NEWS: Maude Barlow to receive Citation of Lifetime Achievement

 

 

It was announced today that Maude Barlow will be recognized by the Canadian Environment Awards. The CEA media release says, "The program's top honour, the Citation of Lifetime Achievement, will be presented to Maude Barlow, who for 25 years has been a fierce advocate for the rights of Canadians and for Canadian sovereignty on economic, trade and social issues that have a deep connection to the environment. Barlow's most recent campaign focuses on the world's water crisis. Maude Barlow will deliver the keynote address at the annual Awards Gala, which will be held on Monday, June 2, at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto."

 

Notably, Sheila Watt-Cloutier was the 2006 and David Suzuki the 2005 recipient of the Citation of Lifetime Achievement.

 

Congratulations to Maude!

 

www.canadians.org

 

 

 

 

 

Mel Hurtig, Tough Love Patriot

The author of 'The Truth about Canada' on damning stats, deluded pride, foreign control, and more.

View full article and comments here http:///Books/2008/05/14/MelHurtig/

Published: May 14, 2008

TheTyee.ca

Mel Hurtig might be the angriest man in Canada. He's angry at our "myopic" politicians, he's angry at our "selfish" big business, he's angry at our "continentalist" media -- and if you aren't angry at them, too, then he's probably angry at you. Hurtig has just released The Truth About Canada, which he claims is "one of the most anti-establishment books published in my lifetime" -- no small feat for a man of 75.

But don't call him pessimistic, he'd prefer patriotic. While The Truth About Canada may be the angriest book released this year, Hurtig's aim is didactic. "Canadians are incredibly proud of their country, with justification," he says. "Just look at the space we have, the resources, the people. The main point of my book is to show people that we're losing it."

We met in Hurtig's Vancouver home, where he was relaxing on the eve of an extensive book tour. His lifetime of Canadian pride was written on the wall: honorary degrees from six universities, the Lester B. Pearson Man of the Year Award, and the Order of Canada -- an award he remembers best for the reception, where he watched his four daughters dance with Mounties.

A native of Edmonton, Hurtig operated one of the largest book retailers in the country, then his own publishing house. From 1980 to 1985, he oversaw the creation of The Canadian Encyclopedia -- now a staple of the Canadian classroom. Then in 1991, Hurtig hit the bestseller lists with an indictment of the Mulroney era, titled The Betrayal of Canada. Hurtig's titles since then reveal his increasing apprehension: At Twilight in the Country, The Vanishing Country, Rushing to Armageddon.

The Truth About Canada is the culmination of his fears. With a flair for the dramatic and an eye for the harrowing detail, Hurtig fiercely argues that "we are no longer the country we think we are, and no longer the people we think we are." After years of intensive research, Hurtig's brain is crammed with damning statistics casting a bleak light on such subjects such as health care, immigration, and the status of Canadian women.

Rather than simply comparing Canada to the United States, Hurtig pits Canada against the other 30 nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD). Suffice it to say, we don't fare very well in most categories. Hurtig is happy to ruffle a few feathers, but even he admits that this is his most controversial work.

Yet Hurtig thinks his anger will set Canada free. Only once the ugly truth is revealed will effective change commence. Does he fear retaliation for bursting Canadians' self-satisfied bubble? The angriest man shrugs and seems downright cheerful. "I told a friend that if my body is found on Bay Street, he'll know what happened."

As we conversed, here's what else Hurtig had to say...

Mel's appalling fact #1:

"The poorest 94 per cent of Canadians own three per cent of the wealth in Canada."

On the embarrassment of Canadian child poverty:

"In 1989, the House of Commons passed a unanimous resolution, claiming that they would end child poverty by the year 2000. This was considered a major breakthrough. Nineteen years on, and where are we? Child poverty today is exactly the same as when they passed the resolution. So what happened? The GDP has more than doubled since that resolution. That's about $900 billion.

"With child poverty still a problem, you would think our social spending would be at least on par with other European countries, but no. Of the 30 OECD countries, we're 25th in social spending. There are developed countries that have a quarter of the child poverty that we do, and they're still more competitive in business than us. Their taxes are higher, and they're still ahead of us. Where did all of our money go?

"Beginning with the Mulroney government, there's been a huge downgrading in the role government plays in combating poverty. Right now, the level of welfare in Canada is far below the level it was back in 1980. Meanwhile our largest corporations have charted all-time record profits for four consecutive years. Of the 30 OECD countries, we rank 21st in citizen taxes, while we're 27th in corporate taxes. So it's the people who bear the high cost of poverty and taxation. That's no way to run a country."

