1.

1. Fourteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
2. ENGO Participation in two upcoming CBD meetings in Curitiba, Brazil

2.

1. 2006 Salt of the Earth Conference

3.

1. RCEN members and Environment Canada Conference Call

4.

1. OCAA Go Clean and Green Campaign
2. Sleeping Like a Log Campaign

5.

1. Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Symposium
2. Public Forum on the Kyoto Protocol
3. World Urban Forum III

1.

Call FOR DELEGATES

i.

Fourteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development

The Department of Foreign Affairs Canada has asked the Canadian Environmental Network (RCEN) to select two delegates to attend the fourteenth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14).  This meeting is scheduled to take place from May 1-12 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The deadline to apply is today, Friday, February 10, 2006. Travel, accommodation and meal expenses will be covered as per Treasury Board guidelines.

NOTE: The RCEN will be selecting one youth delegate (between 16 and 29) and one ENGO delegate to attend this meeting.

To apply or obtain more information, read the full Call for Delegates on the RCEN website

ii.

ENGO Participation in two upcoming CBD meetings in Curitiba, Brazil

The Biodiversity Convention Office has asked the RCEN to select 1-2 ENGO representatives to attend two meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held in Curitiba, Brazil, in March 2006: the third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-MOP 3) serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, March 13-17; and the eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 8), March 20-31, 2006. The deadline to apply is today, Friday, February 10, 2006.

NOTE: Both selected representatives will attend the COP 8 meeting on March 20-31 and be part of the official Canadian Delegation. However, only one of the two selected representatives will attend the COP-MOP 3 meeting on March 13-17. Travel, accommodation and meal expenses will be covered as per Treasury Board guidelines.

To view the full Call for Delegates, click here. For more information, visit the RCEN website  or contact Sarah Heiberg, tel.: (613) 728-9810 ext. 24.

2.

CALL FOR PAPERS

i.

2006 Salt of the Earth Conference

A call for papers for the 2006 Conference ‘Salt of the Earth – Creating a Culture of Environmental Respect and Sustainability’ which is being held October 19-22, 2006 in White Point, Nova Scotia, is currently open to those interested in participating, with a submission deadline of February 15, 2006.

For more information, visit the Conference webpage. For any questions regarding the submissions, contact: Rochelle Owen, Canadian Network for Environmental Communication and Education / Interpretation Canada Committee Member,
tel.: 902-426-2578.

3.

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

i.

RCEN members and Environment Canada Conference Call

Sometime in February, RCEN members will be invited to take part in a conference call with Environment Canada regarding the Weather Service, a topic suggested at the last EC & ENGO teleconference. Specifically, the main focus on this call will be the accuracy of weather reports on the Weather Service. More information can be found on the Weather Service Office website or the Meterological Service of Canada website.

The actual date and time of the call have not yet been confirmed. However, if you wish to take part in the teleconference, please send a short message to Suzanne Boileau before today, February 10, 2006 and we will send you the necessary information as it becomes available. Please feel free to send any possible topics to discuss and indicate your preferred language for the call. If a considerable amount of Francophones wish to participate, an additional call in French will be organized. If you have any further questions please contact Suzanne Boileau or 613-728-9810 ext. 30.

4.

ACTION ALERTS

i.

OCAA Go Clean and Green Campaign

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA), joined by World Wildlife Fund Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Sierra Club of Canada, launched a public outreach campaign with radio ads and transit posters in subway stations in downtown Toronto to call on the Ontario government to embrace energy efficiency and clean renewable power as the most cost effective and reliable ways of meeting Ontario’s future electricity needs.

The provincial government is also holding a consultation in 12 cities across Ontario on less than 10 days notice, with two hours per evening in each of the cities and in four cities at a time on the 13th, 15th and 17th of February. 

To attend the meeting or to send a letter to the Premier and the Ministry of Energy, visit the Go Clean and Green campaign website. The deadline for submissions is February 12, 2006.

To read the full Action Alert, visit the RCEN website.

5.

EVENTS

i.

Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Symposium

The Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ontario Chapter's Annual Symposium Planning for Extremes - Adapting to Impacts of Soil and Water from Higher Intensity Rains with Climate Change will take place on February 24, 2006 in Burlington, Ontario at the Burlington Art Gallery, 1333 Lakeshore Road. For more information or to register, contact Marsha Paley, President, or visit the SWCS website

ii.

Public Forum on the Kyoto Protocol

February 16th is the one year anniversary of the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol as a binding international agreement. To mark this occasion, the University of Toronto is organizing a public forum in Toronto on February 16th, with a distinguished panel to discuss Canada’s response to climate change in light of December’s Montreal Climate Change Conference and recent federal elections. The main issue to be discussed is: where does Canada stand one year after the Kyoto Protocol has come into force?

To register over the internet or obtain additional information, visit the University of Toronto website

iii.

World Urban Forum III

From 19-23 June 2006, Canada will host the third UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum (WUF3), in Vancouver. The 2006 World Urban Forum (WUF) will be an opportunity to discuss international cooperation in urban development and sustainable urbanization, and to start the development of models that can be used to address urbanization issues in cities around the world.
Registrations are now open and the registration period may end soon. To participate in WUFIII, you will need to register on-line at this link. There is no registration fee.
For more information go to the WUF3 website.