1.

Calls For Delegates

1. There are no Calls for Delegates this week. 

2.

ACTION ALERTS

1. Sign-on Joint RCEN CEPA House of Commons Submission
2. Send Recommendations on CEPA to the House of Commons and Senate Environment Committees
3. Send Comments to Support New Endangered Species Legislation in Ontario  

3.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Invitation to Join DFO Conference Call on Bill C-45
2. Invitation to Environment Canada Courts Awards Project   

4.

RESOURCES

1. ENGO Report on PCB Now Available

5.

CALLS FOR INPUT / COMMENTS / NOMINATIONS / PARTICIPATION

1. Call for comments: RCEN EPA Caucus Seeking Input from Members Looking for EA Legal Challenges
2. Call for Interest: ENGO Participation at Barenaked Ladies Concert
3. Call for Witnesses: Senate Environment Committee Witnesses Needed   

6.

Events

1. Two-Day CSD-15 Grassroots Academy: Working to Ensure Effective Participation and Amplified Voices of Grassroots Women in International Policy
2. Environment Canada Information Seminar on Funding Opportunities for Environmental Innovation

7.

Employment

1. There are no job postings this week.

1.

Calls For Delegates

i.

There are no Calls for Delegates this week.

2.

Action Alerts

i.

Sign-on Joint RCEN CEPA House of Commons Submission

The RCEN members on the CEPA Committee have prepared and submitted a joint Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) House of Commons submission on December 20, 2006. The submission reinforces the NGO priorities that have been identified; highlights areas that have been covered and to what extent; and identifies gaps and topics that should have and have not been touched in the Parliamentary Review. This document will be re-submitted to the House of Commons with additional sign-ons.  There is therefore an opportunity to add the name of your organization to the list of signatories, if you have not already done so. We are looking for signatories by January 22, 2007 at 5:00 pm EST. Review the document and add your signature by sending the name of your organization to: kiriaki@cen-rce.org.

ii.

Send Recommendations on CEPA to the House of Commons and Senate Environment Committees

The Parliamentary Review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) is wrapping up. Please send your House of Commons submissions with comments on CEPA by early February 2007.  House of Commons submissions should be sent to the House of Commons Committee Clerk, Eugene Morawski at ENVI@parl.gc.ca. Please send your Senate submissions by the end of February as the Committee must present its report no later than March 31, 2007. Senate submissions should be sent to the Committee Clerk, Keli Hogan at eenr-eern@sen.parl.gc.ca. Please copy your submissions and letters to Kiriaki Cocolakis, CEPA Coordinator for the Canadian Environmental Network. To view ENGO Parliamentary Committee submissions, visit the RCEN website. For more information contact Kiriaki Cocolakis, tel.: (613) 728-9810 ext. 236.

iii.

Send Comments to Support New Endangered Species Legislation in Ontario

ENGOs are invited to support strong new endangered species legislation in Ontario by sending comments on the latest government. The province is planning to implement the recommendations of the Endangered Species Act Review Advisory Panel. The public is invited to provide comments on the Panel’s approach by January 22, 2007. Recommendations deal with such issues as: scientific listing, incentives for stewardship, habitat protection, species recovery and financing. Send comments to: Re: Ontario’s New ESA (EBR Registry Number: AB06E6001) Debbie Ramsay, Manager, Species at Risk Legislative Review, fax: (705) 755-1788. Note: Be sure to include the EBR registry number. To send a free fax, visit the Environmental Defence website.

3.

Announcements

i

Invitation to Join DFO Conference Call on Bill C-45

DFO has invited RCEN members to take part in a conference call for a Technical Briefing on Bill C-45 on Thursday January 25, 2007. When contacting Leela Ramachandran, RCEN Caucus Coordinator, at leela@cen-rce.org to sign on for the call and receive call-in details, please ensure your organization is an RCEN member in good standing. If you are interested, please reply as soon as possible so we can confirm the number of lines with DFO. For more information, please contact Leela Ramachandran at (613) 728-9810 ext. 225.

ii

Invitation to Environment Canada Courts Awards Project

Environment Canada - Ontario is developing a pilot project entitled the Environment Canada Courts Awards Project (ECCAP) to seek new ways to effectively and efficiently re-distribute court awarded penalties from companies that have committed an environmental violation to those that are committed to protecting the environment. ECCAP is inviting RCEN members to participate in this pilot project because of their commitment to the environment. By agreeing to participate, ENGOs may be eligible for court awarded funds if a violation of the CEPA 1999 or the Fisheries Act occurs in your community. Read the full invitation on the RCEN website and fill out the questionnaire by February 1, 2007 and send it back either by email, fax: (416) 739-4405, or mail to: Environment Canada, Ontario Region, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T4, Attn: Bradley May.

