Column: 'We no longer have time to piss around.'
No amount of evidence is ever enough to convince climate science deniers — including the politicians among them. But new studies and observations should at least persuade those who profess to understand global heating but appear not to grasp its severity that it’s time to start deploying the many available solutions. We’ve ...
Editorial: Democracy 101 -- What can we expect from a Member of Parliament?
The federal election will be here before we know it. One of our riding’s candidates in the upcoming federal election is finding that quite a few people don’t have even a rudimentary understanding of the fact that our different levels of government are responsible for different things, or what those things are. “Someone asked...
Letter: UBCIC Calls on the Government of BC to uphold Tsilhqot’in Rights and protect Teẑtan Biny and Yanah Biny
Dated: July 29, 2019: For over two decades the Tsilhqot’in have battled to keep Taseko Mines Ltd. (TML) from destroying Teẑtan Biny and Yanah Biny with TML’s plan to create an open pit mine on a place of profound cultural and spiritual significance. Both TML and TNG have filed injunctions in B.C. Supreme Court and are in...
Column: From the Hill -- Oil, Pipelines, Jobs and the Climate Crisis
The conversation around pipelines and oil sands in Canada has been so heated and polarized it’s difficult to sort hype from fact. It’s often hard to have an informed conversation about the issue, let alone an informed debate. On the one side we have people who are deeply concerned about the climate emergency facing us. It...
Opinion: Death by Plastic
Canadians care about the environment. We recycle, compost, take pride in our spectacular natural areas and understand the threat of climate disruption. But we also use more energy and water and produce more garbage per capita than any other nation. In 2017, Canadians produced 1.33 billion tonnes of waste — 36.1 tonnes per...
Gold Fever Follies: "The Big Boom" is a blast!
The costumed cast of the 2019 Gold Fever Follies posed with members of the Rossland branch of the Nelson & District Credit Union staff in front of the NDCU’s Rossland branch, in appreciation of a generous financial donation from the credit union to help support this Rossland summertime tradition. The Gold Fever Follies...
Column: Stoicism in the twenty-first century (Part one of three)
What is your “Philosophy of Life?” Recently, I’ve learned in various media commenting on cultural trends that an ancient philosophy, Stoicism, is making a comeback in the 21st century, to address the human condition and crisis of our particular moment in time. How and why people adopt a philosophy interests me. So I am going...
Opinion: How the marvel of electric light became a global blight to health
By Richard G. Stevens; from Aeon Light pollution is often characterized as a soft issue in environmentalism. This perception needs to change. Light at night constitutes a massive assault on the ecology of the planet, including us. It also has indirect impacts because, while 20 per cent of electricity is used for lighting...
Column: Time to dream big
Climate protection is not a partisan issue Media and politicians often regard environmentalists as a special interest group with political priorities served by “green” parties. If a Green politician isn’t present or allowed to participate in a public debate, journalists tend to eschew environmental questions, considering them...
OBIT: A woman so funny she named herself my Stepmonster
Betty was very quick of wit, usually quite agreeable and very funny. She was gentle, accepting, and supportive and she rarely took crap from anyone. She always had a ready response. Her kindness and generosity of spirit usually stopped her from giving voice to unkind sentiments. She could always see the positive side of...
