<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Firstthingsfirst]]></title><description><![CDATA[FirstThingsFirstOK]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:09:28 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Reducing carbon emissions and building more homes are NOT mutually exclusive goals — Better North Shore]]></title><description><![CDATA[BC building codes can create more homes while reducing emissions]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/reducing-carbon-emissions-and-building-more-homes-are-not-mutually-exclusive-goals-better-north-sh</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a15bdff96a9edf7cb1ef0fa</guid><category><![CDATA[Climate Actions At Home]]></category><category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 15:56:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_cf6583f2d7e34e978af76bb993cb0676~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seniors for Climate protects a village]]></title><description><![CDATA[The sun was darkened by wildfire smoke in the whole of BC in 2021.]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/seniors-for-climate-protects-a-village</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fc8de9ff1f32555729a172</guid><category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Active Citizens ]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 13:18:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_a4ff648cc24e4fed8451666ce4c210af~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_768,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[You aren't alone feeling anxious about climate change.]]></title><description><![CDATA[nelsonstar.com By Laura Sacks, West Kootenay Climate Hub, and Dr. Kyle Merritt, Doctors &#38; Nurses for Planetary Health Kootenay-Boundary No reason to feel alone this Earth Day if you care about climate change Wednesday, April 22, 2026 If you are concerned about climate change and the world we are leaving our children, you are not alone. Survey after survey finds that the vast majority of us are concerned and want our governments to do more. Yet most Canadians greatly underestimate how much...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/you-aren-t-alone-feeling-anxious-about-climate-change</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ef95297cb0726b2da7e1aa</guid><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:07:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_a2c3a686375f4e3f952f48863504a8e7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Have a Heat Pump Party?   Why Are Heat Pumps So Hot Right Now?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Treat yourself to an open conversation about the mysteries and excitement of heat pumps at a Heat Pump Party. It is kind of like a Tupperware party but to demystify how heat pumps can heat AND cool a house.  Heat Pump costume for a party "Not many people know what a heat pump is. A bunch of neighbours are gathering to learn the challenges, to extol the virtues, and basically understand why heat pumps are so important in this day and age." Very fun and very informative. Although Ontario...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/have-a-heat-pump-party-why-are-heat-pumps-so-hot-right-now</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69debc9e934ce577916c888d</guid><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:50:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_5c2b09cd0b6645dea757324520e860f2~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_726,h_368,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Better House: the power of interconnectivity (and its rewards)]]></title><description><![CDATA[betternorthshore.ca Apr 10 Written By Claudia Cornwall 13–16 minutes This is a continuation of the journey Claudia and Gordon took to retrofit their North Vancouver home. When we were building our new all-electric house,  my husband, Gordon, had the idea of getting a house battery for backup in case of power outages. Our old house had a wood fireplace in our living room that we could use for heat during blackouts, when the old gas furnace didn’t work, but the new house relies entirely on...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/a-better-house-the-power-of-interconnectivity-and-its-rewards</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69dbd77a515c02011a11c5b1</guid><pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:38:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_94ce8d9362e948b3b50f06e7a16ef6c2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Let’s Talk Climate: Power, Privilege and the Planet]]></title><description><![CDATA[saltspringexchange.com Kelda Logan Transition Salt Spring Climate Prayer Flag of Hope Penticton, BC 8–10 minutes Let’s Talk Climate: Power, Privilege and the Planet Part 2: Structural Inequity Conversations about climate change often stall, even among people who share a deep concern for the planet. The silence doesn’t come from apathy; it comes from the weight and complexity of the problem itself. At its core, climate change is not just an environmental issue but a structural and systemic...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/let-s-talk-climate-power-privilege-and-the-planet</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d957e64750526d40bd69c4</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:10:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_a9303de5061a4ef6bec8435bbd955023~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[UBCO gets sustainable district energy heating system]]></title><description><![CDATA[UBC Okanagan upping the heat while lowering greenhouse gas emissions Read more at:  https://pentictonwesternnews.com/2026/04/10/ubc-okanagan-upping-the-heat-while-lowering-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ UBC Okanagan is heating up its mission on efficiency and sustainability with a new air-source heat pump district energy system.  