The Battle Over Tornado-Ravaged Goderich, Ontario, Formerly "Canada's Prettiest Town" (Slideshow & Video)

from TreeHugger.com
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Goderich, Ontario was billed as "Canada's Prettiest Town" and it truly was. It had one of the country's most beautiful town squares, (actually, a town octagon) filled with trees, and surrounded by a great collection of Victorian commercial buildings. The entire area was designated as historically significant under the Heritage Act.

On August 21, a force 3 tornado ripped through the town, and in twelve seconds almost destroyed it. Now, the debate is on: speedy construction or careful planning?

On Saturday I joined heritage professionals and activists from all over Ontario at a council meeting of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario in Goderich, organized to gather support and help, be it fundraising, professional services, ideas, competitions, whatever.

I thought it might be like a heritage version of Greensburg, where people from all over America have helped rebuild a better, greener town.

While there was a lot of damage from the tornado itself, there are some questions about how the authorities responded to the damage.

Certainly heritage was not the first thing on their minds; health and safety people kept everyone away until they checked for dead and injured, (miraculously, only one person was killed), then for health and safety reasons like asbestos, (one person of authority had heard there was asbestos in the bricks and mortar and kept heritage architects out unless they were fitted for respirators; however, there is no asbestos in Ontario bricks.)

Building owners were not allowed in to tarp their buildings and the subsequent rain did as much damage as the tornado.

But in other cases, it is still not certain what is going to happen.

The store owners and businesses want to get back in business as soon as possible, and nobody is much interested in standing around doing visioning studies and careful historic reconstructions, they have to put food on the table. The Deputy Mayor told us that he wants the town rebuilt within two years.

The business of Goderich was heritage. One might try and point out that the reason people came there was because it was so pretty, and that it won't be quite the same thing if they put up a lot of crap in a hurry.



This video was taken the day after the tornado. Almost every tree is gone, as are most of the roofs and quite a few buildings.
Image Credit: Anews London

...see slideshow and read more story at TreeHugger.com

Ontario farmers attempting world record soybean harvest to raise funds for Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers to sell harvested soybeans at live charity auction during Harvest for Hunger

LISTOWEL, Ontario, September 23, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - On September 30, 2011, a group of local farmers and hundreds of supporters from Perth County, Ontario will attempt to set a new world record by harvesting 160 acres of soybean crop with more than 100 combines in under 10 minutes. The record attempt is part of Harvest for Hunger, a unique project organized by five local area farmers—Richard Van Donkersgoed, Peter Rastorfer, Mike Koetsier, Randy Drenth and John Tollenaar—to raise funds for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and help end global hunger. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers will sell the harvested soybean crop in a live unreserved charity auction during the event, with all proceeds going to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) will also match proceeds raised in the auction.

Harvest for Hunger is a collaborative community effort involving more than 300 volunteers and more than 100 combines. Everything has been donated including the use of the land, field work, seed, fertilizer, crop protection, fuel and crop scouting. Ritchie Bros. is donating its auction services, staff and an auctioneer to support the event.

The harvest will yield about 8,000 bushels of beans which will be divided and auctioned in lots ranging in size from one bushel to 1,600 bushels (enough to fill a 40 tonne truck). Some of the crop will be sold as crushed beans for soybean meal or Identity Preserved (IP) beans (non-genetically modified beans that can be exported). Bidding on lots will be take place on-site during the Harvest for Hunger event. Each lot will be sold to the highest bidder, with no minimum bids or reserve prices.

"All the funds raised from the harvest will help the Canadian Foodgrains Bank provide critical food aid to drought ridden areas such as Ethiopia and Kenya," said Richard Van Donkersgoed, Fundraising Coordinator for Harvest for Hunger.

Harvest for Hunger will take place on Highway 23, just one kilometre north of Monkton (between Listowel & Mitchell) at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30. The public is invited to watch the soybean harvest and bid in the live charity auction. Lunch and drinks will be available by donation. Local dignitaries will also be on-site to determine whether a new harvesting world record is set, based on time and acreage.

"Community events like Harvest for Hunger speak to the strong heritage of Canadian farmers feeding the world," said Jim Cornelius, Executive Director, Canadian Foodgrains Bank. "We are grateful for the volunteers and donors who are working together in support of our mission to end global hunger."

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end world hunger through the collection and donation of grain and cash. To date, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank has provided more than one million tonnes of food to people in 80 countries around the world. Primary support for the organization comes from growing projects with farmers and communities in Canada's agricultural sector.

