Month: February 2014

Wakefield International Film Festival 2014

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

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The Wakefield International Film Festival has been offering a selection of documentary films, many of them award-winning, every year. Of this year’s eight films, several address the theme of humans in nature:

THE MOO MAN (U.K., 2013), showing February 22 and 23, is “a laugh-out-loud, emotional roller-coaster of a journey” about a farmer and the 55 cows on his dairy farm. Followed by a panel discussion with area farmers.

Watermark (Canada, 2013), on March 8 and 9, is a “visually stunning” portrayal of people’s interactions with the earth’s water.

People of a Feather (Canada, 2011), on March 8 and 9, explores the relationship of the Belcher Islands Inuit in Hudson Bay with the eider duck, and the effects of environmental change. Dubbed “a call to action to implement energy solutions that work with nature.”

Though-provoking films in a beautiful setting. See the Wakefield International Film Festival website for details on all the films, tickets and location.

Small Farming and “The Market Gardener” Launch

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby. Thanks to Leela Ramachandran, Manager of Farm Programs at Just Food, for information.

MarketGardener-cover

Interested in knowing what goes into running a very small (and profitable) organic farm?

Just Food is hosting the launch of The Market Gardener: A Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming (New Society Publishers, 2014), with author, farmer and local food systems advocate Jean-Martin Fortier. Jean-Martin and his wife, Maude-Hélène Desroches, run Les Jardins de la Grelinette, a Québec micro-farm.

It’s a pretty interesting story: Jean-Martin and Maude-Hélène explain that they feed more than 200 families and support their household on their 1.5 acres, using low-tech, high-yield methods (and almost no fossil fuels) to supply produce for their CSA shares and market stands.

You can find out more about their farm on their website.

The launch is on Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. at Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper St. (doors open 6:30 p.m.) $5 admission. Copies of the book will be available to buy.

**If you’re inspired to think about farming yourself, check out Just Food’s listing of farm internships (exchanging labour for training) and job opportunities (paid).**

Ottawa’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival 2014

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby. Thanks to Ottawa Riverkeeper for information.

Streams of Consequence film - Baker River, Patagonia, Chile - James Q Martin Photography - photo via Ottawa RIverkeeper
Streams of Consequence film – Baker River, Patagonia, Chile – James Q Martin Photography – via Ottawa Riverkeeper

The Ottawa Riverkeeper is presenting its 2nd annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival. This year the festival is on Thursday, February 20, 2014.

It promises to be an evening of beautiful, compelling and adventure-filled short films that show the importance of nature and encourage its protection. The films are:

  • STAND (Canada, 2013), a stand-up paddle adventure through the Great Bear Rainforest that looks at people’s determination not to lose the cultures and ecosystems there to the proposed pipeline;
  • Young Voices for the Planet, Olivia’s Birds and the Oil Spill (USA) about an 11-year-old who uses her artistic talents to raise funds to rescue birds from the Gulf Coast oil spill;
  • Of Souls + Water – Shapeshifter (USA), “the mesmerizing journey in northern Quebec of one of the world’s most accomplished kayakers and his connection with water;”
  • Cascada (USA, 2013), “a hunt for the perfect waterfall;”
  • Streams of Consequence (USA, 2012), on efforts to protect two Chilean rivers from proposed dams and to identify alternative energy models;
  • Facing Climate Change: Oyster Farmers (USA, 2013) on two farmers’ experience of climate change;
  • New Environmentalists, The Supply Chain (USA/China, 2012) on a website created to provide Chinese citizens with air and water pollution data in order to hold corporations accountable;
  • and the world premiere of We Should Tell Them (Canada, 2014), a documentary about three teenagers who decide to explore the Ottawa River and learn about the challenges facing it, and what they can do. The film features Ottawa Riverkeeper Meredith Brown, and the film’s director and producer Laurent Imbault will speak at the screening.

The evening includes a display of photos by underwater photographer David Finlayson. The Ottawa Riverkeeper, Meredith Brown, will attend, and Alan Neal of CBC Radio One will host. There’ll be a silent auction, door prizes and a raffle, as well as Bridgehead coffee and a cash bar. Prizes include a Stand Up Paddle group lesson for six from Paddlefit and a private boat cruise for 10 passengers from Au feel de l’eau.

The festival runs 7-10 p.m., with doors open and festivities starting at 6 p.m., at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. $15 general admission. Tickets are available here until 3 p.m. February 20, then at the door.

Proceeds support Ottawa Riverkeeper’s initiatives to protect the Ottawa River—the source of our drinking water as well as recreation and other ecological benefits—and will include the purchase of water quality test kits for the Riverwatch Program.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is the largest film festival in North America focused entirely on environmental documentaries. Through stellar filmmaking, beautiful cinematography and first-rate storytelling, the films inform, inspire and ignite solutions to restore the earth, build strong communities, and create a positive future for the next generation.”

For more information about the Ottawa festival and the wonderful work of the Ottawa Riverkeeper, visit ottawariverkeeper.ca.

Making Waves: Protecting Water and the Environment Through Environmental Law

GreenLivingOttawa

Guest post from Mark James, Canadian Association of Environmental Law Societies (CAELS) Co-Director.

CAELS 2014 Poster

The Canadian Association of Environmental Law Societies (CAELS) would like to invite you to attend “Making Waves/Faire des vagues,” their second annual environmental law conference. The conference is taking place on February 21-22, 2014 in the Social Sciences Building at the University of Ottawa. (map)

This year’s conference is focusing on water law in Canada and on increasing public participation in environmental decision making.

On Friday February 21, the keynote speaker is Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. Mr Miller will be talking about the 20th anniversary of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights.  On Saturday February 22, Maude Barlow, Chair of the Council of Canadians, will close the conference with a presentation entitled “The Human Right to Water: Making It Real.”

Krystyn Tully, Vice-President of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, is presenting “The Blueprint for Swimmable, Drinkable, Fishable Water.” In addition, they will be holding a workshop on how citizen scientists can play an important role in protecting the environment. Participants will learn how collecting and sharing data is the first step to better environmental stewardship.

Other panels will discuss issues such as endangered species in Ontario, how to improve the international environmental performance of Canadian companies, and resource development in Northern Canada.

The conference is an interdisciplinary event bringing together law students, lawyers, scientists, and community members to discuss current issues in Canadian environmental law. CAELS’ mandate is to present current issues in environmental law and to give attendees a series of steps for how they can become engaged in protecting the environment. The conference is open to the public. The cost of attending the conference is $15 plus tax. Registration can be done online at www.caels.org until Thursday February 20 or in person on the day of the event.

Note: The agenda and further information are available at http://caels.org/2014-conference/.

Investing in Local Renewable Energy

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.1557392_685641544790132_1550753116_o

When it comes to powering our homes and our city, we do have green energy options.

The Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-op and Invest Ottawa are hosting a session on “Powering Ottawa by Investing Locally” for people to learn about how they can support and invest in local renewable energy, local food and other sustainability initiatives.

Speakers are lawyer George Brown, the United Way’s Jen Benedict, Janice Ashworth of OREC and Bill Shields of the West End Well, with an introduction by city councillor David Chernushenko.

It’s at Invest Ottawa, 80 Aberdeen St., Suite 100 on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014 from 5:30-7 p.m.

You can find out more about OREC here, and read about some of the benefits of individuals getting involved in producing electricity here.