My Letter to BC Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar 'et al'

 

As someone who is deeply concerned about the dangerous direction of the BC Govt & MSM vis-a-vis the perilous state of BC's globally-rare rainforest ecosystems, I wrote the following letter in support of a (Govt-promised) Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health law - via the locally-based non-profit Neighbours United.  ( Be sure to add your name to their related petition at this link:  Add your name - Defend our home - Neighbours United )  Here's my letter: 

Dear Ministers Neill, Parmar and Premier Eby,

As a born & bred BCer I've been advocating for biodiversity & ecosystem protection for literally years, having learned firsthand the heart-sinking outcomes of govt. policies that blatantly ignore Science & give logging ops free rein to wipe out whole wildlife habitats with frighteningly efficient clearcutting, spraying with deadly chemicals & other last-century industrial norms that should be banned by now.

In Maple Ridge, the latest result of your govt's inaction sticks out like an open wound:  a giant clearcut adjacent to Dewdney Trunk Rd that's suddenly eliminated an entire stretch of forest - along with all its Climate-protecting/ wildlife-sustaining assets - just in time for summer (/'fire season').  Making the drive is now a torturous reminder of your govt's dereliction of duty that allowed this to happen ON YOUR WATCH..

So my worries for BC's future have only intensified, seeing the (predicted & well-warned) disastrous effects of govt's reckless doubling-down on egregious status-quo 'Talk-and-log' hypocrisy serving corporate profits over BCers' best interests AS ELECTED PUBLIC SERVANTS!

As such, you must be aware of the dangerous ongoing drought emergency across BC - directly caused & exacerbated by harmful ecocidal policies furthered by your govt.  And I shouldn't have to remind you of pre-election promises to apply the Old-growth Strategic Review report's recommendations for forestry reforms - marked 'URGENT' with good reason, i.e. per scientists' findings commissioned by your govt!  ON TOP OF good-faith election declarations to legislate Species At Risk protection within B.E.H.F. (Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health Framework)??

Reneging on these measures in favour of inaction is a huge betrayal by your govt. -  UNACCEPTABLE IN FACT!   It's as if we've been abandoned - denied decision-making rights+++ - by glib officials who openly pander to U.S./ multi-nat'l/ billionaire corporate lobbyists:  NOT what BC needs or wants!  No wonder your corrupt Conservative 'opponents' have gained undue support from gullible BCers who are understandably disappointed by your obvs. lack of caring or leadership.

The only way to make this right is to honour your intentions & prioritize B.C.'s globally-rare natural ecosystems, now & in future, by getting back to work on 'Just Transition':  finalizing legislation of BC's Species at Risk act, applying the OldGrowth Strategic Review recommendations & ratifying our urgently-needed B.E.H.F. laws = PROVEN SOLUTIONS for a thriving future.  Making deals with U.S. billionaires tied to Trump's resource-grabbing sweeps are NOT THE WAY TO MAKE CANADA STRONG!

I must also strongly suggest you put new rules in place that restrict the corrupting influence of corporate lobbyists on govt law-making, by limiting their unaccountable access to MPs' official duties.

Thank you very much,

[SaRah ChesTeRman]

A Simple Tweak to Drastically Improve Life on Earth for Every Single Species..

Although I’m 'in recovery' from the Comments sections of mass-media sites like ‘Instagram’ & ‘X’, I'm a dedicated 'Deep Green' activist/ environmentalist who's always seeking opportunities to broaden my Nature knowledge & disseminate Science-based solutions to the biodiversity / climate / extinction crisis we humans have brought on ourselves..

So far, hands down the most critical component of saving Life on Earth is CONSERVATION - & restoration of Nature's functions AT ALL COSTS. “Giving up” is not an option! Leaving our future up to the evil last-century perpetual-growth leaders, moneymongers, oligarchs & space-travel charlatans already holding us back from making a doable hopeful future is SELFISH & SUICIDAL — & tells our kids life’s not worth saving!

But it’s delusional thinking we can accomplish this & set a better course for humanity while continuing to blindly plunder & rape healthy intact ecosystems just to maintain the illusion that our lavish wasteful lifestyles are flawless ‘sacred cows’ that can’t be improved. They can & musT - by deconstructing / laying bare / UPDATING perceived factors of the Good Life, STARTING WITH OUR UNNECESSARY USE OF NON-HUMAN ANIMALS!

Science shows animal agriculture is the 2nd-largest contributor to human-made GHGs after fossil fuels — & leading cause of deforestation, air/water pollution & biodiversity loss, comprising 44% of anthropogenic methane emissions — 34X more potent than C02 — & 44% of nitrous oxide (the most potent GHG) AND is the largest contributor to global water pollution. That’s just part of its heavy footprint..

I.E. We drastically need to lighten the strain animal ag puts on Earth’s finite resources. Replacing dairy/meat with plant-sourced foods would reduce C02 emissions alone from the industry by 96%, to just 73 pounds of CO2e.

Not only that, but plant-based diets are much healthier for humans, with our long winding intestines (opposite of carnivores’ short GI tracts) — ask any doc/naturopath! I switched long ago, & it’s easily the best change I’ve ever made.

We can’t just IGNORE the Science of humans' corrosive contributions to the current biodiversity & climate crises.  Saying “it’s too late anyway”, & letting Govts get away with murder serving last-century polluting extractive industries instead of people, is a morally destitute way of sabotaging all efforts to ensure a liveable future. We must find ways around mainstream media's [MSM's] HOLD on our knowledge, to hone healthier, values-based dynamics more in tune with Nature -- not just for us but for our non-human creature cousins facing imminent extinction if we don't prioritize conservation of their natural wild habitats.

This is basic stuff we shoulda learned at school - but didn't, since Big Ag & Big Oil co-opted schools' curriculae (the latest pamphlets of which, touting meat & dairy as "humane" & LNG as a "sustainable" fuel, are almost laughably chock-full of falsehoods & propaganda that fail to form foundational understanding of the natural world!) We must get back to caring for - stewarding - our natural ecosystems, as 1st Nations did here for millenia...

Ironically, our present Govt leaders are in many ways much more corrupt than before, pretending to serve BCers/ Canadians while catering to mega-corporations' bottom lines. Fair? No: FAIL 

So it's left to us to galvanize & make the needed changes to prevent the worst of catastrophic climate change, together with the scientists who have the answers.  Going vegan is a stellar way to free ourselves from dependancy on exploitation, extraction & the obsolete economics of unlimited growth -- & transition into circular economies prioritizing "Sowing What You Reap" powered by renewable energy while protecting BC's ancient rainforests balancing the world's climate.  That's the responsible legacy to leave our kids - & their kids' kids - if we wanna "do the right thing" & secure their liveable future..

(The alternative is frankly unthinkable.)

ABOVE:  Shots of Sumallo Grove old-growth forest biôme in Manning Park, which is critically at risk of species extirpation, spreading wildfires & worse if we stay on this same-old Road to Ruin pushed by the nihilist neoliberal duopoly (CONS/ LIBS/ REPEAT) for so long, the stuff is almost branded on our brains:  MAD RESPECT for Indigenous 1st Nations who kept their culture/ language/ traditions alive through decades of res-school abuse/ indoctrination:  THAT is strength - the power of stewardship to unite people in a common goal, with noone left behind..

Too bad FN weren't awarded the honour (slog?) of schooling the colonialist settlers illiterate in the language(s) of the totem poles.  But instead of resentment for their lawless oppressors, to this day First Nations of all tribes have largely succeeded in maintaining their cultural integrity of knowledge-holders from whose values we could learn to live in harmony with Nature's laws, to flourish for generations well into the future...