Urge the UBCM to Support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty – Write today, no delay!
On Thursday, September 15th the Union of BC Municipalities will vote on whether to ask the Province of BC to enact a GHG emissions cap for natural gas utilities, and support the objectives of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. A strong YES vote would be a... Read more
Vancouver Island Pilgrimage
The Pilgrimage is a communal walk over four days from the Cowichan Valley to Metchosin to consider our place in the biosphere and connect with nature and spirituality. Details of the walk are here- Vancouver Island Anthropocene Pilgrimage. You are welcome to join the... Read more
Decline and collapse unpalatable, but not implausible
One of my professional roles throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s was that of a health futurist. Often that involved working with scenarios of plausible alternative futures. In addition to helping people understand the implications of past, current and future actions, these scenarios are useful in exploring their values…
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The world is not ending, but humanity has a problem
Even the human species is probably not at risk, although we should remember that, over time, pretty much all species become extinct. But we are a highly adaptable and tough species, able to survive and indeed usually thrive in habitats as diverse as the Arctic, equatorial jungles, deserts and high altitudes.
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Let’s Talk About BC Salmon – Why Are They Important?
Why are they important? What is threatening them? What can you do? • There are 5 species of pacific salmon in BC: Sockeye, Pink, Chum, Coho and Chinook • Salmon are keystone species in BC, meaning that many other organisms along BC’s coast rely on salmon to sustain... Read more
For a livable region, we must minimize building waste and energy consumption
In North America, we spend on average 90 per cent of our time indoors. So the design and operation of the immediate built environment where we spend the vast majority of our time is of great importance for our wellbeing.
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For a more livable city, invest in cycling, transit, pedestrian infrastructure
Active transportation is a major focus of public health action, and has been for some decades. The health benefits include increased physical activity (in turn linked to reduced obesity and improved heart health), improved air quality (linked to improved heart and lung health), and reductions in injuries, noise and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Painfully But Patiently Bearing Witness: The Rewards
I have felt sometimes lately like I am descending into some kind of limbo. So much seems to be going sideways in the world at the same time, yet there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do to slow or halt the decline. For the last three years, all I seem to have been... Read more
Rebuttal: Urgent news for Victoria tree lovers – missing middle housing
I’m a bit concerned about the recent missing middle article posted on Creatively United. It frames the proposed missing middle policy as an attack on trees and there are several reasons this is factually untrue. The missing middle policy has a max 40% site... Read more
Urgent news for Victoria tree lovers
Dear friends of the urban forest, This Thursday, August 4th, Victoria city council is holding a public hearing about the proposed “Missing Middle” zoning change. This unprecedented change could mean a massive loss of city trees — yet with no... Read more
Cattle Point Needs Urgent Help!
Please find below a draft design for a system of boardwalks at Cattle Point prepared by well-known landscape architect Paul de Greef and commissioned by the Greater Victoria NatureHood. The design was donated to the District of Oak Bay as a contribution towards... Read more
Reflecting Together on the Past & Future of Ada’itsx/Fairy Creek
Please consider filling out this survey below (use a computer rather than a phone to be certain to save your answers). Aysha Emmerson is a brave young student at Harvard doing ambitious undergraduate research. Her invitation: Hello! My name is Aysha Emmerson. I am... Read moreA Small Media Victory + Ancient Forest Futures
I was just complaining yesterday that no media had taken up my press release regarding the mural. I had really hoped that the concept would be shared more widely in the mainstream press: “The characters are from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, says... Read more
The Dirty Truth About Combustion Engine Vehicles
This excellent video answers a lot of questions when it comes to choosing battery powered vehicles. Please watch and share widely. Watch on Vimeo here Shareable link: https://vimeo.com/519585463 Read more
Petition to Stop Old Growth Forest Logging
Friends, please sign the petition by Elizabeth May who has put forth a bill and petition to STOP OLD GROWTH LOGGING.
The Fairy Creek area and other rare Old Growth habitat are still slated to be logged. Thanks for caring!
We are falling behind in a world going backwards
We have missed other important environmental goals. An independent scientific report prepared for the recent Stockholm+50 conference examined progress across a range of environmental goals agreed since 1972, and found that “typically only one-tenth of targets show significant progress or can be considered achieved.”
