BCAS Resources

1. Learn about the people and territory you’re on (treaty, unceded or traditional territory) and about the work already being done to support Indigenous rights as part of the climate solutions movement:

2. Are there already groups protecting local lakes, rivers, coasts or other important water bodies in your region? Check out:

3. Contribute feedback in the Government of Canada’s Just Transition Plan public consultation : https://www.rncanengagenrcan.ca/en/collections/just-transition

Guiding questions:

  • Are the government’s actions and commitments in line with what the science tells us is needed to drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2030?
  • Who is being centred in climate action in this plan? Are there any stakeholders not represented? Who is usually left out and how can they be included? A “just” transition means everyone is brought along -including and especially those most impacted the most and who contribute the least to the burning of fossil fuels driving the climate crisis. 
  • Do adequate training opportunities and investment in “net-zero” industries exist? Which industries could be missing from this plan? What opportunities are there in ocean and coastal communities? 

1. Check in with your local representatives to see what kinds of accessible public cooling options exist in your community. Here are some examples!

 

2. Community science opportunity: you can help collect data on barnacle populations using just your phone and some sticky notes! Check out the easy-to-follow protocol on Dr. Chris Harley’s website at: https://www.zoology.ubc.ca/harleylab/current-projects/ . Here’s the condensed version!

  • Find a coast with barnacles! (note when and where you collected it – photos help!)
  • Find 20 “plots” about the size of your hand covered in barnacles
  • Take a photo of each plot and record some data using the Compass Comander app
  • Upload your data and photos of each plot to their drive and email them at barncacle.doctor@gmail.com to let them know you helped in long-term monitoring of coastal biodiversity!

Link to gov. Can community science portal to find other community science initiatives near you: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_97169.html

South Coast Conservation Program http://www.sccp.ca/resources/citizen-science 

Other citizen science projects in BC: https://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/CitizenScienceProjects.html 

 

3. Host or join a day of community mobilization with 350.canada on Sept. 8th! A snap election at the end of September means we need to push political parties to put urgent climate action at the top of their agendas! Check out all the resources and training at : https://350.org/still-on-fire/ for more info! 

 

Other Resources:

Marine heatwave story map: https://www.nps.gov/gis/storymaps/cascade/v1/index.html?appid=6391291b145f4b5f96cbfdf5e3d270b7

Forecasting heatwaves with machine learning: https://research.csiro.au/cor/home/climate-impacts-adaptation/marine-heatwaves/forecasting-marine-heatwaves/ 

Explore current and past heat anomolies in oceans: https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#prcp-tcld-topo

1. The next time you want to roll your eyes and walk away from a climate denier, stop for a second and think about: what is your positionality, relationship and stake in this interaction? If it’s someone you care about or could have a values-based conversation with, try getting uncomfortable and talking about how you may both be affected by the climate crisis. Remember, this isn’t a conversation about trying to win someone over instantly, it’ll likely be an on-going conversation.

Guest speaker Dr. Dave Riddell has compiled an awesome resources list of websites, online articles, and books on this topic! Check it out here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-eap7fxmyTOsN4mV7eZ5ykEITk-0n5RT/view?usp=sharing

2. #HipHopMD showed us how science communication can happen in unique, fun and engaging ways! How can you use your own unique combination of skills and interest to engage in #scicomm? What makes you interested in other #SciComm accounts? Tag some of your favourite accounts below! Here are some of ours and their IG handles: @botanicalblackgirl @intersectionalenvironmentalist @indigenousfriends @wcelaw @ashadevos @drsianproctor @melanininstem @ologies @hood__naturalist @katharinehayhoe @wordcortex @BugSalome @whynotadoc @how2saveaplanet

3. If you’re watching this from Canada, there’s an election coming up next week on Monday Sept 20th! While electoral politics is not the only way to get involved in collective action, it’s a great opportunity to support candidates and parties that are climate champions and who have a track record of sticking to their commitments!

350canada is looking for volunteers for their texting team to help get the vote out for climate champions across the country! Sign up now at : https://climatealliance.ca/text! This is a great chance to get out and use your vote for what you believe in! Check out the following resources to read up on how/where to vote and where each of the parties stand on climate issues. 

