climate change

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April 14, 2013

Greenpeace Ottawa-Gatineau

Posted by denisedeby under climate change, energy, flora and fauna, Ottawa, volunteering
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Guest post written by Brett Hodnett.

Arctic sea ice by Nasa Goddard Photo and Video, Creative Commons

Arctic sea ice by Nasa Goddard Photo and Video, Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/6151061591/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Get Involved With Your Local Ottawa Greenpeace Group

There is now an Ottawa Local Group of Greenpeace! With decisions made in our city every day that imperil a sustainable future, there is an urgent need to build a grassroots movement here in the Nation’s Capital.

For our next action we will be joining thousands of people around the world who will be coming together on April 20 to form human banners spelling out I ♥ Arctic. Together we will call on our political leaders to protect the Arctic from activities that put this fragile environment at risk, such as oil drilling and industrial fishing. Have a look at the video [below].

Become a part of this global mobilization in cities from Buenos Aires to Bangkok and from Berlin to Bangalore: join our human banner event here in Ottawa! What happens in the Arctic affects us all -that’s why we are coming together on April 20 to take joint action across the globe.

In Ottawa, with the backdrop of the Parliament Buildings, we have the unique opportunity to show the world that Canada cares about the fate of the Arctic. Meet at noon at the eternal flame on Parliament Hill and bring your friends.

We also hold monthly meetings where discussion is wide open about how, as a group, we can best bring change to Ottawa and inform the public about the many threats to our future. If you would like to get involved, send us an email at ottawagreenpeace@yahoo.ca or look for us on Facebook as Greenpeace Ottawa-Gatineau.

I hope we’ll see you on the 20th.

 

April 9, 2013

Extraordinary Arctic at the Canadian Museum of Nature April 2013

Posted by denisedeby under arts and culture, climate change, flora and fauna, Ottawa
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Written by Denise Deby.

Arctic vegetation photo by Derek Keats, Flickr Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats/6813196445/

Arctic vegetation photo by Derek Keats, Flickr Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats/6813196445/

This month the Canadian Museum of Nature brings the Arctic to Ottawa, with events and exhibits on the region’s culture, nature, art, language and history.

You’ll want to check the Museum’s website for details on the numerous events, but here are a few highlights:

  • Vanishing Point, an NFB documentary by Stephen A. Smith and Julia Szucs, on Thursday, April 11. It’s about the spiritual and other connections between two Inuit communities, one on Baffin Island and the other in northwest Greenland, undergoing social and environmental change. Filmmaker Stephen A. Smith will be on hand. The film is in Inuktun with English subtitles, with presentation in English. 7:30-9:30 p.m., $20.
  • Richard Weber will speak on Friday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. on Living Climate Change: Tales from a North Pole Explorer. Weber will talk about his visits to the North and the impacts on trekking of environmental, climate and technological change.
  • The Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories film series includes Thursday night films, family films and animated shorts. For example, Lords of the Arctic explores the effects of climate change on Arctic wildlife, while People of the Ice looks at climate change over several generations of Inuit. In Inuuvunga: I Am Inuk, I Am Alive, eight high school students document their lives, “painting a rich portrait of coming of age in an Inuit town and helping to dispel the myths of northern isolation and desolation.” Animated short The Bear Facts is a “charming and humorous re-imagining of first contact between Inuit and Europeans.”

The Extraordinary Arctic festival includes a photo exhibit on Arctic plant life as well as lots of family activities, such as Inuktitut language learning, Inuit musical traditions, games and stories. Check the website for schedules and any fees. (Museum admission is free on April 22, Earth Day.)

 

April 5, 2013

Cafés Scientifiques in Ottawa

Posted by denisedeby under climate change, flora and fauna, food, health, Ottawa
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Written by Denise Deby.

Coral Reef by Sam and Ian http://www.flickr.com/photos/sam_and_ian/2254029917/in/photostream/

Coral Reef by Sam and Ian (Ian Robertson), Flickr Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/sam_and_ian/2254029917/in/photostream/

We don’t always hear about the fascinating and potentially beneficial work being done by scientists and researchers in Ottawa and beyond. If anything, sharing environment-related science is becoming increasingly difficult.

Thankfully, several museums, academic, health and scientific institutions are bringing science to the public through Cafés scientifiques—informal discussions in comfortable settings that allow anyone interested to find out more about the work and its implications.

