Volunteer Vancouver

When I moved to East Vancouver a few years ago I found a community like none I'd ever experienced before. Our little piece of Grant Street is friendly, our neighbours talk to us and to each other and everyone seems genuinely concerned about each other. All-in-all, despite what we thought we knew about East Vancouver before moving there, we were made to feel at home. I'm not saying for a second that there aren't other communities like ours, its just that I've never lived in one quite like it before.

Considering that this community was to be the one that we would call home, the one that we would raise our kids in, I thought that the best way to ensure that it stays friendly, clean and safe was to find a way to contribute and become a more active member of the community at large. I have volunteered in some capacity in other areas where I've lived so I decided to explore the various volunteer opportunities available in Hastings-Sunrise and Vancouver in general.

One great source of information for organizations looking for volunteers and volunteers looking for organizations is Volunteer Vancouver. This is something like a "help wanted" site for the voluntary sector but it also offers much more. According to their web site:

Established in 1943, Volunteer Vancouver has evolved into an organization that is proactive and innovative. We also continue to respond to the community and enhance the contributions of volunteers by working with organizations to maximize volunteer involvement.

Volunteer Vancouver offers a wide range of services that include training workshops, BoardMatch, a resource library and an online newsletter called Vantage Point. Interested people can sign up for regular updates and be made aware (by email) of volunteer opportunities in their communities.

As mentioned, I have volunteered for pretty much my whole adult life. Today I am involved with 6 different organizations in Vancouver and on the North Shore (I have trouble saying no sometimes) and despite the challenges that all of these present sometimes, all are very important to me for their own reasons. My wife would love for me to cut a few of them back, but which ones? Trouble is there just aren't enough people like me (or the 7.5 million (1997) other Canadians) willing to give up some of their time for a worthy cause. Worse, competition for good volunteers is fierce, as I have found out trying to find volunteers where I work. I'm not suggesting for a minute that everyone need give up as much as I do and I understand that there are probably some very good and valid reasons why people don't volunteer, but I personally believe that this world would stop rotating if it weren't for the efforts of volunteers.

According to Volunteer BC, in 2000 some 845 000 (26% of the population) British Columbian's volunteered about 142 million hours of their precious time. This is equal to 74 000 full-time jobs. The national contribution of British Columbian volunteers is an impressive 13% and this includes all of those wonderful people on the PAC's at your kids school, little league coaches, Search and Rescue members, people on the board at your favorite Rec Center, people providing valuable public services at no charge so that you may participate in the activity for low or no charge. Sort of makes you want to hug a volunteer doesn't it?

But back to Volunteer Vancouver and their significance for me... this is were I first found out about the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition. The subject of my next post.

More of the same from the NDP

Can someone please give Carole James a nudge, her record is skipping again! I don't know why I do this to myself (OK I do) but the other day I decided to spend some time learning more about our provinces official opposition, so I spent about an hour visiting the BC NDP home site and the site of the official opposition.

I'm pretty sure that I was there less than 10 minutes before my eyes started bleeding and I became short of breath. I needed water, badly! I want to call my venture into NDP territory research, at least that's how it was intended but unfortunately this would imply that I learned something useful from it. In fact all that I may have learned I knew already.

That Carole James and the NDP don't really like Premier Campbell and the BC Liberals is pretty obvious and, to be fair I guess it comes with the job. The problem that I found is that the NDP don't really seem to bring anything tangible to any of the arguments that they try to present. Even the message is the same, regurgitated from one issue to the next, "Gordon Campbell can't be trusted!" What is this, grade 9?

Lets look at health care, the one issue that the NDP keep trying to claim as their own. On their home site the NDP (correctly) observe that Gordon Campbell is promising to listen to our (British Columbian's) ideas on health care. (Presumable referring to the government Conversation on Health). In true NDP fashion they take it that one extra step by saying "Why should we believe him this time?"

Hmmm...

Well to begin with I guess we can look at the amount of money that the BC Liberals have thrown at health care since inheriting a sinking ship in 2001. Most recently $9.5 million announced for First Nations health initiatives. Fact is Gordon Campbell has increased health care spending by $3.8 billion since 2001, doubled doctors training spaces, increased training for nurses, eliminated MSP premiums and reduced prescription costs for nearly 300 000 low income British Columbian's, to name only a few. I know why the NDP shouldn't trust the government when it comes to health care.

Instead of encouraging people to take part in the Conversation on Health and bring meaningful dialogue and possible solutions to fix an ailing system to the table, the NDP choose to focus on looming shortages of health care professionals and place blame for this problem squarely on the shoulders of the premier. Here's a news flash Carole! Labour shortages are an increasing reality in all sectors in this province and it has everything to do with an aging population and, thanks to this government, a hot economy. Within the next few years BC and Alberta combined will realize a shortage of up to 350 000 skilled and unskilled laborers, who will you blame for that?

Next comes the challenges faced by lower income British Columbian's. Carole James, the NDP and the BC Federation of Labour have all jumped on the minimum wage band-wagon. According to them the "BC Liberals don't care about our lowest paid workers." Don't care? Seems to me that not so long ago the Liberals introduced a 10% tax cut specifically aimed at helping these people, a tax cut opposed by Jim Sinclair and the BC Fed. Gordon Campbell also increased the maximum income level for rental assistance to $28 000 and increased monthly shelter allowances and basic rates for single employable people by $50 each. This was the first increase of its kind since 1992.

Then we come to a personal favorite of mine, the environment.

So far, the BC Liberal government has contributed more than $500 million towards the development of greener communities. During its first term in office our government reduced its own greenhouse gas emissions by 24%, the same amount that emissions increased under the previous NDP government. Carole James says that "Gordon Campbell has failed on climate change" yet he is behind what is arguably the most aggressive plan at reducing carbon emissions in North America. Carole James hasn't even managed to reduce her own vehicle emissions.

I love this one!

"Gordon Campbell can't be trusted to deal with growing homelessness in our streets."

Homelessness due to things like mental illness, drug addiction, and all other contributing factors combined represents a very serious challenge to all communities throughout the province. Those of us in Vancouver-Hastings are patently aware of the reality of this problem and despite what the NDP would have us believe, its a problem that has been growing steadily since the early 90's. The problem of homelessness has been passed from government to government and until now, none have done much to solve it. During their turn at the wheel, the NDP acknowledged the challenge of homelessness and admitted that they didn't really know what to do about it.

Under Gordon Campbell, the BC Liberals have realized the problem of the homeless. They've stood up and taken responsibility for solving the problem and they've put their money where their mouths are. Recently to the tune of some $80 million and despite what the likes of the NDP and the Anti-Poverty Committee say, this is a significant first step and to quote the premier, "This is not the end."

At the beginning of this post I said that I didn't learn anything from this exercise but that's not entirely true. A couple of things did emerge after an hour or so in NDP web space. First, our official opposition is very heavy on criticism yet extremely light with useful suggestions. The NDP, for lack of any tangible argument cling to an over-used, now stale "can't be trusted" angle that doesn't allow for any intelligent debate on any of the important issues. Its like George Bush saying the the United States is "fighting evil" or worse, like trying to reason with your three year old who doesn't want to eat his/her vegetables.

