Archive for Participatory democracy

In the end I made it to the discussion on the basics of the Green Party. It’s very hard to recap all that was said, but one of the things that really stuck with me was David Chernushenko‘s notion of majority.     Read more »

Please sign the petition, tabled by our MPP Peter Tabuns, asking Ontario to meet our Kyoto requirements even if Canada does not.  Energy and Transportation are provincial mandates so a great deal of climate change legislation will have to be put in provincially anyway.

I participated in provincial climate change consultations a few months ago, which theoretically were supposed to lead to an Ontario strategy.  Unfortunately, judging by the 2007 Ontario budget, the response will be anemic.  We’ll keep the coal plants running, put in as many natural gas plants as we can as well, limit wind and expand nuclear.  Transportation funding focuses on roads rather than public transit.

If you can spare the time, phone or write your MPP as well.

This is a companion piece to my previous post, where I railed about carbon offsets becoming permission to go ahead with “business-as-usual”.  Well, it is incumbent on us not to have a business-as-usual campaign, then, whether or not we choose to go with carbon offsets.

So here are some ideas.  I welcome more.

1. Our signs will be stored in local depots and delivered on foot or bicycle.
2. Elena from our campaign team has offered her bicycle to be available to campaign staff running errands.  Several other members enthusiastically added that they would be happy to add a bike to the mix as well.
3. We will try to reduce emissions from heating by keeping the office cool (or, if the campaign ends up in the summer, we’ll try to keep the office warm to reduce emissions associated with electricity for cooling).
4. We will use 100% post-consumer recycled paper for our flyers and other materials.
5. We will scrupulously recycle everything we can at the office.
6. We will try to perform as many functions manually as we can.
7. We will try to reduce the energy used on lighting and computers by turning them off when they are not absolutely needed.
8. We will do our best to keep water use low.
9. We’ll try to eliminate disposables as much as possible — no styrofoam cups for coffee, for example.

As campaign manager, I’d like some input into whether we should offset our campaign or not.  Email me or add your comments below, and I’ll let those comments guide the decision.     Read more »

Politicians are afraid of telling the truth. They are afraid of the power of the people, of real democracy.

Elizabeth May is, no pun intended, a divining rod of that motherlode of what people really need and want.

Only for our children and their children, and inspired by the only Canadian politician who displays LEADERSHIP, Elizabeth May, would I enter politics.