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THE NCWC EDUCATION FUND (NCWCEF)
AND
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN OF CANADA
(NCWC)
ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
THE WATER/ENERGY CONNECTIONS PROJECT 2008-10
Kindly funded by THE WALTER & DUNCAN GORDON
FOUNDATION
NCWCEF and NCWC are pleased to give our members and
the much broader general public the opportunity to be involved in our joint
Water/Energy Connections Project as it explores the multitude of water/energy
connections in such areas as:
The overall energy/water/climate nexus
Tar Sands - the use of huge amounts of water to
produce oil and extraction impacts on Lake Athabasca and surrounding eco-systems
Nuclear Power - mining, processing, waste management,
trucking, release of tritium into the Great Lakes
Hydro Electric - huge mega -dams impacts on river
systems and their eco-systems
The 'Soft Path' for Water and the 'Soft Energy
' Path---looking at the co- benefits of water and energy conservation.
The project will be directed by Gracia Janes, Chair of the NCWC Education Fund, and the research/writing
will be done by Dr. John Bacher, author of Petrotyranny-Dundurn Press (foreword
David Suzuki); researcher for the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society
(estb.1976); Board member, Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment and, former
Ontario Drainage Board Tribunal member.
As part of the Water/Energy Connections Project
NCWC Representative Elizabeth Hutchinson attended the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) conference on Canadian Water:Towards a New Strategy. Her report is available here.
Highly recommended reading: FLOW Monitor to read about Canadian water issues. In the first issue, read about important developments including Environment Canada's progress on key national water priorities, efforts to develop a comprehensive Federal freshwater strategy and recent developments in First Nations drinking water policies.
Clean Water, Green Jobs In partnership with the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, released Clean Water, Green Jobs: A Stimulus Package for Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investments . The plan focuses on repairing and renewing existing water infrastructure, restoring green infrastructure and conserving water and energy.
Thanks to all of you who completed the Water-Energy Use Survey. Results are now tabulated and available here.
The powerpoint presentation by Andrew Nikiforuk at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Women of Canada in Prince Albert Myth of Abundance. This presentation reviews the connection between water and energy in a striking way, as the ratio of water use to energy extraction in the Tar Sands is 3 to 1. His book, "Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of the Content" is recommended reading.
Brief to the to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable
Development Re the Oil Sands and Water Resources 31st of August, 2009.
Highlights of the Water /Energy Project are :
2008 AGM in Ottawa - Launch of the project with
luncheon speaker Ralph Pentland, author of the Federal government's 1987
Water Policy, who spoke on "21st
Century Energy and Water Policies" and an afternoon panel of energy/water
experts and advocates e.g. Tony
Maas, Senior Freshwater Policy Advisor, World Wild Life Fund . Other
speakers included John Jackson,
Director of Clean Production, Great Lakes United and Dr. Gordon Edwards,
President, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.
6 quarterly newsletters circulated to our many
members across Canada; and available here
The sixth and last edition February, 2010;
the fifth edition Fall of 2009;
the fourth edition Summer 2009; the third edition Spring 2009;
the second edition Winter 2008;
and the the first edition Fall 2008.
10-15 Common Programs held by Local and Provincial
Councils of Women over the two year period, with financial help from the
Grant, to provide expert speakers on a variety of water/energy issues -
target audience the public, affiliated member groups, the press
A survey on personal water/energy use sent out
to 3000 Canadians (and coming soon on the web) and a report to Federal
government with recommendations
Regular flash sheets and articles by the Project
Co-ordinator, Researcher and outside expert advisors such as John Jackson
and Ralph Pentland (and others) on web site and in newsletter
Background
"Almost everything we do or use in life,
from the essential, such as eating, to the merely frivolous, that of. taking
a luxury cruise, requires energy, and, to varying degrees, has an impact
on the protection of present and future freshwater resources."
( unknown source)
The ability of federal, provincial, territorial and
local governments and individual Canadians to protect freshwater resources
relies on the public being knowledgeable about all aspects of the life-cycle
of water, acting as individuals and groups to make a difference, and informing
governments at all levels of the need for far sighted programs and policies
to protect and sustain this vital life-resource.
The National Council of Women of Canada, representing
many thousands of Canadians from a very broad diversity of backgrounds,
through our 17 Local Councils of Women, 24 Nationally Organized Society
Affiliated members and 5 Provincial Councils of Women in British Columbia,
Saskatchewan. Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, has for many years recognized
the need for protection of fresh water resources and for the "soft"
energy path of energy conservation and efficiencies and renewables, rather
than traditional energy sources that are water-destructive and unsustainable
.
To this end, NCWC and NCWEF have engaged in two very
significant projects in the past 16 years. The most recent, our 2006, 2007
Common Program on Water, was jointly organized with the NCW Education Fund
(NCWEF). It involved public meetings across Canada and an expert Panel on
Canada's Water at our 2007 AGM in Regina. Funded by a grant from the Walter
and Duncan Gordon Foundation the panel featured 6 presentations by experts
in the areas of drought, water diversions, industrial energy resource impacts
on water, water and the law, trade agreements and the need for a national
water strategy. A report -
Water 2007 has been prepared.
This latter program drew our attention back once
more to the strong inter-relationship between the public's use of, and government
support of, very damaging energy sources such as oil, coal and nuclear,
as well as the benefits of Canadians moving to the 'soft' energy path.-
factors that were front and centre in NCWC's 1992-95 Environment Canada
Greenplan Partners Project .
Those very many NCWC members who participated in
that earlier program, will remember how much public interest our energy
conservation programs stirred up across the country from Halifax to Fort
St. John ; what an excellent source of information the Conserver Newsletter
was; the many helpful tips to apply to our own lives that were gleaned from
public forum speakers and the expert NCWC AGM resource speakers e.g. Marjorie
Lamb , author of 2 Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet, and the amazingly
good response from over 560 respondents to our Energy Conservation- Making
a Difference survey.
And, those of you who attended our AGM in Regina
last Spring , or read about it on our web
site or in NCWC's 2007 Summer Newsletter,
will know of the huge challenge Canadians are facing and must overcome,
to protect their limited fresh water resources, particularly in light of
climate change. We know also, that within this daunting future, our energy
use will play a huge role. It is our hope that with the knowledge gained
from this project that NCWEF and NCWC can better help our members, the general
public and the legislators understand the challenges and help shape a more
sustainable future for Canada's freshwater resources - and our environment
generally.
At the Annual Meeting in Edmonton, 2004, the Celebrating Women project
was launched. This was a national touring art exhibition honouring the passion,
pride and perseverance of Canadian Women. The exhibit featured the artwork
of Canadian artist Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn and is a dynamic statement
about the impact women have had on Canadian history.
Celebrating Women is sponsored by the National Council of Women of
Canada. Developed as an education and fund raising project, Celebrating Women toured across Canada in 2004-06.
We continue to invite orders of the wonderful pieces of art, by Larisa,
with all funds raised supporting the work of NCWC. You can print
out the order form
Proceeds from the sales will be directed towards decreasing the many challenges
women continue to face, particularly the ongoing issues of homelessness
and personal safety. Boutique Sales
The National Council of Women is proud to present Celebrating Women - a
visual tribute to the dedication of all Canadian women who have participated
in building a healthy, progressive and vibrant Canadian community.
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