Young People and the Future

After five weeks in the James Bay area of Victoria, I have slid back in time to the more wintry climate of Salmon Arm. 

Today I attended a meeting of the City's Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) where I represent SABNES (Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society). Usually the committee sessions are in City Hall, but today we met at the High School where we had an opportunity to connect with two teachers and some students there.

The focus of our meeting was to learn about the BC Tomorrow land use simulation tool.

From the BC Tomorrow website
http://www.bctomorrow.ca

This tool is being developed and piloted right here in Salmon Arm, based on something similar from Alberta. Apparently there is a lot of interest from other schools throughout the province in taking this tool to use it in their classes. 

Students learn hands-on about a range of key ecosystem principles. These include: 

The Shuswap Watershed.
The mapping of the watershed in 2010
was a significant step forward in raising
awareness about it. An environmental group
(Shuswap Environmental Action Society)
made this happen.

1. We live in a watershed. In the case of Salmon Arm, it is the Shuswap watershed - a headwater drainage of the Fraser River, one of BC's major rivers.
2. Nature, and human settlements and economies, are sets of inter-related systems. When we change one part of the landscape, it has ramifications on physiological (e.g. systems like water, habitat), social  and economic systems (e.g. available land for agriculture, industry, settlement). 
3. Cumulative effects must be considered in decision-making. One small change, such as paving a small area of a watershed, will have negligible impact, but the cumulative effect of paving more and more area of the watershed will be significant.

The presentation included video clips of students talking about how the simulator helped them understand inter-connections and cumulative effects. 

EAC members noted that the students who are in high school today will become decision makers one to two decades from now. The more decision-makers understand the complexities and inter-relationships of land use and natural systems, the better.

Developing this tool has taken a huge amount of effort. The utility of the tool relies upon the accuracy of the relationships being modelled, so good data is essential. And, the tool is "apolitical"; it assumes best practices are employed in each of the sectors being modelled, but does not finger-point or blame. Its development has been led by a non-profit society, rather than the Ministry of Education. 

It was gratifying to see that there is interest from elsewhere in this innovative learning tool, and to recognize the many creative, thoughtful people in this community that have led to its development. 

Salmon Arm from Tappen
Source: Creative Commons: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/SalmonArmFromTappen.JPG

I always find the meetings of the Environmental Advisory Committee inspiring because of the insights and perceptions of the participants around the table. There is also considerable frustration. Members are well aware of the severity of environmental issues globally, the slowness of governments to make change, and the need for inspiring, committed leadership.

Another innovative step that Salmon Arm has taken is to have representatives from the high school Youth Council attend City Council meetings. Once a month Council makes time for these young people on the agenda, giving them an opportunity to provide comments and feedback. An article in the March All Month AM (friam.ca) written by the students notes with appreciation the help they have received from members of City Council. These young people are now more politically literate, understanding the ropes of municipal government, and knowledgeable about things such as budgeting, zoning bylaws and the development approval process.

This morning at the EAC meeting a fellow committee member asked two of the young people sitting near her if they had heard of the Swedish student Greta Thunberg, and the movement of student climate strikes. Those two particular students were not aware of this movement, and of the story of Greta's decision to strike every Friday, to raise awareness in her own country about the need for more action towards meeting its climate commitments.

BBC image November 30 2018 - Student strike in Australia
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46380418. Getty Images

Student climate strikes have spread around the globe; there was one in Victoria the day that we arrived. Here is a journalist's photo of the event:

Victoria students on stirke February 1 2019
Source: www.peninsulanewsreview.com/news/victoria-youth-skip-school-for-climate-strike/ Credit: Keri Coles

Tomorrow, Friday March 15, is the day of the world-wide school strike by young people. I don't know how many will be striking in BC; I am told there is at least one planned, in Nelson.  

Let's hope that the energy and pressure of young people such as these will hold decision-makers accountable, and push them to make the tough decisions we need to reduce carbon and other climate-altering emissions.

Of Cars and Bikes, Chickens and Ducks

Living in downtown Victoria it is possible to go car-less. We used ours the first day we arrived, to get groceries, and have not moved it since.

Between walking and public transit - and bicycles if we had them here - we do not need a vehicle.

We have met many people who have chosen to go carless, including one couple who live in Vancouver and came to Victoria via public transit for a weekend cultural getaway to take in the opera and two plays. They even brought much of their own food for the weekend, in suitcases!

Going without a car is not a hardship for the people we have talked with; rather, they are enthusiastic about it. They enjoy the cost savings, the hassle-free nature of their lives, and the enjoyment and healthy living they get from walking and cycling.

For trips out of town, they use public transit or rent a vehicle if it is absolutely necessary.

Year-round cycling is a feature of life in Victoria. Here is an iconic image that the Times-Colonist published during the big snows earlier this month:

Source: Victoria Times-Colonist

Victoria is going all-out to expand its network of separated bike lanes, fast-tracking 35 km of separated bike lanes in the next three years. This decision has been controversial, as in some cases, roadway or parking capacity is being reduced. 

There is also a rumour that cherry trees are being removed to make bike lanes, but it seems that this has been overblown. The issue of loss of cherry trees has more to do with planting drought-resistant native species, to adapt to climate change, than it has to do with bike lanes. The mayor talks more about this in a recent post on her blog.  https://lisahelpsvictoria.ca/2019/02/25/cherry-trees-urban-forest-management-and-climate-change-the-facts/

Fort Street Separated Bike Lanes.
Notice the two-way markings, the barriers separating bikes from traffic,
and the green markings for intersections.

Navigating these bike lanes can be challenging for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, especially the process of turning. I watched a YouTube video that explained it, and I was confused. There is definitely a learning curve involved. 

But in the long term, road safety will be much improved, especially for cyclists. And that is the aim! The risks of cycling in traffic have definitely prevented me from enjoying riding my bike on busy roads.

If we are to successfully reduce private vehicle usage in cities, alternative modes of transport, like walking, cycling and public transit, must be attractive and seamless.

The first North American roll-out of U-bicycles was in Victoria, in 2017. These are a dockless rental bike that is based on a barcode stamped onto the bike's locking mechanism. An app allows users to rent them and leave them anywhere.

U-Bicycle in Victoria

Helmets are included with the bike rental

Projects like this will contribute to reducing our dependency on private automobiles. 

Over ten years ago, the phrase "Climate Code Red" described the emergency that we are facing globally as a result of climate change. 

The authors compare our current situation to that of World War II, when the economy diverted a huge percent of spending to the war effort. 

They argue that we must make similar investment decisions now, to prevent the worst effects of climate change. 

That was over a decade ago, and we have not yet stepped up to make those tough decisions. The time is now!

Part of the ability to move away from private vehicles is for communities to become much more self-reliant. "Resilient community" is one of the terms I have heard to explain this. 

One aspect of resilience is food self-sufficiency, or "sustainable" local food. This involves supporting local food production, buying locally for example. 

In James Bay, I have encountered a couple of folks who are going far beyond herbs in pots or raised vegetable beds. Two of the more well-known are Chris and Susannah Adams, who describe themselves as "urban farmers".

The home of Chris and Susannah Adams on Battery Street

The James Bay Beacon, a community newspaper, has published a couple of articles about the Adams, in 2013 and again in 2016: http://www.jamesbaybeacon.ca/?q=node/1086 and http://jamesbaybeacon.ca/?q=node/1952

We walk by the Adams place regularly, and have chatted with Chris a few times. He has taught himself much about organic farming and how to develop integrated farming systems. For example,  Welsh Harlequin ducks - a heritage breed which is hard to find - provide rich eggs high in protein and fat. They are productive; one duck laid 300 eggs in a year. They also perform important work on the farm, eating slugs which accumulate under the mulch that Chris and Susannah use to protect their crops. 

Welsh Harlequin Ducks in James Bay

Chris is also an advocate for native plants, and is experimenting with a bed that has some of the plants which grow in Garry Oak meadows which used to be so widespread on southeastern Vancouver Island. 

Garry Oak meadow, Uplands Park, Victoria, with Camas in bloom.
Source: http://www.goert.ca (Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team)

One of the plants Chris is growing is Camas, a beautiful blue flower with an edible bulb which was a staple of the local First Nations diet. The picture to the left shows a remnant of this native ecosystem.

The photo below shows more detail of Chris and Susannah's farm. Notice the raised beds, made of ferrous concrete.

Chris made the material for the raised beds from ferrous concrete, finished with an iron oxide pigment.
The closest bed has been planted with Camas bulbs, native to this area, as well as a filbert tree.

Ken was very interested in the raised beds made of ferrous concrete, and researched the process. Here is one link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzAOAWQb_hY

As well as ducks, Chris and Susannah have chickens, in this case, a hybrid chicken known as the ISA brown (ISA for the French company which originally developed the hybrid).

