Letting Nature Protect Us From Disaster

by Team Treehugger, Worldwide

If you want to avoid being hammered by the next hurricane or storm surge or prevent massive floods, one good bet is to protect your environment. This was a key theme emerging from last week's Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Switzerland, where the topic was disasters, but a key message was: work with nature, not against it.

The Global Platform is a who's who of municipal, national and international players figuring out how to disaster-proof our planet, which is plagued by increasingly devastating natural catastrophes with the promise of more to come courtesy of climate change.

The Platform brings in many people from the frontlines: mayors trying to protect their cities from the next storm or flood and staff from non-governmental organizations doing the pain-staking work helping communities in developing countries adapt to climate change before it is too late, for example.

One colorful case example after another made the case that healthy ecosystems provide a wide-range of valuable services, including regulating the risk posed by natural hazards.

A reason floods have claimed so many lives in Haiti in recent years, relative to neighboring Dominican Republic, is that grinding poverty has forced people to cut down most of their forests. No trees means that each time it rains, flash floods and mudslides can quickly claim lives. As another example, Hurricane Nargis went from being a merely bad hurricane to a disaster for Myannmar in part because of degraded mangroves swamps and deforestation - ecosystems that were no longer able to protect.

Many communities are taking heed. Mumbai's representative, for example, noted that fast urbanization and river obstruction in the city was putting people at flood risk, but that efforts to allow the surrounding Mithi River to run its course more freely could help stem losses.

Saving the environment can save money as well as lives. The 2011 Global Assessment Report was much-discussed during the meeting, and lists studies that have found that healthy coral reefs in the Caribbean provide US$0.7-2.2 billion of coastal protection from erosion and storm; coastal wetlands in the USA can act as levees and provide US$23.2 billion per year in protection from storms and that forests in Andermatt, Switzerland provides US$2.5 million of annual avalanche protection. In yet another benefit, these same ecosystems can also provide livelihoods - for example fisheries based near coral reefs - if they are left intact.

Humans do not need to be the helpless victims of disasters. Our activities impact the timing, frequency and magnitude of the physical processes that cause disaster - and this means that we can wrestle back control by protecting the environment around us, and in turn let it protect us.

Image courtesy of UNEP

This has been a guest post by special contributor Roy Brooke.

See also: UNEP - Environment and Disaster Risks

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

Banks in Canada accepting donations for Red Cross Alberta Fires response

photo credit: Jon Tupper

OTTAWA, May 20, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Red Cross is pleased to announce that eight banks in Canada are accepting cash donations in support of Red Cross relief efforts in Alberta. Approximately 10,000 people have been forced from their homes due to wildfires and the situation continues to unfold.

"Canadian Red Cross volunteers in Alberta responded immediately to support affected communities," says Ange Sawh, director of the Canadian Red Cross disaster management team in Western Canada. "Canadians are always generous when disaster strikes and participating banks offer an easy and convenient way for Canadians to support our work."

Financial donations to the Canadian Red Cross will help support families in their recovery. The Canadian Red Cross plays a vital role during recovery by supporting specific vulnerabilities that require help right away and aid for families who need support beyond insurance and provincial disaster assistance. This may include household repair and clean-up materials, replacement items for children such as cribs, occupational and transportation support and replacement of essential health items.

Canadians can give online, call toll-free at 1-800-418-1111 or visit their local Red Cross office or one of the participating bank branches. Cheques should be earmarked "Alberta Fires".

The following banks are accepting financial donations from May 20 to June 20, 2011:

BMO Financial Group
Canadian Western Bank
CIBC
HSBC Bank Canada
National Bank Financial Group
RBC
Scotiabank
TD Canada Trust

The Canadian Red Cross is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 185 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Our mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world.

University of Western Ontario To Welcome Over Three Hundred Presbyterian Commissioners From Across The Country

TORONTO, May 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Representatives from Presbyterian churches across Canada will gather in London, Ontario for a week of deliberations and fellowship. The 137th General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada convenes June 5th at the University of Western Ontario and continues through June 10th. The week will be filled with meetings of the Assembly, daily worship, and learning and fellowship opportunities for the approximately three hundred delegates that will attend.