Find more information about the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Harvest for Hunger at http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/harvest_for_hunger.aspx.

About Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end global hunger. Together with matching support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Foodgrains Bank has provided over one million tonnes of food assistance to people who are hungry since 1983.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. Ritchie Bros. offers services that enable the world's builders to easily and confidently exchange equipment. The Company conducts hundreds of unreserved public auctions each year, selling a broad range of used and unused equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. Ritchie Bros. has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 43 auction sites worldwide. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.

Almost one billion people go to bed hungry every night according to the World Disaster Report

OTTAWA, September 22, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The world's most vulnerable populations remain at significant risk to the effects of food shortages and malnutrition according to the 2011 World Disaster Report (WDR) released today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

"High food prices and lack of access to basic nutrition continue to negatively affect millions of people every day," says Conrad Sauvé, secretary general and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross. "Aid organizations, countries and individuals must continue to work to ensure basic food is available and affordable for the world's most vulnerable populations."

A new round of food inflation and severe hikes in the price of basic foodstuffs such as rice, maize, wheat, oil, sugar and salt is plunging many of the world's poorest people, including millions across the Horn of Africa, into deeper poverty and into situations of severe hunger and malnourishment.

According to the WDR the populations most affected by hunger and malnutrition are the poor who typically spend between 50 and 80 per cent of their incomes on food.

The Canadian Red Cross has a strong history of supporting communities affected by hunger and malnutrition. This includes a current appeal to support countries in the Horn of Africa that have been ravaged by drought.

"Canadians have been generous in their support for people affected by the famine and drought in the Horn of Africa," Sauvé said. "We must ensure that food security remains at the forefront of the discussion about how best to support populations affected by disaster."

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 over 185 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Canadian Red Cross mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world.

Self-Care strategy is vital to preventing and managing chronic disease

OTTAWA, September 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The declaration signed by Canada today at the UN high-level meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases underlines once again how important a sound self-care strategy is to the health and wellbeing of Canadians. Consumer Health Products Canada encourages all health policy makers to make a top priority of supporting responsible self-care for the benefits offers to the health of Canadians and the sustainability of their health care system.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease cost the Canadian economy $190 billion annually and by 2030 are expected to contribute to 75% of all deaths. Eighty per cent of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, as well as 40% of cancers, are believed to be preventable. Self-care is a vital part of any chronic disease prevention strategy, including education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, as well as supporting the availability of consumer health products used in self-care. For example, nicotine replacement products have made an important contribution to the reduction of tobacco use in Canada, which now stands at an all-time low of 17%.

The UN declaration emphasizes the importance of adequate health care system funding, as the cost of managing chronic disease will continue to mount for the foreseeable future. Here, even the self-care of minor ailments makes a huge contribution.

"There is growing evidence worldwide that supporting self-care can lead to significant reductions in the use (and cost) of health services," said CHP Canada President David Skinner.

Over 90 percent of Canadians agree that

"If our health care system is to remain sustainable, it is more important than ever that governments in Canada provide Canadians with the resources they need to practice responsible self-care for healthy living."

CHP Canada is a 115 year-old trade association representing the consumer health products industry, including the manufacturers of natural health products and over-the-counter products.

Bishops to invite thousands of GTA commuters 'Back to Church'

TORONTO, September 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - On the morning of Thursday, September 22nd, Bishops from the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran Churches, dressed in their ecclesiastical vestments and mitres, will reach out to thousands of commuters across the greater Toronto area to invite them 'Back to Church'.

The outreach is part of an international Christian initiative, which has designated Sunday, September 25th as 'Back to Church' Sunday. On that day, thousands of Anglicans, Evangelical Lutherans and other Christians throughout the world will be accompanying their friends and relatives back to church.

"The Church is an integral part of society, woven into its history and fabric," says Bishop Philip Poole of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. "Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran bishops look forward to meeting and chatting with commuters even for a few moments to invite people to return to church or to try us out for the first time. You'll be most welcomed at church or your place of worship this or any weekend."

The Bishops will be handing out a simple invitation to all who will accept one. They will be visiting GO stations in Ajax, Brampton, Agincourt and Barrie.

TVO and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics announce new five-year partnership

TVO and Perimeter Institute partner to make science more accessible in Ontario

TORONTO, September 16, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - TVO and Ontario's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics are pleased to announce a new five-year partnership, making TVO the exclusive presenting media partner for the Perimeter Institute's international science-themed events and popular public lecture series.

