Public transit is the solution to traffic problems

NPD du Canada: "“We must do something to reduce traffic, and public transit is the logical response to an economic and environmental problem,” said Stéphane Moraille, the NDP’s candidate in Bourassa. “It’s not normal that a worker in Bourassa who lives in downtown Montreal has to spend more than an hour in transit to get to work.”"

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Projet Montreal - call for #freetransit was a big electoral success

marxist.com : "Another key plank that should be highlighted in Projet Montreal’s election platform is the call for free public transportation.  During the municipal election in 2009, in Plateau-Mont-Royal, the local campaign went further than the central campaign wished. Rumours circulated that activists had been told by the Projet Montreal head office not to bring up the demand for free public transportation, although it is in the party program. In Plateau-Mont-Royal, the campaign centred on this demand, even going so far as to distribute fliers shaped like metro passes that advertised it to every home in the borough. The result is undeniable proof that promises that have a real effect on the living conditions of workers are effective. Projet Montreal captured every single borough council seat, every single city council seat, and the borough mayoralty in the Plateau. The major part of the party’s gains in the election came precisely from Plateau-Mont-Royal and their platform of free public transportation. And, all of this has to be put into the context that prior to the election, Projet Montreal only held one seat across the island of Montreal."

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Study finds need for public transportation in Victoria County

Cape Breton Post: "The report studied public transit options as part of the Victoria County Age Friendly Advisory Committee, a group looking into healthy active aging aspects in the county.

Accessible transportation was identified as a concern for many area residents."

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Example of RCMP #falseflag #provocateurs and how black bloc makes it easy for them

RCMP had own cars burned by collaborator at #elsipogtog

Have you noticed there seems to be little interest by the RCMP and the corporate media to investigate how a military operation facing unarmed people could leave five vehicles unattended long enough for someone to set all five on fire and get away completely? With all that military technology? You may rest assured that one of two things will happen. A "perpetrator" will be found who will profess support for the indigenous cause, or no one will be "found" and the incident will be forgotten, the photos having served their purpose of providing and excuse to use violence.

Does this look like a cowboy who would leave the horses unattended?

Most likely the collaborator was someone who has been associated with #idlenomore and is in trouble with the law like this person: https://twitter.com/PerJa_7/status/391074090687021056/photo/1 you can read more about him here and here.

Rexton, N.B., Courageous opposition to #fracking

Globalnews.ca: "The protesters are trying to stop shale gas exploration in Kent County N.B., and remain in place despite a heavy police presence."

Pipeline of tax money flowing to oil companies

The Common Sense Canadian: "... Ottawa is using tax dollars to subsidize things that Enbridge should be doing at its own expense – like $78 million for bitumen-specific marine spill studies. Add to that another $42 million to develop improved weather monitoring systems for the rugged north and central coast waters which tankers would transit if Northern Gateway goes ahead.

Federal monies for such core elements of Enbridge’s National Energy Board application amount to a government hand-out, says Weaver:

This is another example of federal money being used to essentially subsidize industry, and industry’s inability to actually provide effective response to marine dilbit (bitumen) oil spills because the tools don’t exist."

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Candidate for Green Party leader in PQ is #freetransit advocate

Alex Tyrrell

My Ideas | Alex Tyrrell | Uniting the DMP: "The free transport is one of the best ways to fight against air pollution and climate change. A well-funded and non-tariff transport system will encourage greater use and we will significantly reduce the number of vehicles on the road passengers.

Free transit will allow us to:

Reduce the number of vehicles on the road

Eliminate costs associated with the collection of rates and reinvest

Reduce traffic congestion and increase social and economic productivity

Reduce financial pressures on families and low-income citizens

Encourage the use of public transport without penalizing motorists

When we should encourage the use of public transport, the Government of Quebec is quite the opposite and increasing rates of transport. The price of a monthly pass to Montreal has almost doubled in the last ten years. Families, workers and students have a strong need for affordable and effective in order to thrive in our modern society transport.

Free transportation is a concrete that the Quebec government could take now to reduce our oil consumption gesture without forcing people to abandon their cars.

Free transport will also benefit motorists and users of network transport. Hours and hours lost in traffic congestion greatly harm the economy! It is quite time that the Quebec government to take concrete steps to reduce traffic congestion, without expansion of the road network.

