Letter of Support to Stephen Owen

Sustainability has no political colour. As Minister of Canada’s Public Works & Government Services, and former Secretary of State (Western Diversification), Stephen Owen, a Liberal Party Candidate, has shown an strong commitment to advance sustainability in the Federal Government. The attached letter of support from prominent Canadians leaders details Stephen’s accomplishments. It is quite enlightening. We should allow Stephen Owen (and by the same token David Anderson) to continue the great job they are doing by supporting the Kyoto Protocol, greening government services and developing the conditions for a sustainable Canada. Note: The above represents the personal view of the “Sustainability Now” editor not those of APEGBC or its membership. It is not a call for voting for any particular party, but a plead for considering the impact on the advance (or regress) of sustainability that your vote might have.
from: Stephen Owendocument: Letter Support to Stephen Owenin detailsee also: Public Works and Government Services Implement Sustainability XlnkS694 XlnkC190F

China needs a sustainable development model

China’s industrial development is unsustainable because its people, resources and environment cannot cope. This assertion is not the intellectual musing of a green pressure group. It is the conclusion of the State Environmental Protection Administration, a branch of Beijing’s Communist government not known for rhetorical bombshells. Pan Yue, deputy director of SEPA, said China adopted the west’s resource-hungry model of development even though it was unsuited to a country with a huge population, limited agricultural land and scarce resources. The solution is to develop renewable energy sources, slash waste and promote recycling.
weblink: WBCSD paper on Chinafrom: WBCSDin detail XlnkS685 XlnkC17D2

EcoSmart Concrete Winter 2004 Newsletter

EcoSmart concrete is produced by replacing cement in the concrete mix with a maximum amount of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) while maintaining or improving the cost, physical performance and constructability. The EcoSmart Partnership is working to develop Ecosmart concrete technology through case studies, applied research and knowledge management. To view the winter newsletter from EcoSmart Concrete, follow the link below.
weblink: EcoSmart Concrete Winter 2004 Newsletterfrom: EcoSmartin detailsee also: Ecosmart Concrete XlnkS65B XlnkC1812

Sustainability Now Vol 3 No 2: Consulting Engineering and Geoscience

The spring 2004 issue of Sustainability Now looks at applying sustainability to consulting engineering and geoscience practice. An interview with Ray Tarnai, P. Eng, shows how Sandwell Engineering Services, BC’s largest engineering consulting firm, has made a solid business out of energy efficiency. Also featured is Noram Engineering’s low impact water treatment systems, and Engineers Without Borders project in Africa, and and exciting new tool for the mineral exploration community. Click on the link below to download the newsletter. For back issues, see the listing below.
document: Sustainability Now Vol 3 No 2in detail XlnkS657

Presentation to Engineers Without Borders

Presentation by Michel de Spot, P.Eng. at the Engineers Without Border Conference UBC March 13, 2004. If sustainability principles will guide us to a secure future, then nowhere do these principles need more urgent application than within the field of engineering. What do these principles mean in practice? What knowledge, skills, and actions are required by engineers to shift sustainability theory to practical application? What are the current initiatives and best practices locally and globally? These questions have been the focus of Sustainability Now for the past four years. The presentation summarizes the findings of this leading edge initiative and what challenges and opportunities expect future graduates who want to incorporate sustainability in their future career.
from: Michel de Spotdocument: EWB04 Conferencein detail XlnkS656 XlnkC18EC

Sustainability

Sustainability simply refers to the long-term viability of an activity, sys-tem, or series of interdependent systems. Over the years, this simple concept has received a wide range of definitions: Development that meets the needs of of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. [BRUNTLAND] Management practices that are designed to ensure that the exploitation of resources is conducted in a manner that protects the resource base for use by future generations. [FONTANA] Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met with-out reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for fu-ture generations. It can also be expressed in the simple terms of an economic golden rule for the restorative economy: leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need, try not to harm life of the environment, make amends if you do. [HAWKEN] Principles that seek to establish a dynamic balance between economic, environmental and social priorities, and to improve or maintain human and ecosystem well-being together, both now and into the long-term, locally and globally. [NRTEE]
in detailsee also: Sustainability definitions by Gro Harlem Bruntland XlnkS652

People and the Planet

On the 10th Anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit, the Sierra Club of Canada and the Kingston Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology held a national environment conference to address the state of our natural and human environments. Held in June 2002, at Queen’s University in Kingston (Ontario), five days of plenary presentations and over fifty workshops were attended by approximately 500 delegates from across Canada and around the world. To view the proceedings online, please see the Sierra Club Web page. Building on that success, Sierra Club of Canada will host the second People and the Planet conference in Calgary, Alberta, from May 14-16, 2004. Participants at the conference will include scientists, university professors, physicians, lawyers, native elders, authors, farmers and artists, as well as representatives from industry, all levels of government, and local, national and international citizen groups. Our main purpose is to derive solutions to major environmental problems by examining their root causes: fundamentally, problems with western values. Topics examined will include climate change, water, biodiversity, food safety and sustainable agriculture, spirituality, social justice, and many more. Please view the link below to People and the Planet for a full description of the event and sponsorship opportunities.
weblink: Sierra Club Webpagefrom: Sierra Club of Canadadocument: People and the Planetin detail XlnkS64C XlnkC18E8

Building Local Living Economies, BALLE, Launched in BC

BALLE BC is a network of local business owners and leaders with a direct stake in the livability of our communities and bio-regions. By connecting business-to-business, leader-to-leader, this network is building an important resource for the local living economy that already exists in British Columbia. BALLE BC is also part of a much bigger network that is growing and connecting across North America. Be sure to check out the opening on February 25 from 6 to 8 pm at the Vancouver Public Library featuring Judy Wicks. To register call 604.947.2941 or email pscott@ballebc.com See the weblink to get more information.
weblink: BALLE BCfrom: BALLE BCin detailsee also: BC the Organic Way XlnkS64A XlnkC18E6

Sustainability Primer

The Sustainability Primer aims to be a practice specific tool for applying sustainability principles to engineering and geoscience. Through case studies and analysis of best practices, the primer seeks to demonstrate sustainability in action. See Series Primer below to view or download the practice specific modules.
weblink: APEGBC Primer Sustainability Web Sitein detailsee also: Primer Part 1: Introduction XlnkS64B

the Corporation (the Film)

Documentary film looks at the role of the Corporation in modern society, including Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability. The film goes over many ideas regarding the influence of “the corporation” in the world today, the beginnings of “the corporation” and the powers that “it” has gained over the years, an interesting comparison of attributes of “the corporation” to the attributes of a psychopath, and ways to steer the world in a different direction from that to which “the corporation” is leading us. **** a must see ****
weblink: The Corporationfrom: Joel Bakanin detailsee also: the Corporation (the book) XlnkS641 XlnkC190D