Eco-Journal

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Eco-Journal
Volume 11, Number 5
November/December 2001

Index

All in a Cup of Coffee, Fair Trade Coffee Easier to Swallow
    by Amanda Aziz
Where to Buy Fair Trade Coffee in Winnipeg
Support Our Annual Appeal
The Public Registry:Changes to the Environment Act proposed in Manitoba
    by John Sinclair, Resource Conservation Manitoba
What's Happening - Calendar of Events
GM Mandatory Labelling Bill C-287 Defeated
    by Liz Dykman
Compost Spreads Across Manitoba - RCM's Compost Action Project
    by Susan Kennedy
Who's Who in the Manitoba Eco-Network:
    A current listing of member groups as of November, 2001
Environmental Info on the Internet: 
    Tips from Larry Laliberte, Eco-Network Librarian
East Side Planning Initiative: Phase One Report Released
    by Anne Lindsey

ALL IN A CUP OF COFFEE
By Amanda Aziz, University of Manitoba Recycling and Environmental Group

Whether it's drunk black, with cream and sugar, or in a fancy latte, most coffee we consume is having a devastating effect on the health of coffee farmers, their communities, and the environment in which we all live. As the market price for coffee has plummeted in the past few years, consumers in North America and Europe are overwhelmed with choices: which blend?- dark-roasted, mild or medium? However, most of us have no idea where our coffee comes from, or what it is doing to coffee growers in the third world.

After oil, coffee is the most heavily traded commodity in the world, and much of it is grown in the developing world. 67% of Canadians drink at least one cup of java each day. But who is benefiting from this overwhelming consumption? Under the current coffee trading system, less than 10% of what consumers pay for coffee actually reaches the farmer who grows the beans. According to Equal Exchange, there is a long process before coffee actually makes it into our homes - retailers, roasters, exporters, processors, creditors and a cast of middlepersons - often known by Latin American farmers as "coyotes" are all involved.

Massive oversupply
Fluctuations in the coffee market also leave a farmer never knowing how much he or she is going to get from their crop. Coffee production has been on the rise since 1990, however, the demand for coffee has not followed suit. Because of this massive oversupply of coffee in the market, prices paid to farmers for their beans have sunk drastically. This has had devastating effects on coffee farmers, and communities - without adequate income, these families are unable to obtain adequate food water, health care or education, and often end up losing their land. 

But while world coffee prices decreased from an average of $1 to less than 50 cents per pound in February 2001, Nestle reported a rise in profits of 20% 'with the beverage sector performing strongly.' Starbucks, whose retailers now sell Fair Trade Coffee alternative, but hardly ever brew it in their coffee shops, posted a 41% increase in profits during the first quarter of 2001. Some are benefiting from these low prices, and indeed benefiting at the cost of others. In fact, 70% of the coffee market is currently controlled by just four multinational companies- Phillip Morris (Kraft), Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, and Sara Lee.

Habitats destroyed
Coffee production is ecologically destructive. Forests are cleared to make way for giant, monoculture coffee plantations, and animal and plant habitats are destroyed, endangering the survival of many species. According to Global Exchange, during the so-called 'Green Revolution' in the 1970s and 1980s, the US Agency for International Development gave $80 million for plantations in Central America to replace traditional sustainable shade grown farming techniques with 'sun cultivation' techniques in order to increase yields. The result of this was the destruction of over 1.1 million hectares of extensive forest and biodiversity. 

Deforestation, monocropping, and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are all involved in the growing of 'sun cultivated' coffee. This industrial type of farming generates environmental disasters- the extinction of songbirds through habitat destruction, among other effects. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre has identified industrial coffee production as one of the major threats to songbirds in the hemisphere due to deforestation; the birds no longer have anywhere to live. 

Banned pesticides
Pesticides used in coffee production impact the regions of origin, poisoning the earth, the local water supplies, and animal populations. Farmers are at risk of drinking contaminated water and being poisoned by the chemicals. Pesticides that have been banned in the North are still used on a regular basis. For example, DDT, which has been banned in North America for almost 30 years, is still widely available for use in coffee cultivation in other countries. 