The abolition of freight rates would have an impact on the workers who collect these funds. A Green Government will ensure that these workers will be offered associated with the expansion of network positions.

Transit, it is the future.

In financial terms, the STM plans to raise 590 million dollars in transit fares this year. This represents less than half of what the Minister of Transport, Jean-Froincois lysed, reportedly announced on May 6 for only exchangers Decarie, Dorval, and Turcot. Note that free transport is a matter of priority and that remained the need for the expansion of road networks."

En Ville Sans Voiture - 20-Septempter - #freetransit

CJAD Local News: "The AMT organizes En Ville Sans Ma Voiture every year to encourage Montrealers to take public transit.

This year the Quebec Ministry of Transport will be giving away 75 000 two-way transit passes on September 20th.  They'll also be a series of free activities in Victoria Square including a concert from Louis-Jean Cormier, street chalk-drawing workshops with artist Rodsworth and electric bike testing.

For more information about road closures, parking access and free events on September 20, 2013 visit: envillesansmavoiture.com"

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An Indigenous Way of Life Threatened by Oil Sands in Canada

Crosses mark highway death near Tarsands

NYTimes.com: "When I graduated from school in 2008 I was hearing a lot about the oil sands in Canada. So I started doing research, and the more I learned, the more horrified I became."

Taxpayers to pay for oil industry mess in Lac-Megantic

Feds announce $60-million for Lac-Megantic disaster recovery - Winnipeg Free Press: "LAC-MEGANTIC, Que. - The federal government has announced a $60-million fund to help Lac-Megantic, Que., amid increasing pressure to make a specific aid commitment following a train disaster more than two weeks ago."

Pipelines leak, trains derail. Oil industry throws caution to the wind in mad rush for last drops of profit

CBC

Quebec town rocked by explosions, fire after derailment - Canada - CBC News: "A train carrying crude oil derailed overnight in the heart of Lac-Mégantic in Quebec's Eastern Townships, sparking a major fire that led to the evacuation of 1,000 people from their homes."

Why do we wait until we can't breathe to reduce #publictransit fares?

Smog Alert - Take the bus in Laval for only $1! | HAZMAT Magazine:
It has been estimated that the special $1 fare might prompt some 1500 motorists to leave their cars at home on smog days.

It costs a lot of time and money to collect bus fares

The Economist: "Fares bring in a lot of money, but they cost money to collect—6% of the MTA's budget, according to a 2007 report in New York magazine. Fare boxes and turnstiles have to be maintained; buses idle while waiting for passengers to pay up, wasting fuel; and everyone loses time. Proof-of-payment systems don't solve the problem of fare-collection costs as they require inspectors and other staff to handle enforcement, paperwork and payment processing. Making buses and subways free, on the other hand, would increase passenger numbers, opening up space on the streets for essential traffic and saving time by reducing road congestion."

When externalities are counted, #tarsands are negative net energy

Canada's tar sands companies fail to clean up toxic waste, report finds | World news | guardian.co.uk: "None of the companies operating in Canada's tar sands have met a commitment to clean up the vast and expanding sprawl of toxic waste ponds, an official report has found."

London, Ontario youth want the city to move people, not vehicles

The London Free Press: "“Focus on moving people and not vehicles”"

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Regina considering #freetransit to promote ridership

Public transit department mulls free trips: "In a bid to boost Regina's public transit ridership levels, transit department officials are eyeing a campaign that could include free or discounted bus rides in September."

Bubble, Bubble, Oil and Trouble

Father Theo's Blog: "The body of peer-reviewed scientific literature effectively is science.  Thus the science and the scientists agree in equal measure that the climate’s in a mess, fossil carbon is the cause, and if we don’t do something about it, we’re going to fall into a mess we can’t crawl out of.  The quicker we act the more damage we can avoid."

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Winnipeg needs to address sprawl

Winter is coming - Winnipeg Free Press: "The goal of rapid transit is not to simply get people from one place to another quickly. It is to avoid the need for cities to occupy larger and larger footprints.
It sounds utopian, but denser cities are cheaper to operate, easier to navigate, promote more interaction between people and tend to be prone to less crime. They are simply more livable for people other than those who rely exclusively on cars."

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Regina, SK, John Klein speaks up for #publictransit

John Klein - Regina | A Positive Voice for Our City: "“If we want people to switch to transit, which I do, (I think 4% usage is excessively low) then what we’re planning for has to be different from what we’re doing now. It can’t be the same to get a different result. What the report has suggested is that we can do more with the same amount of money. And I think that is overly optimistic, even delusional.”"

