The Green Economy -- practical strategies to create community-based eco-economies

What: a 30-hour course over 10 weeks

When: WEDNESDAYS Jan 24 to Mar 28, 2007, 7 to 10 pm

Where: Toronto, ON (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,
252 Bloor St. W., Toronto (at St. George subway), 2nd floor, Room 2-296

Cost: $155

Presented by the Labour Education Centre (LEC) in collaboration with the Transformative Learning Centre of OISE-UT

The Green Economy is an overview of radical potentials for reorganizing the economy for social and ecological purposes, while at the same time showcasing exciting alternatives being built right now in the existing economy.

The premise of the course is that today's social, economic and environmental crises are not problems of management, but of design. A process of economic conversion is necessary to create economic structures which facilitate
human self-development, social justice, community enrichment and ecological regeneration. Tinkering with the System will not do; and yet, the required changes can only emerge gradually and incrementally. How can really radical
and qualitative change emerge organically? This course looks at the principles and practical strategies which can accomplish such a transformation.

The focus of the course is on the range of practical economic alternatives being established in various sectors of the economy--from agriculture and the food system, to manufacturing, to transportation, to urban planning & design, to finance, and much more.

The 30-hr. course features expert guest speakers, videos, interesting literature and lots of discussion.

The sessions planned for this year include:
* Principles of Green Economics
* Agriculture & the Food System
* Green Building & Urban Design
* The Soft Energy Path
* Socially-responsible Investing & Finance
* Green Markets & Open-source Information Tools
* Sustainable Transportation
* Manufacturing, Labour, & Extended Producer Responsibility
* Community Indicators of real wealth

Expert guest speakers will include Rod MacRae (Local Flavours Plus & Ryerson); green architect Martin Liefhebber; Susan Henry (Alterna Savings); eco-engineer Greg Allen (EnerACT & Green Building Council); Chris Lowry (Green Enterprise Toronto); Beth Jones (Toronto Environmental Alliance); Nick DeCarlo (CAW);
Loretta Michaud (WHSC); and more.

For more information:

Brian Milani
Phone: (416) 537-6532, x. 2244
bmilani@web.ca