Friday, 3rd December 2010: World Sustainable Development Teach In Day

The aims of the “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day” are:

to disseminate information on the concept, aims and purposes of sustainable development so that it can be understood by a broad public, and will include elements relating to its environmental, social, economic and policy aspects;
to raise awareness among university students on the complexity of matters related to sustainable development and the need for personal engagement and action;
to provide an opportunity to introduce projects and other initiatives on sustainable development that are being undertaken at international, regional and local level by schools, universities, government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders;
to discuss the problems, barriers, challenges, opportunities and the potential achievements with regard to implementing sustainable development, globally, regionally and locally

Target Groups

The "World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day" will reach a broad audience, comprising:
University students of all subjects;
University lecturers and professors;
NGO members, industrialists;
Interested individuals.

Format

The “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day” consists of:
A set of 50 lectures in English prepared by some of the leading experts on sustainable development,
A set of videos on the scientific, economic and social aspects of sustainable development, which can be downloaded and
A discussion forum which will be on-line for 24 hours during the initiative.
The lectures are divided into four categories:

•  Category A: lectures on the theory and practice of sustainable development;
•  Category B: lectures on environmental, social, political and economic aspects of sustainable development;
•  Category C: lectures dealing with education, communication and training on sustainable development;
•  Category D: lectures describing local (i.e. at campus level) and regional initiatives, practical projects and other efforts involving different groups and stakeholders whose approach/methods may be replicable, transferable or likely to be of interest to a wide audience.

The following institutions are Partners of the “World Sustainable Development Teach-In Day”:

For further info go to  http://world-sustainability-day.net/

On July 15, 2010 York University's Faculty of Education, IRIS, and the UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainabilityare hosting a Leadership for Sustainable Communities Symposium with a focus on Learning, Leadership, and Climate Change on Thursday July 15th at Winters College, York University. Leading experts from Canada, United States and the U.K. will be sharing their experties and experience in the area of climate change. The purpose of the
symposium is to bring together students enrolled in summer courses that address issues of sustainability into dialogue with one another about the intersections of education, leadership, and climate change.

The day will begin with a Welcome from Mr. Hopkins followed by a Keynote Address by David Greenwood titled "Nature, Empire, and Paradox in Environmental and Sustainability Education". Subsequently, four invited experts will participate in a panel presentation on the theme "Climate
Change: From Where We Stand."

Following a complimentary lunch, we will screen Brenda Longfellow's film "Weather Report." For the remainder of the afternoon we will break-out into groups for discussion and a "bonfire chat". Mr. Hopkins will wrap-up the day and offer us parting words.

The symposium is free due to contributions from the sponsoring faculty and organizations.

Here is the agenda of Leadership for Sustainable Communities Focus on Climate Change Conference:

8:30 – 9:00 Registration (Senior Common Room – Winters College, room 021)

All conference events below will take place in the Winters Dining Hall

8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and context – Charles Hopkins/Alice Pitt

9:15 – 10:15 Keynote: David Greenwood – Nature, Empire, and Paradox in Environmental and Sustainability Education

10:15 – 10:30 Refreshment Break

10:30 – 12:00 Perspectives on Climate Change Panel

Dawn Bazely – Associate Professor of Biology
Ellie Perkins – Associate Professor and MES Program Coordinator
Stepan Wood - Associate Professor, Law Faculty Coordinator
Tony Shallcross - Visiting Scholar

12:00 – 12:30 Lunch

12:30 – 1:30 Brenda Longfellow Film “The Weather Report”

1:30 Refreshment Break

1:30 – 2:30 Table Talk – Leadership Imperative Translating Knowledge into Action

2:30 – 3:30 Fireside Conversation with Knowledge Leaders

3:30 – 4:00 Wrap Up & Pledge – Charles Hopkins

Contact esd_leadership@edu.yorku.ca for additional information.