University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus Reduce Emissions by 815 Tonnes Per Year       (Screenshot from Vitalis  website) A tour of the equipment in and around...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/ubco-gets-sustainable-heating-system</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d9192061f85fcf9f7befa4</guid><category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Science]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:47:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_4f7d1ef8bf2f479695d093018f865778~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Electrification Saves $$]]></title><description><![CDATA[Clean Energy Canada’s most recent report,  “ Back in the Race ”  analyzes the cost impact of household electrification (both vehicles and homes) in scenarios across provinces.  Jana Elbrecht is Senior Policy Advisor, Clean Economy with Clean Energy Canada. EVs save drivers money over the long-term. "This year is quickly turning out to be a comeback year for EVs. The opening of the market to lower-cost imported models and reintroduction of a rebate already changes the math significantly on...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/electrification-saves</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d7d918646a4e908b719777</guid><category><![CDATA[Climate Actions At Home]]></category><category><![CDATA[Science]]></category><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:59:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_9ba796ac6cf243e58a2dda938bcb9baa~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Let’s Talk Climate: Why Silence Feels Easier ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Climate silence. It’s been creeping into newspapers, social media, government spaces, and our own homes. ]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/let-s-talk-climate-why-silence-feels-easier</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69adc0ddd66894c6d6f933e1</guid><category><![CDATA[Active Citizens ]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 18:38:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_6fd7fbb686fc481eb815fddb3e30c2e8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Better House Part 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Retrofitting a home with solar can save money, improve residents' health, and reduce emissions.]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/a-better-house-part-2-solarretrofit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696e8a2be4340f7772bac88e</guid><category><![CDATA[Climate Actions At Home]]></category><category><![CDATA[Active Citizens ]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 20:16:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_31592d526cbb47108e45896a0c5e22ce~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_866,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[CleanBC needs a renewal, not a retreat]]></title><description><![CDATA[CleanBC review has shortfalls.]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/cleanbc-needs-a-renewal-not-a-retreat</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695c73797d25e886c5342a02</guid><category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 03:06:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_19433465ca8c4624a1441d5f61e5086b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Myth and the reality of annual allowable cut in BC forests]]></title><description><![CDATA[Logging trucks (photo CTV) Eli Pivnick argues a new approach is needed to logging in B.C. Eli lives in the north Okanagan near Vernon and has a PhD in insect ecology from Université Laval in Quebec City. He has conducted insect research in the Canadian Prairies for the National Research Council, Agriculture Canada and Parks Canada. from The Castanet Dec 23, 2025 The annual allowable cut is the cornerstone for how the B.C. government manages logging on Crown forested lands. It is a...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/myth-and-the-reality-of-annual-allowable-cut-in-bc-forests</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694b4e0400b0d11d88871627</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Science]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2025 02:27:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_3512560c9b554df08be1198406c85fce~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_640,h_360,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Warning Letter about Cutting Funding from Data Science]]></title><description><![CDATA["Cuts at Natural Resources Canada  ' decimate' wildfire and flood tracking capacity,  unions warn", Natasha Bulowski , Dec 05/25 Athabasca Tar Sands (Flickr SkyTruth) How many of you remember in 2011  when Conservative  PM Harper cut  over $1.1 billion from science &#38; technology ( Watershed Sentinel) , causing the loss of almost 4000 federal researchers from our civil service, closed libraries that held a huge amount of historical information for scientists at the Department of Fisheries and...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/a-warning-letter-about-cutting-funding-from-data-science</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694acd5f922cfc95692c6a25</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:32:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_8819e921de1c4711a85d1ac289f58cc9~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_639,h_464,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A better house: our journey to a passive home.  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[For a long time, my husband, Gordon Cornwall, and I dreamed of a home that would minimize energy consumption.]