As leaves change colour and drop from trees, and a chill in the air signals the approach of winter, many of us are thinking of the fall harvest and hearty soups and dishes that will soon warm our bellies.
As leaves change colour and drop from trees, and a chill in the air signals…
I’ve often thought politicians inhabit a parallel universe. Maybe it’s just widespread cognitive dissonance, coupled with a lack of imagination, that compels them to engage in so much contradictory behaviour. Trying to appease so many varying interests isn’t easy.
I’ve often thought politicians inhabit a parallel universe. Maybe it’s just widespread cognitive dissonance, coupled…
Salmon have been swimming in Pacific Northwest waters for at least seven million years, as indicated by fossils of large saber-tooth salmon found in the area. During that time, they’ve been a key species in intricate, interconnected coastal ecosystems, bringing nitrogen and other nutrients from the ocean and up streams and rivers to spawning grounds, feeding whales, bears and eagles and fertilizing the magnificent coastal rainforests along the way.
Salmon have been swimming in Pacific Northwest waters for at least seven million years, as…
In July, Solar Impulse 2 became the first airplane to fly around the world without using fuel. At the same time, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been working on electric planes. These developments mean air travel and transport could become more environmentally friendly, with less pollution and fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and planes would be quieter.
In July, Solar Impulse 2 became the first airplane to fly around the world without…
Humans are the world’s top predator. The way we fulfil this role is often mired in controversy, from factory farming to trophy hunting to predator control. The latter is the process governments use to kill carnivores like wolves, coyotes and cougars to stop them from hunting threatened species like caribou — even though human activity is the root cause of caribou’s decline.
Humans are the world’s top predator. The way we fulfil this role is often mired…
It’s been shocking to watch news of the Brexit vote in Britain, Donald Trump’s promise to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. and the ongoing threats and violence against ethnic minorities in many parts of the world. I’m not a political or social scientist, but my training as a biologist gives me some insight.
It’s been shocking to watch news of the Brexit vote in Britain, Donald Trump’s promise…
Along with concerns about climate change and the distances much of our food travels from…
Along with concerns about climate change and the distances much of our food travels from…
Canadians of all political persuasions care about climate action. Watching Canada fall behind the rest…
Under the federal Species at Risk Act, the boreal woodland caribou recovery strategy requires provinces to develop range plans by 2017, outlining paths to recovery. Because caribou need large, intact areas, degraded habitat must be restored so industrial and natural disturbances affect no more than 35 per cent of each range.
Under the federal Species at Risk Act, the boreal woodland caribou recovery strategy requires provinces…
The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is occurring mainly at the power plant level. But what about transportation? Can we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to cleaner fuels? Or is this just an attempt to keep 20th century technology chugging along while trading one set of environmental problems for another?
The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is occurring mainly at the power plant…
Industrial activity has profoundly affected the Blueberry River First Nations in northern B.C. A recent…
People have harnessed energy from moving water for thousands of years. Greeks used various types of water wheels to grind grain in mills more than 2,000 years ago. In the late 1800s, people figured out how to harness the power to produce electricity. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, hydropower has expanded, producing about 17 per cent of the world’s electricity by 2014 and about 85 per cent of renewable energy — and it shows no signs of slowing.
People have harnessed energy from moving water for thousands of years. Greeks used various types…
Over the past half century, the world has moved increasingly to industrial agriculture — attempting to maximize efficiency through massive, often inhumane livestock operations; turning huge swaths of land over to monocrops requiring liberal use of fertilizers, pesticides and genetic modification; and reliance on fossil fuel-consuming machinery and underpaid migrant workers. This has contributed to increased greenhouse gas emissions; loss of forests and wetlands that prevent climate change by storing carbon; pollution from runoff and pesticides; antibiotic and pesticide resistance; reduced biodiversity; and soil degradation, erosion and loss.
Over the past half century, the world has moved increasingly to industrial agriculture — attempting…
Following our recent article by David Suzuki entitled “Broken Records Define the Climate Crisis”, we have been contacted by Tom Harris of the International Climate Science Coalition, Ottawa, Ontario who wanted us to publish the following statement addressing some of the issues raised in the original piece.
Following our recent article by David Suzuki entitled “Broken Records Define the Climate Crisis”, we…
We’re living in a time of records. More renewable energy came on stream in 2015 than ever — 147 gigawatts, equal to Africa’s entire generating capacity — and investment in the sector broke records worldwide.
We’re living in a time of records. More renewable energy came on stream in 2015…
First-time visitors to Australia are often drawn to the big city attractions of Sydney and Melbourne or the fabulous beaches of Queensland’s Gold Coast. I’ve always had a soft spot for Adelaide in South Australia, a city built more on a human scale, where downtown can be easily navigated on bike, foot or tram. For me, Adelaide’s greatest attraction is a huge market right in the city’s center.
First-time visitors to Australia are often drawn to the big city attractions of Sydney and…
In the early 1990s, Germany launched Energiewende, or “energy revolution,” a program “to combat climate change, avoid nuclear risks, improve energy security, and guarantee competitiveness and growth.” Renewable energy grew from four per cent in 1990 to more than 27 per cent in 2014, including a significant increase in citizen-owned power projects, according to energy think tank Agora Energiewende.
In the early 1990s, Germany launched Energiewende, or “energy revolution,” a program “to combat climate change,…
June 8 marks World Oceans Day, but what if we celebrated oceans every day? Covering more than 70 per cent of Earth’s surface, oceans, more than anything, define our small blue planet. We should celebrate their complex and vibrant ecosystems, life-sustaining services, calming effects and unimaginable diversity, much of which we have not yet even discovered.
June 8 marks World Oceans Day, but what if we celebrated oceans every day? Covering…
