Visit our Eco Logic Blog often to find out about the innovations, issues, research and events you need to know about, uncovered by our tireless team of eco super sleuths.
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Sat, 2009-06-20 04:24
L'Assemblée nationale du Québec a adopté le projet de loi 9 visant à contrer l'utilisation abusive des tribunaux et favoriser le respect de la liberté d'expression et la participation des citoyens aux débats publics...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2009-05-29 18:32
On Tuesday, June 16, at 6:30 PM, Coop la Maison verte will hold its Annual General Meeting for 2008. The AGM is an important time to reflect on our work, ask questions and look for ways to improve the Coop and get involved as members...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2009-04-30 19:10
By Laurel Maloney, B.Sc. Entomology
Pest problems can be resolved permanently, without using pesticides, by repairing leaky plumbing and other structural deficiencies. Using pesticides of any kind to kill off insects, such as sow-bugs, millipedes, silverfish or carpenter ants that have invaded your living space is much like using perfume to remedy a garbage spill...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2009-04-07 01:28
La Coalition Santé pour Toutes et Tous souligne la Journée Mondiale de la Santé 2009 en rappelant aux instances gouvernementales que la couverture de l’assurance-maladie est loin d’être universel au Québec...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2009-03-31 15:10
By Fiona Hanley
As Earth Day approaches, some of you might be wondering what nursing has to do with the environment. As a nursing teacher at Dawson College, my answer is, everything! Nursing practices and the environment are inexorably linked, whatever form they might take, and many are acting on that belief by joining the Green Healthcare Movement...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2009-03-09 15:11
Creativity, community and fun. ArtSpace brings together local artists
in a friendly and supportive environment where we can share our skills
and passions.
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Sun, 2009-03-01 18:33
Did you know that every year 13.5 billion pads and 6.5 billion tampons
end up in U.S. landfills? With the average woman in Western society
throwing away an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 disposable
non-biodegradable pads or tampons in her lifetime, Canada certainly
isn't far behind....
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2009-02-24 19:07
The pearl of the Caribbean, Haiti, has long been known worldwide for its coffee.
In 2008, coffee was replaced by various subsistence crops for the sad
reasons we all know. Haitian coffee is rare. Yet today, we have the
chance to re-discover it. Santropol is proud to present you with
Splendide, an exceptional fair trade coffee...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2009-02-19 00:05
The largest discussion on homelessness and poverty in Canada marks 7-years.
This year's Homelessness Marathon will broadcast live from the streets
of Montreal on Monday, February 23rd, starting at sunset (5pm EST) and
running all night long until sunrise (7am) on Tuesday, February 24th...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2009-02-18 23:51
As the world teeters on the edge of catastrophic cimate change, Alberta
plunges ahead with uncontrolled development of its fossil fuels,
levelling its northern Boreal forest to get at the oil sands, and
bombing its southern half with tens of thousands of gas wells...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2009-02-12 21:08
Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) are a
serious threat to freedom of expression and weaken public debate. These
are lawsuits filed by companies or institutions against individuals or
activist groups, aimed at neutralizing or censuring public criticism of
their activities...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2009-02-11 22:38
Montreal is now home to Québec's first environmentally-friendly
steam-based clothes-cleaning enterprises: Nettoyeur Écologique Royal
situated at 5866 Sherbrooke St. West and 5956 Monkland Avenue, both
located in NDG. The established businesses recently introduced an
innovative method to clean dry-clean only clothes, thus dispensing with
the use of the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (PERC) employed in
conventional dry-cleaning processes...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2009-02-09 18:57
Environment Canada's Biosphère will be presenting special activities
for families from February 28 to March 8, 2009. During this period,
there will be no charge for admission. The activities will include a
theatrical presentation on waste management, 3Rcadabra!, and an
exhibition on sustainable transportation, Get in Green Gear...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2009-02-04 17:26
The Sustainable Business Conference is a unique initiative that