On the illusion of Canadian peacekeeping:

"Canadians are incredibly proud of their peacekeeping, but the truth is that we're now a war-fighting nation. Our military actions abroad are not peacekeeping efforts, they are aggressive efforts. Canada ranks 33rd among the world's peacekeeping nations. There isn't a single Canadian officer in the UN peacekeeping headquarters in New York. No wonder people ask us, 'What's happened? Where have you gone?' We used to be on the forefront, but the truth is we've changed what we think we're best known for."

On protecting Canada's Arctic:

"If Stephen Harper announced tomorrow that he's really going to build those two armed icebreakers, and he's really going to establish decent bases in the north, I think Canadians would be in favour. Canadians have always looked at their maps, and at the top of the world they see a big mass of pink. We've always felt that's a part of our country. But the Americans say, "We can sail through there any time we want, it's international waters." Now I'm not anti-American, but there's nothing wrong with defending your own territory from people who are aggressive."

Mel's appalling fact #2:

"Aboriginal people constitute about three per cent of the Canadian population, but they make up about 20 per cent of all prison inmates."

On the danger of foreign takeovers:

"Since Brian Mulroney abolished the Foreign Investment Review Agency and replaced it with this Mickey Mouse, incompetent, do-nothing organization called Investment Canada, there have been 10,924 takeovers of Canadian companies. The total value of those takeovers is $847 billion. Now here's a question: what percentage of that money was for takeovers, and what per cent for new business investment? 2.4 per cent was for new business investment, the rest for takeovers. As a result, our levels of productivity have plummeted, and we're now the 13th most competitive country in the world.

"You would think big business would take their all-time record profits and invest in new machinery, especially since the dollar has strengthened, and so the cost of equipment would be significantly lower. But what are they doing? They're sending their money out to tax havens. No other developed country in the world would allow this to happen.

"How is Canada going to be a competitive country if we sell ourselves off like this? I've got grandchildren. I have no intention of letting my grandchildren grow up in a world where they're tenants in their own country."

Mel's appalling fact #3:

"In 2005, over $22.3 billion of foreign-controlled corporate profits left Canada."

On the day of the 'bag man':

"I was a member of the Liberal Party from 1967-1973, and we used to have a guy we called the 'bag man.' He'd go east once or twice a year with a big, black satchel. When he'd come back, I'd ask, 'How much have you got this time?' and he'd say something like, '$650,000.' Then I'd ask, 'How do we know you didn't collect $750,000?' He'd look me square in the eye and say, 'You'll never know.' That was the 'bag man' attitude, back when there were no receipts for donations to political parties. I blame those days for a lot of the problems we have now. Covert funding of political parties has had a profound effect on Canadian policy.

"Thank God we've made that change, at least. That's one of our only hopes: no corporate or trade union donations to political parties."

On the failure of a Canadian education:

"The educational establishment has not done a proper job of teaching young people what this country is all about. We've developed a caring society, a tolerant society, and a compassionate society, but students have never been taught why it's important to know our history and values. As a result, young people don't know why it's important to participate in Canada. It's not that they're afraid to be patriotic -- people love their country instinctively -- but why it's important to participate has never been properly explained to them. This is an unacceptable situation. I really do fault our educators for not teaching Canadian history and Canadian values. But then again, what can they do without the necessary funds? Canada, for public spending on education as a percentage of all government spending, ranks 91st of the world's countries. Ninety-first, for Christ's sake!"

Mel's appalling fact #4:

"For social spending as a percentage of Canada's GDP, Canada ranks 25th of the 30 OECD countries."

On the vanishing Canadian identity:

"Canadian performing arts have more revenue than all of our sports put together. This boggles most people's minds. All you have to do is open up the daily newspaper and see how many pages are devoted to sports, and how many to performing arts. Yet there are more jobs in Canadian cultural industries than in agriculture, mining, and forestry combined. Despite this, we're still not doing a good job of protecting Canada's cultural industry. Would you live next door to the world's most powerful culture-exporting country in the world, and then agree to sell-off major components of your cultural industry? Eighty-nine per cent of Canadians say the CBC helps distinguish Canada from the United States, but we decide to cut the CBC's budget by $400 million. This is no way to maintain the Canadian identity."

