Times Colonist columns up to 30 November 2025
After 10 years of writing a weekly column, over 500 in all, I switched to writing a monthly column in 2025.
You are free to share or publish these articles, as long as you acknowledge the Times Colonist as the source and me as the author.
- 14 Nov 2014 “Health care a small part of true health”
- 17 Dec 2014 – What makes us healthy? Hint: It’s not health care
- 24 Dec 2014 – Singing together is good for our health
- 31 Dec 2014 – A health resolution for the B.C. government
- 7 Jan 2015 – – We simply can’t afford the costs of poverty
- 14 Jan 2015 – BC should guarantee right to food security
- 21 Jan 2015 – Our health depends upon a healthy planet
- 28 Jan 2015 – GDP is not a useful measure of well-being
- 4 Feb 2015 – There’s more to progress than the GDP
- 11 Feb 2015 – To die a healthy death is not an oxymoron
- 19 Feb – Designers can influence health, well-being
- 25 Feb – Be grateful for the pleasures of the flush
- 4 Mar – Climate change poses severe health risks
- 11 March – Public transit is good for public health
- 18 March – Reducing transport would improve health
- 25 March – Portion size: The elephant in the room
- 1 April – Putting the health in health care
- 8 April – Self-care most neglected part of health system
- 15 April – ‘Whole government’ health approach needed
- 22 April – Bringing nature to people improves health
- 29 April – Children need nature; nature needs children
- 6 May – Arts, nature and well-being are all connected
- 13 May – Beauty needs to be part of health equality
- 20 May – Note for politicians: First, do no harm
- 27 May – Good health requires different economics
- 3 June – Taxes are the price we pay for civilization
- 10 June – Dance your way into a healthy old age
- http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/trevor-hancock-dance-your-way-into-a-healthy-old-age-1.1963320
- 17 June – Resilience and the health of First Nations
- 24 June – We are too risk-averse for our own good
- 2 July – How healthy are universities and colleges?
- 8 July – Making our universities and colleges healthy
- 15 July – More should be done to improve male health
- 22 July – Planetary health is the 21st-century challenge
- 29 July – Accelerating changes are bad for health
- 5 August – Sustainable development benefits our health
- 12 August – Hope for our health lies in local initiatives
- 19 August – How about health as an election issue?
- 26 August – Human well-being should come first
- 2 September – Policies should focus on basic needs
- 9 September – Good health requires environmental security
- 16 September – Taxation should maximize human wellbeing
- 23 September – Agriculture policy should include health
- 30 September – The ‘Great War’ on drugs: Time for a re-think
- 7 October – We should lift the siege on public health
- 14 October – Push parties for health, human development
- 21 October – Beyond voting, democracy is good for health
- 28 October – How we keep Canada healthy is a great story
- 4 November – Measuring what matters in BC
- 11 November – Let’s make some noise about all that noise
- 18 November – Hospitals should be model healthy settings
- 25 November – Can our hospitals be healing environments?
- 2 December – Health-care facilities reduce harm to planet
- 9 December – Few Canadian hospitals are ‘baby-friendly’
- 16 December – The turning of the year, coming of the light
- 23 December – Peace on Earth — and especially at home
- 30 December – Equity, sustainability needed for health
2016
- 6 January – Let’s put healthy food on conference table
- 13 January – Our health system should fund dental care
- http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/trevor-hancock-our-health-system-should-fund-dental-care-1.2149542
- 20 January – Ministers: Turn the health system on its head
- 27 January – Profit should not come before public health
- 3 February – Village in Borneo taught healthy-city lessons
- 11 February – Humans are officially an urban species
- 17 February – Making healthy cities takes holistic approach
- http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/trevor-hancock-making-healthy-cities-takes-holistic-approach-1.2174424
- 24 February – Weak and muddled thinking on MSP premium
- http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/trevor-hancock-weak-and-muddled-thinking-on-msp-premium-1.2182718
- 2 March 2016 – Good health depends upon empowerment
- 9 March 2016 – Empowerment for health as simple as ABCD
- 16 March 2016 – Lessons from Brazil about empowerment
- 23 March 2016 – Poor, white, angry and unhealthy
- 30 March 2016 – We have time to learn from history
- 6 April 2016 – Speed injures and it kills, Minister Stone
- 13 April 2016 – We must say no to old-paradigm solutions
- 20 April 2016 – Gambling brings social, economic inequality
- 27 April 2016 – Manifesto is leaping into a healthier future
- 4 May 2016 – Trans-Pacific agreement bad for our health
- 11 May 2016 – Healthy death and palliative-care physicians
- 18 May 2016 – Opioid deaths are a massive ethical failure
- 25 May 2016 – Retiring at age 65 might not be best for you
- 1 June 2016 – Is retirement a healthy choice? That depends
- 8 June 2016 – Early retirement can lead to an earlier death
- 15 June 2016 – Medical error is a public-health emergency
- 22 June 2016 – Loss of biodiversity is a public-health emergency
- 29 June 2016 – Assess health impact of our energy systems
- 6 July 2016 – Poverty serious detriment to public health
- 13 July 2016 – Food policy must address the issue of meat
- 20 July 2016 – Many factors contribute to community’s health
- 27 July 2016 – Healthy-community visions show tranquility
- 3 August 2016 – Sailing safely through the winds of change
- 10 August 2016 – Imagining Victoria as a ‘one-planet’ region
- 17 August 2016 – Bouncing forward to a healthier, just future
- 24 August 2016 – Pipeline expansion must be rejected for health reasons
- 31 August 2016 – NO COLUMN
- 7 September 2016 – We need to protect our health-care system
- 14 September 2016 – Health-care system doesn’t work as a system
- 21 September – Make nurse practitioners a campaign pledge
- 28 September 2016 – Reverence for nature is linked to our health
- 5 October 2016 – Governments fail the climate math test
- 12 October 2016 – Public needs independent health officers
- 19 October 2016 – What happened to an ounce of prevention?
