Community Stories
World Community Urged to Voice Concern
Approximately 70% of the global population or 5.5 billion people are internet users. Climate change and nuclear conflict are the biggest threats to life on the planet! Together, anything is possible. I urge our world community to share this message: Dear Secretary...
Physician Group Fighting for Health and Planet Marks 30 Years
In my time, I have co-founded a number of organizations, but I am particularly proud to have helped start CAPE — the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment — 30 years ago. Three of us, independently, had started to develop the idea of some sort of doctors’ organization…
BC Gov’t Just Announced Rebates for Household Solar and Battery Storage Systems
On June 27, the Government of B.C. announced that we're introducing new rebates for customers looking to install solar panels and battery energy storage systems. To be eligible for rebates, equipment must be installed after the official launch of the program, meet all...
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We just overshot our fair share of Earth for 2023
Just a few days ago, Canada overshot its fair share of Earth’s biocapacity and resources, as measured by the ecological footprint in 2018, the latest year for which data is available. By March 13, Canada had already consumed its fair share of the Earth’s bounty for the year. Collectively, humanity passed its 2022 Earth Overshoot Day on July 28.
IPCC Report Findings
This is a good summary of the main points of the IPCC report released yesterday. The new analysis, a synthesis of six previous reports by the United Nations’ climate group, presents a mixed picture of the world’s fight against climate change. Here are three takeaways.
Open Letter to Premier Eby: To Protect Our Oldest and Rarest Forests
“Our forests are foundational to B.C. In collaboration with First Nations and industry, we are accelerating our actions to protect our oldest and rarest forests.” These are the words attributed to you, Premier Eby, in the February 15, 2023 government press release...
Learning self-care should start in school
Last week, I suggested self-care should be a strategic priority for Canada’s health system. Done well, it can reduce unnecessary demand for professional care while at the same time improving outcomes, empowering patients and enhancing personal and community capacity for caring.
One Planet Challenge 2023
The Capital Regional District, District of Saanich and City of Victoria are very pleased to invite all Middle and Secondary School students (Grade 6-12) in Greater Victoria to participate in the One Planet Living Student Challenge. This One Planet BC contest is led by...
Purchasing for protection: A perpetual Sophie’s choice for conservationists
Unlike the rest of BC, where the majority of land is under public management, 80% of the Coastal Douglas-fir zone is privately owned. Thus land protection is one of the most common conservation approaches, but is it sustainable?
Support Spotted Owl to Save Our Forests
Please support the Federal Government in passing the emergency order to save the spotted owl. We need the Feds to take this on because BC doesn’t have species-at-risk legislation. Maybe the spotted owl’s right to survive can save some of our forests....
Self-care must be a strategic priority for the health system
Courtesy of the Times Colonist Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck The most important task in creating a health system is to keep people healthy, so they do not need to use the illness-care part of the system. My three most recent columns looked at ways in which we...
Watch Last of the Ancient Rainforest Online
One of the planet's most magnificent forests is the Coastal Temperate Rainforest of North America. The biggest parts of it are in the Canadian province of British Columbia, where logging companies are still clearcutting some of the...
United for Old Growth Rally Recap
Thousands of people from all over Vancouver Island and the Mainland braved the cold to show their support for protecting and preserving British Columbia’s at this week’s Old Growth Forest Rally. Douglas and Government Streets in Victoria were closed down for more than 45 minutes as people streamed in filling the streets from the length of City Hall to the Parliament Buildings.
Why you should know and be concerned about C-IRG
C-IRG emulates and supports a structure of quasi-fascism within Canadian government and policing, however many citizens are unaware of this government funded group. This post hopes to raise awareness and gain community support.
Public policy as if health matters
Back in the early 1980s, building on the work of others, I came up with the concept of “healthy public policy,” which has since been taken up by the World Health Organization and many national and provincial governments. Canada even has a National Collaborating Centre on Healthy Public Policy.
