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Canadian Environmental Network
Manitoba Eco-Network gratefully acknowledges the support of Manitoba Conservation
Eco-Journal
Eco-Journal
Volume 12, Number 4
September/October 2002
Index
Climate Change Connection Launched!
by Anne Lindsey
by Anne Lindsey
Better
Homes and Straw Bales: Profile of Darryl
Brunger Construction
by Heather Laird
What's Happening - Calendar of Events
Civil Disobedience in Wolseley:
The Mosquito Fogging Battle Heats Up
by Dan Moroz
Save Our Seine Campaigning to Save Threatened Forest
by Sylvie Hebert
Boreal Majesty: An Evening for Canada's Northern Forests
by Donna Danyluk, CPAWS
The Precautionary Principle: Two new titles in the Alice Chambers Memorial Library
by Larry Laliberté
by Iain Whittaker
Climate
Change Connection Launched!
By Anne Lindsey
On the eve of Canada's long-awaited Parliamentary debate on ratifying
the Kyoto Accord, Manitoba's Climate Change Connection was launched
at Winnipeg's Millenium Centre. Climate Change Connection (or CCC
for short) is the name decided upon for the Public Education and
Outreach Hub in Manitoba. It's an initiative that started up as
a pilot project earlier this year, hosted and co-chaired by the
Manitoba Eco-Network with funding from the Federal and Provincial
governments and Manitoba Hydro. "Connection" is one of the key roles
for this project: connecting organizations, agencies, businesses
and government departments in sharing and developing their public
education work around climate change. And that's exactly what the
Launch event did. Over 100 people from a wide range of sectors attended,
and many commented on the good networking opportunity that the occasion
afforded.
The Launch highlighted the release of three key tools that CCC is
developing: The website
www.climatechangeconnection.org will be virtual home of the
project, featuring carefully researched reports on the impacts and
implications of climate change on Manitobans, along with links to
Manitoba groups working on climate change, a guide to publications
and resources, upcoming Climate Change related events, and much
more. Jim Kirby of the company Webfeats is working alongside CCC
Manager, Jennifer Duggan, to produce what we hope will be a user-friendly,
information- rich electronic tool. Researcher and writer Rachel
van Caeseele is the author of the meticulously referenced feature
pieces on climate change and Manitoba, including such topics as
wildlife, health, transportation and agriculture. Members of the
Steering Committee of CCC are also contributing their expertise
through articles on the website. The Media Guide, Community Champions
on Climate Change, features biographies of the Steering Committee,
and topic areas about which they are available to speak or provide
information. All the members consider themselves "conduits" to the
various networks in which they work, and are able to refer media
or others to people and resources within their particular network.
While the Steering Committee members represent a wide variety of
sectors, including environmental groups, business, academia and
health amongst others, all are committed to the basic principles
of Climate Change Connection: Climate change is real, it is human-caused,
and we can do something about it.
Third, the Compendium of Climate Change Resources in Manitoba is
a "work in progress" that serves to provide information and contacts
for projects, initiatives and resources in Manitoba on climate change.
Available in its first edition in print form, it will also be accessible
on-line on the website, where it will be continually updated as
new information is received.
The objective of all the elements of Climate Change Connection is
to build public awareness about the necessity of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, and to empower Manitobans to take the actions that
will achieve this goal, whether they are at the political, community,
family or individual level. Winnipeg entertainer, Fred Penner, who
served as Master of Ceremonies for the Launch, spoke earnestly about
how his personal commitment to his children and their future makes
climate change an issue of immediate importance to him. He linked
the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the need to examine
our consumer lifestyle and the growing movement towards Voluntary
Simplicity. Plainly put, reducing the consumption of unnecessary
goods will reduce the emissions associated with their production
and transport. This was a key message of the 12-part television
series, Living Simply, which was hosted by Fred.
Manitoba's Conservation Minister, Oscar Lathlin, thanked the Eco-Network
and Fort Whyte Centre (CCC's other co-chair organization) for their
work in developing Climate Change Connection, and reiterated his
government's commitment to ratifying Kyoto.