- 27 October 2016 – Cities must be part of UN’s Urban Agenda
- 2 November 2016 – Municipal governments matter most
- 9 November 2016 – An invasive species: Who, me?
- 16 November 2016 – The secret of medicine is masterly inactivity
- 23 November 2016 – Trump’s ‘ignore-ance’ will harm our health
- 30 November 2016 – National inquiry is needed on opioid crisis
- 7 December 2016 – Jobs v the environment – The health angle
- 14 December 2016 – Governments fail to provide necessaries of life
- 21 December 2016 – Good news on the Good Food front
- 28 December 2016 – Health-care reform needed on a grand scale
- 29 December 2016 – Good health lies outside Ministry of Health
2017
- 4 January 2017 – Building healthier communities in BC
- 11 January 2017 – Making money while creating health
- 18 January 2017 – Global issues require local thinking, efforts
- 25 January 2017 – When inequality becomes unacceptable
- 1 February 2017 – Nature is speaking, but are we listening?
- 8 February 2017 – Our descendants need protection from us
- 15 February 2017 – The new public health entrepreneurs
- 23 February 2017 – Primary care is the heart of healthcare
- 1 March 2017 – Healthy corner stores – well, why not?
- 8 March 2017 – Thirteen municipalities, but only one planet
- 15 March 2017 – Toward a BC framework for wellbeing
- 22 March 2017 – Communities support those who are dying
- 29 March 2017 – BC’s pro-poverty policy is sickening and costly
- 5 April 2017 – ‘Mincome’ is pro-health and against poverty
- 12 April 2017 – Child poverty is outrageous and unhealthy
- 19 April 2017 – Reverse 45 years of neglect of health centres
After writing this column without a break for more than two years, I took a break for vacation.
- 7 June 2017 – From endless growth to a steady state
- 14 June 2017 – BC should protect our future wellbeing
- 21 June 2017 – Let’s plan with the seventh generation in mind
- 28 June 2017 – My life in the Anthropocene
- 5 July 2017 – If we want to save lives, control alcohol
- 12 July 2017 – Protect our kids from unhealthy advertising
- 19 July 2017 – We are being marketed to death
- 26 July – What does it mean to be a safe community?
- 2 August 2017 – Public health and the new BC government
- 9 August 2017 – Safe communities prevent ‘accidental’ injuries
- 16 August 2017 – More alcohol means more injury
- 23 August 2017 – Prevent violence with compassion
- 30 August 2017 – Monitoring community well-being is complicated
- 6 September 2017 – Why did Mary die: Dig deep to find causes
- 13 September 2017 – Public health should not be part of health care
- 20 September 2017 – Look upstream to improve mental health
- 27 September 2017 – Good mental health needs good start in life
- 4 October 2017 – Creating mentally healthy communities
- 11 October 2017 – Should we try social prescribing?
- 18 October 2017 – Seeking common vision and common action
- 25 October 2017 – Protecting health in our chemical society
- 1 November 2017 – Pollution and health: A neglected issue
- 8 November 2017 – Pollution is not inevitable cost of prosperity
- 15 November 2017 – Build telecommute centres, not interchanges
- 22 November 2017 – Urban sprawl detrimental to public health
- 29 November 2017 – Many ministries could be Ministry of Health
- 6 Dec 2017 – Other Ministries should focus on health
- 13 December 2017 – The business of government in the 21st century
- 20 December 2017 – Finding hope at the turning of the year
- 27 December 2017 – My Healthy New Year’s wish list
2018
- 3 January 2018 – Connecting to our past and to nature
- 10 January 2018 – Society’s happiness is a serious business
- 17 January 2018 – Misery and health – The diseases of despair
- 24 January 2018 – Pandora’s box and the Canada Pension Plan
- 4 February 2018 – Family doctors deserve more of our respect
- 11 February 2018 – Alberta proclaims its right to pollute
- 18 February 2018 – Doing well, but doing much harm
- 25 February 2018 – Looking upstream at the opioid crisis
- 11 March 2018 – Our health depends on revering, not reviling nature
- 18 March 2018 – Solastalgia: The painful result of reviling of nature
- 25 March 2018 – Does mental health matter most?
- 18 March 2018 – Solastalgia: The painful result of reviling of nature
- 25 March 2018 – Does mental health matter most?