Second, all it takes is a little digging (and a little common sense) to learn that while some of the challenges now facing our province did in fact become more difficult within the last 7 years, none of them were actually created during this time. Many of these challenges of been growing for decades but then does anyone really believe that a troubled health care system, global warming or the plight of the homeless magically appeared in 2001 with the changing of government? The NDP does. The reality is however, that the NDP was very aware of these problems while in government but they didn't have any money to do anything about them.

Which brings me to my final observation. The BC Liberals have turned our province around. We have money, the government is aware of the issues and they are taking all of the right steps to try and create positive change. The problem for the NDP is, that it leaves them with nothing but a bunch of old government credit card receipts to sift through, hoping beyond hope to find something, anything that can help breath a little life into a party full of old ideas and outdated ideologies.

1 person screwing up East Vancouver

Its been a crazy couple of weeks for me. I've barely had the time to keep up with whats going on in the world, nation, province, community... so it was great to find a few minutes yesterday to scan some headlines and I wasn't disappointed. The first one that caught my eye (and apparently a lot of other peoples) read "Pro 9/11 column may oust Green candidate."

I immediately thought of East Vancouver's own Kevin Potvin!

It had to be! He's written so many ridiculous things I just couldn't think of anyone else that would want to be within miles of any essay, article or thought out loud that would hint at anything but absolute remorse for some 3000 innocent lives lost in the twin towers. You may not agree with the current American administration's style of politics, capitalism, consumerism, militarism or any other ism for that matter, I don't necessarily, but most people recognize the events of 9/11 for what they truly are, a tragedy.

So I clicked on the story and sure enough... Kevin Potvin!

I wasn't surprised to see him, nor was I surprised that he would attempt to bring context to the ramblings of his "little voice". I guess he had to do something to try and fill in the hole that it has dug for him. What does surprise me is the fact that the Green Party of Canada was even willing to consider him as a viable candidate for Vancouver-Kingsway, or anywhere else for that matter. It also surprises me that party leader Elizabeth May would even consider giving Potvin the "benefit of the doubt" over his comments. While I am not a member of the party, nor do I vote green I will admit to a certain amount of respect for the party and some of the things that they stand for (more than I can often muster for the local orange party). Kevin Potvin, co-founder and regular contributor to the "Republic of East Vancouver" does nothing good for the credibility of the Green Party, just like he has done nothing good for the "Community" of East Vancouver.

Even if Potvin does manage to hold on to the Green nomination for Vancouver-Kingsway it is extremely unlikely that he would be elected. Too bad for East Vancouver and Vancouver-Hastings because that means we are likely stuck with him. The rest of this great country may never realize the star that is Kevin Potvin and so sadly, he will likely never make Spinks' list of 101 People that are Screwing up Canada. Too bad because lists like this were made for people like Potvin.

Identity in Crisis...

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about (if you think about) East Vancouver?

Almost 3 years ago, as my wife and I frantically searched for a house big enough to accommodate our growing family without breaking the bank, our realtor mentioned East Vancouver. We were moving from the North Shore as it was obvious we wouldn't be able to afford a bigger place there and we were considering going as far east as Cloverdale. We looked in Burnaby, New Westminster, the Coquitlams and even Langley. But East Van???

Like many people, the image that came to mind for us back then was one largely created by what we'd seen, heard and read about in the news. Aside from the annual trip to the PNE, our East Vancouver experience was somewhat limited and our impression of the community was unfortunately shaped by a stigma perpetuated by the media, poor political representation and, in many cases the communities own residents. How many people can conjure up an image of East Vancouver that doesn't include the Downtown Eastside? Needless to say we had our reservations.

Since moving here and become active members of our new community we have realized just how wrong this negative perception of East Vancouver really is. It is extremely unfortunate that a large and otherwise vibrant, culturally diverse and lively community must carry the label provided by a very, very small (geographically speaking) part of it. The challenges of homelessness, drug abuse, prostitution and so on that plague the DTES (and beyond) are undeniably real and they certainly need to be addressed and dealt with in a way that works for everyone. But it is important to understand that these problems are not (nor should they be considered) exclusive to our community and therefor they should not be used as the stick by which to measure the entire community of East Vancouver.

Forget the media for a second, the problem is that our own elected officials and, in many cases residents often focus too much of their efforts on the worst parts of our community forgetting that there is so much more to East Vancouver than homelessness, drug abuse, prostitution and so on.


Not long after moving in I read an article in the Vancouver Courier outlining the history of Hastings-Sunrise and its important part in the shaping of Vancouver as we know it. I know that I've talked about this before but it's certainly worth repeating some of the proud historical achievements of a community now famous for what it doesn't have. Hastings, formally New Brighton has laid claim to many Vancouver firsts such as the first road, wharf, post office, museum, sub-division and hotel. Our community was even the first one in the area to have a telephone. In the latter part of the 1800's, Hastings played a critical role in transportation as stage coaches made their way from the capital of New Westminster to New Brighton to catch the ferry to Stamps Mill and to the logging operations at Moodyville (now North Vancouver). How can one not be impressed (and perhaps a little bit surprised) but such a proud history. Learning of my communities past played a large part in my desire to learn and do more but at the same time, I am often curious and somewhat disappointed that so many of my neighbors seem unaware of this past or have otherwise chosen to forget about it.

Recently I was talking with a person much more familiar with the area than I am and after our conversation I believe that I have a greater understanding of the community and the East Vancouver identity crisis. Or at least one possible explanation for it. According to this person a lot of the challenges that we face today (in respect to who we are and our place within this city) can be traced back to those early days at New Brighton. Although our community was the one to get the ball rolling for what would eventually become Vancouver, for whatever reason we weren't able to hold onto that ball and it rolled away. Somehow, a city that was supposed to take shape on our shores moved west leaving what would later become East Vancouver, in its shadow.


Today we are recognized by the outside world as the community surrounding the DTES or, more accurately from the outside all of East Van is the DTES. This identity is unfortunately legitimized by our own elected representatives like NDP MP Libby Davies who despite her obligation to the entire community, can't seem to pull her head out of the very small part of it that is the DTES. That's the look from the outside anyway.

From the inside, our identity goes back to our being denied right to the city itself. Ever since we have chosen to describe ourselves by all of the things that we are not or that we don't have. We are not the West End, we're not as affluent, we don't get as much money, our services aren't as good, we're forgotten, Hastings Park isn't Stanley Park, the government(s) ignore us... you get the picture. At least this is the impression that I have after attending a few meetings in the community, talking to people and listening to other people talk. We want so badly to be recognized like the Vancouver west of Main street that we fail to see the beauty within our own back yards, or at least the potential for beauty there. Worse, in our efforts to be more like them we (or some of us anyway) are actually working to destroy some of the great institutions still alive that helped create us in the first place and that continue to remind outsiders that there is a reason to visit East Vancouver. There is more to us than the DTES. That we are home to Hastings Park race track and the PNE is something that should be celebrated (I'll save them for another post I think).


