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[OPIRG-EVENTS] People & Planet-Friendly Events, Film, Video, Websites, Announcements (00/09/28)




***********************************************
PEOPLE- & PLANET-FRIENDLY EVENTS & RESOURCES
Revised Wed. Sept. 27, 2000
***********************************************
Here are upcoming SUSTAINABLE LIVING, ENVIRONMENTAL 
& SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS, workshops, courses, festivals, 
films, broadcasts, resources & jobs in Ontario & beyond. 
PLEASE PASS THIS ON or post at your office or neighbourhood!

For a FREE e-mail subscription, send a message to icontario@aol.com 
or use the online form at http://www.web.ca/~ppf/subscribe.html

*** CONTENTS ***
(A) EVENTS & FILMS & VIDEOS
(B) Cool New Websites
(C) FOOD - Bad News & Good
(D) Other Resources & Announcements
(E) About the Planet-Friendly Newsletter

SUBMIT LISTINGS TO: http://www.web.ca/~ppf/submit.html
(alternate http://members.aol.com/icontario/submit.htm )
See also: http://www.web.ca/~ppf/promote.html

New/modified listings (since Sept 20) are indicated by 
an asterisk (*). In order by START date.  

---------------------------------------------------
(A) EVENTS, COURSES, BROADCASTS & LINKS
---------------------------------------------------
* Events in Toronto, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Hamilton, 
Caledon, Hillsburgh, Kingston, Ottawa, Worldwide.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION, Thurs Sept 28, 
noon, Toronto. With Sheela Basrur & Kim Perrotta of the City of 
Toronto Public Health Office. Free, all welcome. Room 7231, 
Medical Sciences Bldg, Kings College Circle, U of T Campus 
(Queen's Park subway) More info: Joan Stulac 416-867-7470 
stulacj@smh.toronto.on.ca  [ http://www.utoronto.ca/env/ies.htm ]

GENDER & ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, Thurs 
Sep 28, 4-6pm, Toronto. With Margrit Eichler, internationally 
renowned feminist scholar & author. Council Chambers, room 
2053, Wilson Hall, New College (Spadina & Harbord; near 
Spadina subway). RSVP: iws.gs@utoronto.ca 416-946-3817

* ROCKET RECYCLERS, Thurs Sept 28, 5pm, Toronto. First 
meeting to start a campaign to encourage the TTC to drastically 
increase their recycling program. *New location: International 
Students Centre, 33 St. George (N. of College), Asia Room. 
More info: Andrea 416-927-8361 or Mooky 416-978-7770

* LIFE UNDER MIKE - WORLD PREMIERE, Thurs Sept 28, 
9pm, Toronto. A mad cap, David & Goliath tale, filled with wit & 
biting social comentary, that rips the guts out of the Common 
Sense Revolution. Relentlessly dogging Premier Mike Harris 
everywhere from the links to the dining room, this documentary 
reveals a dark & freakish reality. A critical look at homelessness, 
foodbanks, weakening of the labour movement, sweatshops. 
Interviews with John Kenneth Galbraith, Charles Kernaghan & 
Jack Layton. $5/$7. Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W. (Bathurst 
subway). 416-516-2330 http://www.bloorcinema.com 
http://www.guerrillafilms.org 
[see also http://www.mikeharrispc.com  -ed]

* ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION, MARKET 
LIBERALIZATION & THE G20, Thurs Sept 28, 7pm, Ottawa. 
"Master plans, master planners". Panel discussion with speakers 
from U of O, World March of Women, Canadian Labour 
Congress. Room 133/4, Unicentre Bldg, Carleton Univ. Coalition 
Against Economic Globalization & OPIRG-Carleton.