- 1 April 2018 – We need progress on Genuine Progress
- 8 April 2018 – The wonder drugs we really need
- 15 April 2018 – It’s in national, global interest to stop Kinder Morgan pipeline
- 22 April 2018 -Public health is biased, and you should be glad
I TOOK THE MONTH OF MAY OFF
- 3 June 2018 – Let’s shed a couple of planets’ worth of ecological footprint
- 10 June 2018 – Shedding more light on our growing ecological footprint
- 17 June 2018 – Meeting SDGs in Greater Victoria
- 24 June 2018 – Carbon tax is good for our health
- 30 June 2018 – Finding hope for the future
- 8 July 2018 – Population growth only part of our ecological problem
- 15 July 2018 – Public health and urban planning are natural partners
- 22 July 2018 – We can create healthy built environments
- 29 July 2018 – Tools for healthier built environments
- 5 August 2018 – Healthy homes – The basics and beyond
- 12 August 2018 – Making homes truly healthy
- 19 August 2018 – Loneliness a growing public-health concern
- 26 August 2018 – Better living through green chemistry
- 2 September 2018 – Our systems inevitably lead to bad choices
- 9 September 2018 – We don’t pay the full cost of goods and services
- 16 September 2018- Change the values that shape our systems
- 23 September 2018 – Systematic denial harms our health
- 30 September 2018 – One planet questions for candidates
- 7 October 2018 – Political heads buried in the (tar)sand
- Away for 2 weeks
- 28 October 2018 – What about the right to live in a quiet community?
- 4 November 2018 – Sidney Summit and the One Planet Region
- 10 November 2018 – We are making Earth spineless
- 18 November 2018 – The environment should be front-page news
- 25 November 2018 – Hold politicians accountable for ‘ignore-ance’
- 2 December 2018 – Don’t overlook the tobacco addiction epidemic
- 9 December 2018 – Charity is big – but is that a good thing?
- 16 December 2018 – Solstice a timely reminder of our place in the universe
- 23 December 2018 – Peace with the Earth, goodwill to all our relations
- 30 December 2018 – A New Year, a (Green) New Deal?
2019
- 6 January 2019 – The intangible gifts that keep on giving
- 13 January 2019 – Island Health must focus on how we live
- 20 January 2019 – Province needs to invest in self-care
- 27 January 2019 – Planning to feed a One Planet Region
- 3 February 2019 – Many global health threats linked to global change
- 10 February 2019 – Local councils are right to sue fossil fuel industry
- 17 February 2019 – Why we still need to love this planet
- 24 February 2019 – Silent Spring is getting closer
- 3 March 2019 – Governance failures behind our Silent Spring
- 10 March 2019 – Time to shift the bell curve toward health
- 17 March 2019 – Ecotoxicity and the ‘enormity of tiny-ness’
- 24 March 2019 – Senate needs to protect our health and environment
- 31 March 2019 – Futures thinking can pay off
- 7 April 2019 – We face alternative health futures
- 14 April 2019 – ‘Anticipatory democracy’ for a healthier future for all
- 21 April 2019 – Neros are fiddling while Earth burns
- 28 April 2019 – Time to think beyond the next election
- 5 May 2019 – Move from denial to protest to building better mousetraps
- 12 May 2019 – NO COLUMN – ON VACATION
- 19 May 2019 – Why don’t governments care about public health?
- 26 May 2019 – Why is boxing still not banned?
- 2 June 2019 – Green New Deal a pact for the future
- 9 June 2019 – At last – a Wellbeing Budget (Published as ‘New Zealand leads the way by focusing on quality of life’)
- 16 June 2019 – Daunting challenges, endless opportunities (Published as ‘The need for change can provide opportunities’)
- 23 June 2019 – Indigenous perspectives on health (Published as ‘The benefits of a holistic approach to health’)
- 30 June 2019 – Highrises are not the answer (Published as ‘Urban villages can combat ugly sprawl)
- 7 July 2019 – Fixing primary care?- Focus on the demand
- 14 July 2019 – Fixing primary care? Create a prevention strategy (Published as ‘A prevention strategy can fix primary care’)
- 21 July 2019 – Fixing primary care – Help people help themselves and others
- 28 July 2019 – Ooops, we have overshot the Earth’s capacity
- 4 August 2019 – One Planet Communities – More than a climate change strategy (Published as ‘One planet’ communities look forward)
- 11 August 2019 – One Planet Saanich – Thinking globally, acting locally (Published as ‘One Planet’ thinks globally, acts locally)
- 18 August 2019 – Facts matter in discussing fossil fuels
- 25 August 2019 – Distorting climate science is bad for our health (Published as ‘Distorting science is bad for our health’)
- 1 September 2019 – Tyler’s story – The price of failure (Published as ‘Report adds up the price of failure)
- 8 September 2019 – Tyler’s story – Early support is vital (Published as ‘Early support for children is essential)
- 15 September 2019 – The price of societal neglect of children (Published as ‘The price of society’s neglect of kids’)
- 22 September 2019 – Our health should be an election issue
- 29 September 2019 – Extinction a worthy election issue
- 6 October 2019 – Poverty and health is an election issue (Published as ‘Let’s take poverty and health seriously)
- 13 October 2019 – Elect a health and wellbeing government
- 20 October 2019 – A lunatic mainstream, or a sensible fringe?
