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  • From: baby buddha information station <alisoncross@telus.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: [econews_list] EcoNews November 2007
  • Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:20:25 -0700

I just wanted to hear reactions to this - I remember the bee keepers here saying that this wasn't occurring for them .

Begin forwarded message:

From: Erin Carson <erin@earthfuture.com>
Date: October 30, 2007 6:56:11 PM PDT (CA)
To: econews_list@lists.onenw.org
Subject: [econews_list] EcoNews November 2007



* EcoNews * Stormy Weather * Earthfuture *



EcoNews Newsletter Email Edition No. 175
Serving the Vision of a Sustainable Vancouver Island
November 2007

Now available as Printable PDF's!
Front (325kb) - Middle (303kb) - Green Diary (81kb)

THE SILENCE OF THE BEES

We live on the Earth as infants, depending on Mother Nature to feed us, give us the resources we demand, and clean up our mess.

We do not teach ecology in our schools. Our political and business leaders are not ecologically versed; nor are most college professors.

No wonder we are getting into a mess. The very word “ecology” come from the Greek words oikos + logos, meaning “knowledge of the household”. As a culture, we do not understand the household rules of our planet.

Instead, like two-year olds, most people want Mother Earth to go on providing coal, oil, timber, fish, meat, and everything else.

When things go wrong, as they are with disturbing frequency, we tend to act naïve. Like a two-year-old, we think “that’s mother’s department – she’ll make it alright.”

Enter the bee, a small insect with 60,000 species that has played an essential role in Earth’s household management for 100 million years.

The bee’s role is to pollinate flowers, transferring male pollen grains to the female ovule. 80% of Nature’s pollination is done by insects such as the bee; 20% is done by the wind, including all the grasses and trees.

Historically, when a good-sized blueberry farm was 500 acres, a farmer could depend on wild bees and local hives to pollinate them. Today, with farms of up to 10,000 acres, there are not enough bees to do the pollination.

Enter the traveling bee-keeper, shipping hives in semi-trailers to Florida in winter for the citrus and cantaloupe, then maybe to Pennsylvania in spring for the apples and cherries, and California for the almonds.

The industry’s bees pollinate 100 flowering crops, including apples, nuts, avocados, kiwi, broccoli, soybeans, asparagus, celery, squash, cucumbers, citrus fruit, peaches, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, melons, and animal feed crops such as clover. In a good year, a beekeeper can realize a $100,000 profit.


Last winter, however, when the beekeepers went to ready their hives for the new season, many were shocked to find them empty. The adult bees had flown off, never to return, choosing to die outside the hive rather than infest it. Hives containing up to 40,000 bees had been left with honey intact – not even predators wanted to scavenge them.

Some beekeepers lost 90% of their colonies. More than 25% of America’s 2.4 million bee colonies were lost to “colony collapse disorder” – and beekeepers around the world were reporting similar collapses.

When the scientists investigated, they found the bees’ bodies filled with fungi and parasitic mites and up to 40 pesticides in the hives, including neo-nicotinoids, designed to break down an insect’s immune system and cause memory loss and nervous system disorder, partially banned by France because of its very impact on the bees.

The current consensus is that the most likely suspect is the Israeli acute paralysis virus, found in 96% of the infected hives, first identified in 2004 when Israel started importing bees from Australia. This is probably the straw that broke the camel’s back, in a situation where bees are being stressed by mites, viruses, toxic pesticides, long-distance trucking, and poor nutrition, since monocultured crops do not have the food they need. Cell-phones, initially suspected, are not on the list.

With the virus identified, there are hopes that resistant bees can be bred. In the meantime, beekeepers are waiting see if their colonies collapse again this winter. If they do, many beekeepers and farmers will face bankruptcy, since there will not be other hives to rent.

Some species of bumblebee, which pollinate 15% of US crops including tomatoes, peppers and strawberries raised in greenhouses, are also disappearing.

Albert Einstein once wrote "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”

This should be the most profound of wake-up calls. Like global warming, it is a potential life-ending situation that we have brought on ourselves by our fundamental ignorance of Earth’s ecology. We really have to wake up, and pay attention.

We cannot spray pesticides willy-nilly and expect the bees not to be affected. We cannot grow monocultures so big that bees have to be trucked across the continent. We must plan for a full global transition to bee-friendly, ecologically friendly organic farming. And we must teach ecology in all our schools and colleges.

We must also work to stop the spraying of pesticides in our cities; Victoria City Council is expected to vote on this sometime in November.

We owe it to the bees, and to our whole future on this planet. As Einstein says, life could not exist without the bees.