TVO and Perimeter Institute share a belief that building scientific literacy is fundamental to a sustainable and prosperous future.

"Perimeter Institute brings together the brightest scientific minds in the world to share their ideas and TVO has the media toolkit to make those ideas more accessible," said Lisa de Wilde, Chief Executive Officer of TVO. "Working together we can open up new worlds in science for Ontarians of all ages."

"The role of science is pivotal in advancing our world, and is why Perimeter Institute and TVO are intensifying efforts to share the joys of research, discovery and innovation," said Neil Turok, Perimeter's Director. "We are delighted to be working with the team at TVO, our like-minded and highly motivated partner in science communications."

The new partnership builds on a successful history of engaging TVO's on-air, online and on-location audiences with the top scientific minds that converge at Perimeter. The two Ontario-based organizations have successfully collaborated on the Quantum to Cosmos: Ideas for the Future science festival in 2009; Hawking at the Perimeter in 2010; and the Equinox Summit: Energy 2030 in 2011. TVO also aired the award-winning Quantum Tamers: Revealing Our Weird & Wired Future, from Perimeter Institute.

This new partnership kicks off with a special TVO broadcast from the Grand Opening of the Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute.

Stephen Hawking: The Power of Ideas will air on TVO on Sunday September 18 at 8 p.m. ET. Program details include:

...A tribute to Professor Hawking
...Celebrations from the grand opening of the Hawking Centre
...A mini-documentary and a panel discussion scheduled to include: Neil Turok, leading cosmologist and Director of Perimeter Institute; Brian Green, string theorist, author and noted science communicator; Julie Payette, Canadian astronaut and Rebecca Saxe, cognitive neuroscientist
...Comments from Professor Hawking himself, and tributes about his inspirational life story from famous Canadians including Rick Hansen, David Foster and William Shatner

In tandem with the tribute to Professor Hawking and a public open house at Perimeter Institute, TVO.org will also live stream four special one-hour public lectures from Perimeter's "Theatre of Ideas" on Sunday, September 18 starting at 10:00 am. The speakers and topics include:

10 a.m. George Dyson, science historian and author, on the origins of the digital universe
12 p.m. Hod Lipson, Director of the Computational Synthesis Lab at Cornell University, on the rise of programmable matter and the future of "3D printers"
2 p.m. Natalia Toro, Faculty at Perimeter Institute, on the world's most ambitious scientific experiment, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
4 p.m. Julie Payette, astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency, with perspectives from the International Space Station on scientific research and international diplomacy


TVOKids and TVOParents.com will also be part of Perimeter Institute's Physica Phantastica science exhibit during the grand opening on September 18th. In addition to Perimeter's family-friendly physics activities - including Memory Metal, the Hawking Radiation Playbook and Black Hole in a Bucket - kids will have the opportunity to try out TVOKids.com science games. And parents can learn from the TVOParents.com team members about the TVOKids Homework Zone and other resources that can help equip their children for success in science, math and literacy.

About Perimeter Institute

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is an independent, non-profit, scientific research and educational outreach organization where international scientists cluster to push the limits of our understanding of physical laws and develop new ideas about the very essence of space, time, matter and information. The centre provides a multi-disciplinary environment to foster scientific collaboration in research areas of cosmology, particle physics, quantum foundations, quantum gravity, quantum information, superstring theory, and related disciplines. Perimeter also provides a wide array of award-winning outreach programs for students, teachers and the general public across Canada in order to share the joy of research, discovery and innovation. In partnership with the Governments of Ontario and Canada, Perimeter continues to be a successful example of private and public collaboration in science research and education. For more information, visit perimeterinstitute.ca.

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. Celebrating 40 years, TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Wanted: An Affordable Home

photo credit: fadedgenes via Flickr

More progress needed to help households in housing need

TORONTO, September 15, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Authors of a newly released report on housing issues are calling on provincial candidates to focus on creating affordable homes for more than 152,000 households on community housing wait lists across Ontario.

The 2011 edition of Where's Home?, authored by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada Ontario Region (CHF Canada Ontario Region), analyzes 22 separate housing markets and highlights the need for more affordable rental housing across the Province.

This year's report shows that it is increasingly difficult for low and modest income people in Ontario to find safe, affordable rental housing options that are appropriate for their families. This daily reality is highlighted by data that indicates overall vacancy rates across the province continue to tighten - dropping to 2.9% between 2009 and 2010.

"Vacancy rates are tightening up and rental demand is expanding," says Sharad Kerur, ONPHA's Executive Director. "An aging population, increased levels of immigration and future economic conditions will all play a role in determining rental housing needs in the years ahead - and it will be up to local communities and senior governments to help meet those needs."

