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Peter Wood

@peterup.bsky.social

Forests, climate, biodiversity, environmental and human rights. Lecturer, coordinator of UBC Master of International Forestry program.

354 Followers  |  140 Following  |  23 Posts  |  Joined: 04.02.2024  |  1.8467

Latest posts by peterup.bsky.social on Bluesky

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‘Insignificant risk’ EUDR proposal threatens fight against deforestation, critics say A last-minute proposal to revise the European Union’s sweeping antideforestation law has conservationists worried about yet another delay to the law’s implementation and weaker oversight of supply…

A last-minute proposal to revise the European Union’s sweeping antideforestation law has conservationists worried about yet another delay to the law’s implementation and weaker oversight of supply chains.

27.07.2025 11:17 — 👍 17    🔁 7    💬 0    📌 1
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Protection for B.C.’s Inland Temperate Rainforest Help protect one of the rarest rainforests on Earth—and the species that depend on it.

If you have 5 mins to spare today, use them to help protect BC’s threatened Inland Temperate Rainforest — one of the rarest rainforests left on Earth, and home to endangered deep-snow caribou. Take action to secure permanent protection for the ITR.
secure.wildsight.ca/ITR?source=B...

27.07.2025 14:55 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Neither ‘Biofuel’ Nor Nuclear Will Solve Our Energy Problems | The Tyee From Borneo to Japan to BC, the effects are clear. And the solution is something entirely different.

"Pulp mills used to get most of the wood they needed from the wood chips, sawdust and shavings produced at sawmills. But as sawmill after sawmill in B.C. has closed as primary forests dwindle, pulp mills have been forced to rely more and more on whole logs to keep going" thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...

18.07.2025 14:50 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Similar to BC's response to the pine beetle- in the absence of strong rules and enforcement that ensure a path towards restoring ecosystem health, commercial logging can make things worse. We have to accept that this is often not going to be profitable. This looks like a timely report.

11.07.2025 13:57 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Stand.earth - For the people and places you love For more than twenty years, we’ve been utilizing cutting-edge research, building equitable power with frontline communities, and leveraging mass movements to make a real impact on the health and wellb...

Check out this excellent story-map showing the impact of logging on the southern mountain caribou (by @wildsight.bsky.social, @wildernews.bsky.social, and @stand.earth). Can't believe that new cutblocks are being approved in endangered species' critical habitat. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/82ae...

26.06.2025 19:10 — 👍 6    🔁 6    💬 0    📌 0
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How electoral reform could shatter party fortresses A change to Canada’s electoral system would have delivered a very different House of Commons this year, according to an analysis for The Canadian Press.

If you were forced to vote strategically in the last election, consider supporting electoral reform. It ain't sexy, but things that strengthen democracy rarely are.
www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...

16.05.2025 02:50 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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‘Elbows up’ in Canada means sustainable resource development Accelerated resource development in Canada should not burden future generations with environmental destruction.

Standing up to the US does not justify weakening environmental protections. It's an opportunity to strengthen them, and ensure that they are aligned with Canadian values 🇨🇦 An important article in @theconversation.com today theconversation.com/elbows-up-in... #elbowsup

12.05.2025 18:09 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

💯

02.05.2025 14:16 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Thoughts on Canada's Unprecedented Election "Trump is the first American president to lose a Canadian election."

Here are my initial thoughts on the 2025 election - what it means for Canada in the short term and what it means for the movement of social democracy in the long.
substack.com/home/post/p-...

30.04.2025 12:09 — 👍 528    🔁 163    💬 47    📌 46
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B.C. failing to protect 81% critical habitat for at-risk species: docs | The Narwhal B.C. allows industrial logging in critical habitat for at-risk species – part of the reason it's a long way from meeting federal standards

B.C. is failing to protect 81% of critical habitat for at-risk species, government documents show. #bcpoli #biodiversity VIA @ainsliecruickshank.bsky.social thenarwhal.ca/bc-endangere...