The PCC is comprised of over nine hundred congregations, ministries, and mission partnerships across Canada and around the world. On any given Sunday, worship services are conducted in sanctuaries, school gyms, and living rooms across the country in as many as seventeen languages.

The honour of hosting the Assembly rotates among the forty-five regional presbyteries. Rev. Keith McKee, minister at St. George's Presbyterian Church in London, chairs the local committee making arrangements for the Assembly on behalf of the Presbytery of London.

"It has been 25 years since the Presbytery of London hosted General Assembly," says McKee, "The local Presbytery has been planning for over four years to ensure that commissioners have a warm welcome to London. The Presbytery is honoured to have commissioners from coast to coast, as well as ecumenical visitors, church staff, and others, as London's guests."

The General Assembly, which meets annually, elects a Moderator who, in addition to presiding over the week-long meeting of Assembly, is the de facto spokesperson for The PCC while the Assembly is not sitting. The sole nominee for Moderator of the 137th General Assembly is the Rev. Dr. H.D. (Rick) Horst, minister at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Barrie, Ontario. Rev. Horst is quite familiar with the London area having served seventeen years as minister in nearby St. Marys.

Specific information about the 137th General Assembly, including each of the recommendations to be considered by the commissioners and schedules for special events, is available online at www.presbyterian.ca/ga137.

Dalai Lama in Montreal to Open the Second Global Conference on World's Religions after 9/11

At the Palais des congrès de Montréal

MONTREAL, May 11, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - On September 7, 2011, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, will be joined by Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi, world-famous author Deepak Chopra, Professor Tariq Ramadan, and Professor Robert Thurman, recipient of the Order of Canada, Professor Gregory Baum, and Swami Dayananda Saraswati to speak on the theme 'Peace Through Religion'.

The conference will include:

...A keynote address by the Dalai Lama

...Talks given by the other participants

...Panel discussions on the importance of inter-faith education and co-operative action

...An unveiling of the latest version of a proposed Universal Declaration of Human Rights by The World's Religions

...Active cooperation by McGill University and the Université de Montréal

Visit the web site of The Second Global Conference on World's Religions After 9/11
www.gcwr2011.org

Web camera captures osprey action for the fourth year

CALGARY, May 10, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Once again, the public will have access to a bird's eye view of an osprey nest via a high-resolution webcam thanks to an arrangement between the Calgary Zoo and ENMAX Corporation.

For over 15 years, a pair of nesting osprey has built their summer home on a platform constructed by the Calgary Zoo atop a pole erected by ENMAX subsidiary, ENMAX Power Corporation, as part of its Osprey/Avian Nest Management program. The platform is located at the extreme east end of St. George's Island and eggs have already been laid this season.

"ENMAX is pleased to provide nature enthusiasts with a unique, intimate opportunity to view the ospreys' seasonal activities," said Doris Kaufmann, ENMAX Corporation. "This is the fourth year we have worked with the zoo on this initiative and online viewers will benefit from the brand new camera installed earlier this spring."

The live streaming camera captures in full cycle the birds' dramatic seasonal milestones, from nest building and mating rituals, to egg laying, incubation, hatching, feeding and fledging, a period of intense activity that is all centred at the nest. Last year, more than 50,000 hits were recorded as people watched the exciting events of the ospreys unfold between April and September.

For more information on this osprey camera and to watch the ospreys live, 24 hours a day, visit the ENMAX osprey pages at www.enmax.com/osprey. A link and further information about ospreys is also available on the Calgary Zoo website at www.calgaryzoo.org/osprey.