NIX MOX Day, Thurs Sept 28, world-wide. Opposiing the use 
of plutonium fuel (MOX) in nuclear reactors. Kristen Ostling, 
Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout cnp@web.net 
http://www.cnp.ca  http://www.nirs.org

* FIRST EVER ENVIRONMENTAL FILM & VIDEO 
FESTIVAL, Thurs Sept 28 - Sun Oct 1, Toronto. Canadian & 
international filmmakers; ideas & issues regarding our social & 
natural environments. For young & old, activist & neophyte. All 
screenings include interactive discussions. Two free panel 
discussions: Friday evening & Saturday morning. Screenings $5 
each at the door (children PWYC), or festival passes ($25): 
Grassroots Environmental Products (408 Bloor W. & 372 
Danforth) & Pages Bookstore (256 Queen St W). Thursday 8-
10pm: Town Hall, Innis College, 2 Sussex Ave.; Friday evening: 
Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W.; 
Saturday/Sunday (10am-10pm): Metro Hall, 55 John St at King. 
More info / complete schedule: http://www.planetinfocus.org  
piffest@web.net Mark Haslam 416-537-7742
Volunteers still needed: call David Barnard 416-929-1054

FROM CONCRETE TO CONSERVATION - for school groups, 
Fri Sept 29, 9:30AM-11AM, Toronto. "Growing Dreams" (world 
premiere) - shows what kids have done to transform bare pavement 
into dream schoolyards: trees for shade, flowers for butterflies, and 
vegetables for a food bank; rooftop gardens, a courtyard 
greenhouse, outdoor classrooms & wildlife refuges. Hands-on 
activities. Registration required. At the Teaching Garden at 
Edwards Gardens. http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742  

CRITICAL MASS RIDE, Fri Sept 29, 6pm, Toronto. Celebrate 
& promote alternative transport -  we're not blocking traffic, we 
ARE traffic! Bring your bikes, trikes, blades and scooters. Meet at 
Yonge & Temperance St. at 6pm. (btwn Richmond & Adelaide - 
near Queen subway). Free. The last Friday of each month. 
416-392-7592 greenspiration@web.ca [related sites: 
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/cycling http://www.greenspiration.org ]

* FOOD - SECURITY, SUICIDE & SURVIVAL, Fri Sept 29, 
6pm-7:45pm, Toronto. "Harvesting Hunger" (world premiere). The 
increasing corporatization of food production is leading to cultural 
disintegration, dislocation & suicide; the deepening food security 
crisis in India. An inspiring account of how rural people are 
organizing against multinational agri-businesses, and their return 
to more sustainable agricultural systems. Followed by discussion 
with Kathryn Scharf (Foodshare & Toronto Food Policy Council)
and and Mustafa Koc (Ryerson Centre for the Study of Food 
Security). $5. Jackman Hall, the Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 
Dundas W at McCaul. http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

COMMON GROUND - FORGING LABOUR / 
ENVIRONMENTAL / NATIVE ALLIANCES, Fri Sept 
29, 8pm-10:30pm, Toronto. "Never Walk Alone" - struggles of 
workers & communities whose health & livelihood have been 
threatened by poisoned seas & earth; "Toxic Partners" - 
environmental racism, corporate & governmental responsibility, 
joint action, poignant stories in the voices of people who refuse to 
be mere victims. Followed by discussion with Dean Jacobs, 
Elizabeth May & Hassan Yussuff. $5. Jackman Hall, the Art 
Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas West at McCaul. 
http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

URBAN SPRAWL, GROWTH & RESOURCE 
SUSTAINABILITY, Fri Sept 29 - Sun Oct 1, Alton (in the 
Caledon Hills). Planners, environmental consultants, NGOs, local 
politicians, municipal environmental advisory committees. With 
Dr. David Suzuki (Saturday evening), William Rees (author of 
Our Ecological Footprint), John van Nostrand (Planning 
Alliance), Mark Taylor (Beak International); Sunday morning 
community design workshop. Conference: $100, Dr. Suzuki only: 
$20. Register if possible. At the Caledon Centre for Culture & 
Education. Nicola Ross cca@woodrising.com 519-927-0548 
http://www.town.caledon.on.ca 
http://www.woodrising.com/cca/homepage.htm Nancy Pickard 
(Dr. Suzuki tickets) 905-584-1456 admin@caledon.library.on.ca 

HEALTH & HUMAN RIGHTS - MAKING THE 
CONNECTION, Fri Sept 29 - Sun Oct 1, Kingston. More 
info/register: http://meds.queensu.ca/~meds2003/sunsih.html  
sunsih_hhr@hotmail.com

