2019: The Year We'll Turn Things Around!

After feasting, socializing and merry making during the festive season, the giant puppets were finally taking it easy.

With 2019 only days away, they kicked back in the living room and wondered about how the new year would unfold.

Strong coffee and holiday leftovers fuelled their discussion.

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image courtesy of Pixabay

GOOD TIME (brooding, and sipping on coffee): I need a good year ahead. This one has had a few too many rough spots -- a smoky summer, and so many climate disasters all over the world. And they're getting worse all the time.

NOWCA: I agree, Good Time. Things need to turn around -- or, to be more accurate, we need to turn things around.

GOOD TIME: I get what you mean, NOWCA. The year won't just happen to us; we'll all contribute to what it becomes, so we need to be intentional about what we do in the new year.

NOWCA (eating a forkful of yams): That's exactly what I mean, Good Time. Gee, these leftover yams with pecans are good.

PER (nibbling on a rum ball): It's high time we seized not just the day, but the upcoming year and our future. What do we want and how are we going to achieve it?

These leftover rum balls are delicious! Who'd have guessed that you can make them vegan and so healthy?

image courtesy of Pixabay

NOWCA: I want the world to seriously reduce global carbon emissions.

PER: Me too, and I want it done in a way that provides well-paid, secure jobs.

GOOD TIME: I want to be able to relax, and not worry about smoky summers and natural disasters caused by climate change.

MR. PIPELINE: Hey, Good Time, you're jumping to conclusions. Don't believe everything you read: it's important to be skeptical about climate change.

GOOD TIME: Fat chance, Mr. Pipeline! You and your crowd have been urging climate denial for decades and we're not drinking that Kool-Aid anymore.

PER: The jig's up, Mr. Pipeline. We know better. When climate scientists are giving us dire warnings, we're not listening to the oil lobby. This is a matter of life and death. We're not getting suckered -- we want a liveable future.

MR. PIPELINE: But the industry's been changing. It's getting greener all the time. And, besides, what about the economy and the workers employed by the fossil fuel industry?

NOWCA: Too little too late, Mr. Pipeline. We need to switch to green, non-polluting technologies and transition workers to those. You and your friends know that fossil fuels are a sunset industry.

MR. PIPELINE: But we --

PER: Enough, Mr. Pipeline. We don't want to listen to you anymore. We need to plan for a better future. What tools do we have at our disposal?

NOWCA: Well, Naomi Klein and some of her friends have just launched a new podcast. I always learn something amazing from her, and I respect her sense of where we can best put our energies.

GOOD TIME: Here's another great podcast called Balancing Act by Catherine McGrath on our local radio station, Kootenay Co-op Radio. And don't forget the first seven days of protest with the Extinction Rebellion. Sounds like a great way to build community with our friends, and let the world know that we're serious.

MR. PIPELINE: What?! Now you're trying to start a riot?

NOWCA: You know better, Mr. Pipeline. This is a non-violent action. We'll be rising up together to

image courtesy of Pixabay

let our leaders know that the just transition to a green future is happening whether they like it or not.

MR. PIPELINE: Your political leaders represent you, and are there to look out for your interests.

PER: Then why do they look out for the interests of the fracking and oil and gas industries and big money? Most politicians at the federal and provincial levels are not looking out for the public good, and that's putting all of us in grave danger.

NOWCA: I'll still vote as always, but I realize that it's going to take people power to change things. Our politicians say one thing to get elected, and then stick up for corporate interests afterwards. This is not OK.

MR. PIPELINE: Oh ya? Like who?

PER: Well, there's our federal leader who campaigned as a climate champion but then bought a $4.5 billion dollar pipeline on our behalf and with our tax dollars once he became Prime Minister. Then there's our MLA who spoke out against Site C before being elected, but then supported it once she got into office, even though it made no economic sense to do so.

MR. PIPELINE: Ya, well hydro is clean power.

NOWCA: No, it's not. Not when it's from a mega dam that destroys high quality agricultural land and vital wilderness corridors and is in violation of Indigenous rights.

MR. PIPELINE: You're all just anti-progress.

image courtesy of Pixabay

GOOD TIME: You know better, Mr. Pipeline. The longer we take to transition to clean energy, the more behind we'll be. The whole world is adopting clean technologies, and we're still subsidizing fossil fuels. Every time we invest in fossil fuels instead of what's new and green, we fall behind.