You are invited to the 1st Advisory Committee Meeting of the Black Creek Community Energy Coalition

Where: Black Creek Pioneer Village
When: Friday, July 5th, 9:30AM – 12:30PM

The Black Creek Community Energy Coalition is an initiative spearheaded by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) and the Friends in Trouble Youth Initiative (FIT) that seeks to unite Black Creek, Jane-Finch and Downsview Park area residents, businesses and organizations in the development and ownership of a community-based sustainable energy project.
In order to ensure that this project is not only developed according to the best practices of the industry but also benefits local stakeholders, we are soliciting the involvement in our advisory committee of experts and leaders in the sustainable energy sector and in the local neighbourhood. We believe this project would benefit greatly from your advice, experience and influence, which is why we are inviting you to the inaugural meeting of our advisory committee on June 18th at the Black Creek Pioneer Village.
An agenda will follow shortly, but the general goals of this meeting are to (1) decide together how the new Ontario Feed-in Tariff program can contribute to the economic and social development of the community and (2) determine how we will facilitate the collaboration of local stakeholders to seize these opportunities.
More specific objectives or outcomes of the meeting include:

• Getting to know one another, and understanding our respective interests and expectations
• Understanding the opportunities presented by the Feed-in Tariff program
• Build a consensus of what we would like to achieve together through the program
• Identify any local energy infrastructure-related constraints
• Understanding local energy poverty issues. How does a community energy project address these?
• Decide on immediate actions to realize our common purpose

Please confirm your attendance by email at bccenergy@gmail.com or by contacting Roberto Garcia, project coordinator, at 416-801-6921 or Antonius Clarke, Executive Director of FIT, at 416-887-4664.

Volunteer in the Fifth Annual Check Your Watershed Day!

Stream Team Leaders and Volunteers are needed for the 5th annual Check Your Watershed Day on Saturday, July 17, 2010. You will make stream measurements firsthand, and gain out-of-classroom experience with environmental monitoring and GIS/GPS technology (to map the watershed). Plus, the data collected will help to improve the knowledge and management of watersheds that start from the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Invite your family and friends to come out with you and form a Stream Team of 2-3 volunteers, or meet new people by helping to lead a team of fellow participants! Both Leaders and Volunteers are provided with a delicious lunch, as well as opportunities to meet and network with Conservation Authority representatives and other participants in your area. Volunteers are needed from 11:00am to 4:00pm, and Leaders are needed from 8:30am to 4:00pm as you will also receive free training in an Ontario Stream and Assessment Protocol (OSAP) module.

What is Check Your Watershed Day?

Check Your Watershed Day is a volunteer stream survey that results in a better understanding of water movement, fish movement, and identification of potential stewardship projects.

Check Your Watershed Day 2010

Watersheds in this year’s event are:

•East Cross Creek, Blackstock Creek, and Southern Lake Scugog Tributaries (Blackstock, ON)
•Gages Creek (Port Hope, ON)
•Percy Creek (Alderville, ON)

**Participants may need to volunteer the use of their personal vehicles for Check Your Watershed Day. One vehicle is needed for each Stream Team.**

To register, or for more information, contact Lori Dagenais at

EcoSpark (formerly Citizens’ Environment Watch):

cywd@ecospark.ca or 647-258-3280 x 2009.

For more information please refer to Gages Creek poster, KRCA poster and Percy Creek poster.

The International Development Institute at Humber College presents:

“What’s Next?”

Sustainable Development in the 21^st Century

Come Out and Engage in the Debate

Where:    Assembly Hall

1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive - (south-east corner of Lakeshore Blvd W. & Kipling Ave)

When:     Friday June 11^th, 2010

Time:       8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Cost:        $35 (lunch included)

$25 for those with a Humber Student Number (lunch included)

“What’s Next” In Development?  The question is bound to create debate and discussion. Humber College, SoChange, World University Services Canada (WUSC) and the Humber Student Federation (HSF) are providing a forum for Development Professionals to outline their perspectives on the path development should take, and for attendees to actively engage with their views. This is an opportunity to expand your understanding of development trends, examining what changes are necessary and the means by which these changes will be initiated. “What’s Next?” will cover a wide range of international development topics, and is sure to both captivate and motivate participants to become involved in positive and sustainable change.

Speakers include:

• Ian Smillie – Distinguished researcher and writer on international development issues, and winner of the Order of Canada
• Karen Craggs – a gender specialist promoting gender equality locally and internationally with Gender Equality International
• Andres Recalde – CSR and Mining Expert, “A Confidence Enabler”
• Ezat Mossallanejad – Settlement counsellor, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
• WUSC – Grant Peckford, Youth Assisting Youth Managing Director, Michelle Manks the Program Officer for the Student Refugee Program and Youth Challenge International will be there speaking to issues of youth participation in development issues of all kinds. This breakout session will be free to all.
• Major Allan Best and Lieutenant Colonel John McEwen – Canadian Military

Register early as seating is limited

Contact Registrar's Office and mention conference name to purchase tickets: 416.675.5005

For more info contact: Kim Pavan (416)-675-6622 ext. 5885 or kim.pavan@humber.ca

A special note of thanks to the following groups for their support and contributions to the Conference:

World University Service of Canada, Humber Students Federation, Humber Business School, and SoChange

CBERN 3rd Annual Conference in Montréal: May 27-30

Register Now at: www.cbern.ca/cbern_events/cbern2010/

We're less than a week out from our 3rd Annual CBERN Conference, this year in downtown Montréal! This year's Conference promises to be an engaging opportunity for networking and dialogue.

