I was introduced to this community on Instagram when I first graduated from college. Overwhelmed by the reality of post-grad, I spent my time panic researching whenever I wasn’t applying for jobs. I developed what has been labeled as “eco-anxiety” – feeling like the planet is going to soon become inhabitable because of climate change, plastic pollution, and greenhouse gasses.

As a business owner in the Zero Waste community, I am surrounded by people that look like me. White, female, and probably toting a canvas bag with empty mason jars in it. I have never felt out of place.

I was introduced to this community on Instagram when I first graduated from college. Overwhelmed by the reality of post-grad, I spent my time panic researching whenever I wasn’t applying for jobs. I developed what has been labeled as “eco-anxiety” – feeling like the planet is going to soon become inhabitable because of climate change, plastic pollution, and greenhouse gasses.

It is a privilege to even feel eco-anxiety because I didn’t actually have much else to worry about. I became obsessive over finding a solution to our climate crisis as a solution to end my stress and landed on a personal resolution to cut plastic from my consumption.

When I joined this large group of white women online, I was inspired to see videos of a girl in New York filling merely a mason jar with a year’s worth of trash. I read blogs that told me to immediately return the plastic basket whenever I bought strawberries at the farmers market, because the baskets would not be accepted back once I took them home.

I learned every detail of every plastic-free alternative, from the different sizes of menstrual cups to what conditioner bar would actually work on my hair.

The details I didn’t seek out?

That minority and low-income communities will be affected most by climate change. That the clean air I get to breathe at my local farmers market is systematically denied to communities of color. That stating, “Not in My Back Yard” means “Put It In Someone Else’s.”

Being a white environmentalist means prioritizing one’s own access to county regulated composting while neighborhoods of color struggle to fight against corporate waste management facilities.

It means getting upset that the bulk bin sections are closed during COVID-19, something that I personally whined about on Instagram multiple times. While I had some lengthy discussions with my fellow white bulk bin lovers, those living in food deserts were excluded from the conversation. I did not seek out information on how they were surviving in the pandemic. A study in 2009 found that low-income Black communities in Detroit still lived on average 1.1 miles further from a grocery store than the poorest white communities.

Being a white environmentalist means prioritizing one’s own access to county regulated composting while neighborhoods of color struggle to fight against corporate waste management facilities.

Writing this article, it was pointed out to me that I used the phrase “lack of access” to describe how Black people often struggle to receive basic human rights such as clean water, fresh food, and healthy air quality. In reality, Black people are consistently denied these rights. To describe a denial of rights as simply a “lack of access” is not only passive, but racist. To be a white environmentalist is to be passive to the denial of these rights and claim they are simply a “lack of” – this not only lets us as environmentalists off the hook, but it lets those who put the system in place off the hook as well.

Flint, Michigan is the easiest example of environmental racism for ‘woke’ white people to bring up as it was a clear failure of government and deliberate poisoning of drinking water (anything that is not immediately fixed is deliberate). However, we don’t discuss how fracking disproportionally occurs nearest communities of color. We don’t ask the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America why on their website, they blame minority children for not being able to control their asthma with regular care rather than dive into why more minority children have asthma in the first place.

This essay isn’t meant to point out all that I didn’t know. My point is that I didn’t think I needed to know, because I was safe living under my white privilege. My fight for the planet was focused on creating a better world for my children in 20 years, not for the children east of the freeway.

I thought plastic pollution was the starting and ending point of saving the environment. That if we tackled plastic, we’d tackle oil, and it’d be a domino effect that would lead to some type of environmental utopia. My skin color had always protected me from the truth, allowed me to turn away from the activism of environmental justice. I was not putting in the real work.

I am calling myself out today to encourage my fellow white Zero Waste environmentalists to call themselves and others around them out as well. Our community is built on the principle of creating a better planet for all, yet our actions are self-serving and actively racist. We preach about fast fashion and then print our business logos on canvas bags.

I love being part of a community of people dedicated to reducing their waste, buying locally and repurposing items to fit their needs. But I can’t be part of a community that prioritizes an Instagram aesthetic over the health and future of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color). We must be anti-racist activists first.

Continue to refuse plastic but know that there are communities that do not have the choice to refuse. It is not a coincidence that most zero waste stores are in white neighborhoods. Communities of color have been stripped of their right to advocate for their neighborhood against corporate polluters (if they even received the right in the first place) – the fight against plastic just does not compare to the struggle to breathe. What is more impactful – cutting out one person’s lifetime usage of plastic straws, or securing clean air for an entire city?

To my fellow white Zero Waste-ers, if your environmentalism is not intersectional, you’re not an environmentalist.

We have always preached that every small action adds up, but what about the big actions that need to be taken for big problems? Who is taking the big actions?

If you didn’t know the answer, it’s the Black community. The Black community has been forced to constantly advocate for their lives, while we have stood by and argued about whether or not it’s eco-friendly to use silicone products. To my fellow white Zero Waste-ers, if your environmentalism is not intersectional, you’re not an environmentalist.

If you’re looking for a place to start, there are plenty of anti-racist resources that are readily available. I recommend starting with the following resources: Brown Girl Green, Teanna Empowers’s “Sustainability and Zero Waste Videos are Elitest” video on YouTube, and Rachel Ricketts’s Spiritual Activism 101, but there are hundreds of other resources by people of color that can offer you an education as well.

If we can commit ourselves to the work of switching to Toilet Unpaper and finding the best supermarket bulk bin, we can commit ourselves to the work of active anti-racism.

SOURCES

https://www.cpp.edu/class/political-science/participate/undergraduatejournal/vol1/Ramirez.pdf
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/06/12/not-in-my-backyard-environmental-justice-101/#509169d1886d
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/the-trump-administration-finds-that-environmental-racism-is-real/554315/
https://browngirlgreen.org/blog/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20462784/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF0Yqslj9Y0
https://www.colorlines.com/articles/study-pennsylvanias-communities-color-more-danger-health-consequences-fracking

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These reflections were made especially interesting due to the unique make-up of the editorial team, including: individuals who were born in Canada, who immigrated as children, and those from other countries residing in Canada through work and student visas. 

This Canada Day the Alternatives Journal editorial team were tasked with reflecting on the nature of Canada, what it means to them, and what one aspect of Canada each member appreciates the most. 

These reflections were made especially interesting due to the unique make-up of the editorial team, including: individuals who were born in Canada, who immigrated as children, and those from other countries residing in Canada through work and student visas. 

When reflecting upon the nature of Canada, the team recognizes the difference between the geopolitical entity called ‘Canada’ and the lived experiences of the peoples who have called this landmass home for millennia (and who continue to struggle against systemic injustices today). The team, through listening to the stories shared with us by friends in Indigenous communities, from coast to coast to coast, came to understand that for many, Canada Day is not a day of celebration. This may be best read through this article posted June 29 on the CBC wherein Terre Chartrand (of the Algonquin Nation), one of the organizers of the current occupation in Kitchener’s Victoria Park said “Canada Day is not a day of celebration for Indigenous people. It’s an Indigenous day of mourning,”. Fellow organizer Amy Smoke of the Mohawk Nation Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River also stated “We don’t celebrate the day. This country was built on the backs and blood of my family and my people.” 

The personal reflections of the team on the nature of Canada may be read as follows:

The Gentle Island

Lucy Maud Montgomery once said, “You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight when the dew is falling and the old stars are peeping out and the sea keeps its mighty tryst with the little land it loves. You find your soul then.”

Prince Edward Island is a special place. The Gentle Island gets its name from the soft, rolling sand dunes which stretch as far as your eye can see along the north coast. The dunes stand strong to safeguard their coastal communities from mighty waves and windy storms. While tough, the dunes are gentle.

The same can be said for the island locals.

What Prince Edward Island may lack in size; it makes up for in personality. Hardworking and friendly, Islander hospitality is hard to replicate. To this day, some of my best memories as a child include dancing and clapping along to the fiddle or banjo of a Celtic song after a long day at the beach- my skin still salty from the ocean.  

The island air is clean and crisp- my mother always said she thought the clean air made the colours more vibrant on PEI (I would have to agree).  The most memorable of which is the rusty red soil- rich with iron oxide. The same vibrancy and richness extend into every aspect of life on PEI- from food and art to history. Traditionally home of Celtic and Acadian settlers, and the Mi’kmaq people before that, the island is best known as the birthplace of confederation. And this Canada day, it only seems fit to pay tribute to PEI.