30.04.2025 13:11 — 👍 79    🔁 44    💬 3    📌 7
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Wade Grant won! Musqueam nation - hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaker (a Salish dialect, the Native language most of Metro Vancouver). The first Coast Salish person in parliament, AFAIK.

29.04.2025 03:54 — 👍 658    🔁 132    💬 12    📌 9
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Forestry Giant Not Owed Compensation, BC Supreme Court Rules | The Tyee Teal-Jones had argued it faced ‘constructive taking’ on Haida Gwaii.

Supreme Court decision establishes that a logging company is not entitled to compensation for a switch to ecosystem-based management on Haida Gwaii. Teal-Jones argued that the restrictions = expropriation and should be compensated $75 million. The judge did not agree. www.thetyee.ca/News/2025/04...

18.04.2025 14:16 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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The #WPPh2025 Photo of the Year is ‘Mahmoud Ajjour, Aged Nine’ by Samar Abu Elouf, for @nytimes.com. The jury was moved by this portrait of a Palestinian boy which speaks to the devastating long-term costs of war on civilians. worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo-contest/2025/Samar-Abu-Elouf/1

17.04.2025 09:09 — 👍 178    🔁 113    💬 8    📌 33
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New independent study finds that protecting old-growth #forests in just two regions in BC would result in over $43billion worth of economic benefits for society. A strong argument for all govts to make #OldGrowth, biodiversity and nature commitments a reality #bcpoli sierraclub.bc.ca/protecting-o...

07.04.2025 17:10 — 👍 10    🔁 6    💬 0    📌 0
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A decisive victory for progressive candidates in Vancouver's by-election - congrats to @onecityvan.bsky.social @seanorr.bsky.social @lucymaloney.bsky.social . A protest vote against the ruling party in a by-election is not unusual, but this is a strong message from Vancouver voters.

06.04.2025 14:07 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Company men | CCPA Following two blistering years of all-time high compensation, Canada’s 100 highest-paid CEOs pocketed $13.2 million, on average, in 2023—the third biggest haul since we’ve been tracking CEO pay. On av...

It's the first workday of the year. At 10:54 this morning, Canada's top CEOs have already made $62,661— the average worker's annual salary. By year's end, they'll make 210 times what the worker makes.

Lots of new data in this new @policyalternatives.bsky.social report on CEO pay in Canada.

02.01.2025 15:54 — 👍 47    🔁 31    💬 1    📌 4
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Halalt First Nation Sues Forest Firm, Governments for Flooding | The Tyee The class action alleges ‘careless and reckless’ practices created conditions for disaster.

This could have major implications for forestry in BC: First Nation in Cowichan Valley launches a class-action lawsuit against Mosaic and three levels of government for damages related to flooding
thetyee.ca/News/2024/12...

20.12.2024 16:21 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0
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South Korea slashes forest biomass energy subsidies in major policy reform In a major policy shift, South Korea announced Dec. 18 that it will end renewable energy subsidies for new biomass projects, as well as for state-owned coal and biomass cofired power plants starting i...

In a surprise move, South Korea has announced that it will end subsidies for all new biomass projects and for existing state-owned plants cofiring biomass with coal, effective January 2025, a significant and sudden policy shift.

Will Japan follow South Korea’s example?

Read more:

20.12.2024 15:26 — 👍 77    🔁 26    💬 1    📌 4
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Conservationists Welcome BC NDP and Green Governance Agreement – BC Forestry Review Could Provide Key Opportunity to Strengthen Old-Growth Forest Protection Policies — Endangered Ecosystems Alliance The Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) and Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are welcoming the new 2024 Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the NDP and Green parties in BC. The coopera...

"The “War in the Woods” primarily hinges on the remaining 1.4 million hectares of undeferred most at-risk old-growth stands." A helpful summary of the NDP-Green agreement on old growth and what's at stake: www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/2024/12...

18.12.2024 15:52 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
MSN

Student initiative gets UN to seek legal opinion on climate justice and small island states at risk due to rising sea levels: "it would be more than just a powerful symbol since it could serve as the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits."
www.msn.com/en-ca/money/...

