Climate change is often blamed for the record fire seasons experienced in BC, and across western North America these last few years, but is there more than climate causing the increasing devastation?
Stop the Spray BC has been warning about the effects of intense herbicide spraying throughout the province, and says the practice is dangerously exacerbating an already dire situation.
James Steidle has worked in BC’s forest industry as a treeplanter, mill worker, and currently runs a woodworking company based in Prince George. Steidle and fellow forestry professional, Herb Martin started Stop the Spray BC to bring to an end wrong-headed government policies.
They ask, “As our planet continues to warm, biodiversity fades and forest fires grow worse, does it make sense to keep eliminating the trees with the highest biodiversity values, lowest probability of flammability, and best ability to sequester CO2 and reflect solar radiation from our forests?”
James Steidle in the first half.
And; over the last month, Elections BC has administered the latest referendum on determining the future voting system for provincial elections. Ballots were mailed out, and the deadline was originally slated for tomorrow, November 30th. But, and it is a very big but; due to Canada Post labour actions, Elections BC has extended by one week the deadline to get ballots on electoral reform in.
Terry Dance-Bennink is an Eco and democracy activist, Pro Rep champion, defender of indigenous rights, United Church member, and Vice President of VotePRBC; and Rick Habgood is a democracy activist and producer of the ShawTV program, ‘Voting for Change?’.
Rick Habgood and Terry Dance-Bennink on BC’s chance for electoral change in the second half.
And; Victoria-based activist and CFUV Radio broadcaster at-large, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things going on in and around our town in the coming week. But first, James Steidle and stopping the BC spray.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/