Sue Big Oil Sooner!
Let’s lobby municipalities to sue Big Oil. We are more than 3/5ths there to reach the half million residents involved needed to support a suit fought all the way to the Supreme Court. Read more
Save Our Neighbourhoods in Central Saanich
Hovey Road development in Central Saanich that violates the Official Community Plan Zoning. Do you live in Central Saanich and are concerned about uncontrolled development?
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Why Women Are Key To Solving The Climate Crisis
There’s no denying women are leading the fight to save our planet. In every society worldwide, women and girls are responding more effectively in times of crisis and actively working towards creating a more just and sustainable future for all. Yet, gender inequalities... Read more
Toxic Biosolids Promoted as Fertilizer
This article from the New York Times highlights the growing and inevitable public health and environmental harms associated with the land application of biosolids that contain PFAS and other toxic chemicals, and the EPAs associated liability in encouraging the use of... Read more
Towards A Well-Being Society and a Healthy One Planet Community
Throughout my career I have focused on the well-being of people in our communities and around the world, and on the state of the Earth’s ecological systems, which are the bedrock of our well-being.
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The UDI Successfully Lobbied the Government Against Environmental Streamside Protection Regulation
The UDI successfully lobbied the government against environmental streamside protection regulation. This ‘achievement’ by the UDI took place about 2 decades ago. Despite numerous indications to suggest lobbying activity at all levels of government, the UDI does not... Read more
How to Reduce Holiday Waste: 50+ Eco-friendly Tips
As someone who has been involved in the world of social media storytelling for environmental causes for over a decade, there is one piece of content that I always look forward to seeing circulate at this time of year: an image from Toronto artist Sarah Lazarovic... Read more
The Little Town That Could
It is the year 2019. The skies are clear with white low clouds. A climate emergency has been declared in the small town of View Royal, but little did the town know that it would lead the way for climate actions across British Columbia in the years to come.
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Good News from Dogwood
It’s a WIN! Enbridge’s Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission line is officially dead. It was one of several pipelines previously slated for northern B.C., but was hotly contested by Indigenous communities and allies along the route. The WCGT is the first project in... Read more
Life Expectancy Gas Grown Since 1970, But So Has Inequality
When I look back over the length of my career, it is clear that in many ways we have created a healthier future. One important indicator is life expectancy. According to Our World in Data, in 1970…
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Save Harewood Plains
by Wylie Thomas, conservation biologist Please send a message to BC’s new Minister of Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship, Randene Neill, to let her know how important it is to protect Harewood Plains in the Nanaimo area on Vancouver Island (and please cc the... Read moreDesire for Better Public Policy Sparked Early ‘Green’ Parties
In my concluding major paper for my master’s degree at the University of Toronto in the late 1970s, I identified two major principles that have guided my career ever since. The first is ecological sanity…
Read moreCorporations Out In Force at Biodiversity, Climate Conferences
It’s global conference season, and once again the corporate sector is spending huge amounts of money — money that comes from us when we purchase their products and services — to lobby for their own…
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Help Call for an Urgent Moratorium on the Commercial Herring Kill Fishery in B.C.!
