Following are the answers given by the candidate. See other candidates
Janis Joseph – Board of Education Trustee Candidate
4362 Alderwood Drive Port Alberni BC V9Y 4B6
1. What actions have you personally taken to support a more sustainable climate?
I do my part at going plastic free and think about my purchases (try not to over buy). I try to maintain my water use and grown my own garden (thought that is a work in progress).
2. What opportunities do you see at your municipal/electoral area/school board level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
As a Board of Education Trustee, I hope to educate the students in loving and learning more about their planet, and understanding the power they have in their earth’s future. I am sure they will teach me more than I know as they have already begun to support taking care of their carbon footprints. Be energy-efficient citizens applying for grants to fit insulation and low carbon electric eco-heating. Protect our forests and restore habitats; trees suck carbon dioxide out of the air.
3. What will you do, if elected, to overcome polarization in local politics around the challenges of climate change and to build a middle ground that encourages listening, understanding, and consensus that can move climate change action forward?
This is a big question. Coming together with community partners who know this topic well is where I would begin. I need a better understanding and education in this area. The openness to learn and accept other’s ideas and concepts is a way to share the wealth of information. Conversation rather than confrontation is how we listen and hear others. It all begins with one question, one thought and one idea for change to start its motion.
4. What opportunities do you see for climate leadership in the following sectors? Please pick at least two.
Transportation, Housing, Land use and Development, Equity.
Housing: Environmental laws can impact the supply of land, a key input in the production of housing. These laws also can affect the supply of housing in other ways by changing the prices of other inputs. If the regulations are effective, they can impact the demand for housing by increasing the local environmental quality.
Transportation: Through the emissions from combustion of fossil-derived fuels, transportation systems contribute to degraded air quality, as well as a changing climate. Transportation also leads to noise pollution, water pollution, and affects ecosystems through multiple direct and indirect interactions. Notably, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution that results from the use of more sustainable transportation options like public transit is not just good for the environment; it also improves air quality and human health
5. If elected, what would your first action be toward reducing greenhouse gases in your area of responsibility?
Purchase Solar Panels for the schools, or at least open the conversation!! Solar energy is more accessible than ever before, not to mention an excellent long-term investment.
6. The climate emergency requires long term thinking and planning. How do you envision a climate sustainable City/Electoral Area/School District, 50 years from now?
We need to keep the conversation alive. Students are the key to preservation; they understand more than we do about keeping their environment sustainable. We all need to do our part to consume less, waste less, and enjoy life more. Focusing on life’s simple pleasures — spending time in nature, being with loved ones, making a difference to others — provides more purpose, belonging and happiness than buying and consuming. Plus, when we consume less, we produce fewer emissions and are gentler on the earth. Sharing, making, fixing, upcycling, repurposing and composting are all good places to start.
I thank you for this opportunity; I have to be honest that this conversation is not my usually repertoire, however, it is a conversation we need to continue.