Saanich News, March 18, 2020

Single-use surgical masks pile up on Hong Kong beaches after COVID-19 outbreak

The increased number of discarded masks on the beaches “underscores the weaknesses in the waste management supply chain,” Phelps Bondaroff said.

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He’s hopeful that this kind of research helps to bring about improvements to waste management globally.

Energy Live News, March 17, 2020

Coronavirus face masks ‘could have a devastating effect on the environment’

“Most of these masks contain or are made of polypropylene, which does not break down quickly. Marine plastic pollution is a serious problem. It is estimated that every year, over eight million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans. This plastic does not disappear but rather slowly breaks down into micro-plastic, which enters food chains, with devastating effect.

BC Humanists, March 13, 2020

Inspecting the House of Prayers - Teale Phelps Bondaroff

At the end of November, MLAs voted unanimously to begin every day's sitting of the BC Legislature with "prayers and reflections" rather than "prayers." The change followed the publication in September of the BC Humanist Association's landmark House of Prayers Report.

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The Report examined the transcripts of 873 prayers said in the legislature between October 2003 and February 2019. It also included a thorough consideration of the various arguments against the practice and provided a series of recommendations for reform.

Reuters, March 12, 2020

Discarded coronavirus masks clutter Hong Kong's beaches, trails

"We only have had masks for the last six to eight weeks, in a massive volume ... we are now seeing the effect on the environment," said Gary Stokes, founder of the environmental group Oceans Asia.
 

Stokes cited the example of Hong Kong's isolated and uninhabited Soko islands, south of its international airport.

The Voice, March 12, 2020

Advocates say that young people will benefit from MSP coverage of contraceptives

Phelps Bondaroff said the issue of equality is central to fair coverage.
 

“Just because someone has a uterus, they incur more costs in order to exercise choices over their body,” Phelps Bondaroff said. “That’s a matter of equality.”

Radio Canada, March 6, 2020

Le soutien grandit pour la gratuité de la contraception sur ordonnance en C.-B.

En début de semaine, c'était au tour du conseil municipal de Vancouver d'approuver une motion pour demander officiellement à la province de financer les moyens de contraception sur ordonnance.

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La Ville de Victoria s'est également prononcée en faveur de cette gratuité fin janvier, et d'autres villes semblent vouloir emboîter le pas. Teale Phelps Bondaroff est le cofondateur de la campagne Access BC qui milite pour cette gratuité.

Capilano Courier, March 3, 2020

BC Government Rejects No-Cost Contraceptives

No-cost contraceptives would have a positive impact on both the healthcare system and individuals as it reduces the financial and physical burdens of unexpected pregnancies. “In Colorado, they gave out 43,000 IUDs to young people. It cost them $28 million over the course of eight years and it saved an estimated $70 million,” said Phelps Bondaroff. “This reduced teen pregnancies by 54 per cent and teen abortion rates by 64 per cent.” 

CTV News, February 13, 2020

New 'Stop for me' project aims to protect pedestrians at Victoria intersections

One of the most common mistakes drivers make is not identifying what is a crosswalk, and who has the right of way. One Victoria-area group wants to change that.

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The Greater Victoria Placemaking Network’s (GVPN) newest initiative is a road safety sign project reminding drivers to yield at all crosswalks. The "Stop for Me" project is a grassroots effort to improve road safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Saanich News, February 13, 2020

Saanich man pitches road safety initiative to raise awareness of unmarked crosswalks

The Greater Victoria Placemaking Network’s (GVPN) newest initiative is a road safety signage project reminding drivers to yield at all crosswalks.

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“All intersections are crosswalks,” said Saanich-based researcher and GVPN board member Teale Phelps Bondaroff.

Victoria News, January 29, 2020

Victoria becomes first municipality to endorse campaign for provincially-funded contraception

In a committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 23, Couns. Sarah Potts and Jeremy Loveday presented council with a motion to support AccessBC, a Saanich-based campaign calling on the provincial government to include provisions for free prescription birth control for all residents in the 2020 provincial budget.

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​Council passed the motion unanimously and will now call on the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities to demonstrate support for the campaign as well.

Victoria News, January 11, 2020

Saanich resident pushes for colourful road murals, cites traffic-calming benefits

Colourful road murals may make an appearance on Saanich streets in 2020. Through the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network, Saanich resident and researcher Teale Phelps Bondaroff has been working to introduce artwork to the surface of roads as a way to calm traffic, beautify the District, highlight local artists and create community.

CTV News, December 18, 2019

Victoria cycling group working to measure air, noise pollution

According to Burger, air and noise pollution collected on street level has shown that separated bike lanes are a valuable resource to cyclists, not only as a safety measure, but also because it provides a barrier from the pollutions that vehicles emit, including exhaust and tire dust. The closer someone is to the source of an air pollutant, like an exhaust pipe, the worse it is for the health of that person. 

Victoria News, November 22, 2019

Resident pushes for electric in Saanich’s leaf blower replacement plan

The District of Saanich owns 83 leaf blowers and Teale Phelps Bondaroff, the Saanich resident pushing for a gas-powered leaf blower ban, wants them replaced with electric models by 2025.

Phelps Bondaroff feels the District could phase out gas-powered models as they expire and replace them with greener models that produce less noise and less pollution.

Victoria News, July 15, 2019

Saanich resident helps take a bite out of global shark fin trade

A Saanich resident has played a major role in flagging a large shipment of shark fins. Teale Phelps Bondaroff is the co-founder of OceansAsia, a conservation group which earlier this year alerted media to bags of shark fin being unloaded in Hong Kong.

Reuters, July 10, 2019

Massive shark fin haul into Hong Kong dodges global shipping bans

Two global shipping firms that have vowed not to transport shark fin products inadvertently moved a 40-foot container of the controversial delicacy from Nicaragua to Hong Kong this year, both companies told Reuters....

The shipment arrived in Hong Kong in April and was first flagged to Reuters by conservation group OceansAsia, which saw bags of shark fin being unloaded on a road in the city’s industrial western district.