- Guy Dauncey

Thanks to PBS TV - The Silence of the Bees.

ECONEWS

A monthly newsletter, funded by your donations, that dreams of a world blessed by the harmony of nature, the pleasures of community, & the joys of personal fulfillment, protected and guided by active citizenship.

Donations can be sent to EcoNews, 395 Conway Rd, Victoria, BC, V9E 2B9. For a receipt send a stamped addressed envelope.

Donations can also be sent via PayPal:

$
(Donations in Canadian Dollars.)
The Money

Sept

Oct

Nov

Copies printed

1900

2000

1900

Sent by email

2850

2850

2926

Print, postage

$852

$856

$900

Editorial

$350

$350

$350

Donations

$579

$435

You?

Advertising

$861 $25
Balance

$2143 $1397
A big thankyou to Sheila Sayer, Had Walmer, Christian Engelstoft, Cal Wilkinson, Katey Bloomfield, Maggie Salmond, Dave Finlay, Sheila Redhead, Fran Johnson, Marianna Macleod, Paul Gareau, Carol Wagner, and to Brian Pinch and Lorena Mowers, both in memory of Roger Colwill.

To receive EcoNews by mail, call Guy at 250-881-1304.

To sign up for an email subscription, send a message to "sympa@lists.onenw.org" with "SUBSCRIBE econews_list" in the subject.

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To invite a friend to sign up for EcoNews, send a message to "sympa@lists.onenw.org" with "INVITE econes_list user@domain.org" in the subject line (with your friend's email replacing "user@domain.org").

THE ECO-PERSONALS
$1.30 a word. Non-profits, low-income free. 1" box ad $50

* Firewood from sustainable woodlot. Seasoned fir, cords or half cords. Call Peter, 652-2613.

* Charming guest room, $30/night. Cook St Village, ocean. 250-361-3102

* Pacific Gardens Cohousing Nanaimo 250-754-3060 www.pacificgardens.ca

* Seeking partners to buy land for eco-living erainwalker@hotmail.com

* Saturna Island room + bathroom available in vegetarian waterfront household. Weekenders welcome. Sebastian sgadbois@mail.com

* Victoria-based food co-op accepting new members. rdhellner@gmail.com

* Individual counselling and psychotherapy for self-esteem, empowerment and healing. Rainey Hopewell, M.Ed. Serving Vancouver Island’s activist community. 15 years experience. Sliding scale. 380-5055

* Looking for 1-2 people to share house near ocean, big private yard, quiet neighbourhood, Saxe Point Park. $500/month, all incl. Close to pool, fitness centre. Ramona 414-7248.

* Great tenant with cat seeks affordable friendly living space on Saanich peninsula or Salt Spring with large garden or shared house with nature loving folk. Suzanne 658-4750 gumbootgirl@yahoo.com

* Peninsula Mindful Living is a community meditation group for women. We meet in Brentwood Bay, 6:30pm each Thursday evening. Tatha peninsula.mindful.living@telus.net

The Fifth Law of Sustainability - If it’s not fun, it’s not sustainable

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ETHICAL INVESTING
The Pinch Group
Connecting your money with your values
www.pinchgroup.ca
250-405-2468

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TOP TEN CLIMATE SOLUTIONS #1: SOLAR THERMAL

Over the next ten months, EcoNews will lay out what we believe to be the ten most effective technological solutions to global warming, starting with the solar thermal generation of power.

The world’s entire remaining store of fossil fuels is the equivalent of solar energy that shines on Earth’s deserts every 47 days. Algeria alone has enough solar thermal potential to supply Europe’s entire energy needs 50 times over.

The technology consists of a series of parabolic arrays that gather the sun’s heat and concentrate it onto a pipe filled with water, creating steam that drives a turbine. The power is then transmitted underwater or over land using high voltage DC cables that have lower EMF emissions and power loss.

In the Nevada desert, a 64 MW system is producing power for around 10-12 cents kWh. At the recent Clinton Global Initiative the power company PG&E signed a deal to purchase 2000 MW over the next five years from Ausra, a company started by the Canadian entrepreneur, scientist and innovator David Mills.

Since heat can be stored using hot water, oil or salts, solar thermal power can deliver baseload power 24 hours a day.

Solar thermal power will be cheaper than carbon captured coal or nuclear power, and has the potential to deliver 90% of the world’s electricity without carbon emissions. Globally, the best locations for plants are the western US, southern Europe, north Africa and the Middle East, north India and western China.

One way to accelerate the technology would be commitments by nations to generate 25% of their power from solar thermal by 2020 and 50% by 2030, linked to close-down of the world’s coal-fired power plants. See www.ausra.com and www.tinyurl.com/26gd8s.