ENMAX Corporation, through subsidiaries and predecessors, has provided Albertans with safe and reliable electricity for more than 100 years. ENMAX Corporation provides electricity, natural gas and value-added services to more than 640,000 residential, commercial and industrial metered customer locations in Alberta. ENMAX Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of ENMAX Corporation, is Alberta's leading competitive electricity retailer. Through subsidiaries, ENMAX Energy is one of Alberta's largest investors in renewable energy and was the first Canadian electricity retailer to offer customers the option to support wind generated energy. As well, ENMAX Corporation, through its subsidiary ENMAX Envision Inc., provides fibre optic networks for high speed data and internet communications. Visit our website at www.enmax.com.

Adagio Albinoni - Todays' Motivational Video

Enjoy this beautiful piece with an appropriately awe-inspiring slideshow below:

Waterloo Region Tech Sector Strongly Favors Light Rail Transit System, New Communitech Survey Shows

photo credit: Mark Visser

'Option L3' Endorsed by Communitech for Consideration by Officials

WATERLOO REGION, Ontario, May 9, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - A survey of tech companies in Waterloo Region indicates overwhelming support for Light Rail Transit (LRT) for the area, a survey released today by Communitech shows. As a result, Communitech has formally endorsed option L3 put forward by regional staff for consideration, and plans to convey the survey results to all regional elected officials before the anticipated June vote on rapid transit. Communitech is the not-for-profit organization that supports more than 700 technology companies in Waterloo Region.

Of the 570 independent survey respondents, close to 90 percent believe that LRT is "very or somewhat important to their company and co-workers", 70 percent believe the LRT would benefit the region overall, and more than 50 percent stated that if LRT were constructed, they would use the new system of transportation.

"This is a clear endorsement by the people who power our tech ecosystem that LRT is a priority for them," said Iain Klugman, President and CEO of Communitech. "As one of Canada's leading tech clusters, this community needs to support existing workers and attract new talent by implementing fast, clean, green and affordable transit solutions."

The survey also indicates that technology companies believe the LRT could alleviate current parking woes in the Region, a challenge for tech companies. Although only about half of the respondents felt well informed about LRT, the majority stated that a strong, viable public transit system is personally important to them.

"We can't go backwards. The proposed LRT option is the best option for creative talent attraction and to support those who currently work and invest in the regional technology sector," says Klugman. "Rail transit is what will meet the future needs of this community. Anything less is a half measure, and that's not the kind of thinking this community was built on."

For more information on the Tech Community Attitudes about LRT in the Waterloo Region, please visit: www.communitech.ca

About Communitech

Communitech www.communitech.ca is the hub for the commercialization of innovation in Waterloo Region, creating economic prosperity by removing barriers to the creation and growth of tech companies.

National Nursing Week (May 9-15) Statement from Ontario's Doctors

TORONTO, May 8, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - It is National Nursing Week (May 9-15), and on behalf of all of Ontario's doctors I would like to take a moment to recognize nurses for their hard work and dedication to patients and the health care system. Working on the frontlines, nurses have and will continue to play a critical role in ensuring that patients across the province receive the health care services they need and deserve.

Ontario's health care system continues to evolve at a rapid pace. All health care professionals are faced with many challenges on a day-to-day basis which is why it is important that we work together so that we can better serve our patients. Working across the spectrum of health care in long-term care homes, hospitals and doctor's offices to name a few, we are fortunate to be working alongside Ontario's nurses.

By working collaboratively, we can deliver high quality services and provide timely access to every Ontarian across the province. It is our hope that patients in Ontario will take a moment to appreciate the work that nurses do not just during National Nurse Appreciation Week but throughout the year.

Dr. Stewart Kennedy, MD
President
Ontario Medical Association

10 Billion Reasons Climate Should Be Our Top Priority

Photo credit: James Cridland via Flickr/CC BY

from TreeHugger.com
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York

Much proverbial ink has been spilled over the UN's latest population projections, which predict that the planet will be shared with 10 billion people by the end of the century. And it's going to require a lot of adjusting to make room for 3 billion more folks -- we're going to hit 7 billion later this year. And if we hope to continue to coexist with the natural world that we've flourished in, it means reexamining our food production, water usage, energy generation, and resource consumption on a global scale. But most of all, it means addressing climate change.

