TODAY’S DECISIONS – TOMORROW’S FUTURE: “During times of crisis, a few leaders always step into the spotlight with a new vision bridging conflicting worldviews. Michael Blackstock is one of these visionaries,” stated Glen Brown, Chair of Asset Management BC, when he announced the keynote speaker for the AMBC annual conference in November 2024
Note to Reader:
The annual Asset Management BC Conference is AMBC’s largest on-site signature event of the year, comprised of presentations, plenaries, social functions and a mini trade show of exhibitors. AMBC has secured Michael Blackstock, founder of the Blue Ecology Institute, as keynote speaker for their annual conference in November 2024. Michael Blackstock is closely aligned with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
Today’s Decisions – Tomorrow’s Future
“The decisions we make today significantly shape our future. Yet, it’s not always easy,” states Glen Brown, Chair of Asset Management BC and General Manager of Victoria Operations for the Union of BC Municipalities.
“Asset management often requires making difficult decisions now, to ensure sustainable service delivery in the future. These decisions are key to ensuring our current community service needs, and how those services are delivered in a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible manner without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
An introduction to Michael Blackstock
“During times of crisis, a few leaders always step into the spotlight with a new vision bridging conflicting worldviews. Michael Blackstock is one of these visionaries,” notes Glen Brown.
“As an Independent Indigenous Scholar and founder of the Blue Ecology™ theory, Michael Blackstock offers a unique First Nations perspective on the climate crisis, inserting water into the difficult debates about carbon emissions. He has published over two dozen peer reviewed papers, bridging Science and centuries old Indigenous ways of honouring nature.”
“Michael Blackstock’s ability to mediate grew out of a uniquely diverse background as a writer, a thought leader, and registered Forester. For the past 20 years, he has held senior positions in the BC Public Service. He also was the Senior Negotiator and Manager of Indigenous Employment and Training at BC Hydro.”
Blue Ecology, A collaborative Framework for BC
“Indigenous elders taught five principles to their children as an ethos for taking care of Mother Earth. The five Blue Ecology principles, Spirit, Harmony, Respect, Unity, and Balance are shown in this Circle of Life diagram and stand at the core of Blue Ecology,” explains Michael Blackstock.
“Blue Ecology is an ecological philosophy, which emerged from interweaving Indigenous and Western thought, that acknowledges water’s (i.e. fresh and salt) essential rhythmical life-spirit and central functional role in generating, sustaining, receiving and ultimately unifying life on Earth Mother.”
“The highest sustainability test is water-first: planned development (e.g. real estate, urban planning, forestry agriculture, mining, oil, and gas extraction) cannot impede the functional delivery of quality water to ecosystems in a healthy rhythm.”
Introducing “Natural Intelligence”
“Blue Ecology is a means to bridge Indigenous wisdom and Western Science. At the AMBC Conference, I will tell the story of how Blue Ecology was developed, and then how it can be implemented to address climate change. I will close my presentation with a new concept emerging from Blue Ecology, called Natural Intelligence (NI).”
“Natural Intelligence is the theory and development of systems able to perform tasks that normally require the intelligence found in nature, such as the ability to adapt to changing environments, self-regulate life processes, and interact with the ecosystem in a sustainable way,” concludes Michael Blackstock.
To Learn More:
In 2023, the Watershed Moments team produced a 90-minute video about Blue Ecology which Shaw Cable broadcast throughout BC. The video showcases what it means to apply Michael Blackstock’s five Blue Ecology water cycle principles.
Watch the video trailer: Set aside 6-½ minutes. Click on the YouTube image below. Watch the trailer overview. It is powerful.
BLUE ECOLOGY IS A PATHWAY TO WATER RECONCILIATION AND RESILIENCE AT THE LOCAL SCALE:
Download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Caring for the land means going beyond just doing enough.
