September 25, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
A
week from today: Clean air, clean water, and healthy food. These are basic necessities of life. They’re things that all of us should have access to—and in fact, they’re things that citizens of 180 nations around the world are legally entitled to. But Canada is not on that list. Environmentalist and author, Silver Donald Cameron was surprised to learn that Canadians don’t have these environmental rights. It’s what led him to create his documentary, Green Rights, which will be shared across the Maritimes in a screening tour this fall, sponsored by Atlantic Credit Unions. That excerpt is from the Credit Unions' link (below), which includes a video of an interview with Silver Donald: https://honestmoney.ca/stories/green-rights-an-interview-with-silver-donald-cameron  from the poster for the film, Green Rights, coming to P.E.I. next week. Blue Dot PEI and Citizens' Alliance of P.E.I. are the local hosts of the visit. --------------------------------------- Stéphane Dion, currently Canadian Ambassador to Germany, was former leader of the Liberal Party, and before that the Minister of the Environment under Paul Martin, wrote this essay used on September 25th entry of the anthology Global Chorus: 365 Voices on the Future of the Planet. Despite empirical evidence and science’s warnings regarding the ever-increasing deterioration of our natural environment, unsustainable economic activity, political wrangling, self-serving practices and just plain negligence keep trumping environmental imperatives. Most political leaders care about this tragedy. But concretely, they are not accountable to the planet; they are accountable to their jurisdiction. That’s why, most of the time, local trumps global, and short term prevails over long term. Now, assume that we change the rules of the game. Imagine a world where each decision maker, public or private, has to pay the real cost of pollution and where we all know that our partners and competitors have to pay for this cost as well. In such a world, political rulers would still think of their own jurisdiction’s welfare first but their decisions would be more mindful of the global commons. Putting a price on pollution: this is what the overwhelming majority of economists, scientists and environmentalists – and a few foolhardy politicians – have been urging us to do for years. This applies notably to the climate change crisis. The current UN climate negotiations are stalled; that is the inescapable conclusion of a cool, lucid mind. So let’s redirect these negotiations towards achieving a universal harmonized carbon price. We need a world where pollution is no longer cost-free. We need to switch from self-destructive development to sustainable development. Action on this survival necessity and moral imperative is long overdue; it will require individual commitment, business support and political will. -- Stéphane Dion September 24, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Events
today: So we've all been searching for answers on how to create a better mental healthcare and addictions system on PEI. Todd Leader has the solution. And he put it into action along the South Shore of NS- and it works. And he wrote a really easy to read book describing how to do it. I've read the book from cover to cover and believe its the answer we've been looking for. Even more exciting? Todd is coming to PEI to share his experience in a free public presentation on September 27th hosted by UPEI. If you are a community leader, if you are an educator or healthcare professional or a public servant, or a politician or a member of our community that has been searching for a better system then please make sure you're at the public presentation. I promise you will not be disappointed. I'd also urge everyone interested in creating a better mental healthcare system to read Todd Leader's book. “It’s Not About Us; The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada”. This book describes the kind of mental health and addiction system we all want. It describes a system that is designed specifically around the needs of the public, and of each person, instead of around the needs of the system itself. It even includes recommendations for advocates like us, about how to advocate for this kind of system. The book (paperback or e-book) can be purchased
at any of the following places: This book is the guide for the kind of services we want. Let’s learn about it and start asking for it. This book gave me hope. --Sarah Stewart-Clark ------------------------------The P.E.I. Government has quietly produced a group of Facebook pages with catchy titles like "PEI Family", PEI Seniors", etc., with lots of gorgeous photos and announcements of government announcements. As one observant member of my household said: "The lighter end of government propaganda." an example: https://www.facebook.com/familypei/ -------------------------------- The September 24th Global Chorus essay is written by Céline Cousteau, a multimedia documentarian, an environmental advocate, and founder/director of CauseCentric Productions. She is a granddaughter of oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau. Her website is: http://www.celinecousteau.com/
Hope serves as a driving force for positive change. This hope inspires
us to look to our future and take the necessary steps to ameliorate our lives. September 23, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Farmers'
Markets are
open today, as a huge variety of produce is ready for harvest.
----------------- It was a riveting, memorable experience, not just because it was our first visit to the High Arctic, not just because of the astonishing beauty of the unfolding landscape, not just because the entire Inuit community was uniformly generous and welcoming, but because we were exposed to issues for which we were entirely unprepared. ---------------------------------------------David Holmgren is "co-originator of the Permaculture design system for sustainable living and land use", and an ecological builder, farmer, and author. His website is here. ---- Organized international responses (between nation states) to the current global environmental and social crises are unlikely to be effective or in time, and are more likely to worsen the crises because they will all be designed to maintain growth of the corporation dominated global economy and protect the power of nation states. Despite the pain and suffering from the ongoing, and likely permanent, contraction of many economies, the explosion of informal household and community economies have the potential to ameliorate the worst impacts of the crises by rebuilding lost local resilience. I believe the diversity of integrated design strategies and techniques associated with concepts such as Permaculture will be most effective at building household and community economies as the global economy unravels. The diversity of these strategies and techniques promises that at least some will provide pathways for longer-term survival of humanity while the adverse impacts of some strategies will tend to be more local and limited allowing natural systems (especially at the global scale) to stabilize. Because the future will be more local than global, the critical path is the ongoing development and refinement of effective local designs, while the Internet and other aspects of the failing global systems still have huge potential to allow the viral spread of the most effective and widely applicable designs. Systems ecology and indigenous wisdom both suggest that in a world of limited resources, the ethics of “care of the Earth,” “care of people” and “fair share” will prove more advantageous to local survival than those based on greed and fear, that have been so powerful during a century of unprecedented abundance. To put it crudely, hungry dogs hunt co-operatively and share the results, but given an abundance of food, they fight each other for the spoils. I have great hope that the diverse local cultures that emerge from the ruins of industrial modernity will be based on these ethics and informed by design principles found in nature. The uncertainty is how much more pain and despoiling are yet to unfold before fear and greed prove maladapted to a world of limits. — David Holmgren September 22, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Many
things going on this weekend: Highlighting Fall Flavours is the Taste Our Island – Roving Feast. Taste, rove, mingle and dine with eight culinary chefs who have been nominated for the prestigious Taste Our Island Award based on the outstanding quality of their cuisine and use of local products. We will have eight of the best chefs on PEI all gathered in one room at the Charlottetown Hotel .
