June 2020 BCSEA Newsletter

Details: Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00; Written by editor

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Message from the Board - Louis-Benoit Desroches

The tragic events of the past several weeks have been difficult to watch unfold and we at the BCSEA join in the chorus of people raising their voices for change, to denounce systematic racism, injustice, and brutality. We are not immune here in our Canadian communities and it is incumbent on all of us to educate ourselves regarding the structural inequalities in our society, listen to the experiences of others, confront racism, and demand change. Equality is a core value at BCSEA, as we support a transition to a lower-carbon society with benefits for all British Columbians. Let us continue advocating for equality in all parts of our lives.

As we begin to emerge from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a good time to reflect on how best to restart the economy. We need not simply return to the old “normal”. We have an opportunity to accelerate the shift to sustainable energy in BC. BCSEA has continued working hard during the shelter in place, despite the inability to meet in person or hold events. We continue to intervene at the BC Utilities Commission. Three excellent webinars were held as part of the restarted BCSEA educational webinar series. The Cool It! team developed online versions of our elementary and high school programs so that we can still support students and teachers during this time.

But BCSEA continues to need your support, particularly during these uncertain and challenging times. Consider becoming a member, making a donation, or volunteering with a local chapter. If you have an exciting idea on how to get involved, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you are a sustainable energy expert who would like to share your knowledge or career experience with high school students, please connect with us through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

And as always, we invite you to read the Policy Corner to learn more on sustainable energy. As a member of BCSEA, you can watch past webinars here on diverse topics.

Please continue to be safe. And in light of the recent weeks, remember to be kind to each other. Listen to the stories of others. Let us all do our part to reduce racism and systemic inequalities.

CHAPTER UPDATES

VANCOUVER CHAPTER

A Message from - Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (EN4S)

BCSEA’s initiative dedicated to entrepreneurship is going all remote. This year we are launching the Sustainable Energy Startup Help Desk! We want to hear about your challenges as sustainability start-ups and will aim to provide targeted assistance using BCSEA’s resources and connections. Reach out to us and let us know where you struggle, we are here to help!

EN4S HELP FORM

Victoria Chapter

The Victoria Chapter has been trying to figure out what actions to take during the Covid-19 crisis. So we decided to use this opportunity to engage our members with a survey to ask them what they’d like to see us do. The survey has now been completed and was fairly successful with 36 responses altogether. The most popular ideas seemed to be for us to try to put together a webinar with local content and for us to use our leverage within the chapter to urge local governments to continue to find ways to lower the GHG footprint in their communities. There was interest in a wide range of possible topics for webinars including presentations by local governments about their climate change actions and local transportation issues. The Chapter has been taking a hiatus from meetings but we are planning a meeting at the end of June to discuss next steps for our chapter based on the survey results.

Okanagan Chapter

The Okanagan Chapter is looking to emerge online soon! Stay tuned for updates and a potential meeting to attend. Action is on our minds, as we ponder the possible ways to simultaneously grow sustainable energy awareness and support our local community. Ideas? Let us know! Should you be interested, we are still looking for volunteers to help us finalize our Task Force findings. We are reaching out, but are also available to you as your local sustainable energy nerds with an enthusiastic knowledge base!

Kamloops Chapter

In mid-March when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the Kamloops Chapter was planning on doing two Electric Vehicle shows but of course those had to be cancelled. We’ve been looking for other ways to advance our mandate during the pandemic and recently found one thing: offering recommendations to local decision-makers through writing letters.