The refugees are coming

In this photo taken Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), civilians fleeing violence seek refuge at the UNMISS compound in Bor, capital of Jonglei state, in South Sudan. Less than three years after its creation, the world's newest country is beginning to fracture along ethnic lines in violence that has killed hundreds of people and what could come next, some warn, is ethnic cleansing. (AP Photo/UNMISS, Hailemichael Gebrekrstos)

by Stan Hirst It is surely one of the worst things that can happen to us – to be uprooted from the place we live in, and forced by violence or disaster to flee for our survival: in other words to become refugees. As we head into spring the news about Syrian refugees in Canada… Continue reading The refugees are coming

Food Security in the 21st Century: Are We Prepared?

by Stan Hirst The question of food security has long been an item of debate amongst the Suzuki Elders. Based as we are in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, we often hear concerns over Canada’s exposure to impacts to the food supply system from factors such as loss of B.C. farmland from urbanization and industrialization, and… Continue reading Food Security in the 21st Century: Are We Prepared?

Genetically engineered crops are here to stay.

by Stan Hirst Genetically-engineered crops and foods derived from them have been in commercial production for just under 20 years. That’s a surprisingly brief period considering the intensity of the debates and the assessments that have raged around their development and commercial deployment. Here in Canada the use of terms like ‘genetically modified’, ‘genetically engineered’,… Continue reading Genetically engineered crops are here to stay.

The COP21 Climate Change Conference is over: now what?

Looters make off with merchandise from several downtown businesses in New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit the area. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

by Stan Hirst A spanking new year is upon us. Time to clean out all the junk from 2015. Christmas cards, old calendars, used gift wrappings stuffed under the sofa. Time to file away bills, notices, demands and platitudes dated 2015 or earlier. We live in a technological age, so there are huge amounts of… Continue reading The COP21 Climate Change Conference is over: now what?

Building resilience to the impacts of climate change

by Don Marshall When I first became interested in Sustainability as an issue for the world, I was convinced that I and all the other interested “environmentalists” would, in time, be able to change the track of what was happening.  So I did everything I could to change systems, habits, and my personal perspective.  And… Continue reading Building resilience to the impacts of climate change

Changing with the times

(140423) -- JIUQUAN, April 23, 2014 (Xinhua) -- A man walks in a sandstorm on the outskirt of Guazhou, Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, April 23, 2014. Parts of Gansu was hit by a sandstorm Wednesday afternoon, which reduced visibility to less than 50 meters, according to the provincial meteorological center. (Xinhua/Nie Jianjiang) (hdt)

by Stan Hirst Try this simple word association game with your friends or family members. It will take less than a minute. Give them a word and ask them to respond immediately with whatever word that first comes into their minds. Give them about six or seven random words in quick succession and then throw… Continue reading Changing with the times

The emotional challenges of global climate change

Twenty-seven concerned elders gathered recently in a meeting room at the David Suzuki Foundation in Vancouver, British Columbia. The occasion was the Suzuki Elders’ first attempt at a Salon, defined as “a gathering where people talk in a way that is meant to be listened to and perhaps passionately acted upon”. Salons are incubators where… Continue reading The emotional challenges of global climate change

All in it together willy- nilly

by Roger Sweeny From a newsletter to parishioners of St. Francis-in-the-Wood Anglican Church, West Vancouver, B.C., June 2013 THE MESSAGE: During Pentecost and now, as we ponder the Trinity, the message has been about opening our hearts to receive the Spirit of Truth, the unseen one who will walk with us, live in us, inspire… Continue reading All in it together willy- nilly

The pros and cons of nuclear power versus coal

by Peggy Olive In an ideal world, inexpensive, reliable, and safe sources of green energy would abound, and we could avoid using energy derived from either nuclear fission or coal burning. But we’re not there yet, and with climate change already affecting life on our planet, most of us believe that we need to move… Continue reading The pros and cons of nuclear power versus coal