The Manitoba Government is expected to release its own Climate Change
Action Plan, based on the recommendations of the Axworthy Task Force
report, very soon. Forthcoming work for Climate Change Connection
will include a multi-sectoral education and outreach campaign on
"anti-idling", as well as three community workshops on climate change
in Northern, Western and Southeast Manitoba. Website content and
the Compendium will continue to be updated, and CCC speakers will
be available for community events or meetings. Stay tuned to www.climatechangeconnection.org
for more information.
News
from the Eco-Centre
By Anne Lindsey
With this issue, we are pleased to introduce our new Eco-Journal
editor, Heather Laird. Heather is a beekeeper and professional writer
and editor. Heather describes herself as a conservationist with
a particular interest in protecting wildlife and wild habitat, and
she is opposed to anything that degrades our natural environment.
She goes on to say, however, " that as a writer and editor, I support
free and open debate on all subjects. If I'm confronted with a viewpoint
I do not agree with, I still think it's important to try to understand
and consider that viewpoint". An excellent principle for the Editor
of Eco-Journal to espouse!
As always, we welcome your input to the Eco-Journal. If you've a
talent or urge to write about the environment, we're looking for
"reporters". Contact us at 947-6511.
Meanwhile, the former editor, (me!), will be devoting her newly
available time to other Network projects. I loved my work on Eco-Journal
for the last 7 years, but as the deadlines became harder and harder
to meet due to competing commitments, it seemed wise to pass the
job along to someone else. This is possible because of our second
annual grant from Manitoba Conservation, which has allowed us some
much-needed breathing room in other parts of our work as well.
For me, the best part of editing Eco-Journal is our ability to give
voice to some of the excellent work being done by environmentalists
and others in Manitoba. It has been especially rewarding to have
articles and news "picked up" by bigger media, or making a difference
to people in surprising places.
Our founding editor, Toby Maloney, put the Eco-Journal on a path
to becoming the major news and views publication for the environment
in Manitoba, and while we are still a small journal, I think we've
managed to live up to his vision. Good luck to Heather as she moves
us onward.
In other news from the Eco-Centre, we've recently wrapped up two
projects. Glen Koroluk completed a report entitled Climate Change
Action: From the Ground Up, which documents the activities and resources
of the environmental community on climate change, and reports on
the results of our survey to Manitoba NGOs on the Axworthy Task
Force recommendations on Climate Change. The report has gone to
government, and we hope it will play a part in the Province's Climate
Change Action Plan, to be released soon. The report is available
in our Library, and will soon be accessible on our website.
Jennifer Heinrichs and Tanya McFadyen completed this summer's Organic
Lawn Care Education Project at the end of July. Over 100 people
attended workshops around the City and many more sampled our display
at community events. Jen and Tanya generated some excellent recommendations
for extending the reach and impact of this project in future years.
Climate Change Connection, which we co-chair with the Fort Whyte
Centre, had its official launch September 19th. (See the cover story
in this issue for more information).
Larry Laliberte is continuing to provide services in the Alice Chambers
Memorial Library. He and Liz Dykman are working on a presentation
to Manitoba teachers to promote the availability of local resources
through the Library and the Eco-Network, and we plan to distribute
a poster to libraries and high schools throughout Manitoba to encourage
use of our Library and website.
With a recently announced grant from the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable
Foundation, we will be starting the development of a Geographic
Information System and Mapping Centre for the environmental community,
based out of the Library. Stay tuned for further information about
this exciting project.
In short, there's plenty happening at the Eco-Network these days.
As always, we invite you to come by and browse the contents of the
library, and pick up information and materials about Manitoba's
environment.
Better
Homes and Straw Bales
Profile of Darryl Brunger Construction
By Heather Laird
Darryl Brunger is living in a house made out of straw, and he'd
like to help you do it, too. The Woodlands, MB based entrepreneur
(and musician) lives in a solar and wind-powered straw bale house
he built himself, and he's now using the expertise he gained in
the process to help others reach their goals of living in a more
energy-efficient way. Darryl's business, D. Brunger Straw Bale Construction,
offers a complete consulting service for those wishing to build
a straw-bale home, and he also designs and sells solar electric
systems, along with composting toilets and high efficiency wood
stoves.
"Anything you need to live off the grid, I can put it together for
you" he says.