The New York Times has a Room for Debate on the topic, but most of the debaters don't go into detail about climate: The WWF's Jason Clay argues that more efficient food production is vital, Jamais Cascio imagines a world with more efficient energy usage people abiding by "a primarily vegetarian diet, with meat protein coming from "cultured meat" producers". David Bloom, meanwhile, focuses on Africa, where the bulk of the population growth will take place in the second half of the century.

He notes that the projections see Africa -- currently home to 1 billion people -- tripling in size. Much of that growth will take place in countries that are unstable, see high poverty levels and severe food shortages. And if you factor in a warming climate, it becomes a recipe for disaster. And it's a good example of why confronting climate change should be the most important consideration in thinking about a 2100 world with 10 billion people... read more story at TreeHugger.com

Brain Researchers Bringing Ideas, Discoveries to Guelph

GUELPH, Ontario May 04, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release

Neuroscience research is one of the fastest-growing areas of study at the University of Guelph, but it's still a relatively unknown field among non-experts. Hoping to change that, Guelph’s “brain professors” are inviting the public to the annual conference of the Southern Ontario Neuroscience Association, which will draw researchers from across the province to campus May 9.

“We’re working hard to share the exciting advances in neuroscience beyond our academic peers,” said Prof. Mark Fenske, Department of Psychology, who studies how the brain’s attention and emotion systems can enhance performance.

“We want to let people know how such findings relate to their day-to-day lives.”

The conference theme is learning and motivation; lecture topics will include aging, memory, emotion, and links between movement and musical rhythm. More than 100 poster presentations will discuss everything from behaviour and addiction to stroke, depression and music-dependent memory.

The all-day event will begin at 9 a.m. in Rozanski Hall. Keynote speaker Harriet de Wit, University of Chicago, will discuss determinants of human drug preferences at 11:30 a.m. A complete schedule of talks and poster presentations is available online.

“All speakers are being asked to include messages about the importance of their research for the general public and any implications for mental health,” Fenske said.

About two dozen U of G researchers from six departments study neuroscience. Their studies include protein structure in multiple sclerosis, epilepsy in dogs and cats, and drug addictions and relapses.

U of G offers a neuroscience minor through the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences and a neuroscience graduate degree in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Administrators plan to expand the grad degree to an interdepartmental program and to create a B.Sc. major in neuroscience.

Guelph neuroscientists host annual events such as Brain Awareness Week and Brain Bee competitions for high school students. Fenske writes about brain topics as a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail and co-wrote The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success, published in 2010.

Guelph Community Food Drive - Sunday May 29 to Sunday June 5

Chalmers Community Services Centre is joining forces with the Food Accessibility Working Group of the Guelph Wellington Food Round Table, Epicentre (part of the Billy Graham Association), the Salvation Army and other community groups to participate in the Guelph Community Food Drive that will run from Sunday, the 29th of May to Sunday, the 5th of June.

Here is how you and your congregation can help:

Invite members of your congregation and their friends to bring food to your church on these two Sundays. Here are the preferred food items that Chalmers would particularly appreciate receiving: skim milk powder, peanut butter, rice, pasta, canned tuna/salmon, high fiber cereal, instant oatmeal, canned vegetables, pasta sauce, and canned beans. Please call our office at 519-822-8778 to arrange a time to drop off collected items at 40 Baker Street.

Help canvas the area in the city that we have particularly been assigned, Waterloo to Norfolk/Woolwich to London to Edinburgh East to Waterloo. This requires delivering a flyer inviting people to bring their donated food items to Chalmers Community Services Centre on Saturday, the 4th of June between 9am-12noon. If you could volunteer for this activity, please leave your name at CCSC, 519-822-8778 or email volunteer@chalmerscentre.ca

Thank you very much for participating in this major community food drive.

John Buttars (Chair of the CCSC Board)

Chalmers Community Services Centre (CCSC) operates Chalmers Downtown and Chalmers West. CCSC offers a number of services but the main services are a food pantry (formerly the Fair Share Food Shelf), clothing, as well as personal support, referral, dignity, and community for a significant number of people who live on the margins of our affluent city.


