Here’s some positive news to consider with your morning coffee:
- Canadian Forest Industry and Environmental Groups sign World’s Largest Conservation Agreement Applying to an Area Twice the Size of Germany:
In what Greenpeace Canada calls the best chance to save woodland caribou and permanently protect vast areas of the Boreal Forest as well as put responsible forestry practises in to place, a collaborative effort between nine leading environmental organizations and 21 members of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has resulted in a ground breaking agreement. According to a news release:
The Agreement identifies explicit commitments for both sides and sets out a plan, which includes:
- The development and implementation of world-leading forest management and harvesting practices;
- The completion of joint proposals for networks of protected areas and the recovery of species at risk including woodland caribou;
- A full life cycle approach to forest carbon management; and
- Support for the economic future of forest communities and for the recognition of conservation achievements in the global marketplace.
The next stage in this process is to meet with provincial governments, First Nations and local communities across the country to seek their leadership and participation in the historic agreement. First Nations communities in particular have an important voice in this matter, as the Boreal forest is the traditional territory for many of them. There needs to be recognition and respect for their constitutionally protected aboriginal and treaty rights for this agreement to work.
Click here to read the full press release.
- Wondering about whether or not you should become engaged on the issue of climate change? If you do, chances are it will pay off in ways that you don’t expect, according to a German study. The researchers found that people engaged in political activism are more likely to live happier and more fulfilling lives than the average person.
“There is something about activism itself that is beneficial for well-being,” says Tim Kasser, a psychology professor at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., and co-author of a research paper based on studies of college students. “We found that activists were feeling more autonomy and more personal growth. They also felt they had better relationships, more purpose in life, and they liked themselves better.”
To read the full story, click here to go the Globe & Mail article.
And if that doesn’t inspire you to get politically active, this will! On April 30, the biggest protest march ever to take place in New Zealand happened. Between 40,000 – 50,000 people came out to protest their government’s plans to expand mining in protected areas. Check it out:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV0avCpCVfs]
It’s never too late to reap the benefits of political activism. To contact Canadian Senators about Bill C311, the Climate Accountability Act making its way through the Senate Chamber shortly, click here.
To find out more about what 350.org is planning for action on climate change in 2010, click here.