“The last shall be first, and the first, last.”     -- Gospel of John Part one of this column is historical, part two is addressed to theory, and part three is focused on our present world order. Part One Afghanistan has fallen: geopolitics moves to the front burner, briefly As Canadians, Americans, and other NATO nations...

As autumn rains extinguish the last of this summer’s fires, the final accounting for a brutal B.C. wildfire season is becoming clear. Nearly one million hectares of forest has been burnt and more than $500 million spent containing the carnage. We are no strangers to the impacts of wildfires here in the Kootenays as we have ...

An open letter to SOWK residents: Thank you to everyone that participated and voted in the 2021 Federal Election. Turnout across the country was lower than average so I thank you for taking the time to engage. Obviously, this election did not turn out how I wanted and I am disappointed and dismayed by the results. I am concerned...

Humanity seems to be teetering on the brink. On one hand, we know that rapidly shifting from coal, oil and gas to renewable energy, along with protecting and restoring carbon sinks like forests and wetlands, will go a long way to slowing the worsening impacts of climate disruption. We know that women’s rights, family planning...

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and Canadian nurses stand strongly united behind science and the best available evidence as the basis for professional nursing practice and decision-making. Nursing is a rigorously educated, regulated and autonomous profession, and it is first a discipline based in science — not a random gathering of personal opinions and ideologies. […]

Most people try to keep their children and grandchildren safe and wouldn’t knowingly put them at risk. Maybe that’s why some ignore or deny the climate crisis. It’s easier than admitting that, by our actions, we’re condemning those we love to an increasingly uncertain future. A new UNICEF report and “Children’s Climate Risk...

We recently wrote that the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report contained little we didn’t already know. It has profound legal implications, though — which could offer hope to youth climate litigants, marginalized communities suffering disproportionately from impacts and even island nations threatened...

Dear Friends, Neighbours and Community Members,   British Columbia has one of the highest rates of vaccination in Canada. Over 83% of people age 12 and older in B.C. have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and over 75% have received two doses. This is encouraging progress. Each person who gets vaccinated makes...

Background: A local property owner and businessman applied to Rossland City Council at its previous meeting, for Development Permits to allow “development” of four properties – by cutting timber on them.  Despite Rossland’s Tree Retention Bylaw, and despite provisions in the Red Mountain Development Permit Area to prevent...

For too long, Canada has dragged its feet on the urgent need to battle climate change, a hesitancy largely caused by concerns over the economy and jobs.  It is now clear that we not only must take bold steps in this battle, but we can do this while creating good jobs and putting Canada at the forefront of the global clean...