Citizen Engagement & World Water Day

The UN World Water Day happens annually on March 22. This year, UN Water has teamed up with the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) to present "World Water Day 2012: The World is Thirsty Because we are Hungry." When we factor in the amount of water required to make many of the foods we eat daily, we see that our water footprint is actually much larger than perhaps originally thought.

For example, statistics say that each of us drinks 2 to 4 litres of water every day. However most of the water we ‘drink’ is embedded in the food we eat; producing 1 kilo of beef for example consumes 15,000 litres of water while 1 kilo of wheat ’drinks up’ 1,500 litres. We can have a positive impact on our water footprint by re-evaluating our food choices!

Check your virtual water footprint here!

Future Diplomats In-Training: CANIMUN 2012

The Canadian International Model UN (CANIMUN) was held this past weekend at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB. Although designed for university students, the Calgary Current received a special invitation to participate given their great reputation within UNA-Canada.

The Indonesian delegation @ CANIMUN 2012

Students from the Calgary Current made up a delegation that represented the Republic of Indonesia on the Rio+20, the GA1, and the WHO committees. After a crash course on the rules and procedures of model UNs, the students worked towards solutions on Arctic sovereignty, private security companies, the green economy, social determinants of health, global pandemics, and global technology transfers. 

Calgary Current @ the Teacher's Convention

Laura & Sara T. at the Teacher's Convention

Last week The Ripple Effect - Calgary Current made two brief appearances at the Calgary Teacher's Convention. With the generosity of the City of Calgary Parks, Environment & Education department, we shared booth space over the noon-hour rush.

Calgary Current members took time out of their days-off to come down to the Telus Convention Centre  and speak to teachers about the Caring For our Watershed contest and the implementation of last years' second place proposal "Youth Teaching Youth Classroom Presentations."


In the two short hours that Calgary Current spent at the Teacher's Convention, we talked with over 60 teachers from around Calgary. We told teachers from all grades and subject areas about the free classroom presentations developed by youth (Calgary Current), for youth (young Calgarians at large) on topics like watershed stewardship, the importance of wetlands, local biodiversity, and simple conservation strategies. Needless to say, the teachers that we spoke with were impressed!

A big thanks to the City of Calgary for sharing their booth space with us. And well done Calgary Current members for such great representation!

Sharing is Caring - Knowledge is Power!

At our last meeting, the Calgary Current was thrilled to welcome Mike Murrey from the Bow River Basin Council (BRBC) as a guest speaker.

A biologist by training, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge with him about the Bow River sub-basin.  It was very generous of him to spend an hour of his Saturday morning discussing with us everything from the aquatic life and biodiversity of the Basin to water licensing policies and politics.