Ego-centric language makes it easy to evaluate profit and loss: friends (beneficial species) and foes (pests).
Often we forget that we're the odd piece that doesn't fit in nature's puzzle, and that ecosystems are perfectly balanced, where every organism has its role.

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Gardeners/farmers know slugs as pests, but what is their role in nature?

• They are native to BC's coastal rainforest!
• They are important decomposers: breaking down dead organic matter into smaller pieces and recycling nutrients back into the soil.
• Like birds spreading seeds, slugs spread spores, planting moss and mushrooms as they waltz past the forest floor.
• They are delicious (?!) (and easy) snacks for birds, toads, snakes, and salamanders!

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Fun facts:

• Banana slugs are one of the largest slugs in the world: up to 26 cm long, what an impressive (scary) sight...
• They come in a range of colours, from yellow to brown to black and many are mottled with black spots (hence the name "banana" slug, get it? get it? lol)
• They also have 27,000 teeth on a long “tongue” (more nightmare material)
• The top 2 antennae sense light changes ("eyes"), the bottom two smell and feel ("noses" and "hands")
• They lay 20 to 30 eggs, which overwinter and hatch in the spring.
• In spring, soft sounds can be heard from slugs and snails under shrubs that have leaves coming out. When you stop to smell the roses, listen for the slugs too 🐌
• Young slugs spread from the nest and find their own home range.

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Unrelated to sustainability but more fun (?) facts:

• Humans eat snails but not slugs because no shell means their entire bodies are exposed to bacteria and come with a foul-tasting mucus that requires harsh prep (e.g. boiling in vinegar) to make them remotely tolerable.
• Bowen Island has been racing slug since 1977, I believe this is what they call "slow and exciting"

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So keep an eye out for these nonchalant travellers when you hike/trail run next time, since most of the time they're not quite 26 cm long... whew!

credit: capitollandtrust

Sustainability starts with our values and habits. But behaviours only go so far if the systems around us don't change, and elections are where we get the most say over those structures.

Two elections in a row are a heavy lift, but they're also a rare chance to compound our voice. If you care, vote!

Municipal elections are on October 17

Advance and accessible voting is taking place now; be sure to look up your local schedule to avoid looooooong waits on election day!

Not registered yet? You can do so on election day. Just check your city's requirements first.

Provincial elections are on October 24

Snap election! Here are your candidates:
https://elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/candidate-list/
Again, it's not too late to register. You can do it through the link above.

Happy voting, may the best candidates win 😄

Are you familiar with Union of BC Municipalities?
Once a year, UBCM holds a conference (usually in Victoria or Vancouver, but Whistler next year, which will be a logistical quagmire; can't even begin to imagine), where attendees network, compare notes, and work with counterparts to build a better BC. This year's was Sep 14-18.

Registration ranges from $815 to $1,903, but you can see their presentations for free (or their 272-page Resolution Book)! This year's theme is "Common Good".

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A couple talks you might find relevant:

Active Transportation: Shared Challenges, Practical Solutions (Ministry of Transportation & Transit + Urban Systems)

• 2019 version of design guide here. The 2026 edition is so new it's not even available yet!
• Active Transportation is the fastest-growing mode of transportation in BC (waking, biking, etc)
  • It should be designed for affordability, growth, safety, comfort, and equity
• There you go, now you're an expert on Active Transportation 😊

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Powering British Columbia’s Future: What Local Leaders Need to Know (BC Hydro)

• Electricity demand is projected to double by 2050.
• To meet the demand, we gotta...
  • Conserve: BC Hydro is investing $1b over 3 years in Power Smart
  • Optimize infrastructure
  • Build: e.g. batteries, geothermal, biomass
  • Collab: e.g. everyone wins when cities involve BC Hydro in development

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Interested in learning more? Check out UBCM's environmental policies here!

https://preview.redd.it/ufgicbmdnzth1.png?width=1819&format=png&auto=webp&s=fadb642e3bad7936742c4257170fd2dc2032b859

Every Friday, BC Impact & Sustainability Collective publishes a job roundup; kudos to them! Follow to see job opportunities and more.

This week's edition

As usual, here are bonus opportunities (there are so many! 🥳)

• Clean Prosperity
• CLEAResult
• Food Banks Canada
• BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM)
• Living Lakes Canada
• SPEC

All the best if you're job hunting or thinking of changing careers; the world needs more of you! 🙌

Excerpts:

• "Make your commitment to a place, and then work like mad to make sure that place is as environmentally sound as possible."
• "We are utterly dependent on nature for clean air, pure water, soil to grow our food, and the energy that we need that comes from the sun. That’s the basis of our existence."

