DEN Enews

It has been a week. The roller coaster continues and emotions are running high. I am grateful for Bishop Sandra’s comment on Facebook about not dehumanizing people in our responses to current events. “ Dehumanizing this conflict only serves to fuel it, which plays into the hands of the aggressor.” It is too easy to be that fuel.

Our emotions are stretched thin by DJT as well as the proposal by Premier Houston and his veiled condemnation of “special interest” groups who we are told he “will blow past and run over anyone with objections .”

Was his paid-front-page-of-the-paper letter a proposal or a promise? Was it a knee-jerk protectionist response to tariffs?

So much has been written in social media this past two weeks and this issue will attempt to summarize these thoughts and their sources and perhaps add a few words of encouragement. We may not have answers but DEN does have a commitment to honour our mission statement and our Baptismal Covenant:

Celebrant Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation and respect, sustain, and renew the life of the earth?

People I will, with God’s help

May we remember Simeon’s joy seeing the Light God promised and strive to be that light to the world.

Encouraging Words to Start

Climate Scientist, Katherine Hayhoe writes:

Now, more than ever, we need each other. And when we work together, we can change the world. History illustrates the power of the individual when we come together.

Change didn’t begin with the King of England deciding to end slavery or the President of the United States giving women the vote or the National Party of South Africa opting to end apartheid. It began when ordinary people – people of no particular power, wealth, or fame – decided that the world could and should be different.

Who were William Wilberforce, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and all the countless others who shared and supported and fought for their visions of a better world? They were people who had the courage of their convictions, who used their voices to advocate for the systemic societal changes needed.

We are the people who changed the world before: and we are the people who can change it again.

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First order of business

Write your MLA to express your concerns or make an appointment to visit in person.

Thanks to Rob Bright, here are some talking points to raise with your MLA and some thoughts gathered from others around each issue.

As SOOF said in their last newsletter “The MLAs have been instructed to listen to their constituents and bring their concerns to the Legislature”.

1) Tim Houston and the PCs did not run on this platform to heavily increase resource extraction like fracked gas, uranium, green hydrogen, and off-shore oil drilling in the election.

 Rev. Michelle Schofield Bull writes”

“Take the ‘no’ out of Nova Scotia”? I think you need a better slogan. Like, “Keep the smart in Nova Scotia….. There were reasons we said no to these projects and they remain good reasons. Our latest droughts, fires, floods and hurricanes provide more good reasons for saying No. And, Mr. Premier? No means no. We meant it when we said no before…… You went to the public, three months ago, seeking a stronger mandate on a platform of continuing to fix health care, building houses and reducing taxes a bit. Not a breath of oil rigs on George’s. (Ed. Note – this idea has since been withdrawn) Not a breath of “resource extraction.” During the campaign, your candidate told me you were not like Pierre Poilièvre or Danielle Smith or Doug Ford. You were a Red Tory. The renewed mandate you got was for continuing as you were, not for a radical change of direction, although perhaps we should have been forewarned when you said "no" to coastal protection, which had already been passed unanimously….. If you wanted a mandate to endanger our two most profitable industries as well as potentially damaging our environment and health, you should have told us that. It would be the ethical and honest thing to do.”

 2) They have no mandate to roll back environmental protections in this province such as a) the moratorium on fracking and b) the uranium mining ban.

 From the Ecology Action Centre

“ Premier Houston sent a shocking letter to all PC caucus members, signalling his intention to expedite an array of resource extraction projects – even though it would mean lifting long-standing and hard-won bans on fracking and uranium mining, ending a moratorium on offshore drilling in the important and highly sensitive fishing grounds of Georges Bank and reviving the proposed Energy East pipeline. “

 Letter by Helga Guderley in The Masthead:

“Houston wants Nova Scotia to pin its health and prosperity on expedited resource extraction. He wants to abolish the long standing and hard-won bans on fracking and uranium mining and to end the moratorium on drilling in the critical fishing grounds in Georges Bank. ( Ed. Note – this has since been withdrawn) He calls these bans “lazy public policy” although some were created by previous PC governments and until a few days ago supported by his government.”

