The Green Gazette November/December/January 2019-20 by TheGreenGazette

November/December/January 2019-20

Green Java Food Not Wasted Ten Thousand Villages Saving the Planet Zero Waste Christmas Slow Fashion Climate Urgency Candles of Hope Art: Everything is Shining Atlin Trail Project Film: Turbidity Turtle Trade Cariboo Craft Markets Sustainability Not Stuff Returning to the Wild Roots of Belonging

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Contents Features November/December/January 2019-20 l Issue #54

How to Save Our Planet: Where to Start

Going Green with Your Cuppa Joe By Jessica Kirby

Senior Editor Jessica Kirby

Message from the Universe: Do it Now with Urgency

Contributors Erin Hitchcock, LeRae Haynes, Jessica

A Flight Where Wild Things Are

Art Exhibit: "Everything is Shining" Features Anthropocene by James Savage

By LeRae Haynes

By Guy Dauncey

By Sage Birchwater

The Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Trade Crisis

Have a Merry, Global Christmas

By Dr. Chris R. Shepherd and Jordi Janssen

By Jessica Kirby

Publisher / Lisa Bland Editor-in-Chief

Kirby, Terri Smith, Lisa Bland, Dr. Chris R. Shepherd, Jordi Janssen, Oliver Berger, Guy Dauncey, Ryan Elizabeth Cope, Venta Rutkauskas, David Suzuki, Bill Irwin, Amy Quarry, Jim Cooperman, Robert E. Moberg, Jenny Howell, Angela Gutzer, Maureen Pinkney, Patrick Lucas, Sage Birchwater, Barbara Schellenberg

Advertising Lisa Bland Creative Directors Lisa Bland / Stacey Smith Ad Design Jill Schick / Stacey Smith Published by Earthwild Consulting Printing International Web exPress Inc.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 4. Publisher's Letter: It's the Journey, Not the Destination 5. 2019 New Titles from Caitlin Press 8. How to Throw a Zero Waste Winter Gathering 14. The Election's Over Now Let's Get to Work 16. Lighting the World One Re-purposed Candle at a Time 18. No Time Left to Waste: All the Good Things… 20. Using Permaculture Principles to Reduce Food Waste 21. Recipe: Cashew Cheesecake from the Long Table Grocery Kitchen

Website Design / Stacey Smith Technical Support Cover Photo Magical winter landscape with snow

covered tree. Photo: Shutterstock (Standet)

Paper Rolland Enviro Satin, 100% Post

Consumer Waste, Acid Free.

Ink Novavit 950 Plus Bio is a vegetable

based ink made from renewable raw materials with high colour.

24. Welcome to the 2019 Medieval Market in Williams Lake 26. Guardian of the Vegetables: Examining Our Food Choices 27. Book Review: Resolve – The Story of the Chelsea Family and a First Nation Community’s Will to Heal 28. Conservation Conversation: Dinner Out or a Safer Future? 29. Letting Go with Pluto 30. Skywatch with Bill Irwin

www.thegreengazette.ca info@thegreengazette.ca The Green Gazette is published by Earthwild Consulting. To subscribe email info@thegreengazette.ca or visit our website at www.thegreengazette.ca

32. Creating New Trails and Stories at the End of the Road in Atlin 33. Turbidity: An Intimate Portrait of Environmental Disaster 34. Reconsider Consumerism Choose Sustainability Over Stuff 36. Cariboo Made: Crafters' Market and Indoor Farmers’ Market in 100 Mile House 38. Green Business Quesnel: Slow Fashion – My Own Collection

© 2019 all rights reserved. Opinions and perspectives expressed in the magazine are those of authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the ownership or management. Reproduction in whole or part without the publisher’s consent is strictly prohibited.

40. Roots of Belonging: Coming Home 41. Climate Change: Think Globally, Act Locally 42. Becoming Waste Wise: What's in Our Waste? 44. Nourishing Our Children: Hair Care Quandaries The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 3

—

PUBLISHER'S LETTER —

It's the Journey, Not the Destination By Lisa Bland

Dear Readers, The winds of change have shaken the golden leaves from the branches of the trees, and we are steadily moving into the darkness of winter. With the changing season comes the sense of creating order and gathering resources to sustain us as we get ready for the long winter ride. Post-election, it also feels like the dust has settled after all the hype, and it’s time to focus on what lies ahead, for better or for worse. In times of intensity, whether globally, locally, or personally, sometimes the impulse is to pull in, lie low, and not participate. The 34 percent of people across Canada that didn’t vote reveals a large portion of the collective not engaged with the political forces shaping our lives. Whatever the reason—apathy, deep disagreement with the current political system, despair, or barriers to attending—feeling like we make a difference and have a voice in the world is a struggle for many. A sense of belonging to something where we can contribute and are recognized for what we offer—whether to family, our community, the region, or our world—can lift the spirit and offer strength where so often isolation and lack of connection defines modern living. Finding common ground and connection can be the underlying motivation behind the causes we support and efforts we align with, and the need to identify with something is a binding and, at times, blinding force. Beyond the need to cover our basic needs, creating a life we are excited about and that

LISA BLAND Publisher/Editor-in-Chief The Green Gazette

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gives us a sense of purpose, meaning, and means of self-expression seems the ultimate challenge. Achieving this is also a privilege, and it depends on many inner and outer factors. Overcoming personal or situational challenges and persevering is often sold to us as the holy grail with miraculous results if we could just get things right—work harder, do better, think more positively. But this can drive criticism and judgment inside and ignore hidden barriers and the complexity of managing our modern lives. While I believe there are many ways to rise beyond challenges, I can only reflect on my own experiences and hopefully see what led to learning and growth. With each passing season, the words of the Serenity Prayer seem to come into sharper focus for me—learning to accept and recognize what isn’t in my control, resting in what is, in all its imperfection, finding humour, being honest, and offering acceptance and kindness to myself and others. Maybe we are enough as imperfect works of progress and process. Our world is a sure reflection of this. Our collective backdrop is an economy sustained by endless growth. It doesn’t make much room for the depth and richness of simply being alive and the seasons of the soul or addressing our relationships beyond the commodification of the natural world that sustains us. As we uneasily face the crushing needs of our current economic growth model, most of us, least of all our elected representatives, don’t know how to step off the train. They have no real solutions for downshifting in a broader sense. What we do know is that

we’ve put our system of wants and needs above all other species and ecosystems, and we can’t deny it is no longer working. While we don’t know for sure what lies ahead for humans or the planet, the sense of urgency to come up with solutions feels omnipresent. Collectively, we are waking up to the fact that we must do something. Many are rising to the challenge of transforming their lives, challenging the status quo, or advocating for systemic changes. This process is messy and conflict laden, and the temptation to polarize and choose sides is great, as we’ve seen most recently in our federal election. But maybe this process is the most important one we’ve ever played out. Maybe we need lean into it to move forward collectively. The balancing act between holding on and letting go is essential to our lives as individuals and could be considered a natural part of societal change, as well. While creative transformation can be scary, when we embrace change and are willing to take the next steps, the process of discovery can open the door to many new possibilities. On this issue #54 of The Green Gazette, with a full season of our new magazine format behind us, we are also seeking new ways to transform and adapt to the winds of change. Thank you to everyone for the effort, dedication, and love around which this network of caring, connection, and meaning was created. At this giving time of year may you be blessed with precious moments spent with friends and family, and may you enjoy your journey! -GG

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2019 New Titles from Caitlin Press

Escape to the Wild: A Family's Return to Simplicity By Andrea Hejlskov Published by Caitlin Press

Andrea Hejlskov was certain of one thing: life could not continue as it was. She and her husband had become disillusioned with their jobs and the pressures of urban living, their four children were spending too much time alone with their computers, and family conversations had become elusive. No matter how fast they ran they never really got anywhere; no matter how much they worked they never had enough money. Facing a constant feeling of failure and always falling behind, the family made a bold decision to leave it all behind and return to nature. Escape to the Wild: A Family’s Return to Simplicity (Caitlin Press, 2019) is the remarkable true story of a family that dropped everything to start life anew. Documenting their first year in the wilderness, the book is an unglamourized version of living off-grid. Andrea writes with brave humility and humour about emotions, family dynamics, failed projects, her many doubts, and the mounting challenges they faced. On why it was important to write of this truth, Hejlskov says ‘toxic positivity’ is something that hinders our development as a culture right now. “We need to change, not at least due to climate change, but as long as our images of ‘authenticity’ and ‘nature’ are so skewed and twisted, romanticized and idealized, we will not be able to change,” she says. “Nature is not paradise. Being authentic is not easy. Salvation does not exist. Quick fixes do not exist. This is the lie our culture told us. I wanted to speak against that. I wanted to provide honesty in a culture of lies.” Both a poignant memoir and passionate critique of modern life, Escape to the Wild is a powerful reminder that we can choose to lead the life we live. -GG

Rising Tides: Reflections for Climate Changing Times By Catrionia Sandilands Published by Caitlin Press

Although climate change is global and dramatic, its effects are also experienced locally by people who are struggling to understand the impacts of climate change on their daily lives. Recent years have seen a proliferation of writing with dystopian elements, climate fiction, or “cli-fi”, and stories of postapocalyptic worlds.

“For many Canadians, any talk of climate change immediately conjures terrifying images of large-scale, apocalyptic transformations,” says Catriona (Cate) Sandilands in her introduction of Rising Tides: Reflections for Climate Changing Times (Caitlin Press, 2019). “The apocalyptic images are not just alarmist rhetoric: by pretty clear scientific consensus, there is ample reason to be afraid,” she says. “Fear can help inspire courageous, determined acts. We need only look at the current wave of young climate activists who are taking to the streets to protest against government inaction in reducing carbon dioxide emissions or at the Indigenous Elders who are leading the charge against the expansion of fossil fuel developments across the continent.” Fearmongering in the media can also be incapacitating and create widespread anxiety. Instead, Rising Tides emphasizes the need for intimate stories and thoughtful discussion with more than 40 works of short fiction, memoir, and poetry. Writers of all stripes pick up their pens to defend Canada’s environment—an act of resistance in the wake of the Trans Mountain pipeline, Site C Dam, and other ecological threats. “The stories that we tell about climate change have an especially important role to play in public conversation,” Sandilands adds. “Literary works and other kinds of storytelling can help us to notice, feel, understand, talk about, and respond to the unfolding realities of climate change in ways that better acknowledge the personal complexities of our social and environmental relationships.” -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 5

How to Save Our Planet Where to Start Article by LeRae Haynes

Kathy Lauriente-Bonner and Diane Toop talk about the local Facebook page, How to Save the Planet— Where to Start, in Diane's permaculture garden greenhouse in Williams Lake. Photo: Lisa Bland

urning concern into discussion and fear into action is at the heart of a Williams Lake Facebook page called How to Save Our Planet— Where to Start. Administered by registered clinical therapist and concerned citizen Kathy Lauriente-Bonner, the page opens discussions about daily-life steps people can take to make a difference. “There is incredible mounting anxiety about climate change and a global extinction event, and as a therapist I’m starting to hear more and more people expressing generalized anxiety about these issues,” she explained. “The predominant theme I hear expressed by people is that they feel helpless about what to do.” She said she’s not any kind of expert on the environment but felt the concern and said the Facebook page came out of conversations with people. “I thought I’d start this page and invite some people to join, with the purpose of providing a discussion platform for people to suggest the ‘joe average’ small things we can do to point us in the right direction,” Lauriente-Bonner said. “People can post ideas of what we can do, easy things that start from home.” She said the reaction has been great, and that many people from around the world have asked to join the Facebook page. “I’m delighted that so many people want to make a difference in their everyday lives, differences like reducing plastic,” she said. “On the page people talk about how difficult that can be, and we can all share experiences.” She said people are talking about places like Bulk Barn where you take your own containers and refill them. “There are discussions about replacing single-use plastic bags with things like reusable beeswax food covers and silicon

6 | November/December/January 2019-20

bags,” she said. “The real issue is the need for a call to manufacturers and retailers to bring in options for people—people who want low or no single-use plastic. Don’t pre-wrap cucumbers. We want choices. Naysayers may talk about these efforts being a drop in the bucket, but LaurienteBonner feels that although that might be true, she’d rather participate in her own small way than just contribute to the problem. “We’re not going to take on these huge challenges alone,” she said. “The only way to address the magnitude of these massive problems is by coming together. This page is bringing people together to share discussions and ideas, reminding us that we’re not alone in what we’re trying to accomplish.” Station House Gallery manager Diane Toop is a founding member of the How to Save the Planet Facebook page. “Of course, I was intrigued by this Facebook page,” Toop said. “I’m intrigued by anything that will help people find ways to make things better and make themselves feel better in the process.” She sees plastic as a growing concern for people—something she has seen expressed on the Facebook page. “We all have to change, and the only way to make change with the big corporations is to stop allowing them to sell us plastic by not buying it. Same with bottled water. If you don’t buy it, they won’t sell it,” she said. They have gone as close to plastic-free as possible at the Gallery and that is also true of Toop’s personal life. “We use beeswax wraps instead of plastic food wrap, and I use a bamboo toothbrush,” she said. “I use shampoo and hair conditioner bars.” Toop permaculture gardens at home now, and she doesn’t have to make trips to discard

anything from the garden because she uses everything. “When we prune, we make a fence out of it, or add it to a bed and it decomposes and becomes part of the garden,” she said. “It’s the natural way. We use water from our rain barrels and rarely ever use a hose. We have chickens and rabbits and use all the manure for the garden and never have to buy fertilizer.” She sees the next ten years bringing huge change, thanks to there being so many people on the path to improving the state of the planet and preserving a sustainable environment. “I know people, including young people, who were fossil fuel people and denied climate change,” Toop said. “Some of them have seen the reality of it and have changed their minds” She said it often comes down to what’s in people’s wallets. “People don’t want to give up this ridiculously excessive life that we’ve all been leading, and they don’t realize that they’re going to be forced into it,” she said. “It’s going to be worse that way, for them, their children, and their grandchildren. It’s easier if we get with the program now and start dialling her back.” Lauriente-Bonner added that because of people around the world like Greta Thunberg, a growing awareness is developing. “People are really wanting to move toward action and toward meaningful change,” she said. “People say, ‘I’m only one small person,’ but if every person does their bit, big things can happen.” -GG LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, and instigator of lots of music with people of all ages in the community. She fearlessly owns 10 ukuleles, clinging to the belief that you’re not a hoarder if you play them all.