"This year's findings clearly demonstrate that the gap between homeowners and tenants' incomes is growing ever wider and many Ontarians of low and modest means are struggling to find a home that they can afford," said Harvey Cooper, Manager of Government Relations at CHF Canada Ontario Region. "I worry about families being forced to choose between paying for the necessities of life, putting food on the table and paying the rent."

In addition to inadequate supply, high energy costs are compounding affordability problems for low and moderate income renter households - making it even harder for them to make ends meet.

While this year's report brings attention to a number of troubling trends, there are bright spots that show progress can be made if communities have access to innovative ideas, government support, and sufficient levels of funding.

"While the number of new rental units being produced is not nearly enough to meet the growing demand, recent initiatives - particularly the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP) - have helped create more affordable and supportive housing for those in need," said Kerur. "Since 2005, over 8,500 of these units were created by non-profit and, to a lesser extent, co-operative housing organizations - showing that with government funding and support, communities can create more affordable homes."

In order to meet increasing rental housing demand, over 10,000 new rental units would need to be built each and every year for the next ten years. While the need is big, so is the commitment of the organizations that make up the membership of ONPHA and CHF Canada Ontario Region.

"We know that housing is a fundamental building block of people's lives," says Cooper. "Our members want to see senior governments take a balanced approach to the creation of more affordable housing for people across the income spectrum. By combining permanently affordable co-op and non-profit housing, private sector rental, renovation programs for existing housing stock and financial tools like rent supplements to fill vacant units, we can move people off housing waiting lists and into affordable homes."

"Where's Home?" can be found at www.onpha.on.ca or www.chfcanada.coop.

Lack of affordable housing and efficient transit barriers to success of immigrants and the economy

OTTAWA, September 14, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The lack of affordable housing and access to efficient public transit and community services are significant barriers to the success of new immigrants and the Canadian economy, says the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in a report on Canada's immigration system.

"To keep its economy strong, Canada needs an immigration strategy that meets growing on-the-ground challenges and gives cities and communities a seat at the table," said FCM president Berry Vrbanovic. ''Without a decent place to live, an affordable and reliable way to get to and from work, and access to front-line community services immigrants will continue to fall behind and Canada will not meet its economic and social objectives."

According to FCM's report, new immigrants are falling behind other Canadians in their income and job opportunities. Overcrowded road and public transit systems are crumbling and a growing shortage of affordable housing threatens to price more immigrants out of the regional labour markets where they are needed most. Ottawa's language and job-training programs are falling behind changing settlement patterns, leaving communities big and small without the resources to meet changing local needs.

"Municipalities are the front-line, first-responders for many immigrants' needs, yet we collect just eight cents of every tax-dollar paid in Canada and have been given no formal role in developing federal immigration policies and programs," said FCM vice-president Claude Dauphin. "The federal government must recognize municipalities as key partners in immigrant settlement and work with us to tailor solutions to local needs."

FCM called on the federal government to protect long-term investments in communities, including more than $500 million in annual housing investments scheduled to expire during the next decade; protect and build on recent investments in Canada's infrastructure and public transit; work with municipalities, provinces and territories to design longer-term settlement programs that respond better to changing local needs; and collect data on immigrants' needs and report back to Canadians on the results.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. FCM represents with close to 90 per cent of the Canadian population - close to 2000 municipal governments across the country.

64% of Canadians feel religion creates more questions than answers

Progressive new show will serve as a platform to discuss and examine current events through the lens of faith

TORONTO, September 14, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The majority of Canadians surveyed in a new Ipsos Reid poll say religion creates more questions than answers in the search to explain life and the world around them. In addition, half of the respondents agreed that 'religion does more harm than good'.

"We have a generation completely split on the reliability of religion. When over half a survey group claims they believe in God, and 50% declare religion only confuses things, there is a need for discussion," says Lorna Dueck, host of TV show Context with Lorna Dueck, a new addition to Global's fall lineup.

The survey commissioned by Context also reveals that while Canadians identify themselves as belonging to a religious faith, most have lost touch with what it means to be religious, lacking confidence to apply their beliefs to their every day lives. For example, while a slim majority of Canadians believe in God, only 13% of respondents attend a weekly church service. Interestingly, 28% of Protestants, 33% of Catholics, and 23% of those who attend weekly religious services do not believe in God.

