EVERYDAY EARTH: A personal reflection on the meaning and culture of sustainability
By contributor Chantelle Spicer It is with great pleasure that I give the environment a voice within The Navigator, as that voice rings definitively within my own head and life. I have lived my life under many labels: “hippie,” “naturalist,” “environmentalist,” and “activist.” Each place I live in seems to identify the way I live … Continued
The dam story
By contributor Chantelle Spicer British Columbia—the early 1800s. Colonization by the Europeans has not yet begun. Ecosystems are in their natural state or managed under the sustainable ideals of the numerous First Nations bands across the province; populations of all animals flourish in their natural balance. River systems run in an unimpeded web for thousands … Continued
Natural world shines under Thoreau’s lens
By contributor Chantelle Spicer Since Thoreau’s publication of Walden in 1854, a subversive movement has rippled through the generations based on humanity’s inherit connection to the land. Finding roots in the 1960s movement, the back-to-the-land mentality has continued into today’s culture where it is flourishing 161 years later. Even this morning, awakening to a glowing … Continued
Art and Activism
By contributor Chantelle Spicer. A major challenge in starting and maintaining social movements—political, environmental, humanitarian, or any combination thereof—is engaging people to get involved, as well as staying motivated. Successful social activism rests on the ability to provoke people’s perceptions, thoughts, and actions in positive and innovative ways. By joining with artistic and activist communities, … Continued
Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP address environmental plans
Sheila Malcolmson and Megan Leslie at the February 16 town hall event. NDP Deputy Leader and Environment Critic Megan Leslie and Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP candidate Sheila Malcolmson spoke about the party’s environmental initiatives at a town hall event on February 16. “NDP is the only party that has a bill to meet greenhouse gas emission targets … Continued
“Sprinter” has sprung: where to get out and enjoy the west coast weather
Neck Point photo courtesy of Larissa Burnett It’s not nice to gloat, especially not when our neighbours to the east are suffering under heaps of fresh Canadian snow. The forecast for reading break is optimistic, with clear skies and high temperatures of 10°. Therefore, this week, The Navigator wants to inspire … Continued
Something to do this weekend: Nanaimo Global Film Festival
On the cusp of reading week for VIU students, the Nanaimo Global Film Festival will be showing over 30 films from around the world February 21 and 22, on Nanaimo’s campus. Robin Davies, a Media Studies professor at VIU, works with the department to provide technical support to students and the Nanaimo Global … Continued
VIU takes part in No Impact Week
By contributor Chantelle Spicer. The lifestyle decisions we make impact the environment, whether we think about them or not. The manufacture, use, and disposability of everyday products, along with the production and transportation of food, all have consequences on the natural world that many of us never ponder. Counter-culture movements like the “back-to-the-land” ethic, influenced … Continued
Talking Trash: A Look at Nanaimo’s Littering problem
The photographs sent by a resident of Nanaimo’s College Dr. neighbourhood, who recently emailed Nanaimo’s Mayor and Council to complain about litter on the College Dr. roadway, show a boulevard littered with coffee cups, food containers, and fast food wrappers. The writer characterizes the litter as “an eyesore and an irritation.” On weekdays the area … Continued
Love a mug
By contributor Chantelle Spicer During the fall term of 2014, the members of Solutions: A Sustainability Network reflected on consumption habits: their own and the habits of the entire VIU campus. They were interested in where consumption had the largest impact and how that could be minimized. Major contributors brought to the table were food … Continued
We need the trees
Happy New Year. It’s going to rain until May. The landscape is barren. Our next holiday is over a month away. Just when we need the comfort and security of something life-affirming—something that has been here longer than we have, weathering storms and drought—you come around the corner and it’s gone. They cut down the … Continued
CarShare club coming to VIU
By contributor Chantelle Spicer It’s all about balance. How many times have you heard someone say this recently? Whether it’s school versus personal life, a salad versus a bag of chips for lunch, or any other balancing acts that life throws at us, it can feel impossible to find harmony sometimes. The City of Nanaimo … Continued