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Let's continue to Draw the Line
Diocesan Environment Network
September 23, 2025
This past weekend’s Draw the Line gathering found the Rev. Marian Lucas-Jefferies and the Rev. Lorraine Otto setting up a confessional station for multinationals and their Sins of Emission. Sadly none took advantage or asked for absolution but the message was loud and clear. The Line needs to be drawn against pollution of all kinds, environmental injustices and all that destroys creation without adequate measures to re-create.
Our Mi’kmaq brothers and sisters Drew the Line at Hunter’s Mountain in Cape Breton. With quotes from [email protected] and photos from the Mi’kmaq Rights Association https://www.facebook.com/micmacrights , here is a brief overview.
What began as logging blockade has become “ a centre for traditional medicine gathering and cultural teachings.”
“It comes amid frustration about ongoing logging operations on Hunters Mountain without adequate consultation with the Mi’kmaq, despite being Crown land on the unceded territory of Mi’kma’ki.”
“Elder Ernie Johnson, who is providing teachings at the camp, explains the significance of the mountain: "Balsam is held very sacred to our people. It's a medicine, and it's being used for something else. We need to bring this mountain back to its original intent for the wellbeing of our people."
The contrast between government and Mi'kmaw understanding of the land lies at the heart of the conflict. While government and private companies view forests as economic resources, for the Mi'kmaq, these lands are sacred and provide food, medicines, and habitats for relatives like the moose.
Camp organizers are calling on all Nova Scotians to voice their concerns about Crown land forests being mismanaged by successive governments and private corporations.
The camp welcomes visitors who wish to learn about Mi'kmaq culture and traditional ecological knowledge, and invites all Nova Scotians to stand in solidarity with their efforts to protect the land for future generations.”
Photo of drying Racks by Nina Newington
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From the Sandy Lake-Sackville River Regional Park Coalition newsletter:
It is not too late for Sandy Lake... uncomfortably close, but not too late! Your help is still needed!
To see a ten-minute video overview of The Situation at Sandy Lake, watch the presentation to HRM North West Community Council on September 8, 2025. It starts at 1:59:00 and lasts 10 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/live/aCDd0gjPDwg
Events: To learn for yourself why Sandy Lake Park is an outstanding treasure not to be messed with, sign up for our free guided hikes at Sandy Lake Regional Park – Sep. 20 or 28. Meet the amazing flora and fauna of the area, and learn about the major threats to the area’s lakes and forests. Hikes are free but registration is required. Learn more and register: https://www.sandylakecoalition.ca/hikes
A quote concerning lake water quality:
“Data further confirm precarious state of Sandy Lake The Aug 2025 observations further support the contentions (i) that “Sandy Lake is in trouble NOW”, and (ii) that a major development on its headwaters as proposed by Clayton Developments and recently given the go-ahead* by the provincial authorities now overseeing development in HRM (but not that in other municipalities) will “do it in”. *See post: “Community studies are complete for the Sandy Lake special planning area” – NS Gov 16May2025
What to do: We need the political will to do the right thing. We urgently ask you to please do all you can to generate a clear message to the Province.
Ask that the Sandy Lake Special Planning Area be removed from their housing development list and instead be protected as park
Visit the Save Sandy Lake website, send a letter to the Premier, and request/ print a sign
Do you want to go for a hike at Sandy lake?
A guided hike 9:30-11:30am October 4th is being offered if we get any takers. Email by this Friday, Sept. 25. [email protected]
What’s coming up?
Next work party: Wednesday, September 24, 7 – 9 pm, 2081 Kline Street
Postering action: Friday, October 3, starting at 6:30 pm
Commuter College: Wednesday, October 29th , 3:30 – 5:30 pm.
One of the actions we hope to get your help with is something we’re calling “Commuter College” or “Traffic Tutorial,” educating commuters about uranium mining during a time when they are a captive audience, i.e. stuck in traffic. We will be holding up signs with brief, informative facts placed at intervals suitable for car occupants to read at a low rate of speed, along a road where distraction from the signs does not place pedestrians at risk or increase the risk of car collisions.