Of course I am new to the community and the lens through which I view it hasn't yet become clouded over by visions of private enterprises setting up shop, attracting visitors that spend money here and making a little money of their own in the process. I love this community and couldn't be happier about the decision that we made to become a part of it. While at times its easy to get bogged down by the false identity of East Vancouver and forget about our significance to all communities surrounding us I do believe that the times are-a-changin and we can rediscover our proud past and rightful place in the future of the City of Vancouver. But first we have to work on our own views of ourselves. We need to start celebrating all that we have along with the things that we don't have, recognizing that these are the things that make us unique. We need to participate in creating and maintaining a vibrant community that is safe and that people want to visit and we need to celebrate the private and public partnerships that help make us strong. We need to elect federal, provincial and municipal representatives that recognize all parts of our community and not just the aspects that further their own agenda's. The problems of the DTES will be fixed when they are made a part of a greater community plan and not as long as they are the only part of the plan.


Finally, we need to tell other people what we have. We need to encourage people to visit, move here, set up shop, do business here. We need to encourage growth and move on. The city may have passed us by, but where would it be without us?

Go figure!

"People in this province want action on climate change. That means taking real, concrete steps toward reducing emissions. It means coming up with meaningful strategies to address the consequences of climate change."

That was BC NDP MLA and Environment Critic (Vancouver-Hastings own) Shane Simpson back on January 13 2007, before the speech from the throne and before the unveiling of the BC Liberals 2007 budget. Back when the opposition, in desperate need of something, anything that would allow it to claw itself back into relevance on the political landscape of this province chose the environment as one of three platforms that it would use to show British Columbians that the NDP still gave a "you know what" about our future and that it had an edge on the current government.

The weeks and days leading to the opening of the legislature this year provided us with a steady barrage of what would prove to be not so well thought out challenges by the NDP for the government to do something about climate change, the health care system and poverty. These were the areas that the NDP felt they had the greatest chance at making a difference in BC politics at least, and the areas that they hoped would allow them to gain back some of the support that has been slipping through their fingers lately. As the gears began turning on a new year in BC's political machine the NDP demanded action on the environment, changes in health care and support for the homeless. The foot stomping was relentless! After a year of near obscurity the opposition seemed fired up with a new energy and it had clearly identified the areas that this energy would be challenged. And here are some of the things that our own Shane Simpson said about the governments action on climate change.

"When you get to the substantive aspects of the actual actions they've taken, you'd be hard pressed to point to many things that this government has done that will actually deal with reductions in emissions" Shane Simpson 24 hrs 19 January 2007

"This government has an absolutely atrocious record on climate change, we should be long past arguing that climate change is an issue worth discussing, we should be working at getting some real results." Shane Simpson 13 January 2007

And then came the throne speech and the budget for 2007...

Since then it seems to me that the markers identifying the NDP's position on such things as climate change, health care and the plight of the homeless have become noticeably grayer. Despite the fact that these three things are arguably the most significant issues in the minds of many British Columbians, the lines that divide what the NDP says in public and what they are actually practicing themselves just seem to get longer and wider.

Consider the environment!

Carole James has, on more than one occasion blasted the BC Liberals for what she refers to as government inaction on climate change. She states on the official NDP web site that "BC is falling behind the rest of Canada (in respect to climate change and the use of clean energy)" yet she herself still drives an SUV. Remember that it was Carole James who demanded the government set greenhouse gas emission limits, and on her parties own site she identifies the need to "examine and invest in clean technologies today so that we don't have to play catch up tomorrow."

Carole James announced six priorities for action to help cap emissions (one of which encourages the use of alternative fuels and fuel efficient automobiles) and she has challenged the Premier to "work with us to do better". Interesting...

And then we move to health care...

According to Carole James she (and the NDP) is listening to the concerns of people in BC. Ms. James has "innovative and practical new ideas that will get results now." Wow! We just don't know what they are. Carole James is going to reverse BC Liberal cuts to health care and make the system more affordable for years to come. The same system that, during the 90's under the NDP saw a reduction in the number of long-term care beds, was promised $125 million dollars for a mental health plan that never materialized and witnessed scores of doctors leaving rural communities across the province.

The NDP demands the Gordon Campbell work with them to fix a system that they broke in the first place. A system that the Liberals have since poured $3.8 billion extra, dollars into, that has seen an increase in the number of doctors in training and has created 2500 new nurse training spaces. Among other things.

Finally we have affordable housing and the issue of homelessness...

Carole James has called on the government to "put more money into solving the shortage of affordable housing and the problems of addiction and mental illness in this province." Times Colonist 19 Feb 07. This was before the budget at a time when the BC Liberals had already spent 54% more on social housing than the NDP government before it. The NDP have called on the Premier to fix the very problems that it began to create while in office even though former NDP MLA's admitted that the problem may not be so easily fixed.

But, despite all the money spent up until now, the 2007 budget still provides more money for low income families, more money for affordable housing, decreases in income taxes for low income earners, increase in shelter allowances, millions of dollars for an increased number of shelter beds and so on.

Why am I bringing this up? After all it shouldn't be too terribly surprising for those of us familiar with the tactics of the NDP and the way that their position on key issues changes with the wind. I only bring all of this up again as a point of reference. The NDP has made some very serious demands of the government to make changes that it feels necessary to reverse damage that it feels has occurred/is occurring in a few key areas. On the environment alone Carole James has said that "Working together through the legislature we can freeze emissions now...BC can be among North America's climate change leaders. That's what British Columbians want us to be."

Carole James wants to work with the government yet her party has unanimously voted against a throne speech and a budget that will accomplish the very things she is asking for. She has voted against a budget that is committed to climate change, that provides an additional $870 million for health care and that clearly addresses some of the key issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.

This is called working together...

"We will be looking for meaningful action from the government and if its there we will support it..." Shane Simpson on News 1130 12 Feb 07.

Shane Simpson also voted against a budget that is committed to climate change, that provides an additional $870 million for health care and that clearly addresses some of the key issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness.

Go figure.

101 people screwing up BC?

A few weeks ago I came across a very interesting site that is counting down the 101 people that are screwing up Canada. I was so impressed by what I was reading that I had to add it to my links and this list is part of the reason for this particular post.

I've been very interested in provincial level politics for some time and I have spent an almost ridiculous amount of time following it over the past few years. My family and I moved to East Vancouver two years ago and since that time I have been especially interested in the interaction between this new community of mine and its politicians but, to my detriment I have largely ignored the going's on at City Hall and the doings (or lack of) of our Federal MP Libby Davies.

I've been so focused on the lousy job being done by our provincial MLA that I haven't realized the impact that Libby may be having across the country. But thanks to Ms. Davies and google alerts I discovered the 101 people list.

Libby makes the list at number 55 and reading her contributions to the demise of our country it became clear to me Why I've ignored her up until now. Libby Davies is not on my radar largely because I'm not on hers. Like the vast majority of the population of Vancouver-East I am not a resident of the Downtown Eastside, I'm not addicted to drugs, not a prostitute and when it comes to child care I happen to prefer methods that encourage and allow my wife and I to do the majority of it ourselves.

Outside of these issues (all important and deserving of attention) it is very difficult to determine what, if anything Libby has done for East Vancouver and for this reason, while deserving of number 55 on the national list, I'm not sure that she would even register if a similar list were created identifying 101 of the people screwing up BC. After all, you have to do something in order to screw it up. But don't take my word for it. Sign up for google alerts and see what comes up for Libby Davies, I guarantee that it will be one of the same 3 issues over and over again.