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• In 1992, the World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity was published ahead of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, stating that a “great change in our stewardship of the Earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided.”
• In 2017, they issued their second warning, stating that many of the issues they warned about 25 years prior were getting worse.
• Suzuki said he recently signed another official warning that is expected to come out next year, 10 years after the second warning.

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• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a special report in 2018, stating that temperatures should not rise 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
• On Sep 2, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report stating that under current policies, “exceedance of 1.5°C is now widely assessed as unavoidable.

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• We have passed the majority of the nine planetary boundaries, which include how much carbon is in the atmosphere, the pH level in oceans, and how much forest has been cleared.
• “If we pass any one of them, we should be shitting bricks. We’ve passed seven of the nine boundaries.”
• Last year, Johan Rockström, a scientist who works on planetary boundaries, said we can go back to a safe zone if global emissions drop sharply within five years.

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Do you think global emissions will drop sharply within five years? If not, how long will it take, if ever?

Tomorrow: Why are people not responding to scientists' warnings? What does it take for us to change our behaviours?

Original article here👇
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/david-suzuki-reflections-vancouver-climate-crisis

This week's green opportunities:

• Export Development Canada (more EDC jobs here)
• MakeWay
• Ocean Wise
• Skipper Otto
• The Nature Conservancy
• University of Victoria
• Vancity
• Vancouver Coastal Health
• Victoria Foundation (reposted, first posted on Aug 1, what does that say about the job market?)

Hosted by the amazing GoodWork.ca

• Equal Routes
• Recycling Alternative

All the best if you're job hunting or thinking of switching careers; the world needs more of you! 🙌

Naturally, famines, water shortages, heat waves, wildfires, storms, and sea-level rise receive the most attention. But climate change affects every aspect of life, and some can be life-threatening.

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Blood shortage

Despite all the technological advances, we still can't manufacture blood at scale. In Canada, every 60 seconds someone needs blood, for complications during pregnancy, severe anemia, accident victims, people undergoing surgery, or liver/kidney diseases.

That means when people are cancelling donations due to floods, poor air quality, etc., blood needs to come from somewhere else. 50% of Canadians are eligible to give, but only 2% do. This is one way to help when there's a natural disaster: it's in you to give!

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Cooling water

Extreme weather, like heatwaves combined with water scarcity, threatens nuclear reliability. More the reason that nuclear energy is grey, better than black (fossil fuels) but not green (wind, solar, geothermal). After all, it is a devastating reality when one has to choose water over energy.

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Property Insurance

In high-risk areas, premiums may skyrocket, or worse, private insurance might not even be available. E.g. it's very difficult for the Sumas area to obtain flood insurance. National Flood Insurance might be necessary, which will have to be funded by taxpayers.

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Supply Chain Stability

Remember how COVID interrupted the supply chain? Similarly, climate change can do so by lowering raw material yields, halting manufacturing, damaging transportation, and reducing the workforce.

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So it's more than biodiversity or infrastructure that is at stake. With this new lens, let's cherish our coffee and walk a bit more. Since we're all interconnected, climate change can create ripples in our lives, but we can also create ripples in climate action 😊

Yesterday's Greenest City Newsletter highlighted the energy transition report prepared by Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC).

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Key takeaway: We can make our city & the world better when governments, companies, and schools work together!

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Issues

• The global energy transition is accelerating, and those not stepping up will be left behind
• Metro Vancouver relies on imported solutions
• Most regional companies are not global players yet

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Solutions

• BC's advantage
  • Global hub for critical minerals
  • 56 publicly-listed cleantechs
• Metro Vancouver's advantage
  • Exports $362M/yr in services: e.g. building science, energy software, planning, circular economy
  • Urban clean energy
  • Supportive building policy framework
  • Strong demand for clean transportation, supported by policies and companies
• Clean energy and economy must be integrated
  • Create incubation space for startups & scale up
  • Cultivate talents
  • Connect value chains

According to a 2023 report by the province, in 2021, BC’s cleantech sector included 492 cleantech companies, generated $2.76 billion in revenue, and included nearly 40,100 jobs, nothing to sneeze at. With election(s) coming up this year, let's support platforms that help BC become a green giant! 🌳

Source: EMBER; OWID; IRENA; BNEF/Avicenne.