Going Green with Your Cuppa Joe Article by Jessica Kirby

any of us know the rich, aromatic beckoning of a hot pot of coffee—how it tickles the senses and carefully lures you to its dark, deliciousness in the wee hours. Like all things decadent, not all coffee is created equal, at least not from economic or ethical standpoints. More than 125 million people worldwide depend on coffee farming for their livelihoods, which means the choices we make about buying it directly impact others, not to mention the environment, wildlife, and forests. It’s time to perk up and take note of how to recognize the most ethical choices in enjoying the java. Fair trade coffee, for instance, is certified to have been produced to Fairtrade standards by fair trade organizations, with the intent of achieving greater equity in international trade. The Fairtrade brand was developed in response to Mexican coffee farmers who were struggling when world coffee prices collapsed in 1988. Your average coffee farmer living outside of Canada lives on $2 a day; Fairtrade ensures farmers receive the Fairtrade Minimum Price, which is intended to cover production costs and acts as a safety net against low market prices. If the market price exceeds the Fairtrade Minimum Price level, then farmers receive the market price. Watching for the Fairtrade logo on the bean juice you enjoy is a great way to ensure your consumer dollars are being used responsibly. In 1990, the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act established the National Organic Program under the USDA, legally defining “organic” as, “grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers and untreated with preservatives and other chemicals on its way to the consumer.” Coffee is a fickle mistress— it requires specific growing conditions, is a generally temperamental crop requiring great swaths of land where there isn’t enough, and demand is limitless. This combination makes coffee one of the most heavily treated foods out there, so the health benefits of buying organic are real. Without all those

chemicals, consumers, farmers, the land, and the environment are cleaner, and organic coffee farms even combat climate change by emitting less carbon than chemical farms while sequestering significant amounts of carbon. And don’t forget agriculture and the effects monoculture farming have on biodiversity. Prior to the 1970s, it was hard to tell a coffee farm if you happen to be strolling about in a tropical forest and stumbled upon one because traditional growing methods depended on the shade of the forest canopy and therefore integrated their crops to be almost undetectable. Hybrid coffee plant technology introduced after this time led some farmers to cut down their forests, abandon traditional farming, and implement full-exposure sun techniques that have devastated lands and species throughout the tropics and developing countries. Shade-grown, bird friendly coffee preserves habitat for forest creatures, especially migratory songbirds. Besides being organic, Bird Friendly coffee meets standards for shade cover, plant species diversity, canopy structure, buffer zones, leaf litter cover, and even more ways to ensure wildlife flourishes. Whew! That’s a lot to remember when it comes to greening your coffee choices. One way to simplify your options is to always reach for the Rainforest Certified label on your favourite bag of Joe. The Rainforest Alliance certifies coffee sources that are ethical and sustainably grown ensuring their practices protect forests, conserve wildlife, and support communities around the world. To earn the seal, farmers must meet the requirements of a rigorous annual audit for environmental, social, and economical criteria that protects them and the biodiversity. Rainforest Alliance Certified farms operate in harmony with nature, protecting healthy soil, clean waterways, and thriving wildlife habitat. The Rainforest Alliance is also working with many farmers to employ climate-smart agriculture, which strengthens them against the effects of climate change (drought, torrential rains, changes to growing seasons, and others) and

helps farmers implement water conservation measures, composting, hand-weeding, organic fertilizers, soil conservation, pest management, and agroforestry methods. If you love your jitter juice, brew up a cup or three and check out http://www.rainforestalliance.org/articles/what-is-climate-smartagriculture to learn more. There are more than 50 bean roasters in BC and thousands in Canada—far more than we can list here. However, nothing is stopping you from taking advantage of your caffeine-fuelled enthusiasm and diving into the research. Start with what is in your cupboard. Is that company working hard for the environment, the climate, and farmers in developing country? If not, start poking around and make the switch to someone who is. We love Kicking Horse Coffee because it is BC-based, organic and Fairtrade, donates to the Nature Conservancy, and is kick-ass in flavour. 49th Parallel in Vancouver works directly with farmers to strike beneficial deals and establish life-long partnerships with the communities from which they source. Ethical Bean is all you want in a bag of sustainability, plus it donates a dollar from each bag sold in December to two NGOs: Child Aid International and Project Somos. The list goes on. Finally, while we always recommend shopping local before all else, we realize some people love their morning jolt from the big retailers. Luckily, there are indeed big brand stores jumping on the ethical train. Starbucks has its own Fairtrade and sustainability program, and McCafe from McDonalds now carries Rainforest Alliance Certified beans. These big buyers stand to make an important difference in the lives and habitats of so many—if you sip with the big fellas, do your research, be discerning, and keep the pressure on to do better and stand up for the planet. They have the dollars and the buying power to do it, but your influence is stronger than all of that. -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 7

Clip art by Miss White Spider Arts

How to Throw a

Zero Waste Winter Gathering

Article By Ryan Elizabeth Cope

his winter, instead of reaching for the easy option or quickest option, take a pause and give this idea a try: don’t make excuses; make plans. Plans are what allow us to commit to ideas and follow them through. In the world of low-waste living, plans are essential, however annoying or time-consuming they might be. When a plan becomes a routine, it becomes embedded in the fabric of our being and this is where habits are formed. This is the birthplace of consistent, low-waste living: plans, routine, habits. Low-waste living feels easy when life feels easy: warmer temps, abundant farmer’s markets, easy bike riding, extra time to ponder zero-waste meals and get-togethers, and warm, productive compost heaps easily turned by human hands or chicken scratching. In the winter, at least here in Canada, lowwaste living can start to feel a bit like, well, a chore. People retreat, snow makes for tricky commutes, the chickens stay inside, food is harder to keep warm, and our ideas of tables bursting with vibrant, colourful meals are met with a reality that is not as vividly colourful once local food boundaries and packagingfree options are taken into consideration. But what of the low-waster who is eager to gather her friends and celebrate the coming of cozy winter months with a party as spangled as the average company office party, minus the mess, waste, and Costco cake? All it takes is a little planning, some bravery, and a team. This winter try these tricks to ensure your snowy get-together, whether it be a weekend getaway in the wintery woods, a glitzy home holiday party, or a board game night with friends, is waste-less yet beautiful and abundant to boot. Figure out the food. One of the trickiest aspects of party-creation is the food, and this is where many of us fall down when it comes to planning any kind of winter escapade. Without a plan, and particularly when hosting a gathering at a remote location, the easy route is often the most wasteful, full of chip bags and plastic-wrapped veggies from whoknows-where. Plan ahead. Buy in bulk (BYO Bag, of course), meal prep before leaving the comfort of your own home, and shop seasonally to avoid excessive food waste. The

8 | November/December/January 2019-20

fresher the food, even if it’s all squash, all the time, will mean your food can handle some travel time before being turned into delicious pie, stew, or dip. Delegate. Parties are for everyone so spread the love. Hire a caterer, assign dishes and desserts to friends, and make it a real team effort. Doing this will also ease your brain and allow you to think about other things, like how you’ll convince your friends not to bring plastic-wrapped cookies to your low-waste party. Invite pals, establish ground rules, but also relax. One thing is clear about winter gatherings: they often have a mind of their own. Maybe it’s because in the winter, we’re all typically crammed into one space, versus flowing breezily from the outdoors in, but gather anything more than 10 adults in one space in the middle of a blizzard, and things happen despite our best laid plans. Upon inviting your friends to your snowy spectacle, kindly remind them that yours will be a lowwaste affair with suggestions about options they can bring. Favour natural materials for your decorations. Winterberry, pussy willow branches, dried grasses, cedar boughs, and other natural delights are abundant in our beautiful province of BC. Of course, harvest with respect, acknowledge the natural world around you, or better yet: host your gathering outside. Gift the gift of space and time. Hosting a gathering, no matter the size, is an opportunity for your friends to be together. That is a gift most precious in an age where our attention is constantly being pulled in many directions. By creating the space for community, you are giving the ultimate gift. Gatherings in the winter are special. They feel different, cozier, more thoughtful. Waste shouldn’t get in the way of having a good time and with a little planning, your low-waste parties will become the new-norm. -GG Ryan Elizabeth Cope is a Kelowna, BC-based advocate for plastic-less, healthful living. She blogs at Seven in the Ocean (sevenintheocean. com) where she marries her love of food with her disdain for plastic-wrapped garbage.

Homemade Almond Joy A recipe for a low-waste sweet-treat!

I came across this recipe nine years ago in a fit of frustration at all the overly processed, excessively packaged candy that is typically found at a grocery store. All I wanted was to do was make candy, as simply as possible. After eating just one homemade Almond Joy, you’ll never want to buy the candy again. To make this a truly lowwaste treat, purchase all ingredients in bulk or in glass jars. INGREDIENTS 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut ¾ cup

confectioner’s sugar

3 Tbsp

all-purpose flour

½ tsp

salt

egg whites (or, use 4 Tbsp golden flaxseed meal combined with 6 Tbsp water)

1 Tbsp

honey

1 tsp

vanilla extract

2 oz whole roasted almonds (unsalted) 6 oz

dark chocolate chips

½ stick

butter (or Earth Balance)

Optional: paraffin wax (1 Tbsp shaved or enough to keep chocolate glossy-looking) METHOD 1. Mix coconut, sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. 2. In a bowl, combine egg whites (or flax meal/ water) with honey and whisk until foamy. 3. Add egg mixture to the saucepan containing the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Add in vanilla. 4. Cook over medium-high heat until batter thickens slightly and takes on a little colour, about 10 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent sticking. 5. Remove from heat.When batter is cool enough to handle, form spoonfuls into oval bars. Lightly press two whole almonds into the top of each bar. Place on a parchment paperlined baking sheet. 6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow bars to cool at room temp. 7. While bars are cooling, combine chocolate, butter and wax in a double boiler. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, mixing it with butter and wax. 8. Drizzle melted chocolate over the bars so that the tops are completely coated. Chill the bars in the fridge until they’ve firmed up a little and then dig in!

Sunrise on the East coast of Haida Gwaii. Photo: Lisa Bland

Message from the Universe Do it Now, with Urgency

here comes a time in the evolution of every civilization when the Universe sends us a new message. Slowly, it works its way through the multiple layers of a long-established culture. It is buffeted by resistance and repulsed by rulers, but in spite of this, it finds its voice in the songs of poets, the impulses of teenagers, and the dreams of millions. A new ecological civilization, it whispers ever so softly. A whole new era, replacing the industrial dreams that shaped your last three hundred years. A future in which you will understand Nature, in which you will celebrate and protect her variety, in which you will live your lives, raise your children, build your homes, make your journeys, and operate your banks, businesses, and governments in accordance with her needs. Change like this has happened before, it whispers. You need not be afraid. Your huntergatherer ancestors heard such a whisper when they began to grow their own food and settled down in villages. Your farming ancestors heard it when they began to use machinery, transcending the weary labourer’s arm. You live your muddled and yet miraculous lives on the surface of an evolutionary ocean; far beneath you there is deep motion. You are self-organized stardust. Your long evolutionary journey has turned you from atom to organism, from single-celled organism to the miracle of the thirty-four trillion consciously cooperating cells that is you. Change happens. Without it, we would still be stuck at the Big Bang. When your ancestors embraced science and the power of fossilized solar energy, they used them to build an incredible new civilization. They achieved wonders. They abolished poverty, hunger, disease, and want for billions of your fellow humans. Today, however, your continued economic growth is breaching Earth’s ecological boundaries, on which your entire existence depends. On every boundary, the signs say Proceed at Civilization’s Peril. It is your good fortune that some of your young people understand the meaning of these signs.

By Guy Dauncey This is why they are urging you to understand that your house is on fire, so don’t plan to grab a bucket in ten years’ time—do it now, with urgency. Your instincts may be defensive, for life may have taught you how precious small comforts are, but the message is telling you that as a civilization, you have reached a point of no return. You must either turn and begin your journey to a new ecological civilization or face massive ecological disruption and the collapse of all that your ancestors worked so hard to achieve. But do not fear. The turning is towards something beautiful: harmony with Nature and her myriad creatures. • You can make your transportation ecologically sustainable by means of pleasant pedestrian routes, safe and separated bikelanes, free urban transit and electric vehicles, which are steadily increasing in range and falling in price, and by urging your governments to require that by 2030 all new cars and light trucks are electric. • You can make your homes ecologically sustainable by sealing them against heatloss, by installing a heatpump, and by urging your governments to require that by 2025 all new homes must no longer burn wood, oil, or gas for heat. • You can make your electricity sustainable by installing solar panels and by urging your governments to rapidly phase out coal and gas-fired power, replacing it with wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal power. The Age of Fossil Fuels lasted for 300 years. The Solar Age will last a billion years. • You can make your farmland ecologically sustainable by growing more food yourselves, by buying your produce from organic agroecological farms that store carbon in the soil, and by urging your governments to help farmers make the transition. • You can make your forests ecologically sustainable by urging your governments to

upgrade the rules of forest management to protect community watersheds and store precious carbon in the soil and trees, end ecologically disastrous clearcutting, and help forest companies and their workers with the transition. • You can make your investments ecologically sustainable by divesting from all fossil fuels and reinvesting your savings in the technologies needed to build this new ecological civilization. • You can make businesses ecologically sustainable by converting them to Benefit Corporations, and by urging your governments to require that over ten years every business must do the same or lose out on government contracts and other benefits. • You can make all banks ecologically sustainable by urging your governments to require them to do a climate and ecological audit of every loan application, and to reject all that will add to the breaching of your planet’s ecological boundaries. • To speed the journey to an ecological civilization your governments can embrace a Green New Deal, pursuing the changes needed while guaranteeing economic security, retraining, and affordable homes to those who are on the front line of change, so that no-one need fear the transition.