Saturday, September 23rd: Founded in Toronto in 2010, Boreal Collective's photographers are united by a desire to document humanity and its intricate realities in our rapidly evolving world. From photojournalism to contemporary photography, each member’s individual practice is as diverse as their cultural and social backgrounds. It is the interplay between them that allows Boreal to carry out far-reaching projects that inspire greater creative and social consciousness. from: http://www.borealcollective.com/about The idea that we need to “save the planet” is entirely ridiculous. The Earth doesn’t need us for anything. From formation of its molten core to its multiple ice ages and numerous extinction-level asteroid impacts, our planet has evolved into a nearly perfect, self-correcting system. We’ll kill ourselves long before we destroy the Earth.I have spent the last three years photographing the indigenous communities located in the region of the Canadian oil sands. A couple centuries ago, their ancestors roamed the Athabasca region of northern Alberta, following the caribou herds and living in harmony with their environment. Today, their First Nations bands have been confined to remote reserves where their sources of food and water are so polluted that they now must cope with rising rates of cancer, miscarriages and other serious ailments. As more and more of their hunting territory is stripmined and drowned beneath with man-made lakes of toxic waste, the prospect of reviving their traditional livelihood is quickly fading away. They are the canary in the coal mine. For the 2012–13 fiscal year, the Canadian government budgeted $9-million in tax revenue to fund an ad campaign that attempted to convince Canadians and the world of the importance of oil sands developments. The ads trumpeted words like “energy security” and “economic progress” while insisting that environmental protection was a top priority. They also reminded us that the oil sands are worth $1.7-trillion to Canada’s GDP over the next 20 years while neglecting to mention that the oil sands industry alone emits more carbon per annum than the entire nation of Turkey. The public will buy the government’s line because they’re too afraid to face a new and unknown world. The oil sands are the reason why my country pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol and why my government continues to sabotage the international climate change debate with destructive policies and a noncommittal stance on proposed climate accords. While Canada is not solely responsible for global climate change, our actions contribute to a greater whole. We will not choose to transition to a sustainable existence until that change becomes a necessity. By that time, it will be too late to avoid major loss of human life. Extreme weather patterns have already become the norm and there are climate change refugees all over the globe. A new and unknown world is coming and we must adapt in order to survive. Beyond simply surviving, we must live. The coming centuries will present us with an opportunity to rebuild our world while considering the hard lessons of today. The greed and inequity that has flung us into this quagmire of systemic destruction must not be carried forward. Our brilliance as a species to create and invent needs only to be focused in the right direction for us to create something that is truly lasting and beautiful. Good luck, everyone. — Ian Willms September 21, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
This
morning: The committee will
receive a briefing on the policies and procedures on property taxes in the
province from Hon. Allen Roach, Minister of Finance; and Beth Gaudet,
Provincial Tax Commissioner. You
can watch it on the Legislative Committee's website: Join us for our Annual General Meeting. The evening will include a recap of the last year’s activities, presentation of the Hon. J. Angus MacLean Natural Areas Award, election of new board members, and a presentation by Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust titled “Right Whales: An Unusual Mortality Event”. ------------------------------- Failure is feedback, there should be no trophies for ignoring the rules - The Hughes-Jones Centre blog by Ellen JonesWednesday, September 20th, 2017, on-line at link above.(The blog post starts with a photo labeled "The Savage", showing a racehorse on the left biting the horse on the right mid-race.) According to Facebook this is a picture of “The Savage”. The story posted with the picture is as follows: The horse on the left was in the lead, the horse on the right was closing the gap and starting to pass. Instead of the horse on the left putting forth more effort into gaining and keeping the lead, he reaches over and bites the horse on the right. Meanwhile the horse on the right has his ears laid back and his eye on the prize. Moral of the story: Never entertain foolishness. Have a purpose in life, Stay focused and never let others bring you down. Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit. There is an old saying: a champion is someone who is willing to be uncomfortable & Rock bottom has built more champions than privilege. It’s about hard work and drive. Determination to keep pushing forward when others would love to see you fail. Winning isn’t the score on the board, it’s seeing something through to the end and congratulating your opponent. If you win through bad sportsmanship there is no real victory. The horse on the right won the race. Well, after almost a year and a half of dealing with our provincial government (the horse on the left) did this little anecdote ever hit home. Throughout this Cornwall Bypass project I’ve learned that our system is set up to bet on the horse on the left. There is even a movement in coaching sport which supports and fosters this attitude. You know, the one in which everyone who plays gets a ribbon? I believe this movement of “trophies for everyone” regardless of how they played or whether they won or lost the race – to be a damaging and destructive practice. When we take away the feelings of winning or losing we remove the valuable learning opportunities which accompany these very normal highs and lows. The research actually proves this, kids need more opportunities to live and experience failure in safe settings. We teach this a lot at HJC. We want our students to become resilient and find the lessons in their mistakes. At HJC, failure is not a bad word it’s simply feedback, informing students that they have to change something the next time around. With this in mind I’m going to channel your thoughts back toward our current PEI Liberal Government. Recently, although they won’t say it this way, they failed — significantly. I’m not telling you this because I want to rub it in their faces, rather I see a learning opportunity for them and the rest of us which needs to be spoken aloud instead of swept under the rug. The Minister of Transportation Infrastructure and Energy along with many other cabinet ministers and bureaucrats (the premier too) — lost in the arbitration regarding land prices in the Cornwall area. The judge threw out their contracted appraisal and basically said the job performed was not one of relevance to the issue before her. That’s a big deal folks! The government hired a 3rd party independent appraiser and gave him a mandate which meant we, as an expropriated party, were never going to be treated fairly. There was never any negotiation or discussion just a position government took and refused to look beyond. The more we tried to reason with them the more thet began to act like the horse on the left… This means had we not taken the initiative to seek out our own 3rd party independent appraisal with a mandate regarding expropriation — we never would have known how short sighted and unfair the situation actually was. (need to go to link to see the excerpt) Excerpt from Madam Justice Jaqueline Matheson’s decision August 16th, 2017 We aren’t talking about this failure or loss though, not really anyway. We aren’t talking about how to avoid these pitfalls again and as far as government acknowledging their failure goes, most people think I’m crazy to even suggest it. But why is that so crazy? That appraiser, last we heard, is still doing appraisals regarding the negotiation of land for the Cornwall bypass project. It’s frightening to think of how many people were short changed on their land because government has become accustomed to getting the trophy at the end of the game — even though they haven’t played by the rules. Kind of doesn’t seem right does it? We want our children to admit when they are wrong — learn and build new skills. Yet, we never hear any real admission of failed initiatives in government, do we? There is no transparancy just spin, which means we give permission by default, allowing the same things to happen again and again. How can we hold our kids to one standard only to lower those standards for the people who run our province? Leading by example is hard for governments — especially ones who are led by academics who believe they are the smartest person in the room. Criticism can be really difficult for those people to absorb. “… more than 35 years of scientific investigation suggests that an overemphasis on intellect or talent leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unwilling to remedy their shortcomings.” ~Carol S. Dweck; Scientific American: January 1, 2015 Pretty accurate description of our provincial government leaders and their attitude, don’t you agree? If the government themselves either because of ego, conditioning or lack of knowledge are unable to admit or acknowledge their failures, they will never be able to grow and this means things in this province will never change. And man alive friends do we ever need some change in this province! This isn’t a one sided issue though and here’s where it gets tough. It’s on all of us to hold the government accountable for their short comings and failures. Going through this process I can’t tell you how many people told us we were crazy to stand up because the government would never listen. We were told repeatedly we would never make an impact and we were “wasting our time”. Those people weren’t in government, they were my friends, my family, some were my neighbours all of whom were angry about what was happening to us but shared the same belief the government did; the big guy was going to win no matter what we did or what was right. Our response was to act like the horse on the right. We doubled down in our effort and our finish line focus. We’ve reached the finish line now and the results are clear, the bad behaviour of government did not net them the results they were after. Rumour has it that many in government are none too happy they didn’t receive their trophy either… So what’s next? I believe it’s our job to not let the government forget their failures, we need to begin to require change. If the PEI government doesn’t start treating people fairly and with the respect every human being is entitled to — they are going to lose (in the legal system as well as the court of public opinion) consistently and often, at the taxpayer’s expense. There is no reward (nor should there be) for cheating people out of fair compensation for their forcibly taken hard earned home. At best this could be a learning opportunity, at it’s worst it could be permission for the government to continue it’s poor practice. There are more land owners who have not yet been dealt with by government for this road and there is an amazing opportunity to demonstrate through future actions that this government is capable of growth. At HJC we tell our students all the time; growth is hard but that’s okay — because people can do hard things. The PEI Government failed us, and that doesn’t mean they can’t be committed to doing better next time. As Maya Angelou said: When you know better. Do better. There’s no mistaking that after our arbitration, we all know better. It’s time to apply that that knowledge and begin to require government to do better for the people of this province. ------------------------------- Rajendra K. Pachauri was the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change from 2003 until 2015. He wrote this essay a few years ago for the anthology Global Chorus.