explores the strategies businesses are using to create a more
sustainable future, as well as the obstacles that are preventing more
from adopting these models. This annual event brings together the
school's community, other universities, and corporate leaders to
discuss sustainable business practices...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2009-01-30 22:17
SNEAK PEEK and call for Volunteers! We are pleased to announce that the University of the Streets Café is back for the Winter 2009 season! With
themes ranging from the economic crisis to the benefits of sex, the
conversations will surely give you something to talk about...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2009-01-29 15:58
Toronto, Canada - Greenpeace today condemned the Harper government for
giving as much as $750 million dollars to nuclear energy and carbon
capture and storage instead of investing those funds in the green
economy Canada needs for the future...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2009-01-26 15:12
It's going to be another great event at MUCS, so please do come for a
delicious and nutritious MUCS dinner starting at 6 p.m., activities for
kids, and one year celebration of the Montreal Permaculture Guild at
MUCS...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2009-01-20 22:20
The quest for happiness is a fundamental part of being human. However,
our current understanding of happiness, as promoted by advertising and
marketing campaigns, and as adopted by a large majority of our
political & business leaders, seems to lead to a dead end of
chronic dissatisfaction and ecological ruin....
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2009-01-20 22:06
Do you often feel very concerned, yet overwhelmed, about what is taking
place in your workplace, your neighborhood, the world? Do you find
yourself wondering how you could make a difference on such complicated
challenges? Do you wish you could become involved but do not know quite
how to go about it? Are you already taking steps to bring about change
but would like to increase your effectiveness? ...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2009-01-20 21:49
Since its inception the Institute in Management and Community
Developement has collaborated with the School of Community and Public
Affairs and its Graduate Program in Community Economic Development. The
Institute wants to inform you of this innovative program and how to
learn more about it...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2009-01-12 21:29
The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation is pleased to announce the
fifth call for applications for its Water Policy Fellowships. Through
the Fellowship program, the Foundation seeks to support emerging
leadership, and promote better links between research and Canadian
public policy by enabling partnerships between young researchers and
non-governmental organization (NGO) mentors to address water policy
issues...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2009-01-12 21:15
Krishna Das, has been called the "chant master of American Yoga" by The
New York Times, and the "Pavarotti of Kirtan" by Yoga Journal. His
groundbreaking music is energized with modern grooves and harmonies to
create a soulful practice that stays true to the path of Bhakti Yoga...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2009-01-07 16:58
In the near future, humanity will be challenged by the converging
trends of energy depletion and climate change. It will be necessary for
us to transition into a culture that consumes drastically less, and to
shift away from the paradigm of perpetual material growth...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2008-12-03 16:02
A new documentary from Jean-Paul Jaud, Our Children Will Accuse Us
looks at the impacts of the environmental pollution on children, and
how in one small town in France a school principal has decided to make
a change...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-11-18 20:48
To celebrate the holiday season, the Environment Canada's Biosphère is
pleased to present its Green Christmas programming from November 27 to
January 4. As varied as they are entertaining, the activities are
intended as an invitation to give the planet a gift by being a greener,
more responsible consumer, and making green choices during the holiday
season...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-11-04 16:01
If you think Health Canada is protecting your health, think again! Speaker: Dr. Shiv Chopra, Renowned Health Canada Scientist, and author of Corrupt to the Core: Memoirs of a Health Canada Whistleblower...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-10-27 19:28
Dix
Mille Villages – NDG, 5674 av. Monkland: FREE Movie Nights take place on the first Wednesday of each
month, at 7pm. Phone or email to find out which movie
is showing next. We show films and documentaries that relate to social justice
and the environment as well as other important world issues. Tel: 514-483-6569,
email: montreal.monkland@villages.ca.
