Heating without fossil fuels
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Heating without fossil fuels

As humans continue to use fossil fuels, carbon dioxide will continue to accumulate in the earth’s atmosphere, intensifying the impacts of climate change. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution atmospheric CO2 levels have increased by 50 percent (from 280 ppm to 420 ppm today). For the sake of a livable future world, we must…

The sun in the night
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The sun in the night

Nigeria has the capacity to export two million barrels of oil per day, the highest export rate of any African nation. Some of these fossil fuels end up in Canada. In 2021, Canada bought 2.1 billion dollars of Nigerian products including mineral fuels and oils, cocoa, rubber and lead. Yet despite Nigeria’s wealth of non-renewable…

Nothing is more important than stopping climate change
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Nothing is more important than stopping climate change

A pair of activists recently threw soup at a famous painting by Van Gogh. A week later, protesters threw mashed potatoes at a painting by Claude Monet. The reason for these actions? The protestors wanted to see if the protection of art is more vital than the protection of our climate. Whether you agree with…

Coal and the greatest commandment
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Coal and the greatest commandment

Larry was the last holdout. Years ago, the local coal company had purchased mineral rights from the inhabitants of Kayford mountain to blow it apart – to tap the coal seams and bleed the mountain of its precious payload. One by one, Larry’s neighbours had sold their rights and moved – driven away in some…

Net zero ethics
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Net zero ethics

Last month, world leaders convened in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for COP27. COPs have been held annually since 1995 by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This year’s was the fifth to be hosted in an African nation. Africa is increasingly the focus in climate related news, and not for the normal reasons. Last…

Redeeming Waste: Art from Everest
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Redeeming Waste: Art from Everest

It’s early morning near Namache, Nepal, October 13, 2022. Mount Everest and surrounding mountains of the Khumbu Region provide a stunning backdrop that seems almost surreal. In the distance, collar bells are heard as cows and yaks walk the footpaths. Nearby, prayer flags flap in the stiff breeze. Coffee in hand, he walks to the…

Better than getting a good deal
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Better than getting a good deal

If you’re on Tiktok or Instagram, chances are you’ve seen a clothing haul. In these videos, bubbly influencers unbox new outfits while captions boast a ridiculously low cost-to-clothing ratio. Maybe you’ve even clicked an affiliate link, discovered an ultra-fast fashion brand like Shein and started filling a cart of your own. But before you get…

Creation as Cathedral?
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Creation as Cathedral?

As we emerge from the two years of global pandemic, many congregations are trying to figure out how to connect with people in their neighbourhoods again, as well as encourage church members to return in person for worship and programs. This is especially challenging in parts of the country such as Vancouver, where pre-pandemic church…

Offering streams of hope
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Offering streams of hope

In a March 2017 Christian Courier article, I interviewed art prodigy Josh Tiessen about his then just released book, A Decade of Inspiration, written and produced with his mother, Dr. Julie A. Tiessen. Recently, Tiessen contacted me about his new book of art, Streams in the Wasteland, the title and the theme of which were…

For the sake of the earth
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For the sake of the earth

What if I told you that the best way for you to transform the world is to do less? Those of us who weren’t frontline workers, parents with children at home or vaccine researchers had plenty of time to practice “doing less” over the past two years. I, for one, spent a lot of evenings…

Plastics: A Small Victory
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Plastics: A Small Victory

In the 1967 movie The Graduate (the first movie my wife and I saw together), Benjamin Braddock, contemplating his future, is steered toward an outstanding career with one word: “plastics.” Plastics, it was believed, could do anything. Fifty-five years later, we now know plastics have horrible downsides – they last almost forever and are causing…

John Franken: a life devoted to creation care
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John Franken: a life devoted to creation care

Among the guests at the grand opening of A Rocha’s Buck Creek Canfor Hatchery and Nature Centre in Houston, B.C. in September 2021 were Mr. and Mrs. John Franken, long-time residents of the Bulkley Valley. A Rocha is an international Christian conservation organization. John was a devout Christian whose witness involved creation care, strengthening local…