I am optimistic that humanity can find a way past the current global crisis
that we face. The challenge of climate change of course is by far the most
daunting of all the complex problems that afflict planet Earth, and indeed it
would take an enormous amount of determination, enlightenment and possibly
lifestyle and behavioural changes to effectively meet this challenge. September 20, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The Charlottetown Farmers' Market is open today from 9AM-2PM. ------------------------------- A glimpse of the future - Island Farmer article by Ian PetriePublished Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 I didn’t quite believe it at first. I was told that some PEI farmers and a recently established Slemon Park company called New Leaf Essentials, have a market selling plant protein to a business that makes dog food for vegan pet owners. I’m resisting saying that the dogs are vegan because they’re only eating what’s put in front of them. No, it’s people who take animal welfare very seriously, want to own a dog, and know that it’s slaughter house waste that is used to boost protein levels in regular dog food. They’re determined to get this protein from plants instead, so a new and important market for PEI grown field peas. Let’s think about this for a second. There are more and more people, usually well-heeled, who want to do much more than eat when they buy food for themselves, and now their pets. They want to express their values, and unless we’re heading into a Mad Max future (not impossible) this will be one more consideration for producers in the food chain. I think PEI farmers are well positioned to take advantage of it. There are some obvious ones: the increasing demand for organic produce and meat, buying local. PEI’s beef industry has carved out an important niche, high quality beef from small family farms, not the giant feedlots where most North American beef comes from. It’s a quality that’s been well received as well in export markets in Asia and elsewhere. Grass-fed beef is another opportunity that’s developing. There are other values at work. A growing group of consumers is very concerned about animal welfare. Some egg producers and dairy farmers here have rebuilt or added elements to their operations to give more comfort to chickens and cows, ways to allow livestock to lead more natural lives. The hog industry has some catching up to do, especially with the use of crates for farrowing sows. Ranald MacFarlane has set a pretty high standard for finishing pigs with his fenced in playground. I’m convinced the muscle built up by free range pigs and fowl gives them much more flavour and texture, and a little less guilt for eating them. So yes I’m one of those people. I think humane raising of livestock will continue to grow in importance. Some national columnists like Tom Walkom with the Toronto Star are writing about animal welfare issues regularly, and videos of inhumane treatment of livestock aren’t being quickly dismissed. There are other trends that some struggle to understand, like the increasing demand for halal meat. It is a reflection of the increasing numbers of Asian Muslims who have immigrated to Canada. It’s a religious requirement from the Koran, and some slaughter operations on PEI, both big and small, are catering to this market. It’s essentially a Muslim giving a short blessing, thanking God, and acknowledging that an animal is giving up its life to nourish people.There’s also a requirement that the animal is judged healthy before slaughter, and killed quickly with a knife. I like the idea of a brief sign of respect for these animals, something all good livestock producers understand. It doesn’t fit with the efficiency of the assembly line, or the consciously sterile display of meat on Styrofoam trays removing any hint that a creature was killed for our supper. Maybe it’s not a bad thing to remember. There seems little doubt that marijuana will be part of PEI agriculture in the future. The Jewell family from York is the first to recognize this opportunity, and won’t be the last. The study of the health benefits of what are called cannabinods, the more than one hundred compounds in marijuana that don’t make you high, will pick up once it’s legal a year from now. Pulse crops, like fava beans, lentils, and peas will beome increasingly important too. These are legumes which “fix” nitrogen from the air, and can be very beneficial in crop rotations. This brings us back to New Leaf Essentials. As with all new buyers trying to get established, the challenge will be to find the pricing sweet spot, something that allows the processor to compete in export markets, and ensures farmers make money too. I’m
convinced this will happen. Chris Chivilo, an Island native and the principal
behind New Leaf, has years of experience with pulse crops in western Canada,
and wants to replicate it here. This is someone who knows what he’s doing. And
catering to vegan dog owners, while unusual, is a good start. Indian American journalist and educator Simran Sethi ("focused on food, sustainability and social change") writes the September 20th Global Chorus essay. Her most recent book is Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love. This is a different way of looking at this myth than what most of us know.