So what exactly is a straw bale home, and what are its advantages?
Brunger explains that the construction style originated in the early
1900s in Nebraska, a prairie state where there were few if any trees
to use for building material. This was around the time the mechanical
straw baler was invented, and some inventive person noticed that
the resulting rectangular bales looked like big, fluffy bricks.
Builders experimented with using straw bales for walls in homes
and farm buildings, and a new construction style was born. The bales
are typically stacked up and woven together with wire and baling
twine, and then plastered over with stucco inside and out. Wooden
support poles, or a wooden frame, support the roof of the structure.
The resulting walls are about 18 inches thick and seven times stronger
than conventional frame construction. The straw inside is tightly
compressed and sealed off from outside air, so it won't burn easily.
Straw bale has many other advantages as a building material, Brunger
notes. "It's an inexpensive, abundant and renewable material," he
says. " And it's easy to work with. Anyone can learn to build a
straw bale house."
Darryl describes building his own house as an "organic process".
He didn't start with a plan to build with straw bales, " It sort
of gradually turned into that and as I built the people and ideas
I needed just came to me". In 1996, seeking a simpler lifestyle,
he decided to start building a house on a section of his parents'
farm near Woodlands. He began with a timber frame of eastern white
pine, teaching himself to fit the frame together with the help of
an experienced friend. Once the frame was up, he needed something
for the walls. Lacking the funds for conventional materials, Darryl
was looking for alternatives when he realized that the farmer renting
the adjacent land had planted oats and had extra straw available.
"I'd read about the advantages of straw bale before, and this seemed
like the perfect time to try it" he recalls. "I got some friends
together, and the walls went up".
After slowly working on the details of the house as time and money
permitted, it was more or less completed in 1999 and Darryl and
family moved in. The finished house, with its Tudor-esque wooden
beams, high ceilings, and thick, stuccoed walls, is both attractive
and warm. With an estimated R-value of 50 (compared to R-12 for
conventional construction), it only takes a small armload of wood
to heat the 1200 square foot space on a severely cold winter day.
A windmill and photovoltaic solar panels provide electricity, with
storage batteries in the basement. A composting toilet (no, it doesn't
smell) completes the utility-free experience. This unique and beautiful
house attracted a lot of local attention, and a short newspaper
article about the project resulted in a steady stream of people
phoning and dropping by to see what it was all about. "I had hundreds
of inquiries" Darryl recalls. "It occurred to me that there was
a business in helping people to learn about straw bale and alternative
energy. The interest is out there, and people are looking for information
they can use. I can share my experiences in living with these types
of systems every day, and design something suitable for your family's
needs."
Darryl is able to provide plans, advice, and practical assistance
for your straw bale building project. He works with an engineer
to ensure that all plans meet safety and building code standards-
in fact, his work has been endorsed by the Manitoba Building Officials
Association, the organization that sets the codes and conducts building
inspections. He has already built several small cottages and sheds
in Manitoba, and more projects are planned for next year, "if people
can get the land to build". Meanwhile, for those who are interested
in straw bale and would like to learn more, Darryl conducts weekend
long workshops for groups of 8 or more people. In the workshops,
participants will build a complete small straw bale building from
start to finish. "One of my goals is to encourage people to think
about how they use energy in their daily lives" Darryl says. "And
not just in the country. I'd like to eventually build a straw bale
house in Winnipeg".
You can reach Darryl Brunger Strawbale Construction at (204) 383-5154,
or write to Box 8, Woodlands, MB, R0C 3H0.
What's Happening - Calendar of Events
Saturday, Oct. 5. Save
Our Seine St. Vital Trail Cleanup and Walk. 9 am to 12 noon. Meet
at Morrow Gospel Church. Call Jules at 255-6800 or e-mail Dave Watson
at saveourseine@yahoo.ca.
Oct. 12-14 Thanksgiving Weekend. Harvest Days Truckload Birdseed
Sale at Fort Whyte Centre. Call 989-355 for more information.
