October 2023
Hi Friend,
Fall is here and we are loving the changing weather, leaf colours, and pumpkins.
Below, you'll find important October dates and events, as well as a chance to help CNL continue our important work.
Thank you for your continued support, we appreciate all of our volunteers, donors, and community members!
The CNL Team
Organics Day!
Friday, October 20th, 2023 10-11:30am - Carleton Place Town Hall Auditorium, 175 Bridge Street
Waste Not! Waste Reduction in your Home, Business and Community.
- Peter Landry- on Waste Reduction Strategies for Small Businesses and Organizations. Environmental Consultant Peter Landry will explore the benefits and challenges of Zero Waste for municipalities and businesses and offer practical tips on how to get started. Peter is an environmental consultant with 29 years of experience as an auditor, trainer, and business/systems analyst. He has been the director of his own company, Viridis Environmental Inc. since 1994 and is based in Ottawa. Peter has completed projects across Canada and has managed or personally completed over 800 waste audits encompassing all regulated sectors. Peter is a certified Environmental Professional (EP) specializing in Waste Management and holds a master’s Certificate in Business Analysis from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a Bachelor of Environment and Resource Studies from the University of Waterloo.
- Climate Network Lanark (CNL) - on Reducing Organic Waste in Our Community. A panel of speakers from CNL, including Chair Scott Hortop and co-founder Susan Brandum, will paint a picture of the extent of greenhouse gas emissions caused by organic waste and explain how these models could improve soil health while reducing emissions by returning carbon underground. The panel will open a discussion of how the shift to Extended Producer Responsibility for recyclables could create new opportunities for reducing organic waste across Lanark County.
- Just Good Compost (JGC) - a unique approach to community composting that is designed for small towns and rural municipalities. JGC is a new service that picks up kitchen scraps from households and food service businesses every week and turns them into high-quality compost for its customers. It is a social enterprise that employs local people with intellectual challenges. It was founded by Dr. William Affleck, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa, who, like his wife Kelley, grew up in farm country outside of Almonte. Moving back in 2021 to raise their family, they were surprised by the lack of composting options available in Lanark County. Just Good Compost was started to fill this gap. Having received great support in Almonte they are excited to be coming to Carleton Place in October of 2023.
Local Climate Action in the News
Protest In Lanark Highlands
As a part of the Global Day of Action to end fossil fuels, CNL organized a protest in Lanark Village. The reason for the protest was that Lanark Village and Balderson are scheduled for expansion of the natural gas (methane) system; the pipeline would come north, from the town of Perth, along the 511 Highway. As per a National Geographic article from 2020, a methane molecule is roughly 90 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than a molecule of carbon dioxide, making methane far more effective at heating the planet. While many more articles from very reputable sources have verified this information time and again, it’s worth repeating: at least 25% of today's global warming is driven by methane from human actions.
Local Activists seen protesting the Natural Gas expansion into Balderson and Lanark Village. Photo Credit: Stewart Cryer
How much of an impact do you think the natural gas pipeline would have on the Village of Lanark? For example, cost to residents, environmental impact?
Many residents of the village are on propane, which has jumped in price in the past few years, and will more. There’s a perception that natural/fossil gas is cheaper, but studies show electric heat pumps are cheaper over the lifetime of the equipment and natural/fossil gas will continue to increase in price as fossil fuels end their reign. Residents who invest in new natural gas furnaces will have a long-term cost burden. Regarding the environmental impact, the Village has a true opportunity to leap into this century and make itself a beacon of environmental care by choosing electric heat pumps, induction stoves and other solutions - and to position itself to take advantage of new electricity rates coming Nov. 1.
Do you think the picket will have much of an impact on residents?
Our rally and information picket will have introduced some new ideas to some people, that’s a start.
What more is CNL trying to do in this area?
We are running a Climate Concierge cluster in Lanark Village and area. We have a half-dozen people already who are exploring with us how to retrofit their homes and choose heat pumps and electrification, and take advantage of the numerous programs, funding and financing that are there to get us off fossil fuels and contribute to cutting Lanark County’s Greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. We invite others to join us, in Lanark Village and across the County.