To the ancient Greeks, she was hope. Elpis: a spirit bearing flowers,
borne out of the actions of the first woman, Pandora. September 19, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA NewsA reminder that tonight is
the second PC leadership candidates' forum, in Bloomfield, 7PM, between
Brad Trivers and James Aylward, at the Bloomfield Legion. September 18, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Some
events coming up soon and in the future: Trade Justice PEI
invites activists from all of its member organizations and interested
individuals to this discussion with Ian Petrie - ex-CBC journalist - about what
constitutes media bias and how we can best address it. People involved in
issues beyond Trade Justice are welcome. The evening will begin with a brief
strategy session for the upcoming consultation in PEI on NAFTA renegotiation,
followed by discussion with, and presentation by, Ian. Tuesday,
September 19th: Thursday, September 21st, Keep
in mind: "Air, water, food
– these are the sources of life. Without them, we die. And in most nations –
more than 180 nations, in fact – citizens are legally entitled to these
essential elements of life. But not in Canada or the United States. This film tells great human stories from
around the world – tales of passion and courage and love, stories of parents
and grandparents battling on behalf of generations not yet born." Tuesday, October 10th, for a talk by Maude Barlow (president emeritus of the Council of Canadians) in Charlottetown, along with others speakers, about NAFTA and water rights. Tuesday, October 24th:"Step up to the Plate" Fundraising dinner for the PEI Food Exchange, 5-8PM, PEI Farm Centre. Ticketed. and it will be great to see everyone on: Saturday, November 18th: "Stop Plan B" Five Year Reunion, and Citizens' Alliance AGM, 7PM, PEI Farm Centre. Facebook event details -------------------------------- Alastair McIntosh is a fascinating person, and he has come to P.E.I. and is wonderful to listen to. He is the author of Soil and Soul, and Hell and High Water: Climate Change, Hope and the Human Condition. There is a lot of interesting reading on his jam-packed website: http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/ And most delightedly, there is a link to a very recent TEDx Talk about "Spiritual Activism: Donald Trump and the Second Sight" - -an eclectic 20 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-vxUtmtKKc&feature=youtu.be And he writes the September 18th Global Chorus essay. The great question of our times is: what does it mean to be a human being? Are we just egos, on legs of meat? Here today, gone tomorrow? Obsessed with competition, consumerism and war? Or is there more to us than that? Are we still in the early days of the unfolding of humanity? Facing the come-what-may of the come-to-pass, but on a pilgrim sojourn? Sometimes when I feel very alone, doubting and lacking perspective, I go to a still dark place and look to the stars. The last time I was home on the Isle of Lewis I went by the five-thousand-year-old Callanish standing stones. Afterwards I dropped in for a cup of tea with Calum, the minister of the village’s Free Church of Scotland. His Calvinist theology is not quite mine, but we Quakers “seek that of God in all,” and it has been my experience to find this pastor’s pulse a beat ahead of my own. “The old people of the island,” he said, as I broke a piece of cake, “maintained that there is only one quality in the human heart that the Devil cannot counterfeit. We call it the miann. It is a Gaelic word. It means ardent desire. The ardent desire for God.” I do not know Calum well enough to speak for how he understood that desire. But for me, it is about a very flesh-and-blood kind of love. The ground of all that we most truly are, the essence of good things, the fabric of community and the meaning that gives meaning to meaning. I left Callanish that day sparked by the fire of this miann. We can but ask for it inwardly. To raise our eyes. To see life’s starry connection. And who knows? To glimpse the opalescent shimmer of love’s hope. — Alastair McIntosh September 17, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA NewsToday is Open Farm Day,
multiple locations. September 16, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Lots
of garden produce and more at Farmers' Markets: Tonight, look into the night sky and wonder at the ingenuity of
humankind. For all that troubles us here on Earth, our species is not without
its redeeming qualities. We are indebted to the scientific minds who made this journey of
discovery possible. And we are thankful for the elected officials who found
this multi-billion dollar mission worthy of our national investment. -------------------------------- Fernand Pareau is now an 87-year-old "doyen of guides to the peaks of Chamonix" (in France), and was featured in the 2009 movie The Age of Stupid. He wrote this essay for Global Chorus.
From the time I first saw the mountain, there have been many changes. It
is now much more dangerous. In recent years, there have been large rock slides,
for example, particularly in the west face of the Dru [l’Aiguille du Dru of the
Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps]. And the glaciers are shrinking –
those of Bossons and the Mer de Glace have lost up to seven metres in thickness
per year. They used to descend into the valley. Now, there are two lakes at the
bottom of the Mer de Glace! And this decline is everywhere. And faster and
faster. September 15, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Today: Trade Justice PEI
invites activists from all of its member organizations and interested
individuals to this discussion with Ian Petrie - ex-CBC journalist - about what
constitutes media bias and how we can best address it. People involved in
issues beyond Trade Justice are welcome. The evening will begin with a brief
strategy session for the upcoming consultation in PEI on NAFTA
renegotiation, followed by discussion with, and presentation by, Ian. Business Insider posted an article which was a list of "the 10 Most Serious Problems in the World, According to Millennials" [Millennials (sometimes called the even more ungainly title Generation Y) are the cohort of people following "Generation X" and grouped as having been born in the early 1980s to somewhere between mid 1990s to early 2000s.] They are often accused of "ruining" everything that the Baby Boomer generation held dear. They don't ruin everything; they have to help fix just about everything. 10) Lack of economic opportunity and employment 9) Safety/security/wellbeing 8) Lack of education 7) Food and water security 6) Government accountability and transparency / corruption 5) Religious conflicts 4) Poverty 3) Inequality (income, discrimination) 2) Large scale conflict /wars 1) Climate change /destruction of nature -------------------------------------------------- 
I am assuming it's *Friday*, September 15th, from the government's page (the
address to send e-mails to is <hawalsh@gov.pe.ca>): September 14, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Today: Join Steve Howard
(shadow energy critic for the Greens), Lynne Lund (deputy leader of the PEI
Greens), other shadow cabinet members, green council members, greens from the
area, and the one and only Peter Bevan-Baker as we welcome Greens and those
interested in having a Green conversation out for a evening of political
conversations. There are exciting things happening within the Green ranks so
come on out and join the movement!...or at least the conversation. See you
there.
Tomorrow: Matt Dykerman, his family and all the team at Red Soil Organics are hosting an open house at their new processing and storage facility in Brookfield. There will be tours of the facility, the equipment and machinery. Suppliers will be on hand, to answer questions about their work and Red Soil Organics staff will be serving up some delicious authentic Nepali and Bhutanese food to snack on! From 4-5 pm there will be a demonstration of the carrot processing line, so that it can be seen in operation. This is an open invitation, so please feel free to invite friends and colleagues as well. It is requested that you RSVP by sending an email to rsvp@redsoilorganics.ca.
