One of the resolutions passed at the recent Green Party of Canada (GPC) convention was an endorsement of the Earth Charter. The Charter has meaning for those who value sustainability, peace, social justice, building a better future and maintaining a global perspective - all six billion (plus) of us are in this together.
A good overview on the Charter can be found on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Charter
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday Aug. 28 CHEX TV News
On last night's CHEX TV News, there was a short story on the election of Elizabeth May as leader of the Green Party. The News has a "lets ask the people" feature where a reporter and camera go downtown and ask people questions. The question last night was "Would you consider voting for the Green Party". Four of the five people asked said yes they would consider it. The fifith said they won't vote for any party. One young gentleman said, and I am paraphrasing a little "I definitely won't vote Conservative, nahh not the Liberals either, sure, I would definitely consider voting Green."
Monday, August 28, 2006
The Green Party platform
I agree with pollster Nik Nanos - The Green's need to become much more than a "one issue" party.....although I can also argue the environment is integrated into everything living entities do on our lovely planet - we need clean air to breathe, pure water to drink, non-toxic foods to eat...etc.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=26c851ce-4858-4a6f-98e3-18dfd364ba2e&k=25107
In my mind, the two big issues are:
1) Survival - current world activities (continuous war, threats of nuclear catastrophe) and longer trends (global warming) are definitely not positive.
2) Quality of Life - an economic catastrophe (US Government deficit - hundreds of billions & debt in the trillions) lies ahead of us. The supply and demand of non-renewable resources and energy is costly for business (with the exception of the oil,gas,metals) and consumers. Toxins are pervasive in our air, water, soil - the biggest cause for cancer.
Greens will develop a "down the middle" (not left or right) political platform that will appeal to the majority of Canadians....
o the Green Party is an ideal party for entrepreneurs and small business people.
- a multitude of business opportunities are available in the alternative energies segment.
o the party abhors waste of any kind. (fiscally as well as materially)
o Canadians are thirsting for democratic reform - the voice of the individual citizen is lost - our members of Parliament first look to their Party leaders for direction on what to say about anything, rather than following their own beliefs or the consensus of their constituents.
o the party will take a holistic approach to the big issues impacting all of us - it is impossible to separate the environment from the economy, energy or health.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=26c851ce-4858-4a6f-98e3-18dfd364ba2e&k=25107
In my mind, the two big issues are:
1) Survival - current world activities (continuous war, threats of nuclear catastrophe) and longer trends (global warming) are definitely not positive.
2) Quality of Life - an economic catastrophe (US Government deficit - hundreds of billions & debt in the trillions) lies ahead of us. The supply and demand of non-renewable resources and energy is costly for business (with the exception of the oil,gas,metals) and consumers. Toxins are pervasive in our air, water, soil - the biggest cause for cancer.
Greens will develop a "down the middle" (not left or right) political platform that will appeal to the majority of Canadians....
o the Green Party is an ideal party for entrepreneurs and small business people.
- a multitude of business opportunities are available in the alternative energies segment.
o the party abhors waste of any kind. (fiscally as well as materially)
o Canadians are thirsting for democratic reform - the voice of the individual citizen is lost - our members of Parliament first look to their Party leaders for direction on what to say about anything, rather than following their own beliefs or the consensus of their constituents.
o the party will take a holistic approach to the big issues impacting all of us - it is impossible to separate the environment from the economy, energy or health.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Elizabeth May coming to Peterborough Oct. 12
Prior to the convention I was able to book Elizabeth to come to Peterborough on October 12, 2006 for the Peterborough Electoral District Association Annual Meeting.
We are looking forward to seeing her again, and this will also be a public event. The meeting will be at the Peterborough Public Library.
We are looking forward to seeing her again, and this will also be a public event. The meeting will be at the Peterborough Public Library.
more on Elizabeth
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Elizabeth Wins!!!
Elizabeth May wins the Green Party leadership.
Globe and Mail -
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060826.wmay0greens0826/BNStory/National/home
awesome...
Elizabeth was at her best, in the press interviews after her acceptance speech (watched on CPAC) - she came out "guns a-blazing" - leading off with the recent Green Party Resolution that Canada should give its 6 month notice period to pull out of NAFTA. The deal is structured 1 way anyways - all for US interests (evidence the Softwood lumber situation).
all in all - Elizabeth will garner lots of media coverage, and build interest in the party.
Globe and Mail -
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060826.wmay0greens0826/BNStory/National/home
awesome...
Elizabeth was at her best, in the press interviews after her acceptance speech (watched on CPAC) - she came out "guns a-blazing" - leading off with the recent Green Party Resolution that Canada should give its 6 month notice period to pull out of NAFTA. The deal is structured 1 way anyways - all for US interests (evidence the Softwood lumber situation).
all in all - Elizabeth will garner lots of media coverage, and build interest in the party.