By Alexandra Scaman

No electricity? No problem

Source: CTV News

Given the task of reflecting on the nature of Canada for Canada day, and what one piece of this nature I appreciate the most, my mind immediately sprung to a trip to a hunting cabin in 2018. To me, the nature of Canada is of course seen outside, but also lives within its people. As a foreigner to the country, and someone from a small island, I had never experienced camping in the “great outdoors”, going fishing on a lake, being scared of bear attacks… Thankfully, in my first year of university I met four of my current best friends, all of whom just happened to be from the Ottawa Valley, and all who had a special interest in making sure I, the foreigner, experience the great natural areas that Canada had to offer. This is the other nature of Canada I mean – the sense of pride that my friends had in the natural areas of Canada; and the fact that despite on many occasions saying I didn’t want to go camping, wouldn’t take no for an answer, and insisted that I experience what they described as “what Canada really is about”.

I will forever be grateful that they did. The weekend we went to this hunting cabin we weren’t aware that there would be no electricity or cell service, we didn’t know much to be honest – just that it was in the middle of nowhere next to a lake. The ice cream we brought may have melted, but my newfound appreciation for the country was created. By having no online distractions for five days we were all forced to truly immerse ourselves within nature, and spend our days together on trails, fishing on the lake, and really just appreciating the untouched nature that Canada has to offer. And this untouched nature, as well as the pride of my friends of sharing this nature with me, is the piece of Canada I appreciate the most.

By Alex Goddard

Oh Canada

As a traveler, and immigrant, and moving over a dozen times it felt like a nomadic lifestyle was in the cards for me. Yet there is no place like home. It may seem like a faint memory, but I still remember crying on my plane ride to immigrate to Canada. But much of it faded as I was warmly welcomed by friendly faces, mesmerizing landscapes, and beautiful cities with bold architecture. When reflecting about the nature we are blessed with in Canada, my many camping trips and from having an opportunity to travel from the East to West Coast Canada came to mind. With it’s captivating natural landscape never failed to take my breath away, Canada wide travel has reinforced my love for the natural landscapes we have here and how grateful I am to have seen it. There was something incredibly fascinating to me of how small it made me feel, yet still so significant with the opportunities that are presented to each individual.

There are so many gems within Canada, I would encourage the opportunity to explore one’s backyard, as often we can forget to grasp the beauty that lays beneath our noses. I will never forget the image of crystal blue lakes, or the wildlife such as deer and bears peacefully roaming in national parks reminds me how important it is to protect and advocate for nature within Canada, it’s a feeling and a sight you wish everyone can experience. This is what the Canadian nature is all about to me, I am grateful everyday to call this my home.

By Greta Vaivadaite

The Beauty of Canada

Views of Lake Louise, the Colombia Icefields, the Rocky Mountains and Radium Hot Springs (top left to right, bottom left to right)

Remember taking that summer road trip to enjoy nature at its finest? My first experience in Alberta, was my family’s road trip just a few days after Canada Day in 2010. It spanned 7 days with over 26 hours of driving, 9 stops and 26 people in total-what a once in a lifetime experience!

Moving from Four McMurray, to Edmonton, to Hinton and then being greeted by the lovely Jasper National Park where miles of snow-capped mountains were reflected on the turquoise lake water. The Colombia Icefields had slippery ice sheets full of history and the existence of tour buses with tyres taller than some. Streams of cold meltwater were in abundance where some of the freshest and most pure water could be tasted. Lake Louise had landscape akin to that straight out of a magazine – just pristine. Radium Hot Springs offered horseback riding and sulfur pools followed by summer barbequing with sing-a-longs around the campfire. This lovely walkable town also provided me vivid memories of bighorn sheep coming down off of the mountains onto the streets and within arms-length distance- just observing us. At Banff, taking a gondola and then a short walk, amidst the chilling winds to an area near the summit greeted us with a breath-taking bird’s eye view of Banff, surrounded by the mountain ranges. The trip ended at Calgary near their time of Stampede festivities before having to head back to our starting point. I left nothing but footprints, took lots of pictures and gained enjoyable memories. 

This truly unforgettable experience broadened my appreciation for nature and would not have been possible without the splendour that Canada has to offer. Each province has their own natural beauty, making it worth getting out and exploring in your own backyard this Canada Day.

By Shanella Ramkissoon

They’re called “The Great Lakes” for a reason!

I’ve never been a fan of lakes. The unpredictability of lake animals unnerved me as a child. Moving to Canada from a coastal European town at a young age made me think of this country as bricks and concrete. I couldn’t see the ocean or smell the salt in the air. Nature took a backseat in my mind and I didn’t do a lot of thinking about it until about age 14 when I went sailing on Lake Simcoe. I was hesitant at first, as you might have guessed, but it ended up being one of the first (since then many) times I felt most connected to the natural world. Seeing the sunsets from the boat, swimming with Bass and Trout, and taking the dingy out for a quick trip around the bay made me appreciate the natural beauty that Canada has to offer.

At the end of my trip, I was hesitant to leave. I knew I would miss the calming effect that the outdoors had on me. This experience reminded me that you don’t have to live near the ocean or on the foothill of a mountain to experience Canadian nature in its most beautiful form: free. 

By Teo Guzu

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The tranquil and barren island of Rapa Nui, commonly known as Easter Island, illustrates the rich cultural and ecological history of the self-sustaining Rapa Nui civilization that existed in complete isolation from the 13th – 17th century A.D. The island’s several hundred abandoned megalithic statues (moai) stand tall amongst the treeless, grass-covered terrain, stoically gazing across the region as monumental markers of the tireless physical labor and determination of the fallen Rapa Nui people. Unfortunately, what remains of Easter Island’s characteristic statues has since been referred to as a symbol of self-destructive and unsustainable practices adopted by the Rapa Nui people.

With this in mind, is it realistic to believe that the same cultural practices that once sustained this population for generations suddenly became detrimental? A further, more comprehensive examination would reveal that the people of Easter Island endured the perfect storm of environmental, physical, and social burdens that eventually led to the demise of this once-thriving Indigenous society.

The inactive volcanic landmass known as Easter Island is one of the most isolated human inhabited landforms in the world, with the nearest continental body (South America) located nearly 3,750 km away[1]. Initial arrival of Polynesian settlers to Easter Island from more western islands, such as the Marquesas, Tuamoutu, and Gambier Islands, dates back as early as 800 AD[2]. But, despite potential ecological challenges associated with geographic location and isolation, the island was once densely forested with palm trees and other lush flora predating Polynesian settlement[3]. If that was the case, then how could this vast deforestation event have occurred?

As geographer Jared Diamond puts it, this is the result of their cultural “ecocide”, the wilful destruction of the natural environment by humans. His hypothesis claims that the Rapa Nui people were responsible for their own cultural demise due to their mindless practices of deforestation and over consumption – ultimately resulting in famine and civil unrest[4]. Several other researchers have also argued the idea that the people of Rapa Nui were shamelessly clear cutting their forests to use as resources in supporting their growing population[5].

While sediment records from the island mark that the onset of deforestation coincides with Polynesian settlement around 750- 1150 AD, Rapa Nui populations were still thriving even well after this period of time – suggesting that this simple accord of deforestation could not be the only reason for their cultural demise[6].

Because of Easter Island’s sheer isolation amid the Pacific Ocean, there is but a small number of native plant and animal species that can naturally prosper there; as a result, pre-existing wildlife is highly vulnerable to invasive species[7]. An indirect effect of settler immigration to the island was the introduction of an invasive rat species, Rattus exulans[8]. Since the rats arrived on the island with next to no predators, their populations were able to flourish. The prosperity of these rats ravaged habitats essential for other naturally occurring wildlife and even lead to local species extinctions, ultimately contributing to and worsening the larger issue of island deforestation[9].

The struggle for survival on Easter Island following the gradual destruction of natural resources only intensified after initial contact with European Explorers. One of the first accounts of Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, in 1772 describes the unarmed and peaceful nature of the Rapa Nui people, while later revealing plans to “defend” at all costs should him and his men be attacked during their invasion of the territory[10].