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-10-06 14:25
"Green Homes Day" is a Quebec first, and will take place in four
regions (Montreal, Quebec City, the Laurentians and Eastern Townships)
on Saturday, October 18...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Sat, 2008-09-27 15:37
What
do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common? Not much
unless you're renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they
are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent
housing. For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples
have devoted their time to advancing the art of "Earthship Biotecture"
by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and
function converge in eco-harmony...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Sat, 2008-09-27 14:34
The University of the Streets Café is back to liven up your autumn
season. With 15 public conversations ranging from the City to
sustainability to memory, there is a lot to get excited about. The
venues have been confirmed, the moderators are ready to moderate, the
guests are ready to converse, and our nifty new calendars are being
printed. We're only missing you!
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-09-16 18:05
The sixth edition of "In Town, Without My Car!" will take place on
Monday, September 22, 2008, closing one of the largest areas in North
America to traffic...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-09-16 17:58
Fed up with traffic, the continuously rising price of gas,
increasing air pollution and your own inactivity? At Montreal's centres
de gestion des déplacements (CGDs), that is, transportation management
centres, we can help you...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2008-09-03 14:52
ON SEPT. 21st, 2008, I will be participating in Ça Marche - an annual AIDS
walk organized by the Farha Foundation. The Head & Hands team will be walking to raise money for the Sense Project: an innovative sex education project that emerged after the Quebec government essentially phased out sexual health from the curriculum in 2005...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2008-08-29 16:14
The Run for One Planet 2008/2009 North America Tour is our kick-off
initiative - a carbon neutral year-long run around the continent by two
Canadians, Matt Hill and Stephanie Tait, to inspire Environmental
Action...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-07-07 16:50
The vast majority of the world's people want urgent, bold action on
climate change -- but here at the G8 summit, three politicians stand in
the way. Canada's
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is standing with George Bush of the
United States and Fukuda of Japan in refusing to discuss climate
targets for the year 2020, despite the responsibility of the world’s richest countries to take the lead...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2008-06-25 17:26
5:30 PM: Compost workshop (presented by The Eco-quartier)
6:00 PM: Home-made veggie-chicken workshop; Puppet-making for kids and adults (If you have extra socks, buttons, yarn, etc... please bring); Tour the MUCS Space...
It's a humid, rainy Saturday. And unlike the weekends of my childhood, and most of my life, I am quietly thrilled with the pitter-patter of the rain hitting the porch and roof on this weekend day. My back still carries the heat of previous days, a new sunburn is radiating on my back and down my shoulder blades. I feel accomplished and exhausted, having hauled through several 12-hour workdays...
A network of information and initiatives on health and the environment.
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com Skin Deep - A comprehensive security guide on cosmetics and
personal care products brought to you by the Environmental Working
Group. Look up products before buying them for yourself and your family...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2008-06-12 14:55
It's time for the Salon national de l'environnement! June 13, 14 and 15, 2008
Friday and Saturday 10h to 20h30 - Sunday 10h to 17h - Old Port of Montreal
165 exhibitors with more than 35,000 visitors expected!
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-06-10 14:59
The Open University Summer Program of the Institute in Management and
Community Development will take place from Sunday, June 15th to Friday,
June 20th at the Loyola Campus of Concordia University. Visit http://instdev.concordia.ca for schedule and details...
After many months of planning and anticipation and one hectic whirlwind rush out of the city—with papers and exams passed in, boxes packed, goodbyes kissed and hugs given—I've made here. "Here" is a farm, near Cobden, a small and sleepy town tucked away in the beautiful Ottawa River Valley, just an hour northwest of Ottawa. I'm with three great friends and co-farmers, and we've been hard at work getting the season going after a slightly late, post end-of-school start...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Sat, 2008-05-31 16:05
Intended to raise awareness about this incomparable environment and the
issues it faces, this exhibit comprises 40 photographs that beautifully
depict the wilderness, fauna, flora and inhabitants of this vast
region, which is unknown and unfamiliar to most people. Marking the
beginning of its summer season, the exhibit is presented free of charge
in a nature display along the path that links the Biosphère to the
Jean-Drapeau metro station, from June 3rd, 2008, to April 30th, 2009...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-05-13 18:30
Citizen engagement and movement building as a force for social
transformation is the theme of the 2008 Open University Summer Program
of the Institute in Management and Community Development, which will be
held June 15th to 20th at the Loyola Campus of Concordia University.
