Albertans are no strangers to the destruction of wildfires. Jasper, Fort McMurray, Slave Lake, and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation are all communities devastated by wildfire in recent years. We empathize with those who lost their homes, their businesses or their jobs and bear witness to the challenges they face to rebuild their communities and theirContinue reading “Wildfire damage can be greatly reduced”
Category Archives: Environment
Climate change is a health crisis
As we cope with extreme heat waves and unpredictable wildfires this summer, it is hard to deny that climate change is a reality. With record setting high temperatures in many places in the West, this stretch of hot weather is a searing reminder of how human actions are affecting our planet. If global warming continuesContinue reading “Climate change is a health crisis”
We only have one planet
The contemporary environmental crises, driven by overconsumption, threaten the planet. The UN reports a threefold increase in resource consumption, with wealthier nations consuming excessively. Overconsumption fosters anxiety, depression, and climate change. To mitigate this, individuals can reduce travel, buy fewer items, and support policies that promote sustainable infrastructure and economic equality. Governments and businesses also play pivotal roles in addressing overconsumption and safeguarding the planet for future generations.
Cleaning up our act in healthcare
The healthcare system is tasked with saving lives and improving the health of populations and individuals. But what if it is contributing to environmental degradation and global warming, and making us sicker in the process? The healthcare system is the fifth largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions globally and contributes 4.6% to all greenhouse gasContinue reading “Cleaning up our act in healthcare”
Overtourism is crushing us
There is an elephant in the room, and no one dares name it. Instead, in the Bow Valley we prefer to talk about traffic congestion, housing scarcity, labour shortages and environmental degradation, as if these are discrete, unrelated problems that each call for a different set of solutions. Our denial of the root cause ofContinue reading “Overtourism is crushing us”
Canada must resolve to do better
It is a new year and a time of renewal. Many of us have made personal resolutions to eat healthier, produce less waste, and spend more time with family and friends. But what about as a country – what can we, as Canadians, resolve to do better in 2023 and into the future? Certainly, thereContinue reading “Canada must resolve to do better”
Cleaning up our act on plastic pollution
They are convenient, inexpensive and versatile but plastics are harming our health and our planet. Recognizing the damaging effects of plastic pollution, the federal government recently announced regulations limiting single use plastics. But they do not go far enough to protect human health or ensure environmental sustainability. Eighty billion tons of plastics have been producedContinue reading “Cleaning up our act on plastic pollution”
Climate change is a health crisis
An update version of this article including the carbon tax is now available here: https://engagedcitizen.ca/2024/09/05/climate-change-is-a-health-crisis-2/ As we cope with extreme heat waves and unpredictable wildfires this summer, it is hard to deny that climate change is a reality. With record setting high temperatures in many places in the West, this stretch of hot weather isContinue reading “Climate change is a health crisis”
A new vision for our towns and cities
Our small mountain towns are joining the ranks of world-class cities in pedestrianizing streets in the downtown core. The Towns of Banff and Canmore are mirroring actions in big cities like Paris, New York and Milan to make more space on downtown streets for people to maintain social distance while enjoying the commercial and recreationalContinue reading “A new vision for our towns and cities”
The Engaged Citizen 