Tuesday, Oct. 15. Charting our Future: An All-Candidates Mayoralty
Forum. 7-9 pm at Broadway Disciples United Church, 396 Broadway
at Kennedy. Moderator will be Jennifer Rattray, host of CBC's Canada
Now. Presented by the Council of Women of Winnipeg and Provincial
Council of Women of Manitoba. Call 992-2751 for more information.
Tuesday, Oct. 29. Fort Whyte Centre Family Hallowe'en Party 6-8:30
pm Prizes, spooky tales and goodies galore! Regular admission plus
$2 per child. Call 989-355 for more information.
October 29 and 30. Revitalizing Rural Communities Through A Commitment
to Farm and Rural Enterprises. Royal Oak Inn, 3130 Victoria Avenue,
Brandon.
Share in the workshop experience, gather ideas for change and hear
provocative international speakers including Dr. John Ikerd, Dr.
Fred Kirschenmann and Dr. Mark Ritchie. Conference fee of $85.00
includes: Speaker sessions, two lunches, breakfast, banquet, and
coffee breaks. More information can be found at www.ruralrenewal.com
or contact the Agriculture Renewal Alliance at (204) 474-6080 or
(204)474-8227. Registration Deadline: Monday, October 14, 2002
Civil Disobedience in Wolseley:
The Mosquito Fogging Battle Heats Up
A personal account by Dan Moroz, community activist and Wolseley
resident
You may not agree with the actions taken by the people involved
in this protest, but please recognize that civil disobedience is
not only a right in civilized society, but sometimes a responsibility.
For some background, let me explain what I heard from the residents
of Alloway Avenue, in Winnipeg's Wolseley neighbourhood, on the
night of Sunday, July 21, 2002. On the first night fogging was scheduled,
Friday, July 19th, the residents of Alloway did a quick poll of
their street, and found that a majority of the residents were anti-fogging.
Some decided that in order to protect the health of their families
and unborn children, (one child was born to a resident during the
course of this ordeal, and at least one other woman was pregnant),
they were willing to be arrested for this cause. On the first night,
they blockaded their short, dead end street. A non-resident complained
and the police attended. The police told the Alloway residents that
they had contacted Insect Control, and that they would not fog anywhere
in Wolseley that night because of their actions on their one short
street! All the residents were surprised by this, and at the same
time, felt somewhat encouraged by this positive interaction with
the police. The same thing happened on Saturday, and at that time,
police told the protesters that one of the levels of government
would be filing an injunction on Monday morning to enable them to
fog. On Sunday, Wolseley was not on the list of neighborhoods to
be fogged. On Monday morning, the Bugline (986-3222) listed Wolseley
as being back on the fogging schedule. Nothing was heard regarding
an injunction, and the Alloway residents were deciding what they
intended to do. Encouraged by the success of the Alloway group,
other members of the neighborhood had decided that they might try
to maintain their own buffer zones.
The reasons for this situation revolved around the province's enactment
of an amendment to the Environment Act. It states that the Minister
of Health has the right to start the process to remove buffer zones
if a "health emergency" or "imminent health emergency"
exists. Since the risk assessment of West Nile Virus can hardly
be qualified as either of these, and has been expressed to the public
by Manitoba Health as such, many felt the Province and City were
fogging our buffer zones illegally.
With the impending fogging scheduled for Monday night, the residents
of Alloway contacted police to find out what would happen if they
continued their blockade. They were told that they did not intend
to arrest anyone unless they were blocking traffic, that Insect
Control did not want to force any confrontations, and that they
would leave the neighborhood if opposed. With this knowledge, some
decided to take a stand against the
fogging trucks, if they entered the neighborhood. People on bikes
(myself included) and in cars began patrolling the neighborhood,
starting at around 11:00 PM. Trucks were spotted at Raglan and Portage
around 12:30 a.m., and three fogging trucks entered Wolseley from
Portage Avenue. There was also a foreman's vehicle with City Entomologist
Randy Gadawski as a passenger.
The trucks were first blocked at Raglan and Portage, and then entered
the neighborhood at three different locations. The truck that entered
at Craig St. was driven particularly aggressively. Upon being stopped,
the driver would reverse very quickly, while fogging, and drive
to the next street or lane. After it had been stopped a number of
times, the driver began skipping streets, and doubling back. This
truck was able to elude the cyclists with this action. It became
obvious that the plan of engagement that the police told us about
was not being followed by Insect Control.