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ROGER COLWILL, R.I.P.

Our friend Roger Colwill died suddenly in September while enjoying a peaceful cup of tea with his wife and best companion, Barbara. He was such a great friend, supporter and ally to me, ever since we met on Earth Day in Beacon Hill Park 17 years ago - and I hear from so many people how he helped and encouraged you.

Roger had an abiding belief in our ability to make a difference in the world. In the perfect Roger World, we would all would wear two badges, one saying: “I’m good that these things – can I help you?” the other saying: “I need help with these things – can you help me?”

He knew that 1 plus 3 always equaled 5 because of the magic that happens when people spark each other’s creativity and open new dreams.

I think he will enjoy being a student in the new class he has joined. They probably take that love and support for granted and wonder why we are so slow to help each other here on Earth, and why we are so timid in our dreams.

Roger knew that we face an enormous crisis, but he also knew how much better things would be if we supported each other as we work to make a difference.

On behalf of so many, I say “Thankyou, Roger. We love you and thank you.” Farewell, our truest friend. Your dreams will live on.

Green Drinks lives on too, on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Canoe Brewpub, 450 Swift St, from 5-8pm.

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Eco-friendly Renovations
Carpentry – Woodworking - Flooring – Design/CAD Consulting
Harald Wolf
882-9653
www.wolfweb.ca/allegra

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BC’S CLIMATE PLANS

At the Union of BC Municipalities conference this September, Premier Campbell revealed some of the measures the BC government is preparing as it seeks to reduce BC’s greenhouse emissions to 33% below today’s level by 2020. They include:

the formation of a blue ribbon Climate Action Team which will determine viable emission reduction strategies, followed by legislated targets for 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2050;
legislation to create market mechanisms that will enable BC to require “hard caps” on GHG emissions for industry;
regional symposiums to discuss GHG reduction strategies with the forestry, mining, energy, waste and agricultural sectors;
legislation this fall that will require all BC government agencies, crown agencies, school boards and health authorities to become carbon neutral by 2010 with mandatory annual progress reports;
a new BC Carbon Trust that will enable people, companies and governments to become carbon neutral by supporting made-in-BC carbon-reducing projects;
greenhouse gas reduction strategies and targets that will be legally required in all Official Community Plans and regional growth strategies;
municipalities to be allowed to waive development cost charges to encourage green developments and small houses;
all new government facilities to be LEED Gold;
California’s tailpipe emissions low carbon standards for vehicles to be phased in from 2009-2016, reducing vehicle CO2 emissions by 10% by 2020;
a 5% renewable fuel standard by 2010; $50 million for BC Transit to buy new clean buses and expand public transit;
and the promise of a new vision for transit to be announced this fall aimed at making BC a global leader in public transit.
The details will be released later this fall, suggesting an ability to achieve up to 82% of the 33% reduction goal.

The government also unveiled a Climate Change Action Charter signed by 62 municipalities, which have pledged in a non-legally binding manner to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral in their corporate operations by 2012, and to work to create compact, more energy efficient communities. The Charter commits local governments to work for the best green developments, reducing car-dependency.

This is impressive, but we must remember that the climate science demands a far deeper level of reduction if we are to avoid the catastrophic impacts that are coming. The City of London has set a scientifically more appropriate goal of 60% below its 1990 emissions by 2025. BC’s goal of 10% below 1990 by 2020 is a great start, but only a beginning.

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PLASTIC BAGS CAMPAIGN

Lana Popham, a Saanich mom, has launched a campaign to ban plastic bags, as other municipalities are doing. To help, call Lana at 652-4110.

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12 Steps to Sustainable, Home Grown Food Production
An Organic Approach to Greater Self-Sufficiency
March 15th – October 21st, 2008
$650 for all sessions, or $55 per session
Presented by Carolyn Herriot and Glendale Gardens & Woodland
www.earthfuture.com/gardenpath/12%20Steps.htm

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MEDEA BENJAMIN

Medea Benjamin is a prominent US peace activist, cofounder of the women’s peace organization Code Pink and the human rights group Global Exchange; Ann Wright is a retired US Army Colonel and career diplomat. On October 4th, they were traveling to Toronto to meet with the Stop the War Coalition when they were selected for a background check at the Niagara Falls border crossing.

As part of her persistent efforts to stop the war in Iraq, Medea had received three minor convictions in the US, one for unlawful assembly at the White House on International Women’s Day; one for speaking out during a Congressional Hearing; and one for trespassing when a group tried to deliver 152,000 anti-war signatures to the US mission to the United Nations. Anne had some minor convictions, the equivalent of parking tickets for which she had paid fines.

