Support for Oshawa Earth Hour 2010
The lights went out in Oshawa, in Ontario and the globe, and community came to view HOME. It is incredible that after a 2 hour movie that so many people stayed and said thank you.
Special thanks to the City of Oshawa, UOIT, OPUC, and goodplanet. This is real community building: working together to make a difference, because we all win!
The community video is really successful, over 600 views in one week. Yeah. Thanks to all the volunteers who so willingly participated, doing something positive for your community is a real green thing.
Last year, 2009, the focus was on awareness to turn your light off. This year, 2010 we added the Community.
More to come.
Earth Hour 2010
Join us on March 27th, 2010 at UOIT Business and IT Building, Lecture Hall UB2080. Map
United Nations World Water Day 2010
Water Quality for all
UN-Water is dedicating World Water Day 2010 to the theme of water quality, reflecting its importance alongside quantity of the resource in water management.
The World Water Day 2010 and its campaign is envisaged to:
- Raise awareness about sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being through addressing the increasing water quality challenges in water management and
- Raise the profile of water quality by encouraging governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world to actively engage in proactively addressing water quality e.g. in pollution prevention, clean up and restoration.
Life on earth is based on water. The quality of life directly depends on water quality. Healthy ecosystems are sustained by good water quality, which leads to improved human well-being. On the contrary, poor water quality affects the environment and human well-being. With waterborne diseases causing the death of more than 1.5 million children every year and 2 million tons of sewage and other effluents draining into the world’s waters every day, we all need to be more aware of what water quality is all about.
Follow it up in the World Water Day website.
Read more on World Water Day 2010 
Visit World WaterDay 2010 Website
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. On this page, we present a brief overview of the different themes that have been the focus of World Water Day celebrations.
2009
In 2009, the theme for World Water Day was “Shared Water – Shared Opportunities”. Special focus was placed on transboundary waters. Nurturing the opportunities for cooperation in transboundary water management can help build mutual respect, understanding and trust among countries and promote peace, security and sustainable economic growth. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lead the activities of the day with the support of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
View World Water Day 2009 poster
Visit the World Water Day 2009 web site
2008
In 2008, World Water Day coincided with the International Year of Sanitation, and challenged us to spur action on a crisis affecting more than one out of three people on the planet. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of the abysmal sanitation conditions endured by some 2.6 billion people globally. That adds up to an unconscionable 1.5 million young lives cut short by a cause we know well how to prevent. Ceremonies for the day took place at Geneva, Switzerland. Speakers included Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Director-General of WHO Dr Margaret Chan.
Visit the World Water Day 2008 web site
The unsustainable impact of Bottled Water
World Water Day
Take a look at the cost of unsustainable water bottling
The Story of Bottled Water!
The Story of Bottled Water, releasing March 22, 2010, employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the fast-paced, fact-filled story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry’s attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.
UN World Water Day
Message from the UN Secretary General: WWD2010_UN_STATEMENT_EN
2010 World Water Day in Kenya: WWD2010_programme_web_8
FAQs about water quality: WWD2010_FAQS_EN
| International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. On this page, we present a brief overview of the different themes that have been the focus of World Water Day celebrations. |
| In 2009, the theme for World Water Day was “Shared Water – Shared Opportunities”. Special focus was placed on transboundary waters. Nurturing the opportunities for cooperation in transboundary water management can help build mutual respect, understanding and trust among countries and promote peace, security and sustainable economic growth. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lead the activities of the day with the support of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
View World Water Day 2009 poster |
| In 2008, World Water Day coincided with the International Year of Sanitation, and challenged us to spur action on a crisis affecting more than one out of three people on the planet. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of the abysmal sanitation conditions endured by some 2.6 billion people globally. That adds up to an unconscionable 1.5 million young lives cut short by a cause we know well how to prevent. Ceremonies for the day took place at Geneva, Switzerland. Speakers included Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Director-General of WHO Dr Margaret Chan. Visit the World Water Day 2008 web site |
| The growing problem of Water Scarcity was the topic for World Water Day 2007. The theme highlighted the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources, both at international and local levels. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted ceremonies for the daywhich included and opening address from FAO Secretary-General Jaques Diouf, and video addresses from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Green Cross International President Michail Gorbachëv.