This year the program is free and registration is not required...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-05-05 20:18
There has been a lot of talk lately about the need for municipal
composting programs across the Island of Montréal, but so far, it's
mostly just talk. The Québec government is slowly organizing in order
to provide organic waste recycling, but there's no telling when such a
program will actually be available to the citizens of Montréal - and
with the reality of climate change well upon us, it's pretty clear that
there's no time to waste.
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-04-21 16:23
The urban Ecology Center invites you to participate in the first
Montreal conference on sustainable development of neighbourhoods. We
would like to underline the work done at the neighbourhood level in
Montreal, in urban neighbourhoods elsewhere in Quebec, and even
worldwide in order to inspire the Montreal community and strengthen the
will to make of Montreal a sustainable city. Furthermore, we want to
emphasize the links between social, economic, environmental and
democratic issues on a practical level...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-04-21 15:48
All environmentally-minded folks are on the lookout for ways to help
slow global warming and employ the three R's in as many parts of their
lives as possible. Unfortunately, in the environment as in life, things
can be more complex than we originally think. Are choices like buying
local or reusable products always the most ecological option? Where is
the point where it's better for the environment to reuse an item like a
plastic container versus a disposable one? Like in gambling, what is
the eco "over-under"?
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2008-04-18 19:00
Nature in our City: The Saint-Jacques Escarpment, Meadowbrook, and the creation of a greenway for all
It
IS possible to recreate natural environments that increase the quality
of life in your community! Come to the meeting and discover how this
can be done...
Conserving water has been added to the list of things we should be
doing to protect the environment. But the notion of lacking water
doesn't always resonate with people living in a country bursting with
fresh-water lakes, flowing rivers, and abundant rain and snow. In fact,
9% of the world's supply of renewable fresh water is in Canada. Yet,
the stress on the nation's water supply is very real and complex and
can be felt everywhere from polluted water bodies to Montreal's
crumbling aqueducts. During this conversation we will explore some of
the assumptions and worries we have about water, such as the
commodification of water and the potential for bulk export of Canada's
supply, confronting the myth of water abundance and the need for a
national strategy for managing Canada's water resources, and what
individuals can do locally about the water issue...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2008-04-18 17:30
Welcome to a Public Information Meeting: GRIFFINTOWN ENDANGERED
WHO DECIDES THE FUTURE OF MONTREAL ?
IS YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD NEXT?
Griffintown,
a historic neighbourhood settled by mostly Irish immigrants in the
early nineteenth century, is about to change into a megaproject with
giant highrises, big-box stores and streets geared to cars instead of
people...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-04-15 23:25
Bring friends, spouses, relatives, ex-landlords, and come to the MUCS
Earth Day Open House! On Wednesday, April 23rd at 6PM we will be
celebrating Earth Day with an evening of community building, food, bike
repair, and permaculture practice!
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2008-04-11 16:39
To celebrate Earth Day, Environment Canada's Biosphère invites
consumers to two lectures, delivered by guest speakers well-known in
the environmental field, and a guided tour featuring green
technologies, designed to inform them about eco-friendly solutions in
housing and help them make more ecologically-sound choices.
Representatives of the Meteorological Service of Canada and the Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation will also be on hand with information
on the relationship between climate and ecotechnologies (solar, wind,
geothermal and hydro-electric) and different aspects of ecological
construction and a healthy home...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2008-04-08 16:03
The Social and Environmental Concerns Committee of the Unitarian Church
of Montreal invites you to a talk by transportation expert Richard
Bergeron. This non-partisan event will give attendees the opportunity
to learn how other countries have responded to the challenges of
sustainable transportation, and how we in Montreal can learn from their
initiatives...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2008-03-27 20:12
Sign up for the Rad School! Do you want to hone your skills as a
social justice activist? Want to learn to organize more effectively?