In this month's Greenest City Newsletter...

Grants

• Join the info session on Sep 23 and find out how to apply for the 2027 Community Climate Action Grant.
• Vancouver public elementary and secondary schools can apply for up to $1,500 to encourage active travel and transit through the Walk Bike Roll Mini Grants.

Learn

• Eco-Voyage: free workshop on how to navigate Vancouver. Thu, Sep 24 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Mount Pleasant VPL
• Curriculum For Change (C4C): free eco-social resources for educators and students, developed by Be The Change Earth Alliance.

Join

• Become a Citizen Scientist by recording water levels at the Beaconsfield Park Wetland through the Community Science Program.
• Catch Basin Clearing & Community Cleanup: Sat, Sep 19 10 am - 12 pm, Carnarvon Park, 2995 W 19th Ave
• Pacific Spirit Steps hosted by Living Streets/BEST: Sat, Sep 19, 12 - 1 pm, Wesbrook Village, 3378 Wesbrook Mall

And much, much, much more.
Read the full issue here.

Interested in getting these monthly updates in your inbox?
Subscribe here!

Every Friday, BC Impact & Sustainability Collective publishes a job roundup, kudos to them! Follow to see these types of updates.

This week's edition

As usual, here are bonus opportunities (there are so many! 🥳)

• Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agri-Food (CANZA)
• FoodMesh
• Two Worlds Consulting
• David Suzuki Foundation
• Ocean Wise
• VanDusen
• Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors

All the best if you're job hunting or thinking of changing careers; the world needs more of you! 🙌

Crunchy leaves are so fun, but are leaves changing colours and falling earlier than usual?

Unlike hair loss, premature leaf loss can be pretty serious. (I guess premature hair loss can be pretty serious too.) Chronic, underlying stress weakens trees' defence against other pressures, much like a serious cold can make someone susceptible to pneumonia. It's the intersectionality of threats.

Let's talk about these stressors and countermeasures!

• Fungal infections (warning: photo at the bottom, trypophobia beware, and if you don't know what trypophobia is, DO NOT Google it; ask a trusted friend in the know)
  • Luckily, these are often cosmetic, but still a stressor
  • Disposing of leaves in the green bin can prevent infection from spreading
• Insect infections
  • This can be more serious; case in point: Mountain Pine Beetle, luckily the outbreak largely subsided by 2017 (maybe more on this later)
  • I don't know what a good solution would be, other than talking to an arborist?
• Heat & drought
  • Shedding leaves is a natural defence mechanism to conserve water
  • A long drought compromises the root system and affects root stability!
  • Grey water is perfect for watering trees; adopt a tree near you and become its guardian gardener 😇
• Too much water (probably how my cactus died, so sorry)
  • Heavy rain & poor drainage can drown roots, starving them of oxygen or causing root rot!
  • Improving drainage helps if you suspect that this is the culprit

If you love trees, check out parts 1-3 of this mini series:

1. Mongolia commits to planting one billion trees by 2030 to combat desertification
2. One mission, four cities
3. Tree health

Remember, don't ask what your tree can do for you; ask what you can do for your tree 🌳

https://preview.redd.it/48mygj1extoh1.png?width=822&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b13a9eedee4fd6463f7d612c376db0c7c284b1a

https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/its-not-fall-yet-so-why-are-trees-already-losing-their-leaves/

Today's post also inspired by What On Earth.
Subscribe if you love Canada's own climate podcasts (produced by CBC).

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Did you know Metro Vancouver is home to at least 10 bat species?
City of Vancouver even has a page dedicated to bats (and other urban animals 🐇)

What do we know about these werewolf-vampire hybrid-looking creatures?

• All BC species are insectivores, so risk of being bitten is extremely low for humans & animals 🧛
  • This doesn't mean you can handle bats freely! 0.5% of them have rabies, so contact professionals right away if you/your animal come into contact with a bat
  • This does mean farmers can reduce pesticide use, which directly lowers human infant mortality. Yes, bats are important for our health!
• Threats to bats & countermeasures:
  • Habitat loss
    • Let's learn to co-exist with bats & protect urban forests
  • White-nose syndrome (a fungal infection)
    • Stay out of caves where bats hibernate
  • Wind turbines
    • Turbines can be designed to hear bats and shut down when they are around, win-win!

