Celebrating 10 Years – A Look Back to 2012
Thank you to everyone who has lent their support, time, and talent to Creatively United over the years! It takes a village! Photos by: Matthew Davies, Mo Parker, Melawend Photography, Daniel Etiene, and Frances... Read more
Help Create Healing Forests
Nature heals — in more ways than one. Science shows that spending time in nature reduces stress and anxiety and boosts energy, creativity, co-ordination, problem solving and curiosity. For Earth Day, you can make MORE green spaces available to MORE people. Donate to... Read more
Are our governments dangerous radicals or merely mad?
Right now, globally, we have experienced global warming of about 1.1 C, and we saw last summer here in B.C. what that can mean. Two recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paint a grim picture.
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Elders for Ancient Trees Newsletter
Elders for Ancient Trees Newsletter, April 14. It’s a cool and wet spring. Despite the chilliness, there is so much to be grateful for. Our friends and families. The blossoms along urban streets and in the forests. The first bees and small butterflies. The beautiful tumbling garlands of blooms nestled in the uncurling leaves of the Bigleaf maples.
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Old Growth Forest Ecology
The Old Growth Solutions Group and the Mother Tree Network team have joined forces to launch this new website focused on the science of ancient forests – please help us amplify its impact as we race to protect these rare magnetic forests of the Pacific... Read more
Speeding development of non-profit housing is good for health
Housing is fundamental to health. That should not be a surprise, especially in a country with Canada’s climate. The health impacts of being homeless or living in poor-quality housing are well understood, and must be obvious to anyone. But it is not just homelessness that is a concern — there is a much larger problem of affordability. Lack of affordable housing can markedly affect people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Read moreWorth More Standing Anthology Launch Event
Join Christine Lowther, Tofino’s Poet Laureate for the launch of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees Anthology. About this event The launch of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees will open at 12:30 p.m. and the... Read more
New CRD Parks Long Term Strategy
The CRD is creating a new Long Term Strategy for CRD Regional Parks. The discussions so far include weakening the priority of protecting the parks’ ecological integrity. It is important to let the CRD know that you strongly support protection.
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Royal Bank of Canada Leading Funder of Fossil Fuels
RBC is the biggest funder of fossil fuels in Canada, and fifth in the world. It has poured over $200 billion into fossil fuels since the Paris Accord was signed. RBC is also financing the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory, as well as... Read more
Communities’ Transition Pathways
Iron & Earth hosted a community conversation in Hinton, Alberta, in January 2022, as part of the Green Resilience Project on the topic of climate change, income security, and community. Participants discussed how the climate increasingly affects their community,... Read more
WHO’s focus on planetary health is timely
Thursday, April 7, is World Health Day. The theme this year is Our Planet, Our Health. WHO wants to “focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.”
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Fairy Creek Defendants Launch Leave to Appeal Application to the Supreme Court of Canada
Applicants seek opportunity to argue that the public interest should be a consideration in court decisions. Lək̓ʷəŋən Territories (Victoria BC), April 5, 2022: Three members of the Fairy Creek forest defenders who are advocating to stop the old-growth logging at... Read moreHousing That Heals The Future – Creative Solutions for a New World
Housing That Heals the Future features nine inspiring interviews on a wide range of projects that are charting the future towards healthier, happier communities. This information rich webinar also includes the incredible new six-minute film, The Animal Forest Campaign... Read more
A progressive tax on all forms of wealth would reduce inequality
A few weeks ago, before Russia invaded Ukraine and began committing war crimes that have shocked the world (in a way that should have but, to our shame, did not shock the world when Russia did the same thing in Chechnya and Syria), I was writing about inequality and health in the context of creating a wellbeing society.