- 27 October 2019 – How do tobacco execs sleep at night?
- 3 November 2019 – It’s time to be responsible ancestors
- 10 November 2019 – Economic growth is malignant
- 17 November 2019 – Economic growth isn’t necessary for good health
- 24 November 2019 – Economic growth won’t fix poverty
- 1 December 2019 – Poverty and the Olympian fallacy
- 8 December 2019 – First they came for the whales . . .
- 15 December 2019 – Awe and peace: The spiritual value of nature (Published as ‘Recognizing the spiritual value of nature’)
- 22 December 2019 – We’re spending our kids inheritance
- 29 December 2019 – We need faith in a sustainable future (Published as ‘Faith in a sustainable future is vital)
2020
- 5 January 2020 – Key public health issues for the 2020s
- 12 January 2020 – The deepest health challenge of the 2020s (Published as ‘The deepest challenge to our health in 2020’)
- 19 January 2020 – Small is beautiful — and essential
- 26 January 2020 – The hope of a good Anthropocene (Published as ‘The hope in the good seeds of the Anthropocene)
- 2 February 2020 – Local ‘seeds’ of a One Planet Region
- 9 February 2020 – Seeds of a One Planet Region transportation system (Published as ‘Earth-friendly transportation must be our priority’)
- 16 February 2020 – More Seeds of a One Planet Region (Published as ‘Energy efficiency starts in our homes and workplaces’
- 23 February 2020 – The ethics of a One Planet Region (Published as ‘Our ethical duties to the future’
- 1 March 2020 – Creating a livable future for our kids
- 8 March 2020 – Standing up to help secure our children’s futures
- 15 March 2020 – The wellbeing of the municipality (Published as ‘Global woes affect local municipalities’)
- 22 March 2020 – A different perspective on Covid 19
- 29 March 2020 – Resilience means bouncing forward, not back to the way we were before
- 5 April 2020 – Vital lessons from the pandemic for the future
- 12 April 2020 – A tale of two futures: Let’s choose the right one this time
- 19 April 2020 – Roar radically forward, not back to a pathological system
- 26 April 2020 – Donald Trump’s crime against humanity
- 3 May 2020 – Social tipping points and virtuous cascades
- 10 May 2020 – The other pandemics: The health costs of business as usual
- 14 May 2020 – BC needs a green, just and healthy recovery
- 17 May 2020 – Making a just transition to ‘One Planet’
- 24 May 2020 – How to flatten the other curves
- 31 May 2020 – Coming together or coming apart? (Published as ‘How the U.S. lost touch with its founders’)
- 7 June 2020 – Towards a healthy economic recovery
- 14 June 2020 – Just which predator needs to be controlled?
- 21 June 2020 – We need a One Planet Region strategy
- 28 June 2020 – Neoliberalism is a major threat to wellbeing
- 5 July 2020 – Let’s govern as if we live on an island
- 12 July 2020 – We need to build our Island self-reliance
- 19 July 2020 – Building a stronger, One Planet regional economy
- 26 July 2020 – Guy Dauncey and the economics of kindness
- 2 August 2020 – A new ecological civilization: How do we get there?
- 9 August 2020 – Shouldn’t we be talking about this? (Published as ‘Governments ignore urgent issue’)
- 16 August 2020 – Conversations about values for a One Planet Region
- 23 August 2020 – Making connections, finding balance
- 30 August 2020 – Beginnings, ending and connections (Published as Humans are deeply connected with each other, and other life forms)
- 6 September 2020 – Stop using taxpayers’ money to fund pollution
- 13 September 2020 – The four horsemen of ecology
- 20 September 2020 – And still the sheep look up (Published as 50-year-old sci-fi novel eerily prescient)
- 27 September – Social, not ecological factors control our population
- 4 October 2020 – Counting down the climate clock
- 11 October 2020 – In failing nature, governments fail us
- 18 October 2020 – Our forests are more than mere resources
- 25 October 2020 – Our fisheries are as badly managed as our forests
- 1 November 2020 – UVic and the Anthropocene (Published as ‘We need a centre focused on creating healthy, just, sustainable communities’)
- 8 November 2020 – Building healthy communities – The social dimension
- 12 November 2020 – We are an ocean province, let’s act like one
- 15 November 2020 – Zero Waste means not expanding Hartland Landfill
- 22 November 2020 – Learning from Scotland about our Common Home and our wellbeing (Published as ‘BC. should follow the lead of Scotland and bring in a well-being budget’)
- 29 November 2020 – Cultural evolution and value shift – Towards a sustainable, just and healthy future (Published as ‘What if we base decisions on what’s good for nature and community?’)