By the late 1870s, thousands of Rapa Nui inhabitants had been enslaved by the Europeans, leaving just over 100 native islanders to fend for themselves on their land that was then ravaged with new diseases and characterized by a great deal of social disarray[11]. During their invasion, European explorers also brought over more invasive species including rabbits, cows, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs—all of which severely degraded the island’s ecology[12].

The history of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island reveals many lessons about the interrelated impacts of geographic isolation, invasive species, a complex history of deforestation, and European colonization. Though it is widely believed that the Indigenous people of Easter Island induced their own societal demise through a blatant disrespect for the finite nature of the surrounding environment, their misfortune is more reflective of colonial pursuits of land, money, and resources. A more balanced history of Easter Island than is offered by the “ecocide” hypothesis is owed to the people of Rapa Nui, as the collapse of this imaginative culture can be regarded as a microcosm of the cumulative and detrimental global impacts of colonialism throughout the last century and a half.

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Islamic Cosmology “We are not the centre of the Universe”

The Islamic philosophy of Tauhid (Unity of God) connects the entire creation to the Creator. A view that ultimately leads to an understanding that we are all connected, that we are all related and that we must work together for peace and environmental harmony.

Islamic Cosmology “We are not the centre of the Universe”

An Islamic worldview recognizes that the earth is not at the epicentre of the universe, rather, numerous worlds exists within the cosmos with Allah (Arabic word for God), as stated in the first Chapter of the Quran Surah Al-Fatihah(Chapter 1 Verse 2) being Rabbillallameen “Lord of All the Worlds” (note the plural on “world”). Imagine what the world can look like when we no longer see peoples of different races, nationalities, tribes, as “the other” because we acknowledge our common source? Quite a revolutionary shift in paradigm considering growing issues such as racism, terrorism, sexism and xenophobia. After all, we are comprised of particles, with all of our particles and the particles of the universe starting according to the Holy Quran when God created the Big Bang:

[21:31] Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass, then We[1] opened them out? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

Beyond human relations, this connection also encompasses the need to respect every community of living beings (animals, plants, single cell organism) on the earth, which the Holy Quran states are also communities just like us:

[ 6:39] There is not an animal that crawls in the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but they are communities like you. We have left out nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord shall they be gathered together

Including living being(s) in other parts of the cosmos yet to be discovered or yet to reach us:

And among His[2] Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of whatever living creatures He has spread forth in both. And He has the power to gather them together when He pleases.” (Ch.42 v.30)

While the cosmos comprises of material structures, stars, planets and galaxies, Islam also speaks of the spiritual world and identify spiritual beings (non-material) called Malaika (in Arabic-Messengers) or more commonly known in English as “Angels”. Unlike the common conception of Angels as “fairies” or literal winged creatures, Malaikas are spiritual beings that are ordered by God to govern and operate every aspect of the material world under natural laws (think of the forces that governs the properties of water, the characters of light, the place of the solar system, gravity etc) and the spiritual world, with no freewill to deviate from the course of its determined function. For every universal laws and functions, a Malaika exists to direct the laws. The believe in Angels (Malaika) is one of the six articles of the Islamic faith.

On a spiritual level, the task of Malaika includes among others intricate recording, organizing and moulding the imprint of human actions/deeds on their souls. Disregard the concept of the environmental footprint for a moment and think of the concept of “footprint of the soul.” This imprint which reflects our deeds will then be used as a record of our conduct which will make us accountable for our actions.For every action that a soul makes that goes beyond the prescribed middle path (the path of justice –adl), there is an unpleasant reaction. When numerous souls (i.e the collective society) foregoes the path of adl, the tangible impact felt by the rest of the society is then multiplied. In Islam, those who impart suffering on innocents including on animals will be recompensed. For example, a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recorded in a Hadith[3]basically forbids acts such as trophy hunting, poaching of animals to have parts of their bodies sold as those who do so will be punished in the Day of Judgement:

Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, God will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.” The listeners asked, “O Messenger of God, what is a just cause?” He replied, “That he will kill it to eat, not simply to chop off its head and then throw it away.

The concept of Adl (justice) transcends our earthly boundaries and does not solely remain in the fallible justice system that exists in this current world. To ensure the rights of the “voiceless” (marginalized communities, animals, the land), Islam recognizes that Adl follows us as our souls move to the Hereafter after our passing (in Indigenous spirituality- the spirit world). While some individuals may profit and gain material prestige from destroying the natural environment, these imprints will continue to follow the soul (which is immaterial) and will be taken into account by God on the Day of Judgement.

The Malaika is also tasked with governing the material “cause and effect.” For example,when humans pollute the water, pillage the earth, exploit people, maim the animals and disrupt the balance, there will be natural and tangible consequences. Islamic theology sees no contradiction between natural laws and spiritual laws, as they both arise from the same source. It is therefore natural that when individuals forego spiritual peace for excessive material and capitalist pursuits, the ravaged environment reflects this imbalance.  In a stunning verse 1500 years ago that forebodes climate change and its destructive powers,as well as the numerous social upheavals and wars, the Holy Quran states the importance of turning the behemoth of greed and corruption around:

Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what men’s hands have wrought, that He may make them taste the fruit of some of their doings, so that they may turn back from evil.” (Chapter 30 verse 42)

With Scientists such as Beddington coining the term the “perfect storm” to illustrate the food, water and energy crisis that is projected to occur in 2030, the question for us then remains,will we allow ourselves to wake up from our apathy and material stupor?

Unity by Learning and Respecting the Wisdoms of All the Great Teachers of the World

Another important component of Tauhid (Unity of God) and a tool to move people towards the route of peace is the believe in all the prophets of God (Islam’s 4^th article of faith). This faith leads us to search for the common wisdom shared by all beliefs and taught by the Great teachers from around the world.

Prophecies and revelations have been experienced by those spiritually inclined around the world and Muslims are required to believe in all of God’s messengers (Chapter 16 verse 36), which according to the Hadith amounts to approximately 124,000 messengers sent to communities/ nations from the early dawn of human civilization (only 25 prophets are named in the Holy Quran). 

Some of these great teachers or messengers include but are not limited to: Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and for some Islamic sects also include Eastern teachers such as Buddha, Lord Khrishna, Tao, and Confucious, Greek prophets such as Socrates, Indigenous prophets such as The Great Peace Maker (Mohawk), African prophets and others too numerous to mention or those whose names may be lost in the record of history. This central belief of acknowledging all of the Creator’s messengers serves as a force of unification between all tribes and peoples, the central idea of which is all long-lasting faith traditions have at their root truth and universal wisdom. In addition, it also teaches that humanity throughout time have never and will never be abandoned as we have been provided with equal opportunity to salvation when we utilize our conscience to return to the middle path, which is the path of balance and peace (Islam= Salam= Peace).

In Islam, Allah communicates via the medium of Malaika with those who are spiritually inclined. In Islam, Prophets are those who due to the quality of their pure souls are selected to teach others by receiving guidance directly from God. Similar to the transmission of sound to the ears by the presence of oxygen, or the need for light for the eyes to see, Malaika acts as a medium of communication from the Creator to His creation. Therefore, just as the ears need to be properly functioning to hear sound, and the eyes need to be healthy (and open) to see, In Islam, the soul needs to be clear or purified to communicate with God and most importantly, it needs to be humble. Purity of the soul is not connected to material wealth, academic knowledge, or worldly prestige. Rather, it is tied to humility, a character that can be obtained through respecting the land and fulfilling our responsibility as stewards/ vicegerents (Khalifa) of the land. As the Quran states:

And walk not in the earth haughtily, for thou canst not rend the earth, nor canst thou reach the mountains in height. [ 17: 38)

In a time of instant 24/7 connection, there is sadly a lack of spiritual connection, leaving a gaping hole that is then filled by excessive material pursuits and “stuff”. However, according to Islam, those who sincerely seeks the Creator, will find the Creator:

When My servants ask thee about Me, tell them, I am near, I do answer the call of the caller when he seeks Me. So they too should respond to Me… [2:187]

Communication also occurs through dreams. The Aboriginees of Australia and the Indigenous peoples of Canada have sacred traditions and reverence for dreams, and an understanding of the importance of the “Dream World”. This is also the case in Islam with some dreams acknowledged to be carrying messages of truth through symbolic meanings and some dreams containing prophecies. Most commonly known among the Abrahamic faith (including Islam) is the true dream of the Pharaoh which was interpreted by Prophet Joseph, foretelling seven years of abundance symbolized by seven plump cows followed by seven years of famine symbolized in the dream by seven lean cows devouring the plump cows. Muslim sages have developed books translating the meanings of dreams and Islam is not the only faith tradition to do so. It is the believe in Islam that all souls have the capacity to communicate with the Divine, yet this requires taking the path of reflection and simplicity.

