Dear friends,
The environmental movement is all about impact. Whether we adopt simple lifestyle tips and actions or take part in community Earth Day events to learn more about how we can live more responsibly, the end result is a big impact in support of a healthier environment.
This issue of Earth Tones highlights how you can make a big impact this spring. Our new Save Trees, Not Paper initiative will help your filing system go paperless — perfect for tax time. And, we’ve hooked up with an import company called Beachbums to offer Canadians handmade carbon-neutral furniture constructed from teak boats destroyed in the 2004 Indonesian tsunami.
And of course, this spring marks the 19th Anniversary of Earth Day in Canada. This day put the environmental movement on the map and continues to be the most celebrated environmental event worldwide. Now that’s impact!
Jed
Save the date
Earth Day is nearly here! Be sure to take part in a local celebration in your community (start your own by signing up as an Earth Day Accredited Coordinator or link up with another event already happening). Join over one billion people in over 180 countries and celebrate what you can do to lessen your impact on the environment.
Go paperless
Earth Day Canada is pleased to launch, in partnership with Org-Matters Solutions Inc., the SAVE TREES, NOT PAPER™ program. This program helps Canadians go paperless when filing invoices, tax return forms and even hard copy receipts.
This easy-to-use software solution was developed by Org-Matters Solutions Inc., producers of the popular organizational and e-filing software Electronic Filing Cabinet for Dummies. Together, we want to give Canadians special access to the software to help promote a paperless world.
Earth Day Canada will make the software available to Canadians at special discounted prices at earthday.ca. Corporations and organizations can also order pre-authorized coupons as giveaways to clients.
Tsunami of carbon-neutral furniture
Carbon-neutral, handmade furniture, constructed from reclaimed teak boats destroyed in the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, has come ashore in Vancouver and Beachbums Import Co. and Earth Day Canada have partnered to keep it carbon-neutral by creating a consumer-driven carbon offset program.
Canadians that wish to purchase the furniture must commit to offsetting the carbon debt of transportation through Earth Day Canada’s EcoAction Teams program before orders are shipped to any destination beyond 50km of the Vancouver Port of Entry.
“We have gone to great lengths to reduce our carbon debt and will not compromise the integrity of our environmental standards just to make a sale,” says Maury Mason, Director of Environment and Communications at Beachbums Import Inc. “This furniture represents the resourcefulness and artistry of people struggling to recover from a devastating tragedy. This offset program honours these hardworking people, the integrity of their work and the environment.”
To order your handmade carbon-neutral furniture, salvaged from the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, contact Beachbums Import Co. at 604.767.3571 or visit www.beachbumswebsite.com
The green showstopper
The coolest environmental event this summer will be the 6th Annual Earth Day Canada Gala. The EDC signature event takes over Toronto’s cultural landmark, the Drake Hotel, on June 10th.
Michael Stadtländer, one of the world’s most accomplished chefs, is back to oversee the strolling menu and multiple food stations. Mark McKinney, Executive Producer of CityTv’s Less Than Kind, will work behind the scenes as Gala Producer. And Seán Cullen, star of the successful production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, is ready to shine as Master of Ceremonies.
Our very special guest, Maude Barlow, the first Senior Advisor on Water Issues to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, will be honoured along with Canada’s 2009 Hometown Hero.
Add June 10th to your social calendars. Purchase your tickets and support Earth Day Canada. It will be an event you don’t want to miss!
Alternatives Journal gets heroic
Canada’s national environmental magazine, Alternatives Journal, is spreading the good word about Earth Day Canada’s 2009 Hometown Heroes Award Program as an official media sponsor. The program recognizes and celebrates environmental leaders who foster meaningful, long–term awareness and action in communities across Canada.
“The real heroes are the leaders who engage people in their own communities to stand up and make a difference,” says Nicola Ross, Executive Editor of Alternatives Journal. “And Alternatives Journal wants to recognize those efforts everywhere by supporting the Hometown Heroes Award Program.”
The winner of the 2009 Hometown Heroes Award receives $10 000 — $5 000 to keep and $5 000 to donate to the environmental cause of their choice.
Nominate yourself, an individual or group as your Hometown Hero at earthday.ca or pick up the latest issue of Alternatives, “Biofuelling the Future” (on newsstands February 27) for more information. Applications are due by April 22, 2009.
Panasonic unveils Green Plan 2010
Panasonic Canada takes the issues facing the earth’s environment very seriously. That’s why they created the Green Plan 2010 to realize their vision of “coexistence with the global environment”. The plan aims to make innovative green products that are easily recyclable, and to reduce waste and greenhouse emissions.
To complement the Green Plan, Panasonic has supported further environmental awareness and action by sponsoring the EcoAction Teams program. Since 2004 they have helped Earth Day Canada provide Canadians with a successful results-oriented program that provides individuals, households and groups with sound conservation choices in their daily lives.