FRESH AIR - BACKARD WILDLIFE - REAL FOOD! 
Sat Sept 30 (rain date Oct 1), 8am-5:30pm, Toronto. Backyard 
wildlife habitat tour (provide shelter, food & water for wildlife - 
providing hours of entertainment for you & your family); get up-
close & personal with a great variety of live Canadian wildlife; 
environmentally-friendly cleaning products; "green energy" 
companies; native plant sale (morning only); environmental 
organization displays; Woodland Garden & pond; face painting, 
outdoor nature crafts, staining bat houses, kids' habitat tour (on the 
hour); hold & learn about Canadian amphibians & reptiles. 
Speakers (in backyard; plus or minus 1/2 hour): 9:15am Now is the 
Time to Act; 9:30am Save the Oak Ridges Moraine; 10am Going 
Pesticide Free; 11:15 Adopt-A-Pond Amphibian Conservation 
Program; 11:45am Biodiversity in Your Backyard; 12:15-12:45 
pizza slices, crafts, etc.; 12:45 Sensational Snakes; 1:30 
Genetically Modified Food & Pesticides vs. Sustainable 
Agriculture (Rod Macrae, author of Real Food for a Change); 
2:30pm Preserving the Urban Forest Ecosystem; 3pm Composting 
& Vermi-Composting; 3:30pm Organic Lawn Care & nematodes 
(insect control without pesticides); 4-5pm Backyard Habitat / 
Woodland Garden tour, etc. 105 Laurel Ave, Etobicoke (Hwy. 427 
& Burnhamthorpe E.)  More info: Christina 416-236-7234

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS, Sat Sept 30, 10am-noon, 
Toronto. Filmmakers, environmentalists & academics debate 
how film & video are used to represent nature & environment. 
Free. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. (St Andrew subway). 
http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742  

PLANET YOUTH, Sat, Sept 30, 10am-1pm, Toronto. 
Environmental & social justice films by & for young people. $5. 
At Metro Hall, 55 John St. (St Andrew subway). 
http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

THE BEASTS IN OUR MIDST (#1), Sat Sept 30, 1-3pm, 
Toronto. Seals, dolphins & more. $5. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. 
(St Andrew subway). http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

* CREATING A CLIMATE FOR CHANGE, Sat Sept 30, 3-
5:30pm, Toronto. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" (comedy/drama) - a 
tragic-comic highlight of the cause & effect relationship between 
automobile emissions, human myopia, and the quality of our air. 
"Rising Waters: Global Warming & the Fate of the Pacific Islands" 
(Canadian premiere) - a journey through several of the smallest 
nations on Earth... [where the] initial consequences are already 
being felt. "Turning Down the Heat: The New Energy Revolution" 
- sustainable energy projects from around the world ...so why does 
Canada continue to rely on & subsidize fossil fuels? Followed by 
discussion with Peter Victor (Dean, York U. Faculty of 
EnvironmentalStudies) and the filmmaker. $5. At Metro Hall, 
55 John St. (St Andrew subway). http://www.planetinfocus.org  
416-537-7742

A COW AT OUR TABLE, Sat Sept 30, 3-5pm, Toronto. "A 
Cow at Our Table" (Canada, 1998, documentary) - how social 
forces in our society conceal, distort & legitimize factory farming, 
with perilous repercussions to animals, humans & the environment. 
$5. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. (St Andrew subway). 
http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

* BODY BURDEN, Sat Sept 30, 6-8pm, Toronto. Every person 
alive today carries approximately 250 chemicals within their body, 
chemicals that didn't exist prior to 1945. "Body Burden" (World 
premiere); "White Dust & Lies" (Canadian premiere); "Chechnya 
to Chernobyl" (Canadian premiere) $5. Followed by discussion 
with Dr. Rosalee Bertell, (International Institute of Concern for 
Public Health), Lanie Melamed (Montreal Breast Cancer 
Organization), and the filmmakers. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. (St 
Andrew subway). http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

GANDHI PEACE FESTIVAL & WALK, Sat Sept 30, 10:30am-
4pm, Hamilton. Dr. Johan Galtung on Gandhian non-violence 
successes & relevance today (11am); Peace Walk (noon-1pm); free 
food & music (1-4 pm). All welcome. Make a peace banner & join 
the walk! Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main W. More info: 905-525-
9140 x24378; 905-383-9681; 905-525-9140 x23460