Another component of Tauhid (unity of God) is a belief in the spiritual equality of men, women, and all nations, races and tribes.With the emphasis that one is favoured in the sight of the Creator based on his or her service to humanity. On equality of nations, races and tribes the Quran states:

O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another. Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware [49:14]

On the issue of spiritual equality of male and female the Quran states:

Surely, men who submit themselves to God and women who submit themselves to Him, and believing men and believing women, and obedient men and obedient women and truthful men and truthful women, and men steadfast in their faith and steadfast women, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their chastity and women who guard their chastity, and men who remember Allah much and women who remember Him — Allah has prepared for all of them forgiveness and a great reward. [33:36] 

Nowhere is it permissible to consider one’s race, nationality, or gender as superior. These verses illustrate that despite our diversity of language, tribes and so on, we are simply asked to do goodto others. Thus, unlike a capitalistic/ materialistic worldview which promotes the idea of infinite economic progress, the need for new frontiers of exploitation and resource extraction, and the continuous need for profit despite collateral damage to the environment, Islam enjoins that an individual’s measure of success is judged by their spiritual evolution. This spiritual progress does require the spending of material goods such as money. However instead of encouraging the consumption of stuff on personal wants, the emphasis is put on individual sacrifice for the community, namely spending one’s wealth for alms and charities.

 Another fundamental of Islamic economic/finance is the prohibition of “interest”. The institution of interest promotes financial speculation and social injustice. The reason being is that interest does not promote the distribution of wealth to the poor and encourages hoarding. This injunction which is sadly not followed by “Muslim” majority countries is taught to ensure that no one and no nation will be entrapped in a cycle of debt that continues to multiply and therefore enslave them. Islam’s teachings against the institution of interest has the potential to free nations that have so far been entrenched in unequal structural adjustment policies and international debt, as they can never catch up with the multiplying interest rates (see the following chapters and verses for Islamic guidance against the practice of taking interest: 2:276; 2:277; 2:279; 3:131; 4: 162; 30:40).

Ata Raja – Minaratul Masih (Hindu Mohalla, Qadian)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): A mercy for all humankind

There is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it is regarded as having given a charitable gift [for which there is great recompense].” [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Hadith KitabAl-Bukhari, 3:513].

One of Allah’s (God’s) characteristic is that He is Ar-Rahman (the Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (the Merciful). Islam encourages Muslims to emulate these two traits and Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the culmination of exemplary grace and was sent as a mercy for all humankind.

Unlike popular media representation of Muslims often painting over 1.6 billion peoples from hundreds of countries, cultures and background with one simplistic and broad brushstroke. It is important to understand that Muslims are not a monolith and that there are numerous schools of traditions, interpretations and sects. While the general population are mostly familiar with the Sunni sect and the Shiite sect of Islam, the Sunni sect can in fact be further categorized into numerous sub-sects with varying practices (Deobandi, Barelhvi, Sufi, Bohras, Wahhabi etc) and this is also the case with the Shiite sect. In Canada, there is a strong community of Ismaili Muslims (Ismailis are a sub-sect of Shiite Islam) led by His Highness Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini Aga Khan IV. The community is known for their magnificent Aga Khan Museum of Islamic Civilization which is recognized for its architectural beauty and environmental landscaping.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (established in Canada in 1966) is another muslim community established in 209 countries. It is a revival Islamic sect established in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India, who is considered by his followers as the prophesized Imam Mahdi (Guided Leader) and the Promised Messiah foretold by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) 1500 years ago. This community has been led by a spiritual Caliphate since the demise of its founder in 1908, and is currently headquartered in the United Kingdom.

This divergence of Muslims into different sects has been prophesized by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prior to his death, and eventual unity and peace has also been prophesized when Muslims themselves will seek to return to Islam’s middle path of peace and balance. Yet despite the diversity in interpretations, the environmental teachings taught by the Prophet (pbuh) has led Muslims of all different sects to unite and promote initiatives to conserve, restore and to protect our natural environment. The commandment to protect the environment and the land is based on numerous verses in the Quran encouraging gratefulness to the Creator:

[6:100] And it is He Who sends down water from the cloud; and We bring forth therewith every kind of growth; then We bring forth with that green foliage wherefrom We produce clustered grain. And from the date-palm, out of its sheaths, come forth bunches hanging low. And We produce therewith gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate — similar and dissimilar. Look at the fruit thereof when it bears fruit, and the ripening thereof. Surely, in this are Signs for a people who believe.

Muslim youths are especially leading and reclaiming the middle pathto protect the environment as taught by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) 1500 years ago. For example, Khaleafa.com was founded by Muaz Nasir an alumnus of the University of Toronto and is a non-sectarian interfaith group to stimulate discussion and collaboration on environmental initiatives. This group runs the “Green Khutbah Campaign” a campaign encouraging faith leaders to devote the Friday sermon around Earth Day to teach about environmentalism. In the last four years, the campaign has garnered global support from organizations and mosques from over 20 countries. As Nasir argue,“Islam is rich in environmental teachings from both the Quran and the prophetic tradition, and it is only recently that we have begun to reclaim our history in this field.” 

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Canada is also working towards better environmental practices with properties and many of the Mosques LED equipped, using solar energy in the purpose built mosques, organizing tree planting initiatives and the running of a community orchard, organic greenhouse, and a windmill powered farm at Bradford, Ontario.The community is also actively communicating and learning from the wisdom of Canada’s Indigenous elders.

 According to the late 4^th Caliph of the Community, Mirza Tahir Ahmad, who has visited Canada on numerous occasions, “If you believe in the Creator you must also believe in his Creation. If you love the artist, you must also love his art.”

Global injusticeis at the root of environmental degradation and social upheaval. This quest for balance in Islam starts with the quest for justice and the spiritual struggle (jihad) to develop a microcosm of inner peace. This inner struggle (jihad) for peace needs to start first and foremost with Muslims themselves. It is possible to have an environmental, economic, and social revolution without bloodshed when actions are premised on a spiritual revolution that rejects materialism and greed and instead promotes charity and the distribution of wealth. At the level of an individual soul,this spiritual revolution starting at the personal level will hopefully grow collectively and radiate peace externally to the wider society, thus contributing to long-term environmental balance and honouring the true environmentalist legacy of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).

[17:36] And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a right balance; that is best and most commendable in the end.

The author is a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and this article does not represent the official views of the Community

The post Environmental (Soul) Print: An Islamic Perspective appeared first on A\J.

To help satisfy chocolate cravings all over the world, many Peruvian farmers have chosen to dedicate their lives to organic cacao cultivation. But they need more support from agricultural research institutes for local sustainable economic development to thrive.

Throughout history, cacao has been prized for its beauty, taste and value. Even Carl Linnaeus, who gave the plant its scientific name in 1737, respected its divine properties: theobroma cacao means “food of the gods.” Cacao is celebrated for being accessible to both rich and poor people, and for its nutritional and dietary properties such as its high level of flavonoids and energy-boosting antioxidants. The resource was also used as a form of currency during colonial history, having helped build and feed the economies of the Americas for decades. Since 1930, cacao has developed into an important crop for Peruvians due to its increasing international value and a growing global demand for high-quality, organic chocolate, as exports have increased over 400% over the last 15 years.

Cacao cultivation flourishes throughout Peru, where small farmers typically own and harvest humble one-hectare plots of land. In order to succeed and be sustainable in both the field and the marketplace, especially in the face of increasing global demand, current and new farmers need to be scientifically trained in the the best strategies for greenhouse nursing, plantation plotting, disease management and environmental conservation.

To further understand the importance of this tropical crop and how the Peruvian government supports its development, I spoke with agricultural engineers and learned that chocolate is not just a product but also a way of life in Peru.

