I just have to say it Scott Vaughan is one cool Auditor General! Check out his frank 2012 report on how Canada’s faltering on our climate change commitments and the at times overlooked impacts of contaminated sites. Click here to access the whole report online.

I also included one of his videos here but, click here, if you want to watch some more of his videos – they make his job seem accessible.

The NBEN’s staff are taking the challenge will you? June 3- June 9^th the National Commuter Challenge gets underway and competitors are asked to try and find active ways to get to work! We here at the NBEN are challenging you as an individual or group to enter today.

Why not join it:

• Is a week-long event during Canadian Environment Week (June 3 – 9, 2012)
• Is a friendly competition between Canadian cities and workplaces
• Encourages Canadians to leave their cars at home
• Rewards walking, cycling, carpooling/ride-sharing, taking transit and telecommuting
• Celebrates active and sustainable transportation
• Is nationally hosted by Sustainable Alberta Association
• Is locally hosted by City Coordinators who support workplaces

Click here for the rules and to enter

The David Suzuki Foundation is asking young Canadians between the ages of 13 and 20 to take a survey and share how you as a youth spend  time outside.

Survey link: http://app.fluidsurveys.com/s/david-suzuki-foundation-youth-survey/

Share your views and experiences with Suzuki Foundation and you’ll have a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Ticketmaster.

Your opinions matter. Send this survey to your friends and make your voices heard about how young people want to connect with nature and the outdoors.

You can also find the David Suzuki Fondation on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DavidSuzukiFoundationYouthSurvey#

NBEN Communications and Special Projects Assistant

The New Brunswick environmental network is a non-profit, bilingual communication network linking over 90 environmental groups across the province. The network is the heartbeat of the environmental movement, with a mission “to encourage and facilitate networking and communication among member groups in order to advance their work, to protect the Earth, to promote ecologically sound ways of life and to strengthen the environmental movement in New Brunswick.”

Salary: $11.00 / hour for 37.5 hours per week

Term of employment: Starting as soon as possible for10 weeks, full time position, Monday to Friday from 9 to 5 with occasional evenings and weekend work.

 Location: Moncton, New Brunswick (1 vacancy)

Position Requirements: This position is being funded through support from Heritage Canada’s Young Canada Works Program

To be eligible for this position you must:

• - be between 16 and 30 years of age on the start date of the job,
• - have a working knowledge of both English and French
• - must have been a full-time student during the previous academic year and be intending to return to full-time studies in the next academic year;
• - be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a refugee under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• - more criteria online at http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/jct-ycw/info-ppts/101-eng.cfm

Applicants must apply online to Heritage Canada’s Young Canada Works Summer Work Experience Program (www.youngcanadaworks.ca) for consideration of employment.

Persons who also meet the criteria of one or more Government of Canada's job equity groups (http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/centres/definitions-eng.htm) are encouraged to apply. Eligible applicants, who must travel 125km or more for their job, may qualify for YCWBOL to pay the cost of one round trip between the student’s residence and workplace and receive an allowance for housing costs incurred by those participants who have to pay for rent. Priority is given to candidates who have not previously participated in a Young Canada Works Summer Work Experience Program.

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Position's Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the coordinator(s) in expanding the NBEN’s website interactive potential.
• Assist the coordinator in connecting with more youth environmental groups
• Assist in the coordination of some regional and province-wide environmental conferences.
• Conduct a survey of all the schools in the province that are focused on environmental and sustainability curriculum, student involvement, and “green” operations, then compile survey results, and disseminate relevant information to stakeholders
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Organizational and coordination skills
• Strong oral and written communications skills in English and French
• Strong computer skills
• Out-going and personable

Assets:

• Capable of working in a flexible work environment
• Ability to work independently but also a co-operative team player
• Quick learner and a highly motivated self-starter
• Creative and resourceful
• Background in the environmental or non-profit sector
• Interest in or passion for environmental issues

Education: Preference may be given to university students studying in the fields of Bachelor of Arts (with preference for Communications) or Bachelor of Science (with preference for Environmental Studies, Forestry, or Biology); or college students studying Administration and/or Communications.

Languages: Speak English, Read English, Write English, Speak French, Read French, Write French

How to Apply:

By E-mail: Please send resume and cover letter to the NBEN - nben@nben.ca">nben@nben.ca, attn: Joanna Brown

Application deadline: Monday, May 14 2012 at 9:00 am.

