Tag Archives: BC

Forests

The Crises In Our Forests

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The story that follows contains perspectives not necessarily shared by the Cortes Radio Society, its board, staff, volunteers or membership.

On Monday, November 25, 2019, the forest management company Mosaic began shutting down its Vancouver Island harvesting operations because of “very challenging pricing and market conditions.” Approximately 2,000 people – contractors, union and non union workers, are being dismissed “ahead of the usual winter shutdown.” Mosaic plans to “resume harvesting when the market outlook improves,” but some see this as symptomatic of a much larger industry problem. Sierra Club BC and the Wilderness Committee had planned to hold an event in Campbell River’s downtown Community Centre that same day. Two hours before this was to begin, the city of Campbell River cancelled it because of “the number of people anticipated, the strong potential for highly-charged emotion, and lack of time to establish a security plan for this booking.” This morning’s program is about the crises in our forests.

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Forests

Poll Finds 92% of British Columbians want old growth forests protected

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A new poll, commissioned by Sierra Club BC, found that 92% of British Columbians want old growth forests protected. 842 people were asked “Do you support or oppose taking action to defend endangered old-growth forests in BC?” 69% of the respondents said it was “very important” to them; 23% replied “moderately important.”

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Food

We Are Eating, Drinking & Breathing Microplastics

A new Portland State University study found an average of eleven microplastic pieces in every oyster tested and almost as many particles in clams. This is only one report. While most of our research focuses on the ocean, far more plastic degradation occurs on land. Up to 700,000 plastic microfilaments can be shed from a single load of laundry. A University of Victoria study concluded that the average North American consumes between 39,000 to 52,000 particles a year and that number can go as high as 121,000 “when inhalation is considered.” We are eating, drinking & breathing microplastics.

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Community, Finances

Cortes Is Different

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Originally Published on the Cortes Tideline

During all the fire and fury over Cortes’ proposed “Hall Tax,” it occurred to me that the problem of increasing difficulty in operating and maintaining our Community Halls can hardly be unique to Cortes. Surely other communities are facing similar challenges; it would be worth finding out how (or whether) they were solving the problem. So I set out to investigate the funding basis of as many coastal community halls as possible, in communities not too different from our own: smallish, rural-ish, remote-ish.

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Environment

BC’s Largest Climate March Ever

There were climate marches across the province. According to the Vancouver City Police, 100,000 marched through the province’s largest city. Climate Convergence Metro Vancouver estimates 250,000. Someone standing on the Cambie Street Bridge noted it took the demonstrators 74 minutes to cross. SaltSpring Live sent a video of the march in Victoria (embedded below), where 20,000 assembled at the provincial legislature. Some Campbell River demonstrators were among the 3,000 who marched through downtown Courtenay; only two dozen remained behind to protest at Campbell River’s City Hall (story below). A thousand gathered in Kelowna, 400 in Tofino, 400 in Whistler, a hundred in Port Alberni and several dozen in Powell River. I have yet to hear numbers for the events in Kamloops, Chilliwack, Langley, Penticton, Burns Lake, Nanaimo, Qualicum Beach, Ucluelet, North Pender, Mayne, Gabriola and Denman Islands. British Columbia’s largest Climate March ever took place yesterday. 

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