4. Check out this great resource on water conservation: https://californiadegrees.org/the-ultimate-guide-on-water-conservation-how-to-save-every-drop/ 

1. The Fridays for Future Climate Strike happened Friday Sept. 24th, the same week the Kelpisode came out! If you had the chance to attend let us know how it went, and stay up-to-date on how to keep involved in the momentum of these actions at fridaysforfuture.org

2. If you’re living along a coast, get to know your friendly neighbourhood kelp forest! Have you noticed any changes to it over time? And if you’re not along a coast, are there any remote or urban forests near you? Who is working towards protecting them and is there a way you can help? What kind of marine protection projects exist, or are there any Indigenous stewards that have been caring for kelp and terrestrial ecosystems near you? Check out our linktree for more resources and reads on the topic, and remember to download Dr. Martone’s app “Seaweed Sorter” from your app store! It’s the same cost as a cup of coffee, but the buzz lasts way longer! 

3. The kelp farming industry is growing like a seaweed! In Bamfield, Canadian Kelp Resources and Cascadia Seaweed are startups at the forefront of kelp farming, and are combining western science with generations of insights from coastal Indigenous knowledge systems as they grow. And right here at BMSC, the new Kelp Rescue project will start looking into the carbon capture potential of these amazing forests. You may be surprised at some of the products kelp goes into, stuff like fertilizer, toothpaste, salad dressings, and even some frozen foods! You can even buy it dried to add to soups, side dishes or ground up as a tasty seasoning! Support kelp farmers and see if there are any grocery stores near you that sell kelp, or check out some local BC companies like Canadian Kelp Resources, Cascadia Seaweed, and Sea Forest to order kelp products straight to your door! 

1. Download iNaturalist and make an observation! Or many! Once you download the app you can even check out “projects near you” and start observing with folks in your area!  You’d be amazed at how many people are already using iNaturalist And hey, if you and some friends start together, there’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition to get you out there to see who can make the most, or the most obscure observation. 

2. Community science initiatives happen everywhere! You may be surprised at the number of opportunities in your own community, yes even if you live in a big city! Take a look at these community science databases to find other ways to contribute important data to climate and biodiversity monitoring efforts. Let us know on social media if there are any projects you’re already involved in you think more people need to know about!

and read a great article on data science and climate action here: https://datascienceprograms.com/learn/how-data-science-can-help-fight-climate-change/ 

3. COP 26, the 26th UN Climate Change conference is running in Glasgow from Sunday Oct 31st to Friday Nov. 12th. Big international conferences like these can sometimes feel like just another PR opportunity for world leaders, without the follow-up or commitment required to keep warming to 1.5°C as agreed upon in the 2015 COP Paris Agreement, it’s also an opportunity for folks to apply pressure to our leaders in this pivotal decade and demand true action in line with what the science tells us. 

For example, earlier this month 400 young people around the world gathered at the Youth4Climate meeting to create a list of demands based on science and equity, including growing nature based climate solutions, phasing out fossil fuel expansion to support a just transition for everyone, and ensuring equitable financial support for developing countries from rich nations that have benefitted from their exploitation.

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 6 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Eco-Anxiety and Climate Mental Health. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

1. Check out these amazing eco-anxiety and climate grief resources from Gabrielle. As you go through these, keep in mind that while feelings of anxiety are totally valid and can take time to process, it’s also important to consider our own positionality. What are the resources we have access to, and do other people have the same kinds of resources like time, finances or social support? While the fear of an unlivable future may be universal, it’s experienced differently and can be compounded on across intersectionalities like race, gender, sexual orientation, ability or class. We encourage folks to engage in exploring grief, healing, joy and resilience that works towards collective liberation and climate justice Eco-anxiety resources from Gabrielle: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uvTB_0sCz14EsHX8Lmg-fbkMBYGhNj0w?fbclid=IwAR2NhBWaBWrPvolq3b0NBelh8R9mIDH9WpVUipwKAKM2itgQDSx1X3GK-Jo Time article on eco-anxiety: https://time.com/6112146/climate-anxiety-resources/ Blog: Is climate anxiety a white phenomenon? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-climate-anxiety/

2. While western medical systems adopt programs like Parks Prescriptions, get outside today and spend time in Nature. As Melissa and Jenny indicated, nature is what you perceive it to be. Have a small balcony with plants? A special plant at your desk? A garden you go by on your commute? While you’re at it, take some time to reflect on your relationship to the land and water around you. If you’re a settler in a colonized space, is there a way to start decolonizing your relationship with that Place? Decolonize Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xXhHallb7HDdaiK5MrV3U9VzwUuoD4-VPe-0qyf_JzM/edit#heading=h.royrjgolhjpi Decolonization handbook: https://fpse.ca/sites/default/files/news_files/Decolonization%20Handbook.pdf Rethinking the Colonial Mentality of Our National Parks: https://thewalrus.ca/rethinking-the-colonial-mentality-of-our-national-parks/

3. Climate healing, resilience, hope and joy can be fostered through action. As COP26 comes to a close this weekend, take a peek at some of the key outcomes of the conference. For those looking for more tangible policy and direction in Canada towards ensuring workers are supported in the necessary clean economy, sign 350 Canada’s petition to legislate the Just Transition Act, and check out these articles on the connections between climate solutions, Land Back and the MMIW crisis as brought to light by Indigeneous land defenders at COP26.

