Why is chocolate an environmental issue? Because palm oil, an ingredient used in some chocolates, is the main driver behind much of the deforestation happening in tropical peat forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, among other places. Tropical peat forests are home to a diversity of plant and animal species, and are important carbon sinks, which means they have […]
Two Ways to Show Your Love This Valentine’s Day Read More »
Written by Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President Phantom leaks occur when microwaves, computers, TVs, and other electrical devices continue to draw energy even when they’re turned off, up to 15%. The solution—unplug them. A convenient way to do that is to plug devices, such as your computer, and their peripherals, printers, speakers, monitors, etc. into a power bar
By Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President Last year, in preparation for our 45th anniversary celebration, I reviewed SPEC’s historical campaigns (1) and successfully connected with nearly 100 SPEC activists from the early days. As I gathered names, one that repeatedly came up was Terry Chantler so I called him to see what I could learn about
Profile on Terry Chantler Read More »
By Kimi Hendess from Farmwatch BC The Fraser River needs your help. LNG, Coal, Jet Fuel… numerous proposed industrial projects in this sensitive estuary hinge on tankers gaining access up-river of the George Massey Tunnel, over which only shallow or partially loaded ships can pass. Access to Information requests have revealed that Port Metro Vancouver
Massey Bridge Project and the ALR Read More »
Vancouver and Surrey ranked lowest Vancouver, BC – 2015 May 12 – SPEC (Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) has released the first ranking of Canadian cities-based on solar energy policy. Amongst the large Canadian cities – Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto were ranked best, with Surrey and Vancouver at the bottom of the list. The ranking which looked at the
Canadian Cities Ranked on Solar Energy Policy Read More »
By now, most people have seen photos and read news accounts of the fuel spill that occurred on April 8th, 2015 in English Bay, the impacts of which are still being determined. It is important to note that Vancouver’s waters are under federal jurisdiction and are overseen by the Vancouver Port Authority while the Canadian Coast Guard is tasked
Bunker Fuel Spill in English Bay Raises Alarm Bells Read More »
These past weeks what we’ve been dreading has come to pass. The gardens, so lovingly built and tended, so integral to the community gardening legacy of Vancouver, have been ripped out. These gardens, built over several decades going back to WWII Victory Gardens, were allowed by CPR from 1952-2001 – the entire time it ran
A SPEC hosted forum on March 26th Between March 16 and May 29, 2015, Metro Vancouverites will be facing one of the most important regional decisions affecting our and future generations: whether to approve or reject a 0.5 per cent increase in the provincial sales tax (PST) to support the implementation of multiple transit projects throughout Metro Vancouver. Increasing the
The Transportation Vote: Exploring Opportunities and Concerns Read More »
