Well it's been quite a 18 months.
We returned to Vancouver Point Grey tonight after a year and a half of living out of backpacks
and suitcases. I recently reached the 35 year milestone and wanted to start things off with a ambitious new goal. What is that you ask? I'll divulge in a couple weeks once I run it by our executive.
My wife and I experienced the growth of environmental values around the world on our recent jaunt. See: www.learningtheworld.com
Climate change and global warming have become household phrases. We've returned home to see The Green Party of Canada elect a new leader, Elizabeth May.
In Elizabeth's first campaign she grew support five fold to 26% of the popular support. Wow.
And then Stephen Dion is elected the new leader of the Federal Liberals. Yes, it was a fourth ballot but it seems that the 5,000 delegates choose their most savy and experienced environmental policy-ite . To see Mr. Dion's supporters wearing green t - shirts and green scarfs at the convention is only further proof that popular opinion is slowly changing in this great nation of ours.
So we're concerned citizens doing out part and we've just completed BC EcoEvents 15th event this past Saturday.
The Clean Air Auto Show was a great success. 100 members of the public, 6 elected officials(Mayor Corrigan & Mussato, MLA's Gregor Robertson & Shane Simpson and Councilor Donnelly) business owners (Cascadia Biofuels), NGO leaders (BCSEA) and public officials (Mr. Fryer) came out to a Burnaby pub on a very cold afternoon. We had ten Clean Air Cars in attendance (3 electric cars, 1 electric neighbourhood vehicle, 1 SVO / Biodiesel hybrig, 1 B50 VW Bug, 4 Smart cars) and 1 4,400 ltr. biodiesel dispenser unit.
The lack of Federal and Provincial leadership on climate change and global warming lit BC EcoEvent's collective fire. The two new coal power plants in BC and continued efforts to push through offshore oil in BC (Mr. Campbell ~ we don't need the enhanced short term economic growth) gets us all riled up.
So check out the cool poster that Cowie and Fox donated. Check out our media release below.
Thank you: Fairchild TV, Vancouver Courier, Sing Tao, CBC Almanac, CBC Radio Canada, Georgia Straight
Thank you to our sponsors: Shared Vision, Cowie & Fox, VEVA, OQOQO, Natures Path, EYA, Vancouver Biodiesel Coop.
Thank you to Joe Trippi and Jim for encouraging us to power on in this blogging world of ours.
Attention News/Assignment/Business Editors:
Media Release – Clean Air Auto Show: Local residents and businesses
get behind the wheel of sustainable transportation.
VANCOUVER, Dec. 2 /BC ECO EVENTS/ - Local residents and businesses are
teaming up to demonstrate their electric and biofuel vehicles in an
effort to spark local dialogue on the future of green transportation
in the GVRD. Several local politicians will also be in attendance.
"The Clean Air Auto Show is about local citizens taking steps to
tackle climate change to improve local air quality," says J-M Toriel,
a sustainability MBA candidate and one of the organizers. "In the
absence of provincial and federal leadership, local communities are
taking the future into their own hands and finding solutions."
Attendees will watch live demonstrations of electric and biofuel
vehicles; receive fuel smart driving lessons; and take part in an
engaging panel of local community and business leaders discussing
solutions to cut greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable
transportation and strengthen the local green economy.
Display vehicles include the EV-1 electric car (recently featured in
the popular documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"), a 1912
electric model called "The Detroit," as well as modern biodiesel
vehicles, fuel trucks and an all vegetable-oil Mercedes Benz.
"We want residents to see some of the sustainable transportation
options available today in the region," says Damian Kettlewell, a
local businessman and event sponsor, and owner of a vegetable oil
fueled car. "These aren't futuristic vehicles, some of them are parked
in your neighbour's driveway right now."
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
WHEN: 3pm - 6pm, Saturday, December 2nd, 2006
WHERE: Delaney's Pub, 5665 Kingsway, Central Burnaby
PARTICIPANTS:
• MLA for Vancouver Fairview, Gregor Robertson
• Mayor Derek Corrigan of Burnaby
• Mayor Darrell Mussatto of North Vancouver
• Councillor Fin Donnelly
• Local NGOs, entrepreneurs, community and business leaders.
For further information contact:
Damian Kettlewell
J-M Toriel
Sponsorship and Speaker Director