Fair Trade
There is another way. Coffee production does not have to benefit a few, at the expense of many others. There are a growing number of organizations and campaigns active in different parts of the world calling for fair trade, to ensure that people who grow coffee beans get a fair price for their goods, and enjoy better working conditions while doing so. 

Equal Exchange is one such organization working for change. As a worker-owned co-op, Equal Exchange offers consumers fairly traded coffee direct from small-scale farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa and Asia. They follow Fair Trade principles which include: 
* Pay a Fair Price- a guaranteed minimum price regardless of how low the commodity market falls, ensuring farmers a living wage even when market prices are low
* Work with Democratically Run Cooperatives - small farmer co-ops that are governed by the farmers themselves
* Buy Direct - benefits and profits from trade actually reach the farmers and their communities, not the middlepersons
* Provide Advance Credit - access to credit is a huge problem for small farmers, as it is either not available or offered at tremendous interest rates
* Encourage Ecologically Sustainable Farming Practices - help build long-term economic base for farmers while protecting the environment and their communities
* Develop long-term Relationships based on trust and mutual respect - co-ops can count on alternative trading organizations to buy their products
Coffee is a large source of income for the developing world, and fairly traded, could bring about positive change for many communities. Fair Trade labeling is done by organizations such as TransFair Canada, once a company meets certain trade and inspection criteria. 

Shade-grown
About 85% of Fair Trade Certified coffee is shade grown and organically cultivated. Much of it is certified organic. In general, small farmers have never had the money to cut down forests or purchase large amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and so traditional farming techniques have been passed on from generation to generation; these techniques include composting coffee pulp, rotating crops, and utilizing natural fertilizers. "Shade grown", a traditional farming method that benefits the farmer and the local environment, is the cultivation of coffee under a canopy of diverse trees, or alongside other food crops. The benefit of the trees is immense - they provide fruit, wood, and habitat to birds and other native species, while offering protecting and nutrients to the coffee plants and preventing erosion of the soil. 

Many companies importing fair trade coffee provide incentives for ecological practices to encourage sustainable farming, and to guarantee that the benefits of organic farming, as well as shade growing farming techniques, reach the farmer as well as the consumer and the environment. 

On campus campaign
The U of M Recycling and Environmental Group has recently launched a campaign to get Fair Trade Certified Coffee onto campus. At present, the students' union-owned coffee outlet provides Starbucks coffee, and other outlets on campus provide only conventional coffee, from a supplier called Mother Parkers. A petition is being circulated calling for an option of fair trade coffee in all outlets that now sell coffee, as well, information tables serve free Fair Trade Coffee to students. The reaction thus far to Fairly Traded Coffee on campus has been positive. There are a number of lounge and student group offices that independently brew Fair Trade coffee, however it is generally not available to the entire student body). It is hoped that this campaign can eventually lead to a purchasing policy for the University as a whole, where we engage only in socially and environmentally responsible purchasing practices. 

Five Things You Can Do for Fair Trade Farmers (from Global Exchange):

1. Buy Fair Trade Certified Coffee

2. Educate yourself and others - organize workshops, presentations at your workplace or at school (see resources)

3. Write a letter to the Editor in local newspapers

4. Ask for Fair Trade at the grocery stores you shop at, or at local cafe outlets you visit

5. Get involved in a campaign (at the U of M campus, contact umreg@hotmail.com, or 474-9118)!

There is an ample amount of information on the internet about Fair Trade Coffee. Some of the major websites include:

Equal Exchange www.equalexchange.org
Oxfam Canada www.oxfam.ca
Global Exchange www.globalexchange.org
Equiterre www.equiterre.qc.ca
TransFair Canada www.fairtrade.ca

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Where to Buy Fair Trade Coffee in Winnipeg

Global Connections Johnston Terminal, The Forks
Harry's Foods 905 Portage Ave.
Humboldt's Legacy 887 Westminster Ave.
Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse 91 Albert St.
Neechi Foods 325 Duferin Ave.
Organic Planet 885 Westminster
Organza 664 Corydon
Project Peacemakers 745 Westminster
Ten Thousand Villages 134 Plaza Drive; 185 Henderson Hwy
United Church Bookstore 170 St. Mary's Road

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SUPPORT OUR ANNUAL APPEAL! 

