Indians add green touch to religious festivals

Date: 07-Sep-09
Country: INDIA
Author: REUTERS


Few events can rival the ancient rituals and riotous color of India's religious festivals. This year, the months-long
celebration season is also becoming eco-friendly. Alarmed by the high levels of pollution caused by firecrackers, toxic
paints and idols made of non-recyclable material, schools, environmentalists and some states are encouraging "greener"
celebrations.

In Mumbai, where the 10-day festival for the elephant-headed Ganesha (the Hindu deity of prosperity) is underway with
giant, colored idols and noisy street parties, radio and TV stations are airing environmental messages and school
children are learning to make eco-friendly idols.

The statues, made of brightly painted plaster of Paris, are usually immersed in the sea or a lake after a lively
procession that can sometimes take half a day to navigate the choked streets, and which ultimately leaves dismembered
idols strewn along the shore.

But a growing number of Indians are opting for smaller clay idols which they immerse in water at home.

"An idol that doesn't dissolve in the sea is just a tragic end for something you have worshipped for so many days," said
Abhijit Karandikar, a creative director at an advertising agency. "More people are realizing they can be more
eco-friendly in our festivals. It's something that's in our control."

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

GO Winner!

Kirkendall Walks Grand Prizes Draw: Results


















Environment Hamilton is happy to announce that the winner for the GO Transit prize package which includes one 10-ride pass is M. Al Ernest of Carlisle.
Congratulations!
.

VIVA VIA!

Kirkendall Walks/Walk There! Grand Prizes Draw: Results

We are happy to announce that the winner of the VIA Rail return tickets to Montreal is M. Ken Stone of Hamilton Mountain. The winner for the GO Transit prize package which includes one 10-ride pass is M. Al Ernest of Carlisle.
Congratulations to our winners!

Remember, if you completed a vehicle log you are eligible to receive a free pedometer. Just email us and we can make arrangements for you to pick one up or you can pick yours up at the Environment Hamilton office at 1130 Barton St E suite 207 (opposite the Centre Mall). Phone 905 549 0900 or email environmenthamilton@gmail.com
Thanks to all the participants, and partners who made this project possible.

World Climate Day: October 24th

350 is the most important number in the world. This number is the safe line for our global climate and a start line for a global movement. Join 350.org to take action in your community.

Dreaming of a walkable world TheSpec.com - People - Dreaming of a walkable world

Paul Wilson
The Hamilton Spectator

(Mar 30, 2009)

Hugh Dobson is on the line. He has a few words for me. Ten, to be exact:

"The world has too much transportation. Two feet are enough."

Dobson worked for many years at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. He mapped, plotted, studied water quality.

He's retired now, lives in the Burlington core. His dander's up because the grocery store near his house was squeezed out by new condos. And the other food stores are beyond his walking range.

So Dobson's now doing some formulation. He has made a list of the places we need to go in this world -- work, grocery, bank, library, medical clinic, park -- and is now trying to weight them, according to how often you need to visit each place.

His formula is still a work in progress. But he wishes we could buck this big box trend, where the only place to shop, go to a movie or educate our kids is miles away.

I tell Dobson his call is most timely. I'm just about to make a call myself, to the Montreal home of Mary Soderstrom.

She has a new book called The Walkable City and will be in Hamilton Saturday, April 4. She'll be attending a panel discussion at 2 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, part of this year's gritLIT festival.

Soderstrom knows a thing or two about Hamilton. A few years ago she wrote Green City, and showcased 11 centres around the world. There was much surprise that Hamilton made the list.

But she pointed out that by the 1930s, Hamilton had more parks per inhabitant than any other Canadian city.

But there have been missteps since then. We've been awfully accommodating to the car and it's no wonder that in her new book Hamilton doesn't get cited as walkable.

We reach her at the two-storey row house she and her husband bought in the '70s, in the area north-east of downtown.

On this day, she has already been out for a 75-minute walk, past parks, shops, the school where her kids used to go. Yes, they walked there.

The neighbourhood is called Mile End. The area's garment factories have gone north or offshore. Now the arts have moved in. For instance, software giant Ubisoft has its flagship studio here, with 1,800 programmers, designers, artists. So there is the opportunity for these people to walk to their work. New young families are moving in.

Density matters. "I've heard that you need about 10,000 people for a walkable shopping street," Soderstrom says, a place with a small grocer, clothing store, drugstore, restaurant or two.

Density scares some people. They think it's dangerous. Quite the contrary, Soderstrom says. "You get foot traffic, eyes on the street. We've been in this house 33 years and we've never been broken into."

Her husband walks to the office, about 35 minutes. They do have a car, but only log about 4,000 kilometres a year.

"I've said that when this car dies, I don't want to buy a new one. Besides, in the next block there are three cars parked at Communauto." That's a Montreal car-share operation, where subscribers have access to cars for an hour, a day.

Soderstrom says by North American standards, Montreal is walkable. But Europe is bliss.

She takes us strolling along bustling rue Mouffetard, a Paris street that's part of an old road that led to Rome.

And that street is central to what she'll be saying when she comes to Hamilton. "The walkable city should be as viable in the 21st century as it was in the 18th century. Get out there and walk."

* * *

Last Wednesday I told you about the women of the Stelco tin mill. One was Ollie, who started there in 1949.

And I called her Ollie Loates. I have no idea where the 'l that extra L came from, but my apologies to Mrs. Oates.

* * *

And another, with correction provided by reader Mary Pickens:

"You hit a nerve with your column Friday, namely 'Lady' Simcoe. Mrs. Simcoe was not a lady and Mr. Simcoe was not a lord, but a hard-working soldier. The only Lord Simcoe was the misnamed Toronto hotel whose owners refused to correct the name when told it was wrong.

"I hope I don't see this error again -- this will be the third time I've found it in the Spec and protested."

Mrs. Simcoe was no lady. Got it.

StreetBeat appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday

pwilson@thespec.com

905-526-3391

Project Ends

The last of our events (for the Kirkendall Walks Project) were as follows:
We attended the Strathcona CAG, meeting organized by Ward 1 on March 25th. Environment Hamilton was able to contribute ideas towards 'Guiding Principles" as concerns citizens and local groups influencing future Transportation Master Planning.
On March 26th, we demonstrated the Walk There! mapping tool to 4 classes at St Joesph's Elementary School.
Taht same evening,we had a hike with Richard Reble that from all accounts was fun.

Annual General Meeting Excitement!

Mark your calendars for Environment Hamilton’s Annual General Meeting, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 24^th, at 7pm at the Freeway Café, located at 333 King Street East at Wellington. This year’s AGM includes a fantastic keynote speaker, the launch of our Climate Change Action Campaign and an opportunity to hear about plans we have for new initiatives over the coming year.

Sustainability for the Jaded - Dr. Bob Gibson to speak at 2009 AGM

Environment Hamilton is pleased to announce that Dr. Bob Gibson will be the keynote speaker at our March AGM. Dr. Gibson is a professor of Environment & Resource Studies in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo. He will be speaking about sustainability for the jaded, in recognition of the fact that many communities (including Hamilton) have struggled with notions of sustainability but have failed to succeed in implementing meaningful plans. We encourage you to join us for Dr. Gibson’s talk on March 24^th.