Rally for shale gas, rally for woodlot, and other events

Thank you for all those that joined us during Boost Your Eco! Despite some technical difficulties in the beginning, it was a good few days. There are some important events coming up, and some events are postponed.



1. April 4 Shale Gas Exploration ban rally

2. April 4 Food justice speaking series

3. April 7 ****Rally for the woodlot****

4. April 9 Free school postponed

5. April 9 Drink Local pub crawl postponed

6. April 9 Wood lot tour

7. April 13 workshop

8. April 30th CCNB Spring into Action Auction.

Can you light your tap water on fire?

After watching Burning Water and Gasland, two great documentaries about communities feeling the impacts of hydrofracturing (aka fracking), it is shocking to hear that a community in southern New Brunswick is experiencing the same thing. The Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis have been fighting for over 10 years for their drinking water.

Please take some time to go to Penobsquis.ca and learn more about their plight.

For more information about fracking, the Conservation Council of NB has prepared this primer on this issue. We hope that NB citizens will listen to their story and find some way to help the community while preventing it from happening across NB. The first step is to educate your friends and yourselves about the issue.

If you want to get involved check out the facebook group New Brunswickers Concerned About Shale Gas.

You can also keep up with the news through the NB Media Co-op.

Boost Your Eco

This is the 5th annual Boost Your Eco! festival. Through BYE, Students for Sustainability hope to bring light to specific issues concerning people in our community, province and globally. This year our theme for the festival in "Fire," and with such will be looking at how this element has become a visual for the environmental destruction of planet and people are currently facing. We hope to see lots of students, faculty and community members coming out to learn about such pressing issues. Please come and show your support.

Schedule:
All week: JDH visual display with interesting facts

Thursday the 24th
2pm JDH cafeteria apple crisp, snacks, and "Home".
"Home" is a 2009 documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet.

Friday the 25th
2:30PM BMH 101 "Burning Water", popcorn and short discussion
"Burning Water "is a documentary by Cameron Esler and Tadzio Richards. It looks at hydrofraking in the area of of Rosebud, Calgary. In the Rosebud River valley, an hour east of Calgary, the water in many homes can be lit on fire. Everyone agrees there's gas in the water. Few agree on why. As gas wells sprout up across North America, and all around Rosebud, the Lauridsen family struggles to stay together and remain part of their community, at the same time confronting the dark truth of what may be happening beneath the surface.

3:30PM BMH 101 "Sweet Crude", popcorn and short discussion
"Sweet Crude" is a 2009 documentary written by the Seattle International Film Festival. Despite the valuable crude oil that flows from the ground beneath their feet, the impoverished villagers in the Niger Delta wage a daily struggle to survive. This Seattle-made documentary journeys to the region to examine the complex powder keg situation that could have drastic local and global effects.


5PM Critical Mass Bike Ride (time changed due to potential inclement weather).

6PM potluck @ Conserver House, 180 St. John St! Everyone is encouraged to bring something, but we will provide chili or soup so don't worry if you can't bring anything.

7PM Cinema Politica Presents "Gasland" at Conserver House
Discussion with Stephanie Merrill afterwards.
"Gasland" is a 2010 documentary by Josh Fox. The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.

Saturday the 26th
7:30-9:30 Earth Hour at Boyce Farmer's Market
Free admission, "You will enjoy the unplugged sounds of the Downtown Blues Band and Katie MacDonald, and be entertained by the Calithumpians and Perley the Magician."

TD Go green video contest

We've entered into the TD Go Green Challenge and voting is happening for the People's Choice Award until March 11th online. We could win 2,500$ for sustainability initiatives! Please vote for our video here. Make sure you confirm your vote.


Hard to believe that the 5th Annual Boost Your Eco is coming up. This year's theme will be Fire, following from previous years where we had themes like Water and Earth. Facebook event page is here. It will be happening March 24th and 25th. We're looking to partner with artists and maybe do a cool project!

Upcoming still is our pub crawl which we hope will happen on April 9th after NBEN's Free School.

We've also gotten heritage seeds donated and greatly discounted by Hope Seeds so we can start growing a summer garden. Interested in getting some seedlings or helping out? E-mail us please!

We've now moved over to a facebook Page instead of Group here.

Lots to plan this semester...

Lots of exciting things we want to work on this semester. If you see something you like, come help us out! If you think we're missing something, well why not put it into action!?