 In response to premier Houston’s comment that  “special interests have captured too many parts of our economy and have had an out-sized voice in policy creation” , Lindsay Lee writes: Regulations are there for a reason. The moratorium on uranium mining exists for a reason. But the real “special interests” here aren’t concerned citizens, they’re mining companies and lobbying groups.”

 Nature Nova Scotia writes: “What's a special interest? Clean air and water? To be clear, the resource extraction mentioned here includes uranium mining, fracking for natural gas and the moratorium on oil and gas exploration on the lucrative fishing grounds of Georges Bank, activities previous governments have avoided for obvious public health and environmental reasons.”

3) We’ve had enough of giving our resources away to companies that leave us holding the bag like Northern Pulp (aka, Paper Excellence, aka, Domtar.)

 Ed. Note – ask whether contaminated sludge / waste water sites have been remediated yet?

 4) Panicking in the face of threats by the US President is no way to lead the province. Especially in the early days when Premiers right across the country are planning and strategizing how to work together on this.

 From the Ecology Action Centre:

“With growing political instability in the United States and numerous converging crises facing Nova Scotians and their families, our province deserves measured, forward-thinking solutions from our leaders. Instead, the Houston government is defaulting to a panicked, short-sighted response – one that paves the way for corporate interests at the expense of the people of Nova Scotia.”

 5) Commitments to protect nature and cut emissions can’t just be abandoned. Tim Houston's legislated promise to Protect 20% of NS lands and waters by 2030 must be fulfilled. He ran on this promise in his first campaign, and has continued to promise to fulfill this legislated mandate. Yet he seems to be dragging his feet and accomplishing nothing on it. In fact, his DNR minister (Rushton) is allowing logging plans on areas that have been proposed for protection.

 From SOOF newsletter reporting on a meeting with their MLA:

“And we talked about Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area. We told MLA Bowlby about the magic of the Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area.   We talked about the work of Citizen Scientists of Southwest Nova Scotia documenting Species at Risk and identifying potential old growth stands.  We talked about how the Citizen Scientists have been trying to collaborate with DNR and ECC.  And that DNR no longer seems to be willing to collaborate with us.   We raised concerns about the lack of action to move the government closer to its legislated goal of 20% by 2030.   We raised concerns about the high-production forestry (clearcutting and spraying) identified for 25% of the proposed wilderness area and the need to see Goldsmith Lake as a candidate for protection.”

Editor’s Note – add your concerns for an area threatened near you like Sandy Lake and the Bridgewater Watershed. Better yet – go to DEN’s Facebook page and scroll to find the video by Adam J Malcolm showing forest coverage loss since 2001. Show that to your MLA.

Go to this website for more pertinent info on protected areas. Many are not as protected as the public assumes. https://naturens.ca/make-room-for-nature/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIM3pdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVo3ZbO5P45wnz85qRXGV4eqqWlE-SWTExJwiI2n_VpKdj5t9udTIcSP8g_aem_9_X2RYkW3JssbwR-eMi7jg

6) Also, he can’t just turn his back on projects he began but has not finished. Fixing Healthcare for a start. His latest public statements suggest he thinks he has fulfilled this mandate, when we all know there are more people on waiting lists for doctors than when he first started.

Ed. Note – almost all letters noted the Premier’s failure to address the issues he campaigned on. 

7 ) Premier Houston also promised to adopt the Lahey Report recommendations to reforming forestry practices. Now he sounds like he is going in the exact opposite direction and ignoring his promise to collaborate with the public, NSECC Protected Areas, and DNR to fully protect 20% by 2030. Instead, he is refusing to even communicate with groups working on protected areas.

FROM SOOF “Tell your MLA how important it is to YOU to see the Government meet it’s commitment to protect 20% by 2030.  Ask your MLA to talk with the Ministers of Natural Resources and Environment and Climate Change to find out when we can expect to see some progress on assessing areas of Crown land citizens have proposed for protection, such as Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area (Annapolis County) Chain Lakes Wilderness Area (Kings County), or Ingram River Wilderness Area (HRM)”

 8 ) He has done nothing to address the need for affordable housing. In fact, Nova Scotia doesn't even have a proper definition of what affordable housing even is. (The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has defined affordable housing as 30% of a person's gross income before taxes. The best Premier Houston has done is to offer 60% to 80% of market value -- this is decidedly NOT affordable to many Nova Scotians.

