Spotlight Archive
Premier Christy Clark's Majority Government
With a victory that surprised everyone, Premier Christy Clark has won a majority government. In her post-election speech, Clark said she heard the clear message that the environment and economy need to be balanced. Sierra Club BC will be working harder than ever to remind the new government of this imperative, as we animate our core mission.
400 Parts Per Million (ppm) – A Number No One Wants
For the first time in millions of years, the concentration of the heat-trapping gas carbon dioxide has passed the milestone level of 400 ppm. Meanwhile, B.C.'s proposed LNG boom could add 62 million tonnes of carbon a year to the atmosphere -- more than the 48 million tonnes contributed annually by Alberta's tar sands.
Conservation
Protecting B.C.’s wilderness and wildlife is more important than ever as concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reach levels unseen for millions of years. Connected wild spaces will be key to saving at-risk B.C. species such as caribou and grizzly bear, as well as plants, birds and other creatures so we can give species a fighting chance to adapt to a changing climate.
Energy
British Columbia stands at an enormously important energy and climate change crossroads. The provincial election campaign featured extensive discussion of critical energy issues facing British Columbians, and the majority of those who participated in the election voted against expanded tar sands oil tanker traffic on our coast.
Small but mighty: have you heard about eulachon?
Learn more about this unique fish, whose "black clouds" are declining in the Great Bear Rainforest, from Sierra Club BC's Education Team.
Contest Winner Announced
Congratulations to the Torquay Eco-Tigers, the winners of Sierra Club BC Education Program's Take Action! Contest. Thanks to everyone who entered - you inspired us!
At-Risk Species: Lewis's Woodpecker
Lewis's Woodpeckers are a blue-listed species in British Columbia. Learn more about these beautiful birds and what is happening to their natural habitat.
At-Risk Species: the Coastal Tailed Frog
Sierra Club BC's Education Team presents the Coastal Tailed Frog, one of the longest-living, most primitive frogs in the world. You can find them here in British Columbia!
Sierra Club BC's Education Program Turns 15
Sierra Club BC’s Education Program has been a leader in environmental education throughout the province. This spring the Education Program celebrates a major milestone: its 15th anniversary. Fifteen years working hard to foster a generation that is aware of, concerned about, and connected with the environment.
Blitzing the Flathead
Bugs. Spiders. Slugs. These are not the typical draw to get people into a theatre, but high interest in Sierra Club BC events at the Royal BC Museum suggests an appetite for the unusual in Victoria.
Sierra Club BC and the Provincial Election
April 16 is the official beginning of the B.C. election campaign. In such an important moment in the democratic process it would be best for organizations like Sierra Club BC to have a vibrant voice throughout the campaign period.
Kinder Morgan and the Risky Business of Oil Tankers
In April, Sierra Club BC held a town hall in Victoria focused on the proposed new Kinder Morgan tar sands oil pipeline. The event featured the renowned Bill McKibben (via video), and a hugely inspirational new video by spoken word artist CR Avery. Read on to learn more about the proposed new pipeline to Burnaby, B.C. which would bring over 400 oil tankers a year to our coast.
Great Bear Rainforest Still At Risk
The Great Bear Rainforest is recognized as one of the world’s most precious treasures and it is this recognition which has sustained seven+ years of hard work, as First Nations, environmentalists, industry and government seek to animate and fully implement the agreements.
Protect the Peace River Valley: Help stop the proposed Site C dam
Working together with Leadnow, more than 3,400 of our supporters sent their comments opposing Site C to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency on April 4.
World Water Day 2013: Is BC Cooperating?
It's World Water Day, Canada Water Week, and the International Year of Water Cooperation. Find out where we'll be for World Water Day, and what we're doing to protect BC's freshwater.
Elk River Poisoned by Coal Mining
A new study documents high levels of toxic selenium pollution from open-pit coal mines in the Elk River, adjacent to B.C.'s globally significant Flathead River Valley. High selenium counts have created a crisis for fish and other species in the river, prompting a call for a moratorium on new coal mining in the Elk Valley.
Herring Recovery Key to Marine Abundance
From auklets to whales, marine food webs depend on the abundance of herring and other small schooling fish. Yet federal policies neglect their ongoing decline and the impact on marine life and commercial fisheries such as ling cod and salmon.
Flathead BioBlitz Wows the Royal BC Museum Crowd
A recent presentation at the Royal BC Museum leaves the audience stoked for spiders and other charismatic crawlies.
B.C. Govt Ignores World Heritage Committee Recommendations for Flathead
Three years after UNESCO’s renowned World Heritage Committee reported on the Flathead River Valley (and adjacent areas) the governments of BC and Canada have done nothing to follow up on critical recommendations made by the expert scientific body.
Carbon Sinks at Risk
The logging of old-growth rainforest on Vancouver Island and the south coast nullifies B.C.'s progress in reducing annual emissions, a new Sierra Club BC report shows. Meanwhile, new forestry legislation fails to address critical needs for carbon sinks and species habitat.