A civilizational change such as this is a great adventure. With a Green New Deal, you can travel comfortably. If you remain glued to fossil fuels, fast food, and deforestation, however, all bets will be off, and your children’s worst fears will be realized. -GG Guy Dauncey is author of The Climate Challenge: 101 Solutions to Global Warming (2009) and his novel set in the year 2032, Journey to the Future: A Better World is Possible (2015). Learn more at www. thepracticalutopian.ca.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 9

A Flight

Where Wild Things Are Article & Photos by Sage Birchwater

Looking south over Twist Lake down the West Branch Valley. Our homestead was built in the big timber near the outflow of the lake.

n August 10, 2019, I hired Mike King of White Saddle Air to take my family on a helicopter ride down the West Branch Valley of the Homathko River. I wanted to show my grandkids where their dads were born and grew up on our trapline in the shadow of Mount Waddington, 80 km south of Tatla Lake. Because there were 12 of us, it took two flights into some of the wildest country British Columbia has to offer. The wilderness is still intact because it’s so rugged and remote. Richard Jones and I bought the trapline in the mid-1970s. We were part of the back-to-theland movement seeking a simpler way of life. For me, it was a spiritual quest to live among the largest predators on the planet. Cougars, wolves, and grizzlies were our neighbours, and I made my peace with them. Owning a trapline meant we were obliged to trap. This was very weird for a young man born and raised in manicured Victoria on Vancouver Island, but a couple of old-timers up the valley,

Bern Mullin and Annie Nicholson, showed us the ropes. They once trapped our line in the 1930s. In the middle of January 1978, my life changed radically. Christine Peters snowshoed and hitchhiked 150 kilometres across the Chilcotin to come and live with me. She would not be denied. One of the first things she did upon arriving at my remote cabin on Crazy Creek, was strip down and jump into the river through a hole in the ice. Of course, not to be outdone, I followed suit. That’s how things started for us. A year later, Christine was pregnant. Jim and Jeanie Fell invited us to have our baby at their place further up the valley, closer to civilization. So, we accepted their kind offer. On May 17, 1979 our son Junah was born in a tipi at Sapeye Lake. Since we were committed to defining our own reality, Christine and I rebranded ourselves as Sage and Yarrow. Admittedly, this is odd. But as I jokingly say, we were out in the

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wilderness reinventing the wheel anyway, and rediscovering fire. To give Junah the last name we wanted, I legally changed my name to Sage Birchwater. Two years later our second son, Shiney, was born at Twist Lake. We’d built a homestead by that time with a cabin, barn, gardens, and a herd of goats. The dog asleep on the mat in front of the door started barking when Shiney gave his first cry. He was obviously perplexed how this stranger entered his domain without him knowing. So, we had a life there in the wilderness, richly steeped in hope for freedom and selfdetermination as our children grew healthy and strong. We tapped birch trees for syrup, made yogurt from goat’s milk, grew productive gardens, and tanned all the fur we caught. Yarrow sewed hats and other garments with our marten skins, and I carved wooden spoons, which we sold or traded to sustain ourselves. It was a precious moment in time walking a fragile balance in the natural world. I find it

Sage with sons Shiney and Junah at the homestead barn.

Shiney and Junah sitting in front of the Crazy Creek Cabin where Yarrow (Christine) and I spent our first two winters before building our homestead at Twist Lake.

“All My Relations” on Gonzales hill in June 2017 where we spread my mom’s ashes.

miraculous we had the freedom to be there and learn what we could from Mother Nature. She was indeed our best teacher. One winter while walking the river ice I had this revelation: It’s easy to fool your fellow humans, but you can’t bullshit the river. One false step could end your life. In that wild place we lived in solitude without radio communication with the outside world until our kids were old enough for school. Then in 1986 I pulled my traps for the last time. I’d killed enough animals and was ready for something different. Over the years I’ve been asked about my trapline and my response is invariably the same. “The trapline is doing great. The animals are thriving.” Flying over the cabin where Shiney was born at Twist Lake, the grandkids had their noses to the chopper windows. Some were filming and others were snapping photos. I was amazed at

the unrelenting liveliness of the natural world. Twist Creek has carved a new channel across the flat threatening to reclaim our homestead.

I find it miraculous we had the freedom to be there and learn what we could from Mother Nature. She was indeed our best teacher.

Granddaughter Acacia, now 15, was touched seeing the cabin we built when her dad was a newborn. “I want to live there,” she said

Sage at home with 18-yearold Chilcotin cat, Gus.

whimsically. I advised her to go live with her grandmother for a year and then decide. I’m not sure what impact the flight had on the other grandkids. Hopefully, it sowed seeds of wonder, inspiration, and possibility as they glimpsed the world their dads grew up in. Will it inspire them to follow their dreams off the charts where anything is possible? I hope so. In 1979 there was one Birchwater. Now there are a dozen: Junah, Shiney, Lana, Jen, Caleb, Acacia, Owen, Xavier, Wesley, Asher, Capri,and yours truly. All My Relations. -GG Sage is a freelance writer and lives in Williams Lake with his partner, Caterina. He has been enjoying the rich cultural life of the CaribooChilcotin Coast since 1973.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 11

Art Exhibit "Everything is Shining" Features Anthropocene by James Savage

Burning chair (acrylic on canvas, 12”x24”)

Anthropocene by James Savage

uman disconnection from and reconnection to nature is the main theme of “Everything is Shining,” artist Jim Savage’s recent exhibition in Wells and Williams Lake. The painting Anthropocene (after Alex Colville’s Horse and Train) is one of the most compelling pieces. The term Anthropocene is increasingly used to describe the current geologic era given the utter domination of humans. Savage’s painting is based closely on Alex Colville’s famous and haunting 1954 painting, which is usually interpreted as depicting mechanization/ progress against nature, or free will vs. the inevitability of death, among other meanings. Anthropocene is also informed by one of J.M.W. Turner’s most famous pieces, Rain, steam and speed – the Great Western Railway (1844). Please see both Turner’s and Colville’s images online. On each side of Turner’s train, in the misty distance, are evocations of a dying agrarian past. A close viewing reveals a hare racing in panic before the rocketing train. The train tracks cross Colville’s and Turner’s pieces with almost identical angles, and Savage

believes that Colville must have been aware of Turner’s piece, which commented on the environmental and social changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution. Anthropocene is reframed from Colville’s flatland setting. A powerful, otherworldly bull moose charges at a train blasting snow aside (i.e., our 10,000 year “just-right” climate). The moose seems to emerge from the void, and its horns are modified to evoke human hands, supplicating or warding-off. Likewise, there’s a hint of humanness in the mostly obscured rear legs. The snow plumes jetting out from the train’s plow, like a bird of prey or avenging angel, mirror the horns. The plow also references a profoundly earthaltering invention: agriculture. Melting snow floods down the left embankment—a glowing slag heap, a vast emerging heat. The train implacably drives straight at the viewer—not the moose—out of a dark, red-tinged sunset sky. As the train tracks come forward, they dematerialize and enter the void, leading the train off the rails. For more information on Savage’s work, see www.jamessavagearts.com. -GG

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“This image is about confrontation with the climate crisis. The chair is, at least in this culture, a quintessential symbol of comfort and safety, of home. It’s not just threatened with disruption: it’s fully engulfed, resting on melting ice.”

Red fox in winter (mixed media on canvas, 8”x10”) “This beauty was gorgeously backlit in my backyard. The most striking thing for me about this image is the riveting gaze of this creature, utterly in command of its realm.”

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 13

The Election's Over Now let's get to work! Article by David Suzuki

he election may be over, but there’s no time to be complacent. Canadians voters—and many people too young to vote— demanded that politicians take climate disruption seriously. The parties and candidates listened, and, for the first time, climate became a top election issue. Now we must make sure they all come together to keep their promises and step up their ambitions. We must hold elected representatives from every party to account, to avoid the usual scenario where parties and leaders concentrate on what will benefit them most before the next election rather than making serious attempts to curtail a problem that spells catastrophe over a longer period, if we don’t act quickly and decisively. It’s an inherent weakness in our political systems. Many politicians just want to be seen to be doing something, as long as it doesn’t hurt their reelection chances, rather than demonstrating their commitments in ways that might not show immediate returns. We don’t have time for political posturing or ego-fuelled divisions. Scientists have warned we have little more than a decade, if that, to bring emissions down to a point where they don’t keep the planet heating for years to come. Although every major party campaigned with a climate plan, none went far enough. Even if the new government were to adopt the best ideas from other parties, the flaws in our economic and political systems could prevent us from bringing about necessary change. One flaw is the aforementioned election-cycle stasis. In part, that’s what keeps politicians

and governments holding onto the status quo, fearing the bold, transformative policies the country and world so desperately need in this time of climate crisis. Although every day we fail to take decisive action makes it that much harder to address global heating, the benefits of doing so still far exceed keeping the planet liveable for humans and other species—although that alone should be enough. Some have argued bizarrely that protecting the very things that keep us alive and healthy is not economically viable. They elevate a recent, human-constructed system created under considerably different conditions than today’s above the natural systems that provide all we need to live, from air to water to food. That shows our economic systems are failing us and should be altered to fit today’s reality. But even under current economics, doing all we can to slow and halt catastrophic heating will pay many dividends. A recent study in Science by an international group of scientists concludes, “Over the next few decades, acting to reduce climate change is expected to cost much less than the damage otherwise inflicted by climate change on people, infrastructure, and ecosystems.” A report released around the same time by the Global Commission on Adaptation, representing leaders in business, science, and politics, echoes that. It focuses on adaptation to the now-unavoidable consequences of climate disruption but doesn’t dismiss the need to prevent the crisis from worsening. “Adaptation is not an alternative to a redoubled effort to stop climate change, but an essential complement to it. Failing to lead

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and act on adaptation will result in a huge economic and human toll, causing widespread increases in poverty and severely undermining long-term global economic prospects,” says “Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience.” Researchers conclude that, “investing $1.8 trillion globally in five areas from 2020 to 2030 could generate $7.1 trillion in total net benefits.” Those areas are “early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, improved dryland agriculture crop production, global mangrove protection, and investments in making water resources more resilient.” The Science study notes we have little time to spare. “The investment is even more compelling given the wealth of evidence that the impacts of climate change are happening faster and more extensively than projected, even just a few years ago.” We need to do everything to slow and eventually halt the climate crisis and to adapt to the consequences our stalling has already set in motion. The voters of today have spoken, and those who will soon be old enough to vote couldn’t be clearer: We need all political representatives to cast aside their differences and work together to solve this challenge. An election is just the start. -GG DAVID SUZUKI is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and cofounder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation senior editor, Ian Hanington. Learn more at https://www.davidsuzuki.org

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 15

Lighting the World

One Re-purposed Candle at a Time Article by LeRae Haynes

ringing light and warmth to the world by re-purposing items headed for landfill is only one of the many projects taken on by Williams Lake volunteers for Canadian Food for Children. Local volunteer Donna Joy is one of those volunteers. At her home in Williams Lake she re-purposes tuna cans and discarded wax, adds wicks, and makes candles to use in places around the world with no light and no heat, either due to extreme poverty or a natural disaster. Volunteers also re-purpose and put together things like things like midwife kits, orphanage boxes, sewing boxes, cleaning kits, pneumonia vests for babies, leprosy hospital kits, shoe kits, school boxes and backpacks, hospital boxes, hydration kits, baby newborn kits, and carpentry kits. They collect gardening and sports equipment, school and office supplies, curtain valances, clothes, and food. Williams Lake volunteer Bel Hume said they used to make the candles at the BC head office in Penticton. “When they no longer had room, we decided to make them here,” she said. “We used to ship them the empty tins and the random candles, and now we keep them and ship head office the finished candles.” Joy said when she heard the candle making was going to be done locally, she wanted to help. “I was looking for a project, and said, ‘I can do this.’ “I wanted to invest in other people. When we see how many people around the world live with disaster and extreme poverty—no electricity and no light—why can’t we help them with stuff that we just throw away? Simple things like a candle made from a tuna can and leftover candle wax can help improve their lives in ways we can’t imagine.” “This helps on both ends,” she said.“It

reduces landfill and helps people around the world.” Canadian Food for Children works to relieve the suffering of the poor in over two dozen developing countries around the world, including Angola, Columbia, Dominica, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Madagascar, Malawi, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, St. Lucia, Tanzania, Trinidad, and Zambia. It also does projects in Canada. Canadian Food for Children was founded 37 years ago by Dr. Andrew Simone and his wife Joan Simone. Every single person, from management to feet-on-the-ground helpers, is a volunteer. Another volunteer is needed to help with candle making in Williams Lake. Candle production doesn’t require a lot of space and can done between other tasks. Joy said she uses two crockpots for melting the wax. “It usually takes two hours, and while it’s melting, you can get your cans ready, clean inside and out,” she said. “Then you get your wicks ready—I get them from Wicks and Wax in Surrey—and set the wick and the base inside the cans. I recycle small foam strips and make holes in them to hold the wicks upright. Then I pour the wax to fill one third of the can, set for a few hours and then pour wax in to the top and let them cool overnight. Each crockpot makes 12-15 candles.” “Ask yourself what it would be like if you were in a country that had very little,” Hume said, “or a country that came through a disaster like a tsunami, a flood, an earthquake, or a hurricane, and you had lost everything. Ask yourself what would help and then find out how you can get involved. “Maybe your spouse has passed away, or maybe you’re downsizing, and would consider donating to a Third World country,” Hume said.

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Bel Hume, volunteer with Canadian Food for Children, making candles for heat and light. Photo: LeRae Haynes

“Let us know. We can use things like clothing, tools, used school supplies, garden equipment, nails, bolts, washers, and hand tools. And maybe if you’re heading to Penticton, you can volunteer to drop off a few things to the Canadian Food for Children warehouse. That would be the gift of a helping hand.” “Being ‘green’ is a big focus for a lot of people, especially young people,” Joy said. “This is a great way to put your concerns for the environment to use.” She said candle making is a fun project to do with friends and is not a huge time commitment, adding that a couple batches a month would be wonderful. “It’s great to be part of something meaningful for the environment, and meaningful to people around the world with the most basic needs,” she said. “It gives you the satisfaction of helping people, helping the environment, and making something meaningful with your hands.” For more information about Canadian Food for Children visit www. canadianfoodforchildren.net and for more information about where to drop off donations and how you can get involved in any of a wide variety of local projects, phone Bel Hume at (250) 398-8740. -GG LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, and instigator of lots of music with people of all ages in the community. She fearlessly owns 10 ukuleles, clinging to the belief that you’re not a hoarder if you play them all.

The Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Trade Crisis:

Radiated tortoises from Madagascar are often seen in trade in Asia. Photo: Chris R. Shepherd -TRAFFIC, Southeast Asia

One More Species Receives Increased International Protection Article by Dr. Chris R. Shepherd and Jordi Janssen

lobally, there are 353 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles, and of these the conservation status of 251 species has been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (a comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of species). The assessments highlight the dire straits this group of ancient species is in, with 154 being considered Threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable), and, sadly, a further eight species are already extinct. While this group of species faces a myriad of threats, illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade is the overall greatest menace they face. Having outlived the dinosaurs, the world’s tortoises and freshwater turtles are being wiped out now by human greed. The demand for these species—for their meat, their shells, and their bones used in traditional medicines and live as pets—is pushing them towards extinction. Asian Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Trade Crisis Asia is at the center of the tortoise and freshwater turtle extinction crisis. China is the greatest consumer of tortoises and freshwater turtles in the world, but the demand in other countries is on the rise. Huge volumes of tortoises and freshwater turtles are imported into China, initially from the Asian region but increasingly from more distant regions, for meat consumption and traditional Chinese medicine. As a result, entire populations are now being decimated. In 1999, for example, one exporting company in North Sumatra, Indonesia, exported up to 25 tonnes of wild tortoises and freshwater turtles to China per month. Volumes like that are no longer available in the wild. But the driver that has the most global reach and is currently impacting the greatest number of species around the globe is the demand for pets, which includes a wider variety of species,

and trade flows that involve more countries. Especially rare and/or attractive species are being poached and illegally marketed to the high-end international pet trade, especially in Asia, North America, and the European Union. While much of this trade is legal, illegal trade is still rampant. Tortoises and freshwater turtles are among the most commonly found animals in seizures made by law enforcement officers. Weak legislation and poor enforcement facilitate the international trade in these species and as a result, an increasing number of species are threatened with extinction. In 2018, almost 10,000 Radiated tortoises, Astrochelys radiata, were seized in two seizures in Madagascar. On June 30, 2019, 500 Indian star tortoises were seized on a train from India. More than 200 Eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina, were seized in the United States in September 2019.

China is the greatest consumer of tortoises and freshwater turtles in the world, but the demand in other countries is on the rise. The Indian Star Tortoise One of the most frequently trafficked species for the global black market is the Indian star tortoise, Geochelone elegans (assessed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). This stunning little tortoise is in high demand, largely due to the beautiful patterns on its carapace from which its name is derived. It is fully protected in its three range countries (India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), but poaching and illegal trade continues to be the primary threat to the survival of wild populations of Indian Star Tortoises. Indian star tortoises are smuggled out of their range countries to many

parts of the world, in particular to Southeast Asia, with India being the main source. One recent study found at least 55,000 (mostly juvenile) tortoises had been collected from just one location (comprising 16 villages) from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh over a period of one year. As a result of the high levels of illegal trade, the Indian star tortoise has recently been included in Appendix I of the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which generally prohibits international trade in the species and provides stronger legislation for use by the more than 180 member countries (Canada is a member) to assist the three range countries in enforcing their national laws set out to protect the species. While such actions are a positive step towards combating the illegal trade, the fact that such strong actions are required signifies a failure of the international community to prevent these species from over-exploitation in the first place. Clearly, far more effort is needed, at national and international levels, to significantly reduce illegal and unsustainable trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles, and to help populations of threatened species recover. Everyone has a role to play in this effort. Learn more about tortoises and freshwater turtles and their conservation needs. Get involved in or support efforts to save these incredible species from extinction. Obviously, if you are considering purchasing a tortoise or a freshwater turtle as a pet, do your homework—ensure the specimen you are considering has come from a legal source. If in doubt, don’t buy it. -GG Dr. Chris R. Shepherd is an active member of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. He and Jordi Janssen both work for the Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor) where Dr. Chris R. Shepherd is the executive director and Jordi Janssen is a program officer and lead on reptile-related work. For more info see Monitor’s website: www.mcrsociety.org or Facebook page www. facebook.com/mcrsociety

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 17

—

NO TIME LEFT TO WASTE —

All the Good Things… Article by Oliver Berger

ell, usually during my “No Time Left to Waste” articles you all read my venting about the serious garbage issues that plague our society. I want to say, thank you for listening. In this article, leading up to the holidays where we should be most aware of our consumption and reduction, I am going to share with you some good news from this year. Loop Resources has come to town partnering with Save-On-Foods in Williams Lake. Their program aims to divert as much edible and non-edible food waste as possible from the garbage stream to the Salvation Army Food Bank. From there the edible food will be used to make meals and meal packages for their guests. The non-edible food will be sent off to hungry animals on nearby farms. This is a huge step because most of the waste stream from a grocery store is food. I have had the privilege to be on a few audits of grocery store waste and the amount of food thrown away is sad. Presently, the Salvation Army receives on average 300 lbs of food waste per day from Save-On and since collaboration they have a much more nutrient-diverse menu to offer their clients. Any farmer or rancher can sign up to this program through their website. Go to www.loopresource.ca and click ‘Get Involved’ The Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society’s program for diverting food waste, called Food Not Wasted, has successfully diverted over 15 tons of food waste from the landfill this year. In building this program, I got to know many restaurant owners and discussed waste diversion ideas. Quite a few already have food waste buckets set up for farmers; others use the Potato House Sustainability Project or friends for composting. Comprising all the data, with all these powers combined, Williams Lake restaurants have diverted over 25 tons of food waste from the landfill in the last 365 days. If you are a restaurant owner in town and you do not save your food waste for a farmer or a compost pile, you are the minority. If you would like to change that, contact the Conservation Society at (250) 398-7929. The Williams Lake Association for Community Living has a program called WLACL Works, which helps to support people with special needs in our community by bringing them into the workforce. Their confidential paper shredding program has grown significantly in the past few years. Local businesses are now opting to use the WLACL Works program to help with their other recycling, too. The team will also take care of diverting refundables, cardboard, rigid plastic containers, coffee cups, electronics, and a most recent addition… compost. You can contact WLACL Works team at (778) 412-9364 to find out more.

CCCS's Food Not Wasted program has successfully diverted over 15 tonnes of food waste in Williams Lake this year. Photo: Oliver Berger

Want your business to become waste-wise? The expert WLACL Works team is ready to tackle your waste diversion goals. Photo: Oliver Berger

We in British Columbia can be proud of our recycling program. Many articles online and in the news lately are showing the failing efforts of recycling programs across the country and worldwide. We are led to believe our items are sorted and reprocessed into new materials, only to find out later that it just gets burned or dumped unsustainably. Recycle BC, which luckily happens to be our local Cariboo recycling program, has secure markets for the materials they collect. This hard-working non-profit organization does nearly 150 audits every month to make sure contamination rates are minimal. They take multiple trips to processing facilities all around the world to verify product processing and continuously research new ways to recycle and repurpose our Blue Bin items. We can sleep at night knowing that the recyclables we clean and sort actually go somewhere to

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be processed into new items or new energy. I recommend reading Recycle BC’s full response to the recent backlash on recycling here: www.recyclebc.ca/response-marketpl ace/?fbclid=IwAR3UvjsBIy4z1QSWTQZVDDA 9P_AG2YSlMWKpjamfJQow-EX_jys5vWXPCso We can still brag about how full our recycling bins are compared to our garbage cans, alas we should remember recycling is one of our last resorts. If you really want the gold medal for being waste-wise work on the Reduce and Reuse first. -GG Oliver Berger has a 37-year degree in life, starting out in the Spokin Lake area, spending adolescence in Williams Lake, and then venturing throughout the world on a quest of always learning new things. His priorities include dedication to and education about waste management.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 19

Using Permaculture Principles to Reduce Food Waste Article by Amy Quarry Owner, Long Table Grocery

ere at Long Table we base much of our business model on the 12 Permaculture Principles. Originally and most commonly applied to gardening and agriculture, they have immense value in the creation and design of all kinds of systems whether they be agricultural, social, economic, or business structures. Two of the most well-known principles are “Produce no waste” and “Obtain a Yield”. Producing (or reducing) waste is something that is top of mind for many people right now, particularly when it comes to food waste, and something that we take very much to heart at Long Table in our systems and practices. Obtaining a yield is at the core of all business— to obtain a yield, or profit, for our work is what makes any business possible. In our kitchen, our business model is designed to use the produce that is left each week from our subscription boxes and market for our cafe menu salads, soups, and baking, turning something that would be a total loss into a yield. That’s why each day the menu options change, based on what we have left over. We also process the excess produce into preserves, freezer veggie packs, and readyto-serve freezer meals. Using this system, we have been able to keep our food waste under 1%, which is a big deal for a grocery store. Most traditional grocery stores average anywhere from 15–50% food waste, and we have been able to increase our sales by turning something that would otherwise be thrown out into a sell-able product. Here are a few of the practices we use at Long Table to reduce our food waste. You can use these at home to reduce food waste in your own kitchen:

1. Shop smart and realistically. Only purchase what you need, and only cook what you will eat. If there are leftovers label them with the date and eat them within four days. 2. Keep a large Ziploc bag in the fridge and put the odds and ends of chopped vegetables in it as you prepare meals. Once a week toss them into a stir-fry, soup, or pasta sauce. 3. Regularly make a “clean-out-the-fridge” vegetable soup or stock using only items that are in your fridge, freezer, or cupboards. Challenge yourself to not purchase ingredients. 4. Learn how to quick-pickle fruits and vegetables to store in your refrigerator. This is the fastest way to preserve items you aren’t going to eat right away. You can do it in small batches, they keep for weeks, and they add a delicious kick to all kinds of dishes. 5. Every so often serve a picnic inspired meal. Pull out all the random jars of jams, mustards, and pickles and serve with cut up veggies, charcuterie meats, olives, crackers, cheese, fruit, and bread. Don’t over-think this—just pull all the things out of your fridge and put them on a tray together. Chances are you will have a delicious meal, and you will clear some space in your fridge and cupboards, too. 6. Get in the habit of adding extra fruits and veggies to dishes when they need to be used up even if the recipe doesn’t call for it. Shred a carrot into your pasta sauce. Chop a zucchini into your eggs. Slice a tomato onto your toast. If it needs to be used up before it goes bad, challenge yourself to use it in something. 7. If all else fails and you can’t use up the food in your fridge before it goes bad, share it. Take it to the lunch-room at work. Send it to your kid’s school to share at snack time.

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Donate it. Do something with it other than throwing it out.

It can take time to change our habits but having strong systems in place makes it much easier. We have found that any energy we put into implementing the permaculture principles is returned to us many times over, but it is a process that takes time. It is human nature to initially resist change, but according to yet another principle of permaculture, when we “creatively use and embrace change” we are well positioned to continue to help build a more sustainable system and world for future generations. Long Table Grocery is a locally owned, independent food hub that provides good food sustainably sourced and rooted in the Cariboo region of BC. As well as bi-weekly subscription Harvest Boxes it operates a fresh food grocery and no-waste cafe and hosts cooking workshops and communitybased food events throughout the year. It is our goal that shopping at Long Table Grocery is easy, convenient, and a meaningful way to make your purchasing dollars count towards building a more food-secure community for all of us. We currently work with over 40 North Cariboo farmers and food producers, growing community through food. Visit us at 141 Marsh Drive, Quesnel, BC or Follow us on Facebook at Long Table Grocery. -GG Amy Quarry is an entrepreneur, communitybuilder, maker, graphic designer, and localist. She loves her small town and strongly believes in the resilience of a community built together.

Cashew Cheesecake Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free

From the Long Table Grocery Kitchen

INGREDIENTS: CRUST: 100 g

pecans

100 g

almonds

3 Tbsp

coconut oil or butter

2 -3 pinches

salt

Tel: 250-395-4545 Fax: 1-877-606-5385 spellizzari@telus.net

FILLING: 175 g

cashews

30 ml

fresh lemon juice

1 tsp

vanilla

1/4 tsp

Stevia

1/8 tsp

salt

15 ml

maple syrup

30 ml

melted coconut oil

1 Tbsp

water

Stephen Pellizzari NOTARY PUBLIC

Cariboo Mall 575 Alder Avenue Box 2105, 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0

METHOD: 1. Soak cashews for 4-6 hours. 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 3. Place pecans and almonds in the food processor and process until very crumbly. 4. Add the salt and the coconut oil or butter and process until evenly incorporated. Spoon into a glass baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes.