As to a list for BC, Libby may not make it but BC NDP MLA Shane Simpson... that's another story entirely.

more green baby steps...

Like watching an old M*A*S*H re-run sometimes the classics are hard to resist. So here is yet another post about the environment, climate change, sustainability... you pick the buzz phrase.

This past Saturday I went to the 1st EPIC Sustainable Living Expo under the sails, at Canada Place. I kind of had to go, given the amount of space I've provided for the environment here and the lengths I've gone through to make a difference in my family's lives, but really I wanted to go to see what a first (presumably annual) expo would have to offer and I wanted to learn of anything else that I could do specifically in my life and of what I could bring to the place that I work. The Expo was certainly interesting and I did get the answers to a couple of my questions but, surprisingly perhaps I also learned a couple of things about current environmental trends and the potentially negative side of a movement recently thrust into the limelight.

I arrived at the Expo in time to see the "Greening your home" presentation on the main stage. It was interesting and I learned a bit about paints and some of the chemicals that we use to clean our homes but I'll admit that it was hard to follow for long, especially given the environment of the Convention Center and especially when you hearing is less than perfect like mine is. So my friend and I decided to skip out early and check out some of the exhibits instead. It didn't take us very long to realize the first hard lesson about a life totally green, it costs a lot of money! Looking at just a few of the products on display made us realize that current trends in sustainability don't come cheap.

I know, and I can already envision the responses to this post... Yes I do believe that the earth is worth the money... I understand that at the end of the day its a small price to pay to ensure a future for our children and generations to come... and yes I understand that we have neglected our planet for so long now that we really can't afford not to do it. But I am sorry, walking through the displays and exhibits at the EPIC fair it didn't take me that long to do the math and I was never that terribly good at math. $30 000 for a Toyota Hybrid... I guess that seems reasonable! $500 for a lamp made solely from recycled agricultural waste (who knows what that is)... I don't know! $1200 for a coffee table made of recycled industrial materials... It was a nice looking coffee table but I paid $149 for the one I have now at IKEA. $1800 for a partition made from old cross walk signal lenses... pushing it for sure. $45 for a t-shirt made out of bamboo? Enough... I don't care how soft it felt or that it had natural odour control properties. The fact is that if this is the face of the environmental movement it is doomed before it gets off the ground, no one can afford it!

Don't get me wrong, I think its great that there are some innovative people out there that have found a way to create products with low environmental impact and some that actually have social conscience as well. The fact that my friend and I found it a bit of a stretch to connect sustainability to some of the products that we saw doesn't mean that we don't give them credit for trying.

The cost of going green may be one thing but the second, and possibly the most puzzling lesson learned surrounded the fact that a lot of the stuff that we saw at EPIC really had to travel a long way to get there. One can only question the validity of the claim of "sustainability" by a product that has travelled from literally the other side of the world and then costs a small fortune for the consumer. Bamboo flooring makes a great deal of sense to me, its attractive, its durable but is it environmentally friendly? I loved the quilts that I saw that were made from used sari's and I appreciated the social causes under which they were presented, but sustainable? I didn't even try the potato chips shipped from Malaysia although they looked delicious. Face it, most of these things, all of these things are presented with the best of intentions and they are probably all great products, but dig a bit deeper. Isn't the manner in which most of these things are transported to us the most significant contributor to climate change and global warming?

Despite these lessons I did get out of the Expo exactly what I had hoped to get. It was the last booth that I visited, but not only did it provide me with the answers that I needed, but it also cast aside a lot of the negative impressions that I have been left with recently after talking to some of the "really green" members of my community. This last booth was, in my opinion the only one delivering the real message, for no reason other than the fact that the message needs to be delivered.

As I have mentioned in perhaps too many posts now, I have unfortunately encountered a few "green" people of late bent on delivering an all or nothing message when it comes to individual efforts at reducing our impact on the environment. These people are more than a little reluctant to recognize those little steps that some of us are trying to take on the road to becoming more environmentally responsible. I have had more than one conversation where I have been told that what I was doing wasn't enough and several conversations where I've been told that our current BC Liberal government is moving too slow, despite the fact that they are moving faster and with greater resolve than anyone preceding them. The really green people want it all and they want it to happen right now. I applaud their ambition but...

Back to the Expo. I have always been one to recognize the small steps and that is why I almost fell in love with the One Day Vancouver booth. When we stopped in at this exhibit we became immediately aware of how important individual contribution was/is. The booth seemed to not only recognize it but to celebrate it as well, as the entire back wall of the display was covered with Polaroid's of real people with one sentence explanations of what they are doing to contribute towards a sustainable planet. The message was clear, it was sincere, it had impact and I was impressed. So I went to onedayvancouver.ca to learn more (I've added it to my links if your interested)...

One day's purpose so incredibly mirrors my own feelings that I have to print it here. According to their site, One day:

...is about small first steps. Its about individual actions that each of us can take in our every day lives. Its about what is possible, and will reward and applaud each and every action, no matter how big or how small. Its about momentum and shared success.

...is about values - about protecting the best place to live in the world, about preserving our unparalleled quality of life for our children and grandchildren, and shared effort and enterprise.

...is about health, fitness and well being. Walking and cycling are easy ways to stay fit, lose weight and help cut down on the amount of energy we use. Changing the way that we move through our day also helps us slow down and take more time with our children, neighbourhoods and communities, reminding us that life doesn't need to be as hectic as we make it out to be.

...is about leadership. One day, Vancouver will be a model for how urban populations use and consume energy. Together, business, neighbourhoods, individuals and communities will showcase Vancouver to the world at the 2010 Olympic Games as a model city for sustainable energy consumption and urban development.

...is working with partners - youth, community groups, business leaders - to start this movement from the ground up, seeding the idea in schools, workplaces, businesses, neighbourhoods, coffee shops and more.

The one day web site provides some simple suggestions to the things that we do everyday at home, at the office and on our way in between. Things like, if you have to drive make sure that your tire pressure is correct, or how installing low-flow shower heads can save you money (so you can afford that bamboo t-shirt) or about the benefits of switching to cold water washing. One day Vancouver tells us that we don't actually have to drop everything that we have learned up to this point to become overnight environmental extremists. It does tell us that there are reasonable and practical things that we can do right now, that will reflect in immediate positive impacts on our environment.

EPIC must be rated as a success by all measures. Any gathering that would cause people to reflect on what they are doing and on what can be done to make our world a better place must be considered as a good thing. My hope is that the "really" green people will take a look at some of the things that organizations like One Day Vancouver are doing and realize that if they hope to actually gain momentum and win the support of that huge portion of the population that is currently sitting on the fence they will have to start celebrating these small steps. Change will not occur overnight and, whether the climate demands it or not, people will not buy into any ideology that is shoved down their throats.

is labour out of touch???

On February 28 the Federal government announced long-awaited changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Essentially these changes extend the amount of time that someone from another country can be employed in Canada, from 12 months to 24. It also helps simplify and speed up the application process. As a manager in the tourism industry I am one of many people that are relieved to see these changes. The past two years (at least) have been extremely challenging in finding new skilled and unskilled workers for us and I know that this has been equally difficult for other areas similar to ours throughout the province.