------------------------ LETTER: Province stalling on mental health - The Guardian Letter to the EditorPublished on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 P.E.I. is
having problems dealing with suicides. The problem is the Liberals are
intolerant of people with mental illnesses. The Liberals had over a decade to
replace the Hillsborough Hospital but haven't. The Liberals in 1993 repealed
Legislation requiring a P.E.I. Supreme Court justice to act as chairperson for
Mental Health Review Board hearings. The Liberals didn't have a coroner review one
of the suicides in the Hillsborough Hospital. ------------------------------ Lillian Rose Stewart is a retired ski bus driver, and was screenwriter on a project highlighting the Tahoe ski area and the human condition, which I am not sure ever got completely finished. She wrote the essay which is on the September 14th entry for the anthology Global Chorus. I believe in miracles, I see them everyday where a modern highway meets an unchanged vista, frozen in time. Earth the way it is meant to be … the way it was in the beginning. Snow falls gently, the windshield wipers tap a metronome to the clanking of tire chains ringing against the black macadam surface of the highway. It is a violent symphony accompanied by a chorus of strangers from nine sovereign nations, singing out the lyrics. The chatter resonates in languages I cannot speak, nor understand, but I am not disturbed. After twenty years of driving this bus I know that around the bend awaits a miracle. Amber lights flash dance upon the snow, airbrakes blast an awakening for my captive audience. We will make an unscheduled stop. They gather in awe, these unlikely brethren, as the majestic Sierra Nevada loom in the distance, reflected upon the waters, mighty moraines cloaked in shimmering white sky fall. It is a masterpiece … but I see only the faces of strangers as they turn to share their joy. In that fleeting moment as they stand shoulder to shoulder, these kings and ditchdiggers, the colours of their skin are merely hues in a human rainbow. There are no angry words or lines drawn on a map, just the beating of hearts speaking a common language. I smile … for in that brief and glorious moment there is … peace on Earth. I hope … this moment becomes a memory … and the memory becomes … a knowing, a realization of an ancient wisdom … that all things are bound by the wonder and the beauty of our mother Earth. And I hope they take this knowing with them to their towering penthouses in Dubai, or to a shanty on the banks of an Egyptian river, or to a bustling backstreet market in Hong Kong. A knowing … that peace on Earth is an attainable thing … that the beauty and the wonder of a sustained mother Earth is an attainable thing, anywhere, everyday, for all things of this Earth … if only we choose it. I hope … and hope is a new beginning. — Lillian Rose Stewart September 13, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Today: WAYNE CARVER: The well-connected ready to cash in - The Guardian Opinion piece by Wayne CarverMany involved in marijuana production are former civil servants; federal provincial politicians In anticipation of the impending approval of the marijuana legislation at the federal level, the province is now soliciting suggestions on how best to implement the roll out procedure for the sale and distribution of marijuana in this province. How magnanimous is that gesture? The infrastructure is all in place, monies have been loaned, properties have been acquired and several government sponsored marijuana-growing operations are now in production. In fact, many of those involved in the production of marijuana are former high-ranking civil servants, former members of legislative assemblies and even former members of parliament. It has been reported that the former chief financial officer to the Liberal Party of Canada during the last election, when Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana and regulate it, was indeed a co-founder of Tweed, a marijuana manufacturer in Ontario. It seems that everything is ready to go. The market has been identified and shares are being traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)WEED. Licensed Producers AB Laboratories Inc., part of Invictus MD, JWC Ltd. and P.E.I.'s Canada's Island Garden are ready to sell distinct batch cannabis through Tweed Main St. of Smith Falls Ont., to 50,000 registered patients according to recent reports. All that remains is to convince the public that we need this, that it is a good thing and beneficial to society. To do this government is now soliciting the views of the general public on how we should distribute the product. How hypocritical. Just how hollow are we? Most people realize and accept that there
is a need for medicinal marijuana. To have our elected officials shove it down
our throats because they might have the opportunity to enhance their own
financial position is another matter. If there are only 50,000 registered
patients nationally, then the tax windfall anticipated by many provinces will
hardly be noticeable. To have greater tax revenues we need greater sales.
Who will become the new consumers? Most citizens do not expect to send their Member of Parliament to Ottawa to have them initiate legislation that would allow their children access to mind altering drugs at any age. One questions whether or not there might be a conflict of interest here, as well as a sense of insider trading? This is a prime example of top down governance. In the rush to get the legislation passed it seems we have overlooked the logistics of distribution as well as the costs associated with addiction, enforcement, rehabilitation and most importantly who will be in a position the authorize the use of cannabis and in what circumstances. The Canadian Medical Association has shown a reluctance to get involved in this matter from the beginning and has stated marijuana should not be used by anyone under the age of 25 years. And all this is being done to keep the sale of marijuana out of the hands of organized crime? We need a rethink - don't you think? - Wayne Carver of Long Creek is a supporter of electoral reform and comments frequently on other social issues ----------------David Gershon writes this stirring September 13th Global Chorus essay. He is co-founder with Gail Straub of the Empowerment Institute. Again and again in history some people wake up. They have no
ground in the crowd and they move to broader, deeper laws. They carry strange
customs with them and demand room for bold and audacious action. The future
speaks ruthlessly through them. They change the world. What could enable such a fundamental transformation is our innate longing as human beings to create a better world for ourselves and our children. This inherent desire for self-improvement is a key lever for human evolution because there are enormous possibilities to tap into it. But to access this potential requires transformative change leaders capable of calling forth our intrinsic aspiration. This is a learnable skill set and transformationally minded leaders are growing as more people attempt to lead lives driven by meaning and purpose. All the more so among the Millennials. At the Federal Convention of 1787, after three and a half months of deliberation over a constitution for the new United States, Benjamin Franklin was asked, “Well, doctor, what have we got? A republic or monarchy?” “A republic,” replied the doctor, “if you can keep it.” The same could be said about our planet. Whether we get to keep it as a viable dwelling place for human habitation and evolution is up to us. To do this we must be able to change the game. Changing the game is not a spectator sport. It requires each of us to play a position on the team, and to play it with all of our heart and soul and mind. It requires nothing less than our very best and highest efforts. Those of us alive on the planet at this moment in time have a special destiny in its evolution. We are the ones who must reinvent our world to sustain the fragile social experiment of human civilization. This is a momentous responsibility and opportunity. As we accept this responsibility and seize this opportunity, we align our individual purpose with humanity’s advancement. We become conscious actors in our planet’s great evolutionary adventure. I wish you and all of us Godspeed on this epic journey. — David Gershon September 12, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Tonight: Upcoming Meetings
Topic: The committee will meet to discuss its work plan.
Topic: The committee will meet to consider its work plan.
Topic: The committee will receive a briefing on fish kills from Hon. Robert Mitchell, Minister of Communities, Land and Environment; and Kate MacQuarrie, Director of Forests, Fish and Wildlife.
LETTER: Company store faces competition? - The Guardian Letter to the EditorPublished on September 11, 2017 Yesterday while driving west from Summerside, I pulled into the entrance to Slemon Park to photograph the new silo storage facility taking shape. It is apparently to store peas, beans, seeds, mustard and other locally grown crops. I don’t have many details on this new venture, but apparently the owner is originally from Charlottetown and has a successful and similar business out west. The idea as I understand it, is to buy up crops from local farmers including organic. The final product will likely be animal feeds, but don’t hold me to that. Whatever the purpose it has to be a good thing for the Island. For far too long we have been at the mercy of the McCain/Irving corps. They control prices, products, quantities and quality. They hold control over the farmers and those who depend on them for employment. These unfortunate people are afraid to complain or buck the system. Indeed these same corporations have far too much say in our provincial governments. Our present situation reminds me too much of the old mining town systems. A system where the owners of the mines also own the town, the homes, the people and the company store. Hopefully with more avenues open to farmers and more employment opportunities available we can break the cycle of McCain/Irving owning the company store.
F. Ben Rodgers, Abram-Village --------------------------------
Matthew Sleeth
is a former physician, executive director of Blessed Earth, and author of
24/6 , writes the September 12th Global Chorus essay. September 11, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Tomorrow:
------------------------------- Huge crowd at the important annual Grass Roots and Cowboy Boots fundraiser for the PCH last night. Several large donations of $150,000 from well-known and anonymous philanthropists alike! Great entertainment including Catherine MacLellan (with Chris Gauthier and Remi Arsenault) and Patrick Ledwell in his GRCB debut. The Office of the Official Opposition won the Jeep Wrangler!!!! Opposition Leader Jamie Fox donated it back on behalf of the office and staff - adding an additional $45,000 to the fundraising total. The Premier was up to announce the province of PEI also "donated" $200,000 - much needed and appreciated - but sort of scratching my head on this one. Couldn't they just increase the budget for the PCH? Didn't they just present a "small surplus budget" of $600,000 in the legislature? Where did this $200,000 come from? Just curious. --------- from a government press release September 1st: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/health-pei-welcomes-two-new-board-members New board members Dr. George Saunders and John Horrelt will fill positions previously held by Kenneth Ezeard, whose term has come to an end, and by Warren Ellis, who is stepping down to focus on his businesses. Engage PEI promoted and encouraged Islanders to apply for the vacant positions, then candidates were screened and interviewed before the board forwarded a recommendation to the minister of Health and Wellness for final approval It
sure appears they are a little sensitive to criticism they received that
previous appointments were of people who didn't seem overly qualified for the
job. I still wonder how HealthPEI can be considered to be "arm's
length" from government -- a justification of the expense of creating it
-- if the Minister has the final approval of Board members. Maybe it's
time, with no CEO, to fold it back into the department. For the past decade,
the Bonshaw Hall has done much to help keep alive the memory of the great
Island singer-songwriter Gene MacLellan – to honour both the man and the music.