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Exploiting the Ukrainian Crisis
There needs to be a strong counter-argument against the lobby of the oil and gas industry to increase Canada’s production of fossil fuels in response to the Ukrainian crisis. Biden has already promised that the U.S. will send more oil and gas to Europe. Trudeau needs... Read moreSeed the City Youth Program
Seed the City is a program for high school students where they can gain work experience in gardening and farming, earn credits towards graduation, and become part of the local food movement in their city. During this 8-week summer program, students build community and... Read more
CRD Parks Survey is Misleading
The CRD’s Regional Parks Strategic Planning process is underway and the need to ensure biodiversity is the primary objective in our parks can not be understated. The CRD’s current public survey (due April 4th) is open to interpretation and written in a... Read more
Old Growth Forest Government Contact Information
Find your MLA’s email here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members Premier John Horgan premier@gov.bc.ca 1-250-387-1715 Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources jonathan.wilkinson@parl.gc.ca 1-604-775-6333 Hon. Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary... Read more
Fridays For Future Canada – Global Climate Strike
Join us for the Global Climate Strike on Friday, March 25, 2022 as we demand policymakers and world leaders to prioritize #PeopleNotProfit! The catastrophic climate scenario that we are living in is the result of centuries of exploitation and oppression through... Read more
28-day Lighter Living Groups (4 April – 2 May) – share or register by 1 April
BCers are invited to join a virtual group of 6-10 people who will come together for 28 days to take daily action on personal sustainability and community engagement. Participation is free and groups are supported by experienced facilitators. We’ll use the... Read more
A Prayer for All the Little Things
This is a short poem to remind us about all the little things that make our hearts sing, a short poem to encourage us to reflect on what we can say and do to leave a better world for all the little things that make our hearts sing.
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Greater Victoria student sustainability contest ($ prizes) – please share!
We welcome all grade 6-12 students in Greater Victoria to participate in the One Planet Living Student Challenge. Thanks for sharing this information with students or teachers in Greater Victoria. Students can enter one of two categories (video or illustration) – to... Read more
Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief’s Met With RBC
In this toolkit, you will find template emails, shareable graphics, quick links and template social media posts to amplify the response from Gidimt’en Checkpoint. WET’SUWET’EN HEREDITARY CHIEF’S MET WITH RBC In this toolkit, you will find template emails, shareable... Read more
Finish Line Close – Stop Old Growth Forest Now
Stop the logging of Old Growth. Save Fairy Creek. Preserve this valuable resource for the benefit of so many, now and into the future. It must happen. We can not lose the Old Growth!
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Here’s how you can help Ukraine — and the world
I write my weekly columns a week or so before they are published, and submit them five days ahead. So when I wrote my column last week, while there was always the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine, there was still some hope that the Madman of Moscow would not actually do so.
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CRD Parks Survey – FUTURE OF OUR PARKS ON THE LINE!
CRD Parks is NOW seeking public input on a proposed vision, values, mission statement and priorities for our Regional Parks. Recently there has been pressure on the CRD Board to ‘balance’ recreational use with conservation. At a time when biodiversity is globally... Read moreVictoria Action for Just Transition
At the event, the “Ministry of Just Transition” will present a 3-year update on what it has accomplished since its inception in 2022. The climate champions leading the charge will share progress updates on the new programs and institutions they have created by the... Read more
Take a Stand for James Bay’s Cherry Trees
I’m hoping you can help us with this campaign. If you have admired the gorgeous cherry trees on Menzies St. near Niagara, I am sorry to tell you that a developer is going to cut them all down – in order to move the sidewalk over a few feet. And the city... Read more
Highlands community association to host forum on rewilding
The topic of rewilding will be discussed at a forum to be hosted on Zoom by the Highlands District Community Association (HDCA) on March 15 starting at 7:00 pm. As part of the HDCA Speakers’ Series, the Rewilding Forum will feature two local conservation and... Read more
Teal Jones in violation of criteria
A Call for a New Forest Framework in British Columbia Not only do forestry firms acknowledge they permanently destroy majestic old-growth environments, which is NOT sustainable, but they claim they must do so for economic survival. In other words, money trumps the... Read more
Urgent Appeal: Evaluation of Teal Cedar Proposed Management Plan #5
URGENT APPEAL: DUE MARCH 3, Sample Comment LINKS & letters for Comment & Evaluation of Teal Cedar proposed Management Plan #5 for Tree Farm License 46 including Fairy Creek Area
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Increased inequality was a political choice we must reverse
Given the well-documented relationship between high levels of inequality and poor health and social outcomes in high-income countries, which I discussed last week, high levels of inequality cannot be tolerated. But as I also noted last week, the World Inequality Report 2022 states simply: “Inequality is a political choice, not an inevitability.”
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Housing Requires a Balanced Approach
The “build it and they will come” approach is in line with conventional economic thinking: that more tax income will fund affordable housing and the homeless crisis. It’s overlooked that the current approach to development results in related infrastructure and services consuming the increased property tax revenue.