Kind Regards,

Anita Jarvis
Program Leader
Chalmers Community Services Centre

519-822-8778
www.chalmerscentre.ca

Salvation Army Announces May as Dignity Month

Annual Red Shield Campaign, concert event and report to promote dignity for all

TORONTO, May 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Salvation Army is announcing May as Dignity Month in support of the Dignity Project and its annual Red Shield Campaign. The Campaign aims to raise money to fight poverty across Canada.

The Salvation Army's Dignity Project launched in March with a goal of educating the public about the reality of poverty in the 21st century - underscoring that everyone deserves the fundamental right of human dignity. This concept continues into the month of May with a number of events planned nationwide, including:

...Dignity Speaks: An evening of education and entertainment featuring music and guest speakers sharing Salvation Army success stories. The event, taking place on Sunday, May 15 at the Harbour Light in downtown Toronto will feature Juno-award-winning artists Downhere, the up-and-coming band Hark the Herons and former Toronto Argonaut quarterback Damon Allen. Herbie Kuhn, the voice of the Toronto Raptors, and Colonel Floyd Tidd, Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army in Canada will host the evening. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.salvationarmy.ca/dignity

...Local Dignity Events: Throughout the month of May, The Salvation Army and many of its local units will host events focusing on the concept of dignity. These events will be highlighted on a Google-powered Map, similar to the "Fill the Kettle" map used during The Salvation Army's Christmas Campaign. The map will include the location, time and more information about each local dignity event. The Google map can be found at www.salvationarmy.ca/dignity

...Partnership with BioPed: BioPed's goodytwoshoes foundation is teaming up with The Salvation Army to provide footwear to Canada's most vulnerable. On May 18th, BioPed will close its clinic doors to distribute shoes and conduct routine foot assessments and foot-related education to Salvation Army shelters across Canada.

...Homelessness Perceptions Report: Later this month, The Salvation Army will release a report including new national polling data from the Angus Reid Forum on perceptions of homelessness in Canada. The report is part of the Army's continuing effort to educate the public about perceptions and attitudes surrounding marginalized people in society today.

...Red Shield Campaign: For more than 90 years, The Salvation Army in Canada has promoted the annual Red Shield Campaign. Traditionally launched during the month of May, this fundraising appeal targets donors to raise money for programs and services available to the more than 3 million Canadians living in poverty today. Last year, $2.7 million was raised to help The Salvation Army feed, clothe, shelter and otherwise care for more than 1.6 million Canadians. This year, the campaign goal is $3 million.

"With the launch of our annual May Red Shield Campaign, there's no better time for us to declare a month devoted to restoring dignity to Canada's most vulnerable," said Graham Moore, Public Relations & Development Secretary for The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. "Our goal this month is to inspire action in others - to educate and motivate the public to change their thinking about the many struggling to get by everyday."

Money raised during the month of May will directly support those living in poverty today through Salvation Army social services like emergency shelter care, substance abuse counselling and employment training. Each year, The Salvation Army serves more than 1.6 million people in more than 400 communities across the country.

Financial contributions can be made by visiting www.salvationarmy.ca, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769), by mailing donations to The Salvation Army, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, ON M4H1P4 or by dropping off financial donations at the closest Salvation Army facility in your area.

Donors can also support the May Red Shield Campaign by texting HOME to 45678 from most mobile carriers in Canada. A $15 donation will be added to your monthly mobile bill.



About The Red Shield Campaign:

The May Red Shield Campaign is an annual fundraising and public awareness campaign held annually throughout the month of May. The Salvation Army utilizes online, phone, direct mail and door-to-door appeals to solicit donations from generous Canadians. Giving to The Salvation Army offers an opportunity to invest in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community. On average, 86 cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army is used directly in charitable activities.

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and everyday in 400 communities across Canada and more than 120 countries around the world. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, providing shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community.