Mel's five steps to fix Canada:

"Step 1: Reform the way we elect members of government. This is absolutely the top priority. The system we have now does not reflect the true will of the people, and it exacerbates regional tensions. Many other countries have better results in their elections than us, and all of them have a mixed-member proportional representation system. These countries have a very high proportion of votes that count. Canada's system, on the other hand, has a low amount of votes that count, so people feel powerless.

"Step 2: Increase taxes on large corporations. Right now corporations are not bearing enough taxation, so they have no incentive to do anything meaningful for Canada. Only 3.8 per cent of Canadian industrial revenue is spent on research and development. Let's make them work a bit. I would give them a tax incentive to do meaningful research.

"Step 3: Curtail the foreign takeover of Canadian corporations. I would do this tomorrow if I could. Canada does not need any more foreign ownership or foreign control. The Canadian Council of Chief Executives might say, "Foreign investment is the foundation of the Canadian economy!" but they don't present any evidence, they have no facts. Here's a fact: I once went to a Canadian Gulf Oil refinery, and before they could let us in the gate, they had to phone Chicago to get permission.

"Step 4: Increase social spending. It's absolutely essential to increase spending on education and health care. Thirty-three per cent of university students can't remember the third line of the national anthem, and we rank 54th in the world for number of doctors per 100,000 citizens. One piece of good news is that public-opinion polls, time after time, show that most Canadians think a top priority in this country is the support of social programs. If only our CEOs thought the same way.

"Step 5: Eradicate child poverty. We have to do something meaningful about this. It is unconscionable for us to have the levels of child poverty that we have in this country. There is terrible human misery in Canada, and it is a huge injustice."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      May 15, 2008

 

 

London, ON: “Tap into Your Water” – London Citizens organize Water Forum to raise awareness about this precious resource.

 

Prior to the announcement concerning Bisphenol A in plastic water bottles a concerned group of London citizens were in the process of organizing a Water Forum for May 31^st. Representatives came together from the Council of Canadians - London Chapter and wastefreeworld.org, to design a forum around water that would educate and encourage participation of interested Londoners.

 

“This forum will provide citizens with an opportunity to learn first hand, from those working with water every day, what the concerns are with bottled water, what is done to protect our drinking water at source, what the benefits are of our municipal water system, and what to do if there are water advisories. This is a unique opportunity for Londoners to Tap into their Water”. quoted Richard Bird, Water Protection Committee Council of Canadians.

 

Organizers have obtained knowledgeable panelists from Polaris Institute, UTRCA, City of London, and the Waterloo Region District School Board, to equip attendees with a wealth of information with respect to municipal and bottled water.

 

“When we are asked for water at The Tea Haus, our customers can receive a glass of filtered water (no bottles!) free of charge. Water is a necessity of life and we don't believe in charging for it. Most people complain about the cost of gas these days but are more than willing to pay $2 for 591ml of water...just a thought..”. said Stefanie Stoelzel, The Tea Haus website.

 

The facilitated session will include breakout groups. These groups will be asked to formulate a water strategy from what they have learned and to participate in an ongoing dialogue in their community.

 

“We know that this forum is just a first step to get the interest flowing, but as with any long journey it begins with the first step” said Gary Brown, Water Chemist.  “We are excited by the prospect of what people will contribute as a result of discussions in the break-out groups. If we can coalesce a group of water enthusiasts we will be able to cause ripples of positive change in the community.”

 

 

More information is available at Council of Canadians – London Chapter website.

 

This community forum has been made possible through the dedicated efforts of a few volunteers. In addition, the City of London, the Upper Thames Region Conservation Authority, Novack’s, Trojan Technologies, The Tea Haus, Ten Thousand Villages and locals of CAW and CUPE have come forward to sponsor this event and bring it to Londoners for no admission.

 

Registrations will be accepted at tapintoyourwater@gmail.com until Tuesday May 27, 2008

 

 

Event: Tap into Your Water

Time: 1-4 pm

Date: May 31, 2008

Location: City Hall, Council Chambers

 

Contact Info:

 

Richard Bird                  

phone: 519-453-1438     e-mail: richardabird@hotmail.com

 

The Future Belongs to Our Children. 

Or does it?

Opinion – Council of Canadians | London Chapter

 

 

People Before Profit or Profit Before People?

Do our corporation’s rights now supersede the right for children to breathe? 

Do corporate interests trump that of mitigating against climate change? 

Lastly - Why does our society as a whole continue to participate in the pathological self destruction – even at the expense of our children?