Life beyond the headlines…

The most gripping news stories of the summer have featured religion: the Arab Spring, the Norway massacre, the London riots, and just this past Sunday, the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Consequences of religious fanaticism dominate the news cycle today. "Can Religion be Trusted?" - that's the question award-winning journalist and television personality, Lorna Dueck, seeks to answer in the premiere episode of her new show.

"Everyday we are confronted with the stories that confuse our sense of justice and make us ask 'why?'. Our beliefs should help us to answer those questions, but this poll shows us that Canadians are struggling with the issue of faith," says Dueck.

About the show: Context with Lorna Dueck

Context with Lorna Dueck is a new weekly news analysis program, premiering Sunday, September 18 at 11am on Global TV and at 9:30 a.m. on Vision.

10th Anniversary of 9/11

To mark the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we have compiled worship and congregational resources for individuals and congregations wishing to commemorate the day in a faithful way.



Moderator Mardi Tindal offers a prayer that congregations can use in worship on Sunday September 11 as they recall the events of a decade earlier.


A Prayer for September 11

Lover of All Humanity, Christ of Compassion and Mercy,
Spirit who yearns for all to live in Holy Peace and Joy,
We call to mind all who perished in the collapse of the towers:
(a moment for silent remembering)
We call to mind as well
those who suffer today from the loss of their loved ones,
emergency workers, firemen and women
who immediately responded to the alarms.
Too many of these perished as well.
And too many of those who did not perish
share lingering nightmares and illness
because of their faithful daring.
We pray for the children who lost parents that day,
for parents who lost children that day,
for visitors caught unawares,
for people at work and at home near Ground Zero,
for all who at great distances
still live in judgment
and thus in fear today.
Hear us as we silently lift up our sorrow to you:
(a moment for silent intercession)
We acknowledge this day
That we do not love our enemy deeply
Nor bless abundantly those who curse us.
And at this anniversary,
We find your call to forgive so difficult.
Yet we are not alone, we live in your world.
Gather us all into your embrace.
As your beloved children,
we know we are interrelated with one another
though oceans or history may hold us apart.

How is it that humanity in all times and places can be so cruel
And yet you keep loving us?
Hear the stirrings of our heart as we ponder silently:
(a moment for silent confession)
Help us to see our own responsibility
in bringing about your healing and peace,
in growing deeper respect and greater kindness,
in offering examples of leadership and generosity
fit for our day.
Inspire us to join with all who seek to understand
and who take part in interfaith dialogues and conversations.
Hear us as we speak silently the needs we have today:
(a moment for silent supplication)
We know our great work with You, O God,
continues.
Bless us on this grace-filled journey
in the name of the Prince of Peace.
AMEN.
Written by Betty Lynn Schwab, CIM

Une prière pour le 11 septembre

Toi qui aimes l’humanité entière, Christ de compassion et de miséricorde,
Esprit qui désire que tous et toutes vivent dans la sainteté de la paix et de la joie :
nous faisons mémoire des personnes qui ont péri lors de l’effondrement des tours jumelles.
(temps d’évocation silencieuse)
Nous nous rappelons aussi ceux et celles qui souffrent, tout particulièrement en ce jour, de la perte d’êtres aimés;
les intervenants des services d’urgence, les pompiers, tous ces hommes et ces femmes qui ont répondu aux alarmes et dont beaucoup ont péri également.
Nombreux aussi sont les survivants désormais hantés par les cauchemars ou par la maladie, conséquences de leur dévouement courageux.
Nous prions pour les enfants qui ont perdu des parents ce jour-là :
pour les parents qui ont perdu des enfants,
pour les visiteurs captifs sans préavis,
pour les personnes qui travaillaient ou résidaient près de Ground Zero,
pour tous ceux et celles qui, très loin de là,
vivent toujours sous le jugement, donc
aujourd’hui encore dans la crainte.
Écoute-nous alors qu’en silence nous élevons vers Toi notre tristesse.
(temps d’intercession silencieuse)
En ce jour, nous avouons
ne pas aimer nos ennemis en profondeur, ni bénir d’abondance ceux qui nous maudissent.
En cet anniversaire, nous trouvons bien difficile ton appel à pardonner.
Pourtant, nous ne sommes pas seuls, nous vivons dans ton monde.


