Huguette Allen
For The Morning Star
As communities grow and change, there are a lot of people who are negatively affected by various developments, be it new industries, industrial farms or orchards, motorized recreation, loss of forests, water, air and noise pollution, and too often people feel afraid to speak out and feel powerless to make a change.
Yet without being pro active, we are doomed to suffer more and more of what already affects us. Too often people wait until the problems become so acute as to be practically unsolvable. We see this already with polluted aquifers that leave people without water and excessive deforestation that cause landslides, erosion and water pollution.
The Sustainable Environment Network Society (SENS) will explore the effects of development on health in a free presentation Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Schubert Centre.
This SENS evening is designed to show people that there are different tools already available to help us be effective lobbyists for healthy communities that prioritize people and environmental health. Too often people associate opposing developmental projects with fighting when in fact, it can be in support of plans that go in a more positive direction.
A good example of that is the Shuswap Watershed Sustainability Plan that has been completed by RDNO with the help of citizens. It details the activities that harm the environment and if better known, could be a great reference tool for anyone who wishes to be pro active in preventing or stopping polluting activities.
We hope that everyone who feels that there are damaging projects looming or already happening in their community will attend this event so we can all be on the same page and work together. Only by being proactive will we prevent and stop pollution from entering our lakes and rivers, preserve what’s left of wilderness, and ensure our children can live in healthy communities.
For more information, contact Huguette Allen at 250-547-0272 or huguette.allen@gmail.com