Some climate change and social justice events in Toronto in March and April

Calendar of climate change events for March and April, Toronto – compiled by Students Against Climate Change – most (but not all) events are at University of TorontoFrid., Feb. 29 – Science for Peace forum on sustainability and the environment – 1 to 5 p.m. OISE, 252 Bloor St. W. Room: Forum. Details for event: http://scienceforpeace.sa.utoronto.ca/

Fri. Feb. 29 – Faculty of Law symposium on Canadian climate change policy. 12:30 – 2 p.m. Solarium (room FA2), Falconer Hall 84 Queen’s Park. Details: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/visitors_content.asp?itempath=5/5/0/0/0&cType=NewsEvents&specEvents=2631

Mon. Mar. 3 – Action plan to assist Sharbot Lake – Students Against Climate Change – 6 p.m. Rm 5250, OISE, 252 Bloor St. W. New article on the issues: http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1414
* Website for citizen’s inquiry in April: http://www.uraniumcitizensinquiry.com/
Website for community association doing work on the issue: http://www.ccamu.ca/

Monday March 3, 11 a.m. Bloor and Avenue Road (SE corner) ‘Take the Tooker’ Bike Lane Demo. Join supporters of TaketheTooker, a group of Toronto cyclists advocating for a bicycle expressway along Bloor/Danforth, as we unfurl a 3 ft. by 144 ft. bike lane on Bloor! Ride on the lane! For more info, greenspi@web.ca or 647 342 1964 http://www.takethetooker.ca/

Mon. Mar. 3 – Memorial for environmental activist Tooker Gomberg – 7 p.m. at the Friends House on Lowther, 60 Lowther St. The Ten Commandments for Changing the World. http://www.greenspiration.org/environ/articles/TenCommandments.htm
Info. on Tooker and enviro. activism: http://www.greenspiration.org/

Tues. Mar. 4 – Lecture with climate activist, Patrick Bond, author of Climate Change, Carbon Trading and Civil Society. – 7 p.m. OISE, 252 Bloor St. W. Room 2212. Details on event: http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=333

Tues. Mar. 4 – Transport Revolutions: Moving People and Freight without oil – with Richard Gilbert & Anthony Perl – 7 p.m. OISE, 252 Bloor St. W. Room 5250. Details: http://danforthgreens.ca/transport-revolutions-moving-people-and-freight-without-oil/

Wed. Mar. 5 – Transportation without oil (same talk as above) – 11 a.m. – Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George, Room 2125.

Wed. Mar. 5 – Elizabeth May, lecture on international environmental policy – Hart House, Debates Room, 7:30 p.m. Poster: http://www.harthouse.utoronto.ca/userfiles/Elizabeth%20May.pdf

Sat. Mar. 8th – International Women’s Day March. Toronto Committee and Women Working with Immigrant Women. Rally at 11 am (UofT OISE Auditorium, Bloor St. W. & St. George subway) proceeding with the IWD 2008 March at 1 pm through the downtown core and concluding with the IWD 2008 Fair, 3 – 5 pm at Ryerson’s University Student Centre (hosted by the Ryerson Women’s Centre).

Mon. Mar. 10 – talk with Stu Neathy of the Dominion magazine (probably the best alternative media in Canada) – 7 p.m. OISE, room, 252 Bloor St. W., room 5250. Tar sands isse: http://www.dominionpaper.ca/tarsands

May 14 – showing of “Toxic Trespass” on TVO. About lethal toxins in the Windsor, Sarnia air, from trucks and industry, causing high cancer rates there (they are also in Toronto of course, including from U of T’s natural gas smokestack). http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?lg=en&id=54100&v=h

Wed. March 19 – International Mining Day lecture, 6 p.m. Location TBA. Slideshow on Sharbot Lake (with guest speaker), tar sands, and uranium mining in Canada. OISE See: http://www.protestbarrick.net/
* http://www.dominionpaper.ca/topics/mining
* http://www.miningwatch.ca/

March 20 – Thomas Homer Dixon and Ross Gelbspann on climate change – Isabel Theatre. (Sorry, I cannot verify dates or times for this. I heard of it through someone at the UTERN meeting and the Isabel Bade theatre info. line and website is incommunicado today).

March 15 – Anti-war rally (also an environmental event because war is a major contributor to environmental devestation on many levels). Details: http://www.nowar.ca/

March 27 – Free Burma lecture and concert, March 27. Details to be announced.

March 29 – Earth Hour (turn off lights for an hour). http://www.wwf.ca/earthhour/
Urge the U of T administration and students to participate!

April (several dates, TBA) – Citizen’s inquiry into uranium and nuclear energy in four locations outside Toronto. http://uraniumcitizensinquiry.com/media.htm

Students Against Climate Change will organize a ride for students to participate in the hearings

April 20 – Earth Day rally. http://www.torontoclimatecampaign.org/

Additional issues . . .

* Kyoto Plus. This is THE important follow-up on Kyoto to watch for. Community and students groups should endorse it. “Kyotoplus – Stop Global Warming: A Proposal from Greenpeace Canada” If your organization wants to support Kyotolplus send an email to Arthur Sanborn, climate campaigner, Greenpeace Canada at arthur.sandborn@yto.greenpeace.org

* Carbon tax for Canada. What you should know. In Germany the carbon tax currently imposed $900 per tonne; the propsed tax (proposed by industry) is for $10 per tonne to go up to $30 per tonne by 2020. See industry document: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/documents.asp?rnext=2426

* Caravan to end Canadian Involvement in Torture, Toronto-Ottawa, May 1-9, 2008. Join us for a journey through dozens of Ontario communities as we expose and challenge the many ways in which the Canadian government is increasingly involved, both directly and indirectly, in policies and practices that result in the torture of human beings. Sponspored by Homes Not Bombs. See http://www.homesnotbombs.ca/secrettrials.htm

* Support the Mohawks of Tyendinnaga, still fighting theft of and unsustainable development of native land and violently attacked by OPP. Sign the petition to demand all charges against Shawn Brant (who non-violently blocked the 401 to call attention to this injustice) be dropped. Join the Shawn Brant facebook group, or sign petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stoplicensingplunder

In the works (not yet scheduled) from Students Against Climate Change:

* Revolutionary silk screen workshop with Sarah and Txus the activist clowns.

* Ritual to commemorate the loss of biodiversity at the bio-wall, Koffler Centre.

* Showing of the climate change film The 11th Hour, with Student Union (UTSU).

Several events related to social justice and environment from No One is Illegal:
http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/

Every Thursday at noon – Hot Yam hosts vegan local food lunch, International Centre, $5

Every Wed. 3 to 5, lecture by Prof. Danny Harvey on global warming, Earth Sciences building 1050, U of T. This is class, but several members of the public listen in because Dr. Harvey’s lectures are well presented and accessible.

Apologies for events I missed or wrong information. Please email pyork_2002@hotmail.com to make corrections, if any, or for more information, or call 647-342-7995. See Students Against Climate Change blog: http://studentsagainstclimatechange.blogspot.com/