On Thursday, PhD students from departments across the country will come together for a day of workshops organized by the PhD Cluster, including sessions on Natural Resources and the Political Role of Corporations with faculty and student comments, a keynote address by Fred Bird, PhD research presentations on themes ranging from sociological analysis of mining practices to a Kantian theory of markets, and an impressive Professional Development workshop.

Our Friday public dialogue colloquium, "Human Rights, Resource Extraction and First Nation Economic Development", begins with Charles Sampford's "Human Rights from an International Perspective", followed by a panel discussion on Bill C-300: "The ethical responsibilities of Canadian mining companies engaged in resource extraction in developing countries". The panel features Hon. John McKay, MP, John Lewis (KAIROS Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives), Gordon Peeling (The Mining Association of Canada) and T. Murray Rankin (Heenan Blaikie LLP).

The first afternoon session, organized by Ben Bradshaw (University of Guelph), examines mining in relation to community development, with a particular emphasis on First Nation impacts of mining developments in the Schefferville area and the new Impact-Benefit Agreement Community Toolkit. Speakers include Phil Einish (Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach), Dirk van Zyl (Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia), Allen Edzerza, (Negotiator/Consultant) and Paul Wilkinson (Paul F. Wilkinson & Associates Inc.).

Friday closes with a panel featuring Jim Cooney (Jim Cooney and Associates) and Jean Vavrek (Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum) that will identify the research required to advance Canadian CSR initiatives, particularly in the resource sector.

Saturday's Annual General Meeting includes a morning overview of CBERN initiatives over the past year, afternoon breakout sessions to plan next steps for 2010-11 and a brief governance and finance meeting.

Throughout the Conference, opportunities for conversation have been built into the agenda. To further support these connections, Sunday morning's "Research Conversations in Business Ethics" is a scheduled opportunity to meet in groups that will be organized around participant-identified needs and interests over the preceding days.

For further information or to register for the Conference, please visit http://www.cbern.ca/cbern_events/cbern2010/ or contact Michael Windle at mwindle@cbern.ca.

"The Right Sustainability Strategy Can Reduce Costs, Decrease Risks and Create New Product Opportunities" according to the 2010 CEO Business Roundtable report "Enhancing Our Committment to a Sustainable Future". The report hightlights the practices of over 60 leading companies (ABB, FedEx, PepsiCo, Motorola, Siemens, Wal-Mart) and how sustainability is integrated into day to day operations and corporate culture. How does your sustainability strategy stack up to these best practices? Do you have a complete sustainability strategy? This workshop can help.

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010 from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (ET)
Location: Toronto, Ontario | Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning

Register for Developing your Sustainability Strategy in Toronto, Ontario on Eventbrite

An organization's sustainability strategy can have a significant impact upon its reputation with customers, employees and within the supply chain.

False starts and poorly integrated efforts hurt the creditability of the initiative, the implementation team and the company.

This workshop will provide you with experienced advice, proven frameworks, best practices and tools to simplify the sustainability process.

You will also have the opportunity to work on your own sustainability planning process and receive coaching during the workshop. Our sustainability workshops are also a great place to build sustainability networks and communities of practice.

What you will Learn:

Using examples, case studies, best practices and hands-on activities, you will:
· List the steps in developing a sustainability strategy and begin to customize them for your organization.
· Develop a business case for sustainability including drivers, opportunities, risks, issues and challenges.
· Develop a process for a definition, vision and goals for sustainability for your organization.
· Create a plan to assess the impact of sustainability on our organization's economic, environmental and social performance.
· Identify methods for determining sustainability metrics.
· Discuss methods for prioritizing and implementation of sustainability initiatives.
· Understand and analyze case studies and best practices for integrating sustainability into corporate governance, operations and the culture of the organization.
· Establish a draft plan for tracking progress toward targets; and reporting achievements and progress towards sustainability goals.