 

Following the announcement of our new campaign initiative on May 9^th - the “Clean Air for Children Campaign” - a US report was released stating that the world carbon dioxide levels have reached the highest levels ever reached over the last 650,000 years.  Scientists say the shift could indicate that the Earth is losing its natural ability to soak up billions of tonnes of CO2 each year. Martin Parry, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's working group on impacts, said: "Despite all the talk, the situation is getting worse. Levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere and the rate of that rise is accelerating. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change and the scale of those impacts will also accelerate, until we decide to do something about it." The Stern Review showed that scientific evidence of global warming was "overwhelming" and its consequences "disastrous".  Nicholas Stern stated: “We have the time and knowledge to act but only if we act internationally, strongly and urgently.”  Our part of this international action needs to be meaningful.  What we do as a municipality is absolutely symbolic to the private sector – we must continually be on the leading edge of, with the most progressive of policies such as we are suggesting under our ‘Clean Air for Children’ campaign.

Although our campaign is a three part initiative (with more to come in the near future) – the call for a moratorium continues to be the most ‘controversial’ part of the campaign.  With 150 drive-thrus currently in existence in London alone – one would not think this would be an issue.

We are now witnessing a key moment in the climate change crisis, and it is alarming news we cannot dismiss.  The last time the atmosphere was this choked with CO2 humans were yet to evolve as a species. To even consider building new drive-thrus at this juncture in history is an unpardonable recklessness, but the fast food industry is determined to stumble forward regardless with its ill-conceived plans in the face of the science and mounting movement of widespread public opposition.

It’s time to weight things out.

 

1-      Convenience.  Corporate profits.

2-      Children’s lives.  Future of life as we know it on our planet.

 

Have you decided yet?  It is unbelievable that at this point in time that this even warrants a discussion. 

What have we created?  Before 1970 – there were no drive-thrus.  Today – we make excuse after excuse why it is our ‘right’ to use drive-thrus – in light of the fact that drive-thrus contribute to children dying, asthma rates soaring (fourfold over the last twenty years) and our earths losing ability to take on any more abuse caused by our C02 emissions.

In Ontario, the number of "smog days" nearly quadrupled from 15 in 1995 to 53 in 2005. If nothing is done to clean the air, medical experts estimate that by 2026 the number of smog-related premature deaths in Ontario alone will hit 10,000 annually. The combined health care and lost productivity costs are expected to exceed $1 billion. Pollution is a particularly serious issue for London, Ontario, the city with the province's second highest number of smog days after Toronto.  London has had 3 smog days already this year - all before the month of May.

It would be wonderful if multinational corporations would place our children, even people in general, before their profits.  However – this is not about to happen.  Corporations are legally bound to show profits to their shareholders first and foremost.  This is at any cost.  There are no boundaries.  There are no ethical or moral considerations.  The costs of doing drive-thru business are almost completely externalized.  If one had to pay the true cost of a cup of a coffee at a drive-thru window – one can only imagine the exorbitant price.  However – we do pay. We pay with the continued detriment to our planet, we pay the ever escalating costs to a healthcare system in crisis, and ultimately, we are paying with that of our children’s lives.  If one can understand corporate greed – then one can you begin to understand why drive-thrus are so enticing to fast food chains with plans to double their drive-thrus over the next five years. Sixty percent of the 129 billion dollar per year industry takes place at the drive-thru window.  China has now introduced drive-thrus.  It is considered a status symbol to sit in a vehicle and idle in a drive-thru in China where emissions have begun to absolutely soar.  Plans to expand drive-thrus in China and throughout Asia have only just begun.

From the TDL Group (Tim Horton’s):

This study would have us believe that customers are being more environmental by sitting in a drive-thru and idling than they are to park and walk in. (no – this is not a joke).  In this study its conclusion states “Overall, the findings for Tim Horton’s stores examined in this study indicate no air quality benefit to the public by eliminating drive-thrus”.  The report states that the Tim Horton locations without drive-thrus produce more emissions than the stores with drive-thrus.

How can this be?

The report claims that the clients who are parking and walking in – are on site for an average 7-8 minutes.  In the most bizarre twist – it is stated that most of the additional time was a result of vehicles idling while waiting for a parking space because the lot was congested.

From the study: The emission inventory for the drive-thru portion of the facility was compared to “everyday” emission sources (i.e. lawn mowers, snow blowers etc.) 

Now – just an fyi – if you didn’t know this already – push lawn mowers produce approx. 11 times the emissions than that of a car – riding lawn mowers produce approx. 34 times the emissions than that of a car. (Source- EPA) Also - according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the typical two-cycle snow blower can expel nearly a pound of carbon monoxide for every hour it runs. One wonders who considers lawn mowers, snow blowers (and incidentally leaf blowers – see below) to “‘everyday” emission sources. 

