Fairy Creek – Save the Old Growth Forests

by Dan Kingsley. Fairy Creek isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a tragedy born from last century’s values that bespeak of our need for a new story. Imagine cutting down an old growth forest (2.7% remaining intact) to be akin to cutting down your grandparents because you can get all their inheritance, all to yourself, and… Continue reading Fairy Creek – Save the Old Growth Forests

A tale of a trillion trees

by Stan Hirst A fine alliterative title, but it presents a problem in visioning. Just what does a trillion trees actually look like? What size area would, or could they cover? The story starts with Kenyan Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) who, while serving in the National Council of Women in 1976, introduced the idea of community-based… Continue reading A tale of a trillion trees

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?

Wildfires and climate change: seeking the facts through the haze

by Stan Hirst Living under smoky skies every day is an uncommon experience for Vancouverites. The TV spectacle of thousands of people having to evacuate their homes and ranches in the interior of British Columbia as threatening forest fires advance is not so unfamiliar. Just one year ago we watched over 88,000 people leaving their… Continue reading Wildfires and climate change: seeking the facts through the haze