Green Enlightenment?

Lynn McDonald, University Professor Emerita at the University of Guelph calls for a "Green Enlightenment on the Worldchanging Canada blog. She writes,

...change of the scope needed will require a major "paradigm shift," for which we will have to re-examine our values, beliefs and expectations for lifestyle. And so far, governments have failed to give leadership. Several provincial and more municipal governments have at least acknowledged the need for concerted action on climate change, short of coming up with concrete plans, which cannot go far enough without federal involvement.

All this will require careful work. Citizens can help start the process by setting out a framework for a climate change plan. The fine tuning can only be done in concert with government departments and technical experts, but citizens can and should lead. Just as the initiative for change in the 18th century Enlightenment came from outside government, so also might this.

Town hall meetings and "think-ins" at universities, colleges and community meetings could help to spark ideas and promote citizen involvement. Professional associations, faith communities, First Nations, unions, all kinds of voluntary organizations, should be asked to draw on their particular experience and expertise. We have a long way to go to, but there is now a growing consensus that fundamental change is needed.
Visit us at www.irejn.org.

Campus Activism on Climate Change

According to ZNews, Almost 600 coordinated campus actions -- from photo petitions to winter "beach parties" -- marked the biggest week of climate action yet.

From Jan. 29-Feb. 2, students across the United States and Canada put on polar bear costumes, jumped on their bikes, chalked their campuses, threw beach parties, staged cross campus "energy wars" and packed university auditoriums with students, administrators and community members as part of the largest coordinated climate week of action in North America yet.

The Campus Climate Challenge Week of Action (Jan. 29 to Feb. 2) included over 580 student groups on campuses all over the nation. The week, which was titled "Rising to the Climate Challenge: Visions of Our Future," was the seventh and largest coordinated collective action hosted by the North American Youth Climate Coalition over the past three years.

Visit us at www.irejn.org.

Is Green Your School Color?

Check out the 2007 College Sustainability Report Card to see if your Alma Mater is listed, and how they are doing on sustainability.

Visit us a www.irejn.org.