If you can't make it out on Saturday, don't despair. The first summer market starts May 17th. Head to http://www.eatlocal.org/ for more information.

Photo by knightbefore_99

Although yesterday's launch, which was held at the Pendulum Room of the HSBC building downtown, was mostly a smooze-fest (an invite only event featuring Mayor Sam Sullivan, TV personalities and a swarm of well-dressed eco-designers all consuming organic wine and cheese), the remaining 29 days promise to be much more entertaining.

Here are just a few of the many events worth checking out in the coming weeks (fancy dress clothes not required):

In addition to running two socially conscious businesses, Will and Shannon recently founded a non-profit organization, the Learning Climate Educational Society, aimed at donating a copy of An Incovenient Truth to every highschool in Canada. Since February of 2007, they have raised $25,000 and donated nearly 2,000 copies of the film to schools across the country. I spoke with Will at a coffee shop near his two stores on Main street.

Mainly Organics, an organic food store on Main street, locked its doors for the hour, but its sister store on the same block, Cinephile Video, stayed open. With some parts of the store cast in almost complete darkness, employees doled out hand crank powered lanterns and flashlights to assist customers in browsing their film selection.

(more photos after the jump)

Although Vancouver has a collection program for yard trimmings, no such program exists for kitchen waste. Until we get one, we'll have to settle for composting it ourselves in our own backyard. Luckily, there are lots of useful resources available from the city to help you get started.

"Don't get me wrong," states Luscher, an admirer of EVs. "Nothing will ever replace the two-wheeled bicycle. But for people who are aging, have a physical disability, are running a heavier errand, hate bad weather, or just need to get somewhere quicker, a power-assisted bicycle can definitely compliment cycling."

Luscher organizes the The Vancouver Electric Vehicle Meetup, which invites all EV users for a monthly ride called The Kilowatt Hour. The next event is Friday, October 12th. Luscher is also the owner of a Luyuan, a brand of electric bicycle.

If you want to preview this sweet prize, listen to the songs from Today Brought Me Here. Lead singer Marcus Martin's inspiration for the auction has a lot to do with where he's from.

Drew Snider, media relations guy for Translink, wants to help you avoid a stand-up, stinky armpit situation.

"Most people going to UBC head to Broadway Station, then transfer to the 99 B-Line. Often, the 99 B-Line leaves Broadway with a full standing load, leading to 'passups' at stations along the route. Here are some alternatives:

1. Take #9 UBC instead. It runs every 12-17 minutes through the morning and afternoon rush hours and take 45 minutes or less to go from Broadway Station to the UBC Loop. By comparison, the #99 B-Line takes just over half an hour.


2. During midday, take #9 Alma and transfer to #99 B-Line or #17 UBC at 10th and Alma.


3. Get off at Nanaimo Station and take the #25 UBC. This trip takes 30-40 minutes.


4. Get off at Joyce-Collingwood Station and take the #41 UBC. These buses leave every 4-6 minutes and take 30-40 minutes (including a scenic run along SW Marine Drive).


5. Continue to Granville Station and transfer to the #4 UBC, #7 UBC and #17 UBC on Richards or walk to Seymour and Hastings, the terminus of the #44 UBC.


6. Get off at Burrard Station and transfer to the #44 UBC.


7. Take Millennium Line 'outbound' (towards VCC-Clark), get off at Brentwood Town Centre Station and transfer to the #25 UBC. This trip takes about one hour and fifteen minutes.


8. At VCC-Clark Station, take the #84 UBC. Service is once every 8 minutes in the peak AM period and takes about 30 minutes.


]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/09/bus_to_school_avoid_the_lines/ http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/09/bus_to_school_avoid_the_lines/ Environment Mon, 03 Sep 2007 23:57:41 -0800 Environment Agasel 2007-09-03T23:57:41-08:00 This is phase four or our critique of BC's preparedness and political position on climate change and its many implied events. I posit a few more critical points (and points of criticism) of our local government's "Plan" for action (the BCCCP), or the BC Climate Change Plan (an extension of the BC Energy Plan). So here goes:

I criticize this document because it is reactive (SEE note c) as opposed to preventative -- as so much of government work is and has perhaps always been. I will explain. The "Plan" comes up with expensive (100,000,000 and upwards) and ingenious other Plans (like the Drought Action Plan, the Fire Action Plan, or the Pine Beetle Management Plan -- a beautiful paper trail) which are ONLY responsive to already existing disasters. My question is why prevention was never and, frankly, is presently not even the paradigm of thought? Even the BC Health Guide everyone has at home mentions prevention at least a dozen times, why can't out government? When are all these plans going to end? Enough "planning" already, do these plans, do them NOW!

