Community Stories
BC Budget Consultation – by 2 pm, June 19
The NDP Budget Committee is accepting written submissions for its 2027 Budget. What should we be asking for? You can make up to three recommendations, with an explanation for each. Participate by using the submission form HERE . We have set up a google doc to share…
Flood the Consultation: Don’t Fast-Track Destruction
The Government of Canada is proposing major legislative changes that would make it easier for mega-corporations to profit while our communities and the planet suffer the consequences. Act now. See email template to send critical feedback to Prime Minister Carney and…
One of the Strongest Marine Protected Areas in the World
Six First Nations, BC and Canada will preserve and steward a large chunk of the Central Coast. That means no pipelines. The area will be protected under Indigenous law, and known as Mia-yaltwa Ha’lidzogm hoon , pronounced “Me-ah-yall-twa Ha-lee-joh-gom hOH-own,”…
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Energy Efficiency Starts in our Homes and Workplaces
The third-largest component of our ecological footprint consists of buildings, and almost two-thirds of that is the operating energy used for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, cooking and powering electronics. Most of the rest is the embodied energy in the materials used to construct the buildings.
Book Review: Oil’s Deep State by Kevin Taft
If you’re like me, you might look at this book and wonder how dry and boring it might be. This book is a wonderful surprise in that regard; once I started I could not put it down. This story contains so much information and is rounded out in such a way that you will soon find something that will pique your interest and take you down the rabbit hole.
Invitation to Apply to the LEEP Field Trial Homes
BC Housing and its partners are currently accepting expressions of interest for the LEEP Field Trial Homes and would like to invite you to participate! If you are planning the design and construction of a high-performance home or building, your project may be eligible…
Earth-Friendly Transportation Must Be Our Priority
Last week, I described some of the local “seeds” working to create a One Planet Region in the second-largest part of our ecological footprint — transportation. About three-quarters of the transport footprint is due to private vehicle use, most of which uses fossil fuels.
The Power of One Voice – Artist Poulami Banerjee Spotlight
Painting is a form of language which helps me to voice my outlook towards certain issues that stir me emotionally. I feel that I have expressed myself to the viewer aptly through my art only when it moves the audience or evokes an emotional response in them.
Saanich Endorses One Planet Island Declaration Motion
Thanks to the District of Saanich Mayor and Council for unamimously passing a resolution to the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities to “encourage municipal governments to take steps to engage their citizens in reducing their ecological footprint by…
Petition for 100% Electrification of Victoria Regional Transit System Vehicles
This petition seeks a rapid 100% transition of Victoria Regional Transit System vehicles to clean electric power. The petition is launched by the View Royal Climate Coalition and supported by the South Island Climate Action Network.
Local ‘Seeds’ of a One Planet Region
This week, I begin to highlight some of our local “seeds” — groups and organizations that are working to create a One Planet Region. This is our local version of a good Anthropocene where we use only our fair share of the Earth’s resources while improving health and well-being in a way that is socially just.
The Hope of a Good Anthropocene
Sadly, there is not much good news about the state of the Earth these days. Climate change becomes more real as it starts to bite — just ask the Australians — and there is growing awareness of and concern about the extinction crisis we are triggering. We do have positive options, good choices and many opportunities.
Small is Beautiful — and Essential
Some readers will doubtless recognize the reference to E.F. Schumacher’s classic 1973 book Small is Beautiful, in which he introduced the world to the concept of “Buddhist economics.” The book’s sub-title was “Economics as if people mattered,” which today we might amend to read “Economics as if people and the planet mattered.”
Trees Matter Free Toolkit
Trees matter! For this reason, we have compiled a variety of information, resources, ideas and wisdom to help protect and preserve more trees. Check it out!
Old Growth Strategy Review
An effective old growth strategy is one important part of a long-term forest asset stewardship plan to ensure nature’s endowment of forests best serve the public’s interests in changing times. Effective old growth forest conservation, protection and management will be…
