I live in Chilliwack, also known as "The Wack," in BC, Canada. In Halq'eméylem, the language of the Stó:lō communities around Chilliwack and Sardis, Tcil'Qe'uk means "valley of many streams". The name certainly is applicable as we literally are settled between two major rivers, the mighty Fraser and the Chilliwack or Vedder River among lesser but just as important waterways. Chilliwack is also surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, lakes and wetlands. We have Blue Heron nesting grounds, salmon spawning and runs and a whole range of wildlife that are learning to co-exist with us hoomans, who are increasingly encroaching upon their habitat. It is not uncommon to spot bears sauntering the golf course fairways, secretly laughing at wayward drives or dumpster diving the neighbour's garbage cans. Seriously folks, lock up your garbage!!!
European immigrants settled their farms here as we have some of the most fertile soil in all of BC. Chilliwack corn is famed for its sweetness, pristine dairy farms abound and we have prolific berry crops. Drive five minutes in any direction and you will find yourself nestled in amongst stunning views from the spring tulip fields displaying a crayola box of colours to mountaintops showing off snowy white crowns. It is truly so idyllic, most of the time.
I have only lived in Chilliwack for five years and marvelled at the beauty of it all but, in that time there has been unprecedented weather events that have had me seriously wondering if we made the right decision to come live up on a mountainside and over a valley that has been socked in with smoke from severe fires, house bound from unusual heavy snows, made into a literal island because of major highways being washed away in an atmospheric river flooding and my menopause hot flashes, they had nothing on the over-heating experienced from the heat dome that literally burnt down the town of Lytton, BC. in 2021.
Sound apocalyptic? That's because it was.
There is an area in Abbotsford, BC, about a twenty minute drive west of Chilliwack called Sumas Prairies that lies between Sumas mountain to the south and Chilliwack mountain to the north. These low-lying flats used to be Sumas lake and the ancestral home to the Sumas First Nations. In the early 1920's the First Nations were moved off the land and the lake was reclaimed to be made into fertile farmland. This was the hardest hit area in the flood of November 14th, 2021. That is not by chance. When you remove lakes and atmospheric river events happen rivers overflow, dykes break, pumps fail and catastrophic flooding and devastation occurs.
Not far from us, about a ten minute drive east of us is a wonderful area called the Cheam Wetlands. The wetlands were mined for its limestone for some fifty years and the natural land and its wildlife was decimated. Today, it has been returned to its former glory and is a protected area for local flora and fauna. These two areas are prime examples of how, when we take from our planet, we must understand the consequences of that taking. We have mined, deforested, fracked and polluted. We have taken over habitats and their inhabitants and ignored the power of nature in the name of progress. We emit toxic chemicals and emissions into our air and water. We fill our oceans and our lands with garbage from materials that cannot be broken down and absorbed. We have annihilated entire species to extinction. We have literally sped up, at alarming rates, what was once a natural occurence over millions of years, climate change.
Those two words, that title and the evidence of "climate change" no longer seems to have any weight or pull. Our reactions and actions towards climate change seems to have lost its momentum. There are even climate change deniers??? which I just can't wrap my head around. We used to call it Pollution, then we called it Global Warming and now it is Climate Change. Silly really because the fact is, whatever it's called, it all means the same thing.
We, as a species are a curious lot. We want to be wowed and shocked and mesmerized and moved and entertained. We like new and shinier things to grab our attention...SQUIRREL...and when that doesn't happen we lose focus and interest until the next new shinier thing comes along. Perhaps what's needed is a new name to inject new life into the world's climate distress in order to renew our interest? It's almost as though we have become laissez faire, hardened to the consequences of how we are living. We watch real life news that shows us violence, racism, mysoginy, animal abuse, political scandal, human atrocities, starvation, while eating our take-out from throw-away containers, drinking water we buy in plastic bottles and texting with our besties about the next Yellowstone Episode. So too with climate change we seem to have developed a thick skin and a mentality that has us no longer invested. Are we really that hardened or is it a protective shell from the harsh realities?
