Monday 13 August 2012

Day 34: Apple - Quit The Coal!


An Apple a day won't do much good if you're breathing in air polluted by coal.

Sorry for the pun. But really...Apple isn't struggling, it can afford to do this.

After pressure from Greenpeace, Apple declared its newest data centre would all be powered by renewables.  Not bad. But they could do better. I'm sure they've got more than one data centre.

Same letter, new CEO...here we go!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Day 33: Amazon, Coal Powered Data Servers? Really?

Did you know: If you used a web service like Netflix, Pinterest, Dropbox or Instagram today, you were routed through Amazon’s cloud platform? (source)

A recent study estimated that one third of all daily internet users will access an Amazon cloud site on average at least once a day; Greenpeace believes 64% of Amazon's electricity comes from coal.

   
But, as Greenpeace says: 

There’s hope! The tech industry is led by a few very large companies who can choose to quit the coal habit. Thanks to you [people supporting Greenpeace campaigns], Facebook already has. So we're kicking off a campaign to see Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple — three of the largest owners of data centres in the world — make the switch."

Saturday 11 August 2012

Day 32: Bill Gates, Microsoft - Time to Kick the Coal

As Chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates still has a lot of clout.  I'm going to recycle yesterday's post and send a letter to Bill.

Microsoft office coal protest
Clever error message in Israel office


To: Bill Gates

Thank you for all of the amazing work the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation does in the world! However, the world today cannot be changed by non-profit foundations alone. Businesses can increase their value by making the world a better place.

Friday 10 August 2012

Day 31: Microsoft, Time to Kick The Coal - Learn from Facebook

A couple years ago, the Facebook group "Unfriend Coal" appeared. 20 months later, Facebook announced a goal to run on renewable energy. That's huge...Facebook uses more electricity than some small countries.

Facebook even purportedly asked Google for help with designing more energy efficient servers (yay! I love it when our Internet overlords collaborate for good causes).

Greenpeace has a timeline on how they made it happen (actually, how we made it happen ... campaigns are only as successful as people like us supporting)

Here's the video they used to launch the campaign:



Despite former CEO Bill Gate's extreme love for philanthropy, Microsoft isn't doing too well yet in this regard.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Day 30: KFC, Tigers, and Rainforests ... Oh My!

Chainsaw-welding KFC mascot
It's been slow churning out these letters, so I’m going to cop out and take more ideas from Greenpeace. They’ve got lots of good things going already. Hopefully the blog will diversify organizations a bit in the future....but GP has made it so easy! And that’s why their campaigns are so successful.

The Issue
KFC’s packaging is made from poorly managed rainforests. The endangered Sumatra tiger is at risk because of it.

The below video's finest moment is when the Colonel drawls in his Southern accent "Shove it, hippy!"




The Letter

To: KFC CEO David Novak

It has been called to my attention that KFC's packaging is made from rainforests in Indonesia, including the habitat of the endangered Sumatra tiger.

Please change your packaging to include mainly recycled material, and ensure fibers used are from better managed forests (or from some of the many alternative sources of packaging materials).

I will make sure to discourage family and friends from purchasing KFC until this has been corrected.

Thank you.

Sent to:
KFC's Corporate Address for Customer Comments
P.O. Box 725489
Atlanta, GA 31139

U.S. 1-800-225-5532
Canada 1-866-664-5696











Tuesday 7 August 2012

Day 29, First Nations, Enbridge, and Heritage Minister Moore



An important demographic which hasn't gotten much mention during this project re: Enbridge is First Nations.

Enbridge says that 60% of First Nations are on board with the pipeline (they will get 10% ownership); although many believe this to be inflated. Enbridge isn't winning a lot of trust, given the oversimplified-to-the-point-of-deception video about the tanker routes:



I'm not really sure who to write to that is of particular relevance to First Nations, so I'll just send some support to Heritage Minister Moore, who was "the first cabinet member to publicly express doubt and criticism of the project" (source).

Monday 6 August 2012

Day 28, Alberta Premier Redford and Enbridge

Alberta's Premier Redford

Another article says Clark may actually help Enbridge because if her conditions are met it may move a chunk of the population to supporters (currently 51% are "moderate" on the pipeline).


