LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD SEPTEMBER 10 SHOW HERE:
Local teacher and activist Jan Inglis talks about bioregionalism on a nature walk along Kootenay Lake shoreline. She draws our attention to how we interact with our landscape through geographic, geologic, biologic and cultural lenses.
Vancouver recently voted to rescind a ban on fossil gas installation in the city. Ashley Zarbatney from Dogwood BC tells us why it’s important to get corporate fossil fuel money out of municipal BC politics. Learn how you can join in.
Scientist Mike Flanagan debunks wildfire myths and author Seth Klein makes a plea for strong climate policies in federal politics.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Here’s a website specifically discussing bioregionalism and Cascadia.
https://www.cascadianow.org/bioregionalism
Get Fossil Fuel Money out of Local Politics
https://www.dogwoodbc.ca/petitions/get-fossil-fuel-money-out-of-local-politics/
FortisBC Exposed
https://www.dogwoodbc.ca/fortisbc-exposed/
Dr. Mike Flanagan busts myths about wildfires and climate on The Weather Network
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/climate/causes/confirming-truths-and-busting-myths-on-wildfire-climate-change-connection?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=weathernetwork
Seth Klein from the Climate Emergency Unit talks about urgency of bold climate policies in Canadian politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlEHJezD8rc&t=4s
The Climate Emergency Unit
https://www.climateemergencyunit.ca/bc-climate-emergency-campaign
Local environment events
9 am Thursday, September 12, 2024.
Regional District of Central Kootenay Board Meeting
West Kootenay Cycling Coalition proposal for a Nelson Castlegar trail.
The Cycling Coalition would love to see supporters attend and or email the RDCK directors.
https://westkootenaycycling.ca/
12:30 pm Sunday September 22nd.
Cottonwood Falls Park.
Lakeshore Clean Up
Join the Friends of Kootenay Lake on Facebook for another clean up on the shores of Kootenay Lake. There’s an abundance of trash has been noted in and around the creek from CP Rail Property to Kootenay Lake.
Not only will we be enhancing the beauty of our local creek, but we’ll also be making a positive impact on the health of the local ecosystem.to find out more about planning another clean up before the fall is over with the help of the members, volunteers and community.
https://www.facebook.com/events/441475732247465?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[]%7D
Friday, September 20th
All over BC
Global Climate Strike
West Coast Climate Action Network is pointing out three big events coming up. The first is the Global Climate Strike on September 20th, with a big (BIG!) rally starting at Vancou ver City Hall at 1 pm. The second is the October 1st cross-Canada Seniors Day of Climate Action, with events in 12 BC communities and a big rally in Victoria.
4 pm Tuesday, September 24th.
Nelson City Hall
Rallly Transform BC Timber Sales
Province Wide Rallies, 10 locations
Sponsored by a range of grassroots groups,
Also an event in Castlegar.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/112448784208736/
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Noon Tuesday, October 1
Canadian Seniors for Climate day of action.
On National Seniors Day over 50 events are being held across Canada For the Canadian Seniors for Climate day of action.
2-4 pm Tuesday, October 1
Millenium Park Pavilion in Castlegar
Local speakers. Writing postcards to elected representatives demanding more action. Contact Deb for more info: castlegarseniorsforclimate@gmail.com.
In Nelson, time to be announced, in front of RBC Bank on Baker St.
A “deputation” to MLA Brittny Anderson : governments need to do much more to align policies, including stopping subsidizing fracking and speeding up the transition to green energy.
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7 pm Thursday, October 3rd
Public Election Forum on Climate, Forests and the Environment
Nelson United Church 602 Silica St. Nelson.
All candidates for Kootenay Central riding invited.
Sponsored by West Kootenay Climate Hub, Doctors and Nurses for Planetary Health Kootenay Boundary and the Nelson West Kootenay Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
Noon to 3 pm Saturday October 5
Power of Forests Event
The Adventure Hotel, 616 Vernon St, Nelson
With: Rachel Holt, Jennifer Houghton, Joe Karthein
https://www.evergreenalliance.ca/forest-news/44/
https://boundaryforest.org/pof/
September 23 to October 6
Fall GoByBike Weeks are back, and this time with a fresh lineup of prizes that will make your autumn rides even more thrilling.
Get ready to gear up by registering for free at logmyride.gobybikebc.ca and pedal your way to amazing local biking prizes! 🍁🚲
ENVIRONMENT NEWS BITS
The youth of Kaslo, Tamara, principal Ron Sherman and teachers Tegan Gresley-Jones, Sarah Pollick and Kate Okros at JV Humphries School held the successful Kids’ Hike for Climate in June. This annual fundraising effort helps to fund local climate initiatives. This year they generously donated to the West Kootenay Climate Hub to hire a youth to work on the newsletter and website.