This autumn, for the 10th consecutive year, the “small hall with the
fine acoustics” will play host to the annual Gene MacLellan Tribute
Concert. Show time is Saturday,
September 16th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Nikki Stern is a writer, non-profit adviser, former executive director of Families of September 11, and the author of Hope in Small Doses. Contemporary culture doesn’t always seem to value the idea of hope. No wonder, when conventional wisdom also confuses hope with expectation: if I hope for the best, the best will surely follow. Yet we soon learn the universe doesn’t automatically give back what we put out, or we discover a benevolent deity isn’t likely to rush to our aid. Disappointed, we might conclude that hope is a waste of time, has no meaning in modern times or, worst of all, is a nasty trickster making promises it has no intention of keeping. We mustn’t let that happen. The truth is that we humans are overdue for a retooled version of hope that rejects certainty but embraces possibility. We can’t know what the future will bring, but we can envision the best possible future and work for it. Hope freed from the constraints of guaranteed outcomes emboldens us, empowers us and gives us purpose. It sparks the imagination and strengthens our resolve. Flexible, nimble and never without a sense of humor, this hope celebrates discovery, applauds adaptability and thrives on creativity. Feet on the ground and head in the clouds, hope rejoices in the journey, not the destination. It asks, why can’t we? It answers, we can. There will be days when our better selves go into hiding. There will be nights when we yearn for reassurance. Yet hope is available to light the way, no matter where our paths begin or where they end. — Nikki Stern September 10, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Some pieces to read when not checking on the status of Hurricane Irma:
From Catherine O'Brien, who is chair of the Coalition for the Protection of PEI Water and on the Citizens' Alliance Board, and when she's not working on environmental and democratic rights issues, is an actor, director and playwright: "I am thrilled to tell you about a special project I have coming up, in partnership with Young at Heart Theatre. We are doing a workshop and public reading of a new Canadian musical, written by John Arnold (PEI) and Mike Paterson (NS). The presentation will take place at The Guild in Charlottetown on October 7 at 2pm." The project is called Floor 27, the full synopsis is here, and it needs some crowd-source funding to cover the costs of the workshop/public reading. https://www.gofundme.com/Floor27themusical -------------------- Rhett Butler is a uniquely named journalist with a passion for rainforests, who has authored books and operates the Mongabay.com website. Lots of interesting articles on the website. He writes the September 10th Global Chorus essay. Every year more creatures are added to endangered species lists, oceans rise with atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and more wild places disappear. Humanity’s footprint on the planet is ever larger and deeper. But while it is easy to view these trends with great despair, we would be wrong to abandon hope. Indeed, there are nascent signs that things can change for the better. In the past 30 years there have been important developments that have laid the groundwork for a new revolution, where services generated by healthy natural ecosystems are recognized and valued. These are services like erosion control, carbon storage, maintenance of the water cycle and the option value afforded by biodiversity. Recognizing the value of Nature requires us to first understand it. That’s already happening – there have been major advances in quantifying Nature’s services. For example, we know that pest control services by native birds in Costa Rica are worth $10,000 a year to a small coffee farmer in Costa Rica, while mangroves and coral reefs generate more than $400-million annually for Belize from ecotourism, erosion control and fisheries. While this is admittedly a very narrow way to view the value of Nature, it’s a first step to engaging decision makers and the public. Engagement is critical if we hope to transform how humanity stewards the planet’s resources. The good news is that new tools – ubiquitous mobile phones, social media and free access to virtually limitless amounts of information – enable public participation like never before. We’re already seeing the power of targeted participation in the form of protests movements that are transforming commodity supply chains. Due to activist-led campaigns, today it is taboo for soy farmers in the Amazon to chop down rainforests for farms. It will soon be the same for palm oil producers in Malaysia and paper manufacturers in Indonesia. Change
will not come easily, but greater knowledge of Nature’s services, combined with
participation by an increasingly informed and active populace, will move us
toward a world where humans will live in greater balance with the planet’s
other inhabitants. September 9, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
The
Farmers' Markets are open today across the Island: Wonderful story (in Thursday's Guardian) about Paul Bernard and his involvement with Sunday's Parkinson's SuperWalk. Grew up with Paul in Summerside, played tennis with him a bit, played in rival bands for a little while, saw him grow into a world-class guitarist. "Emerald Junction" provided music at last year's event and found it to be a very upbeat and positive gathering. We'll be performing again at this year's Superwalk. As a guitarist, I wouldn't qualify to carry Paul's guitar strap but we'll do our best to contribute what we can. If you're interested in participating in the Parkinson's SuperWalk and/or sponsoring a walker, registration begins at 1:00 p.m. at the Queen Charlotte Armouries on Water Street in Charlottetown, with the walk commencing at 2:00 p.m. It should conclude somewhere between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. ------------- ------------------------------- Today's
Global Chorus essay is by Herman Daly, professor emeritus in the School of Public Policy at
University of Maryland, answering the question of hope for the future. 1. Are we the blind result
of chance who happen to have evolved a bigger more complex brain than other
animals, a brain whose merely epiphenomenal consciousness may amuse itself by
projecting picture shows inside our cranium, but having no real purpose or
independently causative impact on the world other than differential
reproduction? The second view affirms a basis for hope, and for our own adequacy to respond to that hope. Its truth is recognized in many of the world’s religions and does not contradict true science. As for the details of a viable and good future society I have argued that a steady-state economy is a necessary condition. But I doubt that it, or any solution, could be achieved unless “we” see ourselves as the people in 2 rather than 1. — Herman Daly September 8, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Cardigan
Farmers' Market is
open from 10AM-2PM today. 2) Harvey at 54" of rain 3) West ablaze 4) Record California heat 5) Donald Trump talking at an oil refinery ---------------------- Here is an op-ed from last week about mental health services for our vulnerable Islanders: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/2017/9/2/susan-hartley--six-young-mothers-die0.html SUSAN HARTLEY: Six young mothers die - The Guardian Opinion piece by Susan HartleyEssential Island workers dying at their workplace, doing unpaid job of caring for children The Island women who died on the job were doing the unpaid and essential work of caring for children; their workplace was the home. They suffered with postnatal (postpartum) depression, which eventually led to their deaths. When a worker is injured or dies while engaged in paid work for an insured company, the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has the task of uncovering the reasons behind these incidents, recommending changes, and supporting the family and colleagues of the victim. On its website, WCB asserts: “Only after root causes are identified can effective steps be taken to prevent a recurrence.” The women who died, like all people in unpaid, caregiving work, did not have the benefit of a Board concerned for their safety. No agency or organization is tasked with the job of answering the important questions: What are the root causes leading to this tragedy? What preventative measures can we put in place so the risk of recurrence is greatly reduced? What support do the families of the victims need? Women who