Our Vision
Vision
An engaged community, building a net zero-carbon and resilient place to live, work and play and where the natural ecosystems on which all life depends are valued and conserved.
Mission
The mission of the Network is to connect, co-ordinate, facilitate, initiate and support collaborative efforts and actions by and for the community to address the impacts of climate change through both mitigation and adaptation measures.
Values & Principles
Our work is guided by the common good that includes all living things and the natural environment.
Local action is required to reverse global warming.
Science-based decision-making and traditional Indigenous knowledge are critical to addressing climate change.
We encourage respectful dialogue, building bridges and finding common ground.
We believe in and practice inclusion.
Stories, experiences, knowledge and tools inspire and enable us to take concrete deep action.
All people have the right and responsibility to participate in solving climate change challenges.
We believe in the strength of community.
We act in a manner that respects and protects the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of people and the natural environment.
Objectives
To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030 to keep within the 1.5C increase beyond which we risk run-away climate change.
To determine priorities and implement action plans for moving forward to address climate change.
To educate all segments of our communities on the local and broader impacts and solutions for climate change.
To develop partnerships and expert-resources to develop local solutions.
To cultivate, engage and support volunteers in community action on the environment.
To create and manage the Network to engage, enable and support broad-based community actions.
ORGANIZATIONAL TEAM
Emily Pearlman – Internal Communications
Emily has worked for the past 15 years as a theatre artist, educator and events producer. Currently at CNL and as an Artistic Associate at the Ottawa Children’s Festival she is interested in making experiences that bring together intergenerational groups of people and develop their relationship to place and each other. With an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts, she has taught at University of Ottawa and Algonquin College. She lives in Almonte where she spends much of her time with her two small kids, learning to love all types of weather, and attempting to identify birds, plants and construction vehicles.
Susan Brandum – Co-Founder and Coordinator
Before moving to Port Elmsley 25 years ago, Sue was a specialist energy writer and the volunteer manager of the Coalition for a Green Economic Recovery. She co-authored the underground bestseller, Get A Life! She became the general manager of REAL, delivering programs that helped local residents improve their energy efficiency, naturalize their yards and shorelines, manage their wells and septic systems and reuse goods when she established the REAL Deal Reuse Store. Sue wrote Tay Valley Township’s Climate Action Plan. Sue grew up mainly in Shawville, Quebec
Gord Harrison – Co-Founder and Coordinator
Gord Harrison enjoyed a long career as an environment and climate change educator, working locally, nationally and internationally. He served as the Director of Education programs for the Pembina Institute, and Executive Director of the GreenLearning Canada Foundation. Locally he developed a state of the environment report for the Stewardship Council and a strategic plan for the County’s Community Forests. Gord is a Director of the Lanark County Stewardship Council. “Connecting with place/the land informed my work as an educator, grounds me mentally and spiritually, and is at the heart of CNL.” Gord lives at Indigo Wood (named after the Indigo Buntings that nest there) with two-footed and four-footed family.
News
Rethink transportation methods
Transportation in this area is a huge source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) as the county, a microcosm of Canada, has lots of space and not many people but all have to travel. It presents a real challenge as transportation in a rural area like ours is necessary for work,...
The Orange That Went to Nunavut
It can’t be emphasized more urgently how we need to reassess how we think about the food we grow and consume. We must make sure we are doing our part to address these complex issues in the intertwined web of living on planet Earth. .. read more
Ottawa to begin phasing out gas-powered garden tools
Just to the east of here, Ottawa takes to heart the fact that leaf blowers produce more emissions than pick up trucks. ... read more
Regenerative Agriculture
Local food grower, educator and biologist, Alberto Suarez-Esteban, tackles climate change by practicing regenerative farming. ... listen to interview
Climate change as real as the rain, Tay Canal water levels: RVCA
Lanark County’s best-known waterways are due to face a difficult future, while also contending with droughts at the moment. .. read more
Volunteer Spotlight – Sadie Brule
Meet our New Staff Member - Sadie Brule We are pleased to welcome Sadie Brule to our administrative team. You may find her at the end of an email, or roaming through her hometown of Perth, but until you meet, here is a little bit about what moves her to act on...
Volunteer Spotlight – Louise McDiarmid
I support Cutting Community Greenhouse Emissions in Half But I am prejudiced beyond debate in favor of my right to choose which side shall feel the stubborn ounces of my weight. - Bonaro W. Overstreet When Louise was 12, she moved to a village outside of Peterborough....
Climate Strike March 12 Perth
On Saturday, March 12, Lanark County Warden John Fenik will attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Perth Town Hall, 80 Gore St. E. Area residents are invited to attend the 11 a.m. opening of the local job office for the Ministry of Just Transition. read more
To act or not to act — that is the climate action question
In short, there is no planet B where humans can live an earth-like existence. This planet is all we have. And what does that mean for the residents of Lanark County? .. read more