Minutes of most recent meeting:
Pubcrawl maybe on the 1st or 7th or 8th of April

Selling mugs somewhere other than JDH this semester.

We found out that the fancy new recycling bins weren't bought by STU but by the Congress 2011 to make it a green conference. Hopefully stu keeps them....

Food purchasing coop:
E-mail stubulkfood@gmail.com to get order forms and we'll get people to order local bulk foods to make it cheap! Tabling Wednesday and Thursday JDH 10-1ish.

Boost your eco:
This year's theme can be fire since last year was earth and before we had water. 
Movie suggestions: Home, The Age of Stupid, Kayanisqaats, Gasland, Shell in Nigeria movie (title?)
Key words - BURN (out), fire, fuel
Have it on a wednesday or thursday? guerilla boost your eco? 
will ask res life about Aramark hosting a 100mile dinner around this time and request that we have cheaper menu options breakfast/brunch/or dinner?
want to show films during class time/afternoon and ask that classes come
will ask roombookings about when BMH 101 is available, tentative dates March 23,24, 30-31
trash bash could be during boost your eco?
have it coincide with lights out coffee house with res life

Meeting this wednesday, TD contest, film showing

We're going to be having our first meeting of the semester this Wednesday at 5:30pm in JDH as usual. If you haven't been available before, please come out!  If you have a suggestion for a better time for the rest of the semester, let us know and we'll try to go with when the majority of people are available.

 

There's some cool stuff coming up this year so far; TD has a 'go green challenge' we can make a video to win 20,000$. There's an environmental conference at the end of March at UPEI. There are people organizing worldwide for climate change in April, something called 'Chain Reaction' from the people at Climate Pledge of Resistance. And of course, interesting films being shown. E-mail us if you want any information on this.

 

Meanwhile, some news:

 

Check out the province's online pre-budget consultation. Have your say!
http://www.gnb.ca/0160/budget/buddoc2011/pre-budget_consultation-e.asp

 

Free movie screening: "Mother Nature's Child"
On Tuesday January 18th  at 7:00 pm at St. Thomas University’s Ted Daigle Auditorium the Conservation Council is hosting the Canadian premiere of "Mother Nature's Child" by director Camilla Rockwell, a documentary that "explores nature’s powerful role in children’s health and development through the experience of toddlers, children in middle childhood and adolescents."  
More information and a trailer can be found here: http://www.mothernaturesmovie.com/the-film/
A panel discussion will follow, moderated by the Conservation Council’s Executive Director: David Coon.

The panellists are:
                Doug Richardson: Principal of Keswick Ridge Community School. 
                Natalie Gerum: Participant in the Citizen's Engagement Initiative on Learning.
               Dr. Heather Richmond: Professor of Education at St. Thomas University.
                Samantha Mason:  -Bachelor of Social Work Candidate
                                            -Co-coordinator of  CCNB’s "Connecting  Children to Nature" project

Date: January 18, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Venue: Ted Daigle Auditorium
Edmund Casey Hall
St. Thomas University
Fredericton, NB

Please contact Samantha Mason at gzgcr@stu.ca for more information!

 

 

-Marylynn

Craft fair a success!

Thanks to our wonderful vendors, bake sale, and mug sale we were able to raise 100$ for each MCAF and the Woodlot! Thank you so much to everyone who came to shop, help, or sell their crafts. There was a lot of cool stuff!  Here are some pictures from the fair....

The Eclectic Collection

'Tis the season to be....sustainable! Holiday craft fair

When: December 4th
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Where: James Dunn Hall
What:
Come celebrate the holidays by enjoying local apple cider and snacks, buying locally made crafts for gifts, enjoying some music, and learning about ethical and environmentally friendly gift ideas! Many students as well as vendors from the Boyce Farmer's market will have their goods for sale. All are welcome. (Bring the kids too!)


If you are a musician, crafty person, artisan, artist, or have any sort of cool local and/or sustainable gift ideas come set up a table! We also need help organizing and getting people to come out. Please contact stusustainability@gmail.com

Any proceeds made by Students for Sustainability will be going to the Multicultural Association of Fredericton and the UNB Woodlot defense fund. Vendors may also contribute to these charities if they wish.

