| ty Dr. David Suzuki

is year's Earth Day marks the last of a
remarkable millennium. In the past 1,000 years,
humanity has changed this planet more than

@ any other species in the four billion years since life
) arose. We've transformed our earth in ways that
4; peopie a thousand years ago could never have
a] imagined. We've made over the land with cities and
j roads, vast monccuiture farms and clearcut logging.
: We've altered our rivers with massive dams, dikes
m and culverts. We've changed the oceans with
j chemicals and toxins, while removing far more life
AI from them than they could replenish. We've disrupted
the chemistry of our atmosphere by releasing billions
of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the sky every year
a| - so much, in fact, that we've even changed our climate.
But today, at the end of the miliennium, it is we who
B® must change.

As we have pushed the naturat life systems of this
planet to their limits, we've forgotten that we are a
-part of those systems. Humans emerged from the
i web of living things and remain deeply embedded in
i it for our lives. Intelligence has been our species’
survival trait. But impressed with our technological
prowess we have come to believe that we are
somehow different - that the world exists simply to
A serve our ever-expanding consumer society. Now,
faced, with ecosystem collapse as a result, we have
‘ no choice but to reassess our place in the world and

make changes necessary for our survival:
’ That we must change has never been more evident
B than it has been in the past year. Since last year’s
B Earth Day, the symptoms of climate change have
E. - really hit home. Last year was the warmest in recorded
| history. Heat waves in the summer triggered horrible
a smog in our cities and massive fires in our forests. In
® the winter, record rain and wind pelted the West Coast.

AR: inthe North, researchers have found that polar bears

along western Hudson Bay have lost up to a third of
their body weight because melting ice has reduced
# access to food. in Europe, a 40-year observational
fj .study has found that the growing season has increased
f by 11 days since 1959. Everywhere we look, human
activities are having an impact on our environment,
and the consequences could be devastating.
; Earth Day 1999 should be a time for reflection, to
i look back at what humanity has accomplished - our
a failures and our successes - and to look ahead at what
= we must do if we want the next generation to lead
healthy, fulfilling lives. The focus of this year’s Earth
Day Eco-Fair and Celebration at the Vancouver Pubtic

century approche
committment to the earth: This p
planet needs our help. Let us fk ahead at
what we must do if we want the next
generation to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Library is “Local Solutions” — ways in which we can
all act to reduce our ecological footprint on this small
planet. According to UBC professor Bill Rees, if
everyone in the world lived like the average Canadian,
we would need the equivalent of five to six more
Earths to provide the materials and energy we currently
use! By reducing our footprint, we reduce our impact
onthe ecosystem of which we are a part, simplifying
our lives and starting humanity down the path towards
a sustainable future.

Local solutions can start at the smallest individual
level, and work their way into farge-scale social
movements. These solutions are obvious, simple and
easy, and improve the quality of our lives. Many start
in our own homes and neighbourhoods. For example,
buying organic, Jocally grown produce instead of
vegetables that have been shipped thousands of
kilometres reduces the amount of energy needed to
produce and deliver the goods to market. That reduces
fossil fuel consumption - the source of greenhouse
gases and air pollution - and the food tastes better tool
To reduce this energy consumption even more, grow
your own produce - just stay away from toxic pesticides
and commercial fertilizers. Buy as little processed,
pre-packaged goods as possible. Make recycling and
reusing materials a habit. Walk, ride or take public
transit whenever possible. If you must drive, make

‘al efficiency a major part of any vehicle purchase.
As individuals, these may seem like smail steps but
collectively they can have a big impact. These simple
actions also slow down our often-frantic lives, reducing
stress and helping us connect with our communities,
our ecosystem and ourselves.

if you already take part in these solutions, there's
stilt much more that can be done. As members of a
democratic society we have the right and the duty to
speak up whenever our governments are not acting
in the best interests of the planet. Ask your MP why,
for example, there have been two federal budgets
since Canada committed to reducing greenhouse gas
emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels, but almost
no new funding and no substantial actions to reduce
emissions. Ask why Canada has no endangered
species legislation. Ask why our BC salmon stocks
still do not have adequate protection. The usual answer
to all these questions is that it's a matter of priorities,
so without pressure from the public, governments
will stay with the status quo and continue to propel
us down our current destructive, unsustainable path.

Your participation need .not stop at a letter or

telephone call. There are many organizations in fi]

Vancouver working to improve our communities and
our lives. By becoming involved with such groups, you

- will find yourself empowered by joining a community ‘
of like-rninded people working for a better future for g |

coming generations. To find out more about local &
solutions, attend this year’s Earth Day Eco-Fair and |
Celebration. It’s co-sponsorac! by VanCity and the |f
David Suzuki Foundation and Jekes place at the jf
Vancouver Public Library on Saturday, April 24 from ii
11. am - 4:30 pm. .
The Eco Fair will include interactive presentations f& f
onclean air, earth, water and energy from more than [
40 local organizations. There will also be a series of Ii]
presentations examining specific topics such as :
greenways in the city, urban land use, altemative &
transportation, watershed issues, alternative waste [fj
management, voluntary simplicity and food security. s
At noon, | will assist VanCity in awarding theif annual [J

‘environmental service awards to young peopie from

the ages of eight to 18, as well as to environmental |f
educators. Award winners will have their works |i
displayed, and will be on hand to answer questions.
The day will aiso be filled with music and %
entertainment from loca! musicians and groups, Bf
including the Raging Grannies, Holly Arntzen, the &
Public Dream Society and Scrap Arts, a dynamic band |
that uses musica! instruments mede entirely from :
recycled materials. The environrnental Toastmasters
will staff an “Earth Day Soap Box,” and the Western Bf
Canada Wilderness Committee will organize a parade &
celebrating the Earth. Everyone is encouraged to join

‘the parade dressed as a favourite creature.

This year's Earth Day event promises to inspire
Vancouverites of all ages and backgrounds to renew '&
their commitment to the Earth, and to join with others §
to work towards ensuring that we live in balance with ff
the ecosystems upon which we depend
for our lives. There aresolutions to
the ecological crises that we face.
IT'S TIME TO ACT ON THEM.