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/a-better-house-our-journey-to-a-passive-home</link><guid isPermaLink="false">693ced6742832d49aebb4704</guid><category><![CDATA[Climate Actions At Home]]></category><category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2025 04:52:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_ffa4875d77b845ddb8f19c805f9df931~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_888,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Powerful Letter to the PM]]></title><description><![CDATA[Laura Sacks, West Kootenay Climate Hub, has worked for years to advocate for climate solutions and better policies for a clean future. Her anger and frustration directed to PM Carney are clear in this letter she wrote to him in November 2025. Many of us share her emotions and feelings of betrayal. Mark Carney fast-tracking LNG and mining and other polluting projects (screenshot from CBC September 11) Dear Prime Minister Carney, I was first introduced to the term “stranded assets” from your...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/a-powerful-letter-to-the-pm</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6925de398c513b4f517fea69</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:05:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_72b535ab7c264343bd66bc69b644f3db~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_710,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Breaking: Ksi Lisims LNG should be named a Project of National Liability not of National Interest]]></title><description><![CDATA[A flaring stack at the LNG Canada plant in Kitimat. Production there will exceed Canadian guidelines for nitrogen dioxide. Photo via BC Energy Regulator. Richard Brooks wrote this  excellent article on the dangers of the Ksi Lisims LNG project. It is reposted with permission. November 12, 2025 The Ksi Lisims LNG  project in British Columbia is being presented as a "Project of National Interest." However, a serious analysis of its legal, financial, and operational realities reveals a project...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/breaking-ksi-lisims-lng-should-be-named-a-project-of-national-liability-not-of-national-interest</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691a2d2b80f146b984deb972</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Nov 2025 20:23:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_2d986a3976884f2a86c7d45b78ca415b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_960,h_540,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Talking to Kids about Climate and Home Tips]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sara Goldstein of the website Motherly quotes Laura Schifter, founder of This Is Planet Ed   and author of  Students, Schools, and Our Climate Momen t , who explains that “worry, sadness, grief, and fear are all normal climate feelings.” It's not easy to talk to kids sometimes about climate change as we're afraid to scare them, but opening the conversation is critical as extreme weather events are impacting our daily lives. These home climate tips can guide us. Kids get solar solutions. The...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/talking-to-kids-about-home-climate-tips</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6919037ed87a8b8976438da7</guid><category><![CDATA[Climate Actions At Home]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 15 Nov 2025 23:07:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_03fc7eaced734c9c88a376771487b475~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Do Electric Vehicles Reduce Power Grid Capacity?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bruce Murdoch, Cranbrook, BC, discusses the misinformation that abounds about BC's electricity capacity and the impact Electric Vehicles (EVs) have on the power grid. Electric Vehicle (EV) charging How EVs Can Boost Power Grid This sounds counter-intuitive right? It sure does! I am going to demonstrate how EVs can (and already do to a small extent) free up capacity on the grid and electrical generation capacity. We are facing a lot of fearmongering about power utilities running out of...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/do-evs-reduce-power-grid-capacity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">690684a6c8a1fe1c55fa3c51</guid><category><![CDATA[Climate Actions At Home]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 01 Nov 2025 22:39:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_d888c2d3df624724a786c6d4551ab064~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_839,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Opinion: BC’s massive carbon bomb approval is an act of arson — BC Climate Emergency Campaign]]></title><description><![CDATA[bcclimateemergency.ca Gingolx, near Ksi Lisims project (screenshot C. Reibin) (This opinion piece was shared on the BC Climate Emergency Campaign website. It is posted here with permission of the authors.) We must stay aware of the facts about fossil fuels in general and LNG in particular. The rush to build new gas, coal, and oil projects goes against science and will increase deadly pollution. Extracting fossil fuels is dangerous to the environment around the project and to places where it...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/opinion-bc-s-massive-carbon-bomb-approval-is-an-act-of-arson-bc-climate-emergency-campaign</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f6a4302aa3cc1b59681b1a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:37:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_f285449e32604f169ec7c6be9472b087~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_712,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Climate Action Letter to the Editor]]></title><description><![CDATA[On Oct 9, 2025, the Nelson Star published a letter from scientist and farmer, Laura Sacks about the imperative to take climate action...]]></description><link>https://www.firstthingsfirstokanagan.com/post/climate-action-letter-to-the-editor</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e9570251f676ec2abf1f79</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 19:08:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/aba76f_1a47452fe27045878931ba626cc812f2~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>FTFO</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>