“Clark’s demands are more than reasonable in a province where environmentalism trumps cash, tourism and the fishery are economic mainstays, and aboriginal treaty rights remain unclear.”




As mentioned, there is massive criticism on all sides. Criticism I agree with:

Sunday 5 August 2012

Day 27, BC Premier Clark and Enbridge

BC's Premier Clark rocked the Enbridge news in the past weeks with her definitive stance, refusing to partake in national energy strategy discussions "until we see some progress in the discussions between British Columbia, Alberta and the federal government with respect to the Gateway pipeline."

She set out 5 conditions including

  • "Deploying world-leading marine oil-spill response, prevention and recovery systems for B.C.'s coastline and ocean" and 
  • "Ensuring British Columbia receives a fair share of the fiscal and economic benefits of a proposed heavy oil project that reflects the level, degree and nature of the risk borne by the province, the environment and taxpayers."



Of course, the latter condition is the one which has been the most controversial. More money?!

No one is happy, though....many environmentalists and First Nations say the conditions are token, won't prevent spills, and put BC on sale to the highest bidder. Pipeline supporters are unhappy about the more money part.

The Letter

To: Premier Clark

I applaud your tough stance on the Enbridge Pipeline. While you have been plagued by criticism, I think it is important that someone takes a stand. Please keep going and don’t listen to the naysayers!

Your stance was an important factor in Enbridge committing to another $500m in safety measures.
Still, it’s not enough. As Suzuki said:

“B.C.’s premier should have renounced the [national energy strategy] proposal because it’s focused more on tar sands, pipelines, and markets than on getting Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions under control by shifting from fossil fuel dependency to a more efficient system based on conservation and renewable energy.”

Whatever the case, thanks for trying hard!





The Honourable Christy Clark
Premier of British Columbia
Box 9041
Station PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca
Phone: 250-387-1715



Saturday 4 August 2012

Day 26, A Spill A Week - Principled Letter to Enbridge

Fun Fact: Enbridge for the past ten years averaged about a spill each week

Clarification: Having worked at an oil company, I know what counts as a spill. It can be something incredibly small in the realm of a few litres.

Judging from their own CSR reports, it's over 6 million gallons (~160,000 barrels) from 1999- 2010. People living or working nearby a spill feel it more, but it still affects everyone when the environment is sullied.


Source is National Wildlife Federation

Today's Letter
Definitely won't do anything (unlike publicly commenting here to the government of Canada). It's a general letter of dissent to Enbridge. What are they going to do, change their entire business?  Not likely.

Friday 3 August 2012

Day 25, You Can Officially Comment on Enbridge "Online", But It Won't Be Easy....

Excitement: did you know you can publicly log your Enbridge opinion online by August 31st


Less excitement: just realized you also have to CC to three people who work at Enbridge. One step forward three steps back. Thanks to Pacific Wild for pointing this out. At least you can use e-mail.

Note, one part of the website (F&Q's for hearing order) hasn't included this information. I'm sure it wasn't trying to mislead people. But still...do a better job when working on a multibillion dollar project, please!

Day 24, North America's Wilderness, Letter to Minister of Environment

In good(?) news, according to Toronto Star, Enbridge will comply with BC Premier Clark's request for “world-leading” prevention and response to oil spills by adding $500 million of safety measures, such as thicker pipes.

Here's a snippet with some information I didn't know about Canada's wilderness:

Who doesn't love infographs? See it all at: http://www.thebigwild.org/infographic

Thursday 2 August 2012

Day 23, The Story of Change, Recycled Enbridge Letter to Min of Nat Resources Joe Oliver


Do I expect the Enbridge pipeline to continue? Absolutely.

But there's always a small chance enough people will voice their opinions against it here, and stand behind a government committed to finding better ways to support our population.

Have you seen The Story of Change yet?  It's from the same people as The Story of Stuff. They pull out the big guns for this one in a large call for a generally positive but undetermined future. Excellent image:

One of its messages is that a better future can't be made by buying greener/more ethical products (though it's a part of it), but by exercising our "citizen muscle" to change the game.

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Day 22, Enbridge Enlightenment? Letter to Prime Minister Harper

I didn't want to write about the Enbridge pipeline, everyone knows about it already.

Couldn't find a neutral picture when searching for
Enbridge images, so here's a BC bear instead.
That's relevant, right?
Several friends, people who usually never care about environmental issues, told me they don't want a pipeline.