I know it... and most people that hire (or try to hire) workers in the tourism, restaurant, construction, retail and other industries know it as well. Strangely enough though BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair and Wayne Peppard of the Building and Construction Trades Council either haven't been told about this growing problem or they have chosen to ignore it. You would think that anyone with their fingers on the pulse of labour in this province (as I would assume these guys have) would be very aware of the nearly 350 000 person shortfall that BC and Alberta combined will face within the next few years.


Wouldn't they?

In the tourism sector alone, in this province it is projected that we will need to fill some 84 000 skilled and unskilled positions leading up to and beyond the 2010 Olympics. This is significant considering that about 1 in 14 British Columbian workers are employed in or otherwise rely on tourism. Worse, according to the Globe and Mail's BC Editor Patrick Brethour after the Olympics if things continue as they are now, employers will look back on 2007 and reflect on how "easy" they had it way back then. Meanwhile, here in 2007 the restaurant industry is reporting a 13% shortfall in labour and the construction industry is scrambling to find the 20 000 extra workers that it will need within the next 3 years.

One of the key reasons that the likes of Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Peppard oppose changes to foreign worker rules is because they feel that the workers are vulnerable to their employers. The fact that many of these people may not speak or understand english means that they will not fully understand theirs rights and responsibilities. They become a gift to employers looking for "cheap labour". This is the most ridiculous accusation I have heard recently and speaking for my workplace (where I am responsible for employee Health and Safety) and in part for my industry, I can quite honestly say that the foreign workers employed by us are paid and treated exactly the same as their Canadian counterparts. They receive the same health and safety orientations and training, the same benefits, the same safety equipment and they are made to feel part of the same team. To suggest otherwise is simply insulting!

Employers within the province are not only competing with the site down the road for workers as shortages exist east of the Rockies as well. For this reason it seemed to make perfect sense to me that our provincial government come up with creative ways to attract workers from other provinces into the BC labour force. Creating an environment where our citizens pay the lowest tax in the country thanks to a 10% tax break seems like a pretty good way to start. Did I mention that Jim Sinclair opposed this tax break when it was introduced by Minister of Finance Carol Taylor?

No doubt the lowest unemployment rate in some 32 years is beginning to show its marks on all business and industry sectors across BC. It means that we are going to have to get creative in finding and retaining workers in a variety of ways and we will have to start exploring options and looking in places that we haven't really looked that hard in before. Extending the length of time that a foreign worker can stay in Canada is one option that seems to make sense to most of us however, it is a concept that the heads of the labour movement may never fully grasp. The numbers will likely never really add up to them and they won't justify what is seen by the likes of the BC Fed as a "cheap labour strategy", even when those foreign workers do receive the same benefits as we do.


So you tell me... is the labour movement out of touch with the reality of labour today? I'm sure beginning to think so.

quit now!

Most of the things that I've posted here so far have been about things that I have a certain amount of passion about. They are things that I've studied, I'm involved with personally or that I feel are interesting enough to share with the world, or at least the small part of it that cares what I think. Whenever possible I try and back up what I say with facts but still, at the end of it all if your reading my blog your getting my views on the things that I feel are important. What a great place we live in! That said, given the number of times that the topic of this particular blog has presented itself to me in the past two days alone, it seems as though this blog was meant to be posted.

Nothing that I have said so far on these pages means anything, compared to what I am about to say. Nothing!

Two years ago I devised a plan to make my workplace tobacco free. It was an ambitious plan that wasn't really received that well by a lot of the people that I work with (roughly 15% of them at least), but the Executive Team liked it and so we began taking steps that would eventually see the end of smoking at the place where I work. Two years later we have significantly changed the way that people smoke there but smoking is still permitted and lately I've found myself faced with a pretty big challenge in implementing the next step. Yesterday I had a telephone conversation with the person at Coastal Health Authority heading up the Tobacco-free sports program. It was a great call and I was very pleased to hear how far ahead we are compared to other companies similar to ours, but at the end of it I really wasn't that much closer to solving the problem I'm faced with right now.

First thing this morning I decided to drop in on our General Manager and get his advise on how to proceed with this project. We talked about the programs successes so far and the challenges we've faced along the way and, most importantly what we can do next. It was a very productive session and I left feeling really good about the idea and motivated to come up with the way to move it forward. Timing being on my side today, I arrived in my office shortly after only to read about yesterdays introduction by the BC Liberals of tougher legislation surrounding tobacco that will make tobacco products "invisible" by January 2008.

I was absolutely ecstatic!

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for about the last 60 years or so, you know that tobacco use (especially smoking) is bad for you. You know that about 6000 British Columbian's will be killed this year directly or indirectly due to tobacco related illness and that some of these people will have never smoked in their lives. Canada wide 50 000 people will die from tobacco use and about 1000 of them will be non-smokers. You may know that tobacco accounts for 90% of all lung cancers, 75% of all emphysema deaths and 25% of all cardiovascular deaths. You may not know that about 4.9 billion people worldwide will die this year because of tobacco.

Then again, you may not care!

Climate change, global warming and other environmental issues being the hot topics these days, you may understand that the cultivation of tobacco has a significant negative impact on the world. Most tobacco is grown in the third world so you may not know just how much land is cleared and fuel is burned to grow and cure the leaf, land that could be used to grow food. You may not know that it is actually difficult to grow tobacco and therefor farmers tend to use a lot of pesticides to guarantee their crops. Since this occurs in the third world most farmers aren't protected from harmful exposure to toxins and pesticides. You may have an idea about the amount of waste smoking and tobacco packaging produces. In Canada its about 2 billion empty cigarette packages and some 50 billion butts, worldwide cigarette butts pile up to a staggering 954 million kilograms.

You may not care that much about this either!

British Columbian's are concerned (with good reason) about the state and future of our health care system. You may know that tobacco use gobbles up about $2.3 billion health care dollars in BC every year, Canada wide the number is about 6 times higher and I can only imagine what the cost world wide is. According to a study completed by the Conference Board of Canada in 1995 tobacco use costs the average employer about $2 565 more per year to employ a smoker versus a non-smoker. Two years ago I figured that my employer probably pays about $7 000 per year just to clean up after our smoking staff and customers.

Its quite possible that you don't care about this any more than my other points!

I took the bus home today. The number 16 down Hastings was packed, noisy and it didn't smell too terribly great either. About halfway through the trip my phone rang and in the midst of all that was around me I tried to listen to my Mom, clearly upset, tell me about her day. She spent it at Vancouver General Hospital where my Dad was getting a biopsy on his throat to hopefully determine the extent of damage that over forty years of smoking has done to him.

This hurts! I can't begin to tell you how much and hopefully you'll never find out on your own.

So... Excuse me while I climb up onto my beloved soapbox! To the 15% of British Columbian's that still smoke and more specifically to those that would like people like me to shut up because its "your habit", "your life" and "your right" to do whatever you want since you are only harming yourself... Your wrong! Your not only harming yourself you are killing everyone around you, including those you love physically, financially and emotionally. Quit Now!

