earthPoems
Environment, British Columbia and the PunjabAsbestos Action Alert
Show solidarity with asbestos victims in the Third World and support the campaign to demand the Canadian government ban asbestos mining and exports. Asbestos kills over 100,000 people every year, and Canada is a major player in the death-dealing industry.
In a change of tactics, we’re not targeting all Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) – but just one. A number of other like-minded organizations are also ‘adopting’ a MP and focusing their efforts on convincing him/her what their party is doing is wrong, unethical and immoral.
In our case – we have chosen to focus our efforts on the Federal Environment Minister, the Hon. Peter Kent, MP for Thornhill, Ontario.
Peter is an intelligent guy and knows what his government is doing is wrong. We need to encourage him to support an end to Canada’s mining and export of asbestos. Peter and his government can prevent thousands of cases of cancer if they only do what’s right.
Here is what we’re asking you to do:
Send a letter to Peter Kent (peter.kent@parl.gc.ca). See “Key Messages” below.
Mail a copy of your letter to his office: House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 (no postage is required).
Twitter him also (@mppeterkent). His Twitter stream is here.
Post your thoughts on his Facebook Wall
Call his Ottawa office (613-992-0253) and ask to speak with him. Keep calling until he, or a representative from his office, returns your call.
If you live in the Toronto area, call and ask to schedule a meeting with him (905-886-9911). Don’t take no for an answer! You can also visit his constituency office: 7600 Yonge St., Thornhill, Ontario, L4J 1V9
Please keep us informed of your efforts – we’d really appreciate it!
Key Messages:
According to the World Health Organization, more than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related disease.
Asbestos is the “perfect carcinogen” as it acts as both a promoter and initiator of cancer.
Exposure to asbestos has been linked to several diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
At the recent conference of the UN Rotterdam Convention in Geneva, the Harper government single-handedly prevented asbestos from being put on the Convention’s list of hazardous substances.
Newly released documents show that back in 2006 the Canadian government rejected advice from Health Canada that asbestos be added to the UN list of hazardous substances.
Billions of dollars will be spent over the next 20 years to remove asbestos from our Parliament Buildings because it’s a cancer-causing substance.
Canada mines and ships the majority of its asbestos to the Third World, particularly Asia. The world’s leading experts predict that the sharp increase in asbestos use in Asia will see a surge of mortality and morbidity in the decades ahead.
For more:
John Bennett, Executive Director
Sierra Club Canada
jb@sierraclub.ca
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‘Gray Days’ a poem by Fauzia Rafique
Each gray
day
reveals strong
bright shades of green
to occupy the fore
front of my vision.
Standing tall
hanging low
trailing
below.
Winter after
winter
the undying green
keeps shinning
sprouting
from the seeds
thrown by the
coast
salish people
tending
the love
of this land.
Surrey BC, 2010
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SDPI Seminar on Climate Change, Lahore, May 2, 2011
SDPI Monday Seminar on
Climate Change Adaptation through Promotion of
Alternate and Energy Efficient Technologies in Pakistan
Date: Monday 2nd May, 2011
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Venue: SDPI Seminar Hall, 38, Embassy Road, G-6/3, Islamabad
Climate change is a global phenomenon and a challenging reality for thinkers, planners, policymakers and professionals alike. It is a phenomenon that is likely to impact almost every sector of Pakistan’s economy. Today it stands not only as a major environmental issue but also as a multi-dimensional developmental issue.
Climate change resulting from an increasing concentration of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere due to the use of fossil fuels and other human activities has become a major worldwide concern. It is particularly so for Pakistan because climate change could pose a direct threat to its water security, food security and energy security. The country’s vulnerability to such adverse impacts is likely to increase considerably in the coming decades as the average global temperature, which increased by 0.6 °C over the past century, is projected to increase further by 1.1 to 6.4 °C by the end of the current century. Pakistan contributes only about 0.38% of the total global GHG emissions. On per capita basis, Pakistan with 1.9 tonnes per capita GHG emissions stands at a level which corresponds to about one-third of the world average, one-fifth of the average for Western Europe and one tenth of the per capita emissions in the U.S., putting it at 135th place in the world ranking of countries on the basis of their per capita GHG emissions.
For mitigating and reducing the GHG emissions from the energy sector Energy Security Action Plan 2005-2030 envisages large roles for hydropower, renewable energy technologies (in particular, windmills), nuclear power and alternate energy technologies in future energy supplies. A number of projects on energy efficiency improvement, energy conservation and use of decentralized renewable energy technologies being implemented by many institutions including Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET).
The focus of this seminar is to create awareness about changing climate scenarios and provide recommendations for efficient use of alternate energy sources through adopting adaptation measures and promoting energy efficient technologies. Further the introduction of Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves (EECS) Technology would be highlighted in presentations and during the session. An energy efficient stove is a new technology that is replacing our traditional stoves. Traditional stoves are big threat to firewood consumption and forest degradation.
Chair
Mr Abdul Rasheed Khan, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Science and Technology, GoP
Speakers
Dr Mahmood A. Khwaja, Senior Advisor, SDPI
Mr Zafar Iqbal Khokhar, Director General, Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology PCRET
Mr Babar Khan, National Integrated and Development Association (NIDA) Pakistan, Besham
Mr Bakht Muhammad, Sahara Welfare Foundation (SWF), Malakand
Ms Javeriya Hasan, Research associate, SDPI
Ms Anusha Sherazi, Project Associate, SDPI
For further details please contact:
Anusha Sherazi
Research Assistant
Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)
House 38, Old Embassy Road, G-6/3, Islamabad-Pakistan
anusha@sdpi.org
anusha_sherazi87@yahoo.com
Tel: ++(92-51) 2270674-6, 2275642, 2278134
Fax: ++(92-51)2278135
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