They compare combined emissions of all vehicles using a drive-thru in one peak hour (137 vehicles times idling 3 to 4.5 minutes each) to that of a single chain saw operating for one hour.  Just another fyi – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that operating a chainsaw for one hour produces the same amount of exhaust emissions as driving an automobile for 1,000 kilometers. 

It is interesting to note that in a CBC investigation produced on May 28^th, 2007, journalists documented 113 cars going thru the drive-thru in one hour in a Winnipeg Tim Horton’s drive-thru.  The average drive-thru wait per vehicle was 5 min. 15 sec. Natural Resources Canada estimates these cars produced 290 grams of CO2 each which means that in one hour, this one drive-thru generated 35 KG (77 pounds) of carbon dioxide. The senior vice-president of Tim Horton’s is interviewed on the investigation and he states: “We prefer education as does others in the industry verses punitive measures be it a bylaw or fines”.  

http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/sheane-drivethrough070528.rm

For a consulting firm with sustainable design listed as a service – one would think that they could develop a suitable parking lot for Tim Horton’s customers so they would no longer have to be on their site for 7-8 minutes spending the majority of this time driving while looking a space to park (according to their report).  This is clearly a planning issue and should be recognized as such.  Further stress on our children and our earth itself should not be tolerated only because Tim Horton’s chooses to focus on profitable drive-thru service rather than adequate parking.

From the University of Calgary:

Estimated statistics (May 2007) from the University of Calgary found Edmonton drive-thrus contribute an estimated 25 tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere per day. (Enough to fill over 12 NHL hockey rinks per day) Over a year, this could represent up to 9,000 tons. Using a total of 115 cities with same population and the same amount of drive-thrus, this could generate a total of I MILLION TONS in a year, and this is just for larger cities in Canada.

Now – How many trees to do we need to plant in order to offset 1 million tons of carbon in one year?  277 million trees.  Even if this was possible – should we not be planting trees to offset something we actually need to live?  Perhaps heat that we need to survive in the winter months?  Is the industry going to plant these trees annually?  We don’t think so. 

Does your head hurt yet?  Is anyone enraged yet?  Do we need a reality check?  

Perhaps in addition to industry gifting our children with ‘happy’ meals and summer camp, perhaps fast food chains can start supplying puffers to children with Asthma. When our children and grandchildren someday, (coming soon) ask us why we did not immediately cease all unnecessary forms of C02 emissions to mitigate against climate change – when we knew full well the consequences - what are we going to say?  “I’m sorry sweetheart – Mommy really couldn’t give up the luxury of the drive-thru – that was just too much to ask.  I’m sorry we destroyed your chances for a future on the planet, but it was just more sacrifice than one could be expected to endure.”

What a legacy.

Are eco footprint is four times larger than what is sustainable.  We still want more?  If there is to be a future on this planet - we need to re-design our lives to live using 75% less.  We don’t have to sacrifice our quality of life to combat climate change, however, we do need to change the way we live.  And simple, is more often than not, beautiful.

The industry states local jobs will be lost.  Is this a viable argument?  Red Roaster seems to be doing well in London.  There are cafes and restaurants across Canada – with no drive-thrus - all doing well.  Speaking of fast food industry employment - health for most minimum wage fast food employees working a drive-thru window does not seem to be a very high priority.  Does anyone recall second hand smoke?  Let’s consider first hand vehicle exhaust.  With no paid health benefits for the majority of employees in the fast food industry their health seems completely irrelevant and disregarded. Please note the industry is now testing and are already implementing outsourcing your drive-thru order.  The next time you press an intercom at a drive-thru – you may be speaking to someone in India.  Hmmm. What happened to keeping the jobs local?  Fast food multinationals who make billions in profits continue to pay their hard working employees anything more than poverty wages.  And even this is considered too high.  Why pay minimum wage in North America when you can exploit someone in India?  We are proud to announce that the London and District Labour Council has endorsed our campaign including the moratorium on drive-thrus.