As a result of their convictions, the Canadian border guards denied them entry. But how did they obtain these records? Canada is the first country to start using the FBI database called the National Crime Information Center, created to find fugitives, convicted sex offenders, missing persons, and members of terrorist organizations and violent gangs.

When she was refused entry, a journalist warned Medea that “Canada is a bellwether. If it gets away with this, other countries, under US pressure, will follow.” We all need to speak out loudly. Why are the Canadian border police enforcing rules created by the FBI and other US agencies?

There’s a petition at http://www.codepinkalert.org/Canada, and our letters of protest are needed to The Hon Diane Finley, P.C., M.P.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada,
Ottawa, K1A 1L1, Email Minister@cic.gc.ca.

Medea loved and admired Canada. She says “We come in peace. We come with humility. Please don’t forsake us in our hour of need.”

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The Great Climate Challenge - Practical Solutions that Work
with Guy Dauncey
Sat November 24, 9am-5pm
"Inspirational, an excellent day"- past course participant
$95. Call 391-2600 x 4801
http://www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLGI1281-Y07.htm
Royal Roads University

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ACTION OF THE MONTH: THE JORDAN RIVER BLUES

There is growing outrage at the decision by BC Forests Minister Rich Coleman to allow Western Forest Products (WFP) to sell 28,000 hectares of forest land from Sooke to Jordan River for development. Coleman has handed WFP a multi-billion dollar windfall, while signaling the go-ahead for land development in a remote rural area without any requirements to create the “compact, more energy efficient communities” that it is asking BC’s municipalities to support in its climate action plan.

The Ministry of Forests has also failed to consult the public or to put any protection in place for ecologically treasured lands such as the forest adjacent to the Sooke Potholes and the Sea-to-Sky Greenbelt or at Muir Creek, just west of Sooke.

WFP has turned round and sold 2,532 of the 28,000 hectares to Vancouver developer Ender Ilkay for an estimated $500 million. If you or I want to get 28 hectares rezoned for development and increase its density, creating potential for significant profit, we have to go through a proper legal process, including a Public Hearing and a requirement to provide land for public parks. Here, the Minister has rezoned 28,000 hectares with no questions asked or conditions required, purely because he thought the company “needed some help”.

There is such a stink of corruption here that there should be a full public enquiry. In 2004, the Ministry did the same for Weyerhaeuser, letting it take 220,000 acres out of tree farm licenses around Port Alberni for an estimated benefit of $200 million. We didn’t protest much then, so maybe they thought it was OK for the Minister to give some more hand-outs to his forest industry friends.

Action: Write to Premier Campbell and demand that the province retroactively veto the agreement, compensate the developer for his out-of-pocket travel costs, and initiate a proper public discussion as to how best to develop or not develop the coastal lands from Sooke to Port Renfrew.

Rt Hon Premier Campbell, PO Box 9041, Stn Prov Gov, Victoria V8W 9E1. 250-387-1715. premier@gov.bc.ca

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THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WEB

Some noteworthy sites that have passed my way:

1% for the Planet
An Urban Developer Goes for the Green (Victoria’s Joe van Belleghem)
Arctic Ice Melt Season
Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral (UK)
Blue Green Planet - The Earth Says Hello
Building an Ark: 101 Solutions to Animal Suffering, by Ethan Smith
Burning Man Festival
Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic
CO2-man
Code Pink – Media Benjamin’s blog
Dan Rather on Greenland, Melting Ice (starts at 19:30)
Eco-Sense – ecologically sensible living
EcoSolutions (CNN)
Eco-Sphere Treehouses
FabTree Hab
Faith and the Common Good
FOX TV Employees expose Fox News distortions
Jordan River Forests Giveaway Petition
Living Landscape, BC
Money as Debt
New Era High Tech Buses
Old Growth Trees Protest
Prime Minister Harper Cabinet contact lists
Register as an Organ Donor
Salt Spring Island Conservancy Newsletter
Silence of the Bees
Tar Sands
The Extractigator (for Broom)
The Green Rule (religions)
The Gumboot (Quadra island)
The Hammer King
The Second American Revolution, by Guy Dauncey
The Universe Timeline
Toxic Body Burden Blog
Victoria Carpool and Ride share website
Vic-West Project Urban Rain Garden
Water – Thinking outside the Bottle
Western Forest Products TFL – Born in Scandal
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November 2007
Now available as a PDF! Green Diary (81kb)

ALL MONTH:

CRD Parks outings and explorations for all ages. 478-3344 http:// www.crd.bc.ca/parks

TLC Conservation Holidays - see http://www.conservationholidays.ca

Every Mon, 10-12pm Brodick, Feltham, and Bow Parks Invasive Species removal, just off Beam Cres. in Saanich. Bring gloves and secateurs (if you have them). Volunteers welcome. No dogs. Judy 472-0515 or jandd_spearing@shaw.ca

Every Sat, 1:30pm Tour of Merve Wilkinson’s Wildwood Forest, Ladysmith. Jay, 250-245-5540 Directions, http://www.ecoforestry.ca/ WildwoodMap.htm

Every Sat, 9-12pm Beacon Hill Park Ivy Pull, southeast woods near Cook and Dallas. Bring gardening gloves. No dogs. Volunteers welcome. Cornelia, 920-3556 or kacy@islandnet.com

Every Sun, 10-4pm O.U.R. Ecovillage weekly Sunday work parties. http://www.ourecovillage.org Potluck lunches. RSVP 250-743-3067

Every Sun, 3pm Free vegetarian food at Pandora (Harris Green) between Open Door and McDonalds. foodnotbombs@ziplip.com

Every Tue, noon-1:30 High Noon Choir. Directed by Shivon Robinsong. No audition, all voices welcome. 386-3184

Every Fri (except 12th), 12:10–12:50pm "Noon Hour" Video Series: Earth’s Imagination. Cosmologist Brian Swimme places the human psyche within the fifteen billion year cosmic process. $7/session. 642-3546, gces@telus.net or http://www.centreforearthandspirit.org

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WEEK ONE

Thur, 1st, 7:30pm Public Forum on the Government’s Give Away of Coastal Forest Lands from Sooke Potholes To Jordan River and Beyond. SJ Willis School Auditorium, 923 Topaz Avenue, Victoria (Hillside and Blanshard area),

Fri 2 & Sat 3, 8pm Peace Mum, a play about Cindy Sheehan. This "ordinary woman" became a peace activist when she camped outside George W. Bush's ranch, refusing to leave without knowing why her son was sent to Iraq to die. By donation. La Run Theatre, 1983 Fairfield Rd. 381-0190, puente.theatre@gmail.com, http:// www.puentetheatre.ca

Sat 3, 10am-3pm Third Annual Pumpkin Smash. Keep your pumpkin out of the trash. Bring your Halloween jack-o-lanterns to smash them for compost with family fun games. Quadra-Cloverdale Thrifty Foods.

Sat 3, 6pm FoodRoots Sustainable Feast and LifeCycles Project Gala Event. Learn about the Fruit Tree Project, urban agriculture and more! $30 for a four-course local gourmet meal. Da Vinci Centre, 195 Bay St. 383-5800, 595-6742, http://www.foodroots.ca

Sat 3, 7:30pm We Continue Forward: Stories, Songs and Images from Kenya with Maggie Ziegler and Phil Vernon. A Benefit for SOLID projects, including HIV/AIDS Education in Kenya. $15 suggested donation. Lions Hall, Salt Spring. Phil Vernon 250-653-9485, philvernon@telus.net or Maggie Ziegler 250-653-9482, maggieziegler@telus.net

Sun 4, 10am CRD Parks trip, Iron Mine Bay Trail to Pike Point, East Sooke Park. Bring a lunch, water, raingear and sturdy hiking shoes. Adults only. Meet at info kiosk in Pike Rd. parking lot off East Sooke Rd.

Sun 4, 10am-3pm Third Annual Pumpkin Smash. Keep your pumpkin out of the trash. Bring your Halloween jack-o-lanterns to smash them for compost with family fun games. Admirals and Fairfield Thrifty Foods.

Sun 4, 2:30pm Thinking Like an Ocean: Towards Co-existence Between People and Nature. With Dr. Gloria Snively, PhD. $15. Glenairley Centre for Earth and Spirit, 6040 East Sooke Rd. 642-3546, gces@telus.net, http://www.centreforearthandspirit.org

Sun 4, 7pm Goods for Cuba Campaign: Solidarity with Cuba. Andrew Barry and Max Tennant will give presentations on their observations on Cuba's achievements in social justice, healthcare and education. By donation. BCGEU Hall, 2994 Douglas. Randy Caravaggio, 743-2994

Mon 5 9am-4pm Royal Roads Course: The Socially Responsible Corporate Citizen. $180. 391-2600 x 4801 or http:// www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/PABL1362-Y07.htm

Tue 6, noon Rally at the BC Ministry of Transportation. Say "No" to the Bear Mountain Interchange. Library Square, off Broughton and Blanshard. Coalition to Protect Goldstream Watershed, 388-3847, protectgoldstream@gmail.com

Tue 6, 4pm Launch of “1% for the Planet”. Learn more about becoming part of the alliance of companies that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. Delta Ocean Pointe, 45 Songhees Rd. RSVP Leah Burley, 381-5532, leah@victoriafoundation.bc.ca

Tue 6, 7pm Council of Canadians Coffee Night & Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition presents the film “Crapshoot”, a historical and environmental perspective on sewage treatment. Discussion follows. BCGEU Hall, 2994 Douglas.