As always at this time of year, we make our one appeal for donations from you, our community of members and supporters. If you are a member or a past donor, you have already received your letter in the mail, and some of you have even responded already. A huge thank you to those that have, and if you haven't yet...there's no time like the present! Donations made in this calendar year will be eligible for a 2001 Charitable Tax Receipt. You know that your contribution will help support our work for a sustainable future.

And consider this: donations to or memberships in a favourite environmental organization make meaningful and satisfying gifts. Consider our list of Eco-Network member groups (p. 6) when searching out gifts for loved ones this holiday season. 

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The Public Registry
Remember: the Alice Chambers Memorial Library at the Manitoba Eco-Network, is a node of the Public Registry for all environmental assessment and development proposals in Manitoba. And we're open on Thursday evenings till 9pm for your convenience in viewing files.

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Changes to the Environment Act proposed in Manitoba
John Sinclair - Resource Conservation Manitoba

In September of this year the Government of Manitoba initiated a multi-stakeholder consultation process to consider changes to the Environment Act. 

The Environment Act is the vehicle for Environmental Assessment (EA) in Manitoba and applies to all developments, both public and private, that have potential adverse environmental effects. It requires project proponents to conduct an EA before beginning construction and operation. 

For the purposes of the Act, projects are classified according to their potential environmental impact. In the case of Class 3 developments, or those with most likelihood to have adverse environmental impacts, the Act provides for an optional arms-length quasi-judicial hearings process. 

Implementing Sustainable Development 
Amendments to the Act are being considered as a result of the ‘Consultation on Sustainable Development (SD) Implementation’ (COSDI) that began in the summer of 1997. The purpose of COSDI was “To consider and make recommendations to the government on how Manitoba can best implement the Principles and Guidelines of SD into decision making, including environmental management, licensing, land use planning and regulatory processes”. The COSDI consultation followed a failed attempt by the Government to ram through changes to the Environment Act that were widely opposed and described by one government insider as being “unabashedly pro-development”.

The main amendments currently being considered include:
Provision for effects assessment: Expand the EA process by requiring the consideration of: the purpose of the project; description of the project; assessment methodology and results of public consultation; analysis of alternatives to the project, and alternative means for the project, including the “do nothing” option, need (in connection with alternatives); description of the existing environment; description of environmental effects; description of economic effects; description of mitigation measures; description of cumulative and interdependent effects; residual effects and their significance; follow-up plans; decommissioning and project sustainability. 

Strengthening of the public hearings process: 

- Provide the capability for the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) to investigate the technical aspects of proposals. 
- Set out qualifications for appointments to the CEC. 

- Encourage more involvement of the CEC in EA through enhanced use of mediation provisions.
- Removal of staged licencing provisions 
- End the process of providing licences for various project components e.g. a mill licence with no consideration of the needed forest management licence.

- Establish a process for category reviews 
- Create a process for the class assessment of developments of a similar nature.
- Improve public participation 
- Clarify the participant assistance regulations of the Act with respect to conditions of use, who pays, possible funding caps, etc. 
- Improve public notice. 
- Provide greater access to information by expanding the public registry, creating an electronic registry and improving the paper registries. 
- Encourage proponents to undertake pre-licencing consultation. 

Negotiated agreements 

Provide for a new assessment track that is more collaborative and leads to a negotiated agreement.

Difficult to resolve
Recommendations are currently being drawn up through the consultation process on all of the above issues. At the time of writing some of the key issues were proving difficult to develop consensus around. 

The concept of, and process for, negotiated agreements, for example, is resulting in a considerable amount of discussion and it is likely that this amendment will be modified and recommendations made for making the existing EA process more collaborative, rather than creating a new EA track. 
Participant funding has of course been a contentious issue especially since it seems that no jurisdictions other then the Federal government currently offer such assistance. There is agreement, however, that the assistance provisions should be used, just disagreement over who should pay and whether there should be a funding cap. 

The effects assessment provisions have also proved difficult. It is likely that many of the issues raised through the effects assessment will be policy/planning issues. This is nothing new to EA, but the COSDI process had recommended coincident changes to the Planning Act that would allow for wide area planning, among other things, to alleviate this problem. In the absence of such changes the EA process will continue to be the vehicle for raising broader policy/planning issues that an individual development raises. 