Then join the rad school...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2008-03-27 04:07
n Bambara (the main language spoken in Mali), shea butter is called
chitoulou, chi meaning shea, and tolou, butter. The production of shea
butter is primarily a women's activity, from the gathering of the shea
fruit to their processing...
This March 29 is the second Earth Hour, a global call to turn off our
lights for one hour, at 8 p.m. local time. Started last year in Sydney,
Australia, the Earth Hour event took off quickly, with several cities
around the world participating at different times. This year, the goal
is to coordinate a global Earth Hour. Already, a large number of cities
(including Montreal and most major Canadian cities) have agreed to
participate...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Sat, 2008-03-22 17:11
Come celebrate with us the success of the Dining Co-op, the Montreal
Free School and other Montreal Urban Community Sustainment (MUCS)
initiatives that have taken off over the past year...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-03-17 22:02
After more than a year of consultations across Québec, "la Commission
pour l'avenir de l'agriculture et l'agroalimentaire" (CAAAQ) released
its report this February. The report confronts the actions and policies
of the Quebec government regarding agriculture and suggests major
changes. Since its release the government has ignored its
recommendations and attempted to silence the serious concerns it
raises. We will not let these concerns and recommendations go unheard...
The Great Lakes and St-Lawrence River ecosystem comprise the largest
soft-water supply available to humankind (18%), [so] it may surprise you to learn that on the dawn of World Water Day 2008
(for which the theme is decontamination) 2.6 billion people, or 40% of
the world's population, still lack access to decontaminated water...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2008-02-29 14:38
The Dominion Magazine (News from the Grassroots) is taking Canadian media to the next level. With a
comprehensive five-year plan, The Dominion aims to build an independent
news co-operative that will challenge the corporate press in Canada—and publish the stories you need to know about.
You are invited to
attend a presentation, where you will be given the opportunity to Own
Your Media!
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Fri, 2008-02-29 14:26
The first 24 units of an innovative affordable home-ownership
project at Benny Farm, located on the corner of Cavendish and Benny,
are now ready for occupancy...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2008-02-25 15:59
You have probably been hearing a lot about Bisphenol A (BPA), the endocryne disrupting additive found in many of the plastics we use every day. We have compiled some interesting articles this month so you can learn more about these plastics...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2008-01-31 19:38
Ashokais a global organization that accelerates social change by identifying and investing in leading social entrepreneurs. Building
on twenty years' success identifying and investing in social
entrepreneurs around the globe, Ashoka is now able to begin investing
in leading Canadian social entrepreneurs.
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Thu, 2008-01-24 21:19
"In order for another world to be possible, we need another education all life long."
-Didier Minot, RÉCIT
On
January 1, 2008, I joined a delegation of Quebecers to participate in
the 3rd Citizens' Education Meeting of the RÉCIT (Réseau des écoles de
citoyens), held in Grenoble, France. Our group was made
up of a diverse range of people all involved in one way or another in
the community sector, in education, democratic organizations, or
international solidarity work...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Wed, 2007-12-12 20:27
In the news, over the past few months, you may have read about
forward-thinking populations, from Quebec's Huntingdon and Amqui to the
entire country of Uganda, that have banned the use of non-biodegradable
plastic bags. These moves have also sparked debate in the environmental
community as to whether or not popular alternatives such as
biodegradable bags are the best solution...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2007-12-04 21:50
Come march for the climate!
As the 13th UN Conference on
Climate Change takes place in Bali, Indonesia, citizens of the world
are taking to the streets to express the need to act immediately and to
unite in the fight against climate change...
