We have cause for celebration (it's not all doom and gloom folks), so on this Earth Day we are sending out a list of good news for a change! You are hereby invited to take this day to also look on the bright side:
Goodbye King Coal!!! On April 8th, the Thunder Bay Generating Station burned its last lump of coal marking the end of an era in Ontario. Ontario is now the first jurisdiction in North America to fully eliminate coal as a source of electricity generation. By shutting down all of its coal plants, the province has successfully eliminated its single biggest source of smog, toxins, acid rain and greenhouse gases, and Ontario's coal phase out is probably the single biggest act of fighting climate change in Canadian history.
This kind of thing doesn't happen very often so Ecology Ottawa is throwing a Goodbye King Coal celebration and established Ecology Ottawa supporters are invited (we aren't claiming credit, we just want to surround ourselves with people who care and celebrate this important achievement)! So please join us on the evening of May 8th to celebrate the one month anniversary of the end of King Coal in the Province of Ontario! Space is limited, so if you haven't gotten an invitation but want to come, contact [email protected] and we'll see if we can find you a place.
The City of Ottawa announces a major clean water and healthy watersheds initiative! Ottawa is developing a Water Environment Strategy that will guide the way the City manages our water and takes care of our watersheds. They are inviting people who care about water issues to participate in a huge upcoming Water Roundtable (it will probably take place in June, but we don't know yet). Your City Councillor will be responsible for nominating ten people from his/her ward to participate. If you want to know more or are interested in getting involved, just hit reply to this email and let me know.
The City of Ottawa is about to release a new climate change strategy! Thanks to the hard work of hundreds of people across the city, including many of you, the City of Ottawa is expected to release its new climate change plan in May. This comes on the heels of two major reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which detailed the serious threat that climate change poses and outlined the need to phase-out our dependence on oil, coal and gas and ramp-up renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation. If you want to know more about the City of Ottawa plan and how you can help our city do its fair share to fight climate change, please contact Charles Hodgson at [email protected]
You are also invited to join us on April 29th to learn how human health is impacted by climate change right here in Ottawa. Hear from local and international experts, ask questions and join in discussion roundtables. Our panel includes: Diane Holmes, Chair, Ottawa Board of Health; John Stone, Lead Author for the IPCC Working Group II Report; Dr. Curtis Lavoie, emergency physician; Alice Hutton, community health developer. When: April 29, 2014, 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Where: On the 12th floor, Desmarais Building, University of Ottawa, 55 Laurier Ave E. Please RSVP here.
The Ontario Energy Board wants to know what you think about the proposed Energy East tar sands pipeline through Ottawa! If you didn't have a chance to make it to the Ontario Energy Board Hearing into the proposed Energy East pipeline this month, there's still one more chance to let the Ontario Government know how you feel about the project before the first round of consultation ends. You can tell the OEB your thoughts by using this form or by email to [email protected] or via fax 416-572-3736.
If you're not sure what to say, you can read over why we at Ecology Ottawa are opposed to this project or watch this short video.
Happy Earth Day everyone, and don't let 'em get you down!
Sincerely,
Graham, and on behalf of Karen, Ben, Robb, Charles, Liz, Lars, Joshua, Chelsea, Kai, Monica, Brigitte, and the entire Ecology Ottawa Team
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