On a recent controversial post on Facebook regarding the split in our First Nations Council support of Woodfibre LNG 

What we have to do here is separate 'Racism', 'Culture' and 'Politics'.. Racism is irrelevant. We are all mixed up. None of us should claim purity in race, which does not exist and probably hasn't since our emergence from Africa. 

Culture does, and for our local FN's and it is championed by Tsawaysia Spukwus .Well done Alice! 

Politics drives our Cultures apart. But then it drives any group apart a lot of the time. Then there is Education, Intelligence and Ignorance... These can heal, or in the latter case, destroy. 

History can fool us all. History, at worst, can be one of the greatest 'Scapegoats' which so many fall back on for support in their arguments.We should be very wary of this as it often disintegrates so much good. 

Some background:

Here is a summary of the Deal between Squamish FN and WLNG (click here)

And some random quotes:

"There was no consult with the members.....only a meeting where we were told we were lucky because this was the first time that the opportunity arises for us to be part of.....that we have a say as members in what was going to go on with LNG. We really did not have a say in whether or not it was going to happen....that it was going to happen"

"As I see it....publicly council said and acted like they where against the LNG happening.....and behind closed doors they did not listen to the community....saying no to LNG....and in the end they get into it. NOW HOPE THIS MEANS WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY REFERENDUM TO HAVE SOMETHING HAPPEN THAT WE WANT.....because it is all of our monies".

" Excuse me, but not ALL SN members had a say in this. Like your politicians, majority if the shit is just done behind everyone's back. So enough of the lumping all of the natives together like that."

"This was a split vote by Squamish Nation: 6 were opposed, 6 were supportive, 2 abstained (which counts as supportive), the chair expressed opposition but did not vote, and one was absent. 

The bigger issue here is that the Provincial government is yet again propping up a fossil fuel industry by gifting crown land and other money (yet to be disclosed) to Squamish Nation to entice them to accept this agreement. 

We respect Squamish Nation's decision - it was a difficult one, and we're sure that each band council member made their decision based on what they thought was best for their members. 

My Sea to Sky will continue to oppose Woodfibre LNG, we will continue to fight, and speak on behalf of the nearly 18,000 people that have signed the Howe Sound Declaration."

Some comments on Universal Consciousness.

If we want to consider universal consciousness we need to think in terms of the simplest situation. We need a simple model.

Take a circular boundary. Draw a diameter and place two points on the line so that each is the same distance from the edge of the circle on either side. Imagine a ball of the same size, weight and density at each point. Imagine that each ball is fired toward the edge of the boundary at the same velocity. Each will bounce off the edge of the circular boundary following a similar trajectory and continue bouncing forever assuming there is no external influence (friction, gravity etc.)

The ‘fate’ and ‘experience’ of each ball will be the same at any point in time. For this we will assume that each ball is indestructible. Also, if we assume that each ball is capable of ‘consciousness’ and ‘data accumulation’ purely related to the situation, we have a simple model of duality….albeit perceived duality of consciousness in both space and time because the space for each ball is at the same time and in the same (perceived position) in relation to the boundary of the 2-dimensional space. ( Yes, the balls will collide if released at exactly the same time, so allow a split second difference...just don't be picky OK! If this were to happen, I guess it would be a momentary 'merging of the minds', which is a good thing sometimes :-))

However, if we bring in any other factors, the perception will vary for each ball to a degree related to the complexity of the applied factors.  But if we simply change the boundary to a sphere, we will have a three-dimensional space and the direction of the two trajectories can differ out of choice. The experience will be apparently the same however (to each ball). Change anything else and the experience will change…the two consciousness will diverge. As consciousness depends on data accumulation (memory).

So, in our Universe we have apparently different consciousnesses. But, where do these differences lie? I say that they merely depend on the external factors present in the time and space where the consciousness resides. We are only ‘different’ from each other because of these ‘additional factors.

Humans can move toward a duality by choice and we see this in close relationships (marriage, co-habitation etc.). Such situations reduce the changing ‘factors’ and so we come closer to the simplicity of consciousness. Long married couples claim similarity of thought and behavior. We also see this simplification in identical twins. Here is a very good example of a mirroring of some of the essence of duality. 

The ‘wedge’ which pushes duality apart is memory, our position in time and space and the multiplicity of mutating factors all around us.