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Sign up for events hosted by Stanley Park Ecology, and you might be lucky enough to see bats and beavers, two of our favourite animals ❤️

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In the epidemic world, Treatment as Prevention (TasP) is based on the concept that when treatment lowers HIV counts to undetectable levels, transmission is prevented. Voilà, one action, two outcomes.
An odd intro to climate discussion?

In the climate action world, the investment dilemma between climate adaptation and climate mitigation can create systemic risks. Should we choose air conditioning and protect health at the cost of increasing emissions? Is it too late to achieve "Mitigation as Adaptation"?

The question might not be what to choose or whether it’s too late, but finding a solution to achieve both and take action today. This "What on Earth?" episode made an excellent point: we can't adapt our way out of a catastrophe such as the Nepal–Tibet floods.

For some, extreme weather is still an inconvenience, not a threat to survival. For others, the loss of livelihood is already a reality. Last week's post alludes to how women are at the forefront of the climate crisis (caring for others, managing shrinking water supplies, and experiencing poverty at higher rates). Other vulnerable populations include seniors, children, people with chronic illness/disabilities, developing nations, and coastal residents. These are the people who have contributed the least to the climate crisis, yet bear its greatest costs. Pacific island nations like Tuvalu are already relocating, let alone all the folks displaced by hurricanes/fires.

We must adapt to emergencies and mitigate urgently. Urban trees, heat pumps, and passive homes are all good solutions to reduce emissions and protect against extreme weather, but we must cut down fossil fuels immediately to slow down global warming.

Do you have different viewpoints? Diverse ideas are very welcome; share your thoughts!

BC Impact & Sustainability Collective regularly publishes Friday job roundups, subscribe if you want to see them in your feeds.

In lieu of their regular post, here are some opportunities for you:

• Vancouver Foundation
• Social Venture Connextion (SVX)
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Clean Prosperity
• Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR)
• Tapestry
• STAND.earth
• Fraser Basin Council

All the best if you're job hunting or considering changing careers! 🤞
Happy Labour Day 🌱

This sub was created 5 months ago, and I'm so grateful that there's no shortage of people who care about each other, our communities, and Mother Nature. Now, if we can have more people posting and a couple more mods, this place will be so popping 🥳 thanks everyone!

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So... research and surveys around the world consistently document a "green gender gap," showing that women tend to express higher levels of environmental concern and engage in more pro-environmental behaviours. This is potentially due to differences in socialization, risk assessment, and the climate crisis affecting women more (more on this tomorrow). Naturally, women find a way to connect and follow this passion. Below are a few options if this speaks to you ☺️

• Women Talking Climate. Another LinkedIn Group! This one hosted by Zoe Grams (ED of Climate Caucus) and Angie Woo (Climate advisor). Check out their Fall programming.
• Women and Climate. A global Slack group with over 6k members, on topics including jobs, events, grants, lifestyles, etc.
• Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) has a Women4Climate program comprising of mentorship, training, and networking.

Please share if you know other resources!

If this sounds familiar, yes, the "news" is 2 months old, posted late!
Continue reading if it doesn't 🤓

• Four engineering grads from SFU founded Moment Energy in a home garage in Surrey in 2019
• They turn retired EV batteries into energy storage systems for data centres, hospitals, microgrids, factories, etc, backed by a $4.9M investment from PacifiCan (a federal agency helping communities grow across BC).
• Yes, they are hiring 😄

Do you think government should be investing in Clean Tech?

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Well-adopted storage systems are a cornerstone of "virtual power plants (VPP)", which imo should be called "power community" (arguably doesn't sound as cool).

VPP is just a fancy name for a coordinated network of energy sources (residential batteries, EV charging stations, etc) that can complement the power grid.

• What's "virtual" is the coordination: monitoring and distributing are done in real time online. The energy sources themselves are not virtual 😉
• They are not exactly "power plants" but "power sources". While some generate energy (connected to a solar panel/turbine), they mainly act as a distributed energy reserve which charges when demand is low and discharges when demand is high.

BC Hydro began its first VPP project in Spring 2025 with the installation of 200 residential batteries in homes in Sun Peaks (near Kamloops) and Harrison Mills (near Agassiz). No updates on the pilot yet!

When do you think this will be popularized? ⚡️

https://www.enelx.com/jp/en/question-and-answer/what-is-virtual-power-plant

Fall is right around the corner. To many, this marks a new phase: a change of colours, returning to school, or a new financial quarter. To us at Sustainable Vancouver, it's a great time to talk about a responsible way to fall into Fall!