The questions currently being considered are; how to identify and isolate those issues early in a development’s planning life-cycle, which policy or planning issues need to be resolved before project decision, how those should be resolved and by whom and whether some issues would be deal breakers for a project.

Not surprisingly there have been calls from the environmental community for a much broader review and modification of the Environment Act. Environmentalists and other activists have long argued that the Act does not provide the level of consistent review necessary and is not being applied in as way that promotes sustainability in the province - rather it promotes economic development. 

The current time lines call for the consultations to end early in the new year with a Bill being introduced to the Legislature in the late winter or early spring of 2002. Many of the broader concern will be raised through the legislative process but it seems unlikely that the changes will go much beyond those currently contemplated. 

A number of Eco-Network members are participating in the review through both the Core Group and Advisory Committee structures that have been established for the consultation. A draft report from the Core group will be available to the advisory committee for review on December 13th, 2001 for approximately 30 days. If you would like to read and comment on this report please contact the Eco-Network. 

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Calendar of events

Dec. 11, 12 and 13. Clean Environment Commission Public Hearings into the JR Simplot development at Portage la Prairie. Contact the CEC at 945-7091 for details.

Dec. 16 Manitoba Naturalists Society Christmas Bird Count with George Holland, potluck dinner to follow. Contact Rudolf Koes for more information 661-0763

Dec. 23 Fort Whyte Centre Snowshoe hike 2:00 pm. Call 989-8364.

Dec. 30 Fort Whyte Centre Horse drawn sleigh rides 12-2 pm. Call 989-8364.

January 12 Woodlot Association of Manitoba Annual General Meeting at Timber Trails Tree Farm, Steinbach. For more information or to pre-register call 453-7102

Hog Watch Manitoba meets monthly in Portage la Prairie, call 926-1914 for more information.

Jan 10 through 25 Clean Environment Commission Public Meeting in Winnipeg, Morris, Selkirk and Ste. Agathe on proposed Flood Protection Initiatives for Winnipeg .  You must register with the CEC 5 days in advance if you wish to speak at the meetings.  Schedule details available to 945-7091.  The documents are available in the Public Registry File: 4719.00.  Written submissions also accepted until January 30.

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GM Mandatory Labelling Bill C-287 defeated in Parliament
By Liz Dykman

Bill C-28, introduced by Liberal MP Charles Caccia, would have required labelling of all genetically modified foods.

According to a poll released by Greenpeace Canada on September 21, an overwhelming majority of Canadians (95%) believe they have the right to know if the food they eat has been genetically modified. When asked if they were in support of a bill to introduce mandatory labelling of GM foods, 73% of respondents strongly favoured it, 22% generally favoured it, and only 4 % did not favour the bill. 

Influencing MPs
So why were the wishes of Canadians not respected when MP's voted on Bill C-287?

Health Minister Allan Rock won praise from labelling advocates when he expressed his support for mandatory labelling of GM foods. However, when the vote on Bill C-287 was taken, Rock was conspicuously absent from the House. 

More significant is a letter that was sent to the Standing Committee on Health asking for a study and public consultations on the issue of GM labelling, signed by Allan Rock, Lyle Vanclief (Min. of Agriculture), Brian Tobin (Min. of Industry) and Pierre Pettigrew (Min. of International Trade). This letter was sent to all Members of Parliament a week before the vote and emphasized that Canada already has a rigorous food safety system that requires labelling of all foods for which there is a health or safety issue through the Food and Drugs Act. According to the Council of Canadians, this letter was intended to influence the vote of MPs, and contributed to the defeat of the Bill on October 17th.