View World Water Day 2007 poster |
| The Theme of World Water Day 2006 was Water and Culture under the leadership of UNESCO.
The theme ‘Water and Culture’ of 2006 drew the attention to the fact that there are as many ways of viewing, using, and celebrating water as there are cultural traditions across the world. Sacred, water is at the heart of many religions and is used in different rites and ceremonies. Fascinating and ephemeral, water has been represented in art for centuries – in music, painting, writing, cinema – and it is an essential factor in many scientific endeavours as well. |
| The Theme of World Water Day 2005 was: Water for Life 2005 – 2015.
The United Nations General Assembly at its 58th session in December 2003 agreed to proclaim the years 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, and beginning with World Water Day, March 22, 2005. The Water for Life decade set the world’s goals on “a greater focus on water-related issues, while striving to ensure the participation of women in water-related development efforts, and further cooperation at all levels to achieve water-related goals of the Millennium Declaration, Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of the World Summit for Sustainable Development and Agenda 21.” |
| The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization were charged with co-ordinating events for World Water Day 2004.
The message of the Day was: Weather, climate and water resources can have a devastating impact on socio-economic development and on the well-being of humankind. According to the World Meteorological Organization weather and climate-related extreme events, such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, storms, cyclones, floods and drought, account for nearly 75 per cent of all disasters. They lead to an enormous toll of human suffering, loss of life and economic damage. Monitoring these events, predicting their movements and issuing timely warnings are essential to mitigate the disastrous impact of such events on population and economy. |
| Water for the Future was the theme for World Water Day 2003. It called on each one of us to maintain and improve the quality and quantity of fresh water available to future generations. This is essential if we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goal to halve, by 2015, the number of people living without safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was the the lead UN agency for World Water Day 2003. The goal was to inspire political and community action and encourage greater global understanding of the need for more responsible water use and conservation. |
| Water for Development was the theme for 2002. The Internation Atomic Energy Agency was the coordinating UN agency. The currectly poor and deteriorating state of water resources in many parts of the world demand integrated water resources planning and management. |
| Water for Health – Taking Charge was the theme for 2001. The WHO was the coordinating UN agency.
The message for the day was: “Concrete efforts are necessary to provide clean drinking water and improve health as well as to increase awareness world-wide of the problems and of the solutions. 22 March is a unique occasion to remind everybody that solutions are possible. Use the resources on this site to help turn words into political commitment and action.” |
“The availability and quality of water is increasingly under strain. Even if conditions were to remain constant for the foreseeable future, much of the world would find itself in a state of water-related crisis. To make matters worse, populations are growing most rapidly in those areas where water is already in scarce supply”. This is how Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, starts his welcome words in the second announcement for the Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference that began in the Netherlands in the week prior to 22 March 2000. From 17–22 March 2000, hundreds of water specialists, politicians, leading experts and top officials from all across the globe convened in The Hague. The event marked the conclusion to a long series of sessions during which thousands of concerned citizens addressed the water crisis that threatens us all. |
| Excessive flooding of major rivers in the world in 1998 have resulted in thousands of deaths and caused enormous damage in China, Bangladesh, and India, where nearly half of the world population lives. They were not only the result of excessive rains, but also of interference by mankind in the river basins. These tragedies make us realize that virtually everybody in this world lives downstream. UNEP was the coordinating UN agency. |
| The sixth annual World Water Day (WWD) was celebrated on 22 March 1998. As per the recommendations of the 17th meeting of the ACC Sub-Committee on Water Resources, UNICEF and the United Nations Division of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), took the lead in organizing the observance of World Water Day in 1998. |
| The message of the day was: Water is a basic requirement for all life, yet water resources are facing more and more demands from, and competition among, users. |
| The 3rd annual World Water Day was celebrated on March 22, 1996, with the theme, Water for Thirsty Cities. It emphasized the growing water crisis faced by cities across the world which threatens the sustainability of their social and economic development. |
| For the first time Lesotho celebrated the “World Day for Water”, on March 22, 1995. The international theme for the day was ‘Women and Water’. The Department of Water Affairs organized two main activities for the celebration of the Day: on water pollution and on environmental degradation. |
| The Theme of World Water Day 1994 was ‘Caring for Our Water Resources is Everyone’s Business’ |
Earth Hour is one week away
Since the Earth Hour video has been published, more than 130 people has viewed it. Just one simple act. View the video
Oshawa Earth Hour 2010 Video
The making of the Oshawa Earth Hour 2010 video is an really good example of community engagement. It’s really amazing how all the participants in the video readily agreed to ‘doing it’.