DAVID SUZUKI - SETTING THE BOTTOM LINE IN THE 
NEW MILLENNIUM, Sat Sept 30, 8-10pm, Caledon. Living more 
lightly on the Earth; how to redefine our wants & needs. Followed 
by reception & autographing. Advance $20/$12. Door: $25. At 
Mayfield Secondary School, Caledon. Nancy Pickard 
admin@caledon.library.on.ca 905-584-1456 or 519-927-0548 
[related website http://www.davidsuzuki.org ]

TORONTO ISLAND TREE PLANTING, Sun Oct 1, 10am-
1:30pm, Toronto. Help naturalize Gibraltar Point - help plant 
native tree & shrub species. Meet outside of the ferry terminal 
gates at 10am, or at the Hanlon's Point ferry dock on the Islands at 
10:30am. More info: Jason Thorne 416-943-8080 x227

HIGH PARK HARVEST FESTIVAL - PRESERVING THE 
HARVEST, Sun Oct 1, noon-4:30, Toronto. Arts & entertainment, 
children's activities, marketplace, harvest foods. Free. South end of 
High Park, on Colborne Lodge Drive, (High Park subway). More 
info: Yafit Rokach explorto@city.toronto.on.ca 416-392-6643 
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/parks/programs/children.htm Jane 
Hayes 416-392-1560 x85695 kidsgrow@city.toronto.on.ca

URBAN EVOLUTION, Sun Oct 1, 1-3pm, Toronto. Automobile 
culture is changing our landscapes & societies, but grassroots 
movements are organizing to take back the streets & build 
healthier communities. "Dozer" (Canadian premiere) and "We 
aren't blocking traffic, we ARE traffic!" (Canadian premiere). 
Followed by discussion. $5. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. 
(St Andrew subway). http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

PLAYGROUNDS OF THE RICH & POOR, Sun Oct 1, 3-5pm, 
Toronto. "Garden City" (Canadian premiere) about New York 
City's community gardens; "The Golf War" (Canadian premiere) - 
ancestral farmlands vs golf resorts in the Phillipines. Followed 
by discussion. $5. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. (St Andrew subway). 
More info: http://www.planetinfocus.org  416-537-7742

* THIS LAND IS OUR LAND (#3), Sun Oct 1, 8:30-10pm, 
Toronto. "Sacred Land, Scarred Land" (world premiere). 
Indigenous peoples around the world speak of their 
relationships to the land, their attempts to protect it from 
exploitation, and their struggles to survive. Followed by 
discussion. $5. At Metro Hall, 55 John St. 
(St Andrew subway). http://www.planetinfocus.org  
Mark Haslam 416-537-7742 piffest@web.ca

* HEALTHY HUMOUR, Sun Oct 1, Toronto. All-vegetarian 
comedians; non-smoking environment... a good, healthy laugh. At 
the Vegetarium, International Student Centre, 33 St. George N. of 
Bloor. $10, or $25 incl. dinner. Info/tickets: 416-979-1777 or 
416-978-1700 ext 9469223.

* EMISSIONS MARKETING CONFERENCE, Sun-Tues Oct 1-3, 
Toronto. G.R. Hart 205-257-7438  grhart@southernco.com

* ADAM'S MINE PROTEST WALK, PRAYER SERVICE & 
CITY HALL PRESENTATION, Mon Oct 2, 9am & 10am, 
Toronto. Anglican priest David Opheim completes his 174km 
peaceful protest walk from Six Mile Lake (Fri Sept 29) to Toronto 
(Mon Oct 2), carrying a container of household compost. He will 
deliver the compost to City Hall at 10am, to protest Adams Mine, 
and to encourage change in attitudes about waste. All welcome. 
Church of the Holy Trinity, 10 Trinity Square (Bay & Dundas, 
behind Eaton Centre) More info: Cell phone 705-321-8701 
david@artist.ca  home: 705-756-8700; Church of the Holy Trinity: 
416-598-4521 ext 225  [see also: http://www.adamsmine.com  
http://www.peanut-tree.com/scam http://www.GombergForMayor.org ]