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Some of the worst commutes in the world - Canada

Municipalities welcome infrastructure funding in latest federal budget, but say more planning needed | hilltimes.com: "Canadian cities are known for having some of the longest commute times in the world. According to a 2010 study by Statistics Canada, average one-way commute times were 30 minutes in metropolitan areas, meaning that people in urban areas spend an hour a day in transit on average. In Toronto, commuters spend up to 80 minutes daily in transit."

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Canada - Public input on pipelines severely curtailed

Energy board changes pipeline complaint rules - The Globe and Mail: "Canadians who want to tell the National Energy Board what they think about proposed pipeline projects – either in person or in writing – must now complete a 10-page application form proving they would be directly affected by the development or that they have relevant expertise."

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Montreal considering "drop-off-anywhere" public #carsharing

Car2go for Montreal? City studying car-sharing program: "Already available in cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago and Vancouver for a one-time sign-up cost of $35, the car-sharing system would allow users to pick up a vehicle anywhere they like and drop it off within a region of the city stretching from Anjou to Verdun. Unlike the Communauto car-sharing system in place in Quebec since 1994, users would not have to reserve automobiles in advance or bring the car back to the spot where they picked it up."

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Tarsand devastation - will only get worse - not better

https://twitter.com/AuntieImperial/status/318191486476902400/photo/1
http://auntieimperial.blogspot.com/p/aunties-postings-around-web.html

Nova Scotia funds new sustainable transportation projects - Local - The News

Province funds new sustainable transportation projects - Local - The News: "Energy Minister Charlie Parker announced grants totaling $918,655 Tuesday for 28 community groups across Nova Scotia for Nova Scotia Moves Sustainable Transportation Program projects."

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Montréal - $3.7 Billion for one interchange. How much #freetransit would that buy?

Turcot Interchange construction delayed for two more years | CTV Montreal News: "The cost for the Turcot rebuild is currently estimated at $3.7 billion, and Marois said that will be the ceiling price, with the consortium that wins the bid to build being responsible for any cost overruns."

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Canadian and US aboriginal groups vow to block oil pipelines | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Canadian and US aboriginal groups vow to block oil pipelines | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "An alliance of Canadian and US aboriginal groups vowed on Wednesday to block three multibillion-dollar oil pipelines that are planned to transport oil from the Alberta tar sands, saying they are prepared to take physical action to stop them."

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International aboriginal alliance vows to fight new oilsands pipelines

International aboriginal alliance vows to fight new oilsands pipelines: "OTTAWA — An alliance of First Nations leaders is preparing to fight proposed new pipelines in the courts and through unspecified direct action.

Native leaders from Canada and the United States were on Parliament Hill on Wednesday to underline opposition to both the Northern Gateway and Keystone XL pipelines."

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Canadian High Commissioner’s Visit to Oxford Tarred by Local Protest | No Tar Sands | UK Tar Sands Network

Canadian High Commissioner’s Visit to Oxford Tarred by Local Protest | No Tar Sands | UK Tar Sands Network: "The High Commissioner was put on the defensive by a series of questions from both British and Canadian students invoking Canada’s refusal to acknowledge opposition on tar sands. “Brand Canada” took another bash when one speaker admitted to being “embarrassed” by Canada’s persistent undermining of both domestic and international climate legislation. Campbell was clearly uncomfortable when pushed on the Idle No More uprisings and reacted aggressively to challenges from another member of the audience regarding the need to radically change overall energy use patterns."

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Global Temperatures Highest in 4,000 Years, Study Says - NYTimes.com

Global Temperatures Highest in 4,000 Years, Study Says - NYTimes.com: "Global temperatures are warmer than at any time in at least 4,000 years, scientists reported Thursday, and over the coming decades are likely to surpass levels not seen on the planet since before the last ice age."

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Arctic Ice in Death Spiral, Thaws Permafrost — Risks Climate Catastrophe | Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist

Arctic Ice in Death Spiral, Thaws Permafrost — Risks Climate Catastrophe | Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist: "The carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have melted the Arctic sea ice to its lowest volume since before the rise of human civilisation, dangerously upsetting the energy balance of the entire planet, climate scientists are reporting."

#tarsands only make money because true public health and environement costs are deferred [externalized].