Yet none of them have done anything to stop it.

So, here it is. Most people need to see an ad flash across screens/billboards/radios several times before taking action. Hopefully this topic in peoples' newsfeeds will be one more poke, and they will use the resources here to share their opinions with relevant government and companies. 

This stuff is complex, it changes daily (e.g. the latest spill in Wisconsin). Share your findings here so everyone can get a better understanding.

Or go on public record to the government's registry sharing your opinions here, open until Aug 31st.




Starting Point: Summary of Key Issues from The Canadian Press

Route: Northern Gateway would run between Bruderheim, Alta., northeast of Edmonton, to a marine terminal at Kitimat B.C. on the northern coast.

Length: 1,172 kilometres

Estimated Cost: ~$5.5 billion (source)

Monday 30 July 2012

Day 21, Wal-Mart's Slightly Sustainable Seafood

Wrapping up sustainable seafood for now will be the letter to Wal-Mart.  They're 5/8 in Canadian and 12/20 in US rankings.

One of the positive steps they've made is "partnered with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) to help the company trace all of its seafood back to the sea and identify ways to engage with the fisheries and farming operations" (GP).

This is no surprise, despite many issues with Wal-Mart, a lot of their sustainability initiatives have been proper: beyond glitz and PR, tacking the more systemic, difficult, and long-term issues such as improving products along the supply chain.

Sunday 29 July 2012

Day 20, Free José Ramón and Pascual, Amnesty International to Mexican Prez Calderón

Today's letter is through Amnesty International, one of the more famous organizations that leverages the strength of international outcry, generally in the form of petitions and letter campaigns.

People from all over the world write letters for someone they will never meet, who will probably never directly impact their lives in any way.

But it's also about principles - we want to live in a world where human rights are respected, and if they are violated it helps everyone when we speak up.

José Ramón and Pascual, illegally detained for increasing water to their village



Also, Amnesty writes the letter for you, so the lazy bonus is strong!

This letter is for two indigenous leaders detained in Mexico for legitimately increasing access to water. They are to spend 7 years in prison for a crime they didn't do because of their work with water. Full story here.

Letter taken directly from Amnesty website: 

Friday 27 July 2012

Day 19, Why not Cogeneration? Poor Policy, Energy Minister Bentley?

Ever heard of cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP)?  If you're reading from Europe, there's a good chance you've enjoyed its benefits.

North America typically uses natural gas for heating or electricity. CHP lets you do both simultaneously - use natural gas to generate electricity, and the waste heat can also be used for heating. It’s way more efficient, saves money, and decreases emissions. 

CHP can be used independently for a large factory or building, or it can be built to feed back into the grid. Many homes in Europe are heated from nearby industrial plants' waste fuel.

Why don't we use it?
Meh, probably because it's just not that common here.
It's not the first thing that comes to mind when building a place.

The International Energy Agency thinks CHP could provide 35% of electricity in G8+5 countries by 2040. Not bad. 


How does it relate to today's letter?

Thursday 26 July 2012

Day 18, Shrimp Antibiotic Cocktail, Letter to Costco

When I met some Thai fishermen, hearty people who sprinkled MSG on their food as they would salt, many refused to eat Thai shrimp. Why?

Antibiotics
Most of those succulent shrimp grow on crowded farms, disease is rampant, which is combated by pumping the shrimp (and, by extension, us) with antibiotics...some which have been banned in the USA.

If the States banned something, you know it's pretty bad.


Then there's the environment....
Shrimp farms destroy coastal mangrove forests (pictured), which are important stores of carbon and biodiversity. After five years so much sludge builds in farms they are unusable.

Not all shrimp are farmed, though...so you don't have to give them up altogether. That's why we need better labelling, something many of my letters have asked for.



Today's Letter
Also, our letter today is to the WORST OFFENDER on the Canadian List, and number 13 out of 20 in the States. Drumroll for....Costco

Day 17, Avoid Mercury with Smaller Fish, and letter to Metro


In the pre-humans-taking-over-planet era, fish were one of the healthiest foods around. Today, there are at least two major health concerns with fish: heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and antibiotics.

Luckily, avoiding fish on the RedList can also be good for your health.