The truck that entered around Dominion Street, was similarly turned
back numerous times before being trapped by three cyclists in the
lane between Aubrey and Lipton. The driver shut down his fogging
apparatus, and gave his word to leave the neighborhood if he would
be allowed to leave.
The third truck entered on Evanson Street. This is the location
of a local organic food store, Organic Planet, which was at risk
from malathion contamination because of the necessity to keep the
ventilation system running throughout the night. This truck fogged
Paul Lukeman (whose wife owns "the Planet"), as well as others,
while he stood on the curb. Protesters stopped this truck on Home
Street, and the media arrived followed by the police. The truck
then left the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, Laine Hoogstraten, owner of "The Planet", while cycling
from home
to check on her store, encountered the truck that entered on Craig.
She stopped the truck a number of times before crashing into/being
hit by the truck. She was then able to stop the truck by climbing
on its hood until the police arrived. The police took statements,
and the last of the city trucks, as well as the foreman's vehicle
with Randy Gadawski, left the neighborhood.
It is my intention to reveal the disregard for pedestrians and protesters
with which these fogging trucks were operated. As well, to bring
to light the significant bravery with which the protesters, both
men and women, stopped these aggressive foggers with only their
bicycles as shields.
There were a number of pedestrians; a couple kissing goodnight on
the sidewalk, young boys on bikes, teenagers walking home from Omand's
Creek Park, families in open-windowed cars, a bus driver in a bus,
backyard garden partygoers, and many others who were fogged during
the City's operations that night. The trucks passed many protesters,
both on bike and on foot, repeatedly, with their fogging apparatus
on. Like everywhere else in Winnipeg, Wolseley saw few mosquitoes
that day. One of the criticisms made by protesters was that the
city fogged more people than mosquitoes that night.
The city of Winnipeg completed fogging less than 60 percent of the
neighborhood of Wolseley on that Monday night. It was announced
on Wednesday that they were going to complete the rest of the neighborhood
at some point. On July 25th, at 3 am, Insect Control's fogging trucks
came back into Wolseley, with police escorts and tow trucks, and
fogged the balance of the neighborhood with the neurotoxin malathion,
unannounced, without proper notification. There were no protests,
as everyone was taken off guard. None of the residents had the opportunity
to close their windows. None of the protestors had the opportunity
to protest, and be arrested. The city poisoned everyone here with
malathion, and many people felt ill and are still ill.
Neither the city nor the province was apologetic, and feel they
did what they needed for public health. Critics of their actions
have labeled this a severe breach of the public trust.
Winnipeg has had a chemically focused pest management program for
at least the last forty years. Chemicals have been regularly used
for what have now been termed "nuisance" mosquitoes, and whenever
resistance has built up on this subject, an "imminent health risk",
with far less danger than the flu, causes the rules to be changed.
We really need to bring a halt to this abuse of chemicals. The real
health emergency that exists here is in our use and exposure to
malathion and other toxic chemicals.
Dan Moroz is a local environmental activist. You can get more information
on the malathion protest at the website that he created, www.members.shaw.ca/nomalathionplease.
Save
Our Seine Campaigning to Save Threatened Forest
By Sylvie Hebert
Save Our Seine Environment Inc. (SOS) has launched a fundraising
campaign to raise one million dollars by December 31, 2002. This
is to help purchase 81.4 acres of 'Grade A' forest in southeast
Winnipeg, as recommended by the City of Winnipeg in June 2002. If
the campaign is successful, this forest will become a city park
known as "Bois des Esprits", protecting it from development.
The Seine River Greenway Study (2000) has confirmed the ecological
importance of the Seine River. The Bois des Esprits forest, situated
east of the river between Bishop Grandin Blvd. and Warde Ave., is
one of the largest undamaged tracts of oak river bottom forest.
It is home to many rare species including the River Jewelwing dragonfly,
and plants such as the Yellow Lady Slipper and the Indian Pipe.
