Latest news with #PatriciaLane
National Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
How best to arrive at a low-carbon future together
These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity. Lauretta Pearse is depolarizing Canada's energy conversation. As a Fellow at Alberta's Energy Futures Lab (EFL), she is part of a diverse group searching to understand people's perspectives on how best to arrive at the low-carbon future most want. She is Canada's Clean50 Emerging Leader winner. This profile reflects some of her personal experience at the EFL and does not necessarily reflect the view of the lab or her employers. Tell us about this project. I am one of the Energy Futures Lab 2025 cohort of 50. We are Indigenous people and settlers with diverse interests and ages from industries and communities, spending two years together uncovering and testing pathways toward our shared goal of an affordable, sustainable and resilient energy future. We have identified five key areas of tension in energy transition conversations across the country: Building investor confidence in our energy systems while protecting democracy, caring for subsurface spaces as humans extract and deposit materials, integrating Indigenous knowledge while moving at the speed that science tells us is necessary, balancing community value creation with energy developer profitability and reducing financial risk when markets and politics are volatile. We began with a day-long immersive experience simulating various roles people play and the strains they experience as part of the transition. We were encouraged to adopt a role we don't normally have in our day-to-day lives, and I was the mayor of a large city trying to ensure affordable, sustainable, reliable energy for all. As I was confronted with insufficient resources and people began to run out of energy, I learned first-hand how hard it is to balance this 'energy trilemma.' I ended up sacrificing the longer-term sustainability aspect in favour of ensuring my citizens were warm in the short term. It was a real eye-opener. We are currently interviewing people who hold opposing views in the five areas of focus. I have interviewed people on investor confidence and risk reduction. I have learned that our political system makes it challenging for renewable energy developers to have confidence that their offer will be profitable, as policies change with every change in government. Our options are limited by the systems in which we find ourselves. No matter how idealistic we are, we have to solve problems in the context of existing mindsets and economic models, even as we try to move them forward. Lauretta Pearse is depolarizing Canada's energy conversation. As a Fellow at Alberta's Energy Futures Lab (EFL), she is part of a diverse group searching to understand people's perspectives on how best to arrive at the low-carbon future most want. We will come together to share our insights and design recommendations shaped by everyone's perspective. How did you get involved? I work as an engineer in Alberta's energy utility sector. I see polarization and a lack of effective policies as a major obstacle to progress future fit innovations, so when the opportunity came up to apply for a Fellow position at the Energy Futures Lab, I jumped at it. What makes it hard? The energy conversation is so polarized in Canada. It is hard to find places in the dialogue that are accepted as both pro-environment and pro-industry. What keeps you awake at night? The challenge of designing energy systems that people will trust to find the right balance between energy security, affordability and sustainability. What gives you hope? The combination of supply shocks, the fragility of our current political and economic systems and affordability gaps have alerted more people to the limits of all-or-nothing thinking. There is widespread acceptance that solving wicked problems requires collaboration. People are much more open to new ideas than they were even a few years ago. I have great hope that our recommendations will add value. Previous EFL cohorts have influenced policymakers and our networks have themselves spun off some major innovations. How did the way you were raised impact you? I grew up in Nigeria without energy security. It made no sense to me that we had both a surplus of organic waste, which is alternative energy waiting to be reclaimed and blackouts relying on generators. I came to Canada to study ways to tackle the energy trilemma. This project is a natural next step to deepening my understanding. What do you see if we get this right? A diversified, resilient, future-ready energy system inspiring investor confidence and offering industry social licence because it is perceived as affordable and sustainable. What would you like to say to other young people? Make your questions bold! See them as pathways for decision-makers to go deeper. Your life experience and commitment to holistic thinking are gifts the world needs. Sometimes, especially if you do not feel ready, it may feel like you are taking a risk to use your voice. But readiness is a myth that slows us down. This is a time to be brave. Be willing to sit with discomfort. What about older readers? There is value in learning to blend legacy-thinking and new ideas. Bring your understanding of what has worked in the past, but look for the cracks in those ideas and create room for improvement.