To those of you out there that feel the need to continuously compare the supposed small impact of your habit towards respiratory disease to that of vehicle emissions... Stop it! This is not about comparing apples to oranges and the fact that one thing is probably worse in one respect than another doesn't mean that the other thing is suddenly OK. Then again, if you want to go and take a long haul off of someones tailpipe I guess you'll say that its your right to do so! Quit Now!

To those of you still out there that think we need you to keep smoking because of the supposed significant contribution that you are making to our economy in the way of the taxes you pay on cigarettes... Stop being stupid! The approximate $8 billion dollars of tax revenue generated annually from the sale of tobacco pales considerable when compared to the $15 billion spent in Canada each year to treat tobacco related illness. Quit Now!

After smoking for about 15 years I quit. It took me about 8 different tries and it was probably the most difficult thing that I have ever done, but I did it. Its been 4 years or so since my last cigarette, If I can do it anyone can... Please, quit now!

Election day so soon?

When I woke up on Thursday morning I had no idea that this would be the day I travelled forward in time! It seemed like a pretty average day from the start, granted it had snowed a bit overnight and it was a bit colder than I can remember other March 1st's being, but other than that nothing special. Work that day was busy but not unusual, it was the end of my work week so I was excited to see the end of the day so I could begin enjoying the weekend. It really wasn't until I got home later in the evening and opened my mailbox that I realized I was no longer in March 2007...tucked in between the Visa bill, some flyer's and a letter was my first clue that it was actually May 2009 with a provincial election right around the corner!

At least this is the best way that I can describe the feeling I got when I glimpsed Shane Simpson's MLA report for the past 18 months. As I read it the feeling that an election was near only got stronger! His personal report card reads a lot like election material as he proudly extols all of the great things that he's done for our community since the last election, all the while reminding his loyal followers how little the nasty government actually cares about them.

If even half of it were true I'd run up to Shane's constituency office today (thank goodness its closed) and shake his hand, no wait, I'd give him a big hug and thank him for all of his tireless efforts as champion of Vancouver-Hastings and all things swimming, green and down-trodden. The trouble is that there are a few things missing from his report, leaving a couple of holes big enough to drive a hydrogen powered bus or bio-diesel truck through. So I feel that it is my duty to try and patch a couple of those holes here.

Shane Simpson is the NDP Environment Critic and it is in this role that he reminds us about a few "important environmental issues facing our province", including climate change. Of course anyone with a pulse that has been in the same room with a radio, TV or newspaper within the past couple of weeks knows this. Simpson tells us of the urgent need to take action on fossil fuel reduction (I wonder if John Horgan is listening) and the importance of a plan to address climate change, of course as critic it is incumbent upon him to say that the government is not doing enough.

Hmmm.

What Mr Simpson fails to address is the fact that the BC Liberals (before the 2007 budget) have already pledged millions of dollars toward projects that will directly reduce British Columbia's contribution to climate change. This includes $40 million for the Green Cities Project, $10 million toward the Hydrogen Highway, $2 million for cycling infrastructure and $325 000 in incentives and funding to support the development of alternative fuels and energy efficient appliances. This is before the $103 million provided in the 2007 budget for green initiatives. Shane Simpson tells us how committed he and his SUV driving leader (Carole James) are toward freezing greenhouse gas emissions but he doesn't mention the fact that emissions increased by 24% during the time that the NDP ran the province into the ground or that government emissions were actually reduced by 24% during the Liberals first term in office. Not only did the NDP not have a plan in the 90's but, as Corky Evans reminds us they didn't even have an "idea how to deal with climate change and its implications for socialist principles."

Simpson accuses the government of doing nothing to address climate change. He says that they have abdicated their responsibility and that their inaction has only made things worse. He doesn't mention his own personal stand against such green power alternatives as the Ashlu Creek run of the river micro plant, leading me to believe that green power is only acceptable if there is no private interest in it.

The report shifts gears from the environment to affordable housing and alleviating poverty. This is reasonable and, as MLA for the second poorest electoral district in the province I would actually expect that Shane had done more in this area. What he does instead is continue to blame Premier Campbell and the BC Liberals saying that affordable housing and the plight of the homeless is not a priority for this government. Not mentioned is the $2.4 million announced last September for the Pennsylvania Hotel Project, the recent 10% tax cut making British Colombian's the lowest taxed in the country, the $50 per month increase in the housing allowance (the first increase since 1992) or the $50 per month increase in the basic rate for single, employable people.

While it is no surprise that Mr. Simpson falls short on suggestions for the problem of poverty and affordable housing it is important that we understand that there have in fact been important steps taken. The government, in its 2007 budget has committed $27 million toward 300 emergency shelter beds and another $38 million for supportive housing projects. In 2005 the Liberals budget for social housing was 54% higher ($172 million) than that of the previous NDP government and 10 times higher than it was 10 years earlier. Shane calls this "government inaction" but the truth is that it was under the NDP that beds began closing at Riverview Hospital and Shane's own predecessor Joy McPhail herself, acknowledged that many homeless people wouldn't access housing if they could. Of course this doesn't mean that we shouldn't do something about the problem and despite what our own MLA would like us to believe, we are.

To round off the big three, Shane Simpson brings up health care and the BC Liberals "Conversation on Health". Of course he would like us to believe that the conversation is nothing more than the justification of private health care. He fails to touch on a few of the key elements regarding the state of health care in our province like the fact that health care spending has increased by over 50% since 2000/01. Not surprisingly absent from Shane's report card in respect to health care are the facts that under the NDP the average wait for a residential care bed was 360 days and that the NDP government of the time actually reduced the number of long-term care beds by 18%.

The BC Liberals have put aside $13.1 billion for health care in this years budget, but the NDP still clings precariously to the notion that more money will help the problem. Simpson would like us to believe that the Conversation on Health is the governments way of ignoring real solutions and avoiding promises, what he doesn't mention is the $125 million promised by the NDP for a mental health plan that never materialized. In fact, according to Corky Evans (as Minister of Health) the NDP "made announcements about things we weren't even going to do."

The report card goes on to mention a myriad of other things that the government has apparently forgotten or ignored. Things like the supposed sell-off of BC parks, the flooding of the Chilliwack River and the Gateway program. Certainly Simpson brings up some very key issues facing British Columbian's, things that we should all be aware of however residents of Vancouver-Hastings are really only give one side of the story. He's done a pretty good job with the handout too, its colorful, attractive with lots of pictures of our MLA "working hard" for our community. He must be working hard because he says so right in the pamphlet. The truth is however, there is absolutely nothing in the report that provides us with the slightest glimpse of anything measurable that our MLA has done or is doing for Vancouver-Hastings. There are no suggestions for solutions to the important issues that he raises, there is no mention of a plan that he or the opposition have to contribute to the good governance of our province and there is no mention of what we can expect from him over the next 2 years.

The truth is there is nothing in Shane's report that leaves me with any reason to believe that Vancouver-Hastings is any better off today than it was before with almost 75 years of representation by center to extremely left leaning MLA's. Someone tell me where this has put our community?

Finally, while I can understand the importance of the union label on Shane's literature, wouldn't you think that the Environment Critic would make sure that everyone reading his material would be able to clearly see that he uses recycled paper? Just a thought.