Upcoming events in Fredericton

Hello everyone,


Our craft fair is coming up this Saturday the 4th from 2 to 5pm in James Dunn Hall. We have about 20 vendors of students and community members, plus some information tables from the Fredericton Local foodies, and we tentatively have some musical entertainment happening. Over 100 people have responded to the facebook event! Please continue to promote the event by word of mouth and inviting people to the facebook event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160706570631426.
 
1. Force of Nature showing - Tonight


2. UN World Sustainability Day - Dec 3

3. CCNB last week of membership drive month

4. Buy & Barter local food swap - Dec 4

5. Deadline to indicate interest in UPEI environmental conference - Dec 17

Climate change bill defeated with 'no debate', and upcoming events

RMR: Rick's Rant - Senate Defeats Bill with no Debate

1. Craft sale and open house Nov 26-28
2. Cinema politica presents H2Oil Nov 26
3. Community forestry panel discussion Nov 29
4. buy and barter food swap Dec 4
5. World sustainable development teach-in day live webcast Dec 3
6. UPEI environmental confrence Spring
7. Environmental law workshop in moncton Nov 27

Have an eco-holiday! Trees and Turkeys!

Students for Sustainability had a great brainstorming session and we came up with an exciting idea. The holidays are for spending time with family, eating delicious food, listening to music, relaxing, and generally enjoying yourself. They also have become a highly consumerist time with lots of waste created. In order to Get Back to Basics we want to have an eco-holiday festival centred around four main components:
1. Music
2. [Sustainable and local] Food
3. [Ecologically friendly] gifts
4. Action

So we're calling on the Fredericton community to come out and join us in an afternoon of celebration of sharing. Whether it be eating local food, making eco-friendly gifts, selling your hand-crafted wares or art, sharing your skills of gift-wrapping or craft-making, sharing your musical talents, or making a holiday eco-pledge there's something for everyone at our Eco-Holiday Fair!  If you'd like to come out and join us in some way or another let us know at stusustainability@gmail.com

Date for this event is tentatively Saturday December 4th.
All proceeds will be going to a local charity.
Location: James Dunn Hall at STU campus

Eco Holiday related  links:

• 19 Eco-friendly gift ideas
• Canada ecological gifts program 
• The Story of Stuff
• The Hidden cost of Christmas
• Xmas Resistance
• Buy Nothing Christmas
• Buy Nothing Day

Climate change webinar, community garden launch and other events

1. Climate change webinar
2. NB Climate Change Public Education and Outreach Hub
3. Community garden launch!
4. CCNB membership drive


1. Earthscan Earthcasts   Pre-COP Webinar:  Communicating Climate Change

Thursday 11th November 2010     17:00 (UK time – GMT), 12:00 (EDT), 9:00 (PDT)

Earthscan would like to invite you to a free webinar presented by
Chris Rose – author of How to Win Campaigns: Communicating for Change – and Lorraine Whitmarsh, author of Engaging the Public with Climate Change: Behaviour Change and Communication.

Media coverage of cook-in

We have an article in Here magazine!
http://herenb.canadaeast.com/news/article/1302885


http://www.theaq.net/2010/enviro-group-says-eat-locally/-4341


Here's an article about the Health Centre's food workshops
http://www.theaq.net/2010/students-get-the-low-down-on-cheap-healthy-eating/-2376

Here's an old one about boost your eco
http://www.theaq.net/2010/students-for-sustainability-host-eco-fest/-2754

Cook-in pictures!

Thank you Liz for the pictures!

Food, Food, FOOD! Eating Local Zine

Our Food Zine has finally been published! Click the link to view or download the pdf file. We had a successful cook-in, thanks for everyone who came to learn and share. We had delicious kale chips, apple crisp, bread, and winter root barley stew; all made from local ingredients!

Cook-in & Zine launch

SFS will be hosting a 'cook-in'! Come learn to make delicious soup, a snack, and maple apple crips! Most ingredients will be sourced locally. The purpose of the workshop is to teach people how to cook, and how they can cook with local ingredients!

You can register by e-mail stusustainability@gmail.com or come sign up at our table. We'll be in James Dunn Hall Thursday the 21st, Monday the 25th and Wednesday the 27th from 10-2.

Fee is by donation!

We need a minimum of 10 people to register and only have space for 20 people.

At the cook-in we'll also be launching our "Food, food, FOOD!" zine about how to eat locally, and healthily.

Also, our Lug-A-Mug is coming up!

And here's some other cool events....
More stuff.....