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is currently accepting comments on the 2024/2025 Draft Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) for Pacific herring until November 27, 2024. Send feedback today. In solidarity with the WSÁNEĆ hereditary chiefs, we once again call... Read more
Langford Adopts Plans for Increased Tree Protection
Thanks to Mary Wagner and citizen support, Langford Council supported Wagner’s five part motion based on the Urban Forest Management Plan to help preserve and protect more of Langford’s urban canopy. Staff had a recommendation for part 1 and 2, and points... Read moreWhat a Trump Presidency Might Mean for the Planet
Thanks to tens of millions of Americans who just voted to turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare, we now have to deal with the consequences of a second Trump presidency. Let’s be clear: Donald Trump is not only a fascist who is a threat to democracy in America, as two former generals…
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November Concatenations
This month of November has witnessed an especially abundant series of worrisome events, from local to global. These include billions of dollars of catastrophic damages from newly emerging wildfires, flooding, and storms. Warfare is on the increase, not only in the... Read more
Why Eat Regeneratively, Locally, and In Season
I do not want to overwhelm you, with more information yet I feel that this information is some of what we need to know, so we will have the knowledge to be motivated to do everything possible to secure a future on earth not just for humans but for the whole... Read more
We Need to Investigate Links Between Chemical Industry, Governments
Over 40 years ago, in the early 1980s, I co-led a major report on “Our Chemical Society” for the City of Toronto’s Department of Public Health. In it, we sought to step back from what we called the “chemical of the day” problem — so many chemicals of concern, so many requests to look at them…
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We Are More Than Just An Economy, Stupid
We awake this morning to a Trump world. This, despite his lies, his racism, his hatred, his divisiveness and complete disregard for democratic ways and institutions. He has already declared his intention to become a dictator, stating there will be no need for further... Read more
CRD Biosolids Update
On October 30, 2024, the CRD approved a provisional budget for 2025, which included the establishment of an Innovative Project Work Unit. This decision indicates that the CRD is turning the corner from a focus on waste dumping to a growing emphasis on green... Read more
Have Your Say on the City of Victoria’s 2025 Draft Budget
Each year, the City of Victoria’s financial planning process provides an opportunity for Council to set service levels and approve an annual budget. You are invited to provide feedback on the City’s 2025 Draft Budget to help inform Council’s budget decisions. The... Read more
Loss of Nature Has Huge Impact, but Doesn’t Get Attention it Deserves
There was a lot of attention paid in the recent election campaign to the provincial deficit, by which various politicians and commentators meant the budgetary deficit. But important though that might be, there is another deficit that is much more concerning, and yet largely ignored…
Read moreEvent Recap: Movement Building and Justice with Judy da Silva
“I try to speak for the water. Not just for Grassy people, but for future generations, for the kids not born yet. That’s why we do this work.” This statement is the key point that Judy da Silva kept returning to during her talk, Movement Building and Justice, held... Read moreTrailblazers Unite! Connecting the Sunshine Coast from Langdale to Lund
Join our host, Peter Ladner, for an eye-opening conversation with Tannis Braithwaite, retired lawyer and director with the Connect the Coast Society, as they: Discuss the Connect the Coast Trail — a visionary cycling project linking Vancouver Island, the Lower... Read moreWe Need a Government That Cares About the Well-Being of the Planet
Last month, Planetary Boundaries Science, an international partnership of Earth scientists based out of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, published the first of what will be an annual Planetary Health Check. It makes for grim, if unsurprising, reading.
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An Analysis of Dialog’s Technical Memorandum on the Centennial Square Sequoia Tree
Arborist and urban forest educator Ryan Senechal offers an analysis of the Technical Memorandum recently shared by the City of Victoria regarding its stated need to cut down Centennial Square’s giant sequoia tree. He says the tree is healthy, and could be pruned... Read moreEnvironmental Costs of Growing Food Aren’t Reflected in the Price We Pay
Carbon pricing is a form of pollution pricing. But air pollutants from fossil-fuel combustion and greenhouse-gas emissions from a variety of sources are not the only forms of pollution we face. And pollution pricing itself is just one aspect of the broader field of full cost accounting.
Read moreEsquimalt-Colwood All Candidates Meeting
Thank you to everyone who attended the online and live All Candidates Debate for the Esquimalt-Colwood riding (includes Vic West and View Royal) co-sponsored this past Wednesday evening at Esquimalt United Church, 500 Admirals Rd., by Creatively United for the Planet,... Read more
National Seniors Day Rally for Climate Action
Despite the drizzle and dampness of the day, a great afternoon was had by all who attended the national Day of Climate Action organized by citizens throughout Canada on October 1st. In Victoria, people of all ages attended this fabulous event featuring numerous... Read moreReconciling with Indigenous Peoples and the Land – Letter Writing Campaign
James Bay United Church is part of: Reconciling with Indigenous Peoples and the Land, an interfaith steering group formed to facilitate further steps in the work of reconciliation. Letter Writing Campaign: Voice Your Concerns! Explore our sample letter... Read more
Questions Regarding Critical Issues for BC Political Parties
These questions are provided by The Victoria Secular Humanist Association (VSHA), Eco-Humanism Committee. Indicate with a YES or NO, whether you will pledge to the following, if your party forms the next government. Describe which measurable goals and timelines will... Read more
BC Assessment Denied that it is a Paying Member of the UDI, a Lobbying Org – Evidence Shows Otherwise
In November of 2023, the Urban Development Institute (UDI), a registered organization on the BC Lobbyists Registry, that offers political influence to its paying corporate member companies that profit from development and real estate – took to hiding its members... Read more
Why Carbon Pricing is Good for Your Health
It is very clear that pollution causes harm. Oxford Reference defines it as “contamination or undesirable modification of soil, food, water, clothing, or the atmosphere by a noxious or toxic substance,” adding that “any form of pollution can have adverse effects on health.”
