April 2007 E-news

Top Ten Things You Can Do for Sustainability

Our fantastic Youth Steering Committee (YSC) took a minute to put together their Top 10 lists of things you can do to help out everything from global warming to good food, healthy minds to healthy bodies. Feeling stumped by all the options out there? Then check out what some of our YSC has to say.

Keshia’s Top 10 Sustainability Tips

1. Start reading again.
2. Respect earth and life in all its diversity.
3. Adopt habits that help the earth and all of its inhabitants: reduce, reuse and recycle.
4. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
5. Learn yoga.
6. Support your local economy a start buying your products locally, from buying music from local musicians to buying your produce at your local farm market.
7. Get involved in the activities that will strengthen your community for the long term. Check out the volunteer.ca site for ideas.
8. Decrease your consumption of non-local, non-renewable, non-recyclable and non-recycled materials to reduce your personal impact.
9. Conserve water by turning off the tap when you are not using it. For example, turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth.
10. Don't pour unwanted oils and chemicals into drains, toilets or where they may end up in our waterways.

Liz & Caitlin’s Top 10 Sustainability Tips

1. Take time to educate yourself about environmental issues. Try the internet or a find a really informative book. Then get involved in creating change with an issue that concerns you. A great place to start is the Youth Action Centre’s Action Resources.
2. Turn off your computer when you're done. It’s easy to switch off your power bar at night, and in the morning flip it back on to start working.
3. If your parents or school is doing a renovation, ask them to invest in environmentally friendly products. Low-flow toilets and 'energy star' appliances save you money in the long run. Some areas even offer rebates for installing certain environmentally friendly products such as low flow toilets!
4. Buy items with less packaging. Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store, buy re-usable Tupperware containers (they come in all shapes and sizes) instead of throwing out all that wasteful packaging.
5. Watch your waste! Remember the 3 R's. Reduce: Consume less where possible.Reuse: Reuse water bottles, and find creative ways to use waste such as empty cans and old boxes. Recycle: Recycle with your community if you can, and compost your organics in your backyard.
6. Organize an alternative transportation day. Encourage friends, family, and co-workers to leave their car behind and engage in riding their bikes, carpooling or taking public transit for a week!
7. Shop with the earth in mind! Next time you go shopping make a conscious effort to buy locally grown and organic products.
8. Shower for one less minute every day. They say that everyday if you shower for a minute less, in one year’s time you will have saved 20L of water.
9. Ask your school and parents to stop using pesticides. They are bad for you, your pets, and the environment.
10. Eat less meat. Try eating vegetarian one meal a day.

Looking for more info?
Check out the Youth Action Centre’s Action Resources and How-To Guides for extra ideas for a sustainable lifestyle…

Otesha Project Bike Tours

The Otesha Project is taking Canada by storm! Their youth theatre troupes are traveling by bicycle all over Canada this year performing Otesha's award-winning 'Morning Choices' play. This inspiring presentation focuses on opportunities we all have to create positive change through our daily choices. Since 2003, Otesha's hilarious presentations have reached over 60,000 people, and their bike tour teams have visited hundreds of schools.

They are currently planning out the logistics for their two B.C. tours which will run from May 1 to June 30. They’re looking for opportunities to present to, and connect with, the communities along the routes.

The Lower Mainland Tour
Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, and from Campbell River to Victoria on Vancouver Island.

The Rocky Mountain Tour
The Lower Mainland, the Southern Interior, Revelstoke, the Banff area, and Calgary.

What You Get When Otesha Visits
In exchange for an assembly presentation and four workshops, schools are asked to secure accommodations for team members and/or contribute to tour costs (suggested contribution $300). Don't miss this opportunity - check us out!

For more info
Call (613) 237-6065 or email info@otesha.ca.
Check out their website at www.otesha.ca.

