by Leyla Acaroglu — Condensed with permission from “Problem Solving Desperately Needs Systems Thinking,” originally published at Medium June 26, 2018. Most of us are taught, from a young age, that in order to solve a problem, we simply need to break it down to its core components and solve for x. We learn science… Continue reading If we want to solve complex social and environmental problems we need to think in terms of systems
Tag: environment
Nature’s Beauty
by Jenn Ireland I am a Cree Mètis artist with a passion for nature. I was born in northern Alberta and have lived on Stò:lo territory in the Maple Ridge area of B.C. for many years. I have an eyesight disability which helps me see things differently than most people. I take pictures of nature.… Continue reading Nature’s Beauty
The New Wild
The New Wild by Fred Pearce Beacon Press | 2015 | 245 pages What do Eurasian watermilfoil, Scotch broom, cheatgrass, knapweed, purple loosestrife and hawkweed have in common? Easy question, if you live in British Columbia. They are all officially classified as invasive plants in the province, and they cost the province upwards of $140 million annually… Continue reading The New Wild
Generations Rising: Inspiring Climate Action
by Diana Ellis and Stan Hirst In the fall of 2018 David Suzuki dropped by the monthly meeting of the Council of Elders in Vancouver, B.C. Some weeks earlier the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had issued its IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. The report’s essential messages were being widely circulated.… Continue reading Generations Rising: Inspiring Climate Action
GLOBAL CRISIS – THE VIEW FROM NARAMATA
by Stan Hirst The following is a lightly edited reprint of a post which first appeared on this site in July 2012 (pre-Harvey, pre-Irma, pre-California fires, pre-Trump, pre-COP 21, pre-COP 24). In the Blogmaster’s humble opinion it deserves a rerun. ******************************************************** Naramata Centre: A green, leafy place on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake, British… Continue reading GLOBAL CRISIS – THE VIEW FROM NARAMATA
Canada’s environmental performance: cause for concern?
by Stan Hirst During the run-up to the 2015 Canadian federal elections a total of 164,704 respondents reacted to the simple online question “What issue is most important to you in this election?“. The largest proportion of respondents (36%) said “economy”. The next largest proportion (11%) said “environment”. The remaining issues cited were “health” (11%),… Continue reading Canada’s environmental performance: cause for concern?
The rocky road to the common ground
by Stan Hirst The Suzuki Elders have been at the environmental game for some 9 years now – gathering, talking, arguing, urging, advocating, educating, inspiring on and off, blogging and berating. As our website declares “we bring our voices, experiences and memories to mentor, motivate and support other elders and younger generations in dialogue and… Continue reading The rocky road to the common ground
Spiritual Ecology – Restoring Nature Awareness
by Josef Anton Kuhn Our ancestors had many stories, often referred to as teachings, about creation and spiritual being. Many of these stories have survived the onslaught of modern cultures and technology. They present different visions of creation than are given by many present-day interpretations of religious, industrial and government institutions. Modern institutional and ‘new… Continue reading Spiritual Ecology – Restoring Nature Awareness
Perils of Apparel
Proceedings of a Suzuki Elder salon, April 5, 2018, Vancouver, B.C. Researched and written by Erlene Woollard, Patricia Plackett, Julie Zhu, Erzsi Institorisz, Allison Penko, Jennifer Sharp, and David Plackett Edited by Stan Hirst THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF WHAT WE WEAR The apparel industry is the second most polluting industry on Earth today, exceeded in impact only by the… Continue reading Perils of Apparel
Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace
Our world has become a more dangerous and unstable place. Civil security and stability have long been menaced by wars, military and territorial ambitions, and strong political and economic disparities. Within the last few decades new and increasingly menacing threats have emerged, many of them linked to environmental and socio-environmental changes and risks. During this… Continue reading Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace