The newest movement in sustainable living
June 2010
Film Review: In Transition 1.0
By Jennifer Dooley
In Transition 1.0 – From Oil Dependence to Local Resilience, is the first film ever released about the newest movement in sustainable living: the Transition movement. It’s a film worth watching – it’s hopeful and powerful, showing us a practical vision for creating a post-consumer society where ordinary people make a difference.
The Transition movement, inherently powerful by its very own name, is about transitioning into a more sustainable way of life. It’s about taking small steps towards environmentally friendly choices: switching to energy efficient light bulbs, recycling, turning down the thermostat, composting, using re-usable grocery
bags, or taking the bus more often. The movement has a place for
everyone and now entire communities are joining the effort.
REAP Business Workshop:
Renewable energy options for small business
February 2010
| February 23, 2010 | ||
| 5:00 pm | to | 6:30 pm |
Calgary Area Outdoor Council (1111 Memorial Drive NW – upstairs)
If you’re an owner or operator of a small or medium sized business, and you’re looking for options for greener power, you don’t want to miss this event. Theresa Howland (VP Western Region for Bullfrog Power), David Kelly (President of Sedmek Inc) and Koen van der Maaten (Co-Founder and CFO of Thermal Creek Ltd.) will present wind, solar, and geothermal solutions respectively for small and medium sized businesses. Refreshments and networking will follow. RSVP to stephanie@reapcalgary.com.
Please note that the parking lot on the west side of the building, which has signs indicating it is closed for construction contractors, is actually open. There are 16 spots available for our use and we do not have to purchase a ticket from the machine. If the lot is full, parking is also available across the street.
About the presenters:
Theresa Howland
Vice President Western Region, Bullfrog Power
Theresa Howland is responsible for leading Bullfrog Power’s operations in Western Canada. Before that she oversaw business development activities for Vision Quest Windelectric, which is an independently operated division of TransAlta. She has also served as both Director and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Wind Energy Association. And has been recognized as one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 by Calgary Inc. Magazine.
David Kelly
President, Sedmek Inc.
David Kelly has been a regular speaker at the Ecoliving Fair and a guest lecturer at Mount Royal College’s sustainable design program and the University of Calgary’s Engineering programs. His credentials include a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and professional accreditation through APEGGA. Married and a father of two, Dave’s home is partially powered by 2000W of grid-tied solar power and uses solar thermal water heating.
Koen van der Maaten
Chief Financial Officer, Thermal Creek Ltd.
Koen van der Maaten is responsible for business and technical development at Thermal Creek with a particular focus on developing financial benefit analysis for renewable technologies. Before founding Thermal Creek, Koen was a consultant for Accenture BV in Amsterdam where he worked with many Dutch multinational corporations in a range of industries including utilities and transportation. He has an MBA from Oxford University and was a member of the winning team for the Oxford University Business School new business development project. He also has Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
The Business of Food
January 2010
Film Review: Food, Inc.
By Chandra McDonald
Food, Inc., by filmmaker Robert Kenner, is a film that should be on every conscious consumer’s must-watch list. In a society where many people think that milk originates in the grocery store, Kenner reveals what’s behind the curtain between the consumer and the producer, showing us the truth about where our food comes from.
With the possible exception of water, nothing is more basic or more universal than the need for food. So, have you ever wondered why it’s cheaper to buy junk food – which is processed and packaged and shipped thousands of miles – than it is to buy fresh vegetables and fruit that are wholesome
and natural? Kenner provides a detailed answer.
Waste Not Want Not
February 2009
Film Review: Garbage Warrior
By Stephanie Jackman
I first heard about Michael Reynolds and his Earthships in Chris Turner’s book The Geography of Hope. I was fascinated by the concept of houses made from garbage and curious to see what they looked like. Now I know. They’re beautiful.
Garbage Warrior is a documentary about these unusual houses and the man who designs and builds them. Thermal mass holds temperature, so Reynolds constructs dwellings out of dirt filled tires, used beer cans and empty water bottles. The results are astonishing.
Overcoming the Holiday Madness
November 2008
Film Review: What Would Jesus Buy?
By Craig Copeland
The title – What Would Jesus Buy? – is arresting. The producer, Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), was nominated for an Academy Award. The film’s message is urgent: consumerism is killing us and our planet. The star of the documentary – Reverend Billy, who leads the Church of Stop Shopping – is comical.
I watched it. I nodded. I smiled. I even laughed. And I soon realized I was wasting my time.
Any of the short video clips posted on You Tube quickly convey Billy’s schtick. He’s a performance artist channelling the archetypal, glitzy, pompous, evangelical Christian preacher.
Hit the Road, Jack, and Don’t You Come Back No More
June 2008
Film Review: Refugees of the Blue Planet
The population of Sana’a, capitol of Yemen, has doubled every six years since 1972. It’s now home to nearly a million people. Yet the aquifer on which the city depends is falling by six meters annually and will likely be exhausted by 2010. What will the citizens of Sana’a do?
In China, the Gobi desert expands by more than 10,000 square kilometres every year. Likewise, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya each lose more than 1,000 square kilometres of productive land annually as desertification continues unabated. As they’re overtaken by encroaching desert, what will the people of these countries do?
Sliding Down the Peak
March 2008
Film Review: Crude Awakening
Oil is indispensable to every aspect of our lives. Food, shelter, clothing, yes, even sex*, are inextricably related to abundant, cheap petroleum.
That should be apparent to everyone, but it’s not. Petroleum is so integral to the way our society operates, and has been for so long, we ignore it. Just as we don’t wonder if air will be available for our next breath, we don’t question how much petroleum we’re eating with each bite.
Hollywood vs. Reality
January 2008
Film Review: The 11th Hour and A Convenient Truth
By Stephanie Jackman
The 11th Hour, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a gorgeous film. The cinematography, particularly the aerial footage of our blue-green planet, is stunning. If Leo’s goal was to inspire appreciation for the environment, he succeeded.
Beautiful scenery, however, is not enough to elicit behavioural change, and surely that was the film’s intent.
Instead of guiding me toward responsible action, it belaboured the reasons I should be concerned while relentlessly assaulting me with images of the tsunami in Thailand, Hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters.