Read moreTree of Life
This song is the result of the convergence of various aspects of my life: a forty-plus-year career in forest fire research, dabbling in writing song lyrics, a love of music and collaborating with others. The lyrics for Tree of Life came about in response to a challenge from a friend to write about a topic I know well: BC’s old growth forests. A local songwriter, Sian Elen, agreed to set the lyrics to music…
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High levels of inequality incompatible with a well-being society
That is also true globally: “Bonds across countries do not work when bonds within them are broken,” noted the UN’s recent report Our Common Agenda. Which brings me to the World Inequality Report 2022, released in December. The report is published by the World Inequality Lab, based in France, whose major funders include the…
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Say NO to selling our precious public school land and stream
Dear friends, neighbours, Lansdowne neighbours, Bower Creek neighbours, fellow concerned citizens, Please sign this petition to communicate to SD61 Trustees your opposition to the sale of school land at Lansdowne Middle School south campus. This land is needed to... Read more
When it comes to health, inequality is inevitable, but inequity isn’t
The World Health Organization’s December 2021 Geneva Charter for Well-being expresses “the urgency of creating sustainable well-being societies, committed to achieving equitable health now and for future generations without breaching ecological limits.” So far, I have mostly focused on the need to stay within ecological boundaries…
Read moreInside the Fight to Save an Ancient Forest (and the Secrets it Holds)
This PBS video is a powerful testament to the courage and tenacity of determined protestors to protect the old growth forests in the Fairy Creek Watershed and surrounding areas in southwest Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The subtitle, “And the Secrets It Holds” is even more powerful for the film illustrates that forests have more to tell us…
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The Postcard Climate Show
Close to 600 artful solutions to the climate crisis by participants from Victoria, British Columbia and abroad will be displayed in The Postcard Climate Show at Gage Gallery, Victoria, BC, from February 22 until March 6, 2022.
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Shell’s Massive Carbon Capture Plant Is Emitting More Than It’s Capturing
Many fossil fuel companies are championing carbon capture technology as a way to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to continue producing fossil fuels for the market. The federal government has committed to placing a cap on carbon emissions from the oil and... Read more
The Hurricane They Call Lady
I’m a Métis singer/songwriter from Victoria/Vancouver BC. Recently, I’ve been blessed to spend 60 days in my car feeling and learning about homelessness and have now become a humanitarian and advocate for many causes! I recently met a lady in a wheelchair at the... Read more
GDP needs to be replaced with more meaningful indicators
Last week, I described the growing global attention to the concept of a well-being society and economy. The latter has already been the focus of work by several national governments. In particular, New Zealand (Aotearoa) was the first country in the world to develop and present…
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Celebrating World Water Day — Ripples 2022
We wanted to share some exciting news with you in hopes that you may share it to your circles, as well as in any upcoming e-newsletters. POLIS is collaborating with the University of Victoria Sustainability Project, the Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and the Cowichan... Read more
When We Almost Gave Up Until We Caught the Tail of the Rainbow
Dear Friend of the HeArt, Greetings! The year 2020 was grappled with the global pandemic and we were caught in the midst of it when we moved from one island to another – to settle at my mother’s hometown; a farming community located 35 miles from the capital city of... Read more
Happy Lunar New Year!
Happy Lunar New Year ! Let’s spread good fortune and support Asian-owned businesses, Asian artists and BIPOC organizations in 2022 Hi there My name is Ella and I am the social media coordinator for CU I am half-Korean and my step family is Chinese, so I am lucky to... Read more
Well-being society needs a well-being economy
In the face of growing disquiet that our current economic system massively harms Earth’s natural systems while creating excessive inequality and insecurity for many, there is growing interest in the idea of an economy that puts people and planet first.
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Open Letter to Ban Fossil-Fuel Promotion in Schools
The negative effects of fossil fuel extraction and use seriously impact human health and the environment. The Canadian Association of Physicians (CAPE) invites the public to sign an open letter calling on the BC Government to ban fossil-fuel promotion in schools. CAPE... Read moreCoasts, Rivers and Communities
Learn how communities around the world are developing new solutions to mitigate risks by working with nature. Water is the essence of life. Rivers are the arteries of life. Coasts are the gateway to the oceans. All three ecosystems are threatened by the climate crisis — more severe droughts…
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