We hope to have some fun with this as volunteers can be dressed as professors with mortarboard hats. Professors could cheer car occupants at the finish line holding sign(s) that congratulate them on graduating from ‘Uranium 101’. If it is safe to do so, we could hand out “diplomas” to drivers at the finish line.
At our latest gathering, we screen-printed 75 anti-uranium signs which we will use in our next action on Friday, October 3, starting at 6:30 pm. We will be “postering” a target area of HRM. If you are interested in helping out, please send us an email and we will send you more details.
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Remember the online Hope & Inspiration Gallery DEN created to get us through the covid times and keep us connected? The David Suzuki Foundation also recognizes the power of art in its many forms and the effect it has on our brains and well-being. Neuroscience confirms it.
“Experiencing art literally lights up our neural pathways, making us more open to new ideas and more likely to activate them.
That matters when it comes to rewilding — restoring ecosystems and their processes and reconnecting people with the natural world. Too often, conservation discussions rely on numbers and warnings. But facts alone don’t always move people. Art is an affecting way to bridge the gap between data and action.”
Read more here:
DEN’s Hope & Inspiration gallery is open to anyone who wishes to post art that inspires them and connects us to this incredible world. Find the gallery here; https://www.facebook.com/groups/373394600384260
Good news from Greenpeace:
The Global Ocean Treaty will enter into force now that we have FINALLY reached 60 countries signing it into law. Years of tireless campaigning from activists, environmentalists, scientists, and people like you have secured a truly historic win for the ocean. This unlocks a powerful tool to create ocean sanctuaries and protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
with thanks to Eva Evans & Jesse Hamilton
Some of us joined thousands across Canada in the streets last Saturday, Sept. 20th for the Draw the Line event. We were asking our Canadian government to 1) Put people over corporate profit. Fund our families and communities. 2) Refuse ongoing colonialism. Uphold Indigenous sovereignty. 3) Stop blaming migrants. 4) End the war machine. Stand for justice and peace. 5) End the era of fossil fuels. Protect Mother Earth. This petition to the prime minister and to your own MP is asking for the same things.
Stop spraying British Columbia’s forests with glyphosate that kills the trees that wildlife needs! When a boreal forest regrows after logging, it is a paradise for wildlife like bees, moose, birds, and beavers. The large selection of fireweed, poplar (aspen), birch, willow, and grass is critical to wildlife. However, to industrial forestry, only one type of tree has value; conifer trees. Each year in British Columbia, 10,000 to 20,000 hectares of diverse forests are sprayed with industrial strength glyphosate in order to kill every plant that isn't a conifer. Factories don’t have use for the other trees and the government deems them as pests which need to be removed. The result is a monoculture forest with limited biodiversity that limits wildlife. Instead, intelligent forestry embraces biodiversity and allows for mixed forests with pine, fir, aspen, and birch. This would benefit us as our climate changes and protect us against catastrophic losses. Help raise awareness on how these companies are legally destroying our wildlife and forests by signing this petition supporting biodiversity and standing against glyphosate spraying.
Let Prime Minister Carney and Housing Minister Robertson know you want to see heat pumps in new federally funded homes. The new federal Build Canada Homes program is an opportunity to take a better approach to home building. This program could require all new homes funded by the program to be equipped with high efficiency heat pumps. These heat pumps would deliver many advantages from reduced costs, a lower climate footprint, new economic opportunities, and less reliance on imported American gas. It allows for better air quality and faster construction time by doing away with the need for new gas infrastructure. Let’s ask our government to use this approach to home building by demanding all federally funded homes be built with climate friendly, efficient, and affordable heat pumps.