Register for Developing your Sustainability Strategy in Toronto, Ontario on Eventbrite

Expert Workshop Leader:

Anthony Watanabe, Ph.D. President & CEO, Innovolve

Dr. Watanabe has been helping leading organizations successfully adopt sustainability strategies for more than 10 years. Working with organizations like Procter and Gamble, The Minto Group, Sustainable Buildings Canada, and World Wildlife Fund he uses the processes of integrative thinking to build sustainability strategies that align with core business drivers and crafts "truly ownable" sustainability agendas.

Dr. Watanabe is an accomplished speaker having delivered presentations on sustainability to business, government and civil society organizations in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Innovolve Website: http://www.innovolve.com
Registration Information
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010 from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (ET)
Location: Toronto, Ontario | Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning

CBSR Members: $ 299
Regular Registration: $ 375
Graduate and Undergraduate students can register for $ 75 (plus GST).

David Suzuki Foundation invites you to "Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth"

Date:
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (ET)

Location:
Center for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Avenue
Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario M5T2C7
Canada

Can you attend this event? Respond Here

For more information click here

Your chance to hear from participants in the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, April 19-22.

Time: Friday, May 7, 2010, 7pm
Location: Steelworkers Hall Toronto, 25 Cecil Street
(east of Spadina, south of College)

Donation $5 or pay what you can.

Principal speakers

- Robert Lovelace, Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
- Ben Powless, Mohawk from Six Nations in Ontario, member of the Indigenous Environmental Network
- Kimia Ghomeshi, Campaign Director, Canadian Youth Climate Coalition
- Danny Beaton: winner of the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Environment and Natural Resources
- Delegation from Toronto Bolivia Solidarity

Plus

- Messages from supporters and sponsors
- Bolivian dance troupe and First Nations indigenous drumming.
- Bolivian food and beverages.

Sponsoring organizations

- Canadian Youth Climate Coalition
- CAW-Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy at Ryerson
- Climate and Capitalism
- Common Frontiers
- KAIROS Toronto Center
- Latin American Solidarity Network
- Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG)
- Toronto Bolivia Solidarity
- Toronto Climate Campaign
- Toronto Forum on Cuba
- Toronto Haiti Action Committee

To add your organization to the Sponsors’ list, email Torontoboliviasolidarity@gmail.com

For more information please see the poster and flyer.

Congestion charging. Priced networks. High Occupancy Toll Lanes.

These road pricing systems are being implemented internationally in order to fight traffic congestion, reduce pollution and generate dedicated revenues for sustainable transportation infrastructure. Yet, when the discussion begins, road tolls are usually described as “controversial”, “audacious”, “explosive” and even “radioactive”. A recent Ontario poll has confirmed the findings of many other domestic and international opinion surveys: the majority of citizens yearn for a much improved transportation network to serve their needs but are reluctant to pay for it in a direct manner.

With the help of our delegates and partners, Transport Futures has been exploring this conundrum since our inaugural forum in November 2008. Now a perfect storm of economic, social and environmental challenges compels us to continue our non-partisan discussion by examining the critical role of leadership and road pricing. In order to get insights from the front lines, we have invited these prominent politicians from across North America:

- Bruce Starr, Senator & Chair, Road User Fee Task Force, Oregon State Legislature, Oregon
- Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member, New York City Council, New York
- Peter Fassbender, Mayor, City of Langley & Chair, TransLink Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, BC
- Emil Kolb, Chair, Peel Region, Ontario
- Gilles Bisson, MPP & Transportation Critic, Ontario New Democratic Party
- Frank Klees, MPP & Transportation Critic, Ontario Progressive Conservative Party
- Peter Milczyn, Councillor, City of Toronto, Ontario

These elected officials, along with five others to be confirmed soon, have agreed to answer a broad range of road pricing questions, including:

- Why do they support road pricing in the face of widespread opposition? Why not?
- How do they communicate road pricing benefits and/or costs to their constituents?
- What can we learn from their varied experiences?

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear first-hand how American politicians have “taken the heat” for adding road pricing to their transportation tool kit – and from Canadian politicians who are (or aren't) considering them.

Spaces are limited! Register today and take advantage of our early bird rates!

The Transport Futures Road Pricing and Leadership Summit is taking place at The Metropolitan Hotel in downtown Toronto, conveniently located just behind Toronto City Hall.

For further information about our exciting program, please visitwww.transportfutures.ca or send an email to info@transportfutures.ca . Alternatively, feel free to phone Anthony at 647-340-2082.