Cape Farewell in Prince Edward Island – News Release
Cape Farewell Youth Expedition Photography Exhibition at Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown (April 15, 2009) – The Legislative Assembly of Charlottetown is hosting an exhibition of photographs taken during the British Council-organized Cape Farewell Youth Expedition 2008. Last fall Prince Edward Island high school student Sean White joined an international group of students who journeyed to the Arctic on a youth expedition that raised awareness of climate change in Canada and abroad.
The Cape Farewell Youth Expedition was an inspirational international project that brought together top scientists, artists, educators and high school students from around the world and from each Canadian province and territory on an Arctic voyage of discovery.
The voyagers sailed from Reykjavik, Iceland, skirted the southern tip of Greenland and ended in Iqaluit on Baffin Island. Students studied climatology, oceanography, geomorphology and biogeography. Their art projects included film, photography, fine arts, performing arts and writing. Throughout the voyage, P.E.I. photographer Robert vanWaarden documented the voyage and produced a collection of breathtaking images.
The exhibition will be officially launched on Earth Day, Wednesday April 22 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm during a reception, with remarks from the Honourable Richard Brown (Minister of Environment, Energy & Forestry) and Cape Farewell voyager Sean White.
The exhibition will be on display in the Legislative Library, on the ground floor of the Coles Building from Monday April 20 through to Friday May 15, and will be available for public viewing on weekdays from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
Climate Camp in the City – G20
The mainstream media imagery that emerged this morning in London, England was largely focused on the violent demonstrations, graffiti and the broken windows at the Bank of Scotland. It seems that while holding to the mantra that destruction and violence sells papers, they missed the non-violent civil disobedience images of Climate Camp in the City.
Workshops, music, games and free vegan food were the order of the day outside the European Climate Exchange on Bishopsgate in London. Campers were spotted reading papers outside their tents, growing flowers, gardening bus stops and cooking meals. The camp was complete with a free vegan kitchen and composting toilets.
Despite the non-violent actions of all the campers, the police tactics changed abruptly after dark as they kettled the camp. (Kettling is a controversial police tactic to encircle the protest and not let anyone out or in, including families and children). After 3+ hours of kettling, those campers that were caught and wished to return home were allowed to go free. Several hundred chose to stay and were forcefully and violently evicted by the police early in the morning. Despite the police actions, the campers maintained a spirit of satyagraha until the end.
Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit – Pan Canada Tour
If we ever needed a good example of how the sum of a product is greater then its’ parts, we need to look no further then the Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit. Through the hard work of countless people, the British Council office in Ottawa, the voyagers and staff of the Cape Farewell voyage, and then the follow up phone calls and edits, the photography exhibit is currently on a Canadian tour.
It will be exhibited at 8 Legislative Assemblies across Canada and Parliament Hill in May. This means that a Climate Change exhibit and event is taking place in the halls where it can affect those that make the decisions. I think that that is exciting.
On a side note, when your images are shown on Parliament Hill, I think that you get to become a ‘Nationally Acclaimed’ Photographer.
Dates Below
Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit – pan-Canadian tour dates
Monday March 6 – Monday March 16 – Northwest Territories LA
Monday March 9-Tuesday March 31 – Saskatchewan LA
Monday April 20-Friday May 15 – Prince Edward Island LA (reception Wednesday April 22, 12:00-1:00)
Tuesday April 21-Friday May 15 – Yukon LA (reception Tuesday April 21, 11:00-12:00) (end date TBC)
Monday May 4 – Friday May 30 – Manitoba LA
Monday May 4 – Friday May 30 – Johnson GEO Centre (St. John’s, Newfoundland)
Tuesday May 26 – Parliament Hill (one day event only – 5:00-7:00)
Monday June 3 – Friday August 28 – Nunavut LA (dates TBC)
Monday August 17-Friday September 11 – British Columbia LA (dates TBC)
Desert Bound
When I tell friends that I am headed to Las Vegas, the question ‘why’ glazes over their eyes. It seems that I am perhaps not suited for the city, but, luckily all is righted when I explain that it is just an point of access to Death Valley and SouthWestern Utah.
I am really excited about spending some time shooting the South Western landscape and relaxing with my family who is meeting me in that wonderful corner of the world. I will be out of communication for a couple of weeks, but stay tuned for images of the SouthWestern landscape.