Sign the Just Transition Act Petition: https://act.350.org/sign/jt-act/ Nature-based solutions & Land back: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/11/09/news/are-natural-solutions-touted-un-climate-summit-new-form-colonialism MMIW & the resource extraction industry: https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/entries/for-immediate-release-indigenous-led-action-in-memory-of-missing-murdered-indigenous-women-and-relatives

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 7 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Pacific Salmon & Two-Eyed Seeing in Fisheries Management. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

1. Salmon have been an important food source to hundreds of Nations in the Pacific Northwest since time immemorial; a food culture that is threatened by the climate crisis and human activities like logging and coastal development. Industrial food systems are a major driver of the climate crisis globally, but through agricultural reform can work towards climate justice. Listen to the National Observer Race Against Climate Change podcast episode 1 to learn more about the complexities of food systems in the climate solutions movement.

 

2. One of the main threats to salmon is through habitat loss, and one of the best ways to protect vital habitats on Turtle Island (aka North America) is through Land Back, a longstanding movement organizing to put unceded land back into Indigenous hands. Right here from where we’re located on Vancouver Island, the Nuchatlaht Nation is in legal challenge with the provincial and federal governments to get their land title back. You can help either through supporting their land back fund or learning about the local context of land back movements near you

3. This week, British Columbia was hard hit by storms, flooding and landslides, displacing thousands of people as a result of these climate crisis driven extreme weather events. These kinds of events disproportionately affect already vulnerable communities, and the province is clearly ill-prepared for the climate crisis. You can engage in climate justice and community care through mutual aid, either by donating time, financial support or organizing towards demanding a better provincial climate crisis plan and a Just Transition now to phase Canada away from the fossil fuel industry & ensure workers are supported. 

 

Resources from guest speaker Kasey Stirling::

 

Websites: 

https://www.mun.ca/research/Indigenous/faq.php 

https://conservation-reconciliation.ca/

https://www.firstpeopleslaw.com/

https://klemtu.com/research-guide/ 

https://saracannon.ca/2020/06/27/decolonizing-conservation-a-reading-list/ 

https://isp.ubc.ca/

Books:

Indigenous Methodologies, Dr. Margaret Kovach

Research is Ceremony, Shawn Wilson

Podcasts:

https://mediaindigena.libsyn.com/ 

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 8 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Marine Renewable Energy. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

 

1. Although Canada has a long way to go to establish any kind of regulatory framework to scale up marine renewables, the good news is that many countries in Asia and Europe have already done so, and offer us examples to learn from! As this industry develops, it’s important to consider the social implications of these technological solutions to avoid what some may refer to as “capitalism in the ocean”. If you’re interested in learning more about how to support workers and communities in the transition to renewables, check out following resources:

    1. Read: Blue growth and blue justice: Ten risks and solutions for the ocean economy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HSJjEi8uwn9xflIUIMzJewQe5O9-KPCP/view?usp=sharing 
    2. Give feedback on Canada’s Just Transition plan: https://www.rncanengagenrcan.ca/en/collections/just-transition
    3. Sign: petition to prioritize legislating the Just Transition Act: https://act.350.org/sign/jta-top-priority/?_ga=2.262221580.1687835392.1639426747-1172403690.1622762978 

2. We all use energy to power our homes, work and transportation systems. Take some time to learn about the grid you’re hooked up to and learn about the renewable energy initiatives in your community. These are often community-led, and the Indigenous Clean Energy Project has a neat interactive map to check out projects near you. 

    1. Navigate: https://indigenouscleanenergy.com/ice-projects/
    2. Read: https://impact.canada.ca/en/challenges/off-diesel 

3. Canada is in the process of developing it’s ocean strategy. In the USA, this is referred to as the “Blue New Deal” and in Canada the federal government is calling it the “Blue Economy Strategy”. Although the public consultation period is over, you can read more about it below. And we’ll even draft a template letter you can use to write to your MP and let them know you want to see marine renewable energy prioritized in this strategy. While you’re at it, ask them to take action on legislating a Just Transition Act to ensure workers and communities are supported along the way!

