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Earth Month: Volunteer for a healthier planet

We all appreciate the work volunteers do in our community. Volunteerism is what gives us a vibrant social landscape, a varied music and arts culture, animal protection, rural emergency and fire service and, of course, much more.

We all appreciate the work volunteers do in our community. Volunteerism is what gives us a vibrant social landscape, a varied music and arts culture, animal protection, rural emergency and fire service and, of course, much more. Volunteerism also gives us a sense that we live in a community that cares.

If you are considering a move into some unpaid service to the community, or the broader world, Earth Month and Climate Action Powell River provide those opportunities.

Care of our fragile planet and its essential ecological services cannot be helped enough. When we are motivated to address our ecological footprint or take a stand on an environmental issue, we create a connection to life and each other that fulfills a need in us and for the broader picture.

The writing of Powell River’s Sustainability Charter and Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) have created a roadmap, or at least a guide, to our future. The plan covers a range of social, environmental, economic and health issues.

A plan like this is needed to give us an overall view of what it will take to create a positive future, but it is not enough in and of itself. We can see all around us what happens if we leave any one of these parts out or take them for granted. For a long time we thought government could take care of it all, or should be taking care of it all.

During Earth Month we can look at the environmental picture and examine what we are doing to Mother Earth with our modern lifestyle. There are opportunities all around us to join together with other like-minded people and make a difference.

Food security is one area with many groups addressing different aspects: the Powell River Seed Bank project, the rising permaculture movement, the reconstituted Powell River Farmers’ Agricultural Institute and various ocean-protection societies, such as Georgia Strait Alliance, to mention just one.

Climate Action Powell River was formed this past year to augment the essential work each level of government must perform. City of Powell River council has just announced a new sustainability committee and is inviting public participation. This committee will look at how to steer the course outlined in the ICSP.

Opportunities for volunteers are many and varied. Is this your year to step up and play a part in the protection and future health of our community?

Jack Anderson is president of Climate Action Powell River Society, sponsoring organization for Earth Month 2017.