Rainy March in March for TVA
The water pours off my hood and dribbles onto the lens of my camera, frustrating my attempts to clear the drops of Tennessee rain. However, drops of rain, otter hair and the condensation in my rain cover are minor issues compared to the issue that I have been photographing today.
This afternoon, the March in March, an action organized by Mountain Justice took place in front of the TVA headquarters here in Knoxville. Activists gathered from all over the USA to protest against Mountain Top Removal Coal Mining, ‘Clean Coal’, and the recent TVA coal ash spill in Harriman.
On Dec. 22, 2008 a coal ash spill estimated at 5.4 million cubic yards, enough to cover 3,000 acres of property and houses with a one-foot layer of ash, swamped the town of Harriman in Tennessee.
In response, today, over 100 people braved the rain and the cold, marching around the TVA headquarters and participated in a Die In in front of the building. Those that participated in the Die In were led away and charged by Knoxville police.
The rain goes away, the clothing dries and the cameras survive to shoot another day. What won’t be the same in the future is the current coal industry.
Cape Farewell visits Regina and Yellowknife
The Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit is heading to Yellowknife and Regina. See excerpts from the press releases below.
Yellowknife (March 6, 2009) – The Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories is hosting an exhibition of photographs taken during the British Council-organized Cape Farewell Youth Expedition 2008. Last fall Northwest Territories high school student George Bailey joined an international group of students who journeyed to the Arctic on a youth expedition that raised awareness of climate change in Canada and abroad.
The photographs will be on display in the Great Hall at the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly from March 6 to 13, and available for public viewing on weekdays from 8:00am to 9:00pm and weekends 8:00am to 7:00pm.
and
Regina (March 2, 2009) – The Saskatchewan Legislative Building is hosting an exhibition of photographs taken during the British Council-organized Cape Farewell Youth Expedition 2008. Last fall Saskatchewan high school student Nicholas Redman joined an international group of students who journeyed to the Arctic on a youth expedition that raised awareness of climate change in Canada and abroad.
A selection of the photographs will be on display in the Cumberland Gallery at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building from March 9-31, and will be available for public viewing on weekdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Saturdays 10am – 4:00pm and Sundays 12pm – 4:00pm through the Prince of Wales entrance.
If you are in town, check them out.
Capitol Climate Action in Washington
Today, thousands of individuals converged on Washington D.C for the Capitol Climate Action, a march to surround and sit in on the Capitol Coal Plant. Check out the images at http://www.photoshelter.com/va/climatechange
Goose bumps at Power Shift 09
For the last two days I have had a serious case of Goosebumps. Never before have I heard and been a part of so much inspiration.
I have been documenting PowerShift in Washington DC. Over 12,000, yes, 12,000 youth, converged on Washington to take part in POWER SHIFT! The largest event ever for youth acting to prevent runaway climate change. It has been two days of incredible workshops and inspiration. Tomorrow, the largest day of lobbying in US history will take place on Capitol Hill. Over 300 meetings have been scheduled here in Washington with representatives of Congress to ask for bold and strong targets on climate legislation. Amazing!!
And yes, the moment we have been waiting for in the Climate Movement has arrived here in Washington DC.
Hundreds of young and old citizens of the US and the international community are putting their bodies on the line tomorrow and risking arrest as they shut down the Capitol Coal Plant here in Washington. The Capitol Coal Plant has been burning for over 100 years and is a prime example of the unsustainable world that we are currently engaged in and how the burning of coal must stop now! Tomorrow, Monday, March 2nd will go down in history as the first major non-violent action ever for the climate. It is super exciting. We are expecting thousands of people to join and march through downtown Washington and occupy the coal plant. The action has been endorsed by Bill McKibben, James Hansen, Darryl Hannah and tens of other amazing people and celebrities. (if you don’t know those three, look em up.)
Check out powershift09.org and Capitol Coal Action
Power Shift 09 Photography and Images
I am sitting here in the Energy Action Headquarters in Washington D.C. All around me the enthusiasm of the PowerShift team is crackling in the air like electricity. It is phenomenal and very very exciting. Over the next four days a conference of 12000 students is going to take place in the Washington Convention center. On Monday, they have scheduled over 300+ meetings with their Congress Reps. Simply put, this conference has the potential to change the world.
And of Course, images are going to be here. CLICK