ISA chickens are known for being productive egg-layers 

We have seen chickens elsewhere in James Bay. Sustainable local agriculture is one part of a resilient community. I will write in my next post about other components of resilience.

To Fly or Not to Fly?

If I am to reduce my use of fossil fuels I need to cut down on air flights. This is a hard decision, because if I want to visit either of my adult children, and grandchildren, I would be looking at either a two day drive, or a five day drive (minimum). Flying is a much easier option.

Back in 2006, the Guardian columnist George Monbiot talked about the huge carbon footprint of flying. He concluded that "journeys around the world must be reserved for visiting the people you love, and that they will require both slow travel and the saving up of carbon rations." He called these visits "love miles", and suggested that most other reasons for flying - such as holidays - should be rejected. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/sep/21/travelsenvironmentalimpact.ethicalliving}

Earlier this year my brother and his wife, who live in Alberta, Canada, were considering a holiday that would have involved air flights to central Europe. To inform their decision making process my brother researched their household's annual emissions of CO2, and what would be the implications of a round trip for two to Europe. The graph below shows the results. (They ended up holidaying locally.)

This graph is specific to Alberta, which uses 47% coal, 40% gas, and 13% renewables in the production of electricity. For British Columbia, where I live and where electricity is mostly generated from hydro-dams, the CO2 is less - about 13 g of CO2 per kWh. But other things, such as home heating and automobile use, would be comparable.

This is a vivid example of what JUST ONE AIR FLIGHT means; it was more than my brother's annual carbon budget in either home heating, automobile use or home electricity use. 

The bottom line for me is that I need to do what Monbiot suggests, and save my carbon rations. Rather than a quick weekend flight to visit someone I love, I need to save up those rations and use them wisely, and for longer, and deeper, visits.

Using the Pen - Words or Art?

Words. Words. Words. I am overwhelmed by too many words. Words in year-end emails from tens of organizations. Subject lines: "This is an emergency." "Time is running out." "Make a difference." "We're down to the wire." "Double your impact."

These are just the emails from environmental and social justice organizations; most are asking for donations, or my support on a petition, or letter writing campaign.

And of course there are dozens of emails from online stores wanting me to buy, buy, buy.

And emails from other groups - arts and community groups.

And then there are different kinds of emails, ones containing words of analysis. Everyone it seems has a solution to offer, words of hope or despair to put out there.

I am in overload.

As just one example, here are some words from someone at the Broadbent Institute responding to the despairing concern expressed by his 14 year old son after hearing of the IPCC report on climate change:

Positive change is always possible and it’s never too late to set things right....I’ve seen amazing progress on issues as varied as LGBTQ rights and the banning of ozone-destroying chemicals. If we can protect the ozone layer, we can save the climate.[There is] incredible power in people working together; the collective commitment of those around the world who want to see the climate protected, will not be denied. [Adapted from https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/making_progress_in_tough_times_lessons_from_2018]

But I find these words to be rather empty, especially when compared with the powerful thoughtful analysis of someone like Joanna Macy. Macy, with her background in Buddhism parallelling systems thinking, has developed - along with colleagues - an approach she terms "the work that reconnects". She envisages this work as spiralling through four successive stages: Coming from Gratitude, Honoring our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes, and Going Forth. As she says, these four stages "support one another, and work best when experienced in sequence. They help us experience first hand that we are larger, stronger, deeper, and more creative than we have been brought up to believe."

And, speaking of despair, Macy says: "When we chose as a group to allow and express feelings of grief, outrage, or fear about what is happening to our world, that a sense of liberation emerged, along with increased energy and alertness. Instead of being mired in despair, the opposite occurred. We had tapped into the depths of our caring, and that caring reveals a mutual belonging." [https://greattransition.org/publication/serving-the-earth-serving-one-another]

Because yes, it is grief that is miring me in despair and overload. How hard it is not to succumb. I have so much admiration for Joanna, who has been doing this work for decades, and still finds the zest and energy to go forward.

I highly recommend her work, and both the website The Work that Reconnects,  https://workthatreconnects.org/ and Joanna Macy's website https://www.joannamacy.net/.

Since I was in my twenties my writing has circled endlessly around the same subject - the constant, and increasing, degradation that I see eroding the natural environment around us, and the seeming futility of human effort (including my own) to prevent, or turn around, that degradation.

Just in the last few months, I have discovered that art can be an antidote to despair.  In art, I can use my writing tools differently, and lose myself to the joy of colour, form and line. It is just pure fun!  I don't care if my efforts have any artistic merit; they have no purpose other than the exploration of what happens with line and color.