1. Mercury stays in your body, and can be passed down to vulnerable babies through their mothers.

Easy Rule of Thumb?
"I shall have the smallest fish your restaurant has to offer, sire"

The bigger fish are more likely to have gathered a lot of mercury throughout their lifetime of snacking on little fish.

Sweet! Shrimp are tiny! I'm good to go, right?!

Er....not so fast....here's tomorrow's blog entry if you want the details (click shrimpy):










Wednesday 25 July 2012

Day 16, Red Fish, Blue Fish ... Seafood to Avoid (and letter to Sobeys)

Most supermarket chains still sell some of the 21 Red List species; we can send a powerful message by buying less of them. Sobeys, unfortunately, sells the most Red List species in Canada.

Red List Fish
Atlantic haddock (scrod), Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, Atlantic salmon (farmed), Atlantic sea scallops, Chilean seabass, Greenland halibut (turbot), Hard shell clams (Arctic surf clams), New Zealand hoki, Orange roughy, Sharks, Skates and rays, Swordfish, Tropical shrimps and prawns, Tuna - buluefin, bigeye, yellowfin, King crab, Monkfish, Alaska pollock, Rockfish/red fish, Hake, Fraser River sockeye salmon. Pics, methodology, and details here.

But what will still be tasty to eat?!




Day 15, Safeway's Sustainable(ish) Seafood


Encouragingly, GP isn't leaving all of these supermarkets out to dry. They work with (interested) supermarkets to develop better policies, as well as with government to create policy requiring responsible fisheries management.  

And by "encourage" I mean they sued the government for doing so little to protect marine fisheries.  

Safeway is only third in Canada, but first in the United States, placing just above Whole Foods.

US Rankings

Monday 23 July 2012

Day 14, Save On Foods & Pricesmart are New Seafood Champion

Greenpeace's website had a flaw...linking to 2011 information when they had new 2012 rankings.

Behold, the new champion is:



"Over Weight EE Huh?" Never heard of 'em.


Apparently, they include Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart, Cooper’s Foods, Urban Fare and Bulkley Valley Wholesale. So I have shopped at some of them, and will perhaps try to more often now.

Here are the rest of the 2012 rankings.



Sunday 22 July 2012

Day 13, Greenpeace, Loblaw, and Sustainable Seafood

I was impressed with Greenpeace Canada's sustainable seafood campaign.

Greenpeace ranked major grocery stores for how well they are doing in terms of sustainable seafood, then asked customers to write encouraging their stores to get better.

Many stores have improved since GP started doing this a couple years ago; there's a good chance some success was due to avid letter writers (validation!).

Update: These are 2011 rankings, Loblaw is now 2nd, after Overwaitea foods which includes SaveonFoods and PriceSmart. Click image for source


I like that they have both kudos and criticism, reflecting the slightly more positive and diplomatic approach which many environmentalists are taking these days.

 It also makes letter writing really easy and allows one to be very specific (click image for source)


Loblaw ranked the second best from Canadian grocery stores. Also, I had no idea the chain included ValuMart, Zehrs, nofrills and...wait for it... T&T!!!

Day 12, Sustainable Seafood Co-op Grocery

We know that world fisheries are in trouble. Environmental Defense Fund cites Science's study of 11,000 fisheries that giving fishermen "shares" they can use/sell ("catch share") can effectively replenish stocks.

Shares grow in value as the fish are replenished. This increases fishers' stewardship, decreasing the "perverse incentive" to get as many fish as possible; in the long run overfishing would only leave fishermen without jobs.

Click for the image sources here...I modified the fishy to smile because the original one looked too unhappy for a purportedly positive practice.

I don't think the solution is only about better fishing practices, there is a lot going on globally such as increased temperatures and ocean acidification which will impact this stuff. But it's a start.

Update: Some Opposing Views on Catch Shares

Friday 20 July 2012

Day 11, Great Lakes Protection Hon Jim Bradley Minister of Environment

In keeping with one of my favourite principles: lazy - I mean, efficient! - impact, here are my final two letters (for now) about the Great Lakes Protection Act.

Extra enviro points: write two short letters using only one sheet of paper!



The Act is still open for public comments, click here to share yours with the powers that be:

Thursday 19 July 2012

Day 10: Great Lakes Act Minister of Natural Resources

When tweeting yesterday's post, I found out today is Ontario Premier McGuinty's birthday!  I scrapped the previous letter and included something a bit more festive!