Stephen Pellizzari NOTARY PUBLIC

5. Blend soaked cashews in food processor with the remaining filling ingredients until the mixture is very creamy. Spoon into prepared crust and freeze. 6. Thaw for 10-15 minutes before serving. Top cheesecake with your favourite chocolate or caramel sauce or fruit compote. Recipe by Jessica Golden, Registered Holistic Nutritionist TheGreenGazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 21

Have a Merry, Global Christmas Article by Jessica Kirby

Ten Thousand Villages has been a Christmas market presence in Williams Lake for the past 10 years. After a short hiatus, Bethel Cariboo Church is bringing the market back to Williams Lake November 21-23

sustainable, eco-friendly Christmas is coming to Williams Lake, thanks in part to the revival of the Ten Thousand Villages Christmas Market, held in partnership with Cariboo Bethel Church and its team of tireless volunteers. Previously, Cariboo Bethel Church partnered with Ten Thousand Villages’ head office in Winnipeg, which held a national festival campaign that brings the store to communities across Canada. The past two years the official Christmas Market festival campaign did not run, which meant a hiatus for the market in Williams Lake. However, through a partnership with store in Abbotsford, the market will return to Williams Lake this November 21-23. “All products sold at this market are crafted, sourced, and imported directly from Ten Thousand Villages, a global network that supports international artisans and craftspeople,” says Jasmine Alexander, office administrator for Cariboo Bethel Church and marketing coordinator for the Ten Thousand Villages Christmas Market. “The proceeds go back to the organization, who pays the artisans in full before the products even reach store shelves and our market sale.” The pride of the market is that the products are made fair trade and as eco-conscious as possible, from 26 countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Peru, Ethiopia, and more. According to its website, Ten Thousand Villages is more than a store—it’s a place where people can explore and connect with the global village. “From communities throughout the developing world, every inspired design is crafted with love using local materials (usually natural or recycled) and time-honoured skills by makers we have known and worked with for years,” says the website. “Every purchase improves the lives of makers by supporting

Photo: Ten Thousand Villages Canada

their craft and providing a fair, stable income.” The company’s model tackles sustainability in many ways. It has free-standing volunteer led stores in a number of locales and they source products by developing organic relationships with makers around the world. “Ten Thousand Villages does the sourcing and distribution of products and ship to us,” says Alexander. “We set it up and sell the products and ship funds back to the store. However, Ten Thousand Villages pays its makers in full before the products hit stores, and this is part of its fairtrade model.” Ten Thousand Villages offers consumers a way to become part of the global story by choosing to shop one’s values and give gifts with meaning. “Many of the products that will be featured and sold in our market are made from natural materials, even Christmas items,” Alexander says. “During the Christmas season, it can be more difficult to shop eco-consciously, so we are very excited to offer products and gifts that are made out of materials such as wood, paper, silks, felt, and natural textiles.” One thing Alexander is especially excited about is the sustainable and eco-friendly Christmas decorations offered at the market. In a season rife with excess paper and plastic use, finding durable, hand-crafted items that bring beauty to the home at Christmas is a wonderful treat. “Even people who are eco-conscious the other ten months of year can struggle to find sustainable options,” Alexander says. “Then, all of a sudden they find themselves buying sparkly plastic items. We have ornaments made from hay or textiles, and we have other items that are felted or other sustainable nature materials.” The market also features a variety of baskets and storage items that are reusable, beautiful, and will last. “Baskets are always a hit item,”

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she adds. “Our volunteers in the past have gotten into the habit of suggesting people but the basket to avoid paper or plastic wrappers.” The Ten Thousand Villages market is a way to simultaneously shop local and support international efforts for equality and sustainability. “It is always important to shop local, and we must consider the paper and packaging involved with shopping online,” Alexander says. “We do support artisans all over the world and at the same time our market provides options to support our local community.” The Cariboo Bethel Youth Group Café, for instance, will run at the market and is a fundraiser for the church’s youth group, which is faith based but open to all youth grades 7 to 12. Between 40 and 50 youth attend the weekly group for community and connection. “At the youth group café, patrons can buy food and coffee and the money goes toward opportunities to serve communities in the future,” Alexander says. “As an example, the youth groups is looking at sending a group to Los Angeles to do service in the projects on Skid Row.” Alexander says shopping consciously doesn’t have to be complicated. “I think we often get overwhelmed but the way even shopping consciously can have a consumerist angle because it is used as a buzzword—buy our ‘eco-friendly’ this or that,” Alexander says. “But you can think simply and creatively at same time. There are two other markets the same weekend as ours—it is a perfect time to carpool and go ‘market-hopping’ and make a fun day of it.” Be sure to visit the Ten Thousand Village Christmas Market hosted by Cariboo Bethel Church November 21 and 22 from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. and November 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. -GG

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) – outlines some key principles that are essential to fair trade. At Ten Thousand Villages, we stand behind WFTO and have also added a few principles of our own: 1. We honour the value of seeking to bring justice and hope to the poor. 2. We trade with artisan groups who pay fair wages and demonstrate concern for their members’ welfare. 3. We provide consistent purchases, advances and prompt final payments to artisans. 4. We increase market share in North America for fairly traded handicrafts. 5. We market quality products that are crafted by otherwise underemployed artisans. 6. We build sustainable operations using a variety of sales channels, including a network of stores with a common identity. 7. We choose handicrafts that reflect and reinforce rich cultural traditions, that are environmentally sensitive and which appeal to North American consumers. 8. We encourage North American customers to learn about fair trade and to appreciate artisans’ cultural heritage and life circumstances with joy and respect. Ten Thousand Villages encourages North American customers to learn about fair trade and to appreciate artisans’ cultural heritage and life circumstances with joy and respect. Photo: Ten Thousand Villages Canada

9. We use resources carefully and value volunteers who work in our North American operations.

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES MARKET NOVEMBER 21ST-23RD THURSDAY/FRIDAY, 3-8PM SATURDAY, 10-3PM

FAIR TRADE & SUSTAINABLE GIFTS MADE BY INTERNATIONAL ARTISANS, COME FOR EXCEPTIONAL SHOPPING & STAY FOR OUR CAFE HOSTED BY OUR CB YOUTH GROUP!

LOWER LEVEL CARIBOO BETHEL CHURCH 833 WESTERN AVE, WILLIAMS LAKE

FOOD CHRISTMAS ITEMS HOME GOODS GARDEN JEWELRY TOYS & MUCH MORE!

CARIBOOBETHEL.COM TheGreenGazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 23

Welcome to the 2019 Medieval Market in Williams Lake November 23 & 24 Article by Melinda McKinnon

s the commoners assemble outside the gates, eagerly anticipating the start of the annual market, the voice of the Town Crier can be heard soaring above the assembled crowd. As the doors to the 2019 market swing open, the Crier unfurls his scroll to announce, “Hear ye, hear ye… come one, come all to the now open Medieval Market.” The sounds of wandering minstrels and the smells of mouth-watering foodstuffs mix with the aroma of fresh cedar boughs to welcome the patrons through the doors and out of the seasonal cold. As the crowd surges through the doors, some go in immediate search of their favourite wares, while others mingle amongst the twinkling lights, immersing themselves in the market ambiance. Welcome to the 2019 Medieval Market! For many patrons, the Medieval Market exists as a direct contradiction to the modern shopping experience. Rather than being assaulted by fluorescent bulbs and commercialized packaging, patrons and shoppers can linger amidst the muted lighting and can be carried among the unique and talented vendors while immersed in the sounds of live music. The daily hustle seems to fade away, as the desire to wander and explore the myriad of wares takes over. There are no selfcheckouts or large corporations; rather, the market is characterized by talented artisans and craftspeople, both local and from afar. From clothing to cedar boughs; decorations and delicacies; edibles and eclectics; and tables and toques, there is truly something for everyone at the Medieval Market. Not only is there a huge array of available items, but the items are made with skilled craftsmanship and artistic expression. It is a time to seek out the perfect self-indulgence or to fulfil the

Handspinner and children's author Grace Reimer at the 2018 Medieval Market. Photo: Tianna Peever

quickly approaching Christmas needs, while being able to interact with the more than 100 vendors directly. As hunger begins to distract the shoppers, lunch and baked goods can be purchased at the Medieval Concession. Unlike the typical “box store” experience, lunch and coffee can be enjoyed amidst the period decorations, while being entertained by talented local musicians. This is the perfect time to re-establish connections with friends and family, while not conversing over a shopping cart or eating fast food in the car. Regardless of the reasons why the townsfolk flock to the Medieval Market year after year, the end result is the same. Community dollars go back into the pockets of community artisans and craftspeople. More so, the ticket price and associated food purchases go directly into funding opportunities for School District 27 and the related clubs, projects, and school groups that the Medieval Market generously contributes to each year. Among the crowd favourites and returning artisans such as Black Sheep Vegan Cheese, Wanderlust and Fairiedust, and Luxarose

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Apparel, this year’s Medieval Market boasts an amazing assortment of new vendors and wares including, Mask-a-Myth, offering handcrafted leather masks and accessories; The Brass Hatter and their steampunk style attire; Bridge Lake Wood Company, offering wooden chopping blocks and charcuterie boards; Riddle Cribbage Boards; Big Fire Farm, and Mi Casa Coffee. Market dates are November 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday admission is $5 (which allows you unlimited access all weekend) while Sunday admission is $3. Children under 12 are free. The admission ticket will not only enable you to have unlimited access to the market; it will also enter your name into a draw for over 100 doorprizes provided by the vendors. There will be a courtesy coat and baggage check in the library so that you can have your hands free to shop more efficiently. As the Town Crier states, “Come one come all” and immerse yourself in a truly Cariboo experience that has benefits, both immediate and long-lasting, for the people who call the Cariboo home. -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 25

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LOCAL FOOD QUESNEL —

Guardian of the Vegetables: Examing Our Food Choices Article by Terri Smith

“And roots, if they are to bear fruits, must be kept well in the soil of the land.” —Pearl S. Buck, “The Good Earth”

few days ago, on CBC radio, I listened to an interview with a very intelligent man who eats vegan for breakfast and lunch and vegetarian for dinner. He misses meat all the time, he says, but knows that animal agriculture is one of the biggest polluters of our planet. I agree with him, and yet I’m still going to tell you that you should eat meat. If you want to. But with a very crucial caveat: eat good, local meat. Industrial agriculture is absolutely killing this planet. But that goes for crops like soy and corn and any other conventionally produced, monoculture crop every bit as much as factoryfarmed animals. Cows are not the world’s great evil; CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) are. We should not be eating any animal products from animals raised like this. CAFOs are inhumane and toxic. If we want to make informed decisions about our diets, however, we should take care to research our choices well. Becoming vegan to save the planet is not necessarily helpful. In fact, if done badly it can be a terrible choice. Soy is one of the big three genetically modified crops and whatever you may think about GMOs themselves, the fact is, they are sprayed like crazy and fertilized like crazy and you know that with all that glyphosate and fertilizer the soil under the crops is pretty much dead and the groundwater under it is contaminated. Not to mention the amount of fuel that goes into this sort of large-scale production or the amount of fuel that goes into shipping. We need to stop looking at vegetable production as good and meat production as bad. Instead, we should differentiate between industrial agriculture and small-scale, mixed farming. All large-scale agriculture is hurting the planet whether the end product is steak or tofu. If you want to help the planet, support smallscale, local agriculture. Small, mixed farms could save the world. And yes, that definitely includes farms that also raise animals for meat. Cattle who are managed well and who live on grass are actually helping with carbonsequestration. In places like Brazil it is a tragedy that the rainforest is being cut and burned to

Wow, check out that grass! Well-managed cattle can be a vital part of a healthy ecosystem and even help to sequester carbon. Photo: Karen Thompson

make way for cattle. This is a terrible idea. But in places like the Cariboo, much of the land that grazes cattle is natural grassland or mixed forest, and it cannot be used for any other sort of food production anyway. Rather than being destructive to the natural environment, cattle can actually improve ecosystems. Cattle and grass evolved together. They are part of a shared ecosystem, and both have a part to play. In an ideal grazing arrangement, here is what happens: Grass takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen. The carbon is what “builds” the plant. A cow walks up to this plant and takes a bite. Her hooves are perfectly designed to break open the exterior of the soil, leaving little pockets where rain can collect so that next time the rain comes it doesn’t just run off the surface of this grassland. The plant itself maintains a balance between what is above and what is below the level of the soil. The bite that this cow took causes the equivalent root mass to die, sequestering the carbon it is made of in the soil and providing organic matter that will increase the humus content. The plant is also stimulated to send out new growth to recover the loss from the bite. The cow moves on over the grassland. She may urinate or defecate, adding even more nutrients to the soil. Insects and worms will move into her manure. Birds follow the cow and scratch apart her manure to get

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at the seeds or insect life within it, which in turn aids in its decomposition and decreases the chances of there being any parasites for the cow to eat when she comes back this way again. Any water the cow has taken in that isn’t contained as part of her body is put back in the form of urine and manure. The grass, soil, and fungi filter and clean this water while using the nutrients pulled from it. It is a beautiful, symbiotic relationship. This is what nature does. Nature likes balance. Good farmers try to work with nature to help natural processes create great food while simultaneously building soil and a healthy, whole-farm ecosystem that is filled with biodiversity. So, if you’re feeling holier than thy carnivorous neighbour, put down your avocado toast and banana smoothie for a moment and consider that their bacon and eggs may have come from a healthy ecosystem a few kilometers away while your breakfast may have been shipped from halfway across the world where it was grown in very unsustainable ways. -GG An erstwhile market gardener and mother of goat, Terri lives on a small farm near Quesnel, BC. There she gardens, makes art, writes about local food, teaches workshops, and works at Long Table Grocery as Guardian of the Vegetables.

Book Review

Resolve: The Story of the Chelsea Family and a First Nation Community’s Will to Heal Author: Carolyn Parks Mintz with Andy Phyllis Chelsea Article by Sage Birchwater

ndy Chelsea was chief of Esk’etemc First Nation at Alkali Lake when I first came to the Cariboo-Chilcotin in the early 1970s. In 1972 he and his wife Phyllis launched a sobriety movement that would eventually transform their community and send reverberations around the world. But the struggle to turn a community around where every adult was addicted to alcohol was monumental. The nickname for Alkali Lake at that time was Alcohol Lake, and Andy and Phyllis wanted very much to change that image. As a member of the back-to-the-land movement I was seeking a simpler life when I first met the Chelseas. I told Andy how much I envied his early life growing up in a log cabin, I and confided how much I wanted to live in the bush. He looked at me strangely and surprised me with his response. “I want what you had growing up in the city,” he said. “Amenities like electricity and running water.” So, there we were: two ships passing in the night, going in opposite directions. But not completely. Last spring Carolyn Parks Mintz published a book about the Chelseas describing the details of their struggle to carve a better future for themselves and their people. Resolve: The Story of the Chelsea Family and a First Nation Community’s Will to Heal (Caitlin Press 2019), shares insights into Phyllis and Andy’s early life and their remarkable journey to bring sobriety to a community riddled with alcoholism. She tells of their heart-wrenching childhood being forced away from the nurturing and love of their families to attend Saint Joseph’s Mission residential school at ages seven or eight and the traumatic physical and sexual abuses they suffered there. Like most children in that predicament they received deep emotional and psychological scars that would take a lifetime to heal.