Yes, we are all the same and are bound by the Universal Rules but our perception of this is clouded by the complexity around us.

But what when we die? Well we leave the consciousness we talked about here behind, but it remains in its collective form in degrees from the very simple to extremely complex and in the Universe it never dies. So, do we, actually? Remember that everything you do, say or write will still stay part of the shared consciousness you leave behind forever. Just you being changes everything and everyone's consciousness. Think of the 'Butterfly Flapping its wings' thing! And 'Change changes change'.

Please realize, I am not considering varied thought or behavior at the core of this, only awareness of being in its simplest form. Yes the former are driven in their variety by the genome but in this thesis, the awareness of being, albeit subject to a wide range of degree (and of course not exclusive to man) is a shared thing. I believe that it is possible to be conscious even when stripped of most senses. The sophistication of this would range from the simplest life forms to the most advanced….and where would you draw the line? Some would even extend this to the inanimate and further to the quantum level. All of life and all of the interactions in the Universe are merely chance interchanges and locations of energy/particles in space and time. In short, the Universe or Universes are a summation of possibilities. The Religious might say that God made these possibilities. Lots of fun! Time for a beer!😊 Perhaps Descartes 'would turn in his grave' regarding this!

Today

We all need to consider what is happening right now:

We have a world which is fast succumbing to Climate Change of which most   either are not aware, ignore  or over-ride. This is either a product of lack of education, ignorance or a blind quest for the ‘here and now’ to achieve short term prosperity. The latter is very much in evidence in the ‘well heeled’ countries of our world. In short…Greed!

There appears to be an elusive solution. We have a very short time to achieve a consciousness of this problem. Some say 12 years! Meanwhile the world is tipping toward the extreme ‘Right’ and History is looming to repetition.

We have had many destructive Conflicts/Wars in the past and we have rebuilt; indeed we have ”stood up, shook ourselves off and started all over again” but now things are very different. We are faced with the possibility of catastrophic world famine, health harming pollution, overcrowding and much, much worse.

The ‘Elder-awareness’ of History means little to the ‘Cell-phone-toting' youth. 

And the ‘Millennial's' seem to have a reputation (founded or not) of entitlement. We could say that all this seems bleak.

Let us hope that there will appear a light and the end of the tunnel…but we all should seek it! There is much technological knowledge presently accumulated in our archives which we must be prepared to use SOON!

A wee history of Capitalism in Squamish

In 1975 my wife and I had saved enough money to invest in some property. We went along to visit Pat Goode who was developing Garibaldi Highlands. He was giving 'options' on new properties there. We selected a lot and signed up but then he said we could have options on two or three more under a "Gentleman's Agreement" and not to have to even put down a deposit. Yes!...can you believe this?...Well it happened. We did not take him up on it but some of my friends did. And did they ever make a packet on the deals because he honoured it even two or three years later. We don't have those kind of people anymore.He was a "Gentleman". 

And he got the Highlands developed in an efficient and tasteful way. He called it "Painting on the Land". "Every property should have a view", he said and most did from his legacy.

 On Composting in Squamish and Garden Waste Disposal

Cedar in compost is undesirable. The resin in the cedar makes it smell nice, gives it resistance to decay, repels some insects (particularly fleas and moths), and has some allelopathic properties, not just to plants, but to the microbes in your compost heap. So far better to use deciduous leaves as the main ingredient. No good gardener will put cedar waste in their composters as a preference...I never do!

Regarding Waste disposal collection by the District of Squamish: It is all down to good habits really. We never have anything with any odour in our bins until an hour before pick-up. We compost correctly and freeze any smelly kitchen waste until the day of pick-up. We have never had the the contents of our totes or compost bins pulled out and spread over our lot. We have had a couple of empty ones knocked over by a curious bear several years ago. All recyclable food containers MUST be washed.

As for the schedule for Garden Waste pick-up:
Here is a pretty good run-down.....March/April are high season for clean-up in the garden. It tails off in May. June/July..not much...maybe some grass clippings. October/November...Leaves, leaves. 
I suggest that June and July be Bi-weekly and all the rest  including March to the end of November be Weekly....Result no extra cost to home owners. 
The District should have extended the garden Waste pick-up to Dec 1st.