The industry is being phased out, but it still has way too much influence on our politicians.

PER: No one believes you anymore, Mr. Pipeline. It's time for you to get with the future. 2019 is the year people are going to make sure they keep the oil in the soil.

MR. PIPELINE: Oh ya?

NOWCA (taking a drink of coffee): Oh ya. Just watch us.

image courtesy of Pixabay

The White Poppy for Peace

Snowfall was closing highways in the giant puppets' neck of the woods. The bleak weather reflected the grimness of recollections of wars past, and the reality of present day wars. Remembrance Day was fast approaching.

With bread in the oven and lentil soup on the stove, the giant puppets were getting ready for lunch. Although it was cold outside, the smell of baking bread and hearty soup created a cozy atmosphere.

Gathered around the table the puppets were ready to dig in to their food.

image courtesy of Pixabay

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NOWCA (bringing the soup to the table): Comfort food sure suits this time of year.

PER (slicing the bread): I love having fresh bread to dunk in the soup. Say, NOWCA, is that a white poppy I saw you wearing? Aren't the poppies supposed to be red?

NOWCA: Yes, the poppy I'm wearing is white. It symbolizes remembrance for all who've died in war, including civilians, and the desire for peace.

MR. PIPELINE: That seems disrespectful to the soldiers Remembrance Day is dedicated to.

NOWCA: Not at all, Mr. Pipeline. You can wear both a red and a white one -- they don't cancel each other out.

GOOD TIME: Wearing two sounds pretty! I'd like to know more about this seldom seen white flower. By the way, NOWCA, this soup is wonderful!

image courtesy of Pixabay

NOWCA: Thanks, Good Time. I'm glad you like it.

Anways, White Poppies for Peace was started way back in 1933 in Britain, after the first World War, by people who wanted a peaceful future. Here's the website of their Vancouver branch.

MR. PIPELINE: NOWCA, you always have to be different, don't you? Why can't you just honour the one day we set aside to remember the soldiers?

NOWCA: Mr. Pipeline, when a symbol has a powerful and important message, I don't mind breaking with tradition.

What did those soldiers die for anyways? They died so that future generations could have a better world. We need peace now more than ever so we can stop fighting and start addressing humanity's problems, including wealth inequality and climate change. Besides, killing people doesn't solve problems. There are much better ways to resolve disputes.

PER: When you put it that way, NOWCA, it makes a lot of sense to be reminded of our obligations to those who came before us. If they gave up their lives, don't we owe it to them to do what we can to create a peaceful and safe world? It doesn't seem that much to ask.

NOWCA: I agree with you, Per. It's up to us to create the kind of peaceful and healthy world all those who died in wars would have yearned for.

GOOD TIME: It doesn't seem like that much effort if we all do a little bit. I want summers that aren't filled with smoke again. And war seems senseless.

NOWCA: It does, doesn't it? It seems like something that should have become obsolete long ago. But here we are, still steeped in the barbarism of war, and all its horrific humanitarian and environmental consequences.

MR. PIPELINE: Don't you read the papers, NOWCA? There are bad people in other countries who

image courtesy of Pixabay

deserve to be bombed.

NOWCA: Most of the people who are killed in war are civilians. They don't deserve to be killed.

And war destabilizes everything -- societies, economies, politics, and it has appalling environmental consequences.

No one wants their country to be bombed, and people on the ground are worse off afterwards. Don't you read anything besides the papers, Mr. Pipeline?

MR. PIPELINE: Like what?

NOWCA: Well, you could go online and read news from around the world. It would broaden your perspective, even if you didn't agree with it.

MR. PIPELINE: I don't have time for fake news.

NOWCA: What makes you think some of the news you get in the papers isn't fake or, at the very least, biased?

MR. PIPELINE: The fact that we have a free press in this country.