Congratulations are in order for Wakefield/La Peche, which recently
became Quebec's first "Fair Trade" municipality. They, along with Wolfville, Nova Scotia who made the shift last April, are the first
Canadian municipalities to join the movement to apply principles of
fair trade to public institutions...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2007-11-13 18:48
Free Service for low income homes : Reduce your energy bill by upping your energy efficiency.
Did you know that a free program exists for low-income households to help you lower your energy bill...
The leaves are beginning to change colour along the shores of Kahnawake. As we enjoy the abundance of the harvest season, it's important to remember all the hard work being done by the natural world to make our very survival possible...
Recent changes in the CDN/NDG Borough’s Community compost program have reawakened a long running debate within the environmental community: Is it better to have individual backyard bins, and small community bins for those without a back yard, or is it better to integrate composting into the borough’s own waste management strategy?
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Tue, 2007-09-18 17:54
Why leave the city for relaxation and inspiration when you can receive the very same at this urban retreat?
Yoga, Meditation, Workshops in Sustainability / Health, Vegetarian Dinners and Documentary Films and more.
On Dec. 2 do your green holiday shopping at the Eco Bazar...
From September 15th to the 23rd 2007, protect a waterway by participating in the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup (www.vanaqua.org/cleanup)! Each year during the third week of September, thousands of volunteers from all over Canada join forces during the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup in order to remove the debris that finds its way on our shorelines and protect a waterway.
We’ve all heard the hype—video or Internet conferencing is the wave of the future. It’s eco-friendly, cheaper, and “just as good” as meeting face to face. I’m sure that some of this is true—particularly the cheaper part—but since my job (CÉGEP professor) is based on the interaction of people in a specific space, together at the same time, I am particularly sensitive to the claim that virtual interaction is just as good as the real human kind. Once you include all of the computer waste, the printed documents, and the power-sucking equipment, the environmental savings might not be as great as we thought. But it’s still better than your average, über wasteful, conference...
Cape Cod: Home of John and Nancy J. Todd, Ecological Design leaders (who spoke at La Maison Verte in May), and my final destination. The emerging field of Ecological Design and its interest in remodeling society by (re)incorporating nature into our lives, homes, institutions and cities, has been the pillar of my motivation for environmental change since the beginning. That being the case, there was no other place than New Alchemy Farm to end my journey, birthplace of the famed New Alchemy Institute...
...Darrow School, now in its 75th year, is a small boarding school in the middle of an enchanting campus. Century old buildings, fields, woods and creeks to run in, and a very broad school curriculum. They have a unique program called "Hands-to-Work" where every student in the school MUST give a few hours a week to one of the 21 task crews. The crews range from theater, to Living Machine maintenance, to recycling and composting pickup, to tractor work, to volunteer work in the community and more...
My first stop was Burlington, and I had thought well to plan two days to visit this town because there was too much to see! Honestly, you don't need to look as far as Cape Cod to see what people here are doing to change the world. Burlington, this small town of 40 000 people, only an hour and a half away from Montreal (2 days by bicycle) has a strong effervescence to it, bubbling with energy on all fronts of the environmental movement....
...Let us not underestimate our own "prince." Indeed, Steven Harper managed quite the feat by presenting himself as the one who had met the European Union's goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2050. There is, however, one slight catch: Europe is committed to a 50% reduction based on 1990 emission levels, whereas Harper's plan is based on 2006 levels, which, in Canada, were 35% higher than in 1990...
For the next two weeks, check in on the Maison Verte's Eco Logic blog to see what I have discovered as I make my way to the Cape. I will be visiting many fascinating people, all working on their own local fronts to change the world. University professors and students across Vermont, organic farmers, Darrow high school in NY state which has an environmental center equipped with a living machine, a straw bail house, Merck Forest, the Ark on Cape Cod, and more...
