Archive for 2009 September

I’d like to thank my friend Glenn MacIntosh of EcoSanity for his recent posting alerting me to this stunning, heartbreaking address:

President Nasheed of the Maldives appeals to the United Nations to commit to targets of 350 ppm and temperature increases no higher than 1.5 degrees Celsius so that his country might stand a chance of not being swept beneath the seas.     Read more »

I’ll be participating in the Second Annual Danforth Multifaith Peace Walk and urge everyone to join me.  The walk begins at Glen Rhodes United Church and continues past the Danforth Jewish Circle, the Pakistani Community Centre and the Madina Masjid on Danforth to celebrate the newly renovated space, ending at Eastminster United Church.

Women are asked to wear a head scarf inside the Madina Masjid.

Second Annual Danforth Multifaith Peace Walk
Sunday, 2009 October 4, 1 pm
Glen Rhodes United Church, 1470 Gerrard St E

Community Environment Day
Saturday, 2009 Oct 17, 10am – 2 pm
Riverdale Park East
(Broadview Ave north of Gerrard St)

Toronto City Councillor Paula Fletcher normally hosts our local Ward 30 Environment Day on Canada Day, but that all got delayed this year due to the garbage strike.     Read more »

Registration is now open for the Green Party of Ontario leadership contest and annual policy convention.  You can find a detailed agenda here.

Fri – Sun, 2009 Nov 13 – 15
London, Ontario

This post is old.  You can find information about the GPO 2011 AGM here.

An international day of climate action organized by 350.org and TorontoClimateCampaign.org.  Take a stand for a fair Copenhagen climate treaty that meets the science.  Here’s what happened in Ottawa:

And here’s what happened in Toronto:     Read more »

Danforth Greens Pub Night
Tue, 2009 Sep 29, 7–10pm
Gabby’s in the “Library Room”
729 Danforth, east of Pape

The last Tuesday of every month we sit and gab about the issues.

    Read more »

There’s an important and fun event in the park across the street from my house tomorrow.  From the Toronto-Chinese-Archway.com website (see also photos):

After almost ten years of hard work of the committee, the “Zhong Hua Men” dream will come true to the Chinese community!     Read more »

Melkam Addis Amet! Happy Ethiopian New Year!

[See also: አማርኛ - የግሪን ዋጋዎች (ጥቅሞች).]

Quite a few people comment on the fact that I wear glasses, yet the picture on my postcard has no glasses.  A couple have worried that I took the glasses off for reasons of vanity.     Read more »

Here are some photos of Adriana     Read more »

The United Nations’ International Day of Peace is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.  Green Party candidates celebrated this event at C’est What in Toronto.

Green Party candidates from all over Toronto and the GTA spoke out on peace at this event.     Read more »

Around dusk yesterday, while out meeting people with a friend, we spotted two foxes.  They were beautiful.  One was probably a momma — she was more wary and I didn’t see much of her.  The juvenile was stalking some neighbourhood cats, flicking her ears, looking all adolescent and geeky on legs that looked too long for her.  Seeing her there, next to rumbling trains, cars, houses, streetlights and onlookers like me, I was filled with hope for the future.

Please watch your cats.

Going door to door, I was asked today about where to find out about rebates for energy audits and retrofits.     Read more »

[Adriana's introductory flyer in French.]

In all the time that I’ve been out meeting my constituents, I don’t think I’ve met a single person who truly dislikes what the Green Party stands for.  I’ve met one person who thinks that we are grossly mistaken about how to care for the environment.  I’ve met a small number who question the science of climate change.  I’ve met a similarly small handful of people who expressed doubts at the Green Party’s readiness for government.  I’ve encountered a small minority dedicated to one particular party or another who I haven’t questioned about the reasons for their loyalty.  And I’ve met a significant number who either oppose the Green Party or suspect they might vote for another party for strategic reasons, even though they are often at pains to insist that they really support the Green Party, want us in Parliament and wish us luck.

A number of my supporters accompanying me have made the same observation I have:  If every person in Toronto-Danforth who said that in his heart he supported the Green Party actually voted Green, I would be sent to Parliament not by a small margin, but by a landslide.

Some of these people ask me to give them my best argument for voting Green, given that it’s very challenging for me to win and even less likely that the Greens will have significant sway in Parliament.  Here’s what I say:     Read more »