News Release
For immediate release
May 22, 2008
North/South Climate Change Network to be created
MIRARCO and Clean Air Partnership team up to create the N/SCCN
Sudbury, ON – MIRARCO and the Clean Air Partnership (CAP), with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will work together to form a North/South Climate Change Network (N/SCCN) within the province of Ontario. The network’s goal is to create a learning environment where communities in the north and south of Ontario can share solutions to the issue of climate change, including adapting to the negative impacts of climate change. The network will use technology such as video and teleconferencing to reach urban, northern and remote locations.
“The network will create an environment where communities and stakeholder groups within Ontario can learn, share success stories and collectively advance the province’s knowledge on climate change solutions. A large part of the work will be focussed on educating municipalities on how they are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and stressing the need for adaptation in their planning” said Al Douglas, project co-lead.
MIRARCO is no stranger to climate change research. It hosted the Ontario office of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN), from 2001 to 2007. It now houses the provincially supported Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources (OCCIAR).
“The N/SCCN is a natural progression for MIRARCO. We now want to bridge the gap between northern and southern Ontario and we’re continuing to improve the province’s preparedness for, and knowledge of climate change,” said Douglas.
MIRARCO’s southern Ontario counterpart—Clean Air Partnership (CAP), is a registered charity established in 2000 at the Toronto Smog Summit. CAP’s goal is to improve local air quality and reduce greenhouse gases for healthy communities.
Funding for this project comes from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Future Fund, a grant created to enhance the future of Ontario’s communities. It was announced on April 24th that the N/SCCN would receive $349,200 over a 30 month period.
“We commend the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their leadership in supporting the growth and effectiveness of the environment sector in this province. We are particularly impressed with the spirit of collaboration among established organizations who can share their expertise with smaller, local groups, " said John Gerretsen, Minister of the Environment.
MIRARCO will be hosting an event on June 6, 2008 at the Willet Green Miller Centre in Sudbury to mark the formal launch of the North/South Climate Change Network. Look to future press releases for more details.
MIRARCO- Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation, founded in 1998, is a not-for-profit applied research and technical service company formed through collaboration between Laurentian University and the private and public sectors. MIRARCO is located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. We promote mining innovation and provide a bridge between researchers and industry.
Clean Air Partnership (CAP)-The Clean Air Partnership (CAP) is a registered charity. It was established at the Toronto Smog Summit in June 2000. It is a registered charity that works in partnership with utilities, schools, businesses, governments and community groups to promote and coordinate actions to improve local air quality and reduce greenhouse gases for healthy communities.
Ontario Trillium Foundation-The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is one of Canada’s leading grantmaking foundations and is an agency of the Government of Ontario. The OTF is a catalyst that enables Ontarians to work together to enhance the quality of life in their communities. It believes that communities across Ontario are rich in talent, creativity and drive, and their grants stimulate communities to build on these assets.
Contact:
Al Douglas
OCCIAR Coordinator
MIRARCO
Phone 705.675.1151 x.1506
adouglas@mirarco.org