- 6 December 2020 – Education for life: Creating a more mature society in the 21st century
- 13 December 2020 – The cult of individualism is toxic
- 20 December 2020 – Tomorrow is Winter Solstice – Happy Solstice! (Published as ‘Solstice a chance to reconnect with nature, the cycle of the seasons)
- 27 December 2020 – Is this too much to ask for in 2021? (Published as ‘New Year’s resolutions, and how we choose the right recovery’)
2021
- 3 January 2021 – Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century (Published as ‘To heal the planet, we need to embrace solutions that are already here’)
- 10 January 2021 – Human development as if the planet mattered (Published as ‘Canada’s heavy ecological footprint hurts its human-development ranking’)
- 17 January 2021 – Indigenous people and the stewardship of nature (Published as ‘We need to learn from Indigenous people how to be stewards of nature’)
- 24 January 2021- The Great Reconnect — to people and to nature (Published as ‘Post-COVID, we’ll need the Great Reconnect — to people and to nature)
- 31 January 2021 – True prosperity is doughnut-shaped
- 7 February 2021 – Achieving high human potential is true prosperity
- 14 February 2021 – Nature’s high price and inestimable value (Published as ‘Our economic system needs to recognize the price – and value – of nature’)
- 21 February 2021 – What would it mean to recognize the price and value of nature?
- 28 February 2021 – War and peace with nature (Published as ‘When we wage war on nature, we wage war on ourselves’)
- 7 March 2021 – Circles and Doughnuts – The local economy we need (Published as ‘Circular economy doesn’t go far enough’)
- 14 March 2021 – A Doughnut economy for Victoria (Published as ‘Doughnut economy means not spending $100M on interchange’)
- 21 March 2021 – Practising democracy as if the future mattered
- 28 March 2021 – Creating communities fit for the 21st century
- 4 April 2021 – No, Victoria Council is not the devil incarnate
- 11 April 2021 – Circling the new local economy (Published as ‘Circling the new local economy with the six R’s)
- 18 April 2021 – Memo to John Horgan: Don’t blow it for the next generation
- 25 April 2021 – BC’s Throne Speech and budget fail future generations
- 2 May 2021 – Creating wellbeing – From the personal to the planetary
- 9 May 2021 – Active transportation is good for mental health
- 16 May 2021 – We need a vaccine against Olympic and fossil fuel insanity
- 23 May 2021 – Once-proud C. is now a biodiversity-loss hotspot
- 30 May 2021 – BC flunks international biodiversity targets
- 6 June 2021 – Climate change, young people and the courts (Published as ‘On climate, it’s short-term pain for long-term gain, backed by courts’)
- 13 June 2021 – What happened in Kamloops was part of a national crime
- 20 June 2021 – Who has the right to cut old growth
- 27 June 2021 – Stop subsidies to ‘corporate welfare bums’ that harm our health
- 4 July 2021 – Oh Kanata: Time for a new flag and a new name?
- 11 July 2021 – Sorry about the Earth, but we need to make money
- 18 July 2021 – The difference between social, supportive and affordable housing
- 25 July 2021 – We need to build ‘gentle infills’ for affordable, healthy neighbourhoods
- 1 August 2021 – Building child-friendly communities means protecting future generations
- 8 August 2021 – Denying net zero is ‘simply not on’
- 15 August 2021 – If we lose the carbon sinks, we are sunk
- 22 August 2021 – BC.’s ‘natural gas’ is both unnatural and unhealthy
- 29 August 2021 – Neither left nor right, but ahead — why the Greens are different
- 5 September 2021 – The planet-sized elephant in the election room
- 12 September 2021 – The right to a healthy environment is a vital election issue
- 19 September 2021 – No matter who wins, we could all lose
- 26 September 2021 – The global ecological crisis is also a global health crisis (Published as ‘Measures to tackle climate change bring health benefits, too’)
- 3 October 2021 – How do we make peace with nature?
- 10 October 2021 – ‘System-wide transformation’ needed to rebalance ourselves with nature
- 17 October 2021 – BC fails to take adequate action on climate crisis
- 24 October 2021 – Sadly, BC is still waging war on nature (Published as ‘Sadly, B.C. is still treating nature as resource to be exploited”)
- 31 October 2021 – Working towards a One Planet Saanich
- 7 November 2021 – Becoming a One Planet Region – Where to begin? (Published as “Becoming a One Planet region starts with food)
- 14 November 2021 – Doctors and nurses declare a climate and ecological ‘Code Red’ for BC (Published as “Doctors and nurses declare a climate Code Red for B.C.”)
- 21 November 2021 – Practising health care as if the planet matters
- 28 November 2021 – Practising planetary health care in B.C. (Published as “Practising planetary health care in B.C. starts with hospital food waste)
- 5 December 2021 – Mother Nature has shown us that ‘business as usual’ is a disaster
- 12 December 2021 – Black Friday is bad for the planet and our wellbeing
- 18 December 2021 – The midwinter solstice and other turning points
- 26th December2021 – no column – no paper published
2022
- 2 January 2022 – All I want for the New Year is . . .
- 9 January 2022 – Let’s not make the next 50 years a repeat of the last
- 16 January 2022 – Health requires a well-being society
- 23 January 2022 – What is a ‘well-being society’? For starters, one that values planet Earth
- 30 January 2022 – A well-being society needs a well-being economy
- 6 February 2022 – Towards a Wellbeing economy for Canada (Published as “GDP needs to be replaced with more meaningful indicators”)
- 13 February 2022 – A Wellbeing society requires achieving equitable health (Published as “When it comes to health, inequality is inevitable, but inequity isn’t”)
- 20 February 2022 – High levels of inequality incompatible with a Wellbeing society
- 27 February 2022 – Increased inequality was a political choice we must reverse
- 6 March 2022 – No health without peace (Published as “Here’s how you can help Ukraine — and the world”)
- 13 March 2022 – Freedom — the real deal versus infantile foot stomping
- 20 March 2022 – Freedom for the sharks, not the minnows (Published as “Freedom from regulation helps sharks at the expense of minnows”)
- 27 March 2022 – Redistributing power, money and resources will improve wellbeing (Published as “A progressive tax on all forms of wealth would reduce inequality”)
- 3 April 2022 – WHO’s focus on planetary health is timely
- 10 April 2022 – Victoria’s new housing policies will benefit health (Published as “Speeding development of non-profit housing is good for health)
- 17 April 2022 – Are our governments dangerous radicals or merely mad?
