the footprint in tons of carbon with country averages. A household carbon footprint is the quantity of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere as a result of household energy use, transportation, and waste disposal in one year.

Carbon offsetting:

Carbon offsetting is one of the solutions increasingly being offered to people and businesses who want to reduce their impact on global climate. The concept is simple. Using online calculators, you can determine how much carbon dioxide was emitted by the business flight you took last week or your daily drive to work. You will then be given the option of investing in a reforestation project or an alternative energy initiative that will offset or "cancel out" the carbon dioxide you emitted.

For information about how food choices affect the environment:

Keep stuff out of the landfill:

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) provides information on where to return used rechargeable batteries at http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/. As of May, 2007, the site listed the following local resources:

  • Colchester Material Recovery Facility, 185 Mingo Road, Unit 2, Truro
  • The Source by Circuit City, in Truro Mall, Truro.

Canadian Tire in Truro also accepts used rechargeable batteries.

Help to protect nature and wildlife:

Learn about consumer goods:

  • Climate counts for a list of companies that have been rated according to their attitude toward climate change: http://www.climatecounts.org/scorecard.php.
  • Greenpeace for a shopper's guide to paper products ranked according to companies' attitude toward products that are ancient- and endangered-forest friendly, have a high post-consumer recycled content, and are chlorine free: www.greenpeace.ca/tissue The guide uses green, yellow and red to indicate level of commitment.

Learn about energy efficiency:

Clean Nova Scotia for A Guide to Energy Efficiency for Religious Buildings in Nova Scotia: http://www.clean.ns.ca/

Learn about transportation choices:

Canada Revenue Agency for information on a tax credit for taking public transit (the transit pass tax credit): http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ Background: On July 1, 2006, the Government of Canada began its program to offer individual Canadians a nonrefundable tax credit to help cover the cost of monthly or longer duration public transit passes. Because it is a nonrefundable tax credit, anyone who applies does not receive the money in the form of a refund. Instead, the amount claimed is multiplied by the lowest personal income tax rate for the year (15.25% in 2006) and then is deducted from the amount of tax owed for that year.

Learn about advocacy:

The Sierra Club for an online petition you can use to tell Prime Minister Harper to meet Canada’s Kyoto targets. You can help ensure Canada meets its targets by signing this petition today: http://www.sierraclubaction.ca/main.html

Learn about what other groups are doing:

  • Like Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, learn how to start your own BringYourBag campaign, at http://bringyourbag.com/
  • Visit http://www.zerofootprint.net/ to see how Toronto has pledged to involve first its employees and then its citizens in order to reduce their footprint to zero. “By joining forces, cities can have as much impact on the environment as an entire country.” Other cities are invited to do the same; write to cities@zerofootprint.net.
  • Find out about EcoAction Teams from Earth Day Canada:
    http://www.ecoactionteams.ca/ Calculations are currently geared to Ontario, but five online guides (http://www.ecoactionteams.ca/resources/resources.cfm) have good information for both personal and community actions. Activity areas include becoming more energy efficient, reducing household waste, practising sustainable food and gardening habits, reducing water use, choosing transportation alternatives. They are reviewing the possibility of rolling the program out to all of Canada.
  • For faith communities: http://www.faith-commongood.net/gss/index.asp. Greening Sacred Spaces was developed to assist faith communities "to renew the sacred balance". A resource kit (workshops, posters, personal 8 page Energy Action Planners) help faith groups reduce greenhouse gases and to live sustainably.

Congratulations on starting your journey to help save our home, Planet Earth. Enjoy your journey, have fun along the way, and chat a lot with your fellow inhabitants.

These materials were originally prepared as a handout for the April 22, 2007 viewing of An Inconvenient Truth – A Global Warning in Brookfield, NS. Revised as a resource to Green Gatherings. Most recent revision, May 30, 2007.

Labels: , ,

Decide to Take Action: The Pledge

We recommend filling out the following pledge and posting it in a prominent spot where you can see it Every Single Day for the Rest of Your Life. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to post this to our Website in a printable form. Please email us for a version that you can print out on your computer.

Green Gatherings Pledge


My carbon footprint (CO2 emission) is _______tons as of ____________

My PERSONAL PLEDGE to the planet’s grandchildren’s children to do my bit to help save our home, PLANET EARTH:

I pledge to do the following three things this week:

1. Make up my own list of Things To Do and what I alm already doing.

2. _____________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________

I pledge to do the following three things this month:

1. ­­­­­­­Make a list of my friends and family and start to convince them to see An Inconvenient Truth and to pledge to do The Ten Things.

2. _____________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________

I pledge to do the following three things this year:

1. ­­­­­­­­­­Review my personal progress annually.

2. _____________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________


Signature: _______________________________________________

Date: ___________________________________________________
Labels: ,

Quickstart Action Plan: Ten Things To Do

Want to do something to help stop global warming?

Here are 10 simple things you can do and how much carbon dioxide you’ll save doing them:

  1. Change a light: Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
  2. Drive less: Walk, bike, carpool, or take metro transit more often. You’ll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don’t drive!
  3. Recycle more: You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
  4. Check your tires: Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere!
  5. Use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year).
  6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging: You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
  7. Adjust your thermostat: Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
  8. Plant a tree: A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
  9. Turn off electronic devices: Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
  10. Be a part of the solution: Learn more and get active at ClimateCrisis.net


Taken from the cover of the DVD of An Inconvenient Truth: A GLOBAL Warning (2006)

Labels: , ,

Create Your Own Personal Action Plan

Print out the following lists of “things to do” and highlight all the actions you are already taking. Then choose which actions you want to take in future. Keep this list on the fridge or in some other conspicuous place so it becomes part of your new lifestyle. Make global warming reduction part of the new you!

Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)