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

Notes from our June Meeting

Community Room, Fire Hall
Brookfield, Nova Scotia
June 24, 2007

“If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed."
--Chinese Proverb

Gathering agenda:

Attendees: 18 people from Middle Stewiacke, Halifax, Shortt’s Lake, Brookfield, and Birch Hill.
Displays/handouts: The Climate Change display (four poster boards) was available for viewing, with the following new materials:

  • Brochures on Colchester County agriculture and the Ecology Action Centre.
  • Copies of “10 things to do” taken from nine organizations’ websites, including those of the World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, and Ecology Action Centre.
  • Copies of the Canadian Living GoGreen Guide (permission to copy has been obtained.
  • Handouts from Clean Nova Scotia.
  • Contest: "Guess the Date of the Sobey’s Bag"
  • "Pet Peeve" and "Share What you Do" poster board.

Introduction

Brief background to our first meeting and how we got started and a reminder that our new website, http://www.greengatherings.org/, holds notes from Green Gatherings, nifty lists of things you can do, and starting in July, a “What’s New” section.

Guest speaker

Mr. Mike Gale, Program Officer, Clean Nova Scotia, reviewed this organization’s programs. Established in 1988, Clean Nova Scotia is a nonprofit, nongovernment environmental organization that emphasizes the importance of individual action to create environmental change. They work with Nova Scotians to help them understand the importance of environmental responsibility and to provide them with the means to make positive decisions about the environment.

Clean NS has activities, programs, and services in these areas: climate change/energy, solid waste, water, health and environment, and activities for children. Some examples of programs and information available:

  • Green Yards Sustainable Landscaping. This program of free on-site assessments is currently available only in HRM; however free advice is available outside HRM through the GreenLine at (902) 420-6593.
  • Drive Wiser Vehicle Fuel Efficiency is a province-wide program providing driving and maintenance tips for reducing fuel consumption and GHG emissions. Visit http://www.drivewiser.ca/. This program also travels across the province for major events or by request to help educate Nova Scotians about running cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Drive Wiser will be taking part in the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition, Bible Hill, on August 23rd.
  • Eco Energy Retrofit Program (with grant $ available!) is a rebate program in which an advisor makes home visits and tests/assesses for energy efficiency. The visit takes 2-3 hours and is followed by a report with recommendations. Renovations are made and the assessor returns, assesses changes, and writes report to government, whereupon an incentive (rebate) is mailed to the homeowner based on changes for energy efficiency. (Insulation and air sealing are two steps that often generate the biggest improvements.) In future, this program is expanding to cover small businesses. A company called Sustainable Housing Education conducts assessments in Colchester county. The toll-free number 1-877-722-2842.
  • The Climate Change Centre provides education and outreach on what people can do regarding energy savings. The current focuses of the CCC is faith groups, First Nations, youth, educators, and students. Water and space heating account for 84% of an average Nova Scotian Household’s energy use.
  • The Environmental Home Assessment Program is designed to assess water usage and safety regarding wells, septic systems, and oil tanks. This program is FREE. Two people signed up for this program during the evening.

Clean Nova Scotia may be reached at 126 Portland Street, Dartmouth; by phone, 1-800-665-LESS; by email: cns@clean.ns.ca; on the World Wide Web at http://www.clean.ns.ca/. They have a free quarterly online newsletter.

Interest Group Updates:

The Food & Gardening Interest Group gave a very informative talk on “eating local”, with references to our own Colchester County Agriculture brochure, Community Supported Agriculture, and the Ecology Action Centre’s new cookbook Eating by the Seasons (available for $10 + postage from EAC). The full text of this talk is available below.

The Communications/Awareness Interest Group shared the results of a chat with this group regarding Green Gatherings formats/venues/scheduling approaches. To generate interest, there is a “Guess the Date of the Sobey’s Bag” contest (draw date July 21), and folks are invited to share what they are doing today and to tell us their Pet Peeves about the environment. More great ideas for promotion are just awaiting eager folks to implement them! If you have an interest in helping on a small activity, please let her know. A handout with details is available below.

The Home/Recycling/Energy interest group will share its findings during our September Green Gathering.

An interest group on transportation/vehicles has not yet been formed. If anyone has an interest there, please let us know: greengatherings@gmail.com

Announcements/Upcoming Events

A decision was made to not hold Gatherings during the summer; however, our displays will be available for viewing on:

  • July 1 at the Train Station in Brookfield from 12 noon until 3 pm.
  • July 21 at the Fire Hall, Brookfield, from 1-5 pm during the Touch a Truck event and also from 6-8 pm during the Cabaret at the Sportsplex. If anyone would like to help out for an hour or so at either of these events, please let us know.

Mark the next Green Gathering on your calendar: Sunday, September 30, 2007, at the Middle Stewiacke Recreation Association, from 7-9 pm. The idea is to alternate between the Brookfield Fire Hall and the Middle Stewiacke Recreation Association to give more folks a chance to use less gas to attend. Please bring along a few friends, neighbours, and/or complete strangers--and remember to car pool!

Tell your friends about our new website at http://www.greengatherings.org/ .


Consider visiting the Sustainable Living Consumer Expo, September 7-9, Exhibition Park, Halifax. http://www.greenlogic.ca/ or 902-832-1176.

A Final Word to everyone

If you have any ideas, comments or would like to “take action” by helping out, please contact us.


We’ve had a very successful start to saving our home, Planet Earth. Please consider becoming ambassadors, spreading the word about how important it is for folks to become informed (see the film, read books, attend Green Gatherings) and Take Action!

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