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Update on Biosolids Management in the CRD
Currently, 80% of the biosolids produced by the Residuals Treatment Facility located at Hartland are being used as a fuel at the LaFarge cement facility in Richmond. The balance of the biosolids are mixed with sand and land applied at a quarry located at Cassidy near... Read more
Forget ‘Axe the Tax.’ Try ‘Pay the Price’
By proclaiming that the carbon tax “is an existential threat to our economy and our way of life” and that it threatens a “nuclear winter” for the economy, Pierre Poilievre has entered the world of full-on craziness and inverted logic. The reality is exactly the opposite. The “carbon tax” — actually…
Read moreNew Forest Proposal Act
On September 14, a kick off event was held in Nanaimo to introduce a New Forest Proposal Act. Thanks to Dave Weaver, Beaufort Watershed Stewards, Jay Van Oostdam of SOFT, Guy Dauncey of Yellow Point Ecological Society, and all the other volunteers for their... Read moreUrban Forestry Strategy
Term 2 /Take 2 Attention people of Saanich: this is a biodiversity alert. Biodiversity Biodiversity Biodiversity Taxes Taxes Taxes My job as an Independent 100% NOT developer-funded councillor is getting harder every day. A voice for the environment, wildlife,... Read more
Seniors Demand Action on Climate Change
I was born in 1948, when the average annual atmospheric CO2 level was about 311 ppm. When I started writing this column in December 2014, average annual CO2 was 399 ppm. Today, it is 422 ppm. The impacts of these heightened CO2 levels, as well as increased levels of methane…
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We Need To Act Now!
I feel this 18 min presentation on the Planetary Boundaries and Tipping points of Climate Change is one of the best that every one should watch. It is my hope that you will spend the time to really listen to this presentation.
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Save the Mighty Sequoia Tree at Centennial Square, Victoria BC, from Wrongful Demolition
An inconvenient tree? Sign the petition here. On Jul 11, 2024 Victoria’s mayor and a majority of council members approved the updated concept design for Centennial Square and directed staff to proceed with implementation as outlined in the Centennial Square... Read more
Ryan Senechal: Removing Sequoia Would Violate City of Victoria Policies
The redesign of Victoria’s Centennial Square is moving closer toward breaking ground, and there remains a chance for sober second thought on the fate of a highly appreciated giant sequoia. We’ve been informed that the removal is to improve sightlines for public safety…
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Let The Sequoia Live!
In July, Victoria’s mayor and council voted to cut down the giant sequoia that has been a focal point of Centennial Square for past decades, as part of a planned redesign of the space. Two other large trees will also be removed. These include a healthy sweetgum, and the beautiful Shirofugen Japanese flowering cherry…
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Navigating Toward a Better Future Locally
Recently, I have been discussing the large-scale changes we need to make in the face of the eight critical shifts identified in the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report Navigating New Horizons. Those changes are a focus on intergenerational equity; a new social contract that reinforces shared values about how we relate not only to…
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We Need a New Social Contract and an Emphasis on Well-Being Metrics
In addition to a commitment to intergenerational equity, which I discussed last week, the recent UN Environment Programme report Navigating New Horizons also calls for “a new social contract reinforcing shared values that unite us rather than divide us” and “a new global emphasis on well-being metrics…
Read moreCommunity Conversation on Housing August
Leadnow is launching a housing campaign to push politicians for solutions that put people, not profits, first. Your neighbours are getting together to help shape this campaign – will you join them? Right now, Leadnow supporters across the country are organizing... Read moreMisinformation, Declining Trust and Polarization Undermine Democracy
Last week, I summarized five of the eight critical shifts identified in a recent UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report, Navigating New Horizons, which is “a global foresight report on planetary health and human well-being.” I also touched on a sixth critical shift: persistent and widening inequalities.
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Water Scarcity, Forced Displacement Among Challenges We Face
The UN Environment Programme’s new report Navigating New Horizons, produced in partnership with the International Science Council, is not easy reading. It’s not just that it is a dense 100-page document, but because it paints a grim picture of the challenges we face.
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