Phyllis and Andy got to know each other at Saint Joseph’s though there were strict rules keeping the boys and girls apart. They were both shy and recognized a kindred spirit in one another. After leaving residential school Phyllis and Andy became close and were married in 1964. Phyllis was 21 and Andy was 22. Alcohol was a big factor in their lives, just as it was with most Esk'etemc people at that time. During the week Andy worked at Linde Brothers Sawmill at Springhouse, and they enjoyed a rich family life with the birth of three children in their first seven years. But on weekends their social life included binge drinking with friends and that’s when things often got ugly. Parks Mintz attributes the negativity triggered by the alcohol to the undercurrent of trauma suffered at residential school. “When alcohol was involved, things got rough,” Phyllis says in the book. “A different side of people would come out, and mostly it wasn’t good.” By 1972 the Chelseas’ three kids, Ivy, Dean, and Robert, usually stayed with one of their grandmothers on weekends while Phyllis and Andy partied. Then after one raucous weekend, sevenyear-old Ivy told her mother she no longer wanted to live with them if they continued to drink. Phyllis took her daughter’s remonstrations seriously. It caused her to reflect on what she was doing, passing on the hurt and neglect she had inherited from the residential school experience. That’s when Phyllis saw the urgency to make a change in her life. She promised Ivy if she came home she would quit drinking for good. Phyllis immediately poured all the booze in the house down the kitchen sink and never took another drop again. A week later, Andy followed suit.

That’s how it all began. It was a lonely existence trying to change a social pattern so deeply engrained in the community, but Andy and Phyllis were determined. At first, they were the only adults in Esk’et to give up drinking. Even the resident Catholic priest was a drunk, a bootlegger and a philanderer. The Chelseas got support from Oblate Brother Ed Lynch in Williams Lake, who had wrestled with his own alcohol addiction. Gradually, one by one, other members of the Esk'etemc community joined them in their bid for sobriety. The Alkali Lake/ Esk’et story is one of personal triumph and community empowerment. Many people joined the movement and carried the inspiration and momentum begun by Andy and Phyllis nearly 50 years ago. Quite naturally there have been ups and downs, but many leaders have stepped forward to keep the dream alive and Esk’et continues to be an exemplary community. Putting down the bottle was just the first step on the long road to addressing deeper problems like Indigenous rights, reconciliation, and justice for First Peoples in Canadian society. Resolve is one family’s story on this remarkable journey. Resolve: The Story of the Chelsea Family and a First Nation Community’s Will to Heal is published by Caitlin Press. It sells for $24.95 and is available in bookstores around the Cariboo-Chilcotin and beyond. -GG Sage is a freelance writer and lives in Williams Lake with his partner, Caterina. He has been enjoying the rich cultural life of the CaribooChilcotin Coast since 1973.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 27

Conservation Conversation: Dinner Out or a Safer Future? Article by Jenny Howell

y the time you read this, an election will have come and gone. One thing that stands out this time around is that citizens are ranking climate change as one of the top three election issues. In 2008, Stephan Dion tried to make this an election issue with his ‘green shift’, but he was about 11 years ahead of his time and it flopped spectacularly. It is encouraging that we now have a public more informed about the implications of climate change. However, the really discouraging thing is that according to an Ipsos poll conducted for Global News in September, 46 percent of Canadians do not want to spend any additional money in the form of taxes to help combat climate change, and just 22 percent are willing to pay up to $100 a year. This I don’t understand at all. We seem to know and accept there is a problem that will affect us all with severe consequences down the road. Threatened food security, compromised water supplies, changing disease patterns, altered social cohesion, mass migrations of people as areas become uninhabitable, and the resultant geopolitical instability are all important effects of climate change. Our children are following the stark warnings from scientists and are panicking out in the streets and begging for us to do something. As a population, we have the knowledge and technology to reduce our carbon output quite quickly. And yet, we won’t spend the equivalent of a nice dinner out to protect their future? The ironic thing about this is that with climate change, we can expect to pay more anyway: rises in food costs as crops fail, insurance costs as wildfires and floods take their toll, medical costs as disease patterns change—all of these things cost money. What is it about human nature that we aren’t willing to spend a little bit now so that our children and grandchildren can have a future worth looking forward to? I think this is one for the psychologists, and my knowledge of psychology is practically

non-existent, limited to a first-year course over 30 years ago and my own observations of people over the years. All I can think is that until now this has been too slow motion and too big a problem for the human brain to process. I know every one of us would give everything we had to protect our children from danger in an immediate emergency or crisis situation— no one would ever question $100 cost, but maybe this just seems too abstract and distant to elicit the same response.

Threatened food security, compromised water supplies, changing disease patterns, altered social cohesion, mass migrations of people as areas become uninhabitable, and the resultant geopolitical instability are all important effects of climate change.

According to the latest International Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report we have around a decade to make the changes needed to mitigate irreversible and accelerating climate change. This is beyond remembering to take our reusable bags to the grocery store and writing on both sides of the paper. While individual actions have some impact influencing those around us, the only chance to achieve the big changes needed is on a political and societal level. For change to work, we need everyone on board at the same time. Giving up your car and buying secondhand clothes while you watch your neighbours drive their SUVs and holiday in Mexico only

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breeds resentment and judgement. We know human society can change fast if necessary; people are bringing up the war effort as proof of that. I prefer to think of how fast we adapted to the internet, the co-operation and sharing we saw during the 2017 fires, or the coming together of countries to ban hydrofluorocarbons to protect the ozone layer. The scientists have done their job in collecting the science and pointing out the issues. The economists and insurance companies are saying we need to deal with climate change to protect future economies. The children are mobilizing and getting the issue front and centre. The population now understands this is a big issue. We are so close to being able to do something constructive about this instead of throwing our hands in the air and saying it is too scary or big to deal with. So, I am more hopeful than I was that soon people will accept that we have no choice but transition to a new carbon-reduced economy and that, yes, there will be some bumps, some adjustments, and some initial investment costs along the way. These we need to share, as we already do, with health/ education/ infrastructure to keep our society fair and functioning for everyone. I am hopeful because by ignoring the issue for so long, the current climate situation is now both a crisis and an opportunity. These are both situations my limited psychology has taught me that humans usually respond to well. -GG Jenny worked as a veterinarian for the first half of her career and then took an opportunity to teach kids at Gavin Lake where she lives with her family. This led to a new career with the Conservation Society, developing and teaching the Water Wise education program. For more information on Water Wise or Waste Wise and any of our school and community programs, contact the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society at sustain@ccconserv.org or visit the website at www.cconserv.org

Letting Go with Pluto

Pluto was the ruler of the underworld in classic mythology. In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Pluto represents the god who presides over the afterlife. Photo: Morphart Creation, Shutterstock image

Article by Angela Gutzer

wrote this story for the Swan Song festival, which was held October 26 at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre in Williams Lake, and I read it aloud at the event. It was inspired by “The Moth” podcast (themoth.org), a site that promotes the art and craft of storytelling to honour and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience. Letting go has been my theme for the past five years. Thanks to a friend I recently met up with in Haida Gwaii who looked at my astrology chart, I now know Pluto has been transiting my 8th house for who knows how long and will continue to do so until 2023. Pluto is the “god of the underworld” known commonly for his transformative powers. The 8th house focuses on death and rebirth and is governed by Pluto. I have Pluto on Pluto. It almost sounds like a disease. But I feel like my life is starting to make sense. Perhaps this Pluto character was responsible for leaving me dimes for each letting go experience I have had. I first began to see dimes after my marriage crumbled into smithereens. Little girls would hand them to me; they were in my washer, in my car, on the floor. It happened so frequently that it was undeniable—the universe was speaking to me. Finally, after my skull became less thick, I searched online for the significance, and I learned it is endings and new beginnings. I vowed to focus more on moving on, even as I found another dime wedged between the sofa cushions. Thanks to astrology I now envision Pluto like the tooth fairy dropping dimes around homes giggling and whispering, “Good luck!” Then I decided one day to quit my job. Just like that—done. I had not a clue what to do after that. At the time my mother was dying faster than we are dying because she had cancer. To me cancer is a master of time. It speeds time up faster and faster towards the inevitable

end we call death. When I embraced this thought, my career became my enemy, taking precious moments of time that was already sped up too fast to catch up. Between worried phone calls and hospital catch-ups in Saskatchewan, I built my new career and decided I was adult enough to buy my very own laptop. I had no money and wasn’t working, but hey… I deserved a fresh new start. Time continued to race, and our family had one last precious night at the hospital. Exhausted and sad, my brother and I headed back to his vehicle after kissing our mother goodnight for the last time. Time stood still as I walked closer to his Jeep: my belongings had been stolen. Nothing was left except glass, shattered on the street and car seats. Almost every article of clothing, shoes, essential oils, books, cosmetics, jewellery—gone. And the worst, my new “couldn’t afford it-bought it anyway” laptop. I screamed to the universe. Are you serious? Haven’t I lost enough? But they didn’t steal my cider. We drove around in that sketchy part of town on St. Patrick’s Day night, me drinking cider with the window smashed letting in the cold air, waiting for the police. They arrived and ultimately told us they couldn’t help, even though we traced the laptop to a seedy apartment that was right in front of us. Well, what do I need clothes for ?I thought. I could finally embrace the nudist inside of me. Wait— it’s cold outside. I may need clothes. But what if I moved somewhere warm and was nude?

My mother died the next day surrounded by loved ones. I was wearing the same clothes as the day before. I felt like I just lost my world. “No Money and No Mama” could be the title song on a country album playing somewhere in Doo-hickey, Alabama. Pluto strikes again, transforming the world I knew, the one with a mother and a laptop, into a cold, motherless, laptop-free hell. At least the dimes began rolling in as a consolation. This time my mother led the charge in the well-timed dime placements, letting me know she is always with me. By the time the 2017 fire began to spread in the Cariboo, Pluto had given me the gift of letting go in many ways. I saw the Fox Mountain fire start by dry lightning from the window of an airplane that was never able to depart. In the chaos at the airport someone took my luggage. This time, I laughed. I’m assuming at this point that the universe and her assistant Pluto really do want me to be a nudist. Although Pluto has this nasty habit of shifting your life in hard, real, agonizing directions, he is a master teacher. He teaches you that the things you hold onto so tightly are impermanent. No matter how much you love them, they, as with all of us, will leave. Knowing this truth gives us the wisdom to love harder, loosen our grips on impermanent material goods, and live each day as if it is our last. -GG Over the next year Angela will be focusing on transitioning from the veterinary world into death doula services. She is interested in home funerals and Green burials in respect to both animals and people and is one of the co-organizers of the Cariboo Community Deathcaring Network helping the community with their needs relating to death and dying.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 29

Skywatch with Bill Irwin

One of the simplest astronomical observations you can make is that the stars, planets,moon, and sun all rise in the east and sink into the west. At the observatory, then, the four directions are different. Due to earth’s rotation, the stars move 15 degrees an hour. That is about the length of the handle on the Big Dipper or would be about 30 full moon diameters, which is a lot, although I suspect the moon seems larger than it actually is due to its brightness. You have to be punctual to see objects in the western sky before they disappear. In the east, after the wait for them to rise, the view only gets better as the night wears on, due to the increasing elevation. The south is generally the best view. We can see the southern stars down to about 38 degrees below the celestial equator from the Cariboo area, although trees and other obstructions limit this to more like 32 degrees. Constellations like Sagittarius and Scorpius don’t get a lot of time above the horizon at this latitude. Looking up north, anything that is close to the horizon is circumpolar and will eventually be nearly overhead at some time of the year, so not much time spent there unless looking for aurorae. With some telescope types, observing near the zenith or at Polaris is

uncomfortable or mechanically difficult. It pays to have an observing partner that is also a chiropractor. As it is showing up in people’s lives elsewhere, climate change is having its effects on life at the observatory. I have lived here for nine years now, so don’t yet have a personal long-term climate reference for this area. The winters here now do seem comparable to winters in Lillooet back in the late 70s and 80s when I lived there. I remember snow piled up in the middle of main street and waiting for snow to leave driveways in March down there. The recent wet weather has allowed few clear nights. If the moon is out when you get one, there is weeping and lamenting. Even though the moon has about a million times less light energy per square meter at the earth’s surface than the sun, it is enough to wash out the stars and especially the faint nebulous objects that we have been training ourselves to see. (If you have solar panels, your kilowatts will become milliwatts even at full moon). We could get a dry period next summer, but that usually ends up with smoke. The increased energy in the atmosphere has compressed the jet stream, folding it like a sidewinder. The contrast and sequencing between weather systems is more dramatic. So maybe we should get into weather watching, get those fancy Davis weather stations and hold a lottery on the extremity of temp or pressure differentials.

