Everyone can make a difference! Get involved and help with environmental campaigns and events in your local community or even internationally. Encourage your friends and family to do the same. The louder the voice and the more voices heard, the greater chance there is to make a change. Here are some upcoming events in your local area and some major events from around the world. Tue May 1 to Sat Jun 2, 2012 Ottawa, ON Bike to Work Month Ottawa Want to enjoy a healthier, stress-free commute, increase your productivity at work and happiness at home AND save money with no parking fees? Kick off the spring season by biking to work for fun, fitness and financial freedom. Whether you are a seasoned rider or a bona fide newbie, Bike to Work Month is the perfect opportunity to give cycling a try. Pledge and win fabulous prizes just for demonstrating your commitment to cycling in May. http://biketoworkottawa.com Wed May 2, 2012 Toronto, ON Film Screening: Clean Bin Project Partners Jen and Grant go head-to-head in a battle to see who can swear off consumerism and produce the least amount of garbage in a year. Their light-hearted competition is set against a darker examination of waste in North American society, and the duo struggles to find meaning in their minuscule influence on the large-scale impacts of our “throw-away society.” Filmmakers Jen & Grant will join via Skype for post-screening Q&A. http://www.planetinfocus.org Fri May 4, 2012 Guelph, ON The Wonderful World of Spring Wildflowers In addition to learning how to identify springtime flora this workshop will go "beyond the field guide" to explore interesting aspects of the plants' natural history, ecology, lore, and uses. Following a brief classroom session, time will be spent exploring the Arboretum's trails with hands-on exercises and stimulating discussions. By the end of the day you will have learned more about spring wildflowers than you ever imagined. http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/educationandevents/workshops.shtml Sat May 5, 2012 Woodbridge, ON Consumer's Guide to Buying a Solar System Are you solar smart? The new Ontario micro-fit solar incentive program pays homeowners up to 80 cents a kilowatt, eight times more than you purchase electricity for. Creating a sudden boom for the solar industry, all of a sudden homeowners are being bombarded with sales people promising to make them money off solar. This half day workshop will teach you what questions to ask. http://www.kortright.org Sat May 5 to Sun May 6, 2012 Cities across Canada & worldwide Jane’s Walk Jane’s Walk is a celebration of people and cities held around the world on the first weekend of May. Through the simple act of walking together and discussing what makes a neighbourhood, Jane’s Walk helps knit people together into strong and resourceful communities. Created in 2007 in Toronto by friends of the urban thinker Jane Jacobs, the annual series of free, volunteer-led urban walks has grown from 27 to over 500 walks, from Calgary to Canberra and Sao Paulo to Saskatoon. http://www.janeswalk.net Sat May 5, 2012 North Bay, ON Eco-car Wash! Greening Nipissing and LiquidTech are partnering to bring you a unique experience – a 100% eco-friendly car wash experience. They’ll make your car shine with a unique, plant based, bio-degradable formula that is designed to lift dirt and grime leaving a sparkling, scratch free finish. PLUS, the spray-on method eliminates untreated wastewater and can save up to 50 gallons of water per wash. www.greeningnipissing.org Sat May 5, 2012 Toronto/Scarborough, ON Climate Impacts Day - Connect the Dots Concerned citizens and representatives from eco organizations are meeting to talk about and make the connections between fossil fuels and climate change. Originated by Bill McKibben of Keystone Pipeline, the goal of Connect the Dots is to rally citizens all over the world on the most important issue of our lives – survival. A representative from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority will illuminate the effects of warmer weather on the animals and plants in our watershed. And the Scarborough Transit Action group will link the importance of transit in reducing fossil fuel consumption. To attend, contact Laurel Thomson Tue May 8, 2012 Toronto, ON Climate Change Education: Are We Making Progress? Is climate change education in schools addressed adequately? Are the government, the business community and the media addressing climate change education for all Ontarians? Are Ontarians' attitudes and behaviours reflecting an adequate or an improving understanding of climate change? If not, what needs to change? Panellists include: Richard Christie, Sustainability Office, TDSB Franz Hartmann, Toronto Environmental Alliance Dick Holland, Green Learning, OISE Catherine Mahler, Education Officer for EE, Min. of Ed. Phil McNeely, MPP for Ottawa-Orléans Moderator: Hilary Inwood, OISE Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Where: OISE Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Lounge, 12th floor RSVP to: mailto:admin@eeon.org Wed May 9, 2012 Saskatoon, SK Sustainable Success Stories: Western Canada and Beyond Join Ewen Coxworth as he shares the stories of large corporations that have invested extensively in retrofitting their existing facilities and building new facilities to be energy and water efficient. He will discuss how these companies are reaping the economic benefits of their policies while doing their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.environmentalsociety.ca Thu May 10, 2012 Ottawa, ON Green Drinks Ottawa Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks. Come and join