Fuelling confusion???

Earlier this week in a letter to the editor (printed in Monday's Province) I expressed my confusion over the stand that the NDP has taken over the issue of climate change, versus the efforts of one NDP MLA to force oil companies to lower the price of gasoline at the pump. As confused as I was (am) over this particular issue, a piece in today's Vancouver Sun seems to clarify my belief that one of the NDP's hands is clearly not talking to the other.

NDP MLA and energy critic John Horgan announced last week his plan to introduce a private members bill to address what he identified as "gouging" by the oil companies. His argument being that the price of fuel here in British Columbia is significantly higher than anywhere east of the Rockies. No argument from me there! Surely no one likes to pay too much for anything but, for some reason inflated pump prices always seem to hurt twice as much as anything else. The high price of gas was one of the key factors in my decision to down size from an SUV to a miserly 4 cylinder wagon.

My problem with Mr. Horgan's stand on this point is more about timing than content (as I've had to explain to more than one of my friends). Why now and why not last summer when fuel prices were almost 30 cents more per litre? Why now at a time when climate change is thebuzz phrase and fellow NDP MLA, environment critic and Vancouver-Hastings own native son, Shane Simpson has accused the Ministry of Transportation of ignoring the link between transportation and the environment? Why would MLA Horgan choose now to even suggest cheaper fuel when his own leader, Carole James has all but taken credit for the governments commitment to emission reductions? Why, oh why would the NDP want tosuggest cheaper fossil fuel if there is even the remotest of possibilities that the high price of oil could encourage people (like me) to make alternative transportation choices.

If your not confused yet... read on!

This past Tuesday the BC Liberal government unveilled its new energy plan that, among other things identifies the harsh reality that we will have to cut our energy demands in half over the next 13 years in order to effectively reverse the occurrence of climate change and to become energy self-sufficient by the year 2020. The government presents some very aggressive steps that it feels necessary to reduce consumption by some 15 000 gigawatts annually and to ensure that the energy we use is as clean as possible. The most significant change needed seems to be one in attitude.

In order to achieve this ambitious goal of energy reduction, British Columbian's will likely have to first change behaviours. As president of BC Hydro Bob Elton correctly points out "We have a province where people have never had to think about electricity and we need to change that view." (Sounds familiar to me) The problem, according to the NDP's John Horgan is that there is no way we will be able to change public behaviour as long as electrical prices remain low! That's not all, Horgan goes on to ask "Whats the incentive to move to more efficient appliances, for people to power smart their windows? There's nothing to encourage people to meet these goals."

Its true! You did read right, the very same person that's demanding cheaper gasoline prices in BC is also suggesting that the only way we will ever change our attitudes about energy is to hit us where it hurts, in the wallet. Increased electrical prices will encourage us to turn out the lights, turn down the heat and turn off the tv. Why not? If we get really cold we can always jump in our cars, crank the heat up and drive around the block a few times.

John Horgan tells us that the government is sending a mixed message (The News Feb 28). I don't know about you but I've never been more confused about a message than I am about the one that he's trying to peddle here.

I really can walk the walk!

When I decided to jump onto the climate change band-wagon I did so with both feet. Environmental issues have been important to me for far longer than they have been fashionable but, I still admit to being a bit of a hypocrite in some areas. Mostly in respect to the car I drive.

The recent popularity of global warming and environmental issues has put my family and I at occasional odds and has done more than ripple the fabric of our lives more than once. As I've said here, in numerous previous posts I believe that the first and most important steps to becoming good stewards of the environment begin in our own homes, backyards and, in this case driveways. Unfortunately, the whole time that I have been writing here I have been one of those dreaded, evil SUV drivers.

GASP!

We used to be a two car family but two summers ago, when insurance on one car expired we decided to make a go without it and see how we fared. There were some minor adjustments that had to be made but mostly the experiment went fine and so we never did go back to driving two cars. We adjusted our schedules a bit, took alternate transportation when we could and we managed to save a bit of money along the way. We felt good about what we had accomplished and all went well...that is until "going green" became a buzz phrase and the bandwagon threatened to collapse under the weight of all who had jumped on. I was beside myself.

Suddenly I found myself at odds faced with what I felt were my responsibilities toward the environment on one hand and the fact that I own this truck that I really, really love on the other. The truck has been really good for my family. It has taken us to a lot of places, it carries our bikes, camping gear and other "stuff" really well. It really sucks at the gas pump for sure, but haven't we already done our part? After all, we've given up one car, small steps right? My wife and kids love the truck too. It fits us and our lifestyle but, on the other hand at almost $80 per week in fuel alone it is getting kind of expensive.

About two weeks ago the important discussions began between my wife and I.

There is more to the dilemma. Whether I like to admit it or not the truck has become a symbol of my success. I have been using all of the excuses in the book to justify owning it without admitting that I have been using this truck partly as the yard stick to measure myself with. I have allowed myself to be somewhat defined by the car that I drive and it took my realizing this to allow myself to finally consider letting go. Once this happened, Liz and I learned that there are in fact plenty of options (for us) out there that will allow us to continue doing all of the things we like to do and did before. All while reducing the footprint that we leave behind and keeping a bit more cash in our pockets. After all, if Premier Campbell can do it, why can't I?

Yesterday we traded the truck in for a much smaller, more economical Ford Focus wagon. Its fantastic and we couldn't be happier with our decision. Of course we got the sportiest one that we could find. We had to, after all... the car will have a small part in defining who we are.

Climate Change Shmimate Change

Talk about jumping on the bandwagon! This weekends Vancouver Sun contained no less than 11 different stories (more than 460 column inches) dedicated to, or otherwise mentioning climate change, global warming and/or environmental sustainability. That's before even reaching the 18 page special supplement entitled "Going Green" in the middle of the paper. There are stories that mention climate change in 7 different sections of the newspaper including the business, travel and West Coast Homes sections. Wow!

There can be very little doubt that climate change has officially become the flavour of the week, month, year and I personally think that this is great (to a point). I agree with Sun columnist Stephen Hume who tells us (among other things) that we need to get educated about climate change and as this weekends paper seems to indicate, there is an awful lot of information out there from a lot of different people with some very different points of view. Just take a look at the Douglas Todd piece in the Going Green supplement for an example of two very different perspectives. It would appear then that our job is to sift through all of this stuff, try and determine what is valid, what affects us and what our abilities are to make positive changes in our own back yards.

Yesterday a friend approached me at the Rec Center and, seeing that I was reading the paper asked "Whats new?", to which I replied "Looks like a lot of stuff on climate change." I'm not sure if I should have been surprised or not but she then proceeded to inform me that she thought the whole thing was being blown out of proportion. She then started to tell me that we had no idea what was going to happen as a result of global warming and that no one can predict the actual affect that we have towards climate change. She went on to inform me about a potential shift of the gulf-stream which will bring weather back in line to what it should be??? This is where she lost me!


I told her that while I agreed that we don't really know exactly whats going to happen in the future the evidence that our impact is growing increasingly negative seems pretty clear. Even so, if we know that there are things that we can do to make our air cleaner or reduce the pressure on landfills and so on, why wouldn't we do it? I went on to explain how my wife and I were seriously thinking about downsizing our current vehicle (its a V6) to one that is easier at the pump and therefor easier on our wallets and easier on the environment. Her response... if climate change and global warming are such a big problem then why don't they stop clear cutting!

