Web Search Guide Canada

News Sources Rod Chapman reviewed

News Sources Rod Chapman reviewed "News services for Canadians " in Information Highways, December 2001. He concluded that "For this country's consumers, the ideal news service doesn't exist ". Services reviewed were Infomart, Dialog, CEDROM, EBSCO, and Micromedia/Proquest.

Environment: The Government of Canada

Environment: The Government of Canada is asking its citizens to "think climate change" in a new flyer being dropped in mailboxes. Although it is stalling on the Kyoto Protocol, the government does recognize that "the earth is getting warmer". This flyer must be to raise public consciousness. It notes that the actions of individuals account for 28% of Canada's greenhouse emissions. This is from leaving lights on, letting cars idle, and eating foods trucked in from far away. The flyer refers to many excellent web sites.

The Government of Canada site on Climate Change, www.climatechange.gc.ca, is a large information site about the issues of climate change and actions being taken by governments in Canada. The site has some resources for teachers and students. The collection is impressive but one wonders how much can be accomplished when relying almost entirely on education and voluntary effort.

Climate Change Solutions (www.climatechangesolutions.com) has success stories, tools and suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There are sections for individuals, schools, municipalities, agriculture, and industry. It states that by 2010 we'll be emitting 20% to 25% more than in 1990 although Kyoto had called for a 6% decrease.

Tools of Change (www.toolsofchange.com) works to help others promote "health and environmental citizenship". The site was developed by Cullbridge Marketing and Communications and Health Canada, but many have contributed to the planning guides, tools and case studies. The core of the site is a workbook for people to use in planning programs to effect change.

The Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada (oee.nrcan.gc.ca) has tips and guides on saving energy and money through more efficient appliances, better heating and cooling systems, more energy efficient transportation systems. The section for home renovation has energuides for houses.

Environment: "The more opulent your

Environment: "The more opulent your lifestyle the bigger impact you have on the environment". Nicola Ross writes in the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (Winter 2001) about Treading Softly. Abstract and list of web sites is at http://www.ontarionature.org/seasons/index.php3.

Ross reported on "Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth" by Dr. William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel. By their calculations the average Canadian lifestyle needs 7.7 hectares to sustain it. The average for the world is 2.8 hectares per person. Calculate your ecological foot print at the Mountain Coop site at http://www.mec.ca/Apps/ecoCalc/ecoCalc.jsp. Prepare to be shocked.