WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT HAMILTON?
TreesHamilton is published by
Environment Hamilton (EH), an
incorporated not-for-profit
group set up in 2001 to help
Hamiltonians deal more effectively
with their environmental
concerns by monitoring environmental
conditions, and
making use of environmental
laws and regulations.
In its first four years, EH volunteers
and staff have undertaken
more than 20 projects
with the help of grants from
eighteen different funding organizations.
Along with both Trees Count
and Tonnes for Trees, EH’s current
activities include the Hamilton
Eat Local Project, a public
meeting series on urban planning,
and extensive work to reduce
environmental injustice in
north Hamilton neighbourhoods.
The latter project builds on
the reputation of EH as the
group to which communities
turn when faced with an problem,
be it noxious odours,
sprawl development, polluted
waterways, or threats to personal
and ecosystem health.
More specifically it is teaching
individuals and neighbourhood
organizations how to use
their legal rights to get effective
action to improve their environment.
Citizen monitoring is a key
element in EH’s work. The
Pipewatch program has taught
people how to recognize and
act on illegal pollution of
streams, while Stackwatch
keys allows citizens to keep an
eye on industrial smokestacks
and identify problem emissions.
A 2002 program included a
harbour patrol boat that
showed individuals how to recognize
and report on industrial dumping.
EH established and continues
to support the Hamilton Transit
Users Group which is leading
efforts to improve public transit.
The EH website also hosts the
information gathering activities
of Citizens at City Hall (CATCH),
a volunteer group that tape
records and transcribes city
council meetings and provides
frequent news updates.
You can support the work of
Environment Hamilton by volunteering
for one or more of
its projects and by becoming a
member of EH.
The annual fee is normally
$25, but during this summer EH
is offering a new membership
for the rest of 2005 for just
$10. You can join at the August
11 or August 31 meeting, or
contact EH directly at (905)
549-0900.
AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS
Carbon dioxide emissions
from the international aviation
of European Union countries
jumped 73% between 1990
and 2003. That’s a stark contrast
to the EU’s achievement
of 5.5% overall CO2 reductions
during the same period and has
led to demands that the aviation
sector be subject to climate
change regulations.
The UN”s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change calculates that the
total climate impact of aviation is 2-4 times greater than its
CO2 emissions because planes
release pollutants high in the
atmosphere including nitrogen
oxides that create other greenhouse
gases. Scientists also
believe that that aircraft condensation
trails are increasing
global warming.
ARNOLD ACTS
California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger has ordered
state emissions cut by 11% by
2010, and 25% by 2020 – the
equivalent of 1990 levels. California
is the most populated
state in the US and the 10th
largest emitter of carbon dioxide
in the world. If it achieves
these targets its cuts will be
greater than France or Britain
over the next five years.