Animals that inhabit the forest include deer, turtles, rabbits,
beavers, owls, blue herons, and fox. A unique aspect of this forest
is the presence of river oxbows, the only unfilled ones left in
the city. This forest also has many heritage trees, specimens that
represent extraordinary examples of a particular tree species. Moreover,
there are important historical sites in the forest such as the Riel
Grist Mill, which adds to the importance of preserving the area.
Aware of the threat of the upcoming second phase of Royalwood's
housing development, SOS took the initiative to promote turning
this untouched forest into a city park to ensure its protection.
SOS hired the architectural firm Gaboury Préfontaine Perry to study
a park plan of the area. The Bois des Esprits Park Plan recommends
an interpretative canoeing and hiking corridor that would connect
to other proposed pathways such as the Trans Canada Trail and the
Bishop Grandin Trail. It would also have an interpretative centre
located in a non -ecologically sensitive area, and picnic sites
and canoe launches, among other projects.
Currently, this forest is owned by Ladco Company Limited, which
is a joint venture between the housing developer Ladco (62% interest)
and the Province of Manitoba (38% interest). There has been much
discussion regarding the land acquisition between SOS, the City
of Winnipeg and Ladco Company Limited. On April 24, SOS held a meeting
at Morrow Gospel Church to inform the public about the Bois des
Esprits park proposal. That evening, more than 650 citizens showed
their support for the park. Consequently, the city councillors felt
they needed to urgently push forward the negotiations of the land
acquisition. On June 19, the city council voted in favour of preserving
part of the forest.
Of the 81.4 acres of property, the City of Winnipeg will purchase
33.0 acres over 5 years, a plan required for flood protection purposes.
It will receive 7.5 acres at no cost from Ladco Company Limited
as part of normal riverbank dedication that accompanies residential
developments. Of the remaining 40.9 acres worth 2.6 million dollars,
the City of Winnipeg has committed 1 million dollars, and will match
the amount raised by SOS to a maximum of $ 600,000. SOS therefore
needs to raise 1 million dollars to make up the shortfall.
SOS is in partnership with the City of Winnipeg and the Evergreen
Foundation, a national urban land trust, for its fundraising campaign.
SOS is presently seeking funds from a variety of sources including
agencies, foundations, companies, and individuals.
Save Our Seine Environment Inc. (SOS), a non-profit volunteer-based
organization, has been involved in many projects to improve the
quality of Seine River habitat since 1990. Some projects include
annual tree planting and cleaning events, trail building, siphon
repair, and creating artificial rapids called riffles.
Contributions made for the Bois des Esprits are tax deductible.
For more information about SOS or the fundraising campaign visit
the SOS website at http://www.geocities.com/saveourseine/
or contact David Danyluk at (204) 470-9247. Donations can be made
by cheque or money order to the following address: Save Our Seine
Environment Inc., P.O. Box 83, 208 Provencher Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba,
R2H 3B4.
Boreal
Majesty: An Evening for Canada's Northern Forests
A CPAWS event on December 4, 7:30 pm, at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
By Donna Danyluk, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
Many of us yearn to spend weeks at a time exploring the beauty and
mysteries of our boreal forests, but for practical reasons, cannot.
Fortunately, we can live vicariously through people who have devoted
their lives to exploring the wilds and who are willing to share
their adventures, discoveries and experiences with us.
Two such people are photographer and naturalist Dr. Wayne Lynch,
and ecologist Dr. David Henry. They are both eminent science writers,
and they have volunteered their time to share with Canadians their
unique experiences in the world's most northern forests. Dr. Lynch
also enjoys the distinction of being Canada's most well-known and
widely published wildlife photographer.
Presented by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the "Boreal
Majesty" tour will begin in Whitehorse and travel across the country,
arriving in Winnipeg on December 4th.
Dr. Lynch will share images and stories from his latest book, The
Great Northern Kingdom: Life in the Boreal Forest, a stunning collection
of photographs of the creatures that inhabit our complex and fragile
boreal forests, with evocative descriptions of animal behaviour
observed first hand.
Similarly, Dr. Henry writes about his long-standing relationship
with the northern taiga. David works as a conservation ecologist
for Parks Canada and has spent over 30 years studying the habits
of animals in the north. He has carried out field research on red
foxes, grizzly and black bears, wolves, Dall's sheep and bird communities
in northern national parks, such as Nahanni. His most recent book,
Canada's Boreal Forests, forms part of the Smithsonian Natural History
Series.