“Cacao has changed the lifestyles of Peruvians,” says Kadir Marquez, a Peruvian agricultural engineer who works for the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) in Tarapoto. To enhance the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge between academics and small farmers, Marquez is currently working on a cooperation project in the San Martin region, the second largest region of cacao production in Peru – and also where Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Moment rebels and Shining Path Maoist fighters fought in the 1980s and 90s.

Marquez is using his agricultural expertise to foster sustainable economic and environmental development among cacao farmers. Currently, he is researching bio-protection strategies (natural solutions) to help fight the diseases that are destroying farmers’ crops. A farmer himself, he has aspirations of international business endeavours in the organic chocolate trade, while supporting fellow cultivators grow healthy crops.

“Peru is the right place for cacao production due to the country’s agro-ecological diversity,” explains Marquez. Peru’s warm tropical climate, rich soil and diverse geography and topography provide for great growing conditions with no need for chemicals, which allows 90 per cent of the country’s cacao farming activities to be organic. Marquez is working to make the best use of these conditions, optimize production, and firmly establish Peru’s international reputation for its organic, high-quality chocolate.

Many Peruvian farmers used to focus on coca production to fulfill the international demand for cocaine, which provided high revenues. Research institutes such as IIAP have developed under the newly created Ministry of Environment to extensively research environmental practices for successful and sustainable cultivation, encouraging farmers to transfer from coca to cacao and to produce high-yielding and high-quality crops.

Many farmers have recognized this opportunity and the transition from cultivating coca to organic cacao has improved livelihoods and overall development of the country, including combatting drug trafficking. Although the economic and environmental planning of cacao cultivation has increased over the last 20 years, more work is needed, particularly with preventing and combating disease.

“Many farmers are [still] too focused on the present and do not plan for the future in regards to sustainable cultivation, disease management and business practices,” says Marquez. This is where research institutes come into play.

Institutes offer hands-on training sessions to facilitate planning, including but not limited to land design and systemization, disease control, quality maintenance and optimal crop usage to help preserve, protect and enhance Peru’s biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

“Peru needs more research institutes such as the IIAP to help farmers [in] sustainable decision-making processes, especially regarding disease management” proclaims Marquez. Approximately 50 per cent of cacao producers have the basic tools and knowledge to farm organically, but this is not enough for both national and international success. More farmers require access to the tools currently being developed at research institutes, including training in environmental protection methods, land conservation strategies and tropical crop bio-protection.

The most important scientific technological tools that are being developed today are the bio-protection controls for cacao disease management that Marquez is researching: sustainable and natural solutions applied to crops for disease prevention. Implementing these controls requires highly-trained skills that are only to be found in research institutes.

Marquez, alongside other researchers and master’s students at the IIAP, is studying cacao’s most prevalent invasive diseases: witches’ broom disease, black pod rot and frosty pod rot. The severity of these diseases is such that they account for 75 per cent production loss of crops all over Latin America.

Marquez’s bio-protection research experiments have been conducted in three provinces of San Martin – Lamas, San Martin and El Dorado – helping to determine the best bio-organic control efforts to prevent such diseases. Current procedures include using endophytic fungus. With the help of the IIAP, disease incidences in these three provinces have been reduced by 15 per cent. Overall, the IIAP and other institutes have reduced San Martin’s regional cacao disease from 70 per cent to 30 per cent today since the 80s.

An increase in the reach and use of these institutes will help even more farmers to better their environmental protection awareness, crop yield, market share and overall development status. It will also introduce more educational and career-focused specializations such as agricultural and environmental engineers into Peruvian society to help investigate and evaluate proper farming practices to conserve the country’s biodiversity.

Enrique Arevalo Gardini, the president of the Institute of Tropical Crops (ICT), also stresses the importance of resource sharing amongst institutions. ICT is a non-governmental organization, like the IIAP, and performs scientific research to enhance social and economic development for tropical crop producers. Gardini claims that in addition to a lack of scientific institutes there is a lack of cooperation and sharing between institutes to help introduce, integrate and promote better development models for cultivators, especially helping raise awareness for disease management and control. Gardini states, “We have all of the technology ready; we have been working steadily for 20 years to help Peru succeed via scientific development.” Peru’s cultivators and researchers are dependent on state investment for institutes to drive the increased diffusion of scientific research and development.

With the integration of science, technology and development from research institutes such as the IIAP and the ICT, the future of cacao development can become more organized, productive and successful both economically and environmentally, as demand for organic cacao throughout the world increases.

Read the rest of our sustainable chocolate series: The science of chocolate | Buying sustainable chocolate

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FOR MOST OF US, our primary connection to our food system is what we had for dinner last night. It’s what we get at the grocery store, our local farmers markets or in our CSA baskets. It’s what we stock in our kitchen cupboards and put on our plates and in our bodies every single day. 

But there is a hidden story beneath the ingredients that go into our meals. It’s a story about what it takes to make those ingredients. It’s about an unsung hero that few of us recognize or ever think about. This crop, which most of us know better as hay bales scattered across rural landscapes, is essential to grain, vegetable, dairy and livestock farming across Canada.

Alfalfa, or the “queen of forages” as it is affectionately called, is one of the most widely grown crops in Canada. In 2011, alfalfa was cultivated on more than 10 million hectares across the country, or almost 30 per cent of Canada’s cropland. More than 80 per cent of it was in the three prairie provinces, another eight per cent was in Ontario, and the rest was grown in Québec and British Columbia. 

Alfalfa is an indispensible ingredient in many farming systems. Cattle and beef farmers use hay or haylage from alfalfa as a high-quality feed for their animals. So do sheep farmers, and sometimes horse ranchers as well. Grain and crop farmers include alfalfa in their crop rotations to build nitrogen levels and maintain soil fertility, prevent erosion, increase aeration and outcompete weeds. These qualities make alfalfa particularly important for organic growers, who do not use chemical herbicides or nitrogen fertilizers. In fact, in 2009, alfalfa was grown on 38 per cent of all organic acreage in the country. 

To improve its feed value, palatability and the life of the stand, alfalfa is often grown with other perennial grasses. It is planted in pure stands only when it is being grown for seed production, or to produce dehydrated, processed products. Canadian alfalfa seed and processed alfalfa are both important exports. In fact, Canada is one of the five largest exporters of alfalfa pellets and cubes in the world. Most of our alfalfa products travel to Japan, the US, the EU, UAE, South Korea and Taiwan.

In 2005, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada approved seed giant Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM – also called genetically engineered) Roundup Ready Alfalfa (RRA) for environmental release, animal feed and human consumption. RRA is herbicide resistant, which means that it does not die when it is sprayed (in this case, with Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide, Roundup). The herbicide kills other plants in the field, leaving the GM alfalfa crop standing. Although Monsanto owns RRA, a US company called Forage Genetics International (FGI) holds marketing and distribution rights for the crop. There are currently no varieties of GM alfalfa on the market anywhere in the country, but FGI now wants to introduce RRA in Eastern Canada.

The timeline for RRA’s commercialization remains uncertain. However, in April 2013, one RRA variety was given “variety registration” by the CFIA, the final step needed to sell the seed in Canada. This registration process is considered confidential business information, and did not call for any consultation with those who stand to be affected, and those who are arguably the experts on the subject – farmers. 

If farmers’ voices and expertise were, in fact, built into the decision-making process for RRA, the outcome might be quite different. Forage seed grower Kelvin Einarson from Riverton, Manitoba, outlines the issue very plainly: “Co-existence between genetically modified or herbicide-tolerant forage seed varieties and conventional varieties will be impossible, even with the most stringent and sound agronomic practices.”  

Alfalfa is an out-crossing, perennial plant that is pollinated by insects. These characteristics make it particularly susceptible to gene flow from one plant to another. GM contamination from RRA can occur through three primary routes – seed, pollinators and feral or volunteer alfalfa. There is another common thread between all those categories: They are virtually impossible to control. What this means is that if RRA is commercialized, the flow of genes and traits from GM to non-GM alfalfa will be inevitable and irreversible. Farmers who wish to grow non-GM alfalfa, use it as livestock feed or export it to markets that do not accept GM crops will be severely and negatively affected. If it is commercialized, RRA will be the first perennial GM crop to be introduced in Canada.

