Codes, compliance, by-laws, best practices and green initiatives. From Planning to Maintenance Join Belleville Fire Department, Bay of Quinte Safe Communities and the City of Belleville Green Task Force for an informative morning workshop and a “Question and Answer” luncheon. Tickets - $45

This is a must attend event for building staff and property managers; engineers and architects; developers & planners; and fire prevention specialists. and particularly for those involved with green design or retrofit initiatives on multi-residential, commercial or industrial buildings.

They will explore fire and building code compliance, by-laws that supersede codes and standards, “go green” challenges we face today, maintaining Fire Code Retrofit Compliance, the new 2007 Fire Code, , Safety Plan implementation, due diligence, how to avoid non-compliance while addressing “go green” initiatives. Register now (613) 967-4693

Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (registration starts at 8:30 a.m.) Location: Quinte Sports Centre - upstairs in the Wally Dever Arena.

Work is going well on revamping this website and everything should be finished by the end of July.

On Saturday, July 3, the Grand Opening of the Peterson Trail in Hastings Highlands takes place. The celebration will be held at 1568 Peterson Road in Maynooth at 10 a.m. with a guided hike followed by opening ceremonies and a free BBQ lunch at noon.

The Peterson Trail is full of rugged looping trails roaming through hardwood forests of sugar maple, beech and oak. It borders several wetlands including marshes and black spruce swamps. The Three Vista Loop is 6.2 Km. long and offers three impressive views to the north, east and west. No motorized vehicles are permitted on Peterson Trail.

Inside Vancouver Blog March 31, 2010

Bisley Community Composting Scheme is one of 103 UK volunteering groups to win this year’s The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service - the MBE for volunteer groups.

The prestigious National Honour recognises outstanding contributions made to local communities by groups voluntarily devoting their time for the benefit of others.

It sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged of the highest standard. Bisley Community Composting Scheme has more than 100 members who take their garden waste to a designated site in the village. Every year around 50 tonnes of this waste is transformed into compost, which is used by local residents.

Vernon Molloy, from Ivanhoe, a philosopher by inclination and training, spends time pondering the problems facing the world and the increasing number of poor people. He has created a fascinating, thought-provoking website Backlander. In addition to writing about philosophy, he puts forward concrete ideas of what we can do faced with what he says may be the biggest destruction of life since a comet eliminated the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. He says “whether one is a global warming, resource-depletion alarmist or a secular moralist, we all agree that well-being depends upon improved conduct.”

The Municipality of Tweed’s Community Development Committee (CDC) wants local residents and organizations to know that the draft of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) has been released for review and comment. The document is available for download: printed copies are also available from the Municipality of Tweed and at a number of locations throughout the Municipality. There are public meetings planned for Thursday, February 18 at Tweed White Building 7-9 p.m., Monday, February 22 at Marlbank St. Matthews Anglican Church Hall 7-9 p.m., and on Thursday, February 25, 7-9 p.m. at Queensborough Community Centre.

Mix 97, Thursday, Jan 28, 2010. A consultant’s report on integrated waste management is being circulated to the council’s of eight Hastings-Quinte municipalities. The report covers a publicly-owned garbage transfer station, curbside organic pickup, and energy from waste system. A publicly-owned transfer station would save about a million dollars annually. And Chair of the Integrated Waste Committee, Tom Lafferty says the municipalities would have more control over the tipping fees. The energy from waste system is a big ticket item…65-million dollars… with the possibility of selling electricity to the grid. But Councillor Lafferty emphasizes…it’s all just being looked at. The eight municipalities include Belleville, Quinte West, Prince Edward County and four in Hastings County.

Jay Shafer has been living in houses smaller than some people’s closets since 1997. “My decision to inhabit just 89 square feet arose from some concerns I had about the impact a larger house would have on the environment, and because I do not want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. My houses have met all of my domestic needs without demanding much in return. The simple, slower lifestyle my homes have afforded is a luxury for which I am continually grateful”, said Shafer. His company is called Tumbleweed Company.

He is running a Tiny House workshop in Toronto is July.

By Jason Dearen The Associated Press / January 7, 2010 Methane gas produced in California landfills fuels garbage and recycling trucks, reducing the state’s carbon emissions.