The West Coast Climate Action Network is calling for local lobbying to support the climate cause at the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities annual gathering in Vancouver, Sept. 167-20th. \One of the 264 motions coming up at the is the NR 97 proposal to end fossil fuel sponsorships at UBCM – chiefly by FortisBC. We Can suggests we call, email or meet with local Mayors and Councillors before UBCM, and urge them to vote in favour of NR 97?
We-Can has a list of Climate and UBCM Resources including a full list of 24 climate and environmental resolutions. I will put the link up on our website.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ox–AFGZVodHsrDHVTnzUXWbwCVwSTRLWBe0hMtzsYA/edit
Fossil fuel companies’ funding of universities’ climate-focused efforts is delaying the green transition, according to the most extensive peer-reviewed study to date of the industry’s influence on academia.
For the study, published in the journal WIREs Climate Change last week, six researchers poured over thousands of academic articles on industries’ funding of research from the past two decades. Just a handful of them focused on oil and gas companies, showing a “worrying lack of attention” to the issue, the analysis says.
For over two decades, non-profits, campus organizers and scholars have sounded the alarm about oil companies’ influence in academia, drawing parallels to tobacco, pharmaceuticals and food producers who have also funded scholarship.
Only oil and gas and transportation exceed the climate pollution emitted by Canada’s logging industry, concludes a new report that challenges federal measurement methods for forestry.
“This study dismantles the industry and government narrative that the current scale of clearcut logging is sustainable,” said Michael Polanyi, policy and campaign manager, nature-based climate solutions at Nature Canada. “Federal and provincial governments must take immediate action to reduce the logging sector’s significant carbon footprint and ensure genuinely sustainable practices.”
Nature Canada releases a logging emissions report every year, attempting to counter federally-released data that it says use an accounting method favourable to the industry. The government’s tally gives a “biased treatment” that misrepresents the true level of emissions, such as by failing to factor in wildfire emissions while giving credit for carbon stored in trees that haven’t been logged, the organization says.
Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth’s hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, European climate service Copernicus reported Friday.
The northern meteorological summer—June, July, and August—averaged 16.8°C (62.24°F), according to Copernicus. That’s 0.03°C/0.05°F warmer than the old record in 2023. Copernicus records go back to 1940, but American, British, and Japanese records, which start in the mid-19th century, show the last decade has been the hottest since regular measurements were taken and likely in about 120,000 years, according to many scientists.
“This all translates to more misery around the world as places like Phoenix start to feel like a barbecue locked on high for longer and longer stretches of the year,” said University of Michigan environment dean and climate scientist Jonathan Overpeck.
The national lobby group for Canada’s electrical utilities is taking criticism for its latest broadside against federal clean electricity regulations that are seen as a cornerstone of the plan to reduce the country’s climate pollution.
Electricity Canada CEO Francis Bradley says his members don’t oppose regulation—in fact, they’re proud to tout the 55% reduction in electricity emissions they’ve achieved since 2005. They’re just looking for a set of rules that is flexible enough to reflect what they say is achievable in different provinces.
“They’re an industry association, so they’re representing the interest of their members, and in this case the interests of a few of their members who have a lot of natural gas or other fossil fuels on their electricity system,” responded Stephen Thomas, clean energy manager at the David Suzuki Foundation.
The leader of B.C.’s Conservatives says there needs to be a conversation about nuclear power’s role in the province’s energy future and a review of educational materials he says are designed for “indoctrination” of children.
John Rustad, speaking on an episode of Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson’s podcast released Monday, says he also wants to get rid of the carbon levy, which he calls “a vain attempt to change the weather.”
In the episode, which runs just over an hour and 45 minutes, Rustad and Peterson discuss a variety of topics including his revival of the B.C. Conservative Party as an election contender, energy and education policy, and what they call “cancel culture.”
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/09/03/news/bc-conservative-leader-nuclear-energy-province
Hotter summers in Canada that have sparked wildfires in tourist areas, intense hailstorms and thunderstorms with severe flooding in major cities, all linked to climate change. This is leading to staff shortages and claim delays, says the insurance industry.
Insurance claims are rising globally as climate change spurs more severe weather, but Canada is particularly at risk as one of the world’s most vast and forested lands.
“These events have placed immense pressure on insurance adjusters, who are critical following natural catastrophes, as they ensure the industry can support consumers as quickly as possible,” Insurance Bureau of Canada, an industry group, said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/canada-insurance-claims-climate-1.7311721
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