Rassemble-nous tous et toutes dans l’étreinte de tes bras, tels tes enfants bien-aimés :
nous savons que nous sommes interreliés les uns avec les autres, même si des océans ou l’histoire nous séparent.
Comment se fait-il que, toujours et partout, l’humanité soit si cruelle?
Et pourtant, Toi, tu continues à nous aimer?
Entends les mouvements de nos cœurs qui méditent en silence.
(temps de confession silencieuse)
Aide-nous à discerner notre propre responsabilité,
à promouvoir la guérison et la paix venant de Toi,
à cultiver un plus profond respect et une plus grande bonté,
à donner un exemple de générosité, par un leadership ajusté à la situation actuelle.
Insuffle en nous le désir de nous associer à tous ceux et celles qui s’engagent dans les dialogues et les échanges interreligieux.
Écoute-nous alors que nous évoquons en silence nos besoins de ce jour :
(temps de supplication silencieuse)
Nous le savons, ô Dieu : avec toi notre grande œuvre se poursuit.
Bénis-nous en ce jour plein de grâce, au nom du Prince de la Paix.
Amen.
Traduction : D.Fortin/Ministères en français

Spirit, Science, Art, Reverence Combined Will Build a Better Green Movement

photo: James Jordan/CC BY-ND

from TreeHugger.com
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY


After reviewing the major religions of the world's stances on the environment, it seems pretty clear to me that there are more commonalities than differences. In the realm of metaphysics there are genuine and significant splits between Dharmic faiths ( Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism) and the Abrahamic faiths ( Judaism, Christianity, Islam), but in the realm of practical action to protect our shared environment, there is a great common ground.

No Religious Path Advocates Environmental Destruction

In other words, while there are differences in motivation for environmental protection between a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jew, and a Christian--the first two generally seeing humanity as a integral part of nature, the latter two likely seeing the man's relationship to the natural world through the eyes of a caretaker--none of that matters when it comes to the need to preserve our water, our air, our land in an unpolluted state, in growing healthy food in a way that doesn't harm the land, et cetera.

Even more bluntly, there is not a religious path that says environmental destruction is a good thing, that pollution is a good thing, that dirty water are good. Such a belief system doesn't exist--unless you count some of the musings of industrialists looking at billowing smokestacks in the 19th century as a belief system. Maybe it is.

As I've said throughout this series, brief as each exploration is, environmental protection is an intrinsic theme in every world faith--even if there has always been vary degrees of appreciation and application of those beliefs. Which is also true of every non-theistic belief system, it should be said.

Why Are Greens Afraid To Talk About Spirituality?

If there is such a large common ground in support of environmental protection amongst the world's religions, why does it often seem then that religion and spiritual beliefs get sidelined in public discussion of going green?

Why is the ethical, the moral, the spiritual component of our efforts to tread more lightly on the planet not discussed more?

After all, the polluting class, who stubbornly refuse to bend from business-as-usual methods of production and attitudes towards environmental protection, regularly invoke beliefs in the superiority of the unfettered free market, when they are asked to not make such a mess of the world.

So why do environmentalists all too often shy away from talking about the deeper aspects of their beliefs? Why do we favor talking about rational self-interest when discussing more wind power, or clean air, or green jobs? Why not instead talk about enthusiastic love of life, compassion for all beings, the sacred imperative to live in balance, in an ecological sustainable way?

I've gone into this more recently, talking about the need to cultivate love of life, love of nature, and how this will bring about the external aspects of living a green life in a green society - so need to rehash that any more than I have.

Cultivate Holism to Develop A New Paradigm

I will say though that without holistically incorporating, and publicly talking about, a spiritual element to the modern environmental movement I am convinced we will fail to bring about the change we seek, at least in any sort of lasting way.

In the editor's message in the newest issue of Resurgence, Satish Kumar makes the case more eloquently than I, so I'll just quote part of it (apologies to Kumar for grabbing a great deal of his wonderful words here):

If the green movement wishes to be radical and effective and wants to embrace a new paradigm of the future, then our work has to based in harmony and wholeness incorporating spiritual wellbeing, artistic imagination, social cohesion and reverence for the whole of life.


Through the observation and analysis, experiment and evidence, reason and logic of our great scientists, we know the truth of harmony and the laws of Nature such as gravity, Gaia, relativity and evolution.

Through words, colors or images, music, movement, poetry and stories we communicate and express our experience of the universal harmony. And through reverence and restraint, through simplicity and frugality, reflection and meditation, synthesis and spirituality, dialogue and philosophy we learn to live in harmony with the universe and with ourselves.

But much of the environmental movement is missing out on this holistic approach.

Limiting itself to working within the partial parameters of secular rationalism, facts, figures and pragmatic arguments, the green movement has failed to make an impact on changing the direction of politics, business, academia and media. The culture of consumerism and materialism continues to intensify and there is little prospect of real change if we confine ourselves to green growth, renewable energy and very few other areas of policy.