Current regulation far from sufficient
The claim that the existing regulatory procedures for approval of novel foods are adequate to protect the safety of Canadians is not convincing. In a report of the Royal Society of Canada requested by Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Environment Canada, it was concluded that current regulation is far from sufficient. The "Expert Panel Report on the Future of Food Biotechnology" which was released February, 2001 makes numerous recommendations on how regulation needs to be improved. Current regulation relies heavily on the idea of "substantial equivalence" - that genetically engineered foods can be considered equivalent to their non-GE counterpart, and therefore are exempt from additional testing for safety. The panel considered reliance on substantial equivalence "scientifically unjustifiable and inconsistent with the precautionary regulation of the technology". Other recommendations included:
- greater transparency of regulatory agencies regarding the scientific data and rationale upon which their regulatory decisions are based 
- addressing the conflict of interest within regulatory bodies that have the mandate both to promote and regulate the development of agriculture biotechnologies
- addressing the conflict of interest within the scientific community relating to the increasing power of corporate interests over the research agenda.

The full report can be found at www.rsc.ca.

Voluntary standards criticized
Standards for voluntary labelling of GM and non-GM foods have been under development by the Canadian General Standards Board for two years. The draft standards have been criticized because voluntary labelling is not seen to be particularly meaningful. 

The issue of mandatory labelling of GM foods has been passed off to Parliamentary committee, and since the Standing Committee on Health is currently conducting studies on the issue of Assisted Human Reproduction, its report on the labelling issue will not be made until June 2002. In the mean time, an estimated 60-75% of foods contain some amount of genetically modified ingredients and the desire of Canadians to be able to choose what we eat has been ignored by our elected representatives.

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Compost Spreads Across The Province:
RCM's Compost Action Project Reaches out to Manitoba
By Susan Kennedy

The Compost Action Project (CAP) of Resource Conservation Manitoba (RCM) has been full of activity this year creating new resources and providing services to communities all over the province. With funding from Manitoba Product Stewardship Corp., the City of Winnipeg, and Manitoba Conservation, the Compost Action Project has extended its work beyond Winnipeg's city limits to promote backyard composting as the next step in waste diversion while encouraging citizens to build natural soil fertility back into their lawns and gardens.

Staff of the Compost Action Project include co-ordinator Susan Kennedy; former CEP summer student and Compost Education Project co-ordinator, Maire McDermott, a Masters student at the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba; with Iain Whitaker, Ellen Wieser, and Julie Dupre making up our great team of "Green Team" summer students. With 5 staff on board, and increased funding levels over previous years, the Compost Action Project has experienced the diversity of composting education throughout the seasons while piloting new programs for the province. 

Displays and demonstration sites
Our three dedicated summer staff worked hard May through August conducting composting workshops, staffing displays around the city and building and maintaining our network of compost demonstration sites. In the end over 160 people attended workshops, 740 people were contacted at displays and over 150 people were given advice through our Compost Infoline.

We also saw our first Compost Demonstration Site at a City Park. With the work of Iain Whitaker and Mary Popien, Volunteer Co-ordinator of Montrose Commons, a three bin composter and educational sign were erected in the park. The bin was designed for the use of the volunteer team of gardeners that are intent on using ecologically sensitive gardening practices to naturalize and beautify their park for the surrounding neighbourhood to enjoy. 

Tool kits
But the compost message is spreading outside of the City! We have been working to provide communities across the province with advice, services and tools so compost "keeners" are better equipped to cultivate the growth of backyard composting in their hometowns. The CAP has developed a series of tool kits that are available free of charge to interested parties. The two key kits: the "Reproducible Handout Kit" and "Workshop Kit" offer a starting point for anyone interested in promoting backyard composting. The "Reproducible Kit" is packed with over 10 facts sheets on the basics of composting, bin plans, and specialized topics including pest proofing, leaf and northern composting. These fact sheets are intended for local reproduction and distribution, a great tool for education and promotion. The Workshop Kit includes a step-by-step script, a set of overheads, evaluation forms, and a checklist of equipment for organizing composting workshops. A no-nonsense presentation of the composting basics, it's an easy way for compost educators to encourage citizens to initiate the practice in their own backyards. 

In October, CAP staff co-ordinated the first backyard composting Training Seminar in Brandon to a small but engaged audience of Manitoba municipal and town councilors, landfill operators, community activists, and parks staff. Throughout the daylong event, we shared our ideas, hopes and practicalities of backyard composting education in this province. Our aim is to continue this outreach in Manitoba communities in the coming year. 