Melting polar caps, starving animals, heat domes, forest fires, violent storms, biblical droughts and flooding. These weather events are happening around the globe and affecting every aspect of our survival, more often and more powerfully. Are we tired of hearing about them or are we so far removed that it just doesn't really compute until it's in our backyard? Maybe it's distrust in the governing bodies who do a lot of talking but not a lot of doing and then there are the corporations who are motivated only by profit and tax credits? Maybe our creature comforts are more important to us and giving up some of those is too uncomfortable? Perhaps it's just all too much to even consider when we are already struggling with the lingering fall out from a global pandemic and how that changed our lives personally and individually, let alone worrying about the life of the planet?
Somehow, we need to reignite the populace into caring about the only home we have. What can we do or say to educate and help us to understand that the science on anthropogenic climate change is real? I've always said the planet most likely will survive our disrespect. It will morph and change and do what its' done for millions of years but us, the human race and many of our beloved creatures, we will end up the way of the Dodo Bird if we keep denying the facts of how important our Konnection is to her. Is this the legacy we want to leave her with?
I'm positive you've seen many articles on how you can help with lowering your own carbon foot print and although they may seem like futile steps, they are not. There are almost 8 billion people on the planet now. Can you imagine the difference we could make if those of us who are able followed just a few earth-friendly practices? Rome wasn't built in a day or by one person and neither can we heal the earth in one day nor alone. Collectively we can affect change. I truly believe that and it doesn't mean you have to eat organic, or live off the grid or buy an electric car. Those are the big things that many of us a cannot do but, there are many easy, little things you can.
Here are a few day to day items or things for you to consider to help reduce the carbon footprint:
Don't run the water while brushing your teeth. You can save up to 64 cups of clean drinkable water every time you brush.
Use re-useable containers and bottles, not single use plastics. At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year
Compost your kitchen scraps. Composting reduces greenhouse gases along with pesticide and herbicide usage and landfill garbage amounts.
Consider no-maintenance or low-maintenance landscaping. No mowing required so no electricity usage or gas emissions and no lawn fertilizer required.
Don't use plastic straws or utensils. 8.3 billion plastic straws are used globally every year. 40,000,000,000 plastic forks, spoons, and knives are used and thrown away each.
Use personal care products that are clean, non-toxic and vegan. Less chemicals for you, the planet and no animals are abused in the making of them.
If you're a meat eater consider cutting back a couple times a week or altogether. It lowers land usage and environmental damage from factory farming of animals.
Drink soda water? Get a soda stream. It helps reduce the carbon footprint of sparkling water consumption by 80 percent.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products for your house and laundry. They help fight ozone depletion and work towards cleaner water.
Demand change from your elected officials. Our votes speak volumes but only if we keep a handle on what is or is not being done by those we voted in.
Sir David Attenborough spent his entire life studying the nature of our world and educating us on how to care for the only home we have. He dedicated his life to understanding how all living things exist together, connected and reliant on every organism. He ultimately understood that unless we face the truth, we won't be able to save ourselves. So, let's get really selfish and find a way to get the world fired up, no pun intended, over a new way of living in harmony with our home. It's time to change the narrative and perhaps the name Climate Change. What would you call it?
Love, Kiki
xoxo
"We often talk about saving the planet, but the truth is we must do these things to save ourselves." --- Sir David Attenborough
Interested in learning more about clean and non-toxic vegan personal care and nutrition products that are efficacious and benefit you and the planet? I am an Arbonne Independent Consultant and an advocate of cleaner is better. I'm certainly not perfect, but I pick my battles where I can. You can see all of our products and our Healthy Living Program when you visit my website at christinehayden.arbonne.com and of course chat with me anytime. Please check out my Health and Wellness page as well at www.konnectwithkiki.com.
Mt. Cheam, Chilliwack, BC. (Photo by Kiki)
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