NOWCA: I guess it depends on what you consider 'free'. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia about Canadian media ownership:

"The Canadian media industry is not governed exclusively by free-market economics but rather through a combination of public and private enterprise. Apart from a limited number of community broadcasters, media in Canada are primarily owned by a small number of companies: Bell, Corus, Rogers, Newcap, Quebecor and the government-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Each of these companies holds a diverse mix of television, cable television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and/or internet operations. A few smaller media companies exist within the Canadian media landscape as well. In 2007, CTVglobemedia, Astral Media, Quebecor, Canwest Global, and Rogers all expanded significantly, through the acquisitions of CHUM Limited, Standard Broadcasting, Osprey Media, Alliance Atlantis, and City, respectively. In 2010, Canwest was sold off and split between Shaw (now Corus) and Postmedia Network due to financial troubles."

MR. PIPELINE: So what? It's often more efficient to concentrate these things.

NOWCA: You don't think these large companies have their own vested interests? You don't think they wouldn't give space and air time to stories that promote their interests and maybe suppress stories that don't?

image courtesy of Pixabay

MR. PIPELINE: And you call ME cynical.

NOWCA: I like to stay well informed, and that means getting my news from a variety of sources. I would have a very different point of view if the only news I took in was from mainstream media.

PER: Actually, that ties in with poppies for peace and our duty to dig deeper so that we understand what's really going on in the world.

GOOD TIME: I find all this confusing. Are there media sources you trust, NOWCA?

NOWCA: To hear what's happening locally, I listen to Kootenay Co-op Radio. And some other Canadian news sources I read sometimes are the Narwhal and the Tyee.

For perspectives from different parts of the world, I tune into Democracy Now for an American perspective and the Guardian for news from the United Kingdom.

PER: I find those news sources really informative, NOWCA. For environmental news, I also like the David Suzuki Foundation and Ecowatch.

MR. PIPELINE: They're just a bunch of fake news sites!

PER: The David Suzuki Foundation? You don't trust David Suzuki?

I read news from him and from lots of other sources. We have a duty to stay well informed so we can base our decisions on solid information.

MR. PIPELINE: Mr. Suzuki's biased! Maybe you should read news from the oil and gas industry and big business.

NOWCA: I'd argue that that's the perspective we mostly get through mainstream media.

Anyways, let's get the dishes cleaned up and go canvassing for proportional representation. I'll put some rice pudding in the oven so it'll be ready for dessert tonight.

And I've got a few extra white poppies for peace if any of you would like one.

Mr. Pipeline stomped out of the room, and Per and Good Time each helped themselves to a white poppy.

As NOWCA, Per and Good Time bundled up to go outside, their home slowly began to smell like cinnamon as the rice pudding warmed in the oven.

image courtesy of Pixabay

Are You Scared Yet?

Autumn: a time of reflection, and of yearning for something better. Beautifully coloured leaves show us how to gracefully let go and make room for something new.

With the forest fires, smoke filled cities and catastrophic weather events around the world, many are scared these days.

image courtesy of Pixabay

The giant puppets who reside in Nelson, BC, are processing these events too. Lets join them.

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GOOD TIME: (heaving a sigh): August was such a dud of a month. Instead of lounging on the beach, my friends and I had to hang out at the mall because of all the smoke. And one of them got a migraine after he went to the beach when it was smoky. No fun!

PER: It's so scary! Every summer the fires get worse! What's it going to be like next summer?

MR. PIPELINE: Hey, it's just the cost of doing business! What do you expect?

GOOD TIME: Are you implying that I shouldn't expect to go to the beach in the summer?

MR. PIPELINE: We all have to make sacrifices.

PER: Sacrifices to what end? What is the benefit to society?

MR. PIPELINE: Why jobs, of course.

PER: Are you saying the only jobs are the kind that contribute to climate change?

MR. PIPELINE: Shhhh! Don't even bring up that ridiculous term! There's no such thing as climate

 change! It's just a conspiracy theory cooked up by a bunch of mad scientists.

MR. PIPELINE

GOOD TIME: Oh ya? Then why all the forest fires and weather related catastrophes?

PER: And what do all those scientists have to gain by concocting a story like that if it's not true?

MR. PIPELINE: Those greedy cretins just want to make money for rabble rousing environmental groups. It's just an enormous scam!

PER: Speaking of money, don't the industries that cause the climate change make a lot of money? From what I've heard they've been paying off politicians to subsidize their industries, and influencing the media and schools too. Maybe things would be a lot different -- and a lot less smoky -- if they weren't doing that. Shouldn't we be protecting the public when we find out that industrial practices cause damage?