We need to develop a bigger vision and to present a bigger picture to the world.

Indeed...

So what I charge you all with is going deeper within both yourself and your tradition. There's no need to change your path if that path is working for you; I hope this series has shown that. Go deeper to develop that holism, that bridging of spirit, science, and society. Develop your wonder and willpower, your conscience, compassion and consciousness. Develop a greener spirit, if you will.

More on Religion & The Environment

All of Existence Should Be Revered: Hinduism & The Environment

A Responsibility To Defend A Fragile & Glorious World: Judaism & The Environment

Check out TreeHugger for 30+ fresh, green stories every day!

Somalia Famine Could Claim 750,000 Lives in Next Four Months Without Better Aid

Children have walked for weeks across the desert to get to Dadaab, and many perish on the way. Others have died shortly after arrival. On the edge of the camp, a young girl stands amid the freshly made graves of 70 children, many of whom died of malnutrition. Photo: Andy Hall/Oxfam/CC BY. Caption by Oxfam East Africa.

from TreeHugger.com
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY

The worst drought in East Africa in 60 years continues to take a severe toll. The tragic stats coming from the UN (via BBC News):

Six areas are now considered to be afflicted by famine, with the latest, the Bay region, being worse than any so far--58% of children there are malnourished, a record rate of acute malnutrition. 12 million people in East Africa, 4 million people in Somalia alone, are affected. 750,000 of these people in Somalia being "at risk of death in the coming four months in the absence of adequate response", according to the UN's Food Security and Nutritional Analysis Unit.

The Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya is now that largest in the world, with as many people in it as Kansas City, Missouri.

Overall it's worse than the famine in Somalia in 1992 and is approaching equaling the Ethiopian famine in the mid-1980s.

Read the BBC article linked above for some background on the famine, the role of Islamic militants in preventing aid from reaching affected areas (for a while at least they denied famine existed) and preventing Somalis from leaving the nation, such as it can be called a nation.

As for the absence of adequate response to the ongoing natural and humanitarian disaster, Mother Jones makes the case that the de facto media blackout of the famine certainly isn't helping the situation.

The article cites data from the Pew Research Center showing that over July and August the East African famine has accounted for just 0.7% of all news coverage. And cites Doctors Without Borders figures on how a little bit of coverage can go a long way--when ABC briefly covered the famine the aid organization reports that it received more than $100,000 in donations in one night.

...read more story at TreeHugger.com

Global Conference on World's Religions - Promoting dialogue to build a peaceful world after 9/11

MONTREAL, September 7, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Today is the opening of the Second Global Conference on World's Religions after 9/11, where His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Robert Thurman, Tariq Ramadan, Gregory Baum and Steven T. Katz will meet. Organized by McGill University in cooperation with the Université de Montréal, this Conference has invited representatives of many of the world's best known religions as well as the general public to discuss the involvement of religion in the building of peace.

"It has been said that there can be no peace among nations without peace among religions. Moreover, the profile of religion in the public square has been rising all over the world and predictions of its demise have turned out to be grossly exaggerated. Thus, the real question is not whether religions should exist or not, but rather, how can they contribute to peace in the world. If they are part of the problem, then they can also become part of the solution," says Professor Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor of Comparative Religion in the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, and convenor of the Conference.

The Conference which will be taking place at the Montréal Palais des congrès will start at 9:00 am on Wednesday with a word of welcome from Professor Arvind Sharma, at 10:00 am His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give an hour and a half elocution entitled "Peace through Ethics" which will be introduced by Professor Robert A. Thurman, first American to be ordained monk in conformity with the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

At 1:00 pm the world renowned author and physician Deepak Chopra will give a one hour presentation on "Peace through Spirituality". At 2:00 pm a panel discussion will be moderated by Professor Patricia G. Kirkpatrick from McGill University. This panel will discuss the major factors relating to religion and peace. Panelists include: Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University; Robert A. Thurman, Professor in Indo-Tibetan Studies, Columbia University; Steven T. Katz, Director of the Elie Wiesel Centre for Judaic Studies and Professor of Religion at Boston University; and Gregory Baum, Professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University.

At the end of the day, the participants will debate three resolutions linked with religious teachings, the respect of religious texts and an eventual Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions. The objective of this Declaration is to improve the actual Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to extend its influence.

