permaculture

[baby buddha information station <alisoncross@telus.net>]

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.
>
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> 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.
>
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> "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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> ETHICAL INVESTING
> The Pinch Group
> Connecting your money with your values
> www.pinchgroup.ca
> 250-405-2468
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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.
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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.
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> Eco-friendly Renovations
> Carpentry – Woodworking - Flooring – Design/CAD Consulting
> Harald Wolf
> 882-9653
> www.wolfweb.ca/allegra
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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.
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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.
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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.”
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
>
> 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
>
> Web Design by Dave Shishkoff, Victoria's Fastest Vegan on Two Wheels!
>
>
>
>
> 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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baby (w) | 604/ 255-3887 (h