Cheap and viable waste diversion
In addition, we participated in MPSC's Annual Recycling Meetings in Brandon and Winnipeg in late October and early November. Audiences were very interested in backyard composting as a cheap and viable option for diverting organics from the waste stream. 

Other services we continue to offer include our toll-free Compost Infoline. Here to answer all your compost questions, or send out free packages of information, we are the backyard composting support workers! Promote or call the Compost Infoline at 1-866-394-8880 from anywhere in the province. 

If you are interested in setting up your own backyard composting education program we are producing a guide that will be available early in 2002. Free to interested community leaders, municipalities, and environmental educators it's a practical all-inclusive reference guide to help create a backyard composting program in your community. 

For more information contact the Compost Action Project at 204-925-3777 or email us at rcm@mb.sympatico.ca.

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Environmental Information on the Internet
Tips from Larry Laliberte, Eco-Network Librarian

Winnipeg Public Library's EBSCOhost database:
The Internet is an exceptional research tool but one must proceed with caution, as with all tools, and avoid an over-reliance on the Internet as the only research option. However, disclaimer aside, the Internet is the window through which people can access many types of information including a growing amount of material published in journals and magazines. At the present time, access to this type of information on the Internet is still limited and, unless it is part of a publisher's mandate to place full text articles online for free, individuals will need access through various databases that charge for use. However, the question begs "what if I am looking for journal and magazine articles but I am not a member of the academic community with access to databases such as the University of Manitoba's NETDOC?" The answer is just a few clicks away through the EBSCOhost database on the Winnipeg Public Library's (WPL) website. 

Accessing the database
In order to access the database go to the WPL databases page at:
http://wpl.city.winnipeg.mb.ca/databases/data.htm and click on the EBSCOhost Magazine Articles and Index link. At this point, you will be prompted to enter your patron id which is your library bar code number (no spaces). As with any online database, make use of the help and tip pages in order to get the most out of your searches. The Alice Chambers Memorial Library at the Manitoba Eco-Network has a computer devoted to online research and, if anyone would like a tutorial on effective search strategies, please feel free to make an appointment with the librarian by calling 947-6511 or emailing library.mbeconet@mts.net

Obtaining the full texts
Many of the articles found through EBSCOhost will be in abstract form only. Once you have compiled a list of articles that you will require in full text, check the Manitoba Eco-Network's journal holdings listings for the four downtown environmental collections and libraries http://www.web.net/men/menej.htm

These collections are located at the Alice Chambers Memorial Library, International Institute for Sustainable Development Library, Conservation and Environment Library and the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources Library. These libraries are all within a ten minute walk of each other and, as such, make for a good day of pedestrian research into the environmental information field. 

New in the Library: Climate Change (book, map poster and journal)
Three new material types have recently arrived in the library with a common focus on climate change: A map poster The Winds of Change: Climate Change in the Prairie Provinces; The Ecologist magazine report focusing on climate change and a monograph entitled Stormy Weather 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change all provide useful and current information.

Map Poster: The Winds of Change: Climate Change in the Prairie Provinces
By utilizing numerous insets that combine photos, graphs, diagrams and text, this colorful map-centered poster provides basic information about the science of climate change and some of the potential impacts for the Prairie Provinces. At the center of the poster is a map showing the Prairie Provinces land cover based on 1995 satellite data, and the insets include information on the following: why the climate is changing, how the climates are changing in the Prairies and the potential impact on glaciers, water resources including rivers and the weather. Finally, through the use of simple maps, there is a prediction of how vegetation might look in the future highlighting the impact on the Boreal Forest. This visually stunning poster is an excellent teaching tool to backdrop any discussion on climate change in the Prairie Region. Finally, the information presented on this poster complements the six other posters that have been produced to cover Canada and are available on the Internet at: http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/posters/

The Ecologist
The November 2001 issue of The Ecologist has an Ecologist Report insert titled Climate Change - Time to Act which focuses on the issues of climate change. The articles are divided into two sections that focus on the problem and the solutions. In the problems section, the articles examine the truth about climate change, emphasizing that while scientists agree that human-induced climate change is taking place, the scope of this change is worse than previously estimated. In the solutions section, the articles focus on what individuals can do to make a difference and offer 40 Easy Steps to Reduce Your Contribution to Climate Change. The Ecologist special issue concludes with a look at various climate change campaigns ongoing throughout the world and incorporates references to key websites where individuals can sign on to petitions and seek out climate news and information. Finally, there is a very detailed set of references for each article presented in the issue which is helpful for individuals who want to follow up an article in more detail.