For more information, visit the Conference web site, www.gcwr2011.org

Ontario's doctors kick into high gear as provincial election begins

TORONTO, September 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - With the official start of the provincial election set to begin on September 7th, Ontario's doctors are ramping up efforts to ensure that health care is a priority. Doctors from across the province are sending letters to their local candidates and engaging local media to remind them that health care is the number one issue for voters.

"Health care is an issue that affects each and every Ontarian. As front line health care providers, Ontario's doctors know what is needed to improve our health care system for our patients and to make it viable for the future." - Stewart Kennedy, MD, President of the Ontario Medical Association

Polling conducted on behalf of the OMA revealed that 9 in 10 Ontarians believe that health care is the most important issue. At the recent annual conference held by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, municipal leaders from across Ontario also chose health care as the number one issue that political parties should focus on.

Ontario's doctors have been very active in the lead up to the election by promoting a number of key issues in their platform, "Better care. Healthier patients. A stronger Ontario." Ontario's doctors have called for improvements to health care services for patients and their families dealing with mental illness and addiction, the expansion of electronic medical records to 5,000 more physicians by 2015, and to fight childhood obesity by requiring fast food chains to list calorie contents on menu boards and by mandating physical activity in our high schools.

"Local doctors have solutions to local health care challenges and should be included in health care discussions. We hope that political parties and local candidates commit to work with Ontario's doctors to improve patient care." - Stewart Kennedy, MD, President of the Ontario Medical Association

To learn more about what Ontario's doctors are recommending, please visit www.oma.org

What Drivers Can Learn From Children

Children walking/cycling to school ease traffic congestion

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, September 1, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - As school bells peal this week, more families will fill the streets across Canada walking and cycling their children back to school. So drivers should beware and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Chloe, a grade 8 student, notes a common pedestrian danger; "there is one spot on the way to school where I have to listen and watch really closely before I can cross - the cars come around the bend so fast they wouldn't be able to stop if I was half way across. I think the littler kids have to be with a parent to cross safely."

According to Jacky Kennedy, Director of Canada Walks at Green Communities Canada, the lead organization for the Canadian School Travel Planning initiative, greater numbers on the streets leads to greater safety;

"When drivers see more children walking and cycling, their natural reaction is to slow down. The larger the group of children, the slower vehicles will travel. When our streets are sparse of walkers and cyclers, driving behaviour becomes more dangerous to the few who do walk. We need to learn to share the road with all users; especially children who are most vulnerable to road dangers."

The great irony is that many of the cars that endanger walking children are actually carrying fellow students on the way to school in a family vehicle. The largest Canadian household survey concerning school transport, recently conducted by Green Communities Canada, found that the car was the most common way children got to school nationally (43% driven versus 34% walking). Parents also reported several safety concerns about vehicles in the school zone with observations like, "I've been close to being hit in the parking lot," "[Drivers] do not stop at stop signs," and "[Drivers] do not respect the school zone areas or the cross walks."

However, more and more people are supporting a change in car culture across Canada and around the world. The United Nations has named this the Decade for Action on Road Safety - and globally, countries and communities are responding with policies and charters that recognize that motor vehicles are dangerous to people who walk or cycle, especially to children and seniors whose independent mobility depends on active travel.

More children are hitting the pavement for the trip to school as municipal and provincial governments take steps to change car-centric road policies and school boards support those measures. Surrey, BC, adopted a Walking Plan earlier this year that will help make walking a safe and convenient choice for citizens and visitors. In Waterloo, Ontario, school boards recently signed an Active Transportation Charter to ensure that walking and cycling to school are safe, comfortable and convenient. And in Nova Scotia, a province-wide legislation change has been announced for this fall that will reduce school zone speeds from 50 km/h to a safer and easier to navigate speed of 30 km/h.

"(Walking to school) has been one of the greatest things that we've done over the last couple of years" says Bruce Krentz, a father in Thompson, Manitoba. "It's really some special time together and it also starts to get people out and get them moving and it shows your kids that it's okay to walk; that you don't always have to take a car to wherever you go."

Mélyssa Brochu of Sherbrooke, Quebec, says, "(My daughter), who used to complain that 1.1 km was too far to walk, is now a walk-to-school champion."

Drivers, beware. There will be more champions on the streets this year - could you be one of them?

About Green Communities Canada

Green Communities Canada is a national association of non-profit organizations that deliver innovative, practical environmental solutions to Canadian households and communities. For more information, visit www.saferoutestoschool.ca/schooltravel.asp. The current STP project is funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer through its CLASP initiative, with additional funding support from the Public Health Agency of Canada.