    1. What is the Blue Economy Strategy?: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/campaign-campagne/bes-seb/index-eng.html
    2. Marine Renewables Canada Response to the Blue Economy Strategy: https://marinerenewables.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/MRC-Blue-Economy-Strategy-Submission-FINAL-1.pdf 
    3. Write: Draft letter to send to MP: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WQPRtqR1fidpJOjq6pBvll2jeS6JDH1LQvi9PIFgMzo/edit?usp=sharing 

To find out more about our guest presenters and their work, please visit:

 

Marine Renewables Canada:https://marinerenewables.ca/ 

Ocean Startup Project: https://oceanstartupproject.ca/   

Luna Sea Solutions: https://lunasea.solutions/  

Drones and Drifters video: https://vimeo.com/209625230 

Iron and Earth: https://www.ironandearth.org/ 

Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery: https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/primed/ 

Riley Richardson’s Environmental non-profit, Terra Spheres: https://www.terraspheres.ca/ 

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 9 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Coastal Restoration & Carbon Sequestration. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

Coastal restoration happens on so many coasts, even ones further inland. What kind of important coastal habitats along lakes, rivers and other wetland ecosystems exist near you? There are often a ton of local community groups working towards restoration, and sometimes municipalities even look for restoration volunteers! Coastal restoration is a big part of the climate solutions movement, check out some of these resources to find ways to get involved near you:

    1. https://www.coastrestore.com/
    2. https://coastalfirstnations.ca/
    3. https://www.naturetrust.bc.ca/our-projects/enhancing-bc-estuaries 

 

Blue Carbon refers to natural carbon sequestration by coastal ecosystems like mangroves, salt marshes, and sea grasses. As a relatively new field, it is now expanding to include coastal macroalgae, and scientists are still asking questions to try and understand if and how they sequester carbon. Protecting existing natural carbon sinks is a huge priority for communities that rely on coastal habitats to sequester carbon, protect shorelines by stabilizing sediment and absorbing wave impact, and are hugely important culturally, spiritually and economically. Learn more about Blue Carbon here:

    1. https://www.thebluecarboninitiative.org/ 
    2. https://thenarwhal.ca/blue-carbon-climate-change-canada/
    3. https://www.livingoceans.org/initiatives/ocean-acidification/issues/blue-carbon 

Some recent research has delved into the personal benefits of engaging in restoration, including how restoration is an opportunity to restore our relationship with nature. What is your relationship already like with the natural environment with you? Are there opportunities to engage in restoration or conservation work that can renew that relationship? As we enter the UN decade on Ecosystem Restoration, this is our opportunity to create good, unionized Just Green (and Blue!) jobs that support this work of our generation! Check out these pieces for some inspiration! Check out these pieces for some inspiration!

    1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/19W7Rm4ZHXzGT0iP80kRvWcUgb0bABmJZ/view?usp=sharing  
    2. https://theconversation.com/four-reasons-why-restoring-nature-is-the-most-important-endeavour-of-our-time-147365
    3. https://www.earthrestorationservice.org/un-decade-ecosystem-restoration

 

To find out more about our guest presenters and their work, please visit:

 

Dr. Sophie Comer-Warner : https://sophiecomerwarner.weebly.com/

Huu-ay-aht First Nations Watershed Renewal Program : https://huuayaht.org/watershed-renewal-project/ 

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 10 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Rising Seas & Coastal Extremes. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

The last year has been instance after instance of climate-driven extreme weather events. Whether it was atmospheric rivers delivering huge amounts of rain on the coasts to wildfires further inland, we’re no stranger to how these events can dramatically change supply chains and our day-to-day lives. One of the best things you can do to protect you and your family in similar extreme events is to have an Emergency Preparedness Plan and Kit. That means that if there’s an emergency everyone knows where they’ll go and what they’ll do, and you’ll have everything you need already ready to go. To help you get started on that today, take a look at some of these helpful resources:

  1. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/build-an-emergency-kit-and-grab-and-go-bag
  2. https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-en.aspx
  3. https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/emergencies-and-disasters-in-canada/be-ready-emergency-preparedness-and-recovery/get-an-emergency-kit

