1.

Calls For Delegates

1. Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests
2. Third Conference of the Parties on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants  

2.

ACTION ALERTS

1. For Sign-On: Executive Summary of the RCEN Green Paper and RCEN Analysis and Action Paper on Agriculture and the Environment
2. Send a Letter to Protect the Boreal Forest  

3.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. New Earth Day Website   

4.

RESOURCES

1. New Pollution Watch Fact Sheet and Overview of National Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2. New Film on Urban Sprawl & Sustainable Development 

5.

CALLS FOR INPUT / COMMENTS / NOMINATIONS / PARTICIPATION

1. Call for Participation : ENGO Feedback Session on Batch 1 of the Chemicals Management Plan Challenge   

6.

Events

1. There is no event listing this week.

7.

Employment

1. National Caucus Coordinator, RCEN
2. Executive Director, RCEN

1.

Calls For Delegates

i.

Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests

The Canadian Environmental Network (RCEN) has been invited to nominate one (1) ENGO representative for the official Canadian Delegation to the Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF7) to be held in New York, New York from 16-27 April 2007. Natural Resources Canada will cover the delegate’s costs related to travel, accommodations, meals and incidentals as per Treasury Board Guidelines. More information and documents are now available on the UNFF web page. The deadline to apply is TODAY, March 23, 2007. If you are interested in participating, visit the RCEN website.
For more information, contact Sarah Heiberg, National Caucus Coordinator, telephone: (613) 728-9810 ext. 224.

ii.

Third Conference of the Parties on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (COP-3)

The RCEN has been invited to nominate one (1) ENGO representative for the official Canadian Delegation to the third Conference of the Parties on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (COP-3) to be held in Dakar, Senegal from April 30 – May 4, 2007. (Please note that approval of the Canadian delegation membership is made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.) Environment Canada will cover the delegate’s costs related to travel, accommodations, meals and incidentals as per Treasury Board Guidelines. The deadline to apply is March 30, 2007. If you are interested in participating, visit the RCEN website.
For more information, contact Leela Ramachandran, National Caucus Coordinator, telephone: (613) 728-9810 ext. 223.

2.

Action Alerts

i.

For Sign-On: Executive Summary of the RCEN Green Paper and RCEN Analysis and Action Paper on Agriculture and the Environment

A one-page Executive Summary of the RCEN Green Paper on Agriculture and the Environment is now available on the RCEN website for ENGO sign-on. Please note that the “Agriculture and the Environment: Analysis and Action” position paper is also still available on the RCEN website for ENGO sign-on. The deadline for signatures for both the Analysis and Action position paper and Executive Summary is March 27, 2007. Both the Analysis and Action position paper and the Green Paper, including the Executive Summary, will be submitted to Ag Canada as part of the ongoing consultations on the new Ag policy framework. ENGOs are encouraged to sign on, by sending an e-mail including your name, organization name, and name(s) of the document(s) you wish to sign onto, to Leela Ramachandran, RCEN Agriculture Caucus Coordinator.
For more information, visit the RCEN website.

ii.

Send a Letter to Protect the Boreal Forest

Nature Canada is inviting ENGOs to tell Canadian officials to protect the Boreal Forest and more than 300 of North America’s bird species which breed there. According to Nature Canada, several pipeline projects are planned for the Canadian Boreal region and are threatening the Boreal Forest with mining, clear-cutting, and runaway development. ENGOs interested in sending a letter today urging government officials to take action before any pipeline is built can do so by visiting the Nature Canada website.

3.

Announcements

i.

New Earth Day Website

Jour de la Terre Québec has launched its new revamped website. Users will find many new tools to take action, including an Events Calendar for the next Earth Day that will be celebrated on April, 22, 2007. Today, over 500 million people in 184 countries take action each year as part of Earth Day celebrations.
For further information, visit the Jour de la Terre Québec’s website in French or the Earth Day Canada website in English, send an email or phone (514) 728-0116 / 1-800-424-8758.

4.

Resources

i.

New Pollution Watch Fact Sheet and Overview of National Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association have released a national pollution and greenhouse gas emissions overview that shows companies across Canada emitted more than 4 billion kilograms of air pollution in 2005 and 279 million tonnes CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases in 2005. The national overview was created using the PollutionWatch website, which is now updated with the 2005 data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Program. Visitors to the PollutionWatch website can access “quick lists” of the facilities reporting the largest releases and transfers of pollutants and greenhouse gases in the country. For more information, contact Fe de Leon, CELA, (416) 960-2284 ext. 223; Jennifer Foulds, Environmental Defence, (416) 323-9521 ext. 232.

ii.

New Film on Urban Sprawl & Sustainable Development

Hello Cool World will release a new Canadian film about urban sprawl & sustainable development, Radiant City, opening in theatres on March 30, 2007. Benefit screenings will take place in Toronto for Environmental Defence & for Sierra Club Chinook in Calgary, with further details available on the Hello Cool World campaign webpage. For more information, contact Sandy Haksi, telephone: (604) 251-5567 ext. 228.

5.

Calls for Input / Comments / Nominations / Participation

i.

Call for Participation : ENGO Feedback Session on Batch 1 of the Chemicals Management Plan Challenge

On February 3, batch 1 of the Challenge substances under the Chemicals Management Plan was released. At that time, the Government issued mandatory Section 71 survey notices under CEPA 1999, and requested information via a Questionnaire. The Government also published substance profiles for each of the 15 batch 1 substances, and planning for batches 2 and 3 is now underway. At this time, the Government is seeking feedback on the surveys, questionnaires, and profiles for past and future batches; ENGOs are invited to attend a NGO feedback session in person or via teleconference on March 28 from 9-12am in Ottawa. It will also be possible to dial in by teleconference. If you are interested in participating in person or by teleconference, RSVP directly to Miriam Padolsky, Health Canada, and copy Leela Ramachandran, RCEN.

6.

Events

i.

There is no event listing this week.

7.

Employment

i.

National Caucus Coordinator, RCEN

The RCEN is currently seeking a National Caucus Coordinator. Part of a team, the National Caucus Coordinator, reporting to the Executive Director, is responsible for facilitating specific national caucuses, implementing and coordinating delegate selections, negotiating and implementing contracts, and ensuring an effective role for RCEN in consultative processes between the federal government and environmental groups. Excellent writing and verbal skills in both English and French are mandatory. Also required are excellent organization skills, ability to manage time and multiple projects, experience with fundraising and contracts negotiation, ability to work cooperatively in a team environment, independantly and under pressure, and a strong affinity with the organization’s mission and activities. The position is unionized and full-time, for a one-year term, and based in Ottawa. The deadline to apply is April 2, 2007.
For more information, visit the RCEN website.

ii.

Executive Director, RCEN

The RCEN is seeking a dynamic and proven executive with seasoned leadership skills to fill the position of Executive Director. If you are passionate about the environment and thrive in a lively and fast-paced workplace, this is an opportunity to champion the cause in Ottawa. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will assist and facilitate RCEN members and Regional Affiliates in achieving their goals both individually and collectively within their own communities, nationally and internationally. The successful candidate will have a proven record as a strategic thinker and manager, and an ability to work cooperatively and lead a dedicated and hardworking team in a small, dynamic organization. S/he will have a solid command of English and French. The deadline to apply is April 9, 2007.
To read the full job description visit the RCEN website.