Tue 6, 7pm Public forum on the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) with MP Peter

Julian (NDP trade critic) and author/activist Murray Dobbin. UVic, Engineering Bldg 125. http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/

Tue 6, 13, 20, 27 & Dec 4, 7pm-8:30pm Royal Roads Course: Global Warming - Changing CO2 Discussion Series. $30. 391-2600 x 4801 or http://www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLDF1251-Y07.htm

Tue 6 & Wed 7, 8pm, John Nolan's one man play Tommy Douglas: The Arrows of Desire. $20 (doors at 7pm). Followed by a "Fireside Chat" with John in character. Spectrum School Theatre, 957 Burnside West.

Wed 7, 7pm Roads, Rails and Trails: User and Climate Friendly Transportation for the Island. Challenges and Opportunities in a Comprehensive Transit Network, with Adam Giambrone, Toronto City Councillor and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission. UVic, Engineering Computer Science, 123. http://www.uvic.commonenergy.org/ wiki/Roads,_Rails,_and_Trails

Wed 7, 7-9pm Royal Roads Course: Bringing Culture Back to Agriculture. $15. 391-2600 x 4801 or http://http:// www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLHO1290-Y07.htm

Wed 7, 7:30pm Haiti Today. Report from the human rights fact- finding delegation: political kidnappings and economic and social calamity. UVic, David Strong C118. UVic Students Against War and Victoria Peace Coalition, 813-0111

Wed 7 - Sat 10 Langford/Colwood Official Community Plan Workshops. See progress; learn more about options, share ideas. Speak with the design team; see presentations from local youth and Avi Friedman, an expert in sustainable community planning & design. Royal Roads University. http://www.colwood.ca or http://www.cityoflangford.ca

Friday 9, 7pm Part I of “Talk and Walk: Everything you wanted to know and were afraid to ask about Pearson College”. Join us as David Hawley, College Director, explains the social, cultural and ecological importance of the college. Then join us next morning for a mushroom search on campus! Metchosin Municipal Hall.

Sat 10, 8:30am VNHS trip, Birding Martindale Flats. Meet at the farm market at the corner of Pat Bay Hwy & Island View Rd. Park along Lochside Dr. Wear gumboots. Warren, 652-9618

Sat 10 9am-5pm Royal Roads Course: Organic Turf Management. $125. 391-2600 x 4801 orhttp://www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/ GLHO1291-Y07.htm

Sat 10, 10am Part II of “Talk and Walk: Everything you wanted to know and were afraid to ask about Pearson College”. Join us for a Pearson College mushroom search guided by Andy MacKinnon, mycologist extraordinaire. Sponsored by the Green and Blue Spaces Committee. Wear appropriate clothing, footwear. Pearson College lower parking lot.

Sat 10, 11am Composting Basics Workshop. Free. Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St. 386-WORM

Sat 10, 2pm Native Plants. $15. Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St. 386-WORM

Sat 10, 6 pm VIVA-Raw Vegan Potluck. Join us for a fun Christmas Raw Food Demo with Cosmo Meens. Bring a raw vegan dish, ingredients list, dishes and utensils. $3. Fairfield Community Place, 1330 Fairfield Rd. http://viva-raw.seedwiki.com, 380-6383

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WEEK TWO

Tue 13, 20 & 27, 7pm Sustainable Investing: Matching Your Money to Your Values. Facilitated by Stephen Whipp. Cost: $75. Royal Roads University, http://www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies

Tue 13, 5pm Victoria Green Drinks Night. Green Drinks is a place where people who care about the environment communicate and cooperate with one another (while sharing a drink) to make the planet greener. Canoe Brewpub, 450 Swift St. http:// www.greendrinks.org

Tue 13 7pm-9pm Royal Roads Course: Sustainable Investing - Matching Your Money to Your Values. $75. 391-2600 x 4801 or http:// www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLGI1280-Y07.htm

Tue 13, 7:30pm VNHS presents “The Cariboo Chilcotin Grasslands”, British Columbia’s most endangered ecosystem. Photographer Chris Harris will talk about these grasslands and his recently published book Spirit in the Grass. Everyone welcome. UVic, Fraser 159.

