Oil Spill in Peru is a Life Threatening Emergency for Local Indigenous People (Video)

There is another fossil fuel tragedy taking place that is going largely unnoticed by the world. This one is taking place in Peru and like so many oil spills it does not get press attention despite its destructive human and ecological impact. It could be that this is due to the fact that spills are common. As has become common, there were dozens of oil spills in North America in 2015 making the point that there is no safe way of transporting fossil fuels. It is well known that fossil fuels are the leading cause of the climate crisis we are facing but the problems associated with extraction and transporting hydrocarbons often goes unnoticed.

In the northern jungles of Peru people are in peril after two pipeline ruptures spilled crude oil into various waterways, including the Marañon River, a principal tributary of the Amazon River. For indigenous people these waterways are their lifeline, they provide food and water for crops and consumption.

GMO's Top Green School Stories of 2014

This year represents the fifth annual installment of the Green Market Oracle's (GMO) annual sustainable school series.

Each year GMO puts together a summary of some of the latest information and resources on environmentally oriented academics and activities as well as green infrastructure in pedagogical settings.

Here are the Green Market Oracle's top posts in green education, activities and infrastructure for 2014:

DIY Workshop - A Living Christmas Tree

The DIY Workshop titled "A Living Christmas Tree" will take place on Saturday December 14, 2013, from 1 pm - 2 pm at the Evergreen Garden Market, located at 550 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario. A living tree is a far more environmentally sound alternative to traditional cut trees. During this workshops participants will learn how to care for and maintain a live Fraser fir in their homes, and then how to plant it in the garden or forest so that it will be around for generations to come.

The program is sponsored by Home Depot.

Book Launch - Living Ecological Justice

The book launch event for "Living Ecological Justice" will take place on Tuesday December 10, 2013, at the Toronto School of Theology, 47 Queens Park Crescent E (2 blocks south of Museum subway station) from 7pm to 9pm. Free-will donations will be accepted.

Enjoy a panel discussion with book contributors Stephen Scharper, Rev. Willard Metzger and Joy Kennedy, recently returned from Climate talks in Warsaw (see biographies below). The evening will include a question and answer session and workshop activities to help you explore ways to make the best use of this resource in your own congregation. Refreshments will follow.

Living Ecological Justice: A Biblical Response to the Environmental Crisis is an ecumenical workshop and action guide on creation care. It contains a series of reflections by leading thinkers in ecotheology, as well as suggested activities which make it a perfect discussion book for a study group.

Event - Ecobuild Sustainable Design and Construction

This event will take place on March 5th - 7th 2013 in London, UK. Ecobuild is the biggest event in the world for sustainable design, construction and the built environment. More than just an exhibition, Ecobuild brings together communities from across diverse industry sectors to learn, share, see and discover – it's the perfect platform to meet with the key players, business leaders and industry professionals.

Earth Wisdom Permaculture Event: A New Paradigm in Regenerative Living

Earth Wisdom Permaculture is a 2-week Permaculture Design Course. It will take place on July 20 to August 3 in London, Ontario. This internationally recognized, 72-hour training offers information on the ethics, principles, methods, techniques, and practices of Permaculture Design Course. The Earth Wisdom Permaculture course provides you with the skills to meet the challenging cultural, environmental and energy-supply changes that face us. It teaches how to reconnect with the 'Original Instructions' revealed within nature so that we are empowered to create positive, active and practical solutions for personal, community and environment benefit.

Permaculture Design Course at the Whole Village

The Permaculture Design Course at the Whole Village will take place on July 22 to August 4, 2012, in Caledon, Ontario. This course is designed to create a self sufficient lifestyle in harmony with nature. This intensive 13 day course offers practical training in permaculture design principles and techniques to create sustainable environments that provide self-reliance in food, shelter, energy, fulfilling employment and supportive community. This training will be useful for those from beginning, backyard gardeners to design professionals. Field trips and practical sessions for design and gardening are included. Evening seminars and socials complete the day sessions. Topics include: Ecological Landscape Design, Organic Gardening, Edible Landscaping and Forest Gardening, Poultry Care, Appropriate Technology, Ecovillage Design, Ecoforestry, Soil Fertility and Composting, Fruit and Nut Production, Water Harvesting and Uses.

Ecological Farmers Summer Bus Tour to Rodale (Event)

On July 19-21, 2012, there will be a summer bus trip to Rodale (3 full days/2 nights). We will participants will be part of the Rodale Institute Annual Field Day where speakers will present research information and a tour of their research farm. They will also visit include several farm stops in New York and Pennsylvania including Eric and Anne Nordell’s vegetable farm (at Trout Run, Pa) and Steve Groff’s Farm to discuss cover crops and his crop management systems.

Investors and Global Sustainability

Carlota Garcia-Manas, Head of Research at EIRIS which recently published its annual report ranking global leaders in sustainability. While Garcia-Manas noted that progress is being made on sustainability she indicated that much more needs to be done. Mark Robertson, report author and Head of Communications at EIRIS pointed to legislation in Europe and increased public awareness. Both Garcia-Manas and Robertson said that investors have a prominent role to play driving sustainability.