Photo credit: Lev \ Fotolia.com

Seed escape

If you have sprouted alfalfa, you’ll know the seeds are small. The likelihood of inadvertent seed spillage during planting, as it is poured from storage containers into seeding equipment, and during harvesting and transportation, is very high. Seed and hay are often hauled across roadways from farm to farm, and even from one region to another. In drought times, for instance, farmers from Western Canada have donated hay to eastern farmers, and vice versa. Such neighbourly activities can inadvertently spread GM alfalfa seed across the country. Seed may also be left behind in hoppers, bins and seeding and harvesting equipment after they are cleaned out.

The risk of seed escape is heightened by the fact that harvested alfalfa seed often contains some “hard seed,” which is unable to absorb water due to its hard seed coat. Hard seed may remain dormant after it is planted for up to a few years, and can then germinate at a later time. Even the most stringent efforts at separation can – and ultimately will – fail due to human error. 

Pollinator-mediated contamination

Native bees may visit alfalfa fields, either when there isn’t another forage source within their flight distances or when they “spill over” from wildflowers growing nearby. Alfalfa has a number of native pollinators, including wild bees from the Megachile and Bombus genera, and the well-known and widely studied leafcutter bee and honeybee.

Leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata) are often used to pollinate alfalfa being grown for commercial seed production. Studies in the US have shown that these bees can disperse pollen from alfalfa fields for distances up to 1,000 metres. 

Honeybees (Apis sp) may also pollinate alfalfa. Alfalfa flowers have a pollen-carrying “keel,” which trips insects when they visit the flower and hits them on the head. (The keel is made up of two petals that enclose the reproductive organs of the flower.) This action transfers the pollen to the insect. Mature honeybees do not pollinate alfalfa at high rates – somewhat unsurprisingly, they do not appreciate being hit on the head. However, this is a learned behaviour, and juvenile honeybees may pollinate alfalfa flowers. Honeybees can carry pollen for up to 10 km.

Researchers at Colorado State University found that bees had transmitted pollen from RRA fields to 83 per cent of the sites they tested, and as far as 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from the source of pollen. Honeybees were responsible for a majority of this pollen transfer, assisted to a lesser degree by leafcutter and alkali bees.

Proponents of GM alfalfa claim that pollinator-mediated contamination is not likely because alfalfa is cut for hay before it flowers. This is not, however, a foolproof guideline. In fact, alfalfa grown for hay production is often cut after 10 per cent of the stand blooms. In the case of RRA, the blooming flowers would give pollinators a clear chance to transfer pollen to non-GM alfalfa. In addition, the realities of farming mean that there is tremendous variability in the actual harvest time of an alfalfa stand. Unexpected weather conditions or breakdowns in harvesting or baling equipment may delay the harvest, allowing the stand to mature and flower, and increasing the risk of cross-pollination. Just as it is impossible to fully control the range of pollinators, it is also impossible to fully control the bloom on a forage stand.

Feral and volunteer alfalfa

Alfalfa produces persistent and hardy feral populations. The alfalfa you often see growing in ditches in rural areas can act as a “bridge” that facilitates gene flow from GM alfalfa, both through cross-pollination and by producing seeds that may then germinate. Studies of feral alfalfa populations in the US, where RRA has been grown since 2011, found high levels of contamination in roadside feral alfalfa populations.

Volunteer GM alfalfa – from roots, or plants that have gone to seed during seed production, or in hay fields, pastures, wasteland or ditches – can grow in other non-GM fields. RRA volunteer crops can also grow in other Roundup Resistant crop fields, such as soybean, corn and canola. Since no volunteer RRA will be killed when glyphosate is used as weed control, the plants can bloom and set seed. Pollinators visiting these fields may carry and spread pollen from the volunteer RRA plants.

The risks that farmers face because of GM alfalfa contamination are compounded by another growing worry. Farmers in the US and Canada are reporting “superweeds” that are increasingly resistant to Roundup and very hard to get rid of. In response, seed and chemical companies are developing new herbicide-tolerant GM varieties, which only promise to further increase the use of herbicides. Dow AgroSciences, for instance, has developed GM seed that is tolerant to the chemical 2,4-D (a primary ingredient in Agent Orange). The list of environmental and health damage that 2,4-D (and other products like it) are capable of causing is long and disturbing. 

The risks of contamination and weed resistance have led groups such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) to urge the federal government and the CFIA not to give Roundup Ready Alfalfa variety registration. Along with the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, an organization that researches and campaigns on issues related to genetic engineering, the NFU held a national day of action earlier this year. Farmers, beekeepers and eaters (and even a few lambs!) in 38 communities across Canada participated in rallies on April 9. Several met with their local MPs to encourage them to stop the release of RRA. The speeches farmers gave that day were a heartfelt reminder of what is at stake. 

Nathan Carey, an organic farmer from Neustadt, Ontario, spoke at the rally in Owen Sound. “Are we living in a world where GM alfalfa is even an option?” Carey asked. “That is completely unreasonable! Here is a modified organism that many farmers say they don’t want. Here is an organism that will contaminate our landscape, spreading further each year. Here is an organism that benefits very few, to the detriment of us all. Here is an organism that threatens the integrity of organic, and any farmer who chooses non-GM agriculture.” 

The federal government, however, does not appear to share these concerns. Nor, of course, do companies like Monsanto, who claim that RRA will benefit farmers by offering a “superior crop” with “fewer weeds in every bale.” When asked by a reporter about the protests outside his office in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, the federal Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz said that while he “recognize[s] the right of Canadians to demonstrate, should they decide, or to wave a flag in front of my office any chance that they have,” he hopes that Canadians will “make their reasoning and their rationale based on sound science, as we [the government] have done.” 

The NDP and Liberal parties don’t agree. Both parties have called for moratoriums on the approval of RRA. “It’s incomprehensible that the Harper conservatives would allow Monsanto to genetically alter a crop that serves farmers perfectly well already,” said Malcolm Allen, the NDP’s agriculture critic, on the day of the protests. 

And Nathan Carey is hardly the only farmer who feels RRA is a threat. “Alfalfa is simply irreplaceable as a feed for livestock and as a nutrient source in many forms, for crops from vegetables to wheat,” says Ann Slater, an organic farmer from Lakeside, Ontario, who is surrounded by non-organic farms. She has spent the first few months of 2013 asking her neighbours whether they think GM alfalfa would benefit them. “I am still waiting to hear a farmer tell me they want GM alfalfa to be approved,” she says. “I must conclude that it is not farmers who want or need GM alfalfa; therefore, it must be the company selling the seed who wants to be able to sell one more higher-cost input to farmers.”

Asked what farmers can do to make sure they don’t have unwanted GM alfalfa in their fields and animal feed, Slater’s answer is straightforward. “There is only way to stop contamination from GM alfalfa,” she says. “And that’s to keep it off the market.” 

Find out how you can help stop RRA’s release in Canada at the Canadian Biodiversity Action Network and The National Farmers Union, and listen to Taarini Chopra explain this evolving debate in the Food & Drink podcast.

The post Be Warned appeared first on A\J.

Power Shift aims to build an environmental and climate justice movement that can transform our society, so that our future can be enjoyed by everyone, not only those who can afford it. Power Shift is organized by youth for youth and aims to mobilize passionate youth from affected communities and various sectors of civil society to explore multiple ways of taking action and work to develop each other’s capacity and abilities.

Read the Day One update first if you haven’t yet. Day Three is coming soon!

Day Two: Saturday, October 27

Most of the thousands of words of wisdom I heard today fall within three key lessons:

1. We need transformative change on a systemic level to have any kind of useful response to climate change and continue living on this planet.
2. We need to be organizing at a very grassroots level within our communities to build a large enough movement to create the pressure needed for change.
3. The stories that have dominated and shaped our society for decades are coming undone. The cracks are starting to show.

1. Transformative change on a systemic level

This manifested in a couple of ways. One, that in order to save the planet, we need to fundamentally change our way of life, which right now is defined by capitalism’s demands for infinite growth. In Harsha Walia’s words: “You can’t have a good economy on a dead planet. We need to think about de-industrialization.” Winona LaDuke, Anishinaabe author, orator and activist, argued that defeating one development project at a time gets us almost nowhere, because they just pop up again somewhere else. Instead, “we have to deal with the systemic issues of a predator society.”