Is it possible that a progressive marketing strategy from a fast food chain will be announced?  Is there any retailer with a drive-thru that will step up to the plate and close their drive-thru?  Perhaps replace the drive-thrus with trees and a lush garden that would serve as an outdoor café.  Is any establishment with a drive-thru willing to demonstrate to the world that the health of our children and the future existence of life on our planet supersedes drive-thru profits?  Is it possible a marketing strategy could embrace a concept recognizing the fact that people would be most loyal to a retailer whose priorities were the clients themselves?  We are quickly approaching the end of the cheap fossil fuel era.  Is this not completely irresponsible to waste diminishing fossil fuels in this manner?  Drive-thrus are not sustainable and eventually they will go - whether we want them or not. The first retailer that recognizes this simple fact is the retailer who will take the lead in the industry by creating the positive change necessary by way of a new model.  A new model and a new way of thinking will be required for any kind of long term future in the fast food industry. Imagine if you were mobility impaired, and you parked at a designated space at a restaurant formerly enslaved by a drive-thru.  You would speak into an intercom. Out would come a real live person with your order (perhaps even some day with real live food). I think I remember something like this happened in the not so distant past.  It was called a drive-in.  The competitor to re-introduce the drive-in, with ‘real’ or at minimum, biodegradable dishes and cutlery, serving fair trade, organic food – all powered by renewable, green energy – the first one smart enough and fast enough to do this - will win.

There is one basic issue here.  That is the basic reality that drive thrus are wrong.  Simple.  End of story. The main issue is that there are going to be many more issues that will have to be tackled – issues that are not nearly as clear cut and simple.  So drive thrus have to go. If we cannot sacrifice a convenience such as drive-thrus in order to secure the possibility of life on this planet for our children – then how can we ever hope to make the hard choices, the hard decisions that we will have to make in order to save our species. We do not need the industry’s science.  Because we share an environment, that does not mean we have to share the industry’s obtuse ideas on economics and environment.  If the citizens of London cannot have confidence in city hall, if we find we do not have city hall's support we believe we will find as a community that we have less and less need for them.  As this support is at this time still in question, we the people, must stop using drive-thrus altogether.

There are now more refugees displaced by climate change environmental disasters than there are refugees displaced by war.  People with families – just like us.  It is sad to know that the people who did little to  contribute to climate change are the very ones suffering the most.  The poor choices we continue to make are killing other people.  Other species.  Each and every minute.  Are we so entitled that we cannot see beyond our own wants?  Not even when it comes to the health of our own children?  Does this not go directly against the most natural instinct in every woman and man?  The natural instinct to protect your child at any and every sacrifice?  The damage to our children’s lungs goes largely unnoticed.  We don’t see our children’s lungs each morning at the breakfast table.  Toronto's medical officer has released a report stating a 30% reduction in vehicle emissions could save 200 lives, one billion dollars a year in health care costs and 68,000 asthma attacks for children a year.  If we had 68,000 children dying a year from leukemia – it would be nothing less than that of a crisis.  One must wonder why there is such apathy towards these numbers when pollution is something we can clearly defeat.  The selfish excuse to use drive-thrus because you have children is the poorest excuse when it is ultimately our children’s lives, by way of their health and their future that we are destroying.  If we love our children – surely we can do something as simple as stop idling wherever possible. Whether it is at a railway tracks, waiting at the school or at a drive-thru – the end result is the same.  Idling kills.

 

Children are the most vulnerable in our society. Children also breathe 50 percent more air per pound than adults. It is the responsibility of every adult citizen on our global planet to take every precaution to protect our children and mitigate against climate change.  Just as all children must have the right to clean drinking water, all children must have the right to breathe clean air.

Our planet is headed towards complete Armageddon – much faster than scientists previously predicted.  Glaciers are melting.  Ice shelves are breaking off.  Natural disasters are happening at unprecedented rates.  Deaths from pollution are skyrocketing.  What does it even say about our human race, our society as a whole that we even need to continue in such discussion?  There should be no debate.  At this point – we should all be working together in absolute unity toward a common goal.  A common goal of survival.  A common goal of protecting our children at all costs.  This is nothing less than the responsibility of every person and industry on this planet and multinational corporations are not exempt. Climate change leaves no room for apathy, laziness, selfishness or greed. 

Our chapter has posted an online petition and we urge Londoners who are willing to make this commitment to sign the petition and support our policy lobbying efforts.

 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/clean-air-for-children

 

Although leadership from provincial and federal governments is crucial in negotiating international agreements, setting frameworks and standards and for providing fiscal and financial incentives, when it comes to practical action on the ground, city leadership must take centre stage.  Mayors and elected officials have responsibilities in areas key to taking swift action to reduce emissions, and can show leadership in taking decisive and radical action. It is at city level that innovation and progress on pollution and thus climate change is most likely to be achieved.