Wed 14, 7pm RESULTS Canada Education & Action Meeting. Discover the difference you can make towards ending the worst aspects of poverty on our planet. Community Room, Cardiff Place, 1246 Fairfield Rd. Marilyn, 598-6326 or Anita, 652-0681 http://www.resultscanada.ca

Wed 14 7-9pm Royal Roads Course: ReCreating Old Wives Wisdom for Safe Food and Healthy Families. $15. 391-2600 x 4801 or http:// www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLHO1292-Y07.htm

Wed 14, 6:30pm OrganicAthlete Victoria meeting, discuss plant-based nutrition for athletes. Side room at Green Cuisine, come at 6pm if you're getting food, meeting starts at 6:30. RSVP organicathletevictoria at gmail.com

Thur 15, 7 pm Canadian Organic Growers - Vancouver Island, expert on composting. Haliburton Farm, 741 Haliburton Road. 642-2131

Thur 15, 7pm The Garry Oak Gardener's Handbook with Carolyn Masson. Designing local gardens for containers, rocky outcrops, moist soils, pond edge, hedgerows, shrub thickets, butterfly gardens, meadows and woodlands. $2. UVic, MacLaurin D-116. 595-5820, http:// www.NPSG.ca

Fri 16, 1:30 pm Sustainable Saanich: Is Smaller Smarter? This panel session will explore what is driving the ‘McMansion’ trend, and ways to encourage smaller homes with a smaller sustainability footprint. Free. UVic Engineering Bldg 125. Judith, 391-8772, sustainablesaanich@gmail.com

Sat 17, 8:30am Water - Ours to Protect. This daylong conference will feature morning keynote speakers covering conservation of water, P3s and local issues. (Volunteers needed for set-up; to help, contact 721-8629 or director@vipirg.ca.) St. Aidan's United Church, 3703 St. Aidan's St. http:// www.greatervictoriawaterwatchcoalition.ca

Sat 17 9am-4pm Royal Roads Course: Restoring Our Communities - A How To Workshop. $45. 391-2600 x 4801 or http://www.royalroads.ca/ continuing-studies/GLEL1267-Y07.htm

Sat 17 9am-noon Royal Roads Course: Tree Identification in Autumn and Winter. $40. 391-2600 x 4801 or http://www.royalroads.ca/ continuing-studies/GLHO1293-Y07.htm

Sat 17-Sun 18, 10am-5pm. Drum Making Workshop, make your own hand- held deer-hide drum and beater. $235, includes all materials. Marianne Sämann-Wyss, msw@islandnet.com, http://www.islandnet.com/ ~msw, 382-3582

Sun 18, 10am VNHS trip, Pelagic Birding on the M.V. Coho, with Mike McGrenere. A great opportunity to see bird species such as Shearwaters, Fulmars, and Phalaropes. Dress warmly and bring a lunch, 2 pieces of ID and $22 CAN for the ferry. Meet at Black Ball Ferry terminal in Inner Harbour.

Sun 18, 10am The Wonderful Mushroom Hunt. Adolf and Oluna Ceska will introduce participants to our wildly varied fungi, some of which are delicious while others are lethal. Meet at the Clapham Dr. access to Metchosin Park. Jean, 383-3336

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WEEK THREE

Mon 19, 7pm BCSEA Victoria Chapter Meeting. Which way our energy future: high consumption of technology, or frugal self-reliance? Burnside-Gorge Community Centre, 471 Cecelia Rd. Non-members welcome. http://www.bcsea.org/Victoria/events

Tue 20, 7:30pm VNHS presents “Three Years of Mushroom Survey on Observatory Hill”, with Oluna and Adolf Ceska. Everyone welcome. Swan Lake Nature House.

Wed 21 6:30pm Friends of Animals monthly meeting, discuss and plan local issues such as getting a ban on the horse drawn carriages, other vegan outreach, The Victoria Vegan newsletter, and Thanksgiving. RSVP dave at friendsofanimals.org

Wed 21, 7:30 pm GWI presents “Underwater World of the Gorge”. Learn about amazing plants and animals that live in the waterway, view underwater videos and check out live animals on display. Free. Burnside Gorge Community Centre, 471 Cecelia Rd. 360-3065

Fri 23-Sun 25, 9am-5pm Royal Roads Course: Organic Soil Management. $549. 391-2600 x 4801 or http://www.royalroads.ca/continuing- studies/GLHO1294-Y07.htm