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Starwatching is worth the wait, however. Mars will be making an increasing presence in the morning sky as the year rolls in, heading towards opposition on October 13, 2020. It won’t be quite as large in diameter this time but its much higher elevation in the sky will more than make up for it. Mercury will be transiting the sun on November 11, 2019. The mid-transit will be around 7:20 a.m. in Williams Lake and the dot on the sun will take five hours total to cross. You will need special filtering to see it. As usual, we will be set up here for it and you are welcome to join us at Bells Lake Observatory near Horsefly. Email me at irwin8sound@ gmail.com or call (250) 620-0596. -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 31

Creating New Trails and Stories at the End of the Road in Atlin Article by Patrick Lucas

Lake Atlin from the top of Pillman Hill, overlooking the Fairweather Range. Photo: Patrick Lucas

“

We’ve struck gold!” I hear a voice shout out, and then it is quickly followed by another: “This is it. This is the money spot, boys.” I come out of the trees on a ridge overlooking Atlin Lake in northwestern British Columbia, the lands of the Taku River Tlingit, to find my good friends and trail building aficionados, Thomas Schoen and Justin Darbyshire both standing with their arms outstretched, framing the wild and spectacular scene below us like artists extolling the setting for their next masterpiece. Atlin Lake. Its ethereal mix of teal green and steel blue waters stretch out to either end of the horizon framed by the dark greens of birch and hemlock and interspersed with ribbons of poplar and alder, bright orange and yellow canopies shimmering in the cool autumn air. On the far side of the lake the massive peaks of the Fairweather Range rise, their snow flecked granite peaks glistening in the late afternoon sun. “This is exactly what riders and hikers are looking for,” Thomas notes. “We build a nice dirt berm corner right here,” Justin adds. “People will come from all over the world to have their picture taken with this view in the background.” I step forward and immediately understand what they are visualizing. Framed between two tall birch trees is a perfect slice of immaculate photographic perfection. A slice of Atlin Lake, its perfectly still waters mirroring broad valleys and towering mountains. A narrow branch of the lake snaking back behind Teresa Island. Following Thomas and Justin’s excited gestures, I can envision a large banked berm corner rising out of the dirt, the perfect spot for riders to capture images of themselves as they fly past. The three of us had spent the previous four and a half days hiking and scrambling up Pillman Hill, a small mountain overlooking the town of Atlin. It is the final stop on the road and gateway to the wilderness that separates British Columbia from Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. This place has a history of men disembarking upon its shores in search of gold

and fortune, though we have been searching for a different kind of rush: the creation of new trails and world-class riding experiences. Mountain bike recreation can bring significant benefits for rural communities by attracting new residents and generating new economic activity and investment while enhancing community health and resilience. First Nations throughout BC are looking to trails and mountain biking to connect youth to the land, generate employment opportunities, and through which to assert their Indigenous Rights and Title. Mountain biking has already provided a huge boost to the nearby communities of Carcross and Whitehorse in the Yukon. The Tlingit and the people of Atlin are keen to come together and capitalize on these opportunities. With the support of Recreation Sites and Trails BC, we were invited to survey and layout a network of trails and to realize the hopes and vision of the community. Trail planning and design is a process closer to an artistic expression; it is storytelling with dirt. Allowing the land and forests to guide us, we teased narrative arcs through thick stands of spruce, hemlock, and birch. Embarking from the Como Lake Recreation site, we stitched a climbing line up the mountain’s southern slopes, weaving and twisting along pathways long tread by deer and bear, creating an ideal track that will also serve as a fast and flowy descent for adaptive riders. We crafted a playful alignment along a rocky ridgeline, weaving in and out of the forest to reveal breathtaking views of Atlin Lake and the mountains beyond. Where the ridgeline ends and there are no options but to drop

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down a steep slope into the valley below, I watched in awe as Thomas and Justin, in a moment of inspired artistic flourish, concocted a dramatic vision of a downhill line that would take a rider on a thrill descent over massive wooden features, skyberms, and drops, through a series of rock gardens, along the shores of a pristine mountain lake, and then winding down through bright poplar groves back to shore of Como Lake. Exhausted, covered in bug bites, mud, cuts, and scrapes, we stood together looking out over the lake, excited for the artistic creation we’ve etched across the face of the mountain in footsteps and survey tape. We are honoured by the opportunity to give expression tothe vision and hopes of the Tlingit and the people of Atlin and the next chapter in their story as the community at the end of the road. -GG Patrick Lucas is a mountain biker, writer, storyteller, community planner, and the founder of the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program. When he's not stuck at his computer he can be found wandering the trails throughout BC.

Patrick Lucas riding in Carcross, Yukon, on an example of the kind of photo-ready berm corner the team envisions for Atlin. Photo: Justin Darbyshire

Turbidity:

An Intimate Portrait of Environmental Disaster A Film by Robert E. Moberg

t was August 4, 2014 when the provincial news media called requesting footage of an “incident” at the Mt. Polley mine. I grabbed my camera gear and set out on the short flight via helicopter, my nephew, Kelly, at the controls. From about ten kilometres out we began watching for the strange bright green water of the lake-sized tailings pond, a well-known landmark. As we approached the mine, I remember feeling confused at not being able to locate the huge pond. “Where is it?” I asked. Kelly was looking ahead, equally confused and said simply, “It’s gone.” We could see that the four-squarekilometre “containment facility” had burst through its huge earthen dam. Eye witnesses spoke of a terrible roar that lasted for almost hours as the putrid water thundered down Hazeltine Creek and on into Quesnel Lake. Hundreds of trees snapped off by the powerful torrent now littered the shoreline and drifted in huge piles on the lake. An eerie green plume of murky tailings water travelled down the once pristine body of water for miles. The scene was one of incomprehensible devastation. The footage we captured went nation wide—the dreadful story was out. The deeply personal effect of this larger than life event has had lasting reverberations on the environment, the community, and the individual. Although Quesnel Lake has survived, a sense of loss has permeated our lives. The dark waters from the breach have settled into the depths of our lakeand into the deepest part of our collective consciousness. The most profound and lingering effect, a loss of innocence or perhaps more so, trust. We are left with a feeling of cynicism with regards to corporate accountability and governmental responsibility. Yes, Quesnel Lake is still here, but its waters are deeply scarred, and we are forever changed. As we stand on the shoreline of this vast body of water, the transcendent and eternal has become vulnerable. Sadness and anxiety overcome us with the realization that this, too, can be lost forever. Weighing further on our conscience is the sad fact that we all must bear responsibility for these tragic environmental disasters. Our consumer-driven economy and demand for jobs compel the politicians we elect into making fateful decisions to placate the masses—decisions that, more often than not,

exploit our natural resources with terrible consequences. As a filmmaker with a passion for the environment I felt an obligation to tell this story. My wife, Vanessa, and I spent countless hours filming the stunning landscapes of Quesnel Lake and the beautiful rivers of its watershed. The film explores themes of memory, love, and our complicated relationship with the natural world. Turbidity is an intimate portrait of environmental disaster. Turbidity premiered on the Knowledge Network on October 22, 2019 and is available to stream in Canada via the Knowledge Network’s app or website at https://www. knowledge.ca/program/turbidity -GG

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The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 33

Reconsider Consumerism

Choose Sustainability Over Stuff Article by Erin Hitchcock

s the Christmas season approaches, many increasingly catch the consumerism bug. We hustle from store to store or browse online looking for something to give to our friends and family members, so we make them feel special and appreciated, or even because we feel obligated to do so. Every year on Black Friday scores of people flood the stores to buy, buy, buy. The flurry can become so infectious and out-of-control that, in some places, shoppers have reportedly become violent during the chaos. Isn’t spending time with loved ones more valuable than fighting for a living room full of stuff? Isn’t caring for others and protecting our planet more important than lending to their annihilation? Buy Nothing Day, an international day of protest against consumerism, takes place November 29 this year and serves as an alternative to Black Friday’s materialistic madness. Please don’t just shift your shopping to a different day; use that day to reflect on what’s really important (it will save you money, too). In the 20-minute documentary, The Story of Stuff Project, Annie Leonard, who spent 10 years tracking where our stuff comes from and where it goes, describes how all this stuff wreaks havoc on the environment and people around the world. “From extraction, to production, to distribution, to consumption, to disposal, all together it’s called the ‘materials economy,’” explains Leonard in the video. “The truth is it’s a system in crisis. You cannot run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely. Every step along the way this system is interacting with the real world.” While I appreciate the giving nature of many who have bought our kids toys in the past, these items take up too much space, get ignored after a while, or break. While we are diligent about donating unwanted toys, the broken ones, which can’t be recycled, end up in the landfill. And then there is all the packaging that accompanies them: the plastic bubble-wrap-lined brown envelope they were mailed in, the wrapping paper on the presents, and the plastic packaging around the items themselves. The waste is extreme and is only one part of the devastating chain.

Even a simple cotton T-shirt has immense destructive impacts on the planet. It takes about 2,700 litres of water to make just one, according to a National Geographic and World Wildlife Fund video, which explains that’s enough for one person to drink for 900 days. Then there is all of the energy involved to grow the cotton, and manufacture and transport the shirts and all of the other products we are encouraged to buy—not to mention the dyes and chemicals involved that contaminate water, land, and communities along the way. That new flatscreen TV you may be considering hides nitrogen trifluoride, a greenhouse gas that is a whopping 17,000 times more potent than carbon monoxide, according to a study published in the peerreviewed journal, Geophysical Research Letters. The other materials in that TV were mined and processed, contributing to further environmental and human destruction. When it stops working or some better TV comes along, it will also contribute to a growing electronic waste problem—a 2016 University of British Columbia report shows that Canadians generate about 725,000 tonnes of e-waste each year, with only 20 per cent of it being recycled properly. Every single thing we buy has an impact. While most of us can’t completely buy nothing, we can definitely reduce and be mindful of what we purchase. Consider more sustainable options, such as donating to one’s favourite charity or local organization, gift certificates or money for swimming or sewing lessons, homemade freezer meals, used products (try thrift shops, share sheds, and local buy and sell groups), support local crafters and markets, or make something of your own. The ninth annual Earth Friendly Holiday Event in Williams Lake will take place Friday, December 6 from 5–9 p.m. and Saturday, December 7 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre. It includes fun and artistic natureoriented crafts for all ages. The event

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is free but be sure to bring non-perishable food items as a donation for the food bank. You can also help offset your carbon footprint by donating to carbon offset programs. The David Suzuki Foundation advises choosing a program that is Gold Standard certified (www.goldstandard.org), but you can also volunteer in your community to help offset your impacts. If you wish to wrap your gifts, do not buy wrapping paper or gift bags. Instead, choose reusable fabric bags (best if made out of scrap fabric) or old newspaper you still have lying around. According to Zero Waste Canada, 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags are thrown out each year. Most importantly, inform your loved ones of your new or reaffirmed traditions. Educating them about these issues could be the greatest gift of all. -GG Erin Hitchcock is a stay-at-home mom with a journalism diploma and more than 15 years of related experience. She is part of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Pachamama Alliance and is passionate about creating a better future for the Earth. She can be contacted at CCPlanetEarth@gmail.com.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 35

Clip art by Miss White Spider Arts

Cariboo Made —

Crafters' Market and Indoor Farmers’ Market in 100 Mile House Article by Maureen Pinkney

ow well into its second year, the Crafters’ Market is a destination shopping store. Not only can you get an amazing variety of handcrafted gifts and everyday items sold by the very individuals that made them, but there is also the ability to buy home grown products. Step into the quaint store right on the main shopping street of Birch Ave in 100 Mile House and you will find a warm and inviting atmosphere of friendly faces, a variety of products, and an indoor pergola warming the center aisle. The concept for the store came from a simple desire to find a special gift for someone at Christmas. As I toured holiday craft fairs, admiring the items and searching for that ‘just right’ gift, I noticed how many vendors and different products were offered. In conversations with the creators, it came to light that an indoor place, open year-round, would enable both the consumers and the vendors to enjoy this means of shopping and benefit individuals and the community. So it began. The market has been an evolving store since the day it opened. It now has approximately 40 different hand-crafting vendors amounting to tens of thousands of items. The store holds 15 blue stained pine kiosks rented monthly, and many vendors occupy more than one space to

sell an array of items. Creative people often have the gift and talent to make products, but not the time to sell them or the desire to work in a retail atmosphere. If this describes you, we are always looking for more vendors to share space or rent out.

We aim to provide customers with a wonderful shopping experience, to support local entrepreneurs, and to keep money circulating in our town by shopping locally. This year’s expansion included two more unique everyday shops inside the Crafters’ Market. The first addition is a Farmers’ Market, and it really “put the icing on our cake,” so to speak. The indoor Farmers’ Market is open year round and sells products such as 108 Sausage Company products, XH Bison Ranch Meats, eggs, Cariboo Wild Honey, Lac La Hache bakery breads, Tex Meadow Ranch products, Bradley Creek Garlic, The Horn Ranch Beef, Butcher Bob’s Jerky and Pepperoni, Trout ‘n

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Trail products, and many more producers and products. We also carry birch syrup and cheese products from Quesnel, along with many other items from all over BC. Our other shop expansion inside the Market includes Tina’s Hair Salon, a re-establishment of her previous business on Horse Lake Road in 100 Mile House. Along with a local and unique experience, the market offers easy access on a level entry, wide aisles, and one-on-one connection with the community. From jewellery to soap, baking, crochetted slippers and blankets, stone coasters, photography, hand-tied fishing flies, pet products, clothing, home décor, art, paintings, signs, cuddly bears, baby items, and so much more, we have a large variety to choose from for any budget. We aim to provide customers with a wonderful shopping experience, to support local entrepreneurs, and to keep money circulating in our town by shopping locally. Come in and check us out for gifts or everyday items for yourself and your loved ones. Open Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Look for our extended hours over the Christmas holidays. From our homes to yours, shop local and keep local dollars circulating in our community. -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 37

GREEN BUSINESS QUESNEL

Slow Fashion My Own Collection Article by Terri Smith

Felice, owner of My Own Collection. Photo: Stacey Smith

y now you must have heard of “slow fashion,” but do you really know what it is? In case you’re not sure, here is a great explanation from www.thesustainableedit.com. “Slow Fashion” means:

• quality over quantity

• caring for the environment • protecting human rights • conscious buying and thoughtful purchases

Slow fashion isn’t about never buying new clothes; rather, it’s about making more informed, thoughtful decisions about our purchases. If you’re trying to make better-informed decisions about your clothing purchases, Felice Trotter-Wanner, owner of “My Own Collection,” and her team can help. For over 10 years now she has been working on slow fashion—probably before it was even a thing. Felice is her own importer. Once a year she travels to India to meet with her suppliers and make decisions about what she will be importing this year. She says she doesn’t feel great about flying that much, but I think when you consider how much most people in the fashion industry fly, or how often and how much is shipped to big box stores, it isn’t really much at all. Because she is her own importer, she gets to inspect the quality herself, and she can also make decisions and requests that a larger company would not be able to manage. “Because I am there, on the ground, I can get the exporter to package everything as efficiently as possible,” she says.“I can eliminate as much plastic as possible from the packaging of these products and be sure that they fit as much as they possibly can into a shipment.” Every garment we buy in a store is usually shipped individually wrapped in plastic. Most

people are not even aware of how much plastic our clothing generates. Felice has been working with her suppliers to have as much as possible put into repurposed sari cloth bags that she then reuses in her store for storage or for customers. And if you have shopped here, you already know and love these cloth bags. Because she does go back year after year, she also gets to make informed decisions about who she buys from. “I’ve never claimed to be ‘fair trade,’ because I’ve never tried to make it an official thing,” she says. “But I follow my gut on which suppliers are the good ones. I go back to people who employ the same people and pay them a living wage, people who care about their staff and about their community. One of my main exporters recently paid for an operation for a young boy in the community. They are communityminded, and so I continue to work with them. I get to see the people who are working for my suppliers. I get to see what their jobs are like. If I don’t like the feeling I get from someone about how they do business, how they treat their staff and community, I don’t go back to them.” Back here in Canada, she also pays her own staff a living wage and values them immensely, “I couldn’t do it without them!” she tells me. Quality is important to Felice, and so is a lack of waste. She wants the clothing she sells to last. She also doesn’t just pull “end-ofseason” clothes off the racks to throw away. If something doesn’t sell one season, she may put it on sale or store it for awhile and then put it out for sale again later. My Own Collection also carries fun and popular “mystery bags” that contain $30 worth of mystery items for $15 which makes for a fun shopping experience and helps to keep inventory moving. If you are looking for slow fashion, “avoid large name brands that always seem to have new designs every season, because last season’s designs are probably out back in the

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dumpster,” she says. “Some companies will even destroy old designs before throwing them out so they can’t be reused.” Felice doesn’t believe in seasonal fashion. She believes in “fashion for your style” and that we should all have favourite clothes that we love for years until there is nothing left of them. This is the reason quality control is so important to her. She wants customers to be able to buy items from her store knowing they will last. And they do last! My Own Collection is one of the few places I actually buy new clothing and I still wear the skirts, dresses, and vests I purchased seven or eight years ago. In a world where so much is so disposable, it’s wonderful to find well-made products sold by someone who really cares. -GG An erstwhile market gardener and mother of goat, Terri lives on a small farm near Quesnel, BC. There she gardens, makes art, writes about local food, teaches workshops, and works at Long Table Grocery as Guardian of the Vegetables.

