Don't nuke my water!

Having read about Greenpeace's action earlier this week, I was reminded once again about what a radioactive fallout could look like close to my home here in Toronto if we were to suffer a massive nuclear accident such as those which have happened in others places around the world like in Japan, Ukraine and even closer to home in the USA.  


Imagine Lake Ontario contaminated by radiation. Lake Ontario: the source of drinking water for millions of people and habitat for so much wildlife. How would we manage?  How would we deal with the public hysteria that would follow? I don't wish to sound like a doomsday activist, but this isn't a zombie apocalypse story  - this is Ontario's reality of gambling with nuclear energy.  Living within the 60 km radius of massive nuclear stations in Pickering and Darlington, where official emergency plans are only equipped to deal with minor accidents and nothing close to that of Fukoshima or Chernobyl, I worry.  Even worse, dealing with a massively populated city like Toronto becomes even more challenging given an evacuation scenario. Getting children, elderly folk, the sick and disabled out of the zones efficiently will be very, very challenging and requires a comprehensive plan.  Where do you go if you have no family or friends to take you in outside of the fallout zones?  I am concerned for the safety of Canadians and angry at our government for being so dismissive. 

It's been almost two years since Fukushima's nuclear disaster in Daiichi, Japan, and and while  the media is through with the headlines, and the fear of nuclear energy dissolves further into the background - the threat remains real and close for millions of people all over the world.   While many nations, particularly in the EU remain opposed to nuclear energy and are working hard to phase-out reactors, Canada lags behind. This is not surprising given Canada's poor track record when it comes to green energy.

Environmental accidents happen all over the world on a regular basis. We see it happening from mass storms to earthquakes and nuclear meltdowns.  Unless you have first-hand experience, you can't really begin to understand what it's like to fall victim to a disaster of such magnitude.  When it's all done and over, people continue to suffer, sometimes for generations.  Families today in Fukushima are slowly rebuilding  while they endure the immediate depression of personal loss on a community-wide scale. Chernobly, 26 years later is still ridden with rare cancers and birth defects.  The site of the accident still uninhabitable.

This brings me back to Ontario, where our policy makers are currently making decisions about our future energy sources.  We are at a crossroad. We could switch channels and make some smart decisions.  The $36 billion earmarked  to refurbish old reactors at Darlington could be spent on a incredible mixed-bag of green of energy sources for Ontario. We have the power to make some epic change.

The risks associated with nuclear energy is much more than the threat of reactor accidents.  Even if we never see a reactor fail again, there are still many problems with this industry.  Uranium mining, managing nuclear waste and weapons have parallel concerns. It's a loaded source of energy that's expensive, dirty and dangerous on many fronts.  Imagine being on the path to NO more uranium mining, NO more risk of nuclear fallout and nuclear war.

I am so grateful working for an organization like Greenpeace, as I need a constant reminder about what we need to do to protect our planet, and in turn ourselves and our families.  Having become a mother recently, the catchphrase of "protecting our environment for future generations", rings truer than ever.

I urge you to follow the direction of activists around the globe to phase-out nuclear energy.  In  Ontario, you can start by sending a letter to Ontario's Energy Minster Chris Bentley to ensure Canadians are protected in the event of a nuclear accident at Darlington. 

Mama-rama-ding-dong?

So full of love and gratitude, I am humbled each and every day by this monumental experience. Being a mother is amazing - it's true.  Some say having children is what makes one complete - and I would have to concur; But still, my insecurities are at times paramount, and I wonder why?  Why am I putting too much pressure on myself?  Now that I've become a mother and joined the ranks of those who have learned what it's like to care for and love something unconditionally, I am wondering if I am good enough. How can I feel so balanced, yet so out of my element at the same time?  Underneath, deep inside,  I wonder if I am capable enough to be a great mom and partner while holding on to my goals of being a great activist, artist , friend, community member, and collectively minded individual.  Yes individual.  Is it even possible? No one is judging right?   But why do I feel like I've been written off by the general populous as "useless" in the world unless that is, I am tending to diapers or crying babies? Maybe this is my own insecurity?  Am I projecting?  Is it just those damn hormones? 

All I can do is my best. And I will. Now, more than ever, is the time I have to explore who I am. To live in the moment and think about what's next.  Parenthood  is next level existence, and it's exciting to think about how I can become a better person. More creative,  more loving, more understanding, more adventurous and fun. Less selfish.  This is a good opportunity no doubt to really change my life and how I live it.  I now have a really good reason to live life even fuller! 

I have finally accepted dub time.  I'm ok with taking things slow, rather than my usual dive-in approach. I've surrendered to the cosmos, where "letting go" is what creates magic for me. A spark of life revived. Rushing only frustrates. I've likewise accepted the feeling of being overwhelmed.  In fact, there is something exciting about it.  I believe I am doing very important work raising a little human.  An individual who has already begun shaping the future  from the moment she was born.  In saying this, I challenge mothers everywhere to step it up.  Don't allow yourself to be predisposed as otherwise "occupied". Be proud and confident.  Share knowledge and resources.  What we are learning as mothers is timeless.   

JULIA Butterfly at Om Festival 2003, CANADA

Julia Butterfly Hill came to the Om Festival in Ontario, and spoke to the OM community in 2003. Having spent over 730 days of protest in a 150 foot tall, old-growth Redwood named "Luna" in California, she has been a catalyst for change and peaceful direct action ever since.

