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Wild Blog
Ziggy’s Premonition
Last year the International Energy Agency (IEA) found itself unwittingly reinforcing David Bowie’s prediction from 1972, stating in effect, “We’ve got five years, that’s all we’ve got.”
Have a say on the Enbridge pipeline!
There’s still plenty of time to submit letters of comment to the Enbridge Northern Gateway joint review panel. I just submitted mine – easy as pie. Will it make a difference?
Radical
I’ve been called some interesting things since I started working for Sierra Club B.C. five years ago. An eco-fascist, for starters. That unfortunate barb was from B.C. Liberal MLA Bill Bennett, who said that we were “eco-facists” (his spelling) who wanted to paint the province our favourite colour—green.
The Missing Piece of Quadra's Parks
A short paddle to the bay’s terminus led to a midden, almost as tall as my five foot five inches in height. Speckled with white shells, it told the silent story of thousands of years of feasts, family and a highly sophisticated form of mariculture -- an environmentally-sustainable harvest of shellfish rich in iron, protein and potassium.
Down and Out in Durban
Durban has been damnably disappointing. Something like being re-incarnated into a previously unsuccessful and frustrating life. It’s pre-1993 again.
Is a Virus Killing our Wild Salmon?
In school we learn about the precautionary principle. But in life, it so often seems that we throw caution to the wind. It’s time we remembered this principle of trying to do no harm. It’s time we listened to the scientists and the First Nations who are telling us to be more cautious.
Why Ban Cosmetic Pesticides?
Provincial legislation to phase out the sale and use of non-essential chemical pesticides would mean healthier communities, healthier families and a healthier environment for all British Columbians.
We Stand United
First Nations stood together today in Vancouver, on Coast Salish Territory, to publicly declare a ban on oil tankers and pipelines on both the north and south coasts.
Wild on the West Coast
I packed my rain pants, wool socks, gum boots, and a bin filled with educational goodies into a rental Toyota Corolla I’d nicknamed “Blue Steel” for the week. Sierra Club BC was hitting the west coast, school program style.
Enbridge and the Climate Facts of Life
The actual amount of CO2 that emerges from a Keystone XL or Northern Gateway pipeline (each about 500,000 barrels oil/day = to 2 billion tonnes of carbon (GtC) per 100yrs) constitutes a climatically significant, but not in itself catastrophic ‘carbon bomb’.
ISAv: Threat, Fear, Mystery and Warning
Should protective measures fail, an unleashed exotic virus in the North Pacific would be a serious international incident.
A Reason to Write to One's MP
I didn't really know about this until I happened to chat with some people working in federal departments Parks Canada and Environment Canada in the last year, and they told me in hushed and worried tones about the significant cuts which was hampering their ability to do the kind of work they felt this country needs...
Speaking Out for Ancient Forests
B.C.'s rainforest is one of the best carbon banks of the planet, with some of the highest carbon storage per hectare. Protecting old growth forest is one of the best short term actions we can take to immediately reduce emissions.
It's Only Natural: Why Giving Back Feels So Good
When I spend time in natural places, the perspective and fulfillment I gain is invaluable. I give to environmental causes is because it feels good to make a small gesture of gratitude in return for the enormous benefits I receive from my natural world. Of course, the truth is, the environment gives me so much more than I could possibly repay.
Blowing B.C.’s carbon bank
Globally, deforestation contributes approximately 20 per cent to greenhouse gas emissions. B.C.’s temperate rainforests are among the ecosystems with the highest carbon storage per hectare on the planet and they continue to sequester carbon.
Bearing Witness to a Changing World
There is an old saying - Don’t Mourn, Organize. We tell ourselves there is no time to feel sad, that we need to get on with the work. But we are bearing witness to a changing world. When it comes to climate change, we need to mourn and organize.
Rays of Ocean Light
Not all is shadows in the conservation game, the sun can shine and when it does the warmth and light are particularly sweet.
The Call of the Whales
Last month I traveled around the islands and through the fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest, along the route that supertankers would have to navigate, if the Enbridge Northern Gateway project gets approved.
Salmon Sparkles
There were stars above and stars below. Below us the oars cut through the dark water leaving glimmering trails of sparkling phosphorescence in our wake. A seal followed the boat, snorting, close enough at times to see its body lit up with sparkles in the water.
Juan de Fuca: Are We Done?
I wonder, can we muster the energy and initiative to work together as citizens of the Capital Region to create a vision for keeping safe what we evidently cherish so much as a community - the Trail and its associated wild lands? After what I experienced last week, I believe we could!