 

So do we choose to protect and keep non essential items such as drive-thrus or do we choose to re-design our planet in which future generation can live?  The benefits are immense – environmental health, physical health.  People stepping out of their cars symbolize people re-engaging in community. Such a culture shift is a step to encourage people to slow down, walk or bike, and to ride mass transit.  Slowing down is necessary in this fast-paced culture. We must organize and embrace a resistance to the momentum of running.  If we learn how to slow down and nourish ourselves, we can pay more attention to living sustainably and mindfully in our communities.  Many of today’s problems are rooted in efficiency and convenience; we zoom from place to place without slowing down to enjoy the simple joys around us. Sustainable yet slower modes of transportation like walking and biking, getting us out of our cars and help us to do that. This gives us the clarity and mindfulness to recognize things as they are. When you are mindful, you recognize what is going on, what is happening in the here and now.  Without mindfulness we make and spend our money in ways that destroys us and other people. We use our wealth in such a way that we destroy ourselves and other people.

 

The well being of our citizens is the City of London’s mandate.  Quote – Vision London – London, The Forest City: We are a caring, responsive community committed to the health and well-being of all Londoners.  The actions we take will be socially, environmentally, and fiscally responsible so that out quality of life is enhanced and sustained for future generations.  Our people, heritage, diverse economy, strategic location, land and recourses are our strength.  – Based on this vision in conjunction with the Stern Report, the city of London must, with urgency, impose a moratorium on all new commercial drive-through operations and establish a timetable to phase out all existing drive-through operations through zoning or other by-laws.

Ultimately – the decision of a moratorium on drive-thrus lies with us.  It’s that simple.  We can continue to support them – or we can choose to unite and send a clear message that corporate profits and convenience will no longer be tolerated by our society at the expense of our children’s health and our children’s future in a world we have so quickly destroyed. 

We have reached a pivotal point.  This is now a matter of life or death.  The statistics regarding children’s health are staggering.  We now know we have perhaps well reached the tipping point in regards to climate change – we can no longer bend and sacrifice to appease corporate interests at the expense of our children.  To do so – would be nothing less than a crime.  This movement has to come from the people.  It is ours to take.  Write or call your councilor today.  This is where we start to re-design the way we think and live.  This is where we take back our cities.  This is where we take back control of our lives.  This is where we start.

The Great Law of the Iroquois states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

I believe that the time has come to embrace such sound advice.

http://cleanairforchildren.blogspot.com/

Faithfully,

Council of Canadians | London Chapter

TONIGHT - TVO - Toxic Trespass - Canadian Premiere

 

HIGHLIGHT: TOXIC TRESPASS

 

Toronto filmmaker Barri Cohen doesn't have to travel far to find disease clusters in children that are linked to environmental problems. Cohen begins her search after she and her 10-year-old daughter, Ada, volunteer for a chemical body-burden test. The results show Ada has more toxic chemicals in her blood than her mom. These include heavy metals such as lead and mercury, pesticides such as PCBs and DDT and stain-repellent and flame-retardant toxins. There are no known safe levels for these chemicals, and experts agree they are dangerous for children. Yet the federal government isn't doing anything despite a surge in childhood diseases over the past 20 years. Asthma has increased fourfold, one in three children have learning disabilities and 23 per cent of those cases are linked to environmental exposures, and cancer in the young is increasing at 1 per cent a year. Those are scary statistics, but they're not nearly as scary as what Cohen finds when she visits the major manufacturing hub of Windsor and the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, in the "Chemical Valley" near Sarnia. There, she visits with parents who have become local environmental activists after seeing the devastating effects of pollution on the young. Their efforts are stymied by

bureaucratic hedging and bullying by big business. By looking at how environmental toxins affect the most vulnerable among us, Cohen exposes not only how children have become "lab rats in a vast uncontrolled experiment," but how unwilling the government has been to respond to the crisis. Postscripts reveal federal agencies have been forced into action by the grassroots activism shown here.

 

The View from Here | TVO, Wednesday May 14 at 10 p.m. | http://tinyurl.com/65sv2x

 

Clean Air for Children - A new campaign by the London chapter.

London Chapter of Council of Canadians is launching a campaign to urge Londoners to idle less. Toronto's medical officer has released a report stating a 30% reduction in vehicle emissions could save 200 lives, one billion dollars a year in health care costs and 68,000 asthma attacks for children a year.

