LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD MARCH 4, 2025 ECOCENTRIC HERE:
BC’s budget comes down, March 4. Iglika Ivanova, Senior Economist with the BC. Society for Policy Solutions tells us about some of BC’s options.
The BC government is changing the rules on mineral exploration. Prospectors have to consult with First Nations BEFORE staking claims. It’s a big change from what many have called the wild west of proseting that is about the same as it was in 1850 in the province. Nikki Skuce from Smithers talks about the changes.
Can we have safe, ethical mining? That’s the big question for Jamie Kneen from Mining Watch Canada. A discussion about how mining is regulated and BC’s move to reduce red tape for mining projects.
LINKS MENTIONED
BC Society for Policy Solutions POLICYNOTE.CA
Mining in BC
Mineral Consultation Reform here:
If you want to have input you can email:
MTA@gov.bc.ca
Mining Watch Canada. MININGWATCH.CA
ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS COMING UP:
Earth Day and Earth Week 2025.
Earth Day April 22
Earth Week April 20-27
Nelson West Kootenay Events
As Earth Day 2025 approaches, the West Kootenay Climate Hub is inviting the community to celebrate the planet by hosting events.
Community-wide events Planned so far:
April 26th Taghum Hall Earth Day Festival
April 27th, Nelson Parade, route TBA.
If your organization has an idea or would like to create an event, reach out to us before January 31st. Contact: EarthWeekNelson@gmail.com
Thursday, March 13
Scouts Hall, 310 Cedar St., Nelson, BC
Value of local Climate Action series
Event by Kootenay Native Plant Society
Speaker Series on Climate Action. The Kootenay Native Plant Society is hosting a free evening featuring dynamic speakers who will share valuable insights on how we can protect our environment, foster community connections, and support local flora and fauna.Talks from the West Kootenay Climate Hub, Rob Leland from the Interchange Wildfire Resilience Project, and Valerie Huff, Program Manager of the Kootenay Native Plant Society, discussing the Milkweed for Monarchs initiative. Starting at 6:00 PM, and doors open at 5:45 PM. Check with the Kootenay Native Plant Society to preregister at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/cultivating-change-strengthening-our-community-through-climate-action.
Saturday, March 22nd 8:30 pm
Earth Hour 2025
Turning off everything electrical for the hour.
Last year, was Earth Hour the biggest one yet, giving over 1.4 million hours relief to our planet. This do it yourself at home event by switching off power in the house and Giving an hour for Earth by spending 60 minutes from 8:30 to 9:30 doing something good for the planet and celebrating naturally something you love. Put it in your calendar.
Wednesday, March 26 6:30 pm
Zoom event, please register
Resilience Cafe#2 from West Kootenay Climate Hub
Soil Health contributes to local resilience
An interactive webinar “café”, diving deep into the infinitely complex and fascinating world right beneath our feet. Experts will help us explore the vital role of soil health in fostering local resilience and sustainable ecosystems.
https://www.westkootenayclimatehub.ca/
ENVIRONMENT NEWS BITS AND LINKS
Last month BC Forest Appeals Commission said logging corporation giant Interfor reaped an estimated $1.8 million in net profit from logging in old-growth areas that were meant to be preserved.
The commission issued the decision last week, upholding the finding that Interfor committed eight contraventions of the Forest and Range Practices Act with the logging between 2012 and 2016 in the Arrow Lakes area of southeastern B.C.
The timber had a market value of about $4.4 million, and the estimated economic benefit was more than $1.8 million after subtracting the company’s costs, it said.
The panel set the fine at $280,000, down from $360,000 initially levied by a Forests Ministry district manager in 2022.
Last week BC Conservative leader John Rustad said the province needs legislation to ban B.C.-based environmental groups from receiving any U.S. funding for climate campaigns against oil and gas companies.
“These troublemaking layabouts have wasted RCMP resources, violated court injunctions, and dragged our resource industries through costly litigation,” Rustad said, “in good part thanks to American financial backers.”
Rustad’s campaign echoes former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s strategy that resulted in the $3.2 million Allan Inquiry.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/02/25/news/rustad-environmental-groups-alberta-kenney
The task of halting nature loss by 2030 is slipping out of reach, ministers have warned, as countries from around the world came to a hard-won compromise on nature finance after marathon negotiations in Rome.
Delegates at the UN biodiversity conference – known as Cop16 – broke into applause after finally reaching a deal in the Eternal City following a night of tense and painstaking discussions. The agreement broke a deadlock at UN talks seen as a test for international cooperation in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Many ifficult questions were kicked down the road, however, including the creation of a new fund to distribute money, and significant issues including nature-destroying subsidies and cutting pollution have not progressed.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/28/cop-16-climate-nature-funding-agreement
Scientists say that record-breaking marine heatwaves in 2023 and 2024 had lethal global impacts, triggering mass coral bleaching, collapsing fisheries, intensifying storms, and disrupted weather patterns—along with tens of billions in damage.
Both years saw nearly 3.5 times the number of marine heatwave days compared to any other year on record, reveals a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change by an international team of marine biologists and oceanographers.
Longest running Enviro News show on the Radio! 