As we learned in today’s webinar, municipalities are often leaders in Climate Adaptation Planning, because this is where most of us experience living through climate change, and require adaptation resources. What kind of climate adaptation planning is happening in your own community or city? Some adaptation planning may involve strengthening or changing essential infrastructure, emergency preparedness, zoning away from high risk areas, public transportation and heating/cooling infrastructure. Check out the mapping tool Rena pointed out where you can see what kind of climate adaptation measures are happening in your own community: 

www.changingclimate.ca/case-studies

Climate adaptation measures are super impactful in the communities we live in -our work places, schools, homes and public spaces. But adaptation must be accompanied by mitigation at larger scales to be meaningful and sustainable. March 12 is a National Day of Action across Canada to pass a Just Transition Act, an act we’ve been promised but haven’t seen any legislation on in the past 3 years. This act would transition off fossil fuels, create more just jobs (like those in the adaptation sector!), and bring everyone along. Check out the actions happening across Canada next month to see how you can get involved! 

https://350.org/just-transition-day-of-action/ 

 

To find out more about our guest presenters and their work, please visit:

Rena Viehbeck (she/her), ICLEI Canada: https://icleicanada.org/  

Kristie Signer (she/her), City of Victoria : https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/climate-action.html  

Wishkii Robert Dennis Jr. (he/him), Huu-ay-aht First Nations: https://kiixin.ca/ 

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 11 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Deep Seas and Oceanographic Changes. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

 

Did you know you can “go” to the deep sea from the comfort of your living room? Thanks to Ocean Networks Canada’s underwater cameras, you can watch live footage from some of their cabled underwater observatories! And they have even compiled some of their neatest finds from their explorations on YouTube in their “Creatures from the Deep” Playlist! There are constantly new species being discovered in the deep sea, take a look at some of these amazing and sometimes alien-like animals! 

    1. ONC Live deep sea footage: https://www.oceannetworks.ca/sights-sounds/live-video 
    2. Explore Hydrothermal vents: https://youtu.be/JtV-FP212Uc
    3. ONC Creatures of the deep mini bites: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnnS7Myxy8fgJOrG1h7ZIAE-_tQ9m82IR

 

The transition away from fossil fuels towards electrification means we’ll need a lot of minerals like copper, zinc and nickel -minerals that have formed over millions of years at the bottom of the ocean. But should we be mining massive swaths of the ocean floor that we still know so little about? This webinar has shown how there could be unique and life-saving microbial life down there, not to mention the deep sea stores a ton of our planetary heat and carbon to stabilize our climate! We encourage you to learn more about this contentious topic; to find out more check out the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition and the Deep Sea Ocean Stewardship Initiative to learn and take action today! We’ll even link to the International Seabed Authority if you want to find out more about how these new exploitative industries are proposing to be regulated. 

    1. Deep sea conservation coalition: http://www.savethehighseas.org/
    2. Deep ocean stewardship initiative: https://www.dosi-project.org/ 
    3. International seabed authority: https://www.isa.org.jm/

 

Within science, deep sea research is still a relatively recent field of study. Yet as we learned in this webinar, it has massive implications for climate regulation and carbon cycling for a safe and healthy planet. Check out some of these reads to learn more about the connection between a healthy ocean and healthy planet, and how the deep sea is an unsung hero in the race against climate change -one worth understanding and protecting!

    1. The deep sea: a key player to be protected for the climate and ecosystems: https://ocean-climate.org/en/awareness/the-deep-sea-a-key-player-to-be-protected-for-climate-and-ecosystems/
    2. Ted Talk; The deep sea impacts our understanding of life: https://youtu.be/PbgB2TaYhio
    3. The marine carbon cycle quickly explained: https://youtu.be/RbVRwlNutCo 

 

To find out more about our guest presenters and their work, please visit:

Dr. Kim Juniper: 

https://www.uvic.ca/science/biology/people/profiles/juniper-kim.php

https://www.oceannetworks.ca/about-us/organization/staff/kim-juniper

Moronke Harris:

https://nautiluslive.org/people/moronke-harris

https://linktr.ee/imaginativesci

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 12 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Climate Education and Misinformation. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

Like any other skill, learning to identify misinformation in your own media consumption is something that takes continuous practice. Some questions to think about are: Where are you reading the information, what platform are you on, are reputable sources referred to? Whether it’s about climate, covid or conflict, try and think about who benefits from you knowing this information? Often misinformation tactics could include aesthetic infographics or videos that look really professional, but don’t actually contain factual information. Or, companies or governments may try and greenwash initiatives that seem climate oriented, but are actually misleading from the science. Check out some of these resources to try and recognize and avoid misinformation in your own life!