- 24 April 2022 – B.C. government’s LNG infatuation makes it dangerously radical
Took a three week break
- 22 May 2022 – The problem of natural and industrial carbon bombs (Published as “When Canada permits loss of marshes, forests, it’s a carbon bomber”)
- 29 May 2022 – We must defuse our industrial carbon bombs
- 5 June 2022 – Fifty years after Stockholm, it wasn’t supposed to be this way
- 12 June 2022 – We persist with unsustainable development (Published as “Conventional economic growth is unsustainable”)
- 19 June 2022 – We are falling behind in a world going backwards
- 26 June 2022 – What is the real crime here, who are the real criminals?
- 3 July 2022 – Enough with the nastiness and dehumanization (Published as “Let’s stop calling people ‘bums’ or ‘undesirables’)
- 10 July 2022 – Creating a more livable region (Published as ‘Public health plays key role in urban planning’)
- 17 July 2022 – Creating a more livable region: Rapid development of social housing (Published as ‘Social-housing crisis stems from 1993 federal cuts’)
- 24 July 2022 – Creating a more livable region: Build an abundance of housing (Published as ‘If you want an abundance of housing, don’t micro-manage’)
- 28 July 2022 – What a legacy! Thank you, fossil fuel industry
- 31 July 2022 – Creating a more livable Victoria: Plan neighbourhoods for sustainability and human wellbeing (Published as ‘Urban sprawl not just bad for nature but for health’)
- 7 August 2022 – For a more livable city, invest in cycling, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure
- 14 August 2022 – For a livable Region, we must minimise building waste, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (Published as ‘For a livable region, we must minimize building waste and energy consumption)
- 21 August 2022– The world is not ending, but humanity has a problem
- 28 August 2022 – Decline and collapse unpalatable, but not implausible
- 4 September 2022 – Don’t blame Victoria for other governments’ failures
- 11 September 2022 – Community safety is about more than crime
- 18 September 2022 – Community safety is a wicked problem with no simple solutions
- 25 September 2022 – How to build a safer Greater Victoria (Published as “Community safety is about more than police”)
- 2 October 2022 – Candidates must think globally while acting locally
- 9 October 2022 – First Nations agreed to share the land, not give it up
- 16 October 2022 – “It’s called outside” – We need licensed outdoor childcare (Published as It’s called outside” in print and “Why we need licensed outdoor childcare” online)
- 23 October 2022 – Earth for all, not just for some
- 30 October 2022 – Earth for All: Fair shares for the rest of humanity (Published as The human and environmental cost of growth-obsessed ‘extractivism’)
- 6 November – As UN climate summit begins, not much good news, but room for hope
- 13 November 2022 – Canada must stop digging a deeper climate-crisis hole
- 20 Nov 2022 – Ecological sanity and social justice — we can’t have one without the other
- 27 November 2022 – Why can’t we use the ‘F’ words?
- 4 December 2022 – Earth For All requires more equal shares for all (Published as “Playing field needs to be tilted in favour of low-income countries for a while”)
- 11 December 2022 – The other COP – Biodiversity is fundamental to our health (Published as “In tackling biodiversity loss, it’s actions that matter, not words”)
- 18 December 2022 – Reconciliation must include the Earth (Published as “Reconciliation with the planet includes Indigenous Peoples’)
25th December and 1st January 2023 – no column – no paper published
2023
- 8 Jan 2023 – The world should pay heed to Antonio Guterres
- 15 January 2023 – Coming generations need the UN to focus on their future
- 22 January 2023 – We must tax the rich, for the benefit of all
- 29 January 2023 – Morgan’s columns should come with a health warning
- 5 February 2023 – Canada does not have a health care system (Published as “If doctors operate as a business, what’s wrong with surgery through private clinics?”)