As we witness the ice of the Arctic melt away, a similar crisis unfolds that threatens the environmental balance and communities relying on North America's Great Lakes. Recent data from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory reveals a stark reality: ice cover across these vital freshwater sources has plummeted to its lowest level in 50 years. This decline is a clear signal of the escalating climate crisis. The Great Lakes hold nearly 20% of the Earth's unfrozen fresh surface water, but it's experiencing record high temperatures due to the El Niño effect and climate change driven by fossil fuel combustion. The implications are profound from altering weather patterns to shrinking snow seasons that communities and ecosystems depend on. An aggressive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, investment in renewable energy, and measures to protect the Great Lakes from further environmental degradation are needed. This petition is for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking to impose stricter limits on carbon emissions from industrial, agricultural, and transportation sectors, and calling for policies that safeguard our shared lakes, climate, and communities.
Canadian wildfires are already twice as bad as they used to be. Since 1970, the area of Canada burned by wildfires has doubled. If fossil-fuel driven climate change continues, then the area that burns every year will double again. To fight double the fires our wildfire fighters need at least double the support. This petition is asking the federal government to Buy key equipment that paid and volunteer firefighters need to save communities now, Train more firefighters to meet the growing need, including Indigenous firefighters and fire guardians, Free up provincial money to improve pay, and provide health protections and pensions so they can support families long-term and keep working to defend us all. In 2022 the federal government committed funding to help provinces equip and train 1,000 wildfire fighters over five years: a good start, but it’s not enough. Millions can save us the billions we are already spending to recover from the growing destruction. To stop the problem at the source, we need to do our part to stop climate change by switching from fossil fuels to clean energy. We also need to help nature stop the fires by fixing our forest management. Those solutions will take time, and in that time wildfire fighters need help to defend us now.
with thanks to Claudia Zinck
When Today’s - Tomorrow’s Warming”
Grandma is noticing a change in the general public opinion concerning climate change. Now don’t get me wrong, most Canadians still believe climate change is real. A recent survey says 83% of us agree on that, but here’s the twist: fewer of us are saying it with the same strong conviction we had a couple of years ago. Some polls even found fewer folks believe that climate change is human caused.
I know, that is hard to believe. Try to contain your laughter. However, it appears that when the grocery bill makes you gasp, when gas eats up your coffee money, and when rent looks like an overpriced mortgage, it’s no wonder climate talk gets nudged to the back burner. It’s not that we don’t care about the planet, it’s just that the fridge and the furnace come first.
But here’s the thing, climate change doesn’t wait politely for us to catch up. It’s like laundry; you can ignore it for a while, but it only piles higher. The good news is, we don’t need to save the world all at once. We can chip away at it in ways that also make life easier on the wallet.
Eat what you buy. I know, easier said than done. But tossing out wilted lettuce isn’t just sad, it’s like throwing toonies straight into the compost bin. Those fifty per cent off salads usually last a week. Grandma has gone back to menu planning. It’s a list of ideas of what we want for dinner. The list isn’t nailed down, but suggestions. If something is getting a bit old, change the menu to incorporate it. It also involves cleaning the fridge several times weekly, so things don’t get hidden and not used.
Grow a little something. Even if it’s just a pot of lettuce on the windowsill, it saves money and tastes better than anything in those plastic clamshell packs.
Mind the plug. Unplug the toaster oven or blender that only gets used twice a year. Swap a bulb for an LED. It trims the power bill and Mother Earth sends you a thank-you note.
Walk or bike when you can. Fresh air, exercise, and one less trip to the gas station. For rural readers, it may only be walking to the mailbox instead of driving there, Win-win-win.
Keep talking. Write a note to your MP, or just bring it up with friends. Governments act faster when regular folks keep nudging.
Find Like Minded People. When Grandma goes to the Enviro Day in Est River, it is like going to a birthday party. She found so many people willing to teach her things. She discovered she was needed to teach stuff. Another whole community formed that day.
Now, I know times are tough. Believe me, Grandma has stared down enough price tags this year to nearly faint in the aisle. But let’s not forget the bigger picture. If we let climate change slide too far, the bills our kids and grandkids face down the road will make today’s grocery receipts look like pocket change.