Two upcoming Cafés that offer a chance to explore some relevant global and local research are:

Defibrillating the canary: Coral reefs last gasps on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. Dr. Nigel Waltho, Department of Biology at Carleton University, will introduce threats facing earth’s coral reefs and what’s being done about them. One of Carleton University’s Science Café series, the chat takes place at the Wild Oat Café (Bank and Fourth) from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Location, location, location: Improving the health of your Ottawa neighbourhood on Thursday, April 11, 2013. Speakers from the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health will outline the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study, a research project on health and well-being in the city (which is influenced by neighbourhood factors such as green space and access to healthy food). It’s a conversation about how the city, community groups and citizens can create a healthier place to live. Part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Café Scientifique series, it happens at 107 Murray St. at 6 p.m.

 

March 20, 2013

Popular Events in Ottawa March 2013

Posted by denisedeby under climate change, energy, food, Ottawa, transportation
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Written by Denise Deby.

Early spring cycling photo by Peter Blanchard http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterblanchard/ (Flickr Creative Commons)

Early spring cycling photo by Peter Blanchard http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterblanchard/ (Flickr Creative Commons)

Three environment-related events coming up this weekend have already sold out—a sure sign that people are looking for ways to get involved in making Ottawa more sustainable. I’m posting them here in case you’d like more information:

  • The City of Ottawa is holding a Greenhouse Gas Roundtable on Saturday, March 23, 2013. It’s a long-awaited event, and sold out within a few days of being announced. The aim is to identify how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced in the city, and encourage the city to update its Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan that expired last year. If you didn’t register but are interested in what happens, follow @ecologyottawa or #ottghg on Twitter (you don’t have to be signed up to Twitter—just search online for “#ottghg on Twitter”), or check Ecology Ottawa’s website after the event.
  • The Spring Bike Ottawa event run by Citizens for Safe Cycling last year is back on March 23, 2013, due to popular demand, with updates on cycling initiatives in the city. I expect Citizens for Safe Cycling will report on the event on their website, so check it out to find out what’s new.
  • If you’re interested in living more sustainably, you might want to check out Permaculture Ottawa, a group that looks for ways that people can live in accordance with natural ecosystems. Their Eastern Ontario Permaculture Convergence 2013 this Saturday is sold out, but you can have a look at their website or contact them to find out what’s happening with the permaculture movement in the region.

If you attend any of these events and want to drop us a line to let us know how it went, please do so!

 

February 17, 2013

Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival 2013

Posted by denisedeby under arts and culture, climate change, flora and fauna, health, Ottawa, water
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Written by Denise Deby.Ottawa Riverkeeper logoWild and Scenic Film Festival banner

I’m impressed with the work of the Ottawa Riverkeeper. It’s a small organization with talented staff and volunteers who look out for the health of the Ottawa River. The river is a major waterway and a key source of drinking water and recreation for those of us who live in Ottawa and Gatineau.

Part of the challenge of keeping the Ottawa River healthy is that no one jurisdiction looks after it. Responsibility is spread among two provincial governments, several provincial and federal agencies and conservation authorities, and numerous municipalities, so Ottawa Riverkeeper’s efforts to monitor the river’s health and advocate for the watershed as a whole are important.

To raise funds for its activities and awareness about the value of our waterways, Ottawa Riverkeeper is holding its first Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Thursday, February 21, 2013.

The Festival is showing seven documentaries, including:

  • White Water, Black Gold, on the effects of the tar sands on the Athabasca watershed;
  • Chasing Water, about a man who follows the Colorado River from its irrigation of his family’s ranch to the sea;
  • The Craziest Idea, an account of two dam removal projects in Washington state;
  • Weed War, the story of a rancher who uses goats to control invasive weeds.

The emcee is CBC’s Alan Neal, and the evening includes beverages, a silent auction and the chance to win cool prizes (think Stand Up Paddle lessons or a learn-to-sail camp weekend). All proceeds go toward Ottawa Riverkeeper initiatives including the purchase of water quality test kits for its River Watch program.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival will take place at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. from 7-10 p.m. (doors open at 6:30). Tickets are $12 general admission, or $50 for a VIP pass that includes a reception and reserved seating. You can purchase tickets at ottawariverkeeper.ca or at Delilah {in the Parc}, Delilah {in the Glebe}, Mountain Equipment Co-op or Trailhead.

The Wild & Scenic® Film Festival, which runs every year in California and across the U.S. and Canada, uses film to engage people and encourage action on the environment.

 

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