Stormy Weather 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change by Guy Dauncey and Patrick Mazza offers simple helpful solutions to global warming for individuals, communities, businesses and governments. The book's strength lies in its ability to present a convincing argument in the first 50 pages of the urgent need for action on climate change. The remaining 200 pages of the book focuses on what we can do about this threat by setting up sections of solutions for individuals, citizen organizations, cities, towns and provinces, businesses, energy and auto companies, national governments, developing nations and ends by looking at ten global solutions. Another strength of the book is its presentational style that utilizes a series of self-contained 2-page units, each of which describes the issue, offers solutions based on the best practices, and includes a listing of web-based resources. For more information on Stormy Weather 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change see: http://www.earthfuture.com/stormyweather/

Other Recent Climate Change Items in the Alice Chambers Memorial Library:

Kowalski, Joanne. Climate Change Handbook for Agriculture 2000. Centre for Studies in Agriculture, Law and the Environment 2001. Joanne Kowalski editor. 132p.

Manitoba and Climate Change A Primer. Manitoba Clean Environment Commission and the International Institute for Sustainable Development 2001. 28p.

Manitoba and Climate Change Investing in our Future. Report of the Manitoba Climate Change Task Force, September 2001. 63p.

Samson, Paul R. Canadian Circumstances: the Evolution of Canada's Climate Change Policy. Energy & Environment, vol. 12 no. 2/3 2001 p.199-215.

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EAST SIDE PLANNING INITIATIVE - PHASE ONE REPORT RELEASED
by Anne Lindsey

The Province has released the Draft report of Phase One discussions on the Broad Area Planning Initiative for the East Side of Lake Winnipeg. The report provides a series of recommendations for a consultation and planning process which the authors hope will culminate in a comprehensive vision for land and resource use in this vast area. 

The report was compiled by a three-member panel, consisting of staff from government departments, which met with First Nations, environmental and recreational organizations and industry over a 3-month period earlier this year. (See Eco-Journal, Vol.11, No.1 - East Side of Lake Winnipeg Planning Initiative Underway). The Draft Report is available in the Public Registry (File #4718.00) and MEN has an additional copy which may be borrowed for limited periods.

Interests intersect
Many issues and interests are at play on the East Side of Lake Winnipeg: The geographic scope of the planning area itself is contentious - environmental groups - notably the Coalition for Sustainable Land Use Planning - have all along insisted that the planning initiative include all of East Side Manitoba on a natural region basis as this would be consistent with the stated aim of an ecological base for the planning scope. In the draft report, the planning area is restricted due to the authors' stated concerns about lack of planning information, the introduction of new issues and stakeholders and the increased budgets and time which a larger area would require. 

The area as it is defined by the draft Phase One report is home to 17 First Nations and encompasses much of their traditional territories, and is legally subject to their Treaty and Aboriginal Rights; many First Nations members continue to practice traditional livelihoods including trapping and gathering, others have indicated interest in a joint venture with forestry company Tembec to co- manage the forest and construct a sawmill.
Other interests include:
- Tembec (Pine Falls Paper Company) holds a Forest Management Licence which it wants to expand, to construct a new saw mill and to continue operation of the pulp mill at Pine Falls; 
- Manitoba Hydro has plans for two new northern dam developments in the region and wishes to route two bipole transmission lines down the East Side; 
- endangered species, such as woodland caribou, are present; 
- mining exploration is active, including new possibilities for diamond-bearing claims;
- the East Side is an important area for recreation and tourism; 
- a traditional fishery thrives in Lake Winnipeg; 
- an all-weather road is proposed for the area: welcomed by some and feared by others;
- parts of the region are designated as Protected Areas, under a Manitoba policy objective for each of the Province's natural regions to be represented by protected areas. 