Climate Concierge
We want to update our readers on the success that the Climate Concierge Pilot Program has had in the last few months. For those of you who are unaware, Climate Concierge is a free program where homeowners who are interested in retrofitting their homes in order to reduce their contribution to climate breakdown (and of course to making their homes more comfortable and cost-efficient) get together in small groups once a month to discuss their progress, listen to experts and help each other. At the moment there are five active groups: Lanark Village, Almonte 1, Almonte 2, Perth (currently full but accepting members on a wait list) and Smith Falls (virtual meetings). We will also be opening a Business Cluster soon. If you’re interested in joining this pilot program, reach out to Project Coordinator, Sadie at sadie@climatenetworklanark.ca
CNL’s Detailed Response to the County’s Draft Climate Action Plan
CNL submitted a detailed response to the County on its Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) at the end of August. About a dozen of CNL’s volunteers contributed and Climate Legacy has noted our response would function well as a guideline for any other community developing a CAP. To read the response, which is only about 5 pages long, go here.
Climate Legacy: Connecting Seniors to Climate Action
Sue Brandum spoke with Climate Legacy on the journey to establishing an effective Climate Action Plan, and how others can get started in their own communities. Read the full article here!
Climate Change is Real - And It's Getting Worse
If you thought that the severe changes from climate change are only “over there,” the government of Ontario has news for you. Only sustained pressure will make a difference, writes Tom Shoebridge for Inside Ottawa Valley. Read the full article here!
Climate Change Action Panel for Town of Perth in Trouble
The Town of Perth will be reviewing whether or not its Climate Change Action Panel (CCAP) will be continuing on for another year. The Committee of the Whole will meet on Wednesday, October 5th at 5 p.m. inside Town Hall, where they will listen to a presentation by CCAP’s co-chair Brodie Berrigan on why the committee is essential to the town and must continue. The meeting is open to all citizens, in person or online (it will be broadcasted through Facebook). We’re inviting our readers to show their support by attending this important meeting as it is essential that all towns in Lanark County have an environmental committee. More information can be found on the Town of Perth’s Meeting Portal.
CNL Update: Engagement Organizing
Engagement Organizing 101: Presented by Renata Woodward through the Sustainability Network
Climate Network Lanark has 10 participants (Scott Hortop, Nancy Button, Doreen Donald, Sue Brandum, Susan Berlin, Sophie Lamb, Sadie Brule, Corry McCure, Sarah Hurman, and Janet Duncan) attending a 6 session course (Sept 12-Oct 18, 2023). This course provides us with an opportunity to enhance our skills in engaging our community to take action in climate change and enroll them in supporting our activities.
Engagement Organizing (EO) is the essence of how we will communicate our projects and our success stories. Attending this course provides us with a chance to have a current and consistent approach to building our organization. Engagement organizing (EO) involves building your organization’s people power by identifying and recruiting people who share your organization’s interests, cultivating relationships with them, and supporting them in specific ways to volunteer, donate and advocate for your cause.
It allows organizations to scale up their efforts with the help of digital technologies and a shift in management roles to support ever greater levels of volunteer participation and leadership. The result is resilient, robust and effective organizations that operate at a level much higher than those who follow conventional organizing approaches.
Through EO 101, participants will learn the basics of engagement organizing, how to help your organization to become a people-powered organization and how to apply EO in your day-to-day work life while advancing the mission of your organization.
Our sessions are brilliantly crafted to include new models of EO, case studies, breakout sessions and coaching.
Our group of participants has scheduled pre session/ mini sessions to work through our assignments. The key takeaways include; the value of further developing of our mission & vision statement , how to develop an organization elevator pitch and theory of change of your organization- the strategy that dovetails with Mission and Vision; (org culture and communication strategy component) and an effective organizing sentence to succinctly frame projects/programs and organizations
We Need Your Support
CNL wants to continue to grow our reach in the community. Do you know of someone who may be interested in signing up for our newsletter? Send them our way!
CNL relies on grants and donations in order to keep pushing for climate action in Lanark County. We would love for you to consider helping in any way you can. We offer charitable receipts for your donation through our partnership with the Salal Foundation.
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