are at high risk for physical complications in pregnancy are routinely identified by obstetric specialists and family physicians. However, women who are at high risk for emotional or mental health distress are not. Research studies vary widely, with most suggesting that 40-70 per cent of new mothers will experience low mood and 10-15 per cent will suffer from diagnosable postnatal depression; although the number is believed to be closer to 30 per cent. In Canada this means that close to 60,000 women will experience postpartum depression this year. A recent study found that more than 50 per cent of these women will go undiagnosed and without treatment, and that 5 per cent of deaths during pregnancy or the first year after pregnancy were due to suicide: (https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_168069.html) Shame, stigma, and lack of awareness are thought to be some of the main barriers to seeking help for depression as a young mother. I don’t think Islanders believe that these mothers’ lives were of any less value, or their deaths less tragic, because their work is unpaid. However, the lack of preventative, proactive, and specialized mental health services during and after pregnancy, and the lack of response and outcry to these deaths, suggests decision-makers feel otherwise. ------------------------------------- Trudie Styler, who wrote the September 8th Global Chorus essay, is an actress, producer, and creator of the Rainforest Foundation (UK). Do we want to be the generation that destroyed ourselves? Rainforests once covered 14 per cent of the Earth’s land surface. Now they only cover 6 per cent. When they’ve been decimated to the tipping point, there will be no way back. We will face such extreme weather conditions that our planet will no longer support human life. What will it take for us to stop hiding from these terrible truths? Well, there is a way out of this mess. But we have to face the truth, and we have to embrace change. We can’t leave it to the next governments, and the next generation. It’s time to take the responsibility – not by 2020, not by 2050, but now – to cut carbon emissions decisively and urgently. Deforestation accounts for around 20 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions. Simply halting deforestation would be the single fastest and cheapest way to make a significant reduction. So why aren’t we doing it? We’re now at a turning point in our short human history. We have a unique opportunity to shift our focus and to change our priorities. We don’t have to make a choice between the economy and the environment. A transition to a clean economic system, one that values vital natural systems, one that understands the cost of pollution and waste, will open up huge opportunities. The shift is inevitable. Countries can’t stop it. They can only slow it down. And as they do so, they will be left behind. The time when leaders could claim not to understand the implications of the evidence before us is long past. You will be judged by your children, your grandchildren and all the generations to come. They will ask, “Did you do everything you possibly could to stop climate change?” We’re all mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters: as a planetary family, whatever our differences, we share one world, one fate and one chance. — Trudie Styler September 7, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
This
afternoon: People can donate:
Thank
you. Small Towns, their Social Infrastructure and
Amalgamation - Facebook post by We Are Rural Strong
Posted September 5th, 2017 Bear with me on this, I know it sounds a little dry…but I’ve been thinking a lot about small communities and their importance and how centralization erodes the very nature of what a small community is all about. Small communities are about social interactions on a liveable scale, between people, families, friends and acquaintances. These interactions take place on the ball fields, in the parks, churches, playgrounds, theatres, post offices, schools, galleries, libraries, wharves, community centres, restaurants and corner stores. They are the places where people pass, nod or generally “shoot the sh#t”-complain about recent events, where their kids play together. I call these places the social infrastructure of a town. These are more than just buildings or places, they facilitate the day-to-day interactions between people in their communities. These places tie the people together, tie the community together and generally give a shape to the cultural life of the town. Smaller communities have far fewer examples of social infrastructure-amplifying the importance of each one in the life of their community. That is why we fought so hard to save Georgetown Elementary School-people realized the importance of the school as social infrastructure and the negative affect removing this infrastructure would have on the life of their town-specifically their children’s lives. These important places serve as a vital link and create the special and intimate feeling that makes small communities so important. They are like dominoes, knock one over and maybe the rest will fall too. Amalgamation looked at from some vantage points makes sense, everyone agrees there is too much government on the Island. But let me float this hypothetical case to give you an idea of how I think it will work. Imagine that sometime in the future the Three Rivers Sportsplex in Georgetown needs some major building or equipment repairs. The Three Rivers Municipal Council (or whatever they will be called) is asked to fork over $100,000 for capital repairs. Hmmm, that’s an old building, maybe instead of repairing that we should look at building a new arena or adding an additional ice-pad to an existing arena. Perhaps we should build it where the largest number of people can easily access it-Montague. The voting block of Montague, Brudenell and Lower Montague agree-motion passed. Guess what, Georgetown just lost their rink. Georgetown just lost one important piece of social infrastructure and the dominoes start falling…library, municipal building etc etc. Now I hear you thinking- but what would Georgetown do on its own given this same circumstance? I have no doubt that the people of Georgetown would band together and do their level best to raise that money to fix the problem and given Georgetown’s gritty history I think they would succeed. Because they realize the importance of that building as a corner-stone of the social infrastructure of their community. The same way they rebuilt the King’s Playhouse when it burned to the ground. Social infrastructure has an important place in the hearts of the residents of small communities-but you have to be willing to fight for it. There has been a lot of talk about “fear-mongering” and in the study Stronger Together: Building a Sustainable Future For the Three Rivers Region the authors often erroneously use the word “fear”, as in “there is a fear of among residents about how this will change their communities”. Let’s be clear, this is not fear- it is concern. A deep concern for the future of what a small community is, how it functions and how centralization will impact it. Because lets face it, that’s how amalgamation will work. Social infrastructure will be centralized to the largest community-guess I’ll see you at the Superstore. ------------------------------ Tony Wheeler is the creator of Lonely Planet. He writes the September 7th Global Chorus. I’ve always been a firm believer in the virtues of travel. Of course you are, someone might cynically say, creating Lonely Planet has made you a rich man. Fair enough, travel and tourism may be the world’s biggest business, but there are many places in the world where it’s the only business. In those countries it’s all-important. Yet travel is so much more than something that puts food on the table and sends the kids to school. It’s the way we citizens of the world learn about and communicate with each other, because when we travel we see the world and its peoples in reality, not filtered through some media viewfinder or interpreted by some government spokesperson. That’s
really come home to me in recent years when my travels have taken me to a list
of places which tend to be on government travel advisories in the “don’t go
there” category. I’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan, not as some embedded
journalist, but as an ordinary independent tourist. I’ve travelled around North
Korea, Congo DRC, Haiti and Libya. I’ve been able to compare Saudi Arabia (the
weirdest country I’ve ever been to, after North Korea) with Iran (a far from
perfect country, but far friendlier and more democratic than Saudi Arabia).
Most recently I travelled through Pakistan and observed the impact on that
country from the world’s two major powers. One was sending in road builders to
help keep the challenging Karakoram Highway open. The other was sending in
drones to kill people. Guess which one was more popular? September 6, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Back in time for the plentiful markets: Wednesday
Farmers' Markets: ----------- Progressive Conservative leadership candidate James Aylward has reformatted his website, now at the url:http://www.jamesaylward.com/ It has the events were he'll be listed; today he'll be in Montague (Tim Hortons from 9-10AM and around the city from 10AM-4PM). Candidate Brad Trivers' website is here: https://bradtrivers.com/ and is planning a Facebook Live event Thursday, September 7th, 8PM: Facebook event details And both will meet in a debate next Tuesday, September 12th at Credit Union Place in Summerside. ------------------------------- There was a CBC article on the recently toppled rock statute on the hillside carved into for the Plan B Highway in Bonshaw. The department of transportation has announced it won't rebuild it, for liability reasons. While any attempts at public art are usually appreciated, this was a bit of a clunker from its inception. Apparently these are sometimes built by (bored but skilled) excavator operators waiting for dump trucks to return to fill; Inukshuks are of course relevant to Inuit culture. Through various coats of paint, the misspelled (and completely obscure to most of us) scrawled "R.I.P. Harmabe" on it was a low point. As the department still digs into the hillside with the communications tower for fill, perhaps it's best just to leave the area alone at this time. -------------------------------- The September 6th Global Chorus essay is by David Bell, who passed away in January of this year. He was professor emeritus and former dean of environmental studies at York University, and former chair of the organization Learning for a Sustainable Future,which promotes the knowledge, skills and values necessary for a sustainable future. Much more and very much worth poking around at their website. An old Russian proverb defines a “pessimist” as “an informed optimist.” The more one learns about the depth and extent of the challenges facing humankind over the remainder of this century, the easier it is to feel discouraged. The current path of global development appears to be taking us toward environmental and social disaster. Some years ago, I conducted interviews with dozens of sustainability experts from all parts of the world to prepare a 12-hour radio series entitled “Sustainability: Canadian and Global Views.” The people I spoke with were highly “informed” about the challenges ahead, but every one of them believed that we are capable of bending the curve, of steering spaceship Earth toward a more sustainable future. Is there still room for optimism? That’s hard to say. But there is a compelling case for hope. To begin with despair is a very poor motivator. And there is much to be done. So hope is the essential, necessary premise of positive action. It is a crucial diet for anyone who wants to make the world a better place to live for current and future generations. Yet, despite the enormous challenges that lie ahead, a diet of hope is not thin gruel. In essence, sustainability poses an “educational” challenge for humankind. We need to learn to live differently on this planet. This will require the emergence and widespread adoption of a culture of sustainability which embeds the values of caring for each other, caring for the Earth and caring about the future. The good news is that the green shoots of such a culture are already very evident. Millions of individuals and organizations all over the world are passionately committed to addressing sustainability problems. The signs are everywhere, in the education sector, in civil society, in business, in government and in everyday living. New technologies of global communication can facilitate this culture shift toward sustainability. In the spirit of hope, every one of us can do our part to make a difference for each other, for our planet and for our future. And we can have fun doing it! — David Bell September 2, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Farmers'
markets are open across the province today: This miracle weed
killer was supposed to save farms. Instead, it’s devastating them - Washington Post article by Caitlin Dewey
Published on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017 <snip> The new dicamba formulations were supposed to attack those resistant weeds without floating to other fields. But during a July 29 call with EPA officials, a dozen state weed scientists expressed unanimous concern that dicamba is more volatile than manufacturers have indicated, according to several scientists on the call. Field tests by researchers at the Universities of Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas have since found that the new dicamba herbicides can volatilize and float to other fields as long as 72 hours after application. Regulators did not have access to much of this data. Although Monsanto and BASF submitted hundreds of studies to the EPA, only a handful of reports considered volatility in a real-world field setting, as opposed to a greenhouse or a lab, according to regulatory filings. Under EPA rules, manufacturers are responsible for funding and conducting the safety tests the agency uses to evaluate products. <snip> Thanks to Pesticide Free PEI for bringing this story to people's attention. ----------------------- Paul Polman is the CEO of Unilever, and wrote the September 2nd Global Chorus. If we are to overcome the enormous social and environmental challenges which face us – and I believe we can – then we will have to work differently in future. We will have to work in big partnerships where governments, business and civil society organizations collaborate together. As a member of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on the post-2015 Development Agenda I became convinced that we could “put an end to extreme poverty” whilst at the same time safeguarding the planet for future generations. Central to the achievement of this goal was the idea of a “Partnership for Development” – grounded in a new spirit of solidarity and realized through a compact of commitments. This is not a pipe dream. A number of such multi-stakeholder partnerships are already in place and delivering results at global scale. The GAVI Alliance is on track to immunize 243 million children against killer diseases in 73 of the world’s poorest countries. The Scaling Up Nutrition initiative has brought together multinational food companies, governments and NGOs in 43 countries to address malnutrition. In the environmental area Unilever and the U.S. government have created the Tropical Forest Alliance. The goal of this partnership is to eliminate tropical deforestation from the supply chains of commodities like palm oil and soy. The Alliance now includes the governments of Indonesia, Norway, UK, the Netherlands and Liberia; dozens of NGOs as well as over 400 companies whose combined revenues exceed $3-trillion. Good progress is being made. If we succeed we will have overcome an issue which accounts for over 17 per cent of all greenhouse gases – more than the entire transportation sector. In the years to come we will see many more such partnerships. Their energy will be fuelled by an irresistible demand for change from the young. Their call will be heeded by a new generation of business leaders who understand that the economic case for sustainable development is overwhelmingly strong. I am convinced that we can forge a pathway that will deliver a better future for all – one where prosperity and environmental sustainability walk hand in hand. — Paul Polman ----------------------------------------- I'll be taking a couple of days off to attend an extended family event. Have a great Labour Day weekend, all! September 1, 2017Chris Ortenburger's CA News
Happy September! Cardigan's
Farmers' Market
is open today from 10AM-2PM. <snip> To endorse GMOs is to promote a corporate system of monocultural agriculture at a time when the world desperately needs to return to a simple, natural and organic way to grow healthy food that we – as small local communities, not transnational corporations – own and control. Chef Smith is bang-on in decrying processed foods and encouraging us to eat more fruits and vegetables, etc., but it remains baffling how he fails to see how his support for GMOs totally undermines and negates those laudable food policy goals. We don’t need GMOs as another tool in our toolkit; we need a new toolkit! --------------------------------Alexia Lane wrote the ground-breaking (horrible pun intended) book, On Fracking. Finding better choices to replace the energy from natural gas is an option, too.
How can we save the world? First we must ask ourselves if we willing to
pay more for energy and water. Democratic governments recognize that their
tenure would be short-lived if they insisted that oil and gas companies, for
example, show minimal profits in order to reduce the cost of home utilities.
Lack of profit from large companies, associated job losses, and rising
unemployment would result in mobilization of voters to oust the government that
restricted company profits. |