However, as Canadian Nature Federation's Gaile Whelan-Enns points out "While Atikaki is protected, and Poplar River park reserve has interim protection, much remains to be decided regarding protected areas. The natural region above Lake Winnipeg in the planning scope has NO protected lands at all. Protected areas consultations, regarding areas of interest, are ongoing on the East Side". 

In short, the East Side - one of the largest tracts of mostly roadless (the southernmost parts of the planning area are currently served by all weather roads) primary intact boreal forest in the world, and certainly the southernmost tract in Canada - is an area where almost every interest intersects. Achieving consensus on a vision for the area will be a formidable task - and, according to Don Sullivan of the Boreal Forest Network, perhaps an impossible one under the process recommended by the government panel.

Set the parameters
Yet this was what was contemplated by the Consultation On Sustainable Development Implementation when it called for the development of "wide area plans". COSDI said that developing large area sustainable development plans on natural boundaries such as watersheds "would provide the opportunity to develop the information and knowledge of ecosystems across administrative and political boundaries, over larger landscapes for long periods of time and across land, water and air." In other words, a large area plan would in effect, set the parameters for the kinds of developments that could take place in a region.  

The reality that is clear if these Draft recommendations are accepted, however, is that "parameter setting" and new developments are going to be happening simultaneously on the East Side of Lake Winnipeg. There is every indication that the first section of the all-weather road to Bloodvein, will proceed. Mining exploration will continue as usual, and the risk exists that government could allow increased fibre allocation to Tembec before planning is finished. This would be contrary to all commitments to hold the annual cut at historic levels until the planning initiative is finished. 

Problems with process

To develop the East Side plan, this report calls for the establishment of an "East Side Lake Winnipeg Round Table" which would provide recommendations, based on community and stakeholder consultations, and research, to an Interdepartmental Working Group charged with writing the draft plan. This 14 member Round Table, representing "interests" (First Nations, industry, environmental etc) and not specific organizations, would be assisted by a much larger "advisory" committee (called the East Side Review Committee) comprising individuals appointed by and representing their organizations or communities. 

Sullivan feels that this kind of consultative model will likely not be adequate for the 17 First Nations, many of whom explicitly stated that they wish to have their own representative on the Round Table. While the draft Phase One report suggests their model provides meaningful consultations, that determination is made by affected First Nations, not government.

According to the Draft Report, components of the Plan are to include, at minimum: a vision for the Planning area; goals and objectives based upon the needs of the area; ecosystem, land use and resource management principles and/or codes of practice; a land use zone map with policies and/or guidelines for each zone; and procedures for the regular review and amendment of the approved plan. The Coalition for Sustainable Land Use Planning believes that the "vision" and "goals and objectives" should be clearly laid out in the Phase One report to avoid the possibility that planning proceed before vision and goals are identified. Unfortunately, this draft report still does not set out definitions of Land Use Planning or Terms of Reference based on maintaining the integrity of East Side ecosystems - as envisioned by COSDI - to guide the consultations. Nor are there any assurances that First Nation traditional use planning processes and the traditional knowledge of these communities will be honoured and incorporated in the Plan. 

Once a draft Plan is prepared, a proposed process is laid out for public consultation and eventual submission to the Minister of Conservation, however, Whelan-Enns is concerned that no standards for public consultation are set out in the draft report, nor is there clarity about public access to information during the planning period. This plan development process is extremely important, not only for the future of the East Side itself, but also because it will serve as a pilot for other such planning exercises in Manitoba. Ecosystems and community health East of Lake Winnipeg are too valuable to be risked as a guinea pig for testing a new process. 

The Coalition for Sustainable Land Use Planning, consisting of the Boreal Forest Network, Canadian Nature Federation and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, is working hard to ensure that this pilot project is "done right". They are pushing to have the comments period on the draft report extended from 30 to 60 days. TREE is concerned that the time suggested for the planning period will be insufficient to cover the various research gaps and to reach consensus. And all groups encourage readers to consider the report and forward comments to the Minister of Conservation. 

For further information, contact: The Coalition for Sustainable Land Use Planning: 

CPAWS- Scott Kidd (477-0812), 

CNF - Gaile
Whelan Enns 944-9593 and 

Boreal Forest Network - Don Sullivan, 947-3081.
Or TREE - Peter Miller, 452-9017

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