a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network. These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. http://www.greendrinks.org/ON/Ottawa Fri May 11 to Sun May 13, 2012 Vancouver, BC EPIC - The Sustainable Living Expo Discover how exciting and innovative the sustainable consumer world can be, from disposable bowls and plates made from pressed palm leaves to handbags made from recycled seat belts. Enjoy locally made organic beers and wines, enjoy fair trade coffee and chocolate, admire stunning eco-friendly fashions and local west coast art or test drive a hybrid car. http://epicexpo.com Sat May 12, 2012 Markham, ON Native Plant Sale The North American Native Plant Society is holding its annual sale of wildflowers, ferns, grasses and sedges, as well as trees and shrubs, for every garden. Experts will be on hand to help you find the perfect plants for your garden. All plants come from ethical growers. http://www.nanps.org Sat May 12, 2012 Picton (Prince Edward County), ON GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth The County Sustainability Group invites you to view a powerful 90 minute documentary exposing how we have been conditioned to believe that pursuit of everlasting growth is not only good but essential to our future wellbeing. GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth combines serious material with humour to show that the opposite is true. This documentary flips our world upside down to see what makes it tick, as it explores the most critical question of our time: How do we become a sustainable civilization? http://countysustainability.ca Sun May 13 to Sat May 19, 2012 Montreal, QC Degrowth in the Americas - International Conference Montreal will host academics, activists, artists, environmentalists and indigenous peoples for the International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas. Degrowth challenges traditional economic paradigms that fail to account for environmental and social costs and are obsessively driven by GDP and other flawed measures of well-being. Sustaining our future means rethinking the relationship of economic growth to human well-being and environmental integrity. The International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas meets this May in Montreal to explore the possibilities of a post-growth world. http://montreal.degrowth.org Thu May 17, 2012 Oakville, ON Film Screening: Good Food, Bad Food Filmmaker Coline Serreau invites us to discover new farming systems, repair the damage and offer improved health by ensuring sustainable and secure food. Camera in hand, Coline Serreau traveled the world for nearly three years to meet women and men in the field, thinkers and economists who are experimenting locally with successful solutions to heal the wounds of a land that has been abused for too long. www.tribute.ca/movies/good-food-bad-food/25640/ Sat May 19 to Sun May 20, 2012 Montreal, QC Project ECOSPHERE Environmental and Green Building Fair Project ECOSPHERE, Quebec’s most important environmental event, expects over 200 exhibitors and will present 30 conferences. You’re invited to discover the current businesses and organisations that work in a variety of sectors such as green architecture, new technologies, clean energy, ecological agriculture, nature conservation, sustainable transportation, fashion and design as well as alternative medicine. Famous astrophysicist, Hubert Reeves, and world-renowned environmentalist David Suzuki will be in attendance as guest speakers. http://projetecosphere.org/?lang=en Sun May 27, 2012 Burnaby, BC Remove Policeman’s Helmet at Deer Lake in Burnaby Come rain or shine and help to conserve, enhance and protect Deer Lake in Burnaby. The main activity will be removing invasive plants. Gloves, tools and refreshments will be provided. http://www.meetup.com/The-Lower-Mainland-Green-Team/events/44748592/ Mon May 28, 2012 Toronto, ON Toronto ecoHousing Community Information Session Want to own a home in a green community? The Toronto ecoHousing Community is planning a 20 to 30 unit community, and are looking for additional members. Come and attend an information session to learn: Info on cohousing (as opposed to a co-op or a condo); Details on the group's members and history; The vision, to do list, and time line. http://torontoecohousingcommunity.ca Wed May 30 to Sun Jun 3, 2012 Ottawa, ON The Man Who Planted Trees The Ottawa International Children’s Festival presents The Man Who Planted Trees by Scotland’s Puppet State Theatre (for ages 7 and up). Come and enjoy a unique blend of comedy, puppetry and inspiring storytelling that shows the difference one person can make in the world. The festival site will also include environmental workshops for kids including seed planting, beekeeping, bicycle safety and more. Show times are as follows: Wednesday, May 30th: 9am and 11am Thursday, May 31st: 1:15pm Friday, June 1st: 9am and 11am Saturday, June 2nd: 2pm and 4pm Sunday, June 3rd: 9am and 11 am http://ottawachildrensfestival.ca/ Conservation Tip Control the intensity on lights in your home by installing dimmer switches. Dimming a light by 25% uses 10% less energy. > join live clean   Sign up and receive coupons, e-blasts and the latest information about new things from Live Clean. Join now. > how to live clean   Live Clean is your daily routine. Take these steps to make eco-concious choices in your daily life. Learn more. > earth news   Find out how the world is getting greener. News from around the globe about the major issues facing our planet. View latest news. > green events   Find local eco-events in your area and find out what others around the world are doing. View events.