Latest posts in Notes from the Panther Lounge
Happy Mother's Day
Celebrate Mother's Day and Mother Earth.
Send Mom an e-card from the David Suzuki Foundation.
A David Suzuki Foundation moment in history: The Pacific Salmon Forest Project — Part 2
Foundation staff and the Nemiah community constructed straw bale houses as an alternative to federal reserve housing.
In the first part of this moment in history series, we looked back on the beginnings of one of the most momentous projects in the Foundation's history. Now in Part 2, the project work begins in earnest.
One of the Pacific Salmon Forest project's primary goals was to support community economic development projects on B.C.'s coast, offering local First Nations alternatives to jobs in industrial forestry and unsustainable fisheries. The project area encompassed seven First Nations territories and 13 communities.
All together now
(Credit: David Wise)
On Earth Day (April 22), a quarter of a million Canadians gathered in Montreal in the largest public display of support for the environment in our history. Shortly after this event, Albertans elected Alison Redford and her Progressive Conservative party, with support for the science of climate change as a key factor in her victory. Not long ago, British Columbians adopted a carbon tax and Ontarians got behind continued expansion of renewable energy. These are just a few times when Canadians from different parts of the country stood together for the environment while showing that supporting the environment does not mean ignoring the economy or other important values.
Continue reading »Black out to speak out on June 4
The proposed changes to Canada's laws will weaken environmental rules and silence land and business owners, First Nations, taxpayers, scientists, charities and others who wish to defend the environment. (Credit: Jonathan Crowe via Flickr)
Over the past few months, the environmental laws that protect our nation's extraordinary natural legacy — our air, water, land and the web of life — have been gutted. At the same time, those who want to protect this natural legacy have been the targets of an unprecedented and organized effort to discredit, disenfranchise and silence their voices.
On March 29, Canada's federal government went a step further and put its money where its mouth is. Rather than following the usual process for changing our laws, which allows for thorough debate by our elected representatives, the government has buried a rewrite of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act in a massive omnibus budget bill, C-38.
Continue reading »You can still get outside and play, especially if you have to work all day
It's fundamental for our to kids develop a love of nature they can carry throughout a lifetime.
When was the last time you had that funny, dizzy feeling after rolling down a hill, munched on an apple picked fresh off a tree, or flew a kite? For many of us, these make up the happy memories of childhood, but we've cast these activities aside in exchange for adult responsibilities, like sitting all day.
To make sure kids are getting healthy doses of nature to last them a lifetime, the UK's National Trust is encouraging kids, age 11 ¾ and younger, to check things off a list of 50 things to do outside.
Some of the 50 activities include climbing up a big hill, skimming a stone, running around in the rain, and making a grass trumpet. But we think these things should be done on a regular basis by the young and young at heart. You can still play, especially if you have to work all day.
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