(Photo: David Ellingsen)
Nancy is a business leader in environmental sustainability and is a key member of the Blue Dot Victoria team.
I grew up in Ontario. My recreation time was spent outdoors, and our family vacations were spent camping and cottaging. I took the natural environment for granted. In our early careers, my husband and I moved to Vancouver where we developed a deep appreciation for all of the natural wonders the West Coast has to offer but like many Canadians still had no appreciation for human-caused environmental degradation.
Fortunately, I can credit our children, who in their teens brought the issue of climate change to our attention. I recall them holding us to account for a future that was filled with uncertainty. I remember the feelings of guilt. I wondered what one person could do. At one point I read a quote attributed to Margaret Mead’s, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” At that time, I made a personal commitment to do something.
I sought out organizations that I felt were going to create positive change. I was aware that business had a role to play in improving the environment and enrolled our company in the Climate Smart program. We created a greenhouse gas inventory and an emissions-reduction plan. I became a climate leader with the Al Gore Climate Reality program and we began to support the David Suzuki Foundation.
In 2014, I learned that the right to a healthy environment was not yet recognized in Canadian law. I am pleased to have joined the Blue Dot campaign as a volunteer on Vancouver Island, where I work with a group of like-minded people from diverse backgrounds, all focusing on positive change. All of our local municipal governments have now signed a declaration recognizing the right to a health environment, but our work is not yet done. Our latest activity was an outdoor projection of the Climate Clock in a community hub. I look forward to continuing to create awareness in our community about the Blue Dot movement.
Blue Dot relies on the efforts of dedicated citizens taking action in their local communities. Humans of Blue Dot is an attempt to capture the unique stories of some inspiring volunteers who have generously given their time to advancing the environmental rights movement in Canada.