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Conventional economic growth is unsustainable
Rising concern about the impact of humanity on the environment led to the first UN conference on the environment in 1972. However, the issue of sustainability itself was barely touched on at the conference, with only one mention in the 80-page conference report. Nonetheless, publications prepared for the conference, such as Only One Earth and The Limits to Growth, as well as the conference itself, led to a much-heightened awareness of the challenges we faced.
Read moreVoices in Nature Event: June 1 – 18
Pacific Opera, in collaboration with Creatively United and the Gail O’Riordan Climate and the Arts Legacy Fund, are presenting a series of free outdoor performances in a variety of Greater Victoria parks during the month of June. Experience nature and live... Read more
We’re All In This Together… Now What? – Season 4 Finale
We’re All in This Together… Now What?, the final webinar of Creatively United’s Climate and Artists fourth season, explores how we can collectively reduce our carbon footprint by 40% by 2030 and transformatively shift to healthier…
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Calling all members of LandlordBC
Please write to LandlordBC to voice your concerns about them promoting Fortis and RNG as a solution for new and existing homes at their virtual event on June 15th. LandlordBC has a good reputation and we would not like to see it have its name sullied by promoting this... Read more
When Canada permits loss of marshes, forests, it’s a carbon bomber
The concept of a carbon bomb is pretty simple: It’s a potential source of a large amount of CO2 that could be released quite rapidly (or the loss of important carbon sinks), accelerating global heating and taking us beyond the 1.5 C and even the more damaging 2 C targets that have been internationally agreed upon.
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Missing Middle housing plan threatens Victoria’s trees
Two-thirds of the trees in Victoria are on private land, within the setbacks of buildings that do not maximize the allowable footprint. Upzone most of those properties and you provide the financial incentive to remove thousands of Victoria’s mature trees. The tree protection bylaw does not protect trees that fall within allowable building footprints.
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Urge Government to Respond
The following urgent plea to save the rare lush Old Growth Forest habitat and Marbled Murrelet (Ma Mu) and endangered species at risk was hand delivered by MP Elizabeth May to Federal Environmental Minister Steven Guilbeault at the end of March, 2022 . The... Read more
Upzoning Proposal by City Threatens Democracy – Petition
Victoria Mayor, Lisa Helps, wants to force a vote (May 12th.) on an initiative that will seriously impact housing for homeowners and renters in Victoria long into the future. Crucially, it will involve upzoning residential areas of Victoria to allow development of up... Read more
MP National Day of Action to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies
MPs from across most of the political parties have come together to organize a National Day of Action to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies on Tuesday, May 3rd. For context, MP Laurel Collins introduced a study on fossil fuel subsidies at the Environment Committee and wants to... Read more
Stewardship Award
All of us can contribute to a healthy environment in our communities. CENiC—the Citizens’ Environment Network in Colwood—is celebrating the efforts of some of the community leaders who are showing the way. Colwood residents Abby and Roger St. Pierre were recently... Read moreTransformational Possibilities
Do you feel paralyzed when you can’t see a solution or a way forward with the seemingly endless bad news? Creatively United’s founder and webinar host, Frances Litman, is dedicated to showcasing and sharing positive solutions that offer transformational... Read more
B.C. government’s LNG infatuation makes it dangerously radical
B.C. likes to claim it has a wonderful, world-leading climate action plan. So it is perhaps surprising that the Sierra Club B.C. announced in February that it is taking the B.C. government to court “for failing to present plans to achieve several key climate targets, as required by its own climate change legislation.”
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Amplifying Youth Voices in the Fight Against Climate Change
The 10 year anniversary of Creatively United for the Planet’s first Earth Day event was celebrated with an incredible panel of youth voices that featured five young Canadian changemakers working in creative ways to help amplify youth voices…
Read moreEarth Day Release – The Last Stand Premiere
The story of Fairy Creek comes to the world stage! In the summer of 2021, Canadian filmmaker Peter von Puttkamer and his crew made the trek to Fairy Creek to document the struggle and speak first-hand with the forest defenders passionate about saving the old-growth... 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
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 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
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
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
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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