Connecting past and present

June 7, 2026 By: okafor chichi

Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present

Post 1: Urbanization

Article: https://thenarwhal.ca/climate-and-housing-event-questions/

This article discusses how British Columbia is trying to address the housing crisis while also responding to climate change. It challenged me to think differently about urbanization because building more homes is not simply about accommodating population growth. Environmental historians remind us that cities reshape landscapes, transportation systems, and ecosystems over time. The article explains that communities now have to consider climate resilience when planning housing developments, including preparing for wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. It made me realize that the choices made by planners and governments today will influence both environmental sustainability and quality of life for future generations.

Post 2: Conservation

Article: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-forests-logging-2025/

This article examines the impact of logging on British Columbia’s forests and raises concerns about biodiversity loss and ecosystem decline. It connects closely with the Unit 3 theme of conservation because it highlights the tension between economic development and environmental protection. Throughout environmental history, people have debated how natural resources should be used and who benefits from those decisions. Reading this article made me appreciate that conservation is not only about preserving nature for its beauty, but also about protecting ecological systems that communities depend on. It also reinforced the idea that the environmental decisions made in the past continue to shape the challenges we face today.