Fri 23-Sun 25 Wild Women Retreat: Birthing the Goddess Within. $350 includes 2 nights accommodation, veggie meals, 6 workshops. Celebrate the magic of self-empowerment. Chemainus. Leigh Ann Summers, 250-246-4013, leighsommers77@yahoo.ca or Kendra Thomas, kendra@newheart.ca

Sat 24, 6am VNHS trip, Snow Geese at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Ladner. Every November thousands of Snow Geese stop over in this part of the Fraser Delta. Meet in front of the Elk-Beaver Lake Park sign to carpool to the 7am ferry. Cost, $40/person. Bring a lunch. RSVP Rick, 652-3326

Sat 24, 9am-5pm Royal Roads Course: The Great Climate Challenge - Practical Solutions that Work, with Guy Dauncey. There is an urgent need for practical solutions to the climate crisis. The course will examine the full range of solutions including technology-shifts, policy-shifts, tax-shifts, and behavioural shifts, and analyze their economic and political feasibility. $95. 391-2600 x 4801 or http://www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLGI1281-Y07.htm

Sat 24, 9am-1pm Royal Roads Course: Our Daily Bread - From Heritage Red Fife Wheat to Artisan Bread. $95. 391-2600 x 4801 or http:// www.royalroads.ca/continuing-studies/GLHO1295-Y07.htm

Sat 24, 10am VIDEA Fair Trade Fair. By donation. St John the Divine, 925 Balmoral at Quadra

VIDEA http://www.videa.ca, 385-2333

Sun 25 1pm CRD Parks Horth Hill Hike. Check out this delightful park at the tip of the Saanich Peninsula. 10 yrs+. Meet at info kiosk in parking lot off Tatlow Rd.

Sun 25, 1pm How Animals Talk. Learn animal talk, learn about animals, and learn about nature in your own backyard. Featuring comedy by members of the The Half-Pints and More Cowbell, youth performers from Spilt Milk Comedy Theatre. All ages. By donation. Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Rd. Ann Scarfe, 479-0211

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WEEK FOUR

Mon 26, 7:30pm VNHS presents “Marine Life of the Early Explorers”. Rick Harbo, author of Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest, describes the origins of local marine species names, as well as collections and observations by Steller, Cook and others while on their voyages. Everyone welcome. UVic, Fraser 159.

Tue 27, noon Climate Change & Investing: What Works? Presenting Dermot Foley, a leading authority on climate change and VP of Strategic Analysis at Inhance Investment Management. Dermot bring his years of experience as Senior Policy Analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation Climate Change Program. By donation to the Dogwood Institute. Must register, 250-405-3550. http:// www.stephenwhipp.com/events/climate-change-investing-what-works. Venue TBA

Wed 28, 7:30pm VNHS presents a report on the Purple Martin Recovery Program with Bruce Cousins and Charlene Lee. Everyone welcome. UVic, Fraser 159.

Thu 29, 5pm Cowichan Green Drinks Night. Green Drinks is a place where people who care about the environment communicate and cooperate with one another (while sharing a drink) to make the planet greener. Craig St. Pub, 25 Craig Street, Duncan. Stephanie, organiclinn@yahoo.com or Brandy, tpkberg@shaw.ca. http:// www.greendrinks.org

Fri 30, 1:30pm Will Climate Dithering Cost More Than Effective Action? Talk by Dr. Doug Seeley, Systems Analyst. World Federalists monthly meeting, St. John's Church Lounge, Quadra and Balmoral.

Fri 30, 7pm EcoNews Dessert Potluck Mailout Party, 395 Conway Rd. All welcome! Guy, 881-1304

Deadline for Next Issue: November 24th
Click here for previous issues of EcoNews.
EcoNews, Guy Dauncey
395 Conway Road, Victoria V9E 2B9
Tel/Fax (250) 881-1304

Author of "Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change"
(New Society Publishers)
$25 + postage from www.earthfuture.com

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Erin Carson

erin@earthfuture.com
395 Conway Rd, Victoria V9E 2B9, Canada
250-881-1304

Assistant to Guy Dauncey:
guydauncey@earthfuture.com
President, BC Sustainable Energy Association: www.bcsea.org
Author of Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change
Co-chair, Prevent Cancer Now: www.preventcancernow.ca
Author of Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Global Epidemic:
www.earthfuture.com/cancer
Publisher, EcoNews: www.earthfuture.com/econews

I have, despite all disillusionment, never, ever, allowed myself to feel like giving up. This is my message today: it is not worthy of a human being to give up.

- Alva Myrdal, winner of the 1982 Nobel Peace Prize

www.earthfuture.com




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