PER

GOOD TIME: Ya, it sounds like a few people are having a good time at everyone else's expense! What about beach days?

NOWCA (entering the room): Hey good to see you! What's up?

GOOD TIME: We're just talking about the smoky summer, and our fear that next summer will be worse.

NOWCA: Actually, I was going to ask you about a couple of things that can might make a difference about the climate: municipal elections and the vote on proportional representation. Do you know about them?

GOOD TIME: No, I haven't heard anything about them. Are they fun? Will there be parties?

NOWCA: Oh, probably a few parties here and there where you can get to know the candidates and learn more about the issues, and about proportional representation.

GOOD TIME: That sounds kind of boring.

GOOD TIME

MR. PIPELINE: Ya, you're right, Good Time. It is boring! Voting: why bother? And proportional representation scares the bejesus out of me. Why tamper with our democracy?

NOWCA: Do you think our democracy is working the way it is, Mr. Pipeline?

MR. PIPELINE: What's the alternative to what we've got? I'll tell you: there isn't any.

NOWCA: There are countries around the world that have different systems from ours, and many of them work just fine. And, from my understanding they're much more democratic, especially those with proportional representation.

PER: NOWCA, how do these affect our smoky summers?

NOWCA: There's so much power at the municipal level to make our communities more resilient, so voting for candidates who want to reduce our emissions, and help us prepare for climate disaster, helps to take us in a less destructive direction.

And proportional representation makes our province more democratic. Every vote counts under that system, and politicians will be encouraged to work together constructively instead of fighting all the time. And it will reduce the influence of big money, so it'll be easier to transition to a greener economy and a society that's more fair.

MR. PIPELINE: Why would you want to change the system?! Big money is what drives the economy. Hippies on protest lines don't create jobs.

NOWCA: Mr. Pipeline, many of the best jobs are in the emerging clean energy sector.

MR. PIPELINE: Nonsense! Where did you hear that?

NOWCA: Lots of places. The Narwhal, The Tyee, The Guardian, and Democracy Now, to name a few.

MR. PIPELINE: I've heard that those are radical, fake news sites.

NOWCA: They're independent news sources. And, actually, the Narwhal has just been nominated for six Canadian online publishing awards. Where do you get your news, Mr. Pipeline?

MR. PIPELINE: I only get my news from tried and true sources. Respectable sources that people

NOWCA

count on.

NOWCA: How do those sources make you feel?

PER: They make me feel scared.

MR. PIPELINE: Me too. But not scared of global warming. Scared of immigrants and street people, scared of the economy being attacked by unemployed do-gooders, scared of terrorist attacks and bad people in general.

PER: And, to be honest, ashamed of myself, especially when I read news from other sources. And powerless.

GOOD TIME: It makes me want to turn off the TV and go to the beach. Only this summer it was too smoky.

NOWCA: Well, that's useful, isn't it? If people feel scared and powerless or if they just tune out, they probably won't bother voting or writing letters to their political representatives. They'll view good people with suspicion, until they're afraid of their own shadows. They won't want to talk to their neighbours, or join groups who are trying to make the world a better place. People who feel scared in that way are pretty easy to manipulate, don't you think?

PER: So what do you think we should do NOWCA? I'm scared when I hear the news, and scared when there are out of control forest fires, and scared of so many things.

NOWCA: Well, here are a few things I do: join groups that address issues I care about, only get information from sources I trust, and take care of myself by getting enough rest and eating well. And, once in awhile, I take a break.

There's the kind of scared that leaves you feeling powerless like when we watch the news, and then there's the kind that motivates us to take action together like when we're scared of more forest fires and want to try to prevent them. 

GOOD TIME: Joining groups sounds like party potential...

NOWCA: You bet! What could be more fun than changing the world with other people? LOTS of room for parties there.

MR. PIPELINE (storming out of the room): I can't believe I'm hearing this. This is as much as I can take! I'm going to go watch a James Bond movie -- or maybe a western.

PER: I'm going to check out some of those news sources online, NOWCA. Thanks.

NOWCA: Good Time, how about some lunch and a game of Crib? Maybe later we can have a few friends over for tea and apple pie. I just made some from the apples on the tree outside. Per, I hope you'll join us later.

GOOD TIME: Sounds like fun!

image courtesy of Pixabay