National Observer
30-06-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Clothes with colours that marry science, nature and design
These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity. Roya Aghighi partners with microbes and other living organisms to design and manufacture colours. This 34-year-old from Vancouver co-founded Lite-1 to harness the power of microorganisms to transform organic waste into sustainable, eco-friendly colourants at scale. It won the 2025 Web Summit Vancouver's PITCH competition for early stage start-ups. Tell us about your project. Imagine clothes that change colour or paintings that evolve or buildings that change hues with the position of the sun! Biofabrication means going beyond usual norms to build the perfect marriage between science, nature and design. Lite-1 works with, rather than against, natural systems to make colourants. In a process similar to brewing beer, our emerging technologies, including synthetic biology and biofabrication microbes, turn waste into clean colourants while repurposing thousands of tonnes of waste into microbial food and away from landfills, preventing significant methane emissions. Once scaled, we will prevent vast quantities of harmful, toxic dyes and protect billions of litres of fresh water from contamination. Our closed-loop, fully circular system will eliminate the harmful effects of working with the toxic chemicals currently used in making colourants. No petrochemicals will be needed. We are starting by supplying the fashion industry, but our products can be used for any application, from house paint to food dyes. Lite-1 is creating high-quality jobs in Canada's innovative bio-tech sector. Our customers will benefit from reduced energy consumption and avoid taxes imposed by the European Union on products that rely on pollution for their manufacture. Roya Aghighi partners with microbes and other living organisms to design and manufacture colours. This 34-year-old from Vancouver co-founded Lite-1 to harness microorganisms to transform organic waste into sustainable, eco-friendly colourants. Backed by reputable investors, we work with major global manufacturers and brands and will launch our product shortly. How did you get into this work? Growing up in Tehran, I could often taste the pollution in the air. My mother is a fashion designer and I have always been interested in the industry. I began as a designer but was distressed by the environmental and social costs of manufacturing beautiful clothes. Fashion is our second skin — a truly intimate connection with the material world and colour is so important. But I was not satisfied to be part of a system that clothed and beautified us at the expense of other people and the environment. I invented Biogarmentry, clothes that are alive and photosynthesize like plants. One day, an accidental contamination in my lab showed me that tiny organisms can create beautiful colours. At the same time, my co-founder Sarah Graham had a similar experience in her lab. She was harnessing the power of microorganisms to manufacture pearls and witnessed the promising capabilities of bacteria as a source for colour production. We decided to join forces to use natural systems to overhaul colour manufacturing. We now grow colours at the lab in non-environmentally invasive processes, instead of relying on non-renewable, toxic resources. We are transforming the colour industry so beauty and function coexist harmoniously. What makes it hard? Start-ups mean everyone wears many hats and there is never enough time. I have the privilege of working with a team who bring their top-flight education and skills to their passion for making the world safer, and our shared understanding that we are running out of time. What worries you? Of course, I worry about the animals facing extinction and the accelerating impacts of climate change. But more than anything, I worry that all the hard work we've poured into solutions will be erased, dismissed or delayed until it's too late to tackle the big issues. I worry we're becoming a passive society, quietly accepting rules and limits imposed by those who show no real care for building a safer, more just future for everyone. What gives you hope? The next generation is astounding in their knowledge of the challenge and their capacity to imagine creative solutions. What would you like to say to other young people? Curiosity is a superpower. Don't accept that things are the way they have to stay. Consider the source of the information you are given. Dig deep for your own answers. Consider the reality that the natural world can help us if we let it. What about older readers? While many of our choices feel limited, we can still choose to pause and ask deeper questions: What systems am I supporting? What are the unseen consequences of this choice now, in the near future, and for the generations to come? Awareness starts with curiosity, and even small moments of reflection can ripple into real change.
