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Welcome to Canada Conserves
Canada will face major challenges in the years to come -- climate change, declining resources, economic resilience, and rising prices. It could be a period of belt-tightening and sacrifice, or it could be a time to find ways to use less and live better at the same time. It all depends on our ability to work together better towards the common goals of an efficient, sustainable, and liveable future.
Canada needs leaders -- people like you working through your organizations, businesses, and governments to make Canada a great place to live. Conservation is not a separate issue that needs its own set of leaders -- it is a common and deep-rooted Canadian value. The leadership for a conserver society will come from how we all apply conservation principles in our work and our lives.
Canada Conserves was founded for two reasons: to promote conservation, and to promote conservation leadership. We're here to be a catalyst for the positive change and leadership that will make Canada a world leader in conservation.
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The power of conserving!
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Quick! What is conservation?
Most people think of nature. More recently, conservation means saving energy. But the truth is, nature and energy are just two ways we can conserve. Deep down, conservation is a commitment to live lightly on this planet -- and that commitment touches every aspect of our lives.
Do you have a favourite eco-term? Do you promote sustainability, living green, or being carbon-neutral? All the terms we have are really just different ways of selling a very similar set of solutions. In fact, no matter what our starting point -- ecological, economic, health, or well-being, it turns out we all have a common interest in finding ways to live better while using less. When you think conservation, think transit and safe cycling, fuel efficiency, local and organic food, local restaurants, local business and social ventures, arts and culture, complete communities, local parks and greenspace, ecotourism, economic resilience, green power... the potential for conserver solutions is amazing!
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Canada's Conservation Strategies
Back in the early 1980's, life was a whole lot simpler. All we had was conservation strategies. Now look at us! Our review of Canada's high-level environmental strategies shows that there are nine climate strategies, seven sustainable development strategies, two green plans, and one conservation strategy.
By whatever name they go by, a clear strategy is an essential catalyst for change. Canada Conserves wants to ensure that Canada's environmental strategies have fully addressed key issues with respect to the conservation of nature and natural resources and have integrated a conserver ethic into economic and social policy.
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The Conserver Economy
One of the most challenging environmental issues we face is our economy. More specifically, our debt.
Canada's national debt sits at $610 billion, or $17,500 for every one of us. To the south, the U.S. national debt is $16.7 trillion dollars, or $53,000 per person. Under conventional economics, we can pay off the debt only by growing the economy and developing more resources. Which means developing ever more remote and riskier resources (tar sands, boreal and arctic) and building more sprawl and pipelines. Clearly, we can't continue on this path indefinitely.
At Canada Conserves, we tackle major issues through a conserver lense -- living better with less. We can't promise perfect solutions to all problems, but we are committed to finding simple solutions for complex issues -- solutions we can live with!
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 How can you help?
Canada Conserves is an initiative, not a new organization. Our goal is to re-establish a strong conserver ethic across Canada that can be evidenced in individual action and through the leadership of organizations, businesses, institutions, and governments.
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We may call it by different names, or have a particular area of interest, but we all agree that Canada needs to protect nature and conserve natural resources.
As an organization, you can join our list of supporters for Canada Conserves.
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If your company, agency, foundation, or government is environmentally responsible and a leader in promoting conserver values, we’d like to have you as a sponsor for Canada Conserves.
Your donations will help cover our direct expenses in keeping the Canada Conserves website running and building the initiative. At present, we cannot offer a charitable receipt, however we expect to have a charitable host for the initiative by the fall of 2013.
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