LETTERS: Keep industry out of our politics
Dear editor, This summer has made it clearer than it’s ever been before. We are in a climate emergency, and it’s time to act like it. But instead of getting us off fossil fuels and salvaging a livable future for our children, our federal government is offering piecemeal half-measures. The recent announcement about limiting fossil […]
Analysis: Canada’s wettest province faces historic drought – and a precarious new future
By Arno Kopecky (This article first appeared in The Narwhal; republished with permission) From grasshopper infestations to water restrictions, B.C.’s drought is affecting all corners of the province in ways surprising and predictable. Is the government doing enough to lead? Near the end of July, I found myself discussing...
Column: Life-filled, life-giving soil
As you walk outside, watching birds take flight or a squirrel run up a tree, take a moment to consider the activity beneath your feet. A new study shows more than half the world’s life is in soil — including 90 per cent of fungi, 85 per cent of plants and more than 50 per cent of bacteria. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil can...
Newsletter from MLA/Minister Katrine Conroy
As a province, we’re proud to be a place where newcomers choose to live and where diverse communities can feel welcome, but we know that this isn’t always the case. Systemic barriers persist and mean it’s not always easy for people to thrive in B.C. and we know there’s work to be done to change this. That’s why we announced...
COLUMN: Luxury is killing us -- Top 1% emit more carbon than rest of upper class
Too many people are consuming more than Earth’s systems can replenish. But while population growth is an important issue, overconsumption of energy and products is the more immediate and easily resolvable problem. The wealthy, including middle-class people in rich countries, are responsible for many times the climate-altering...
Opinion: Why have we let it come to this?
On July 6, the world’s average temperature was the hottest ever recorded, at 17.23 C. That beat the previous highs on… July 3 and 4! June was the hottest month ever, but July is shaping up to be even hotter. Experts expect more records to break over the next while, as an El Niño weather pattern combines with record emissions...
COLUMN: Artifical Intelligence, Meet Natural Consciousness
The Fear A. I. is off the leash. Accept this as a given. The A.I. that has an off-switch, is not cause for alarm. But there are forms of A.I. which cannot be turned off now. Humans have set it at liberty, to roam the cybersphere, the electronic oceans saturating our global civilization. The 1 and the O, the One and the Void,...
MLA/Minister Katrine Conroy's Weekly Newsletter
Be prepared for extreme heat and drought As we kick off the summer months, now is the time to ensure people in your community are prepared for extreme heat. Making a plan is the first step you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during extreme heat. Staying hydrated, finding ways to keep your home cool, and ...
COLUMN: Who is behind all the anti-ESG rhetoric?
With all the problems in the world, from massive inequality to the climate crisis, you’d think voluntary guidelines to improve corporate environmental and social practices would be a no-brainer. After all, addressing those critical issues can also boost a company’s bottom line. But for companies with business models based on...
Weekly newsletter from MLA/Minister Katrine Conroy
In communities across B.C., farmers’ markets offer an opportunity for people to get locally grown, healthy, fresh food from the farmers in their neighbourhood. Farmers’ markets also are a place for social connection, as well as a support for food security across B.C. But, we know that this food isn’t always accessible to...