INTERNATIONAL RIVER EXPERT TO SPEAK IN FREDERICTON - FRI, OCT 22
Friday, Oct. 22 - Science Lecture, /Using stable isotopes to understand river foodwebs/, UNB Fredericton campus, 3 p.m., Room 146 Bailey Hall.
Dr. Bunn’s most recent report can be viewed at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7315/full/nature09440.html.
Advance interviews can be arranged with Dr. Bunn, as well as with the director of the Canadian Rivers Institute, Dr. Allen Curry.
Contact: Heather Boyd-Kinnie, 506-453-4770, hkinnie@unb.ca

Food Zine

We're currently working on a zine that will educate people about eating healthy and eating locally. We're planning on putting in recipes, tips on how to eat locally, information on why you should, and resources. We're hoping to launch the zine along with a cooking workshop with yummy local food recipes. This is pretty similar to something a group is doing at King's College in Halifax.

Workshop will be October 29th from 3pm to 6pm with more details TBA. Keep track of what's going on by subscribing to our mailing list stusustainability@gmail.com or going to our facebook group

Support the Climate Change Accountability Act!

Wednesday from about 10-2 we will be tabling in JDH to give out information about the Climate Change Accountability Act and asking people to send letters and e-mails to the Senate to make sure this passes!

At this moment, the campaign would be to encourage students, staff, and community members to write and or call Senators (no stamps required, and a toll free number) and encourage them to pass Bill C 311, the Climate Change Accountability Act.  Bill C-311 has passed its second reading in the Canadian Senate and is now “in Committee.”  (Following which, it will go into 3rd reading, and then face a vote.)  The House of Commons passed the bill on May 5th.  Bill C-311 legislates reductions in Canadian greenhouse gas emissions to a level that is 80% below 1990 emissions by 2050.  This includes setting interim targets for 2015-2045 (such as the specific target of 25% below 1990 levels in 2020).  Wikipedia has a great little article on “The Climate Change Accountability Act” which fills in a few more details, including its history. 

You can find the text of the Bill, and check on its status in the Senate, by visiting:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/lop/legisinfo/index.asp?Language=E&Session=23&query=6747&List=toc

Send an e-mail to Senators and fact sheets:
http://www.trunity.net/climateresponse/topics/view/53728/

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Change_Accountability_Act_(Bill_C-311)

The Climate Change Accountability Act was originally tabled in October 2006 in the Canadian House of Commons as Bill C-377 by Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. It passed 3rd reading in that House with the support of caucuses of the Liberal Party of Canada, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP (the Conservative Party of Canada, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, voted against it). However, due to the 2008 Canadian federal election ending the parliamentary session prematurely, the bill did not achieve royal assent despite reaching the Senate. C-377 therefore died when the election was called. // On February 10, 2009 Bruce Hyer, New Democrat Deputy Environment Critic and MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, seconded by Layton, reintroduced it as a Private Member's Bill, renamed as Bill C-311. An April 1, 2009 Second Reading vote resulted in passage of C-311 to Committee Stage by a vote of 141 to 128. After months of delays,

Sample letters for Bill C3-11

Letter to the editor
Climate Change Calls for Active Citizens

Dear Editor,

In response to Harold Phalen’s letter “Debate Climate, but take action” (August 4), please consider:
This paper reported (July 29) on a Dalhousie study recording a decline of 40% in the population of phytoplankton in the oceans, due to warming and trawl fishing. As they produce half of the oxygen we breathe, and form the basis of the ocean’s food chain, phytoplankton are estimated to be as important to our survival as all land plants on Earth.

Clearly, we cannot rely on millionaires of goodwill to

An evening with Students for Sustainability

So our first meeting went well with some new faces appearing. We'll be having our second meeting of the year tonight at 5:30pm in JDH. We're still working out the best time for the most people but for now it's staying at that time. If you want to come to the meetings please send us a better time to meet to stusustainability@gmail

We're also having our first potluck of the year! Come to An Evening With Students for Sustainability Friday at 3:45pm. Meeting in the lower courtyard of STU. We'll be having a potluck from 4-5:20 then we'll head down to the Critical Mass bike ride for 5:30 meeting in Officer's Square. For those without bicycles a walk through O'Dell Park is planned. Then we'll all reconvene again at 180 St. John St at the Conserver House for Cinema Politica Showing "The Weather Underground."  Please bring yourself, your friends, your enthusiasm, and of course, delicious foods!