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 39

Roots of Belonging Coming Home

Article by Venta Rutkauskas

Falling Home Land from a fall from grace Cradled in moss’ embrace Repose in that belonging Rise up, unclench your fist Drink in the balsam fir mist Digest the medicine, repair Kiss the bark of this Hemlock tree Where the afterbirth is buried deep Mother and child planted The hole is marked with stones It’s here that ‘home’ was sown Anchored by living cells now a web of life

utumn signals transition, a fitting time of year to contemplate letting go. There are so many ways we can and sometimes must move on. Like selling a beloved home: even though it is still treasured, it’s time to go. Nature’s autumnal rhythms speak of gentle surrender and wilting, as the plant world lays down to rest. In a culture that rewards strong work ethic, it is too easy to neglect the beauty and power of yielding or saying goodbye. Though we witness the trees effortlessly dropping leaves, the experience of letting go is oft met with great resistance. All year, I’ve observed the subtle and overt reactions that arose as I prepared to say goodbye to a home I’d lived in with my family for 13 years. After leaving Montreal and my childhood home at age 20, I’d drifted and embraced the

freedom of a rootless lifestyle. An invitation to move into the woods of the Cariboo a decade later tempted this city girl into uncharted territory. Fraught with friction and hard work, the transition was an effort. Yes, quiet, calm and peaceful environments nourish a soul, but so do world class arts, gourmet foodmarkets and regular dinner parties! Simplicity of nature and life in the country threw me for a loop, exposing a mental and spiritual landscape that crackled and spit when left to wrestle with the silence and Self. I did not know how to ground. In response to my restlessness, the forest accompanied me on a path of awareness and healing as though it were my teacher. As the saying goes, chop wood, carry water… When my daughter was born, I recognized an impulse to truly embody. Her birth magnified the evidence of living outside of my body for most of my life. It showed up as anxiety and exhaustion, symptoms of exile, really; but these were matched by a fierce new love affair with my daughter whose presence inspired me to ground. Current definitions of grounding include a direct connection to the earth and complete presence in the body. Emotions like safety and worthiness accompany the state, telling us that we belong here. I wanted to belong for my daughter, to model safety and strength while also manifesting vulnerability and surrender. I longed to be a Tree of Life. When we planted the placenta under the hemlock tree on our acreage, true roots finally emerged. The place became a shrine. The circle of stones used to cover the hole slowly sank and pressed into the earth over the years and shaped themselves into a beautiful yoni.

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My daughter and I merged our cells with the underground, an alchemical process that brought me ‘home’. We visited the spot on a regular basis. Trees grow slowly, of course, yet this process offered me a ritual beginning for belonging. Now, leaving this place behind, I am more aware of the relationship we can have with our planet and the gifts this relationship can offer to our belonging. The significance of ancestral ties to a landscape, where generations have planted themselves, can be understood through the lens of identity, where the sense of land and self are an intricate web. How do we conceptualize ‘home’ in a world where so many are forced from theirs through conflict or climate crisis? How does one uproot and still carry the powerful ally of belonging within their being? For me, this curiosity and inquiry are company on a journey to new home, as I wrap my roots around me and carry the palpable vibration of that place where my daughter and I are buried. If you are drawn to explore the theme of ‘Belonging’, I recommend Toko-Pa Turner’s book Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home. -GG Venta Rutkauskas is the co-ordinator for the Community Arts Council of Williams Lake (CACWL). She is an advocate and lover of the arts and has taught drama and written plays for young children. She is also passionate about the healing arts. Visit www. williamslakecommunityartscouncil.com to learn more about CACWL and local artists.

Climate Change:

CLIMATE CHANGE BACKLOG

Think Globally, Act Locally

While climate change is now top of mind for many, the issue has been an environmental concern for decades. In 1993, I wrote the chapter about Canada for what was then a revolutionary book about clearcut logging called Clear Cut–The Tragedy of Industrial Forestry, edited by Bill Devall. Here is the rather optimistic conclusion to my chapter:

Article by Jim Cooperman

Island Lake fire on the south side of Francois Lake, BC, August 18, 2018. Photo: Daniel Butchart, SkySight Unmanned Aeronautical Services, www. skysightunmanned.com

here is no doubt we are immersed in a climate crisis, as already we are experiencing the impacts— floods, fires, storms, and rising temperatures. Due to the still rising CO2 levels and the activated feedback loops, including the release of methane, recent predictions are suggesting that there could be 5 to 6 degree C rise in temperature by the end of this century. The big questions for us now are, what could we expect to happen where we live, what can we do to protect ourselves, and what can we do to make a difference? The province’s central interior forests have already been devastated by wildfires and pine beetles. Although there was a reprieve this year, the situation is likely to become grim again. Thus, fire remains the biggest threat and it is not a question of if, but when we will see another large fire threaten local communities. There is another warm blob in the Pacific, which may be another reason why this year’s salmon return is so dismal. When climate change is combined with overfishing and fish farming, the demise of the BC’s iconic salmon could come sooner than anticipated. It is not only the glaciers in Greenland and elsewhere that are melting at increasing rates; so are BC’s glaciers. As they melt there will likely be much lower water levels in the fall and less water for communities. Another major threat is from flooding and landslides, due to the increased likelihood of intense storms and precipitation combined with the damage caused by logging, fires, and roadbuilding. We have already witnessed such disasters, including this year on the Chilcotin River and Big Creek. Perhaps the greatest threats due to climate change are those not yet considered. Germs locked in the melting ice could cause a global epidemic or excessive heat and drought could

devastate essential crops leading to malnutrition, disease, and starvation. Insects that carry diseases are already moving northward. Another impact will likely be mass migration. When the oceans flood the coastlines and the heat becomes unbearable to the south of us, people will move north in droves. BC could end up with millions living here, and one result could be mayhem. Food production will become critical, as it will become difficult to grow food in more southern climates. The most important activity will be adaptation, as humans will need to find new ways to live on a planet that will be much warmer than it is now. Fireproofing will be key, as will water management. Eventually humans may have to live underground and use solar panels for lighting underground greenhouses. It is difficult to imagine how humans will be able to cope with a planet that is 5 degrees C or more warmer than now. Some years ago, I switched my focus from environmental advocacy to bioregionalism, resulting in the publication of the first book about our region, Everything Shuswap. Bioregionalism, which is a lifestyle dedicated to one’s home place, is one way we can protect ourselves as the planet warms. The more we know about our home place, and the more we cooperate as a community, the better our communities will be able to cope with emergencies. My generation has failed humanity. Instead of following the ideals developed in the big era of change during the 1960s and 70s, never-ending greed has led to almost endless wars, no end of pollution, the decimation of species and forests, despot leaders in countries around the world, and now the biggest threat to humanity—climate change. Sadly, it is now up to young people to make a difference, and thanks to leadership from one young Swedish

“It took a few more years of unusually warm weather, ultraviolet damage to crops, and a significant rise in the ocean levels to convince government leaders that real changes were necessary. Carbon taxes were instituted, a reduction in the use of wood and paper resulted from rising costs that reflected the true worth of forests to the planet, and recycling became mandatory. Forests became more valuable for their ability to absorb carbon than for industrial use. To supply the society’s reduced need for paper products, marginal farmland was used to grow hemp, which out-produces trees by four to one. A major national effort was underway to both replant denuded landscapes and restore damaged forest ecosystems. Forest research was successfully re-directed to find better ways to both grow and log uneven aged forests. Clearcutting was restricted to small patch cutting that maintains the ecological integrity of the landscape. A system of large and small protected areas was established with wildlife corridors connecting them. As mills closed, workers found jobs in forest restoration, trail building, and ecotourism. Canadian value-added wood products became world famous and in much demand after First Nations carvers and designers added a creative and unique flair to the industry. As military spending shrank, funds were re-directed to environmental clean-up and ecosystem rehabilitation. Forest planning was directed by local, shared decision-making boards with advice from ecologists and biologists. Canada became known again for its magnificent forests and global catastrophe was averted with the help from both new and old forest ecosystems.”

student, Greta Thunberg, changes may indeed be forthcoming. Unfortunately, the obstacles to change are enormous, given the influence of the wealthy few who continue to profit from carbon pollution. Overconsumption is indeed at the root of the problems and until we see a rejection of the lifestyle that is threatening life on the planet, not much will change. As long as the planes keep flying and people carry on with their meetings (including climate change conferences!) and vacations, as long as the container ships keep bringing more plastic goods from Asia, as long as we continue to fuel our lifestyles with coal, oil, and gas, as long as forests continue to be cut and burned, and as long as the majority of farmland is utilized for meat and dairy, global temperatures will continue to increase. At best, we need to prepare for an uncertain future. -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 41

What's in Our Waste?

Part of the Cariboo Regional District's Solid Waste Info Series: Becoming Waste Wise

he Cariboo Regional District (CRD) commissioned a “waste audit” in June of 2019 that focused on typical household waste, not demolition or construction waste, at the Quesnel, Williams Lake, and 100 Mile House landfills. A waste audit includes collecting numerous 100-kilogram samples of waste from different sources (curbside, commercial buildings, self haul, etc.) and sorting the waste into unique categories. Each category is then weighed. All the data from each sample is compiled and a waste characterization report is generated. Most Regional Districts in British Columbia complete waste audits on a regular basis; this was the first the CRD has done, and it will use the information during the next solid waste management planning process, which starts in 2020. So, what did the data show? It illustrated that across the region 35 percent of our waste is compostable organics. However, it also showed that just over 12 percent of the

By Tera Grady region’s waste is collected by curbside collection, and the organic portion of curbside collected waste would only add up to 3.8 percent of the total waste stream. This means that providing curbside collection of organics in Williams Lake, Quesnel, and 100 Mile House, would only divert 3.8 percent of waste across the region, and that’s assuming everyone would participate. Where does the other 31 percent of organics come from? About 16 percent comes from commercial sources (restaurants, grocery stores, schools, etc.) and the remaining 15 percent comes from waste that is disposed of by residents directly at the landfill or at a transfer station. The next largest category of waste was paper at 21 percent. This was comprised of recyclable items including cardboard, newspapers, paper, and coffee cups that added up to 11 percent. Non-recyclable items, such as books and laminated papers, added up to two percent. The most surprising category came in at over eight percent and was made up of

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compostable and food-soiled paper. This category includes paper towels, tissues, paper plates, paper takeout food containers, and waxed papers. The third largest waste type was plastic at 17 percent. This category consisted of recyclable plastics including deposit beverage containers, containers, flexible plastics, and Styrofoam, which added up to 7.5 percent. The remaining 9.5 percent was from plastics not included in the current BC recycling regulation. Stay tuned to the CRD’s solid waste management planning process to see how the waste audit information will be used to survey the public on future waste diversion programs. Learn more by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/caribooregion or by visiting us online at cariboord.ca. For more information on the Waste Wise Program, call (250) 3987929. You can also find more details on Waste Wise activities and events at ccconserv.org -GG

The Green Gazette www.thegreengazette.ca | 43

Nourishing Our Children: Hair Care Quandaries

Ditching Chemicals and Clutter and Discovering an Unexpected Solution

By Barbara Schellenberg

ere is what hair care was like for my family of five: We spent $1,200 a year on shampoo and conditioner. That’s 48 single use plastic bottles to recycle and 24 litres of questionable substances washed down the drain, not to mention time spent each month shopping for products. I wanted to make a change. These were my criteria: I wanted to spend less, waste less, and use fewer chemicals. I wanted to have better results with my hair and find a simple solution that we could easily maintain. Who would have thought to find the answer at the local butcher? There, I discovered tallow soap, locally made with 50% local ingredients (grass-fed beef tallow). Tallow soap is a hard bar soap, which is great because it gives a

gentle clean and lasts a long time. It’s $10 for bar of soap that will last me a whole year. Let’s Revisit my Criteria: Spend less: Before: $1,200 a year for family of five Now: $50 a year for family of 5 Savings: $1150 a year. Waste less: Before: I washed my hair every two to three days. Now: I wash my hair every five to seven days and its much nicer. Simple solution/easily maintained: Before: I was shopping monthly for products,

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using two products (shampoo and conditioner) more often. Now: One bar of soap will last a year, so I am using only one product less often. There is no clutter. How to use tallow soap for hair: Apply bar soap to wet hair, adding extra water as needed. Lather and rinse. Brush hair once dry. After two to three days, take a few minutes a day to brush with a boar bristle brush. This distributes the natural oils along the shaft of the hair, keeping it healthy. Buy your soap at www.pasturetoplate. ca and at Kinikinik in Redstone, BC. What change can you make for a simpler, cleaner, and more sustainable life? For “Nourishing our Children” articles of the past visit www.thegreengazette.ca. -GG

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Directory Listings Healthy Food / Farms Continued

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48 | November/December/January 2019-20