I praise (just to show that I'm not a total skeptic) this document for stating that, over the last 50 year period, natural weather-related disasters (world-wide!) increased 400%, which is an insane number (see note b). The document also rightly acknowledges that the computer-modeling of climate change confirms the past events very closely and, thus, often affirms what alarmists were saying about global warming over the last few decades: rising water levels, diminished ozone, blurring climates, and that the global atmosphere is warming.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_part_4_emergency_plans_fine_and_dandy_but_prevention_is_still_not_a_cool_paradigm/ http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_part_4_emergency_plans_fine_and_dandy_but_prevention_is_still_not_a_cool_paradigm/ Environment Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:25:54 -0800 Environment Jark 2007-08-30T08:25:54-08:00 This is part three of a review of the BCCCP, the BC Climate Change Plan (an extension of the BC Energy Plan). You may want to review the previous three articles -- starting with the Ice Cap article -- to figure out what we're talking about here.

So, to continue, here are more rants on this little piece of disinformation. My main issue with proposing that 50 percent of energy created from this point forward will be sustainable and/or green (SEE Note (a) below) is the implicit problem that percentages must necessarily follow growth, and are always relative. With a growing demand, this number is always going to be decreasing, as population and demand and production are always on the rise. So, my contention is, that 50% today is going to be an ever decreasing percentage 10 years down the road.

Second, and pardon me if I'm too blunt here, why is the state researching "forest carbon sinks" as if this was a NEW concept. I don't understand what they mean by 'research' in their report, as it is explained in extremely vague terms therein and, more importantly, is it not absolute common sense that (since the Kyoto protocol, especially) the concept of CO2 sinks has become more widely known as a form of carbon offset.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_part_3_is_a_forest_carbon_sink_really_a_new_concept_and_if_so_why/ http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_part_3_is_a_forest_carbon_sink_really_a_new_concept_and_if_so_why/ Environment Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:17:08 -0800 Environment Jark 2007-08-29T08:17:08-08:00 This is part 2 of the Previous article Titled: "Climate Crisis: What's Vancouver Up To Now in Its "Official" Climate Change Propaganda". I'm doing this series as it's important to stress that, for Canadians, as well anyone living anywhere, the Environment is first concern in a list of global issues (according to a poll done by CBC). We are also doing articles such as these to bring more 'serious' writing to BR, for our lovely lovely readers ;) On the same note then, this is an ongoing series of brief notes on not just environment in general, or global climate change in particular, but more importantly where BC and Vancouver place themselves relative to this issue. I continue to reference the BCCCP (the BC Climate Change Plan), and as we would have it on BR, it is also a necessary critique thereof.

I read on the BCCCP that "the Government of British Columbia aims to retain or improve upon the province's current emissions ranking" but the problem in that statement is that this statement doesn't quantify what "higher" means. Do we want to do a little bit better? Is that it? Or does BC want to meet requirements implied in the Kyoto Accord or in the more current and revised EU emissions goals?

What I dig, so far, is that many of our energy is derived from hydro-electric projects, and wind projects, while some others create energy from tapping into the gases emitted in our landfills. (Any of these are worth 'googling,' if you're interested). I also dig that we're investing 365 million into building the rapid skytrain route, and are putting some sparing money into hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_part_2_how_does_bc_rank_to_the_rest_of_the_world/ http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_part_2_how_does_bc_rank_to_the_rest_of_the_world/ Environment Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:23:35 -0800 Environment Jark 2007-08-28T09:23:35-08:00 This is post one, of many, on "climate change," and here it goes. We're all in our own place on climate change, so I hope this doesn't "insult" anyone, as my post here is simply to keep some new enviro-thoughts in perspective. I locate this post around one of the most central documents BC has ever published about its position on climate change, the BC Climate Change Plan (I'll call it the BCCCP, from now on). And, my thesis is, that I'm going to critique it from a few standpoints -- because I think our readers would just love to talk about this jazz. So, part 1, is as follows:

First off, have you read the the BC Climate Change plan? I ask, first off, as the latest copy is about three years old so you've had lots of time. Given what I have to say, take it with a grain of salt, or an air of out-of-datedness as, again, this rag IS about three years old (and judging by publication year, it was drafted over a few years before that)! So, again, what's it got to say about climates and their changes?

This little article tells us that BC has the "British Columbia currently has the third lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Canada"(BCCCP, 9) but it doesn't say that North America has the highest consumptions of fossil fuels in the world, given our increasing demand for cars, a demand which is growing fastest in North America than anywhere else in the world. In my opinion, and I feel I am not alone, Canada constantly risks further international embarrassment on global warming as we are failing to meet, at a minimum, the European Union's (EU) recent standards with clear targets (and don't have it backed by strong legislation).

]]> http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_whats_vancouver_up_to_now_in_its_official_climate_change_propaganda/ http://www.beyondrobson.com/archives/../environment/2007/08/climate_crisis_whats_vancouver_up_to_now_in_its_official_climate_change_propaganda/ Environment Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:30:57 -0800 Environment Jark 2007-08-27T11:30:57-08:00