National Observer
23-06-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Ethical investments can make a difference
These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity. Tim Nash is changing investment finance to support the continuation of life on Earth. As the founder and president of Good Investing, this young economist and new dad from Toronto has supported individuals, not-for-profits, charities, universities and corporations to align more than $9 billion of their money with their ethical, environmental and fiscal values. Tell us about your project. People choose their level of engagement. For the merely curious, we offer an informative podcast covering ideas, like the progress of the clean economy and the concept of green bonds. Thousands of those who wish to begin their values-aligned investment journey have opted to join our virtual classrooms. We make it easy for folks to take charge of their own investing and thus, to avoid the often significant trailing fees charged by brand-linked financial advisors. Others want one-on-one advice about options which we provide for a fee unrelated to their investment choices, so they can be confident they are getting straight-up, honest advice, free from industry bias. For those who don't want to manage their money themselves or who want values-aligned financial or estate planning, we partner with sustainable investment companies. Decision-makers in universities, pension plans, charities and not-for-profits, who are trying to align their institution's investment portfolios with their sustainability goals, benefit from understanding the data and research we provide demonstrating that fossil fuels are often not the most lucrative or resilient options when compared with the growing power of the clean economy. I also enjoy helping university student divestment groups learn about options. I like knowing I am helping make their powerful voices for change even more effective, and they will carry the knowledge they gain into their working lives. We are not brokers, advisors or money managers. We are coaches and teachers supporting people to make intentional decisions about where their money is invested. If a million Canadians can see for themselves that aligning their values with their money can be both profitable and impactful, we believe the entire system will tip to become the norm for everyone. This is already a multi-trillion-dollar trend and it is having a significant impact. I want to be part of empowering Canadians to amplify that wave. How did you get into this work? Tim Nash is changing investment finance to support the continuation of life on Earth, as the founder and president of Good Investing. My dad worked in the investment industry and discussion of financial markets was common at home. I was unhappy with the economics classes I took at university because they almost never discussed any impact other than financial return. On a student exchange in New Zealand, I had a spiritual epiphany when I encountered a 2,500-year-old tree. I understood that its secret to sustainability and that of all life on Earth is a deep connection to the Earth. I discovered in myself a deep empathy and resulting grief for all the life that has ended because humans have failed to maintain that tie. I resolved to dedicate my life to changing that. This is the way that I have chosen. What makes it hard? The main barrier is not money or even the market. It is mindsets. My ability to earn a decent living from this project is relatively recent. What keeps you awake at night? I am soon to become a father of a daughter. Will my efforts, and those of the millions of others around the globe who are working to decouple rising emissions from economic growth, succeed soon enough to leave her a livable planet? What gives you hope? The people who ask for my help are earnestly trying to do the right thing. They often feel alone, and it is a delight to introduce them to the size and scale of the existing movement they are joining. In 2009, there was $1 trillion invested in the clean economy, protecting water and growing renewable energy, green infrastructure and electrifying transportation. In 2025, that number has grown to $20 trillion. It's unstoppable. What do you see if we get this right? An economy that works for everyone, including the most vulnerable and the life on this planet on which we depend. What would you like to say to other young people? Hope is a sweater you decide to put on every day. It's a choice, but you will be warmer if you make it. Put your own oxygen mask on first. We will spend the rest of our lives contending with the wicked problems climate change brings. Promise yourself to be there for the long haul by taking care of yourself and those around you every day. Whatever your work or studies, find the places where the light shines brightest for you. It's only sustainable if it feeds you. What about older readers? Your money and the money held by the organizations you participate in, like your pension fund, not-for-profit or church, can work for your values, but if you don't pay attention, it is likely undermining them. Get some good advice and then, start making deliberate decisions to funnel it toward the common good.
National Observer
16-06-2025
- General
- National Observer
Scouts plant trees to help conserve Canada's future
These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity. Kaelem Moniz is helping young people see the forest and plant trees. As special advisor to Scouts Canada's national leadership team, this 20-year-old University of Toronto student donates his time to growing the scouting movement in Canada, recently supporting conservation initiatives, like tree planting and care by local scout troops across the country. Tell us about your project. Scouts Canada has set a goal of planting and protecting one million trees by 2030. With the support of Canada's Forest Trust, Scoutrees youth join together to raise funds for planting and caring for trees, protecting Canadian ecological health, while sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. It's been amazing to see local groups like the First Milton really run with the ball, gathering hundreds of volunteers to plant trees. A recent study from Lakehead University revealed that 76 per cent of young people aged 16 to 25 think people have failed to take care of our planet and 73 per cent think the future is frightening. Many say their mental health is negatively impacted. Most agree there is little we can do on our own. But 71 per cent believe that if we act together we can do something meaningful. Scoutrees allows young people to see