There is a tale told by the rangers at the Grand Canyon about a hiker who died of heatstroke.  When the rangers found victim, he still had two full water bottles.  It’s not enough to have what you need, you have to use it.  The same is true in the campaign to slow global warming.  New technology (better batteries, cheaper solar collectors) will improve our chances of success, but first we have to use the technology we have.  There are several examples of available technologies we are failing to use.

One is a ship exhaust scrubber developed by Ecospec, a Singapore company.  Because ships have a ready (and endless) supply of salt water, they can use a technology which reduces the emissions of sulphur dioxide by 90%, nitrogen oxides by 80%, and carbon dioxide by 75%.  This is a particular benefit because ocean-going ships burn bunker oil, which is the filthiest fuel imaginable.  This technology will not be used until and unless we stop allowing ships to send their emissions up the smoke stack, adding to planetary destruction.

Just finished reading Vol. V111 over a couple of cups of coffee and thoroughly enjoyed it. Some fabulous articles & stories. It's amazing the number of talented, interesting, and thoughtful residents we have in Lions Bay. I found many of the articles informative, entertaining, and insightful giving cause to reflect. Thank you to everyone involved for sharing your experiences and your time.

Dale Falconer.

When School gets out everyone looks forward to the time of relaxed schedules, social gatherings and just general lying about, taking in all that the warm season has to offer in a lawn chair and a good book. (at least we hope it has this to offer to you too!)

Summer is also the time for travel for many families. Our family was returning many years ago from a cross Canada motorhome trip and as we rounded the curve at Eagle Harbour heading home to Lions Bay, there it was. The view. The mountains, sky and water hit you. Not literally, but definitely in the heart. This was home. It would be hard to not take pride in living in the glorious surroundings of the Howe Sound.

We wish you all the best on your summer travels, may they be cross country or across town...or across the railway tracks on your way to Lions Bay Beach!

Have a great summer season, where you are at and wherever you may be. And, Happy 142nd  Birthday, Canada!

It is an interesting exercise to explore what might be imagined if we were to live toward an ethic of caring for nature, as if unfrozen from a disembodied enchantment of the consumerist worldview. If we could depart from a human-nature ethic that has devastated the planet and that has resulted in substantial inequity of people around the globe, I wonder if we might uncover the “dormant sensitivities” of humanity—namely, deep and profound care for the Earth. I envision that these sensitivities have been suppressed over the last few centuries, and have consequently limited our ability to place analogous value on the more-than-human world. The phenomenon of care, as a dimension of the human world, can be explored with its relevance to our humanness and nature ethics.

One might argue that the dominant ethical stance of the human condition, when it comes to nature, is one that places humans above the natural world in the name of “progress.” In addition to this human-centered thinking, an estimated 3-billion people, nearly half the world, live on less than $2.50 per day, while 95% of people living in developing countries live on less than 10¢ per day (Shah 2008).