Archive for 2007 November

From the nice folks who brought you the Toronto Public Space Committee in 2001, we introduce to you the Toronto Cyclists Union!

Launching in the spring of 2008, the bike union will be Toronto’s first membership-driven bicycle advocacy organisation.

For more information, newsletter signup and volunteer form, please visit the Toronto Cyclists Union website.

A message from your friends at the TPSC.

These videos have been removed from YouTube:
youtube.com/watch?v=60Zk4-JPCdg
youtube.com/watch?v=XClNHfmFDog

A reminder from Rich Smith about a rally tomorrow (Tuesday) morning…

Though this rally highlights the dangers that toxic chemicals in consumer products pose to children, adults are at terrible risk as well.  Bisphenol A, for example, isn’t just in children’s products.  It’s also in water bottles, every tin can on your shelf, you name it.  In recent testing, 96% of Americans had measurable levels of this hormone disrupting chemical in their bodies…There’s every reason to believe that pollution levels in Canadians are the same.

Ontario has a major opportunity to take a leadership position on this critical issue.  We need your support to ensure it happens.

BAN TOXICS, BABY!
Family Rally to End Toxic Chemicals in Baby Bottles
Tuesday, 2007 November 20, 10 am – 11:00 am
Queen’s Park front lawn.  Free.     Read more »

Thanks to Bruce Hanson for the pointer.  Here’s some background:

The reality is that the rise of oil, not the dollar, is this year’s big news story and the end of cheap oil could prove to be the greatest challenge we have faced in a generation.

Governments must act now to anticipate the coming period of “peak oil.” This means massive investments in public transit, tough laws that encourage high-density housing instead of sprawl, and getting serious about making the transition to a service and knowledge economy less dependent on oil.

A rally, march and eco-fair presented by Stop Climate Chaos – Toronto with ACT for the Earth, CYCC, Greenpeace, Canadian Federation of Students and the Steelworker’s Union.  This event is part of a global day of action on climate change coinciding with climate change talks in Bali.

D8 — Global Day of Action for Climate Change
Rally at Dundas Square
Saturday, 2007 December 8, 12 noon
Dundas Square (southeast corner of Yonge and Dundas) Free.

If I were King of the World, I’m sure I’d set everything straight.  But I’m not, and neither are you.  But this news item shows how a non-majority Green Party in a non-superpower country can make an international difference in the response to a global crisis.     Read more »

This event is presented by the Centre for the Environment at University of Toronto.  It’s a panel discussion with industry leaders in support of positive environmental practices.

Corporate Responsibility: The Greening of Success
Wednesday, 2007 November 21, 7 pm
Hart House, East Common Room.  Free.

There will be another St Lawrence Forum a week after the first, this one on affordable housing.

Affordable Housing: Finding Solutions!
a St Lawrence Centre Forum
Wednesday, 2007 November 28, 7:30 pm
St Lawrence Centre for the Arts
27 Front St East (2 blocks east of Union Station).  Free.

The St Lawrence Centre fora are very well organized and informative.  For more info, call  416-366-1656.

The Politics of Food — A St Lawrence Centre Forum
Tuesday, 2007 November 20, 7 pm
St Lawrence Centre for the Arts
27 Front St East (2 blocks east of Union Station).  Free.

For the first time, the Green Party is the third party nationally.  In a Strategic Counsel poll commissioned by the Globe and Mail and CTV, the Green Party is polling at 13% nationally, above both the NDP at 12% and the Bloc at 11%.  With this news, Deputy Leader Adriane Carr has asked all Canadians to sign on to the petition demanding that Elizabeth be allowed into the televised Leader’s debates during the next federal election.  I’m asking everyone to do that now.     Read more »