World Changing Review – by Ula

I recently purchased World Changing, a Users Guide to the 21st Century. This book is a directory of ideas, inventions and solutions that aim to equip the average individual with knowledge for the future. The book works like an encyclopedia for the modern globally conscious individual. There are many different categories, such as community, business, city, politics and planet. It features short explanations about new ‘greener’ technology and new sustainable ideas. It also provides resources for further investigation.

World Changing is an easily accessible way for a reader to learn about new advances in the world of sustainability. I highly recommend having a look at this book; I have learned an abundance of new and interesting things. There is also a very informative website that features world changing idea makers and innovations that is definitely worth taking a look at. Go to www.worldchanging.com and check out the Stuff section to read more about the book, or sign up for their World Changing Newsletter.

International Youth Internship Postings

Falls Brook Centre (FBC) is offering ten international internships for 2007-08. All positions have a local mentorship in rural New Brunswick at FBC and an international placement with one of FBC’s partner organizations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba or Honduras.

The goal of this project is to give young Canadians international work experience and to develop skills in the fields of international relations and sustainable development. The successful applicants will be given a moderate financial stipend to cover living expenses. The deadline for submissions is April 10, 2007.

Specific application details and internship details are available on the FBC website.

Youth Reps for Sustainable Development

The Canadian Environmental Network (CEN) is looking for one youth delegate to attend the Fifteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15).

When?
This meeting is scheduled to take place from April 30-May 11, 2007 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

What?
This meeting will focus on the following areas:
• Energy for Sustainable Development
• Industrial Development
• Air pollution / Atmosphere
• Climate Change

The deadline to apply is March 23, 2007.

If you are interested in participating, visit the CEN website to read more about last year’s meetings. And check out last year’s Youth Report for some really interesting thoughts and comments from a youth perspective on the meeting. As Samantha Green, who was last year’s Youth Rep, had to say, “Youth are concerned that many governments are willing to interfere in the market only on behalf of big business and not on behalf of people or the environment.“

For more information, contact Sarah Heiberg (National Caucus Coordinator) or telephone her at (613) 728-9810 ext. 224.

Ignite Change Now! Youth Conference Registrations

Join 700 -1000 youth and young professionals 16 - 28 years from around the world to discuss major global issues and what our generation can do about them.

REACH OUT, SPEAK UP!
Ignite Change Now – Global Youth Assembly 2007 welcomes you to Edmonton, Alberta, this summer from August 1 – 4, 2007. Delegates and presenters will experience very cool educational keynote addresses, break-out sessions, leadership skills training and workshops based around the United Nations eight action areas towards a Culture of Peace . The Assembly will also feature a huge arts component to show that there is more than one way to ignite positive change – be it through hip-hop, film, poetry, or whatever you can think up.

When & Where to Register
The early bird deadline is May 15, 2007. For more information please visit www.youthassembly.ca or email info@youthassembly.ca.

Nominate a Young Eco-Hero

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is looking for nominations for its 2007 awards. The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 in North America who have shown leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet.

Each year, ten winners each receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher education, and half of each year’s winners are chosen for their work to protect the environment.

The nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to nominate, visit
www.barronprize.org.

Young Leaders in Rural Canada Awards

The good folks at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are now seeking nominations of outstanding young rural Canadians (18 to 29 years old). Anyone who has demonstrated in 2005 and/or 2006 outstanding achievements and made contributions to rural, remote and/or northern Canada is eligible for the fourth Young Leaders in Rural Canada Awards (YLRCA).

A Commemorative Award will be presented in each of the following categories: INNOVATION, LEADERSHIP and PARTNERSHIP.

How to Nominate
The nomination form and questions are available on their website at www.rural.gc.ca/dialogue/youth/ylrca4_e.phtml.

Deadline
To be considered, submissions must be received/post-marked no later than Monday, April 16, 2007.

For More Info
Contact Carole Fournier at fournierc@agr.gc.ca, or call (613) 759-7013.

Check out the Rural Secretariat’s website at www.rural.gc.ca to see more about what Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada do.