Category: Green Awareness

February 27: Celebrating International Polar Bear Day 2020

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Organized by Polar Bears International, International Polar Bear Day is celebrated on February 27, drawing attention to the challenges that polar bears face in a warming Arctic.

Polar bears are magnificent creatures, making it all that much more devastating when we see images of horrifically thin bears stranded on melting ice caps. This rapid loss of sea ice from climate warming triggered by human activity is the single biggest threat to polar bears. Polar bears rely on sea ice to travel, find mates and hunt seals, and less time on ice leads to weight loss and physical deterioration. Therefore, slowing (or, ideally, stopping) climate warming is critical to minimizing dramatic declines in polar bear numbers. It has been shown that one of the most effective ways to slow global warming is to reduce the use of fossil fuels and shift to renewables for our energy needs. Not only will this be good for the polar bears, but it will also help lessen the associated detrimental impact to human health.

International Polar Bear Day aims to enlighten people around the world to evaluate their impact on the environment, take steps to reduce their carbon output, and exercise voting rights to elect leaders who support a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

Want to know what YOU can do TODAY to help save the polar bears? Read this, donate here, adopt a bear, or join a challenge, such as the Thermostat Challenge, the Power Down Challenge, the No Idling Challenge, or the Pedal for Polar Bears Challenge!

West Park also takes this day to reflect on the importance of our commitment to a healthy environment. We continually strive to minimize our overall ecological impact and are resilient to the emerging challenges of climate change. One of our major commitments to reduce energy and resources was recently awarded with the Green Hospital of the Year (non-acute) by the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, and we were proudly able to report our 3rd consecutive year of below average energy-use intensity. By improving our efforts to promote and develop new environmental programs in 2020, we are aiming to minimize our carbon footprint even further and defend our title as Green Hospital of the Year.

Power to the plants! Embracing the International Year of Plant Health

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Clara Phillips, January 30, 2020

The United Nations General Assembly has named 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). Plant health has been defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as “the discipline that uses a range of measures to control and prevent pests, weeds and disease causing organisms to spread into new areas, especially through human interaction such as international trade.”

When we think of plants and the environment, we typically tend to think of plant-based diets, tree-planting and protecting rainforests. But, benefits go much further than this. What gets forgotten is the fact that protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and boost economic development.

As the source of all life on Earth, we must do more to protect plants from pests and diseases. As a society we must take action to protect the environment. Climate change is no longer a threat of which the effects are distant and intangible to us. The last time you drove a car, threw a plastic wrapper in the garbage, or used a non-environmentally friendly chemical cleaner at home, the world didn’t come crumbling around you, did it? However, we are starting to feel these effects in many parts of the world. Devastating wildfires, rising ocean levels, melting ice caps, droughts and hurricanes. Without drastic action, these disastrous events will only increase in frequency and intensity.

How can we as a society do more to protect plants from pests and diseases? People generally have a lack of knowledge of the importance of plant health; thus, one of the main goals of the IYPH campaign is to inspire people to learn more about plant health and take concrete action. The FAO estimates that agricultural production must rise about 60% by 2050 to feed the world’s growing population, and with plant pests responsible for killing up to 40% of food crops globally, not to mention the reduced quantity and diminished nutrients of plants from climate change, it is critical, now more than ever, to educate and act on protecting plant health.

A blog post about plant health cannot go without recognizing the amount of tree removal across West Park’s campus for construction of the new hospital. The sacrifice of the campus’ trees was commemorated in September 2018 with an unforgettable Tree and Land Blessing Ceremony presided by First Nations Elder Shannon Thunderbird, who led a traditional aboriginal drumming ritual to honour the trees and land.

For every tree taken down during construction, West Park will plant three in its place. Our tree count will almost double with more than 1,200 trees on campus, offering comfort and therapeutic benefits and contributing to a healthy ecosystem.

Want to get involved or learn more about protecting plant health in your community? Join the IYPH 2020 photo contest, or check out the resources below: