BALLE

Well, it was a very interesting and informative weekend.

Some highlights:

David Suzuki's speech was excellent. I was the first time I have seen him speak and the man has passion. He talked about the Nature Challenge (www.davidsuzuki.org) - with enough signatures he will present it to the premiers and prime minister - and he is assured they too will take it. He was outraged how half of all of the living Nobel Prize winning scientists have signed a declaration saying that if drastic measures are not taken soon - the earth is going to reach an overpopulation problem that is beyond our control - and we will be out of resources to support ourselves. His outrage stemmed from how it received no press whatsoever. Which I saw as a case for strong communications (advertising and public relations) to get a message through to the public. David also went on an intense rant about economics - he sees the 'if you are not growing you are shinking' concept of modern economics as dangerously unsustainable, and putting us on a suicide course with disaster. There was a lot of ranting, but it was very entertaining ranting. It is true that he is a chicken little type, but it all just makes so much sense, he can't believe people aren't listening - and that fuels him on even more. He left on the message of salmon. Essentially, farmed salmon should be avoided at all costs - it has lice, it is grey and must be dyed red, it is practically inedible, the feeding of these fish destroys ecosystems and food supply in south america (where they get the fish for their food - as salmon are carnivoires) - and how even the farmed fish stocks are affecting the wild salmon. All in all, this is very bad news.

Other highlights were Raffi - who played some very nice songs.

There were some great bands - I particularly liked Ridley Bent with his dark country, I bought a cd.

The food was excellent as well - organic beef and chicken and salmon and salads and squash from edible planet. Good stuff. The settings were great too - out on the UBC farm and behind the Museum of Anthropology.

I went to talks on the modern media - and underground press, such as the Tyee. www.tyee.com, and confirmed many a theory that communications and media are ridiculously slanted - from the source (the editor of the tyee is a former Vancouver Sun editor).

Discussion forums on marketing your small sustainable business was filled with people like us. Communications professionals, advertising people, graphic designers, web designers and few people actually looking to market their small sustainable business.

There were some excellent speakers - Judy Wicks talked about her work with the White Dog Cafe, and how she was able to not only maintain a small business with strict sustainability standards - but also expand into spreading the prevalence of ethical pig farming to suit not only her, but a growing overall demand.

Jim Hightower should be running for office. He was a great speaker - funny, intelligent and interesting. With common sense, solid quips, and a texan drawl he explained the absurdity of established logistics in regards to supply chains, and how localized markets are the way to go.

Even David Suzuki admitted that he wished he hadn't spent all of the 80s and 90s saying Think Globally, Act Locally - and has corrected this to Think Locally, Act Locally.

All in all, I met a lot of environmental consultants, sustainability auditors, girls who do lots of yoga, Vancity representatives, innovative entrepreneurs, and plenty of people like ourselves.