Especially amidst our current environment of rampant "Me, Here, Now" thinking that emphasizes short-term gratification over long-term thinking about the impacts of our gradually changing land use habits, Dr. Brad Stelfox's message from our Energy: Full Spectrum event in 2013 is even more important than ever. And, as many climate change activists remind us, time is running out.

It's a stark and compelling reminder that we need to engage in deeper societal discussions about the way in which we intend to use our most precious assets of water, land, and energy. Back in 2013, more than 77% of Alberta's land was under some form of active use, and key indicators of water quality were steadily declining. Today's picture is no better, and likely worse based on the historical numbers. The challenge is that such change is gradual, and easily slips past our human notice – akin to the famous "boiling frog" fable.