I am always reminded of a quote from Arthus Ashe. “Start where you are. Use what you have Do what you can”
So go on, clip those coupons, stretch the stew, and keep life humming along. Just tuck in a little care for the planet while you’re at it. Because in the end, a stable climate is the one investment that never stops paying us back.
Brilliant!
There seems to be a theme these days in how we’re finding clever spots to use wind and solar power. Wind turbines can now sit right on rooftops, cutting down on the land needed for big energy projects. Solar panels stretched over bike lanes? That’s another smart way to get double use out of the same space.
And here’s the newest one I heard about this week: solar panels floating on dam reservoirs!
Now, dams already create hydroelectricity when water runs through the turbines, but they also need a wide pool of water behind them. In Australia, they’re testing floating solar panels right on top of that water. Not only do these panels make more clean power, but they also shade the water, reduce algae growth, cut down on evaporation and saving precious water supplies at the same time.
Now that’s what I call many good things for the price of one. If you’d like to read more, check out these websites:
Project to test floating PV on farm dams to save water, generate electricity – pv magazine Australia
Seed Saving
Grandma came across another gardening blog this week all about saving tomato seeds. Now, tomato seeds always seem so tiny and covered in muck that it feels like a big chore to get enough saved for next year. But this method looks much easier! So off I go to the garden this morning to gather up some of those beauties from the tomato patch, scoop out the pulp, and let it ferment in a bottle. We’ll see how it turns out!
Grandma’s Potholder Project
There’s been so much going on lately that crafts nearly slipped my mind—other than the quilt top I keep stitching away on in my lap. But with an October birthday supper around the corner, Nana Lorn thought we should have a little something for the birthday folks. Something simple they could unwrap. I suggested potholders. After all, who doesn’t need a new potholder? It’s the perfect excuse to finally toss out that scorched, faded one hiding in the drawer.
Potholders are delightfully simple. You need a top, some padding in the middle, and a backing. I’m using plain fabric for the backs, and the padding is cut from an old tea towel I never liked (two layers, since it was on the thin side). The fronts I’m turning into little quilt squares. You don’t have to get fancy. Just layer everything together, tuck a small ribbon loop in one corner for hanging, stitch all around (leaving a two-inch gap for turning), clip the corners, flip it right side out, and hem the opening. Done!
They double as trivets, too, perfect under a hot bowl of soup. And really, for the person who has everything, a handmade potholder is a sweet, practical gift that quietly says, “I care enough to save your fingers.”
Grandma’s Kitchen Gadgets
Grandma’s air fryer sits on a shelf right beside the single-pod coffee maker (both unplugged, of course). Truth be told, neither gets used much. The coffee maker earns its keep when one of my sons visits, so it stays. But that air fryer? Well, it needs to prove itself useful or it’s headed for the basement shelf—wrapped in a plastic bag and tucked into the “too good to throw out” pile. (That’s the same shelf where the hot oil fryer and the once-a-year dehydrator live.)
Now, Grandma has always had a soft spot for mozzarella sticks at a restaurant. Trouble is, the price has nearly doubled in recent years. Time to let the air fryer earn its keep as we can make our own!
Here’s how: cut thick slices from a cheese block, lay them on a plate, then slip them into a zipper bag and freeze. When you’re ready, set up three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with an egg wash, and one with fine bread crumbs. Take the frozen cheese, dip in flour, then egg, then crumbs. Into the air fryer they go—350°F for six minutes. Golden, gooey, and Grandma knows exactly what’s in them.
And for those feeling adventurous—try fried pickles! Slice dill pickles into spears and after drying, give them the same flour-egg-crumb treatment. Into the air fryer they go. My teenagers devoured them—and truth be told, their parents loved them too.
That’s all for this week. Keep well out there folks. Smile to your neighbours as you wave a Good Morning. Life just isn’t as gloomy as some want to make it. Hugs, Grandma.