* CLIMATE CHANGE & YOUR REGION - FOR 
JOURNALISTS, Mon Oct 2, 8:45-11am, Toronto. For reporters of 
local issues, business, politics, environment. Pembina rep & three 
local experts debate & answer questions; free 75-page resource 
book; refreshments. Free. Rogers Communications Centre, 80 
Gould (at Church). More info/RSVP if possible: Matthew 
Bramley, Pembina Institute 613-235-6288 heidil@pembina.org 
http://www.climatechangesolutions.com/english/whatsnew/default.htm
(also Montreal Oct 3, Vancouver Oct 10, Calgary Oct 11)

* COMBATING POLICE BRUTALITY, Mon Oct 2, 7-9pm, 
Toronto. At York U (exact location tba). See also Oct 3. More 
info: OPIRG York 416-736-5724

* ADAM'S MINE - COUNCIL DEBATE & VOTE, Tues Oct 3, 
9:45am, Toronto. Council will vote on the scheme to ship our 
garbage 600 km. north to Kirkland Lake. Join us at Toronto City 
Hall, Council Chambers, and help push for ecological alternatives 
like composting, methane gas, and recycling. We need a lot of 
people - be there if you can! Write your councillors & tell them 
what you think. More info: Joseph Gold jgold@ntl.sympatico.ca  
Cheryl Veary grnparty@cybrnet.net http://www.adamsmine.com 
[see also http://www.peanut-tree.com/scam 
http://www.GombergForMayor.org ]

* BREAD NOT CIRCUSES, Tues Oct 3, 7pm, Toronto. The 
corruption continues - the IOC has just elected the man who 
admitted "you can't tell the truth about these things". What happens 
when the Olympics comes to town? First Tuesday of every month 
(location varies). Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen E. (east of 
Broadview) More info: http://www.breadnotcircuses.org
http://www.breadnotcircuses.org/henderson.html or call Jan 
Borowy 416-723-8394 or Jon Alexander 416-805-4332 

* ENVIRONMENT FORUM, Tues Oct 3, 7:30-9pm, 
Scarborough. With Opposition Environment Critic, Jim Bradley, 
MPP. Open, public forum & discussion about the future of our 
environment. Church of Saint Nicholas, 1512 Kingston Rd (east of 
Warden) More info: Scarborough SW Provincial Liberal Assoc. 
416-690-7355

COMBATING POLICE BRUTALITY, Tues Oct 3, 7-9pm, 
Toronto. Interactive panel & discussion about targeted policing; 
how police brutality stems from a larger "law & order" agenda that 
seeks to criminalize many of us. Free. At the International Student 
Centre, 1st floor, 33 St. George (north of College). More info: 
OPIRG 416-978-7770 Mooky_Cherian@campuslife.utoronto.ca  
http://www.campuslife.utoronto.ca/groups/OPIRG

* WALK TO SCHOOL DAY, Wed Oct 4, Toronto & worldwide. 
Hundreds of thousands of students, parents & teachers will walk, 
bike, or blade to school in Canada, the US, UK & Australia. See 
our website for event ideas, posters & links. Make every day a 
Walk to School Day - for safety, health, community & our 
environment. Register your school! http://www.greenestcity.org  
416-488-7263  ntgc@web.net  416-922-7626  becky@greenestcity.org

* PEOPLE OF COLOUR & COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 
NETWORKING MEETING, Wed Oct 4, 6-9pm, Toronto. 
Facilitated discussion for People of Colour & First Nations people. 
Free. Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen St. E (east of Broadview) 
More info: Dara Shani catalystcentre@web.ca 416-516-9546 
http://www.catalystcentre.ca

* GENEACTION MEETING & INFO SESSION, Wed Oct 4, 
7:30pm, Toronto. A diverse group of citizens who wish to 
inform & inspire ourselves & others to act on the issue of 
GE food. Find out how GE affects you & what we can all do 
about it. Help prepare for anti-GMO actions against Loblaws 
for Oct. 7. Get your No GMO's Action Kit! All welcome. Free. 
Room 212, 348 Danforth (upstairs at Carrot Commons, near 
Chester subway). More info: geneaction@graffiti.net 416-406-
2481 http://ecoexplorer.com/GENEaction.htm

