April 6, 2005

    Hon. Bill Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, at a time when so many other issues dominate the domestic and Canada-U.S. political scene, I rise to ask the House to focus for a moment on the fact that an entire Canadian ecosystem is in imminent danger because of the Liberal government's failure to get the American government to refer the Devils Lake diversion project to the International Joint Commission on Boundary Waters.

    Premier Gary Doer has been working all out on this issue but he needs a federal counterpart who is fully focused on this issue.

    The Prime Minister came back from Texas empty-handed. Time is short. Lake Winnipeg, our sixth great lake, is in danger of being permanently contaminated and soon.

    I urge all MPs to join in the campaign to save Manitoba from this disaster. It is not a regional issue. It is an issue of national environmental integrity. Security is a two-way street. Violating Canada's environmental security by trans-boundary water pollution is not an example of what good neighbours do to each other.

Review on "Be Wearing Wolf"

‘Jam’: currently a form of activism. An analogy is that of jamming radar, interfering or countering a message or an agenda that does not address the negative impacts of information being fed to the public. Our event will not promote extremism, but it will not be passive and will ideally communicate with ingenuity and imagination. It is not so much a protest as a solution.

It is also a ‘jam’ in the sense of musicians, where the ‘players’ (participants) join into a synergy or ‘groove’ with each other and the sum is greater than the parts.


- All themes are environmental with emphasis on the future of water – ‘Blue Gold’  although other issues are welcomed
- Social issues that overlap with environmental issues
- Cross representation of artists & performers
- Information and Organizations
- All levels of Govt’s

I am exploring the possibilities of making this happen and welcome your input, thoughts, ideas. If you know of others that would be interested I would be very appreciative of the lead.

If you wish to be kept updated on the event’s progress email me at, info@alter-eco.net, I would be happy to add you a mailing list that you can unsubscribe at any time.

Sincerely,

John Warren

Another Environmental Event?

So What?
Ask not what your Environment can do for you; but ask what you can do for your Environment!

What makes this event different? Because, one way or another, any progress in creating a sustainable world, we all know will require EFFORT!  And to prepare some of us for it, this event will require a little extra effort. All the volunteers are making an effort as are the staff and management, so we think it would be fair and reasonable to make a challenge to the participants and the attendees.

The challenge is:
1. To use public transportation, or if absolutely not possible for some participants, then use Auto Share, ie truck rentals.
2. What you hike in, you hike out. Yes! Even cigarette butts! We are looking for an industrial brown zone, or an open area by the lake, or both!

Participants – mandatory
Attendees – voluntary (but we know who you are) <------ funny

What we are trying to achieve by these efforts is respect, for the earth, for others and for yourself.

The reward for this effort, besides the respect you truly deserve, is the opportunity to observe the poetry on the subway; a conversation with a stranger; all the things you miss when you have your eyes on the car in front of you and your ear on the phone. A chance to let yourself open your eyes, ears, nose, (and mouth? – perhaps to sing) to the awareness of the environment all around you and not just the pot holes in the road. If you don’t think that’s a reward – try it.

Your reward also is you can change history! Increasing the chances and possibilities for your children’s generation and grandchildren, and all the generations that follow to make their efforts and receive the same reward of knowing that you are apart of it all.

cheers