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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Jun 5-9: People and the Planet - Changing Values for a Sustainable Future (conference)
(please pass on)
> The Sierra Club of Canada and
> the Kingston Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology
> are co-hosting a national conference
>
> People and the Planet:
> Changing Values for a Sustainable Future
>
> June 5-9, 2002
> Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario.
>
>
> Clean air, drinkable water and abundant natural resources are the
> foundation of a healthy society and the basis of a sound and
> sustainable economy. Yet smog claims the lives of tens of
> thousands of Canadians each year, drinking water is no longer safe
> in many communities, and we are rapidly depleting our natural
> resources. Furthermore, scientists overwhelmingly agree that
> climates are changing, and attribute this change to the burning of
> fossil fuels; as the third highest per capita emitters of
> greenhouse gases, Canadians must shoulder a large share of the
> responsibility. Many of the solutions to environmental problems are
> simple - fuel efficiency, greater use of renewable energy, better
> public transit systems - yet most people either are not aware of
> the seriousness of environmental problems or do not realize how
> simple the solutions can be. What we need for a sustainable economy
> is a rapid change in societal values and understanding - a
> transformation equivalent to that involved in the women's rights
> movement or the abolition of slavery. Effecting this type of change
> peacefully is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century.
>
> A primary step in initiating a major change in societal values is
> to bring together people from a diversity of backgrounds to
> formulate an action plan. The purpose of the conference on People
> and the Plant is to combine the energy of individuals and
> organizations who are concerned about environmental degradation.
> Our purpose is not to focus on any one environmental issue: as big
> as some of these are, they are all symptoms of a larger problem.
> Instead, the focus will be on social values and perceptions. We
> have three goals:
>
> (1) to actively draw media attention to, and so raise the public
> profile of, the general state of the environment; (2) to bring
> together representatives of environmental groups from across Canada,
> so that we can work together rather than independently in effecting
> change; (3) to bring together experts from a wide variety of
> backgrounds to generate ideas and action plans for changing societal
> values.
>
> Format
>
> The conference features speakers that are already working towards
> a change in societal values, including several with high profiles
> and/or expertise in areas that will contribute to effecting
> societal change. Plenary speakers includes Maude Barlow, Raffi
> Cavoukian, Oronto Douglas, Lois Gibbs, Sarah Larraine, Gerry
> Mander, Elizabeth May, Andrew Nikiforuk, Carl Safina, Vandana
> Shiva, Ralph Torri, and Lori Wallach. The conference also includes
> workshops focusing on particular themes (such as Human Health and
> the Environment, Green Education, and preparations for Rio+10), a
> trade fair, special activities for children, a gala evening, and a
> film festival.
>
> For More Information or to Register
>
> Visit www.scb-kingston.ca, or phone the Sierra Club of Canada at
> 613-241-4611. Subsidies are available for people who cannot afford
> the full cost of registration and travel.
--
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--------- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ottawa-photo-clubs
tOM Trottier, ICQ:57647974 http://abacurial.com
758 Albert St, Ottawa ON Canada K1R 7V8
+1 613 860-6633 fax:231-6115 N45.412 W75.714
"The moment one gives close attention to anything,
even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious,
awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself --
Henry Miller, 1891-1980
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