• Whether you're like me, who thinks every tree is pretty and literally can't resist hugging them, or a sane, normal person, spending a day in nature is surprisingly one of the best things you can do for nature (as long as you don't litter or vandalize 🤗). Done right, it's a low-carbon activity, where you're self-reliant and create maximum experience with minimum spending 🌳
• Fall welcomes the best community festivals: Thanksgiving and Halloween. This year, think about how we can decorate without damage: use a buy nothing group or consider "farm to table" decorations.
• Organize community clean-up days: time to keep an eye on those catch basins! Be on the lookout for regular or emergency servicing to prevent runoff or flooding.
• Enjoy local harvest, and remember, compost what you can! (Pumpkins don't belong in the garbage 🎃)
• Fall is sweater weather! Whether you burito yourself into your favourite blanket or coze up with a decadent herbal tea, remember - heating costs climbs 5% for every degree above 20°C, so BC Hydro recommends:
  • 16°C when you're away from home or sleeping.
  • 18°C when you're cooking or doing housework.
  • 21°C when you're relaxing or watching TV (unless you're watching Love Island, then 18°C is also ok)

What other tips do you have to ease into a slightly different but equally (if not more) enjoyable Autumn 🍂?

https://shegrowsveg.com/hub/how-to-dry-your-drying-corn/

Every Friday, BC Impact & Sustainability Collective publishes a job roundup, kudos to them! Follow to see these types of updates.

This week's edition
(And here's the link for Light House)

As usual, here are bonus opportunities (there are so many! 🥳)

• Canadian Renewable Energy Association
• Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition
• Finance Engage Sustain
• Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council
• Food Banks Canada

And some great listings hosted by the amazing GoodWork.ca

• Echo Ecological Enterprises
• Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre
• Soaring Eagle Nature School
• EPIC Learning Community

All the best if you're job hunting or thinking of changing careers! 🤞

If you're also looking for a pick-me-up, this post is for YOU!

We all know that beavers are a keystone species; remember what that means?

• The wetlands they create provide homes for plants, fungus, insects, amphibians, fish, birds, and mammals (so basically everyone).
• These ponds also filter pollutants, recharge groundwater, store carbon, fireproof the surroundings, and buffer both droughts and downstream floods!
• Beavers can chop down trees because their teeth keep growing and have an iron-rich outer layer of enamel that makes them extremely hard, acid-resistant, and orange!

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Fun facts that are not climate-related:

• They live 10-12 years in the wild
• Predators include wolves, coyotes, bears (!), big cats, ... and humans?
• A beaver family is called a colony, typically with 4 to 8 members (parents, kits, and yearlings)
• Young beavers leave their family lodge at 2 years old

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The best place to spot beavers in Vancouver is probably at Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park.

Now you know why they're called nature's engineers and firefighters! Humans can help protect them by preventing trapping, car collisions, or habitat disruption near their homes.

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Happy beavers for smiles :)

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/the-dam-the-myth-the-legend-50-years-of-the-beaver/#&gid=1&pid=4

Mega threads often get thousands of upvotes / hundreds of thousands of views.
For a small sub like this, getting 24 upvotes and 12k views is a new record.
A combination of popular sentiment and algorithm?
Thanks to this post (A Choking Market), 100 new members joined last week.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone, new and existing members alike 🤗

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It's starting to feel like fall!
Today I learned that when it comes to cooling, AC and heat pumps use the same mechanism (a compressed refrigerant cycle to move heat from inside to outside) and the same amount of energy.

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We all know that heat pumps are energy efficient. This is true during the colder months, when it reverses the refrigerant cycle for heating. This is energy smart because...

• It uses electricity to move heat instead of burning fuel.
• By transferring heat instead of creating heat, it can be 200% to 350% more efficient than other heating modes.

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While heat pumps = dual purpose & provide energy-efficient heating, they do have some cons:

• Higher upfront costs (may be offset by rebates & long-term savings)
• Might lose efficiency in deep sub-zero cold (luckily not an issue for Vancouver)

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As of Jan 1, 2023, heat pumps are mandatory for Vancouver detached homes, for new systems & renos >$250k.

Rebates are available thanks to a partnership between CleanBC / BC Hydro / FortisBC

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Unfortunately, I have a relatively new AC, so it doesn't make sense to replace it with a heat pump. I'm always so curious about them! Are they quieter? Lower maintenance? Slower than traditional heating? Please share your experience!