9) His secret meetings with the CEO of Everwind Energy to build 600 wind turbines in NS with sole purpose to turn NS freshwater into hydrogen and ship it to Europe is a terrifying plan. Not only will none of this energy help NS get off coal, but 80 of the turbines that were going to help green our grid have now been bought up by Everwind to make green hydrogen. (So we are actually going backward on that one.) Also, there are no buyers in Europe for this green hydrogen, and Germany has even backed out of their original plan to do so. (In fact, green hydrogen projects are being scrapped all over the world because countries recognize they are not at all feasible.) (Please visit the Protect Guysborough group and the Green Nova Scotia First group to learn more about this "green" hydrogen scam.

 Last word goes to Rev. Michelle Schofield Bull from her letter to the Premier:

Mr. Premier, let’s keep the smart in Nova Scotia. Let’s govern by good sense, not by slogans. Let’s keep the No in Nova Scotia when it’s warranted.

Say No to oil rigs on George’s Bank.

Say No to fracking.

Say No to uranium mining.

Say No to leaky oil pipelines.

And say Yes to innovative, clean, sustainable industry in areas of growth that will carry Nova Scotia into the future.

Yours sincerely, Michelle Bull

 Buckwheat

Grandma has been studying, writing emails and asking questions from anyone I can track down and bother. I want to learn what plants may work best for the pollinators. Over and over, I hear “Buckwheat”. Except for a memory of pancakes, I don’t or should say didn’t, know of this plant

Buckwheat is a protein-rich grain. It releases carbohydrates slowly, giving you energy over a longer time than the wheat in your hamburger bun.

Its white flowers produce lots of nectar for bees and other pollinators. Buckwheat flowers are the perfect landing pads for monarch butterflies.

Buckwheat adds nitrogen to the soil, enriches the root zone, and, when used as a cover crop provides phosphorus and micronutrients for the next crop. It is also gluten-free and offers far more fibre, vitamins, and nutrients than rice.

 Grandma is always cautious with any new plant. It is a family story that my grandmother is responsible for bringing “Goldenrod” to Blandford. She thought it was so pretty and gathered some on the roadside while moving here from Saskatchewan. She carefully tended it in her flower garden. The seed spread everywhere in the village, especially in hay fields.

It appears that buckwheat thrives in poor soil. Grandma will be asking our Diocese to find a rough spot and plant packs of pollinator seed this year. The next year it may be Buckwheat.

What do you know of buckwheat? Write Grandma at [email protected]

Gardening

If you have time, look at the Maritime Gardening site. He has lists of podcasts on what seems like hundreds of gardening subjects. Free to join and get the info. It is the best gardening information site I have seen in years and this guy is down the road in Bridgewater.

https://maritimegardening.com/

Craft

Here is a fun thing to do with kids in winter. Save up toilet tissue tubes, get a bottle of peanut butter and a bag of birdseed.

Butter the toilet tissue rolls with peanut butter (or wonder butter as we did) Have a container of seed ready and roll the tube in seed.

Make many

Before the event finishes everyone gets their coats on and goes outdoors to find tree branches and twigs to slip the TT tubes over.

The birds eat the seed and butter and in time, the tubes go back to nature.

So simple and so helpful for the birds in winter.

 Easy Supper

Life is always busy but we like to eat well. We eat fish at least twice a week and any other day I can find more. Make a salad with this recipe and supper is complete.

Shrimp in Pasta

1 bag of shrimp (and we use half a bag for 2 people)

1 bottle of mushroom or Alfredo sauce (maybe only half according to bottle size)

Noodles, be they macaroni, bow ties, stars.

Boil noodles and drain, set aside. Removing the tails, cook shrimp in a fry pan with a bit of butter for oil for 5-7 minutes. Add Alfredo or mushroom sauce.  Add noodles and heat through. Quick supper. Add a salad and it covers the food groups.

Give Us Hope

When evil darkens our world, give us light. When despair numbs our souls, give us hope. When we stumble and fall, lift us up. When doubts assail us, give us faith. When nothing seems sure, give us trust. When ideals fade, give us vision. When we lose our way, be our guide! That we may find serenity in Your presence, and purpose in doing Your will.

John D. Rayner