• Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
Update 3/29/12: The series has been disappointing so far, but I’ll stick with it for a few more days.
This is a FREE online series of events you may want to consider. These events can inspire you to live a greener, healthier, more spacious life and transform any frustration you may feel about the state of our planet.
It’s called the Spring of Sustainability, and it features more than 100 pioneers of sustainability – Jane Goodall, Ed Begley Jr., Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Vandana Shiva, John Robbins, Hazel Henderson, to name a few – who will share the most cutting-edge insights and tools for creating a sustainable and thriving world.
Learn more at this link: http://springofsustainability.com
This 3-month series of virtual and live events starts on March 26th. Each weekday, you’ll have the chance to listen in and learn from an inspiring sustainability leader via your phone line or computer, or access the replays at a time more convenient for you.
The Spring of Sustainability is the season for you to:
- Transform fear and frustration into hope and actions you can contribute directly to creating a sustainable world for all beings
- Learn fun, inspiring ways you can engage your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers in creating a healthy and sustainable community
- Discover why new systems rooted in justice and sustainability principles are the only viable solution for our planet
- Network and collaborate with other passionate people and organizations on sustainable initiatives – and help create a thriving planet
- Get the latest cutting-edge insights into green building, green business, green living, renewable energy sources, wildlife preservation and climate change
- Understand the role of culture and social will in creating a paradigm shift in economic, political, and social systems that are destroying the planet
Research Credit: John Lumiere-Wins
• Monday, February 06th, 2012
Here is an exciting new book that I plan on reading. An aquaculture system is a great compliment to a biodome, greenhouse or back yard garden.
Source: Amazon.com
Aquaponics is a revolutionary system for growing plants by fertilizing them with the waste water from fish in a sustainable closed system. A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponic gardening is an amazingly productive way to grow organic vegetables, greens, herbs, and fruits, while providing the added benefits of fresh fish as a safe, healthy source of protein. On a larger scale, it is a key solution to mitigating food insecurity, climate change, groundwater pollution, and the impacts of overfishing on our oceans.
Aquaponic Gardening is the definitive do-it-yourself home manual, focused on giving you all the tools you need to create your own aquaponic system and enjoy healthy, safe, fresh, and delicious food all year round. Starting with an overview of the theory, benefits, and potential of aquaponics, the book goes on to explain:
- System location considerations and hardware components
- The living elements–fish, plants, bacteria, and worms
- Putting it all together–starting and maintaining a healthy system
• Saturday, October 01st, 2011
Source: Centre for Sustainable Development
The eight member organizations of the Centre for Sustainable Development invite the public to a week-long open house at their brand new green building in the heart of Montreal’s revamped entertainment district, the Quartier des spectacles.
If you care about such issues as clean transportation, climate change, micro-credit or fair trade, you won’t want to miss it.
Schedule of activities
• Sunday, March 06th, 2011
Source: The New York Times
Climate change and the larger issue of environmental sustainability are another challenge, Ms. Coyle argues, in which the balance between our actions today and our responsibilities to the future is out of whack. One does not have to look far to find evidence of depleting fishing stocks, accelerated extinctions of species, water shortages and atmospheric changes to realize that we are using up natural resources at a rapid rate.
What will this depletion, which is fed by current consumption, mean for future generations? Ms. Coyle writes that we “do want more in order to be happier — but how much more is feasible without destroying the natural and social environment, and how much more is fair to the people who will come after us?”
Borrowing from the future this way shows our inability, or refusal, to assume responsibility for the impact of today’s choices on tomorrow’s prospects, Ms. Coyle says.
Three elements — measurement, values and institutions — are needed to bring about a better balance between the present and future, she writes.
In the area of measurement, she says we must adopt broader, longer-term measures of economic well-being than G.D.P. Such metrics would account for health, education, the environment, employment, purchasing power and other conditions. They might also measure the stocks of the world’s resources — from fish in the ocean to human capital — in addition to the annual flows of national income calculated in G.D.P.
• Wednesday, January 05th, 2011
If the major issues surrounding sustainable urban development are an everyday concern for you, don’t miss the Ecocity World Summit 2011, in Montréal, August 22-26 @ the Palais des Congres.
This major international conference will address a number of themes at the heart of ecocities: climate change, ecomobility, governance, the economy, built environment, etc.
The Ecocity World Summit is the opportunity to present research projects and achievements which will help governments, researchers and industry professionals meet the challenges which they face in the quest for a healthier and more sustainable world.
This is a reminder that the deadline to SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSALS is January 31, 2011.
Please click the links below for details on the conference themes.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ECOCITY »»»
ECOMOBILITY, URBAN PLANNING, PUBLIC SPACE »»»
GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY IN THE ECOCITY »»»
ECONOMICS OF THE ECOCITY »»»
HEALTH AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT »»»
BIODIVERSITY AND URBAN AGRICULTURE »»»
• Thursday, February 04th, 2010
Sunday February 7th, 7pm, at Mainfilm. More details below:
The Resilience Cycle aims to inform citizens about the issues raised by peak oil and climate change, and to help them take concrete action to help Montreal become more “resilient” in the face of future challenges. The purpose of this fifth evening will be to provide you tools to spread the word around you: family, neighbours, elected officials, community organizations…
- How to talk about peak oil and convince others that this issue will impact us very soon?
- How to discuss climate change and its consequences for Montreal?
- What is the Transition Town movement, which offers a response to these issues – a movement created by citizens for their community? It is based on facts, focuses on concrete action, and most importantly, is also fun and inclusive!
- How can we find inspiration in the Transition Town movement to launch initiatives in various areas of Montreal, in order to reduce our dependence on oil and better resist the shocks of the near future?
We are inviting to this evening all the folks who want to take action and start initiatives in their neighbourhood, in preparation for the challenges we will face very soon: limited energy supply (in particular gasoline, whose price will go up), more expensive food, challenging of the current road transportation system – and therefore of the way and price at which we bring food and items to Montreal stores… As well as the risk that our communities rise against each other, and that governments be even less able to protect the most vulnerable citizens.
Where: Main Film – Saint-Laurent subway
4067 Saint-Laurent in Montreal
When: Sunday February 7, at 7pm.
Free entrance – Donations welcome
Bring your mug!