* STUDENT NUTRITION CONFERENCE, Thurs Oct 5, 9am-
2:30pm, Toronto. North York Civic Centre, Council Chambers. $5 
for lunch. Register 416-392-1658 [related: http://www.foodshare.net ]

* DON'T ENDORSE IT! DONATE IT! - starts with press 
conference, Thurs Oct 5, noon, Toronto & Ottawa. Donate your 
$200 "Ontario Tax Dividend" and challenge the government to 
support vulnerable Ontarians! Please donate your $200 to a 
charitable organization that supports social housing, the homeless, 
or other urgent social needs (please write "this is my Ontario Tax 
Dividend" on your cheque). Press conference, Queen's Park Media 
Studio, 12-12:30pm. Reps from each participating faith 
community, social justice orgs, and non-profit housing orgs will 
donate their tax dividends. (Also in Ottawa, at the Human Rights 
Monument). Social Justice Network of Ontario Conferences 
(United Church); Council of Canadians; Citizens for Public 
Justice; Faith Partners Ottawa; Catalyst Centre Toronto; Ontario 
Coalition for Social Justice; Interfaith Social Action Committee; 
Centre for Social Justice.

* OUR WORLD IS NOT FOR SALE, Thurs Oct 5, 7pm, Toronto. 
Eyewitness reports from the Prague demos against the IMF/World 
Bank; discussion about the Free Trade Area of the Americas 
meeting in Quebec City (Apr 2001); the fight against corporate 
globalisation. Art System, 327 Spadina, 2nd floor (above Chooky's, 
north of Dundas). Info: 416-535-2335 x127

* THE POLITICS OF WATER, Thurs Oct 5, Toronto. Dinner with 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., senior attorney at the Natural Resources 
Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington and a leader in 
environmental protection & enforcing the Clean Water Act. At a 
special dinner hosted by Liberal Party of Ontario Leader, Dalton 
McGuinty. $200 (tax-deductible). Montecassino Place Banquet 
Hall, 3710 Chesswood Dr. More info/register: 416-260-1608 x224 
thepoliticsofwater@ontarioliberalfund.com  Natural Resource 
Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org  [see also: Clean Water 
Factsheet: http://greenontario.org/strategy/water.html ]

* LIVING SIMPLY. Fri-Sun Oct 6-8, Pembroke. How 
consumerism & cocooning undermine personal, family & 
community well-being. How simple living liberates time & energy, 
and fosters interdependent communities based on respect, mutual 
aid, and collective self-reliance. With Mark Burch, author of 
"Simplicity: Notes, Stories & Exercises for Developing Unimaginable 
Wealth" and "Stepping Light: Simplicity for People & Planet". 
$75 includes meals & accom. 613-732-9925  margcent@web.ca 
http://www.web.net/~margcent/ http://www.web.net/~margcent/faithandjus/

* INTRO TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN, Sat Oct 7, 9am-4pm, 
Hillsburgh (1 hr NW of Toronto). Permaculture is a system of 
living based on the ethics of caring for ourselves & our planet; the 
art of living well by organizing your home & workspace in 
creative & practical ways. Specific topics to meet participants' 
interests. With Lynn Bishop, organic farmer at Everdale, diploma 
in Landscape Design. $50. At Everdale, a non-profit learning 
centre, working organic farm, diverse wildlife habitat, and 
sustainable technology showcase one hour northwest of Toronto. 
More info: Gavin Dandy 519-855-6533 everdale@albedo.net

* GENETIC ENGINEERING - ACTIONS AGAINST 
LOBLAWS, Sat Oct 7. At various Loblaws throughout Toronto. 
Part of National Day of Actions Against GM Foods, with demands 
for immediate mandatory labelling of all GM food products. More 
info: geneaction@graffiti.net 416-406-2481 New website: 
http://ecoexplorer.com/GENEaction.htm

== looking ahead... a few notable events from upcoming weeks ==

* LOCAL ALTERNATIVES TO THE CORPORATE MENU, 
Thurs Oct 12, 6:30 & 7:30pm, Toronto. Free. Details in section C.