What compels these two men to volunteer their time to travel across
the country sharing their experiences? A deep and abiding love of
the natural world, and a concern that we may not realize what we
have lost until it is too late. By just about any measuring stick,
Canada's portion of the world's remaining relatively undisturbed
expanses of boreal forest represents one of the world's most valuable
natural areas-whether the measure is fresh water, intact wildlife
habitat, the biodiversity of old-growth forests or the health of
traditional cultures. Here in Manitoba, home to the largest uncut
area of boreal forest in North America, we have an incredible opportunity
to protect the boreal before it is cut into pieces by roads, hydro
lines, and industrial activity. Wayne Lynch and David Henry believe
that as Canadians come to appreciate the delicate balance of life
in this fragile ecosystem, they will defend our boreal forest from
the threats that it faces from human impact, including the effects
of climate change.
CPAWS Manitoba welcomes you and your family and friends to attend
"Boreal Majesty, an Evening for Canada's Northern Forests" at 7:30
p.m. on Wednesday, December 4th, at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium
at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. You will also be able to purchase copies
of the books and have them personally signed by the authors-a great
Christmas gift idea!
Tickets are $10 general admission and $7 for students. They can
be purchased at Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Winnipeg Art Gallery,
Photo Central and The Lab Works. For more information, contact CPAWS
Manitoba at 949-0782 or see www.cpaws.org/boreal/boreal-majesty-book-tour.html
The
Precautionary Principle:
Two new titles in the Alice Chambers Memorial Library
By Larry Laliberté
Eco-Network Librarian
The precautionary principle had its beginnings in the German concept
of "Vorsorge", or foresight, which is the belief that society should
seek to avoid environmental problems by careful forward planning.
This concept was further refined at the 1992 United Nations Conference
on the Environment and Development, in Agenda 21, which stated that
the "lack of full scientific certainty" shall not be used as a reason
for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental
degradation. Recently, the Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary
Principle in 1998 reiterates this concept, "when an activity raises
threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary
measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships
are not fully established scientifically." Essentially, the precautionary
principle focuses on options and solutions rather than risk, serving
as a speed bump to new technology and ensuring that decisions about
new activities are made thoughtfully and in the light of potential
consequences. 1
The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century, Late Lessons
from Early Warnings
Edited by Poul Harremoes et al. EarthScan, 2002 268 p. (incl. Tables,
Figures & References)
The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century utilizes fourteen
case studies of occupational, public and environmental hazards in
order to provide "late lessons" for future policy, by highlighting
the lack of use of a precautionary approach. The examples include
radiation, benzene, asbestos, PCBs, halocarbons, antimicrobials,
sulphur dioxide, MTBE, hormones as growth promoters, mad cow disease
and the contamination of the Great Lakes. The precautionary principle
in the 20th century is well organized and easily accessible. The
table of contents clearly notes each case study as well as further
subdivides the cases in order to highlight:
· when was the first credible scientific early warning?
· what was done, or not done by regulatory bodies to reduce the
risks
· what were the resulting costs and benefits of the actions or inactions
· what lessons were learned for future decision making?
Through the use of engaging examples, this very accessible book
establishes the precautionary principle as an overarching framework
of thinking that governs the use of foresight in situations characterized
by uncertainty and ignorance, and where there are potentially large
costs to regulatory inaction.
The Perception of Risk by Paul Slovic. EarthScan, 2000 473p.
(Tables, Figures & References)
The Perception of Risk provides a synopsis of twenty-five years
of research to examine how society arrives at an optimum balance
between the risks and benefits associated with any activity by trial
and error. By organizing the topics chronologically, the book allows
the reader to see the evolution of our understanding of the perception
of risks including:
· societal risk taking
· rating risks
· informing and educating the public about risk
· perceived risk, trust and democracy
· technological stigma
While The Perception of Risk is academically dry at times, the various
studies provide a philosophical backdrop to the precautionary principle
by providing the reader with an understanding of the gap between
the policy makers' views of risk, and the public perception of risk.