01.12.2024 22:58 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Globe editorial: How (not) to save Quebec’s threatened boreal caribou The province needs to take action on years of promises rather than protest about Ottawa’s jurisdictional intrusion

Unsustainable resource extraction is wiping out caribou and ultimately small communities as well. Excellent editorial in the Globe: www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...

25.11.2024 14:22 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Thanks for this. I'm very grateful for my mentors, both academic and non 🙏🏼

21.11.2024 15:01 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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On BC’s North Coast, First Nations Are Building a New Economy | The Tyee How the Great Bear Sea initiative is using conservation finance to create jobs and preserve nature.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but in the coastal rainforests of British Columbia, salmon do.

20.11.2024 15:52 — 👍 72    🔁 19    💬 6    📌 1
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Tax Their Billions: Dossier Calling on the UK Government to Tax Their Billions: back a global wealth tax on the mega-rich and increased taxes on fossil fuel corporations.

You had me at "tax their billions". Making the super rich pay their fair share for climate action: @350org.bsky.social 350.org/tax-their-bi...

19.11.2024 22:55 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Four people arrested after using bear costume as part of insurance fraud
YouTube video by NBC News Four people arrested after using bear costume as part of insurance fraud

In need of comic relief? This clip of a human dressed up as a bear causing damage to a Rolls Royce as part of an elaborate insurance scam should do the trick: youtu.be/hdVN4i-ihJI?...

19.11.2024 22:50 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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The oilsands’ plan to boost its reputation on the COP stage | The Narwhal Pathways Alliance got onstage at Canada’s 2022 UN climate summit (COP27) pavilion to improve global ‘perception of the oilsands’

How Canada helped fossil fuel companies improve global 'perception' of Alberta's oil sands. @meyer.bsky.social has the scoop for @thenarwhal.ca. thenarwhal.ca/oilsands-lob...

19.11.2024 22:09 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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How a river became a person—with help from UVic environmental lawyers Peruvian-Canadian doc that helped shape key Amazon case airs Nov. 18 at Cinecenta

How does a river gain recognition as a person? www.capitaldaily.ca/news/how-a-r...

17.11.2024 17:39 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
That correlation clearly holds when social and health problems are also factored in (see ‘Unequal outcomes’). To show this, we combined our environmental performance index with another that we developed previously that considers ten health and social problems: infant mortality, life expectancy, mental illness, obesity, educational attainment, teenage births, homicides, imprisonment, social mobility and trust. There’s a clear trend, with more-unequal societies having worse scores.

That correlation clearly holds when social and health problems are also factored in (see ‘Unequal outcomes’). To show this, we combined our environmental performance index with another that we developed previously that considers ten health and social problems: infant mortality, life expectancy, mental illness, obesity, educational attainment, teenage births, homicides, imprisonment, social mobility and trust. There’s a clear trend, with more-unequal societies having worse scores.

"people in more-equal societies are more trusting and more likely to protect the environment than are those in unequal, consumer-driven ones."

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

14.03.2024 11:02 — 👍 96    🔁 47    💬 1    📌 5
Spanish banks Creek with dead salmon following spawning

Spanish banks Creek with dead salmon following spawning

Spawned chum salmon skeleton on leaves

Spawned chum salmon skeleton on leaves

Urban salmon! Great to see these chum continue to return to Spanish Banks Creek to spawn, 30 years after it was restored. Mother Nature is ready to rebound if we stop doing the bad things.

11.11.2024 00:49 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Why Both Parties Are Wrong about BC’s Forestry Crisis | The Tyee The problem isn’t red tape; it’s a lack of trees. Last in a series.

"If it was a matter of policy preventing access to fibre, why would industry be selling assets and abandoning B.C. rather than wait for that stroke of the political pen to change policy. They know there’s nothing left” The real reason BC forestry is in trouble: @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...

18.10.2024 04:31 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

@peterup is following 20 prominent accounts