Green Party Leader - Election Day
Watched the Leadership candidate speaches last night on CPAC.
1) Jim Fannon - nice guy, very entertaining speaker.
2) David Chernushenko - very smooth, articulate, but no passion.
3) Elizabeth May - not her best last night, she shines when she is attacking an issue, but last nights speach appeared to be for the people in the room (600 members), a rally to unify. A good effort.
Celeste Mackenzie from the Calgary Sun wrote a good article on the Green Leadership race. 3,000 votes (including Linda's and mine for Elizabeth) have already been mailed in. They expect another 300 will be cast today. Jim Fannon has already predicted Elizabeth has won it in a landslide.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/08/25/1776194-cp.html
Today's Toronto Star article - good overview......Did you know Greens are the second choice for 33% of the people who voted Conservative? Data from a recent poll.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1156542610668&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
1) Jim Fannon - nice guy, very entertaining speaker.
2) David Chernushenko - very smooth, articulate, but no passion.
3) Elizabeth May - not her best last night, she shines when she is attacking an issue, but last nights speach appeared to be for the people in the room (600 members), a rally to unify. A good effort.
Celeste Mackenzie from the Calgary Sun wrote a good article on the Green Leadership race. 3,000 votes (including Linda's and mine for Elizabeth) have already been mailed in. They expect another 300 will be cast today. Jim Fannon has already predicted Elizabeth has won it in a landslide.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/08/25/1776194-cp.html
Today's Toronto Star article - good overview......Did you know Greens are the second choice for 33% of the people who voted Conservative? Data from a recent poll.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1156542610668&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
Friday, August 25, 2006
Ron Dembo - Zerofootprint Inc.
What a great story in the August 21, 2006 issue of the Toronto Star!
The story was about Ron Dembo who used to own a company called Algorithmics Inc. - a specialist in risk management software. He sold the company for roughly $175 million (US). Some people would retire to a life of luxury, but not Mr. Dembo. He is devoting the next stage of his personal/business life to Environmentalism and "Green Business" ventures. His new company is Zerofootprint Inc.
If you are interested in business and/or environmentalism like I am, you can spend a great deal of time browsing the Zerofootprint web-site.
http://zerofootprint.net/
Ron has his own Blog - also some very interesting posts.
http://zerofootprint.net/green_stories/green_stories_item.asp?type_=53&ID=5101
Good stuff!!!
The story was about Ron Dembo who used to own a company called Algorithmics Inc. - a specialist in risk management software. He sold the company for roughly $175 million (US). Some people would retire to a life of luxury, but not Mr. Dembo. He is devoting the next stage of his personal/business life to Environmentalism and "Green Business" ventures. His new company is Zerofootprint Inc.
If you are interested in business and/or environmentalism like I am, you can spend a great deal of time browsing the Zerofootprint web-site.
http://zerofootprint.net/
Ron has his own Blog - also some very interesting posts.
http://zerofootprint.net/green_stories/green_stories_item.asp?type_=53&ID=5101
Good stuff!!!
Water Inc. & Green Party of Canada
My current night-time reading is a book by now local Peterborough author, Varda Burtsyn...the book is Water Inc. http://www.vardaburstyn.com - early stages - up to Chapter 8 but now getting intrigued with the characters. The book is "semi-fictional", I can actually visualize events happening in real life the way they are being told in the book. Scary to think what will happen in the USA when big parts of the country run out of water. (impacts of climate change- severe drought in the US Southwest). Even scarier as to what will happen in Canada, when the militaristic giant to our south demands to be given our water.
Watched CPAC http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&template_id=46&lang=e last night (Thursday) - the Jim Harris tribute at the Green Party of Canada Convention in Ottawa. The Green Party is the only political party in Canada with "grassroots" democracy in action. The Green Party leader has to be a facilitator, organizer, and "cheerleader". The party members establish Policy. The other Canadian political parties work "top-down", especially the Conservatives - the Harper Inner Circle makes all the decisions for the party.
I am a big fan of Elizabeth May. I voted for her to be Green Party leader.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_May_(environmentalist)
http://www.elizabethmay.ca/
Elizabeth will attract media attention to the party and its objectives, new members will join, and the Party will become a legitimate voting choice for Canadians.
Watched CPAC http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&template_id=46&lang=e last night (Thursday) - the Jim Harris tribute at the Green Party of Canada Convention in Ottawa. The Green Party is the only political party in Canada with "grassroots" democracy in action. The Green Party leader has to be a facilitator, organizer, and "cheerleader". The party members establish Policy. The other Canadian political parties work "top-down", especially the Conservatives - the Harper Inner Circle makes all the decisions for the party.
I am a big fan of Elizabeth May. I voted for her to be Green Party leader.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_May_(environmentalist)
http://www.elizabethmay.ca/
Elizabeth will attract media attention to the party and its objectives, new members will join, and the Party will become a legitimate voting choice for Canadians.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
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