4.

Resources

i.

ENGO Report on PCB Now Available

The ENGO Report on recommendations for updating the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) regulatory framework under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 is now available on the Canadian Environmental Network website. The report was written by Maureen Carter-Whitney, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, John Jackson, Citizens’ Network on Waste Management, and Bruno Marcocchio, Sierra Club of Canada, and endorsed by 19 other NGOs. The report is available in English and French. According to the report, the regulation should meet the following principles: PCB waste must be destroyed; There must be no harmful emissions as a result of the process, and; The residues of the process must all be contained and confined. The report further states that these proposals fall significantly short of several principles.
For more information, contact Leela Ramachandran, National Caucus Coordinator, tel.: (613) 728-9810 ext. 225.

ii.

New Online Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change

Netgains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change, by Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor, is about building networks in the nonprofit sector and works to fill a niche in the growing literature about using networks to gain social and commercial outcomes. It is filled with practical "how to" advice, based on real examples, while also translating theories about networks into useful information. The authors are interested in continuing to build useful knowledge about network building – and want a dynamic document that will change and improve as more and more people offer their ideas, critique, and suggestions. You can download this handbook for free after providing a little contact information on the Innovation Network for Communities website.

5.

Calls for Input / Comments / Nominations / Participation

i.

Call for comments: EPA Caucus Seeking Input from Members Looking for EA Legal Challenges

Is there a new development near you that might cause significant adverse environmental effects? Are you involved in an EA legal challenge? Do you need some advice from the Canadian Environmental Network’s Environmental Planning and Assessment (EPA) Caucus? If so, then the Strategic Legal Actions Committee wants to hear from you! One of the purposes of this Caucus committee is to provide advice to groups interested in taking EA-related legal actions. Requests for advice would be shared among the members of the committee. The EPA Caucus would also be interested in circulating news of upcoming projects that are in the very early phases of development. With the amended purpose and new duty of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, as proclaimed on October 30, 2003, there may be some strategic opportunities to push RAs to be more proactive. Please contact Martha Kostuch or Jannis Klein for more information.

ii.

Call for Interest: ENGO Participation at Barenaked Ladies Concert

Barenaked Ladies are launching a new and expanded greening effort which they're calling "Barenaked Planet." An American NGO is coordinating this effort for them this winter which includes, powering all of their buses and trucks with biodiesel, doing wind energy offset for all shows and offering fans the opportunity to offset their own drives to and from the show. They will also be helping the band to recycle backstage, have some select organic merchandise, use eco-friendly printed materials, and have an "eco-village" present where local and nationally-based non-profits can set up a table and reach out the thousands of fans that will be present to get the fans involved and activated. If your ENGO is interested in setting up a table at a Barenaked Ladies Concert, visit the BLN website to view the the list of Canadian cities and dates and contact Leela Ramachandran ASAP at (613) 728-9810 ext 223.

iii.

Call for Witnesses: Senate Environment Committee Witnesses Needed

The Senate environment committee will be resuming its Review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) in February. The committee will discuss perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) as it relates to CEPA. If you are involved with this issue and are interested in presenting, please contact Kiriaki Cocolakis, RCEN CEPA Coordinator, tel.: (613) 728-9810 ext. 236.

6.

Events

i.

Two-Day CSD-15 Grassroots Academy: Working to Ensure Effective Participation and Amplified Voices of Grassroots Women in International Policy

Individuals representing a grassroots women’s organization working to improve communities and the environment are invited to register to the two-day CSD-15 Grassroots Academy immediately preceding the 2007 UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) on 26 April - 27 April, 2007 in New York City, USA. The Academy is a formal space where grassroots women leaders from around the world teach and learn from our peers and dialogue with partners to increase our impact at the 15th Commission on Sustainable Development and beyond. The deadline to register is March 1, 2007. For more information, visit the conference webpage.

ii.

Environment Canada Information Seminar on Funding Opportunities for Environmental Innovation

ENGOs are invited to register to Environment Canada’s Information Seminar on Funding Opportunities for Environmental Innovation, on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario. The program for the day will include an update on Federal Government funding programs for environmental innovation, a comprehensive overview of the Government of Ontario's new strategy to support environmental innovation, Environment Canada demonstrating how to access and navigate through a new website that provides important information on a broad range of government funding programs targeting environmental technology innovation, and an opportunity for informal networking with presenters, other government resource people, and to share insights and experiences with other participants. Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee of $80.  An electronic registration form is attached. To register, or to obtain additional information, contact Ellen Greenwood, tel.: (416) 322-7174.

7.

Employment

i.

There are no job postings this week.