- 12 February 2023 – Time for a radical re-think of health care
- 19 February 2023 – This is what a health system looks like (Published as “Human behaviour is affected by factors beyond personal choice”)
- 26 February 2023 – Public policy as if health matters
- 5 March 2023 – Self-care must be a strategic priority for the health system
- 12 March 2023 – This is what a self-care system might look like (Published as “Learning self-care should start in school”)
- 19 March 2023 – We just overshot our fair share of the Earth for 2023
- 26 March 2023 – A deeper exploration of our ecological footprint
- 2 April 2023 – BC and Canada are sucking and blowing on fossil fuels
- 9 April 2023 – Has the population bomb bombed? (Published as ‘It’s not population growth but inequality that’s the problem’)
- 16 April 2023 – Population growth is only part of the problem
- 23 April 2023 – A pale blue dot tells us we need to get over our obsession with the economy (Published as “We need to get over our obsession with the economy”)
- 30 April 2023 – Continual growth is completely unsustainable and heightens inequality
Took a three week break
- 28 May 2023 – Maybe we should try real capitalism for a change
- 4 June 2023 – A wellbeing society values all four forms of capital
- 11 June 2023 – AI: the good, the bad and the ugly
- 18 June 2023 – Robots will have to pay taxes
- 25 June 2023 – Climate action needs a greater sense of urgency
- 2 July 2023 – Hubris, irony and tragedy – Reflections on the loss of the Titan
- 9 July 2023 – Ecological sanity must be linked to social justice
- 16 July 2023 – We have already passed the safe and just planetary boundaries
- 23 July 2023 – Creating a just transformation begins with listening to the ‘doomsayers’ (Published as “We need to start listening to the ‘doomsayers’”)
- 30 July 2023 – The global polycrisis changes everything (Published as “A polycrisis is greater than the sum of its parts”)
- 6 August 2023 – We missed the Conserver Society, we cannot afford to miss the great transformation (Published as “We can’t afford to miss the shift from a consumer to a conserver society”)
- 13 August 2023 – The great transformation we need must be socially just
- 20 Aug 2023 – Towards a just transformation to Earth For ALL
- 27 August 2023 – Earth for All means reducing inequality within nations
- 3 September 2023 – Earth For All requires the empowerment of women
- 10 September 2023 – We must ensure food for all without crossing planetary boundaries (Published as “We need to change the way we farm — and eat”)
- 17 September 2023 – Energy for all requires transformed energy systems and a transformed society (Published as “If we want energy for all, we need to stop wasting it”)
- 24 September 2023 – Earth For All requires a rapid economic transformation (Published as “The economy must serve the people and respect the Earth’s limits”)
- 1 October 2023 – We need a great turnaround in societal values
- 8 October 2023 – Thinking globally, acting locally — and bioregionally
- 15 October 2023 – Joe Brewer, cultural evolution and bioregional regeneration
- 22 October 2023 – Towards a One Planet Bioregion (Published as “We need to get our ecological footprint down to one planet”)
- 29 Oct 2023 – We’re a long way from being a One Planet region
- 5 November 2023 – Digging in to Saanich’s Ecological Footprint (Published as “We need to get our ecological footprint down to one planet”)
- 12 November 2023 – Our transportation, buildings and consumables footprint (Published as “Digging into our transportation, buildings and consumables footprint”)
- 19 Nov 2023 – Getting to a One Planet Saanich – and a One Planet Region
- 26 November 2023 – Beyond the ecological footprint – What else do we need to address? (Published as “Ecological footprint doesn’t include impact of methane, loss of biodiversity”)
- 3 December 2023 – On top of our ecological footprint, we have a toxics footprint (Published as “We carry from birth a body-burden of toxic chemicals that we add to along the way”)
- 10 December 2023 – Efficient energy and transportation for a One Planet Bioregion (Published as “We need smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, not more trucks and SUVs”
- 17 December 2023 – Low-density development carries much higher costs
- 24 December 2023 – A Christmas Carol for our times (Published as “Neoliberal elite need a Christmas Carol-style conversion’)
- 31 Dec 2023 – 2023: Reflecting on a personally significant year (Published as ‘Reflecting on 50 years in the service of good health, with more to come’)
2024
- 7 January 2024 – The commercial determinants of health (Published as ‘Private-sector interests can undermine public health efforts’)
- 14 January 2024 – How the private sector harms health: The case of tobacco (Published as ‘The tobacco industry is lethal and needs to be stamped out’)
- 21 January 2024 – A spotlight on the tobacco industry in Canada (Published as “Vaping products should be subject to same marketing ban as tobacco”)
- 28 January 2024 – The fossil-fuel industry is the new tobacco
- 4 February 2024 – The fossil fuel industry is doubling down on the harm it does (Published as “Fossil-fuel industry doubling down, pushing for growth”)
- 11 February 2024 – Is B.C. about to radically transform governance?