they are part of an impactful collective while they each do a small part. What got you into this work? My dad was active in scouting in Barbados. It helped him in his own life to feel part of something bigger and to take care of himself, the environment and serve others, lessons he wanted instilled in his own children. When I was five years old, I became a 'beaver,' the youngest age group in scouting, and have been in scouting ever since. It enriches my life. Scouting encourages a holistic development of young people in Canada, ensuring that our participants see themselves as more than just individuals, but as community members, Canadians and Scouts, part of a broader world around us. This, of course, includes a dedication to natural stewardship, demonstrated in our reforestation efforts – but also other forms of community service, ranging from food bank volunteering to tutoring drives. Scouts Canada values youth leadership, and I have actively volunteered since I was 12 in local (Toronto) and national roles. So many Scouts from coast to coast to coast have enjoyed similar experiences — and have been fortunate to be part of a movement making a positive difference. Kaelem Moniz is helping young people see the forest and plant trees. As special advisor to Scouts Canada's national leadership team, this 20-year-old University of Toronto student donates his time to growing the scouting movement in Canada. What makes it hard? We have 5,000 young people on our waitlist whom we cannot serve without more volunteers. The climate and nature loss crisis sometimes feels overwhelming. Helping young people to see their seemingly small individual contributions matter can be challenging. But they do. What keeps you awake at night? Will it be too little too late? It's clear that the climate crisis is a priority for young people. It is less clear that it is for all Canadians. What gives you hope? We are equipping young people to build the future they want and need. While there are many wicked problems to solve, the climate crisis will only get worse with procrastination. We can choose to act later, much less effectively and with a lot more suffering, or we can act now. It feels hopeful to be part of the Scouts Canada community with 45,000 young people and 15,000 volunteers across the country and from all walks of life who choose to act now. What would you like to say to other young people? Everything you do and don't do counts. Every tree planted, and every tree left unplanted matters. You are more likely to believe the way you use your time and talents matter if you are part of a group. Scouting is a global movement, millions strong, dedicated to civic engagement and the advancement of a common good. It's fun – we promise – join us! What about older readers?
National Observer
09-06-2025
- General
- National Observer
'Super-cool' birds of prey make valuable contributions
These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity. Ginger Boehme-Vertefeuille invites us to get close to raptors. This 19-year-old from Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, spends her summers educating visitors at Vancouver Island's The Raptors. Tell us about your work. Birds of prey fascinate people — with their size, speed and deadly — intent but 30 per cent are threatened with extinction, so they are much more vulnerable than most of us realize. Vancouver Island's The Raptors facility offers people of all ages a chance to watch as eagles fly within a couple of feet of them or to carry a hawk or owl on their own wrists as they walk through a forest. Our goal is to use proximity to increase awareness about the critical role these super-cool animals play in their environments. For example, turkey vultures are not exactly beautiful at first glance. They scavenge and never hunt for themselves. But they help clean their surroundings. They eat rotting deer and other animal flesh and their digestive systems can cleanse it of anthrax, botulism and rabies. This service makes the environment safer for others, including humans. We bring hawks to places where gulls might be an expensive nuisance or even a danger, like airports, landfills and rooftop gardens. Once we fly the hawk, the gulls quickly decide to hang out elsewhere. This is a much more desirable way of managing human-nature interactions than some other alternatives! How did you get involved? Ginger Boehme-Vertefeuille invites us to get close to raptors. This 19-year-old from Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, spends her summers educating visitors at Vancouver Island's The Raptors. I grew up on Vancouver Island surrounded by forests, elk and other creatures, and the ocean. I was taught early to value Indigenous understandings that we are part of nature and intimately connected to it. Once you start seeing the world this way, protecting what we are raised to love becomes imperative. I would often go to the Raptors as a kid, and then began volunteering there as a young teen. That turned into a summer job. How do you think the way you were raised has affected you? I was taught to practice empathy and look for it in others. Celebrating the experiences of others and of the more-than-human world is a core value for me. What makes it hard? Climate change and the loss of nature that goes with it often feels overwhelming. We do protect a few birds, and we make a difference in the way our visitors relate to nature in general. But the need to see the big picture in all its political, scientific, personal and economic system complexities can feel impossible. What gives you hope? We each do our own part, and when we see each other, that is inspiring. I am a University of British Columbia student now and still finding my path, but spending time building community and connections with so many smart people, who are each doing cool things, leaves me hopeful more often than not. What possibilities do you see if we get this right? If we are able to protect our climate, we will have solved so many other problems, too. Wealth inequality, corporate power, colonialism — all these depend on treating our impact on the environment as irrelevant. If, instead, we centre it in our culture, we will make the world so much better, and our human species will still have a home. What would you like to say to other young people? Find something you love and do that. If you find an endeavour that reflects your values, you will meet others who also align. I love birds. You never know what you will fall in love with. But as I protect birds, you will protect what you love, and we will be working together even if we never meet. What about older readers?