While the New Brunswick Environmental Network appreciates all applications, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. If you have not been contacted within one week of applying, please assume that we have chosen other candidates for interviews.

Check this contest out!

The ‘Date With History’ contest is an opportunity for young people around the globe to inspire the leaders of the world to act boldly and with urgency on key issues impacting the future of our planet. Entrants can upload a video speech below, and the top videos voted by the online public will be shared at the upcoming Rio Earth Summit in June.

A diverse jury of prominent celebrities, environmental activists and thought leaders will select one winner who will travel to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the summit and to share their vision!

Check out the videos and enter your video before May 6th - http://datewithhistory.com/#!/home

Rules: http://datewithhistory.com/rules/#!/home

Check out this contest - (les détails sont seulment en anglais mais les soumissions sont accepter en Français!):

Canada's Next Green Journalist  - 2012 competition is now open.

Canada's Next Green Journalist is an annual competition looking for inspired stories, photos and videos about local environmental issues from 12-17 and 18-21 year olds who want to be a part of the solution. Show us your creative environmental journalism for a chance to win a camera, a pocket camcorder, a laptop, or cash for your school!

Deadline: April 30, 2012

More Details - http://environmentaldefence.ca/campaigns/canadas-next-green-journalist

Know Shale Gas NB

Learn about the legal action some community groups are coordinating together at www.noshalegasnb.ca

Learn a bit about the groups and people organizing Know Shale Gas NB - This description comes from www.noshalegasnb.ca About Us:

We are New Brunswick citizens who want to protect our province and the people who live here from the detrimental effects of shale gas development that have occurred in other jurisdictions with extensive shale gas development using slickwater hydraulic fracturing.

Residents of Pavilion, Wyoming; Dimock, Pennsylvania; Fort Worth and Dish, Texas; and Rosebud, Alberta are all too familiar with the effects of shale gas development – water contamination, poor air quality, decreased property values, increased noise, and overall poorer quality of life.

Know Shale Gas NB members include:

• Hampton Water First
• Darlings Island Nauwigewauk
• Quality of Life Initiative
• Council of Canadians, Saint John Chapter
• Penniac Anti-Shale Gas Organization (PASGO)
• Friends of UNB Woodlot 
• Saint John and Area KAIROS

One would think the Federal Government budget would be about numbers, cut and dry, instead the Omnibus Budget Bill announced on March 29, 2012 had a lot of very significant non-budgetary related add-ons. Extras like the alterations to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Fisheries Act will drastically reduce Canada’s environmental protection powers. The worst part is these changes are passing through our democratic process as after thoughts, with little debate, due to the fact they are attached to the budget. Oh and not to forget about the Federal government’s internal cuts to any department or tool that has an environmental focus.

Thank goodness the public is discussing these issues here a few of the news articles for your own thought and discussions.

Federal Cuts:

- Budget targets environmental critics - Mike De Souza, Postmedia News

Fisheries Act:

- Feds ‘neutering’ Fisheries Act– Heather Scoffield The Canadian Press

- Harper's Underhanded Gutting of Fisheries Act Designed to Help Enbridge and Co. – Rafe Mair Common Sense Journalism

- Take Action – Fisheries Act – Georgy Haymen Sierra Club Blog

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act:

- Canada' Environmental Assessment Law is Under Attack - Mining Watch Canada

- Évaluations environnementales – Ottawa pourrait noyer le poisson - Guillaume Bourgault-Côté Le Devoir.com

- Budget shortens environmental review process – Max Paris, CBC News

- Changements aux evaluations environnementales: une mesure du budget qui choque – Radio Canada

University of Guelph students decided it was time to take action and bring climate change back into the media and back onto the political agenda.

The students want you to join them in robocalling Steven Harper on April 4th, 2012, to show you care about climate change. Just call 613-992-4211 (it’s FREE!) and leaving this message:

Hi Steve, this is [insert your name], and I’m calling from [insert your location].
And I have a message for you.
I’m calling to talk about climate change.
It’s real and it’s happening.
And it’s negatively impacting Canadians everywhere.
Something needs to be done, Steve.
There is no Planet B,
We have to live with the decisions you make, Steve.
Make Canada a Climate Leader, not a Climate Loser.
Do it for us.

For more information: www.callsteveday.wordpress.com and spread the word.