- 18 February 2024 – The food industry – good for health, or bad for health? (Published as “Reaching goal of Zero Hunger includes improving affordability of healthy food”)
- 25 February 2024 – The sickening side of the food industry
- 3 March 2024 – The planet-harming side of the food industry (Published as “When it comes to food, what’s good for us is also good for the planet”)
- 10 March 2024 – Governments must restrict corporate lobbying if we want a healthier food system (Published as “Corporate lobbying needs to be kept out of the food system”)
- 17 March 2024 – The shift towards a healthy food system: Too little, too late (Published as “Voluntary agreements with food industry not good enough”)
- 24 March 2024 – It’s time the financial sector invested in our health and well-being
- 31 March 2024 – Badvertising – the toxic effects of advertising on our health (Published as “The toxic effects of advertising on our health”)
- 7 April 2024 – We should not gamble with people’s health (Published as “Gambling industry needs stronger regulation to protect public health.”}
- 14 April 2024 – We all live in a chemical society – like it or not (Published as “We still have no idea of the health effects of many pollutants)
- 21 April 2024 – Planet v Plastics: How the plastics industry harms the planet – and us (Published as “Our addiction to plastics will come back to haunt us”
- 28 April 2024 – Planet vs. Plastics: The plastics industry must stop harming our health and the planet (Published as “Governments need to limit plastic production to protect health, environment”
- 5 May 2024 – The 1974 report that changed my life
Took a three week break
- 26 May 2024 – Our ‘ignore-ant’ elites blindly adhere to ‘business as usual’
- 2 June 2024 – Towards values fit for the 21st century (Published as “Ecosystems sustain societies that create economies”)
- 9 June 2024 Fifty years young- Hollytree Morris is golden (Published as ‘Morris dancing is good for sinners and non-sinners alike’)
- 16 June 2024 – Valuing our relationship with the Earth (Published as ‘We are deeply connected to and kin with all of life’)
- 23 June 2024 – CAPE – Fighting for health and the planet for 30 years (Published as “Physician group fighting for health and planet marks 30 years”)
- 30 June 2024 – Valuing our relationship with each other
- 7 July 2024 – Putting the economy in its place (Published as “The economy should serve well-being, planet health, not dominate them”)
- 14 July 2024 – We need to get our values and our priorities right
- 21 July 2024 – How do we change core societal values? (Published as “Core-value change has to come from the grassroots”)
- 28 July 2024 – The future isn’t what it recently was (Published as “Decline and collapse is the future for ‘business as usual’”)
- 4 August 2024 – Eight critical shifts shaping our future (Published as “Water scarcity, forced displacement among challenges we face”)
- 11 August 2024 – Inequality, misinformation, declining trust and polarization undermines democracy (Published as “Misinformation, declining trust and polarization undermines democracy”)
- 18 August 2024 – We need a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and Commissioner
- 25 August 2024 – We need a new social contract and an emphasis on wellbeing metrics
- 1 September 2024 – Navigating toward a better future locally
- 8 September 2024 – Acting locally for human and planetary wellbeing (Published as “Environmental resilience requires robust governance at regional level”)
- 15 September 2024 – Seniors demand action on climate change
- 22 September 2024 – Forget ‘axe the tax.’ Try ‘pay the price’
- 29 September 2024 – Why carbon pricing is good for your health
- 6 October 2024 – Pay the full cost now, or leave it for future generations. (Published as “Environmental costs of growing food aren’t reflected in the price we pay”)
- 13 October 2024 – Wanted: A government that cares about the wellbeing of the planet and future generations (Published as “We need a government that cares about the well-being of the planet”)
- 20 October 2024 – Later is too late to restore nature
- 27 October – We need to pay attention to the natural capital deficit (Published as “Loss of nature has huge impact, but doesn’t get attention it deserves”)
- 3 November 2024 – Ignorance of the laws of nature and physics is no excuse (Published as “You can celebrate CO2 and ignore climate change, but it won’t stop the hurricanes”)
- 10 November 2024 – We need to investigate the links between the chemical industry and governments
- 17 November 2024 – What a Trump presidency might mean for the planet
- 24 November 2024 – Corporations use our money to lobby against our wellbeing (Published as “Corporations out in force at biodiversity, climate conferences”)
- 1 December 2024 – Looking back and looking forward
- 8 December 2024 – Committed to a healthy future for all (Published as ‘Desire for better public policy sparked early ‘green’ parties’)
- 15 December 2024 – What stands in the way of a healthy future for all? (Published as “Life expectancy has grown since 1970, but so has inequality”)
500 columns to here
- 22 December 2024 – We need a society in which people, communities and the planet are valued (Published as ‘True wealth is much more than money and material goods’)
- 29 December 2024 – Towards a Wellbeing society and a healthy One Planet community
2025
From this point on, I switched from weekly to monthly columns
- 26 January 2025 – There is only one Earth. Deal with it.
- 23 February 2025 – We do not inherit the Earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children (Published as “We need to take steps to be better ancestors”)
- 30 March 2025 – From centre of shopping to Centre for Dialogue? (Special joint column with Gene Miller)
- 6 April 2025 – With cruelty reigning to the south, Canada needs to keep flame of kindness burning
- 20 April 2025 – Eco-anxiety is rational, business-as-usual is insane
- 1 June 2025 – Making Canada better means focusing on wellbeing, happiness and quality of life (Published as ‘Canada could learn from Nordic countries about well-being.’)
- 29 June 2025 – As the cliff edge looms, governments hit the accelerator
- 25 July 2025 – Even more Dysfunctional by the Sea (Published as ‘Save Our Saanich isn’t saving money’)
- 27 July 2025 – Building community capital (Published as “We can’t grow our way out of problems created by growth”)
- 24 August 2025 – Let’s talk about becoming a Wellbeing society
- 31 August 2025 – Let’s have a conversation about the future we want for this region
- 28 September 2025 – The problem is income inadequacy, not affordability
- 26 October 2025 – The inconvenient facts Carney and the Premiers ignore
- 16 November 2025 – Carney offers 20th century responses to 21st century challenges
- 30 November 2025 – “What part of ‘global ecological crisis’ do they not get?
Dr. Trevor Hancock - Healthy people, healthy communities, a healthy planet 