That's about where the conversation ended.

The Premier has a daunting task ahead of him if he is to reduce our carbon emissions by 33%. I say "him and he" in this case since many of us prefer to place the blame on him rather than shoulder up to this task ourselves. I think its encouraging that 77% of us (according to a recent poll by Ipsos Reid) seem willing to make significant changes in our lives in the interest of climate change (Am I the only one that picked up the significance between the 77% in this Ipsos Reid Poll and the 33% in the governments plan?) but I'm not surprised at all that 50% of British Columbians don't want to pay any more for it. While it appears that 76% of us think that Canada should take a leading role in climate change, I am frequently reminded and alarmed at the number of people (like this friend) that refuse to recognize individual contribution and cling precariously to the argument that we don't know all of the facts or the facts are inconclusive.

I am certainly not a scientist or an expert on weather, climate change, ecosystems, global warming or any of these other things. That said, I don't believe that Victoria will become the new Atlantis within the lifetime of our grandchildren and I do believe that the earth is somewhat resilient and therefor able to recover a bit more than some of the more radical environmentalists give it credit for. But I'm also not blind and I have seen the affects of a warmer planet all around me.


I know that the world is getting warmer because I can remember winters growing up in Langley where we actually got a lot of snow, every winter. I've also seen pictures of my Dad as a young boy in Port Kells with even more snow. Lots of snow! I've worked at one of the local ski areas since 1991 and I have seen the affects of global warming as every year the winter season seems to get shorter or less predictable. The need for snowmaking on many ski hills in BC, Canada and North America in order to guarantee a full season is becoming greater as the years go by.

I also know that the population of Langley District Municipality (where I grew up) has grown significantly over this period from a population of 39 000 in 1977 to almost 100 000 in 2006. I know that the population of the Lower Mainland has increased by about 750 000 in the last 20 years and I'm told that the number of vehicles on our roads increases by about 20 000 per year. I also know that it took me an extra half hour to get home from North Vancouver yesterday thanks to an antiquated infrastructure and a major accident north of the Second Narrows Bridge. I'm pretty sure that an extra half hour idling in traffic is probably not great.

While I'm certainly no expert, I know that despite the confusion in some of the information we're getting there are many things that we can do to generate some positive change. I also believe that although some of the steps we take may seem small, we must recognize the significance in all of them. I believe that Premier Campbell and his team are leading us in the right direction but I also think that most of us are reasonable and intelligent people capable of making reasonable and intelligent decisions. We just need to remind ourselves of this fact.

I agree that Canada and British Columbia should take a leadership role on climate change, but I certainly don't see leadership in a person that justifies a poor vehicle choice by saying "We go off road sometimes in the summer." Finally, I'm starting to believe a friend of mine who told me recently that I've been watching the same movie for too long soooo... I'll step off my soapbox for a minute. Only a minute though.


Phfew!

flowery words or bold solutions?



In last Tuesdays Speech from the Throne Premier Campbell and the BC Liberal government unveiled what has been described by many as a "breathtaking and bold" plan to tackle the growing challenge of greenhouse gas emissions. The governments aggressive plan will see a reduction in emissions of 33% by the year 2020 and will require the concerted effort of provincial and municipal governments, industry and every British Columbian in order to be successful.

"I'm very encouraged by this." David Suzuki

The preliminary plan introduced on Tuesday has received the approval of government leaders and environmentalists alike including the Governors of all pacific coast states (most notably Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger), the Sierra Club and David Suzuki himself who has said "...I think this man (Campbell) is capable of making this kind of shift, and I have great hopes for it.?
In fact, unless I've missed someone the only group slow to accept the Liberals plan of action has been... you guessed it, Carole James and the BC NDP. What a surprise!

"The fact that this government has even embraced the notion of a target is a really good sign." Karen Campbell, staff lawyer for the Pembina Institute.

This is odd however considering the words of Vancouver-Hastings MLA and NDP environment critic Shane Simpson who told News 1130 prior to the Speech from the Throne that "...they (the NDP) will be looking for meaningful action from the government and, if its there we will support it". Interesting! The government has promised to do its part to fight global warming and climate change by, among other things:

• extending the $2000 tax incentive to anyone buying a hybrid vehicle.


• helping and encouraging individuals to make their homes more energy efficient.


• ensuring that all electricity produced in the province has net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.


• requiring 100% carbon sequestration for future coal-fired energy projects.


• introducing and supporting anti-idling measures for commercial vehicles.


• reducing congestion on lower mainland highways through the provincial Gateway Program and introducing a toll on the twinned Port Mann bridge.


• phasing in new, aggressive tailpipe emission standards.


• leasing or purchasing hybrid vehicles for government use.


• reducing energy consumption and emissions in the public sector.


• encouraging personal choices that are sensible to the environment.
  

"I am pleased that British Columbia has committed to joining the fight against climate change." California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

I don't know about you but all of this sure looks like "meaningful action" to me. So where is the support of the NDP as promised by Shane Simpson? Carole James calls the governments plan "flowery words" and accuses the premier of "grabbing onto the issue of the day." Ms. James says that Premier Campbell has a poor record when it comes to following through. This is interesting when you consider that The BC Liberals have already pledged nearly half a million dollars towards projects that directly reduce our footprint on the environment (these projects include the Green Cities Project, Hydrogen highway, Localmotion fund and more) and much more in projects that will indirectly reduce the occurrence of climate change.

"Our party has no idea how to deal with climate change and its implications for socialist principles." NDP MLA Corky Evans August 29, 2006

How does this compare with the NDP? Lets look at their stance on energy for starters. Shane Simpson is adamant in his call for government to reject any proposals for coal-fired energy. A week ago I read a piece where Carole James rejected "conventional" coal-fired energy projects but I do note that she is now against all forms of coal energy. As environment critic I suppose that it is reasonable to expect Mr. Simpson's skepticism in this area but how does this explain his position on environmentally clean "run of the river" projects like the one proposed for Ashlu Creek? Shane is against Ashlu creek (despite the fact that the project is supported by such groups as the Squamish Nation), primarily because the NDP does not like the idea of private ownership of energy. No matter how green it is. His stance with Ashlu would seem to put him at odds with what his responsibilities should be in respect to the environment as a critic.

"I will say that the record of the last government, being the NDP in the late '90s, was not good on climate change..." MLA Michael Sather, Hansard, April 5, 2006

Never mind the type of vehicle that the Leader of the Opposition drives and forget about the NDP's historical position calling environmentalists the enemies of the province. The NDP record on the environment leaves me wondering who has really "grabbed onto the issue of the day".

Within its opening paragraphs the throne speech asks "What can we do today to secure the future of our children and grandchildren?" This is a very good question. The speech calls for partnership and action to meet the objectives of a changing world and Shane Simpson has said that the NDP would support a good plan. Since almost everyone has said that this plan is a good one you have to ask what happened to the support? This session of the legislature isn't even a week old and the finger pointing by the opposition has already begun. This should be an interesting year. Stay tuned!