Birthday letter/card's front (above) and inside (below)


Wednesday 18 July 2012

Day 9, Solid Great Lakes Protection Act, Premier McGuinty

Keeping local for this letter, I googled "Canada Environmental Campaign" to find some letter-worthy topics.

A slew appeared from Environmental Defence. One that immediately struck me was "Stand up for Our Great Lakes".  Intrigued, I read on.


Lake Huron Canada
Lake Huron borders Ontario and Michigan. Or so says the image source, my geography is a bit sketchy since high school: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/canada/lake-huron-canada

Apparently, "The Great Lakes Protection Act is proposed legislation that, if passed, would help restore and protect the Great Lakes so they stay drinkable, swimmable, fishable, for us, and for future generations."

Yeah, I'd never heard of this legislation. So much for staying up-to-date.

Even cooler? 


It's open for another couple weeks of public consultation online. If you don't want to write a letter, you can read it and make official, public comments by clicking here:


http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@ene/documents/images/stdprod_096952.jpg
Making an image into a link?  Feeling pretty fancy over here

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Day 8, Bikelanes, Car2Go & ZipCar

Today I'm sending a letter with more or less the same message about separated bikelanes on Wellesley as yesterday, this time to the City of Toronto's Transportation Services.

A note for people who don't own a car/are looking to decrease the number their household owns (and who wouldn't want to look for ways to avoid the upwards of $7,000 a year that goes towards your vehicle?):

Try carshares - Car2Go has nifty smartcars which make parking super easy; Zipcar has larger cars if you need to move a lot of things. You pay per trip, and they take care of gas and maintenance for you. Nice.


Source: http://www.car2go.com/toronto/en/concept/

Day 7, Bike Lanes in Toronto, Public Works & Infrastructure #MonthInACar

The inspiration for looking this up was the awesome folks at Evergreen, who have this fun awareness campaign called Month In a Car. Toronto has some of the longest commuting times in the world (avg. 80 minutes each day) which adds up to a month in a car every year.

That. Is. Sad.

But what can I do about it? I already live downtown so most of my travel is walking or public transit. I've wanted to get into cycling a bit more (as opposed to the bus or subway), but it kind of scares me. Even with the cool new Bixi bike commuting program.

Then I learned from Cycle Toronto that the City is seriously thinking about creating some new, improved bike lanes down Wellesley St. There will be more space and possibly some physical barriers separating cyclists from traffic.

Check it out:
Source: http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/wellesley/images/concept_sketch.jpg

Sunday 15 July 2012

Day 6, Park, please! Mayor Froese of Langley BC

This popped up in my Facebook newsfeed from a friend in BC:




Did a bit of research, this cause is pretty simple – trees! The local government wanted to sell some land and use the money for some (albeit useful) investments such as a new community centre.

Because of citizens sending letters, calling, and posting on the township Facebook wall, they have compromised and are selling just over half of it.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Day 5, Hon Peter Braid from Waterloo for C-38

So, the last traction I'm going to get from this same letter will be sending it to the Hon. Peter Braid.

I recently graduated from university in Waterloo, ON, so I've lived in his riding for several years and still feel like he is my Member of Parliament. I hope he doesn't mind me sending him a letter as well. 

Awww yea....same letter, 3 times, 3 different members of parliament. Efficiency for the win!

Just realized I forgot to put "Honorable" in front of his name. Awkward...

Find your MP here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?menu=hoc

Friday 13 July 2012

Day 4, My Member of Parliament for C-38

Today I sent the same letter as in the previous e-mail, but to my Member of Parliament.

You can find your MP with your postal code here:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?menu=hoc 

And you don't need a stamp if you send them a letter to their Ottawa address:
<Member of Parliament Name>
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6   

Going Further
You can also call and leave a message with similar sentiments to your letter

Another good next step is requesting a meeting with your MP. I don't feel quite ready for that yet, but you should go ahead!  That will really give you a chance to elaborate on anything you'd like.

PS. You could also look up and learn how your MP has voted on each point, what they've been publicly saying about the issue at hand (Bill C-38 in this case) and tailoring it to that. I've gotta run today, so will just let him know my concerns and hope for the best.

