Bigger buffer zone for orcas, but not in Canada

Washington State signed new legislation that requires boats to keep 914 metres from orcas, more than doubling the current requirement, beginning in January 2025. Unfortunately, Canada isn’t following suit. Originally published in PostMedia’s The Province on May 18. Endangered southern resident orcas are on the verge of getting a lot more space, but not if … Continue reading

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Your wastewater is polluting the Salish Sea

“MY wastewater?!?”, you might be thinking. It’s true. Anything that runs down the drains of your sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and toilets becomes wastewater. Personal and industrial use of items that contain complex, and sometimes harmful, chemicals means that wastewater contains a myriad of compounds including plastics, heavy metals, nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, … Continue reading

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First marine spill training for Clean Marine BC

Twenty representatives from eleven Clean Marine BC facilities came together in our first ever marine spill training session. False Creek Harbour Authority hosted us at Fishermen’s Wharf, and mother nature provided the sunshine! Instructor Craig Dougans from Global Strategem Consulting led us through a full day of classroom and practical training covering planning, preparedness, spill … Continue reading

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Is BC’s new spill response law really world-leading?

The provincial government’s new and long-awaited oil spill preparedness bill will soon be debated in the legislature for the first time. The bill is an important step forward, promising new provisions aimed at reducing the tremendous gaps in B.C.’s ability to respond to spills. Although this is good, and much-needed in our province, the bill … Continue reading

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Ribbon fades on BC’s climate leadership

How long can you still crow about the ribbon you got for the science fair project in grade school? It’s a question that kept going through my mind as I stared into the BC government’s budget documents at the briefing on Tuesday.  In the Finance Minister’s speech, the Ministerial Services plan, in the strategic plan … Continue reading

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The power of hope

It feels just a little bit brighter. The elections results of October 19th have brought to an end a period of great darkness for civil society.  If that sounds melodramatic, I can tell you from direct experience it is not. Deemed enemies of the state, attacked, tied up in administrative burdens so we could be … Continue reading

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A big win for stronger local spill preparedness

Today was a good day. Local government leaders from big cities, small towns and regional districts across BC voted unanimously in favour of strengthening community oil spill preparedness. In a giant meeting room at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention, hundreds of our local elected representatives raised their hands and endorsed Resolution A4, calling … Continue reading

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We’ve got work to do, Salish Sea Savers!

Year-end reviews are supposed to be positive and upbeat, as everyone heads into the holidays wanting to think of nothing more than festive parties, mulled wine and relaxing time off with family and friends. But it’s hard to relax and stay positive when it feels like we are swimming against a tidal wave of fossil … Continue reading

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The greenest city… or the biggest coal exporter in North America?

Port Metro Vancouver is currently considering an application from Fraser Surrey Docks to build a coal facility at its terminal in Surrey, designed to handle coal from United States producers who are struggling to find export routes south of the border.  When complete, the coal terminal would be responsible for about 17 million tonnes of … Continue reading

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Investing in the long view

We’re really lucky in BC to have so many different environmental groups working to protect our air and water.  Each represents a different focus or perspective, which is incredibly valuable but understandably that diversity can seem overwhelming to the public at times. So it’s not surprising that I’m frequently asked, “Who is Georgia Strait Alliance … Continue reading

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