http://dogwoodinitiative.org daily 1 2008-08-15T20:05:03Z http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/blogwood-1 Dogwood Initiative's blog No publisher jons 2008-11-14T21:08:49Z Collection http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/cutting-ribbons-over-our-dead-bodies Whenever our government is presented with a new idea, they can either support it, discourage it, or remain neutral. The choice between the three tends to be based on what the Premier, Cabinet, or Ruling Party want, but will be acted upon differently depending on how their opinion relates to perceived public opinion. For example, our government clearly supports the idea of oil sands pipelines and tankers through our north coast, but will keep that support on the down-low because the issue is controversial. No publisher eswanson 2008-11-14T23:01:29Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/obama-and-harper-dance-to-different-music Canada's dead eyed Prime Minister wants to be seen linking arms with America's new symbol of hope, but it's only to hold back North America's progress tackling Global Warming. No publisher ccampbell 2008-11-14T20:21:18Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/strategicvoting Our current electoral system is broken and needs fixing – the way in which this federal election is rolling out has confirmed this for most Canadians. Over the last few weeks there has been a lot of talk about strategic voting: 'a vote for the NDP is a vote for Harper'; 'a vote for the Liberals is a vote for Harper'; 'a vote for the Greens is a vote for Harper'.... No publisher mtakach 2008-11-25T01:40:10Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/from-horror-to-hope-to-heartache-elections-elections-elections Truth be told, the last two months of my life have felt consumed by the emotional roller coaster of elections, from horror to hope to heartbreak. No publisher maurita 2008-11-22T00:55:48Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/the-meaning-of-the-message Research shows that the average person is bombarded with over 6000 distinct messages a day. What does it take to make a message stick? No publisher ksingbeil 2008-12-01T18:08:03Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/the-great-land-grab Scandal is not new to the private forest lands on Vancouver Island. Fortunes have been made – and are being made – by resource companies that benefit from sweetheart deals that privatize vast tracts of land in BC. A select few, with the right government connections, reap the benefits and the public, especially First Nations, pay the price... No publisher whorter 2008-11-24T01:32:00Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/dreams-of-hope I couldn’t contain my tears as Obama spoke after his momentous victory on November 2. . .first time in my lifetime a national political candidate was articulating my vision for the future and the path to get us there. Yet, I couldn’t help but juxtapose Obama’s articulation of a better world with the political discourse in Canada No publisher whorter 2008-12-13T01:27:44Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/tar-sands-sanity Apparently the markets have done what legions of environmentalists, concerned citizens, First Nations and dead ducks couldn't. With oil prices a third of what they were in July the boom days of Fort McMurray are over and we should all rejoice. Or should we? No publisher ccampbell 2008-12-04T02:02:06Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/satisfaction An introduction to the blog by Eric Swanson that examines topics in the realm of advocacy and activism, and presents readers with opportunities for satisfying action towards a better British Columbia, Canada, and world. Make a difference, take action, get involved, read a blog No publisher eswanson 2008-12-02T23:21:45Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/kink-in-my-neck-sir Getting lots of people to pick up the phone and call key decision makers about your issue of concern is a time-honored method of citizen action. In terms of impact, a call is rumored to be worth about the same as a personal letter faxed or mailed, and beats out an email every time. It's all about filling up corporate and political radar screens with multiple blips identifying your issue - a recent call-in for BC's Sacred Headwaters was so successful that Premier Campbell's aide got a kink in her neck No publisher eswanson 2008-12-04T06:35:23Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/western-hopes-for-pay-day-loan Western Forest Products is asking for $50 million from its existing shareholders in the form of a restricted equity offering. Western hasn't acquired any new mills, equipment, or other assets - rather they've been on a selling streak. So what is backing up Western's $50 million offer? The only obvious gain in assets or value since Western's purchase of Cascadia has resulted from the BC Liberals 2007 Tree Farm License deletion. I see this latest move as Western asking for a pay-day advance on the cash it hopes to raise from selling off more of their private land as real-estate No publisher eswanson 2008-12-09T01:39:47Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/Fingers%20Crossed Awaiting the BC Supreme Court decision regarding WFP's challenge to the CRD bylaws. No publisher maurita 2008-12-13T01:30:03Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/coalbed-methane-rallies-in-fernie-and-princeton November's Sacred Headwaters issue 'call-in' was a great success. A week later, the BC government made a surprising announcement that contained both a Sacred Headwaters victory and an East Kootenay defeat. Show solidarity with the people of Fernie opposed to coalbed methane development by doing one of two things No publisher eswanson 2008-12-15T21:35:30Z Blog Entry http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/a-walk-with-my-father On the drive up the mountains my father would start telling me how things used to be. A grassy hillside was once a forest and a silted over stream once a raging river. The Blue Mountains are among my favourite places in Jamaica and even as my father spoke of their decline, of songbirds that no longer sang and paths that wound through lost forest groves, I would still be struck by how beautiful the place is. Even that barren hillside looked stunning set against the backdrop of the mountains. No publisher ccampbell 2008-12-13T04:58:19Z Blog Entry