If the true costs of #tarsands were being paid, it would be an energy-losing enterprise, as well as money-losing.

Confirmed: Tar Sands Toxic Liquid Waste Contaminating Local Waterways – EcoWatch: Uniting the Voice of the Grassroots Environmental Movement: "As tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. yesterday to urge President Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, more evidence emerged that the public isn’t getting the full story of the environmental impacts of tar sands."

IPS – Thawing Permafrost May Be “Huge Factor” in Global Warming | Inter Press Service

Crack patterns in Arctic permafrost as viewed from a helicopter. Credit: Brocken Inaglory/cc by 3.0

IPS – Thawing Permafrost May Be “Huge Factor” in Global Warming | Inter Press Service: "UXBRIDGE, Canada, Feb 14 2013 (IPS) - Thawing permafrost is emitting more climate-heating carbon faster than previously realised. Scientists have now learned that when the ancient carbon locked in the ice thaws and is exposed to sunlight, it turns into carbon dioxide 40 percent faster."

Tarsands poisoning paradise

Olivia Chow, MP » Blog Archive » End Gridlock, Get Canada Moving: Olivia on Transit

Olivia Chow, MP » Blog Archive » End Gridlock, Get Canada Moving: Olivia on Transit: "Spread the word – mobilize! Get moving! It can be done. Together, we can move Canada forward with fast, reliable, accessible transit. We can end the gridlock – we can get moving. And don’t ever let them tell you it can’t be done!"

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USD 600B spent on gas and oil exploration and production in 2012

Majority of Oil, Gas and Coal Reserves Too Dangerous To Use – International Energy Agency (IEA) « Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist: "In 2012, more than 600 billion dollars will be spent worldwide on oil and gas exploration and production, according to a Harvard University study titled “Oil: The New Revolution”.  That study forecasts a boom in fossil fuel production that could push global heating of the planet to a catastrophic eight degrees C higher, according to Oil Change International, a U.S.-based NGO."

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Tar Sands Blockade Oklahoma action #NoKXL #IdleNoMore

First Nations actions are for all of humanity

"everything you know about Aboriginal people is wrong"

@WinnipegJules: "So in conclusion white people, once you accept these things: This isn't your country, you've been lied to your whole life, and everything you know about Aboriginal people is wrong, you'll be able to thrive as a Nation and Canada will be better for it. And once that happens, you can join us Aboriginal people in reality, and we can all work together for a better society and find answers that suit ALL of us. After all, we have to share this land you named Canada.

And hurry up will you? We've been waiting 400 years. "

Mass marches for #idlenomore

Oh, Canada, your home on native land... #idlenomore

Idle No More: A crucial call for justice | Amnesty International Canada:
Grassroots rallies across Canada under the banner 'Idle No More' have put the spotlight on a federal legislative agenda that is trampling the rights of Indigenous peoples set out in  domestic and international law.

Idle No More: Canada’s Growing Indigenous Rights Movement, Fast Going Global — The International

Idle No More: Canada’s Growing Indigenous Rights Movement, Fast Going Global — The International: "In October 2012, four women from Saskatchewan, Canada decided that it was time to address damaging legislation against the nation’s aboriginal peoples, lands and waters. Their movement, Idle No More, started as a simple campaign against Bill C 45, a bill which many claim violates Canada’s Indian Act. The bill is seen to limit Indigenous rights granted by previous treaties and the Indian Act regarding sovereignty over aboriginal lands, their resources, and government decisions concerning them. Yet the movement has grown, now representing all fights for indigenous sovereignty, cultural respect, and the rights of all Canadians to a healthy environment."

Letter-writing and peaceful rallies have not worked - #idlenomore

Idle No More spreads beyond border as aboriginal activists ramp up pressure: ""We did letter writing and phone calls and trying to talk to MPs and, you know, we took that route and it didn't work," she said.

"Then we had to move up to peaceful marches and rallies, and that didn't work. So now we're doing all these flash mob round dances, which are more about working hand in hand with Canadians and also keeping the focus on the media. But now you see blockades.""

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Mad dash for arctic oil -- throwing caution to the wind

Oil ship runs aground in Alaska | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "The ship, the Kulluk, broke away from one of its tow lines on Monday afternoon and was driven, within hours, on to rocks just off Kodiak Island, where it grounded at about 9pm Alaska time, officials said."

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