In Ontario, the number of “smog days” nearly quadrupled from 15 in 1995 to 53 in 2005. If nothing is done to clean the air, medical experts estimate that by 2026 the number of smog-related premature deaths in Ontario alone will hit 10,000 annually. (more)

» Sign the Clear Air for Children petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/clean-air-for-children
» Visit the Clear Air for Children campaign website: http://cleanairforchildren.blogspot.com/
» Visit the Council of Canadians London Chapter website: http://www.londoncoc.blogspot.com/

 

Council of Canadians | London announces a three-part campaign initiative

'Clean Air for Children'

http://cleanairforchildren.blogspot.com/

Don't wait another minute for clean air.

London Chapter of Council of Canadians is launching a campaign to urge Londoners to idle less. Toronto's medical officer has released a report stating a 30% reduction in vehicle emissions could save 200 lives, one billion dollars a year in health care costs and 68,000 asthma attacks for children a year.

In Ontario, the number of “smog days” nearly quadrupled from 15 in 1995 to 53 in 2005. If nothing is done to clean the air, medical experts estimate that by 2026 the number of smog-related premature deaths in Ontario alone will hit 10,000 annually. The combined health care and lost productivity costs are expected to exceed $1 billion. Pollution is a particularly serious issue for London, Ontario, the city with the province’s second highest number of smog days after Toronto.  London has had 3 smog days already this year - all before the month of May.

Facts:

§         Children breathe 50 percent more air per pound than adults.

§         Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15.

§         Children's asthma symptoms increase as a result of car exhaust.

§         Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences.

§         Exposure to vehicle exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer. 

The council will be working with the City of London to look at bylaws and enforcement, however, Council President Cory Morningstar is encouraging Londoners to act now. "The science is overwhelming on the damage idling causes to our children’s health and our children’s future on this planet. I urge Londoners to start living by this 1 minute maximum principle immediately and not wait for a bylaw change. Children are the most vulnerable in our society.  It is the responsibility of every adult citizen on our global planet to take every precaution to protect our children and mitigate against climate change.  Just as all children must have the right to clean drinking water, all children must have the right to breathe clean air.”

Other initiatives include a London Smog bylaw, Amendments to our current idling bylaw to reduce idling time to a max. of one minute (& in some cases zero such as railway crossings), and a moratorium on drive-thrus.

The council has posted an online petition and urges Londoners who are willing to make this commitment to sign the petition and support their policy lobbying efforts.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/clean-air-for-children

Although leadership from provincial and federal governments is crucial in negotiating international agreements, setting frameworks and standards and for providing fiscal and financial incentives, when it comes to practical action on the ground, city leadership must take centre stage.  Mayors and elected officials have responsibilities in areas key to taking swift action to reduce emissions, and can show leadership in taking decisive and radical action. It is at city level that innovation and progress on pollution and thus climate change is most likely to be achieved.

[http://www.managenergy.tv/me_portal/mst/home  (go to this link – click – view interview – Nicky Gavron - Energy Week: The Covenant of Mayors]

According to a report issued by UNICEF entitled “Climate Change and Children”, deaths from asthma among children could increase nearly 20 per cent by 2016 unless something is done quickly to reduce emissions from vehicles and factories. The report utilized data provided by the WHO which indicates that the three biggest killers of children under five, which includes respiratory infections, diarrhea diseases and malaria are all closely linked to environmental issues. Apparently, the WHO also estimates that nearly one quarter of all deaths are attributable to environmental factors, causing more than one-third of deaths among children under the age of 14. Not surprisingly, UNICEF’s Executive Director Ann Veneman points out that "When young people are asked to list their concerns about the world they live in, one issue that features high on their agenda is climate change."

To take care of our world is a work that is incumbent on all of us, so that thus our children are developed in a healthful environment.

For more information:

Cory Morningstar | President | London Chapter | Council of Canadians | Environment & Climate Change Committee | 519-642-4890
 
Kevin Lomack | Membership Coordinator | London Chapter | Council of Canadians | Environment & Climate Change Committee | 519-872-0978

http://www.canadians.org/  

 

In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground.
 
A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. --- That time is now.
 
-Dr. Wangari Maathai, Kenya's "Green Militant" and winner of Nobel Peace Prize, 2004

 

Bold Steps to Make Your Carbon Footprint Smaller. NYTimes Magazine: The Green Issue, April 20, 2008. Check the following subjects for in-depth articles: Act; Eat; Invent; Learn; Live; Move; Build; and Why Bother (by Micheal Pollan).