Donald Trump’s Crime Against Humanity
In cutting funding to the World Health Organization in the midst of a pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump may think he is attacking a bunch of faceless bureaucrats in Geneva and the World Health Organization’s regional offices around the world.
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Time Sensitive! Stop 5G protest, please join
This Saturday, April 25, is the Global Stop 5G Day and I am hoping that you will participate. What we need to do is to make our politicians at every level hear our voices. Instructions; Copy, paste and fill out this non consent form then Fax individually to Justin... Read more
Cabin Fever?
‘Cabin fever’ is a common expression referring to negative emotions and distress related to confinement and isolation, such as irritability, hopelessness, lack of focus, and even simple boredom. It is not a disease and not dangerous in and of itself, but our mental... Read more
15 Questions on Emergency Food and Farming Planning for British Columbia
Our food chain in BC is hugely dependent on imports, making it extremely vulnerable. On Vancouver Island, 95% of our food arrives on the ferry. BC has tens of thousands of acres of farmland that are lying fallow, or growing hay for horses that serve no agricultural... Read more
Challenges and Solutions for Engaging Youth in Agriculture
Shelter Farm, a social enterprise operated by The Port Alberni Shelter Society. The farm grows vegetables that provide a source of nutrition for our clients and are sold to local markets. Shelter Farm is also home to the Market Gardener Program.
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Gardening Resources
The Compost Education Centre has moved all their gardening workshops online. Many of them are free! Check them out here: https://www.compost.bc.ca/education/workshop-series/ Linda Gilkenson’s Gardening Tips! You can receive tips by email from this west coast... Read more
Volunteers Needed to Help Feed Community Members Most in Need
We are reaching out in hopes that you can help us. We are trying to identify community partners to help us coordinate meal distribution sites to feed our community members most in need. The Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) is working with the Coalition to... Read more
A Different Perspective on COVID-19
There is no question COVID-19 is a serious issue. If we did nothing, hundreds of thousands of Canadians, especially older people, might die and the health care system would be overwhelmed, jeopardizing the health of many other people with other health problems.
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Neighbourhood Markets Open During Pandemic!
The coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, and while many despair and are living in fear, we attempt to ease their burden by bringing a little hope and peace in providing free produce and groceries.
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Spread Compassion – Stop Diseases
This short report describes the special problems that contagious diseases such as COVID-19 present to people experiencing homelessness, and the organizations that serve them. Homeless people tend to be vulnerable to infections due to a combination daily stress, poor... Read more
Keeping Yourself Strong and Healthy in this COVID-19 Time
I have been reading the news more than I ever have in my entire lifetime for the past couple of months. When the virus first erupted in Wuhan, I was away on Orcas Island with friends. We were all sitting around discussing what was happening and the initial numbers-... Read more
50 Ways to Stay SANE During the Coronavirus Pandemic
How can we stay strong during this crisis? With love, careful planning, and care for others – and total lockdown. When we emerge, huge numbers of people will hopefully want a more caring, cooperative approach to life, and a new kind of economy, based less on greed, selfishness and the destruction of Nature, and more on the economics of kindness.
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Thieves Oil for Extra Protection in These Times
Going outside or flying anywhere? Here is something that could protect & save you – here is the story
Read moreFeeding Community One Garden at a Time
In Sooke BC, a community garden has evolved from an idea based on permaculture principles and the desire for a church congregation to give more to the community. This garden grows food for the local food bank and people in need. It is still evolving and looks to... Read more
The Ethics of a One Planet Region
These great ethical issues are made urgent by the Anthropocene: the massive and rapid human-created changes in the earth’s natural systems that threaten the viability of our society in the not-too-distant future.
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The 5G Trojan Horse
This 96 minute documentary will expose the truth behind the global “Race to 5G”, the health, privacy, and local power concerns, and the corruption between the Big Wireless industry and the U.S. government.” The 5G Trojan Horse (Documentary) Marg Friesen’s... Read more
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.
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Key Public Health Issues for the 2020s
I was prompted to write this column by an article in The Tyee (a Vancouver-based online news service) about public health issues in 2020. It’s not often people write about public health, as opposed to health care, so the attention is welcome. However, I found the... Read more
The Nature Fix – Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams
“I’m no tree hugger but The Nature Fix made me want to run outside and embrace the nearest Oak. Not for the tree’s sake, but mine.” – Eric Weiner
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Special Request! Cellphones exceed radiation exposure guidelines
Please share and support my request for a cellphone ban in our schools by sending this template or writing your own letter to Deputy Minister, Don Wright about your concerns. Thank you. To alison.wensink@gov.bc.ca cc your MLA... Read more
Poverty and Health is an Election Issue
Forty years ago, I wrote about two principles that I considered fundamental to the health of the population: Ecological sanity and social justice. If we do not pay attention to these principles and what we now call the ecological and social determinants of health, the health of the population will be seriously harmed.
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Early Support For Children Is Essential
Brain development in infancy is astonishing. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a million connections are made in the brain every second — yes, every second — in the first three years of life.
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Is Canada Doing Enough to Protect Wildlife?
Most people are unaware that ALL LIFE is being harmed by the wireless devices that require more and more cell towers. We need education about this technology and its dangers.. not more electromagnetic radiation. Radiation affects all of life, including tiny... Read more
It is Not Too Late To Stop 5G!
This is the terrifying map of cell towers and some of the Huawei Microcells that have already been laid out in Greater Victoria. Congratulations for Victoria having the least density so far. The map is not totally accurate, since locations such as Jubilee Hospital and... Read moreSun Dancing
When I examined my past twenty years of life with Bipolar Disorder, I was shocked at the story I saw emerging. One that I feel must be shared. I have a creative and unique perspective on the topic of mental health. May it be helpful and inspiring.