I would also include under this ‘lesson’ the need for the climate justice movement itself to hold an intersectional, multi-issue analysis. In a Canadian context this particularly means that we need to see the connections between capitalism and colonialism. The infinite growth of capitalism is almost always made possible by “accumulation by disposession” – the attainment of resources and land by theft and violence, often from indigenous peoples – as explained today by Sharmeen Kahn. 

An intersectional and multi-issue analysis is also important because of the unequal impacts of both climate change and capitalism. I’ll quote Harsha again here: “It’s impossible to talk about climate change without talking about indigenous self-determination, because extractive processes causing climate change predominantly take place on indigenous lands.”

2. We need community-based, grassroots organizing

Jamie Biggar and Matthew Carroll of Lead Now described the hero’s journey as it relates to the role of activists. We experience a call to action that signals a departure from society, a break from the norm. A personal journey or struggle then prepares us to return to our communities and lead them to take action and create change. For many of us, including Winona LaDuke, that personal journey is largely through the education system. The important thing is being able to take that education back to our communities. LaDuke described how the reason she can bridge her academic background with her work in her community is that she is fully a part of that community: “everybody in my community can talk to me.” 

Organizers from the Quebec student strike, the Canadian Federation of Students, and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers also pointed to the importance of educating and agitating within the communities to which you belong. Showing the facts to decision-makers in Parliament isn’t working. Scientists and other academics aren’t convincing the right people, or enough people. We need a big enough movement that it can’t be ignored, and to get there, all of us need to be talking to people in our communities, on the ground level, about how climate change affects them and what they can do about it.

A few speakers, including Naomi Klein, emphasized that people will only act if they feel that their actions will make a difference, and if they can see the benefits now, not just for future generations. It’s our job as members of the environmental movement to help them see those benefits.

3. The dominant stories of our time are coming undone. 

Jamie and Matthew from Lead Now described how we are in what Matthew Meade calls an ‘end time,’ a period in which the dominant stories in society are increasingly clearly not true. The process of realizing that our dominant narratives, such as capitalism and our relationship to the earth and its resources, are disconnected from reality is hard and disturbing and generally people either embrace denial, or make a hero’s choice and begin to write new stories.

Biggar explained that there is a special role for a generation living through an end time: to be a bridge and hold the old stories in one hand and the new stories in the other, and link them together. This generation’s journey, then, is about figuring out new stories and bringing them back to society – and doing this without being arrogant.

Here are some of the stories that we widened the cracks in today:

A. That we can either have a good economy or save the environment, but we can’t do both. That the economy will fail if we save the environment.

The economy will fail if we don’t plug the leaks: the roughly 50% of energy lost in transmission from point of production to point of use. Spending most of our money outside of our communities, including on food we could grow within our communities. The billions of dollars in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry (let alone their regular revenues).

B. That wanting to address climate change in a substantive way is “radical” or “extremist.”
BIll McKibben pointed out in his keynote that all we’re asking for is for the world to be the same as it’s been for 10,000 years. We’re the conservatives. The oil industry CEOs who “wake up in the morning willing to make massive profits by altering the chemical composition of our atmosphere” are the real extremists.

C. That environmentalism is something only rich white people do.
McKibben told members of the media after his keynote that this is the biggest lie he hears about the environmental movement. His experience working in 188 countries with 350.org says that all kinds of people in all kinds of socioeconomic situations are engaged and fighting for climate justice. 

The idea that only rich white people have the time to worry about the environment because other people are busy worrying about other things completely erases the fact that everyone other than rich white people are actually far more impacted, or at risk of being impacted, by climate change. Maybe we need to reconsider what we’re recognizing as environmentalism.

Writing new stories

The really exciting thing is that we get to write the new stories – but we need to start thinking more about what we want, not just what we don’t. Naomi Klein argued tonight that our collective imaginations have been atrophied by three decades of being told that neoliberalism is the only model and being actively discouraged from envisioning any other direction for society. Sharmeen Kahn had her workshop participants do exactly that: envision what they would want to see in a non-capitalist society. Physical therapy for our atrophied imaginations.

We all need to start exercising our imaginations so we can write the stories that will shape the next age of history. 

Winona LaDuke knows what she wants for her people: “I want dignity. Food that we know where it came from. Energy that didnt come at the price of someone else’s ecosystem.” 

What do you want?

Bonus: a few of my favourite quotes from today.

From the IEN’s Clayton Thomas-Muller:
“Jesuit priests in black robes came into our [indigenous] communities offering a quick fix to the woes of colonialism by changing the way indigenous peoples related to the Creator. There was no separation of Church & State then. Now, CEOs in black suits come into our communities offering a quick fix to the woes of capitalism by changing the way indigenous peoples relate to the sacred Mother Earth. Today, there is no separation of Oil and State.”

From 350.org’s Bill McKibben:
“We’re either going to break the power of the fossil fuel industry, or they’re going to break the planet.”

From Winona LaDuke:
“Let’s be the people who want to be able to live here for another 1000 years.”

You can watch the very rough video from the live feed here – start at 36:00 to save yourself some time and trouble.

The post Power Shift: A call for transformative change appeared first on A\J.

Keep up the good work in exposing !!#!% Harper & Co.

– Curtis Smith Taipei, Taiwan

Not From Stephen Harper

Keep up the good work in exposing !!#!% Harper & Co.

– Curtis Smith Taipei, Taiwan

Priceless

In “Getting the Price Right,” (Biodiversity, 36:6, 2010) nature and ecosystems are described using biodiversity, services, dependence, functioning, production, management. Yet all that really matters is the line: “… biodiversity protection for the survival of all life.” If the natural world is necessary to exist for the continuation of all life (obviously), including humans, it is obvious that the only way to describe the natural world is priceless. If putting a price on ecosystem services is necessary for conservation, then we are doomed as a species. The environment needs to be valued as a life provider and that value should come from the physical and spiritual sides of all people. Then, and only then, will there be healing.

– Chris Mortimer Wawa, Ontario

Finger Still Wags

I’m the senior environmental planner for West Moberly First Nations located in BC. In “SARA’s Wagging Finger” (Biodiversity, 36:6, 2010), Kimberley Broome notes the recent court case that this Nation won regarding a threatened caribou herd. She mentions that the court compelled the BC government to develop a protection plan. While this is true, the resulting plan did not meet specifications. Community elders and the government’s own scientists said the plan was inadequate. As a result, the Nation is taking the BC government back to court.

– Bruce Robert Muir Moberly Lake, BC

Minority Wins

Kimberley Broome’s discussion of the courts forcing SARA upon the government of Canada was both hope-filled and depressing. It is clear that our current representatives are ideologically opposed to the intent of the legislation. The article reminded me of a phrase that was sprinkled on all sorts of government documents when the Conservatives won their first minority. The government Broome speaks of is “Canada’s NEW Government.” It was an amusing styling, as if power was won in some sort of coup d’etat. Of course the reality was that the NEW government received only a minority and thus they cannot change or repeal SARA without the support of other parties. This explains the furtive efforts to undermine the legislation. Thankfully, no coup has taken place, and real progress on protection of biodiversity can be made at the ballot box by simply ensuring Canada’s NEW government becomes Canada’s OLD government.

– Alexander Singbeil Winnipeg, Manitoba

Don’t Do Advertorials

I really appreciate that Alternatives published my letter about the Suncor advertorial [37:1, 2011], and I equally appreciate the time taken by the editorial board to respond to my complaint. Clearly advertorials are nothing new; they are age-old marketing tricks. My point is that they should be seen (by Alternatives’ editorial board) for what they are – deceptive marketing tools profiting from the magazine’s respected reputation. They are deceptive because they attempt to portray an advertisement in the form of a written article. Sure, the font may be slightly changed and the logo displayed, but this does not negate the fact that the advertiser (and it doesn’t really matter which firm is advertising) is trying to benefit from portraying their ad as a written piece in the magazine.

The accuracy of the material presented in the advertorial is not the point. Rather, the point is this: Suncor used the advertorial to sell something (their image, their brand, their shares, and their synthetic oil all come to mind as potential candidates), and the response to my earlier letter suggests to me that Alternatives has actually stepped in to help them sell it!