* SEIZING THE MOMENT - A POPULAR EDUCATION 
GATHERING, Thurs-Sun Oct 12-15, Toronto. Inviting popular 
& adult educators, activists, students. $75-$150 (some scholarships). 
416-516-9546 catalystcentre@web.net http://www.catalystcentre.ca

* SETTING THE AGENDA - THE NEXT ENVIRONMENTAL 
CAMPAIGN, Fri-Sun Oct 13-15, Sault Ste. Marie. Ontario 
Environment Network conference & AGM. With C.J. "Bud" 
Wildman, former Ontario Minster of the Environment & Native 
Affairs; and Nelson Toulouse, Deputy Chief, Anishinabek Nation 
Grand Council. Community Water Quality; Waste... Not!; Smog - 
North & South; Forests of the Future; First Nations Environmental 
Issues. Network with environmental groups from across Ontario. 
Workshops, speakers, tours, info tables, meals & socializing. 
$15-$55 incl. meals. Shared motel accom & billeting; carpooling 
& some travel subsidies. http://www.web.net/oen  oen@web.net  
705-840-2888

* PLANNING - ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE, Sun-Wed Oct 15-
18, Niagara Falls. Environmentally Sensitive Community Design; 
OMB Decisions 1999-2000 - the good, the bad, the inscrutable; 
Agri-Tourism - tiptoeing through the tulips without squashing 
them flat; A Tale of Two Ridges: the Niagara Escarpment & the 
Oak Ridges Moraine; Rural by Design;  Groundwater for 
Dummies; Talking Back to the Automobile. $500 / $225 students. 
Brock Plaza Hotel. http://www.ontarioplanners.on.ca  
info@ontarioplanners.on.ca 1-800-668-1448

=== Please tell them you saw it in the Planet-Friendly ===

---------------------------------------------------
(B) FOUR COOL WEBSITES
---------------------------------------------------

* CLICK FOR CLEAN AIR! This fall, at the UN Climate Summit 
in the Netherlands, the world will decide how to address one of the 
greatest threats to humanity & the natural world - global warming. 
Canada is trying to weaken the international Kyoto Treaty - but 
there are solutions. Learn more; personally fax the Prime Minister 
& your Premier with a couple of clicks. Climate Quiz & Campaign 
Kit. David Suzuki Foundation http://www.clickforcleanair.org  
[see also http://www.davidsuzuki.org ]

* CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS  Learn to reduce your own 
greenhouse gas impact! http://www.climatechangesolutions.com 
http://www.climatechangesolutions.com/english/individuals/default.htm  
More info: Pembina Institute brendam@pembina.org 613-235-6288.

* ECOACTION WEBSITE. Want to protect the planet? Use our 
interactive tools to help promote positive environmental change. 
Send an E-postcard to the Prime Minister; automatically send 
emails to federal & provincial ministers. Background info; 
updates; EcoTools; downloadable campaign materials; newsroom, 
EcoSaving & EcoGiving opportunities. http://www.EcoAction.ca 

* TORECYCLES.COM - Toronto Waste Materials Exchange 
Network. For Toronto businesses & industries producing "waste 
materials": info on reduction, reuse, and recycling options; for 
companies that use secondary materials in their manufacturing 
process: supply sources. Free. http://www.TOrecycles.com  
416-778-4199 owe@owe.org

---------------------------------------------------
(C) FOOD - BAD NEWS & GOOD
---------------------------------------------------

* WHO NEEDS FARMERS?? Worldwatch Magazine, Sept/Oct 
2000. Think twice about letting Big Ag take over the global food 
supply. All over the world, independent farmers are being driven 
out of business - and forced into servitude on their own land. Yet, 
what we lose when we lose them may be the one link in the 
agrifood chain that we can't live without. Also: "The Case for a 
Local Economy". Available at better bookstores & Grassroots (408 
Bloor W. & 372 Danforth) http://www.worldwatch.org