The Oshawa Earth Hour Community Event. Climate Change is a critical issue. Let’s do something to preserve our Earth. Do it. Turn your lights off.
Climate change is one of the critical issues we have to deal with right now. Changes that affects our food security, air we breathe, and the list can go on. What is important is -we have the power to change, preserving our planet and respecting the ecosystem, and leaving our children the natural resources and an ability to live on the planet .
Earth Hour is one way to start and do one simple act which when we all do it, it’s BIG
FBSC Getting more organized
The Foundation for Building Sustainable Communities (fbsc.org) is attempting to get more formalized with our tweets and information pertaining to the organization and have created a the twitter account fbscinfo. Some exciting projects to follow are:
- Earth Hour Community Event
- Earth Week
- A Growing Concern: community gardens, CSA and home gardening
- Speakers’ Forum
- Reelfood
Lots of exciting programs and partnerships designed for preserving and respecting our planet.
Joan Kerr will launch her body care line and tweets will reflect that focus.
Water: 3rd World Forum: Overview
We have the ability to save our Earth and its resources and we can make it happen. For the next week, you will read a series of excerpts from the original report. If you like you can read the final Report below.
This is the Final World Water Report
Historic document: 3rd World Water Forum.
For the first time, 23 United Nations agencies and convention secretariats have combined their efforts and expertise to produce the most comprehensive and up-to-date report on the state of the world’s freshwater resources. The World Water development Report was officially launched at the occasion of World Water Day, March the 22nd, during the 3d World Water Forum.
First UN system-wide evaluation of global water resources
Paris – Faced with “inertia at the leadership level”, the global water crisis will reach unprecedented levels in the years ahead with “growing per capita scarcity of water in many parts of the developing world”, according to a United Nations report made public today. Water resources will steadily decline because of population growth, pollution and expected climate change.
The World Water Development Report – Water for People, Water for Life – is the most comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the state of the resource. Presented on the eve of the Third World Water Forum (Kyoto, Japan, March 16 – 23), it represents the single most important intellectual contribution to the Forum and the International Year of Freshwater, which is being led by UNESCO and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
To compile the report, every UN agency and commission dealing with water has for the first time worked jointly to monitor progress against water-related targets in such fields as health, food, ecosystems, cities, industry, energy, risk management, economic evaluation, resource sharing and governance. The 23 UN partners constitute the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), whose secretariat is hosted by UNESCO.
“Of all the social and natural crises we humans face, the water crisis is the one that lies at the heart of our survival and that of our planet Earth,” says UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.
“No region will be spared from the impact of this crisis which touches every facet of life, from the health of children to the ability of nations to secure food for their citizens,” says Mr Matsuura. “Water supplies are falling while the demand is dramatically growing at an unsustainable rate. Over the next 20 years, the average supply of water world-wide per person is expected to drop by a third.”
