Every January, I forget how hard it is to slog through the dark days and the inevitable bad news that seems to fester this time of year.
I’ve had conversations with several friends sharing their climate anxiety this week, (understandable as Los Angeles, which has long dominated our entertainment sphere, has been on fire and as scientists confirmed 2024 as the hottest year on record).
But as we know, the best salve for these anxieties is action and connection. So it was fabulous timing for an email from Blue Act Marine Society (at Gibsons Public Market) to land in my inbox. Blue Act has organized a nine-part Climate Action Speaker Series in 2025. It starts out Feb. 12, with the pre-Valentine’s Day date night highlight, “Alternative Paths to Reducing Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions” from Canadian energy economist Mark Jaccard. The series continues with both practical and theoretical presentations. See more at blueact.org.
On a different topic, and in demonstration of one of the frustrations of modern newspapering, after this paper goes to press but before it arrives in your hands, there will be a “Major Water Related Infrastructure Announcement for the Sunshine Coast,” featuring shíshálh Nation lhe hiwus yalxwemult (Chief Lenora Joe), SCRD chair Alton Toth and MP Patrick Weiler, at Our House of Clans.
Does this mean a Lower Crown reservoir has been funded (with all the benefits and burdens that has for taxpayers of the Sunshine Coast Regional District)? I don’t know. Check out coastreporter.net for details of what the announcement may be and we’ll have details in next week’s paper.
Finally, we’ve got a lot of budget numbers in this week’s paper –– though the dramatic antics of federal and international politicians may be more salacious, civic budgets are nonetheless where locals have the most power and it behooves us all to pay attention!