For example, in one chapter, the experts are shown to be hindered
by "bounded reality" where cognitive limitations force decision-makers
to construct simplified models in order to deal with the world.
Online Resources:
The Network has launched a new website for Environmental Risk Assessment
and Management (NERAM) in order to assist in the development of
the precautionary principle in Canada. The mission of NERAM's website
is to present a fair, accurate, plain language summary of stakeholder
perspectives on the issues surrounding the interpretation and implementation
of the precautionary principle in Canada. While still under construction
in places (news and events), the site offers an excellent overview
of the precautionary principle, stakeholder positions, bibliography
and online publications, links to other websites as well as an email
address to encourage feedback. NERAM's website is available at:
http://www.neram.ca/Pages/pp/ppweb.htm
1. The Precautionary Principle in Action: A Handbook. Joel
Tickner, Carolyn Raffensperger and Nancy Myers. Science and Environmental
Health Network. 1999 26p. Available at: http://www.biotech-info.net/handbook.pdf
Too
Good to Waste!
Gearing up for Waste Reduction Week 2002
By Iain Whitaker
* Canadians use some 200 aerosol cans each year, take home more
than 55 million plastic bags each week, discard 1.7 billion disposable
diapers annually, use 4400 litres of water daily, and produce nearly
their body weight in garbage every month.
* It takes 9500 litres of water, 5.5 kilograms of grain, 16 kilograms
of topsoil and the energy equivalent to 4.5 litres of gasoline to
produce one pound of feedlot beef.
* One litre of used oil, improperly disposed of, can pollute one
million litres of fresh water.
* Some 60 per cent of Canada's boreal forest and Arctic regions
are forecast to be drastically altered by climate change.
Realities like these, unpleasant but not unalterable, form a backdrop
as schools, groups and communities across Manitoba gear up for Waste
Reduction Week 2002 - October 21-27. In its second year as a national
event, Waste Reduction Week is organized by non-profit groups in
all thirteen provinces and territories. It's a chance for organizations
to promote the different elements of waste reduction - reducing,
reusing, recycling and composting, as well as energy and water conservation
- knowing that they are joined by hundreds of other organizations
across the country.
Theme days
Each day of Waste Reduction Week has been assigned a theme, to help
participants focus their activity planning. Each day's theme highlights
a general aspect of everyday life where waste issues may be easily
examined. On Home Monday, for instance, remember that recycling
and composting will divert over half of your solid waste from the
landfill. Rake those fallen leaves into bags to add gradually to
the compost pile over the coming year; otherwise you may be lacking
valuable brown material next summer. On Travel Tuesday, try taking
the bus to work, or host a dinner party with exclusively locally
produced food. Supporting local producers is helpful on a social
level, but also on an environmental level, since the food that travels
less also pollutes less. On Work Wednesday, form a workplace "green
team" to investigate and report on significant waste issues. Remember
that waste reduction doesn't only save natural resources; it can
save a lot of money, too! On School Thursday, start a used-on-one-side
paper reuse bank, organize a "litter-less lunch" competition, or
set up a classroom vermicomposter. On Play Friday, organize a community
sports equipment swap, or take up a new, non-motorized hobby like
music, yoga or cross-country skiing. Shopping Saturday is your chance
to purchase or sew a cloth shopping bag, and consider forming/joining
an organic food-buying co-op. Community Sunday may be spent attending
or organizing public speaking events focusing on waste issues, or
organizing a community-wide litter pick-up. The civic elections,
which are scheduled to occur during Waste Reduction Week, also offer
community groups the ability to ask their local candidates for their
opinions on waste reduction and their strategic ideas for implementation.
To get involved
Waste Reduction Week in Manitoba is sponsored by the Province of
Manitoba, Manitoba Product Stewardship Corporation, Manitoba Hydro,
City of Winnipeg, and Manitoba Association for Resource Recovery
Corp. To register your organization as a participant, or for more
information or activity suggestions, contact Iain Whitaker, Waste
Reduction Week Coordinator, Resource Conservation Manitoba, phone:
925-3772, email: wrw@resourceconservation.mb.ca,
and browse the Waste Reduction Week website at
www.resourceconservation.mb.ca and www.wrwcanada.com.