Hey gang! It's Environment Week, and ironically its also Grand Prix weekend—the testosterone-filled event where cars burn astronomical quantities of fuel, make more noise than the crowd at a soccer game in Europe (if that is possible), and go around and around in circles right in the middle of Parc Jean Drapeau...
I'm going to list seven sentences (in fact, they're headlines or subheadings) that were published by the press following the May 5, 2007, release of the third part of the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The aim of the game is to find the odd one out among the seven sentences. So, let's begin...
Well, first off, congratulations to all of you who take the time to garden! It is an activity that offers us irreplaceable moments to savour, and allows us to reconnect with our home, the Earth! But we also wish to reconnect in the most harmonious fashion possible, and the gardening methods used today can often bring just the opposite...
It's tough to be a touring musician these days. Whether its dumping a pile of crap from your tour bus toilet, or expanding your carbon footprint to Bigfoot-size, the music industry has by definition an uneasy relationship with the environment...
Contributed by "La Maison Verte" on Mon, 2007-05-28 23:26
In honour of Canadian Environment Week, June 3-9, Co-op La Maison Verte was asked if we would like to host a Radio Canada interview with the Honourable Canadian Environment Minister John Baird. As a local hub for all things environmental, we weren't surprised to be on the list of potential locales for the interview, but we also weren't sure if it would be a good idea...
Ms Marois appears to be trying to hide her right-leaning tendencies by camouflaging them behind the warm and fuzzy concept of sustainable development. A sorry state of affairs, when one realizes that, strangely enough, she has misread the sincerity of the millions of citizens-the millions of business men and women-who have a real and heartfelt desire to do something for their planet...
You know as well as I do, Ariadne was a heroine of Greek mythology. When Theseus, arrived from Crete to kill the Minotaur (a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull who would lure his victims into his labyrinth and eat them alive), she gave him some thread so he could find his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth once he had killed the monster...
Each year in Québec transport is responsible for at least 37 percent of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and these emissions are only increasing in Canada even though we have signed the Kyoto Protocol. But why aren't our leaders acting? And in the meantime, what are we waiting for?
Bio Fuels are all over the news these days. Farmers are falling over each other to plant corn for ethanol plants, the Federal government is investing in the industry as part of its environmental strategy, institutions from public transit to delivery companies are looking at biodesiel conversion, and the auto industry is pinning its hopes on the promise of biofuels...
What is the magic recipe for sprouting environmental action in your local community? This edition of my blog is personal as I share with you an environmental success which I've had the chance to be a part of: the creation of the West Island's first ever Éco-quartier, opening April 14 2007...
At what level of production does a producer stop being an "artisan?" What are the links between local, authentic food production and restaurants? And how and what is distinctive about indigenous food producers and their products?
Ah, spring! She who says spring says spring-cleaning ;) and that's exactly what I did last week. But if we wish to minimize our impact on the planet, our cleaning sprees MUST include some environmental waste management.
I don't mean to imply that I can't sleep at night, however I do ponder the issue often. I am seeking answers to the question of what can be done to ‘stop the mass murder' and disrupt ‘comfort and indifference.' Is it apropos to join the cause in a symbolic way, to identify with George Clooney or even Angelina Jolie, or for that matter any other celebrity campaigning in Darfur. Is there really anything we can do?
I was happy to hear that Australia has introduced legislation to gradually ban incandescent light bulbs in that country*. You remember incandescent bulbs, the ones perfected by Thomas Edison that use hundreds of watts to generate the same light as 11 to 25 watt compact fluorescent bulbs.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has confirmed it once and for all: humans are indeed responsible for climate change. The planet is warming, and even if Stephen Harper argued in 2002 that climate change science was a "socialist plot", he now puts it at the forefront of his priorities. Why? Because everyone is talking about it.
Despite all the fogginess on the environmental front lately-particularly on the political level-I believe we have recently been thrown into a radically new situation that, although unpredictable, is also a historic opportunity for change. A situation I believe could facilitate the emergence of a powerful movement against global warming.
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