I am certain I am not the only reader of magazines who is frustrated by advertorials and finds their purpose somewhat insidious. My belief is that Alternatives’ advertising policy should forbid any form of advertorial.

– Ryan Katz-Rosene Board member, Environmental Studies Association of Canada

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CANADA WAS an active and enthusiastic negotiator in the early days of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It was the first industrialized country to ratify the CBD, and Montreal is home to the CBD’s secretariat.

But the warm internationalist glow has rapidly faded. “I sometimes find myself feeling sorry for the individuals on Canada’s delegation,” notes Pat Mooney, recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (the alternative Nobel Prize) and current executive director of the Ottawa-based ETC group. “They are nice people – serious professionals – but they find themselves playing the bad guy. From being the UN’s ‘honest broker,’ Canada has become the bête noire everybody loves to hate. Who killed Mike Pearson?”

Conference of the Parties (COP) 7 – 2004, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Canada (along with New Zealand) opposes the recognition of the rights of Indigenous and local communities in relation to the establishment, planning and management of protected areas.

COP 8 – 2006, Curitiba, Brazil
International civil society labels Canada, along with Australia and New Zealand, as the biggest “party poopers” for “continuously attempting to undermine the CBD across every area of the negotiations.” The same threesome, plus the US (a non-party to the CBD) try to undermine the moratorium on field testing and commercial use of Terminator technologies by calling for a case-by-case risk assessment approach instead. At one of the many rallies in support of the moratorium held in Curitiba, Karen Pedersen, a beekeeper from Canada, expresses her fury and encourages everyone in attendance to join her in saying: “Go home Canada. Go home!” Despite the efforts of Canada, the US and the corporate lobby, the CBD moratorium on Terminator is maintained and even strengthened.

COP 9 – 2008, Bonn, Germany
Canada is identified as a “blocker” in eight areas, including agricultural biodiversity, biofuels, genetically modified trees and protected areas, and only once as a “helper,” in marine and coastal issues. Along with Brazil, Colombia, New Zealand and Australia, Canada actively blocks a recommendation to suspend the release of genetically modified trees. The suspension, proposed by all African governments, has broad international support from NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and many European parties. “There is so much that is unknown about genetically modified trees,” states a government representative from Ghana during the negotiations. “In particular, gene transfer may not be seen in our lifetime. We cannot create an intergenerational problem to add to the legion of problems left to our children and grandchildren.” Canada raises the ire of developing countries in the Access and Benefit-sharing (see “Biodiversity”, page 20) negotiations by claiming it does not have a mandate from its government to negotiate a legally binding regime, thereby blocking progress. The Chinese delegate calls on Canada to phone home for help: “With all respect delegate from Canada, report to capital for further instruction. Call home. It is only noon there.”

COP 10 – 2010, Nagoya, Japan
It looks as if Canada will continue its parochial approach. At pre-COP negotiations in Nairobi, Canada (along with New Zealand) continues blocking and bracketing any use of the term “Indigenous Peoples”, the strong terminology used in the almost universally adopted UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada has yet to ratify. Canada is expected to make a splash in the final negotiations surrounding the Access and Benefit- sharing protocol and is being accused of protecting the interests of industry above all. Chee Yoke Ling, legal advisor to the Third World Network, a Malaysia-based NGO, notes,

The long years of work under the Convention to fight against biopiracy is really about correcting an historical injustice where the seeds, plants and even microbes of developing countries and the rich knowledge of their Indigenous peoples, farmers and fisherfolk have been plundered for commercial profits without prior informed consent and fair sharing of the benefits. Canada is not only blocking a legally binding treaty on Access and Benefit-sharing, it has introduced totally inappropriate trade concepts such as ‘non-discrimination’ into what should be an agreement on biodiversity and justice. By doing so, Canada continues to allow a perpetuation of biopiracy.

In 2008, Greenpeace advisor and professor Doreen Stabinsky described Canada as having a “tradition of blocking, diluting and delaying progress on key items.” Consequently, Stabinsky called for the Secretariat to the CBD to be moved to “Anywhere but Canada.”

For civil-society views on CBD negotiations, visit undercovercop.org, a website of the CBD Alliance, a network of organizations focused on tracking and influencing CBD negotiations.

The post Biodiversity Politics: The Good, the Bad and the 4 COPs appeared first on A\J.

Unlike most academic books, Rethinking the Great White North stirred enough irritation to be attacked by a Globe and Mail columnist. Repeating an old saw, Margaret Wente previously wrote that what makes someone Canadian is having sex in a canoe. Maybe new immigrants should be taught to canoe, Wente said, so they could be more patriotic.

The editors of this book took her to task in their introduction. They wrote that this perception, “Canada = Canoeing,” was just one of the ways a European colonial mentality permeates both our sense of nation and nature. Wente lashed back in the pages of the broadsheet. I hope environmentalists will listen better than she did.

When I came to Northern Saskatchewan as an immigrant, I quickly understood how much the North matters to the Canadian imagination. Nature and the boreal forest are huge parts of the country’s history and sense of identity. But I also learned that the “Canadian” way of thinking about the land was often split along ethnic lines. This book clearly shows how race and nature intermingle.

The view of the North as wilderness often neglects native peoples. The national narrative refers to, and then brushes over, the native present/presence. This is partially why the oil sands development proceeds as rapaciously as it does. They sort of say “there’s no one there,” so Canadians are willing to sacrifice the “empty” land.

For all our vaunted multiculturalism, Canada remains highly Euro-centric in modes of thinking and acting, how our institutions operate and even what counts as legitimate knowledge about the land. In the hands of the authors of these 14 sections, the Great “White” North becomes an analogy for the dominance of “whiteness” and the racial privilege that accumulates with it. The chapter on Temagami in Northern Ontario shows how Anglophone tourist literature labelled it a “wild” place. But what was a recreation site for southern Canadian tourists was a workplace for their Aboriginal guides. The “wilderness” was domestic. Contemporary ecotourism similarly celebrates exotic nature and cultures.

Two early chapters contrast the way “nature” was moralized around ethnicity. City planners in Toronto at the turn of the 20th century advocated the creation of parks to “civilize” and Canadianize new immigrants. Nature was “good.” The next chapter, an analysis of the rhetoric around Toronto’s SARS outbreak in 2005, demonstrates nature as “bad” or a threat. Media reports highlighted the virus’ origin in Asia, and as fear rose, nature – via SARS – became equated with the immigrants being a threat. Life-saving nurses were reframed as immigrant or ethnic nurses putting “us” at risk by possibly passing on the pathogen.

There are two chapters about Samuel Hearne’s Arctic travelogues and the way this 18th century explorer represented intertribal conflicts and economic exchanges. Hearne racialized his “Chipewyan” guides and shaped the image of bloodthirsty, uncivilized aboriginals. Dominant social positions come with the power to narrate the land and shape its management, use, development and protection.

Rethinking the Great White North addresses injustices in other parts of Canada. Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands illustrates the erasure of Acadian ethnicity from Cape Breton Highlands National Park and its subsequent replacement by the more respected Scottish ethnic heritage.

Elsewhere, conservation was a management tool for ethnic groups and ecosystems. Stephen Bocking, well known to readers of this magazine, describes how purportedly objective science minimizes traditional knowledge. The two differ dra-mat-ically in their epistemologies and their way of understanding ecological processes, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to test against each other. Science has often been an implement of racializing domination, even to the present day.

Rethinking the Great White North contains some of the complicated academic language that makes people avoid reading such books. But that would be a mistake. Even more detrimental would be to ignore the entwining of race, nature, ethnicity and colonization that still permeates Canadian society. We need to disrupt the narratives of nature that are too often used in environmental action.

This book’s unravelling of race and nature in history and geography might help environmental protection by opening a broader vision of just sustainability and expanding the pool of people who might help formulate it. This is one of several recent scholarly books that challenges Canadian environmentalism to expand its social justice credibility. Will doing so help the environment? Yes, because it makes us more aware. Sustainability is an impossible goal if it does not include social equity. If others don’t see their issues and efforts in the movement, we unnecessarily narrow the audience for environmental messages.

Rethinking the Great White North, ed. Andrew Baldwin, Laura Cameron and Audrey Kobayashi, Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011, 356 pages

This review originally appeared in Art & Media, Issue 38.3. Subscribe now to get more book reviews in your mailbox!

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