This is the recording of her speech which I recorded at that gathering ... and still remains a source of inspiration for me today ... 8 years later...

Here it is in three parts. ENJOY!

Nuit Blanche - a "reclaim the streets" revival!

I must admit that over the last few years my opinion of Nuit Blanche has been cynical … The reality of waiting for hours to see "public" outdoor art is not my ideal way to spend my evenings. However , I'm realizing more and more that Toronto's trendy Nuit Blanche "art thing" isn't really about the art for me at all. It's about the community … our community … taking back it's streets, public spaces and buildings. It's about making a commitment to wander through our city streets into the early hours; enjoying, discovering, and experiencing what our amazing city has to offer, whether it's some art installation that will only be there for a day, or something that's been there for years which you've never noticed before, because you've been walking around with closed eyes. Nuit Blanche is about conscious observation, and active participation in a city that we are so comfortable in, that we forget how to experience it. It's about talking to random strangers and connecting to a collective "spirit" that emanates through our city on this one very special night . And for me, undoubtedly, it's about staying up all night and watching the sunrise over our sweet urban landscape. Mist rising, grapefruit sky and the silence of exhaustion, peace, rest.

Same Same but Different: Toronto police didn't like our party :(

Is this where Toronto Police are focusing their energy?

A city that's been tormented with increased gun violence in most recent months has citizens fearing a grim future. Or does it?? The media is saturated with one incident after the next, while the general sentiment on the street remains calm, peaceful, and safe. And while mature 'partiers' (20 and 30 something) celebrated together in vibrant Halloween garb at licensed venues to throbbing bass bins - the message was loud and clear. Dancing at 5am is not ok. "So go home you heathens because it's far too late for you to be having fun!" This was the vibe projected by police officers at our Suma (formerly Sumkidz) Halloween celebration at 'Z' bar on Dundas Street on Halloween night.

The event which was organized by myself, alongside a collective of party promoter veterans of 10 years that I co-conspire with. The event was rudely and abruptly interrupted by police officials just after 5am on the Friday night of Halloween, in order to deal with noise complaints from the neighbouring residents. There is no doubt that there was, indeed, heavy bass emanating from the walls of this venue creating an invisible mist of sound blanketing the empty streets outside. Not to mention the many chatty smokers on the sidewalk contributing to the so called 'annoyance' as their laughter rose higher and higher into the early morning. And in some beautiful way - it was, believe it or a not, a serene and positive vibe as so many of these events are. In this day in age, we can proudly say that there IS indeed a protocol to authoritarian action. I can disapointingly say, that on this whimsically colourful Halloween evening, this protocol was completely ignored by the negativity and power mongering actions of Toronto's Police.

On this evening, 3 uniformed police offers entered the venue in a frenzy of anger and preconcieved false notions. Even though event coordinators followed them inside (myself included) and attempted on many occasions to greet them and speak with them, they blasted past the women working the door, and all the security guards posted at the entrance, and made a b-line for the artists performing. Talk about lack of sensitivity or respect for the arts. This blatant disregard for performance IS unacceptable in a City that prides itself in artistic and cultural diversity. They insisted that the performer (DJ Task) stop his performance immediately and then persisted to throw bogus threats and accusations at us (the promoters and staff working), threatening to 'press charges' that they could neither justify nor explain when asked on numerous occasions. These officers couldn't even explain themselves in a coherent, non-aggressive or diplomatic way. Or maybe they could, but choose not to. Are these the so called 'pin-ups' of our society??

No one - not promoter, staff or guest, showed aggressive or disrespectful behaviour towards these three lone police officers. We spoke with them rationally and confidently, but still received the kind of treatment appropriate only when people choose not to cooperate. We offered on numerous occasions to turn down the music and continue on our festive journey at a much lower volume. However, our offers went unnoticed. Instead, the police focused their attention on the bar which coincidentally had very intentionally stopped serving alcohol after bar hours, and was selling water, juice and energy drinks as an alternative. After a period of what seemed like a one-sided discussion and a pathetic attempt to thoroughly investigate the bar, they finished harassing the bartender and left the venue with a huff and puff - nearly blowing the place down. The music was turned back on and was maintained at a more tolerable volume, and alas, the event continued without any more disturbances thereafter. The interference however will remain in our a psyche as a reminder of the problem of police malpractice.

In a diplomatic and so called 'civilized' nation as forward thinking as Canada, a simple "Sorry to interrup the party folks, but the volume needs to come down or else we'll have to end the party" would have sufficed, but instead, valuable time was wasted and negative energy expanded, in order to make threats and conduct empty investigations. The party-goers of the evening were respectful and reasonable individuals, and the least the authorities could have offered was the benefit of the doubt and some common courtesy. We are a night loving, music and art thriving community, which celebrates through self expression and dance. Our culture is continually discriminated against and misunderstood. Communication and compassion go a long way. Cinicism and fear condones hatred and leads backwards. Perhaps it's time to offer profession development to our police in restorative justice?

If protocol cannot be followed by the public figures of our society then where does this leave us? How does this facilitate trust, respect or understanding within our communities? How much more of our police time will be spent cracking down on innocent adults having fun rather than where it might be better suited creating safer streets and school for our citizens?