On the environmental soapbox...

Hello all,

Among other things, I fill my days with reading the newspapers that Terri leaves around the house. I recently read an article by David Suzuki (one of our heroes) in the Metro paper (17 Nov 2008). I thought I'd share a few highlights with you.

BC "is Canada’s richest region biologically — home to 76 per cent of our nation’s bird species, 70 per cent of its freshwater fish, 60 per cent of its evergreen trees, and thousands of other animals and plants. More than 3,800 species are found here, and many of these, such as mountain goat and mountain caribou, live mostly — or only — in the province and nowhere else on the planet. For others, such as the trumpeter swan and sandhill crane, B.C. is a critical wintering ground or ­stopover in winged migrations that extend over thou­sands of kilometres. Most remarkably, unlike most places in North America, B.C. still has all of the large and charismatic megafauna that were present at the time of European settlement, including grizzly bears, wolves, and cougars. Indeed, British Columbia is now the last safe haven for most of the large animals left on the continent.

"B.C. has a rich legacy to protect, yet the experts tell us that we are squandering our unique biological inheritance. Earlier this year, scientists revealed that more than four dozen species have disappeared from the province, and the casualty list is growing. A further 1,600 species (43 per cent of all the plants and animals thought to exist in the province) are also in decline and are perhaps facing a similar fate unless action is taken.

"Given the biodiversity crisis that is unfolding in my home province, I’m shocked that the government can claim we’re the “best place on earth”. We lag behind virtually every other place in North America in providing legal protection for our wildlife. B.C. stands out in Canada for not having an endangered species law, while smaller provinces such as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have gone to great lengths to legally protect endangered species and their habitat. Even developing countries, such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and “the glorious nation” of Kazakhstan (to quote Borat) have a leg up on us, with endangered species laws on the books."

For more info, check out: http://www.lastplaceonearth.ca/.
For the full article: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/live/article/141899.

Run hard, be strong, have fun.
Joe