How to spot fake news: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/s…

Face checker: https://www.snopes.com/

How to avoid spreading misinformation: https://theconversation.com/7-ways-to…

We now know that we cannot change a climate science rejectionist’s mind in just one conversation, and that we have to be conscious of where we are directing our energy in difficult conversations. Try and focus your energies on someone you already have an established relationship with and with whom you can establish trust with. And remember, it’s an opportunity to practice skills in active listening, establish common values, and develop empathy for why they may have been misled due to targeted misinformation campaigns. When in doubt, ask lots of open-ended “why” questions, you never know how it could get them reflecting on their own biases, or try telling a personal story about how you are personally affected by the climate crisis.

How to talk to climate science rejectionists: https://www.climaterealityproject.org…

How to respond to climate science deniers: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/e…

Relationship building skills for meaningful conversations: https://study.com/academy/lesson/rela…

We acknowledge it’s been a particularly difficult time the past couple weeks with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Our thoughts go out to all the people around the world including in Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine and all the frontline Indiengous communities who continue to suffer at the hands of imperialist oppressors and capitalist greed. Certainly, this most recent conflict has brought to light our unsustainable global dependence on fossil fuels, including a large proportion supplied by Russia and Saudi Arabia, linking these capitalist-driven invasions to the climate crisis and intersecting humanitarian crises.

While it may be overwhelming to take in the news day in and day out, it’s important to keep in mind that we all have a part to play in the interconnected social, ecological and economic crises of today. So do what you can, where you are, with what you have. And remember, you don’t have to do anything alone, find the folks who are already fighting the good fight in your own community, it’s a part of creating strong climate resilient communities.

If you’re looking for a way to get involved in community building in the near future, on March 12th, 350 Canada is hosting a national day of action for a Just Transition to creatively envision a future without fossil fuel reliance. Check out their website to learn more about how you can get involved, and these articles which explore resource-based invasions of countries like Ukraine and Yemen.

Day of Action for a Just Transition March 12th: https://350.org/just-transition-day-o… Impacts of Russian invasion on climate change policy: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/202… “This is a fossil fuel war”, Ukrainian scientist: https://www.theguardian.com/environme…

To find out more about our guest panelists and their work, please visit:

Sean Holman: https://www.uvic.ca/finearts/writing/…

Rochelle Baker: https://www.nationalobserver.com/u/ro…

Abeer Siddiqui: https://science.mcmaster.ca/sis/compo… 

Resources based on our climate action recommendations from Episode 13 of the BMSC Climate Action Series: Regenerative Ocean Farming. (Check out @bmscclimate on Instagram, twitter and Facebook for more info!)

Whether it’s eating oysters or kelp, food systems are a huge part of the climate solutions movement. The way we eat right now takes a lot of energy and resources, especially industrially farmed protein on land. While there is no one way to eat food that will save the planet, we can start being curious about where our food comes from, and support local farmers to make good quality food available for everyone.

National Observer Podcast, How We Eat: https://www.nationalobserver.com/podc… How Regenerative Ocean Farming helps coasts: https://smea.uw.edu/currents/regenera… How to save a planet: Kelp Farming, for the Climate https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosa…

Natural Resources Canada has finally re-opened the public consultation period for a Just Transition Act. Check out this easy 1-click tool to give public feedback on the plan that prioritises the planet, (including the oceans!) and people! 1-click tool, Just Transition Consultation Process: https://350.org/jta-consultations/?ak… Read Canada’s new 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-… Climate Action Network Analysis: Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan https://climateactionnetwork.ca/2022/…

The ocean is directly impacted by climate change, but it’s also at the forefront of the climate solutions movement, and everyday people are at the centre of making that change happen. We are all connected to the ocean in some way, so engaging in action in your own community individually, in your work or schools, and especially through collective action helps keep our planet and oceans healthy.

Keep an eye out for some of the exciting events coming up for Ocean Week Canada this summer as we launch into the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences! There are always opportunities to stay engaged in ocean climate action: Ocean Week Canada 2022: https://oceanweekcan.ca/ Stream2Sea, Stories that connect us all to the ocean https://colcoalition.ca/projects/stor… Sustainable Ocean Alliance, the Global Blue New Deal: https://www.soalliance.org/blue-new-d…

To find out more about our guest panellists and their work, please visit:

Nova Harvest Ltd. : https://novaharvest.com/

Vital Kelp Co: https://www.instagram.com/vitalkelp/