Thursday 12 July 2012

Day 3, Head Honcho Prime Minister Stephen Harper for C-38

This is my first of probably dozens of letters to our PM...it's free to write him, and his government has created quite a few things I don't mind going on record as not feeling good about.

I decided if I'm going to be writing about the Fisheries Act, I should address some of the other issues which are included in Bill C-38.  Get all of the concerns out in one go.  But there are so many!

Credit Goes To...
The majority of the points for this letter are from a pamphlet that was handed out in Uptown Waterloo, Ontario. I'd like to credit whoever wrote it but I'm not sure who gave it to me, so here's a picture of it. Thanks, yo!

Claim this as yours!
Can't say for certain if the above is entirely accurate, but my letter's points are hopefully up-to-date.  I did a bit of research on those below to make sure I understood(ish) and and agreed with them.

If not, let me know below! And how about writing a better letter, or re-using mine?

The Actual Letter

 Here is the text of my letter, probably one of the longer ones I'll be writing.

~~~~~~~

July 2012

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

I’m writing to express my opinion regarding Bill C-38. There are so many aspects of this budget that are illogical, short-sighted, and I believe will prove detrimental to Canada’s growth and prosperity. There is not enough space to address all of the issues, here are just a few:

In terms of employment: Forcing Canadians to work until 67 to qualify for Old Age Security is unnecessary, particularly when we should be working to create jobs for new graduates and others in the labour force. I also do not agree with repealing the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act for contractors.

In terms of democracy: I am upset at the decrease in independent oversight from key government agencies such as the CRA; as well as the dissolution of the Public Appointments Commission which ensures key positions are based on merit instead of insider connections.

In terms of health: I am upset that the food and drug regulations may be weakened at the discretion of the Minister of Health, and also feel it is important to have the Auditor General’s oversight of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

But mostly, as a proud Canadian, I am appalled at the potential negative scientific and environmental outcomes resulting from this bill. For example:

-Excluding concerned citizens from parts of the environmental assessment processes does a disservice to our country. Canada and the environment belong to all of us; the government should be encouraging this type of stewardship and democratic participation amongst citizens, not discouraging it

-The Experimental Lakes have provided incredibly important research, and will continue to do so in the future as we protect freshwater as one of the world’s most precious resources. We need to keep them!

-The Fisheries Act is powerful legislation which Canada should be proud of; we should not be dismantling key aspects of the Act which will weaken our habitat protection provisions

-Laying off key scientists such as those responsible for researching ocean contaminants at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans seems lacking on oversight and concern for our health

-Amending the Coasting Trade Act for increased seismic testing (which will likely lead to drilling) off of our coasts

-Solidifying our international status as moving the already weak international progress on climate change backwards by formally withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol

-Getting rid of the National Round Table on the Economy and the Environment, which has encouraged growing Canada’s economy sustainably for the long term (beyond, say, a couple of election terms)

I want this bill to be better thought out. The above concerns should be changed based on the input of citizens groups, non-profit organizations, academics, and non-partisan policy think tanks with perspectives encompassing many factors, not just maximizing corporate profits.

Sincerely,
A Letter A Day <Actual Name Obviously Used>


Sent to:
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2


Wednesday 11 July 2012

Day 2, Hon Keith Ashfield, Minister of DFO for C-38

Something important to know about making a difference is you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Save the Experimental Lakes recommends writing to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister, Deputy Minister, Prime Minister, and your Member of Parliament.

And so I shall, and then that will be four days taken care of, all with a similar letter. Love it!

Once again, written by an 8 year old it would appear

You can write a more intelligent (or similarly lazy) letter to the Hon Keith Ashfield for free:

Hon Keith Ashfield
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Day 1, So it begins. Dept Min of DFO for C-38

This is my first letter, out of the 365 I'll be sending out over the next year.
It's to the Hon. Claire Dansereau, Deputy Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

From what I understand, Canada's Bill C-38 guts the Fisheries Act (hehe pun), will lay off many important ocean scientists, and shut down the awesome Experimental Lakes Area. Learn some more: http://saveela.org/

It looks and sounds like it was written by an 8 year old. More on why later, when I figure out how to make some sort of F&Q page.

Best part? Writing to Members of Parliament in Ottawa is freee!!
 One of my favourite things about Canada. Give it a try:
<Name of Member of Parliament >
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6