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Fixing Primary Care? Help People Help Themselves and Others
Reducing the need for care means reducing the burden of disease within society. This requires both a government and society-wide provincial population health strategy and a much stronger commitment to public health and clinical prevention within the health-care system.
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Show Your Support for a CRD Foodlands Trust
Municipalities are indicating their support in having the CRD operate a foodlands trust in partnership with a non-profit organization – here’s what they are saying: Indication of Support: Central Saanich, Highlands, North Saanich, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, View... Read more5G Wireless: The Risks and Solutions
Portions of this article are originally by Arthur Firstenberg. Please visit Arthur’s website for more information and sign the appeal. We are all confronted daily with issues that affect our health and well-being and that of our loved ones. A new challenge is... Read more
Fixing Primary Care? Focus on the Demand
The primary-care crisis has been getting a lot of attention in the community and in this newspaper recently. But the focus so far has been on the supply side — we need more doctors and other primary care providers, more services and a better system, everyone says.
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Summer Markets Guide
We are so fortunate to have a plethora of wonderful fresh locally grown organic produce to choose from. Here’s a list of some of the most popular markets in the region, many of which, have wonderful live music and lots of local artisans to add to the flavour.
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The Benefits of a Holistic Approach to Health
Courtesy of the Times Colonist Friday was National Indigenous People’s Day, a good time to reflect on Indigenous perspectives on health. There is much there that can be helpful in these challenging times. A good place to start is the First Nations Perspective on... Read more
Citizen Science Double Blind Testing
Good health solutions never get double blind testing so I designed a Citizen Science Double Blind Study method to inexpensively get the testing done. It was published in a medical journal of bioethics May 8 2019
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We Face Alternative Health Futures
The possible future encompasses all the things we can imagine happening, which can take it into the realm of science fiction. This is not to disparage science fiction; at its best, it can illuminate our present world and its values, and imagine and test ideas most of us have never considered.
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Senate Needs To Protect Our Health and Environment
In recent weeks, we have seen large Canadian industries pressuring the Senate to favour their special interests over the wider health and environmental interests of Canadians. In the process, this unelected chamber is being asked to subvert the will of the elected House of Commons by delaying and effectively killing two bills.
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Time To Shift The Bell Curve Toward Health
Life is lived on a bell curve. Many attributes of a population — height, for example — are distributed on a bell-shaped curve, with the average at the centre and then decreasing numbers of people as we get further from the centre.
Read moreTake Action on Food and Farmland Trust
Hello CRD residents, As you know we need food and farmland that is protected and accessible to farmers over the long term. One strategy is to create a local government supported Food and Farmland Trust. It’s time! On February 20, 2019, the CRD Planning and Protective... Read more
Many global health threats linked to climate change
The World Health Organization recently released a report on the top 10 threats to health in 2019. Strikingly, several are related to global ecological change, marking perhaps a turning point in the recognition of the health implications of the rapid and massive ecological changes we are causing.
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Physicians Raise Concerns
I recently came across this letter in the Times-Colonist from Dr. Janet Ray from 2009. I believe it fits well with the new Biodiversity conversation. Dr. Rays determination that “what is becoming clear is that determinants of health also includes the health of... Read more
Planning To Feed A One-Planet Region
The concept of a one-planet region is simple: We need to reduce our collective impact on the Earth so we — and others around the world — can live within the ecological and physical constraints of this one small planet we all share. But at the same time, we want to... Read more
Health Benefits of Trees
Can you imagine a world where a walk in the forest is prescribed by medical doctors to reduce stress? Japan began studying the benefits of ‘forest bathing’ in the early 1980s. Their scientific research has shown that 20 minutes in the forest reduces blood pressure, lowers heart rate and increases the number of cancer-fighting cells in the body by as much as 40%.
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Evolution of a Healing Prayer to the Universe
Here is a healing prayer that considers the universe itself to be the creator. It’s a prayer that both theists and non-theists can be comfortable with. The evolution from a Sufi prayer in 1920 to this version is discussed
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A Victory To Celebrate
Victories are being won that bring power back to the people and help protect our planet and democracy from abuse. This story is one to celebrate. It’s a victory for all of us. — Dear Avaazers, Our hearing just ended, and the judge absolutely DESTROYED... Read moreWatch Now: Creating a One Planet Community Event
Everyone wondered how we could possibly feature more than 20 presentations in less than two hours, but we did it! Inspiring stories of innovation, collaboration, community and creativity were shared with both a live and livestream audience worldwide around the theme... Read more
We Can Create Healthy Built Environments
The B.C. Healthy Built Environment Alliance was established by the Provincial Health Services Authority in 2007 to provide leadership and action for healthier, more livable communities.
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Films on Food Issues & Food Security
Enjoy a compiled list of films and documentaries related to food issues throughout the world.
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Issue: Food Security
Food security can be described as the state of having reliable access to an adequate quantity of nutritious and affordable food, while food sovereignty is the right of communities to have authority over their own food systems, to produce food that is healthy, culturally appropriate, and ecologically sustainable.
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Microplastics found in Bottled Water and Beyond
We, in Victoria, BC, Canada, have been blessed, more blessed than many other parts of North America. We’ve had some amazing warmish weather, bringing out the best in many things: flowers, blossoms and the urge to live a healthy life style. That includes eating... Read more
Does Mental Heath Matter Most?
There is an interesting common thread underlying many of my recent columns. It is the question in the headline: Does mental health matter most?
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