* ORGANICS REPLACE PESTICIDES IN CUBA - organic 
farming can feed an entire country. Cuba's organic movement rose 
out of crisis in 1989 - the loss of Soviet aid meant that 1,300,000 
tons of chemical fertilizers, 17,000 tons of herbicides, and 10,000 
tons of pesticides, could no longer be imported. A program of 
"urban agriculture" in under-utilized areas in & around Havana, 
resulted in over 8000 urban farms & community gardens by 1998. 
Other programs work to increase small-scale urban & suburban 
production of everything from eggs to rabbits to flowers to 
medicinal plants to honey. Institute for Food & Development 
Policy / FoodFirst 510-654-4400. Report available on-line: 
http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/devreps/dr14.html  
http://www.foodfirst.org

* LOCAL ALTERNATIVES TO THE CORPORATE MENU, 
Thurs Oct 12, 6:30 & 7:30-9:30pm, Toronto. 6:30 Alternative 
Marketplace; 7:30 Forum. World Food Day forum with Deborah 
Barndt (FES, York), Marie Burge (Cooper Institute, PEI), Anan 
Lololie (Afri-can Food Basket), Debbie Field (FoodShare 
Toronto), Wayne Roberts (Toronto Food Policy Council, co-author 
of Real Food for a Change). Social, economic, cultural & 
ecological dimensions of the food system; innovative local 
reponses. Free. St. Lawrence Centre, 27 Front St. E. (subway: King 
or Union Station) More info: Lauren 416-363-6441 x25 or 
416-366-1656 [related sites: http://www.foodshare.net 
http://www.stlc.com/forums.htm ] 

* FOOD & ORGANICS LINKS: http://www.web.ca/~ppf/links.html

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(D) OTHER RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
---------------------------------------------------

* TOOKER FOR MAYOR - E-ZINE! - Entertaining, inspiring 
& informative updates available by e-mail: tooker@web.ca  
416-968-7626  http://www.GombergForMayor.org
[ see also http://www.megacityelection.com ]

* ONTARIO'S FAILURE TO PLAN FOR A HEALTHY 
ENVIRONMENT. Review of the government's plans for 2000-
2001; 62 examples where ministries fail to adequately meet the 
requirement of the Environmental Bill of Rights to consider 
environmental values when making decisions that might 
significantly affect the environment (also, 37 EBR-friendly 
examples). Ont. Ctr. for Sustainability http://www.web.ca/ocs/

* TELL MEL! Call the mayor's office today -- Mayor Lastman 
416-395-6474. There is no "away" into which we can throw our 
waste - tell Mel that you want alternatives now! 77 % of Kirkland 
Lake residents are opposed to accepting Toronto's garbage. 
Comprehensive recycling programs achieve greater than 80% 
recovery rates; the blue box is just the start. Kitchen & garden 
waste can be composted to create methane to generate electricity, 
and the resulting heat can be used for district heating. A study 
commissioned by the City of Toronto indicated that composting 
much of Toronto's waste would be cheaper than sending our 
garbage to Adams Mine in Kirkland Lake. Toxic materials such as 
batteries & fluorescent light tubes should be returned to any retail 
outlet that sells them, for material recovery. Every product should 
be designed to be repaired, reused, recycled, or composted, with 
the disposal cost built in. The economy will benefit from re-use 
since re-using materials is labour-intensive rather than material-
intensive, there being many more jobs in repair, reuse and 
composting than in single-use disposal. Manufacturers should be 
taxed on their per-unit production of disposable products & 
packaging. Reusable, repairable, compostable products and 
packaging should be tax-free. Industries, which always follow the 
path of least tax resistance, would quickly phase out disposables. 
Call Mayor Lastman 416-395-6474 and call your councilor (get 
his/her name & number from Access Toronto 416-338-0338 or 
www.city.toronto.on.ca) - Frank de Jong, Leader, Green Party of 
Ontario http://www.greenparty.on.ca  [or, if you're shy, send him 
an e-mail: mayor_lastman@city.toronto.on.ca  Related web sites: 
http://www.adamsmine.com  http://www.peanut-tree.com/scam  
http://www.GombergForMayor.org  - ed]

---------------------------------------------------
(E) ABOUT THE PEOPLE- & PLANET-FRIENDLY NEWSLETTER
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Please help spread the word! A printable poster is 
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