In order to tackle biodiversity loss, we need to dig into these stories, and hear from diverse voices, to properly understand what Canada is doing, not doing, and should be doing to safeguard at-risk species — and what obstacles must be overcome.

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Greta Vaivadaite for A\J: What are the major challenges our forests face in North America that your organization is finding solutions to?

DS: This is an interesting question because while forests face challenges, they can also be critical to providing solutions as well. The work we do at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is directly focused on helping to find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. In fact, SFI’s mission is to advance sustainability through forest-focused collaboration.   

Without a doubt the biggest challenge facing our forests is climate change. The overall magnitude of change we are experiencing, primarily in terms of increasing global temperatures year over year, is worrisome. However, the speed at which change is happening is the most concerning. Natural systems are incredibly robust and able to adapt to changing circumstances. But, adaptation takes time, and at the current rate of change—over the last century much of North America has warmed almost 0.07 degrees Celsius per decade—forests will have trouble adapting fast enough. This doesn’t only affect temperature, but water cycles, fire intensities and return rates, and nutrient cycling, just to name a few. These changes can affect land cover—shifting forests into grasslands and wreaking havoc on pests and disease—and affect wildlife and biodiversity.

Fortunately, forests help us fight climate change—particularly when they are sustainably managed. At their core, forests are atmospheric carbon sucking machines, helping to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, which is exactly what is needed to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Managed forests take these benefits to another level. In addition to capturing carbon, we know that well-managed forests have lower incidence of wildfire, helping to prevent massive carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Beyond that, managed forests produce long-lived harvested wood products that further sequester carbon, locking it into homes, furniture, and tall wood buildings.

SFI helps realize those benefits because our certification ensures that forests are well managed. We are working with our conservation partners, scientists, and SFI-certified organizations to ensure the practices on the ground and the long-term planning that takes place are designed to maximize the benefits of forests for the environment and communities where we live and work. The SFI Forest Management Standard and SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard are designed to ensure that SFI-certified forests are managed with an eye to protecting the health and vigour of our forests today and into the future.

We have recently launched new standards, which will help grow our ability to provide solutions to sustainability challenges like climate change. In fact, our new standards have some specific new objectives to ensure certified organizations are planning for climate risks and vulnerabilities; are taking concrete steps to mitigate those risks and where possible, enhance their capacity to capture carbon from the atmosphere; and are better tackling the risks of increased wildfire. Our new SFI Climate Smart Forestry Objective requires SFI-certified organizations to ensure forest management activities address climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Our new SFI Fire Resilience and Awareness Objective requires SFI-certified organizations to limit susceptibility of forests to undesirable impacts of wildfire and to raise community awareness of fire benefits, risks, and minimization measures.

GV: In the forestry sector, how are different approaches working more effectively than the conventional top-down approach?

DS: At SFI, we focus on an “outcomes-based” approach, and there is currently 170+ million hectares of certified area in North America, covering forest types from western coastal rainforests to southern pine forests, to lake states aspen forests, to northern boreal forests. This massive and diverse landscape means that we have the scale to make a difference, but it requires regional and sometimes site-specific management. A traditional “top-down” prescriptive approach does not work as well. By collaborating with our strong, committed network including so many professionals who know their forests, we set achievable and focused forest management goals. This allows our SFI-certified organizations to use their expertise and knowledge, working both individually and collectively, to ensure their forests are well managed, and helping us collectively benefit from the forests around us.

GV: Do you find that blanket approaches often work for most forest management practices?

DS: In my experience, when you are dealing with forests that are as dynamic and diverse as those across North America, a one-size-fits-all approach very rarely works. Approaches used in the northern boreal of Canada look almost nothing like those used in the U.S. South. From both an ecological and forest management perspective, we ignore those differences at our peril. 

Occasionally you will find a general “rule of thumb” or best management practice that is broadly applicable, but even then, those approaches often differ in the details of their application. SFI’s Conservation Impact Project is all about using research to better understand how practices generate conservation benefits in our sustainably managed forests, and then communicating those benefits and practices across our network to realize them at a massive scale.

GV: Through the work that you have done, where do you see the most opportunity for improvement? And why is this important in the long run?

DS: We have many climate change models and reasonably well-informed guesses as to the dynamics our forests will experience over the next decade or two, but the uncertainty remains high. From an ecological perspective, the biggest area for improvement across the forest sector is to develop our adaptive capacity, and to be ready and willing to change the way we approach forest management at a large scale. Forest management has traditionally used many tried and true tools like growth and yield curves and sustained yield models. These tools are still useful, but many of them need updating and revision to adjust to the new reality of a changing climate. This is what is so valuable about the new SFI standards and particularly new elements like the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Objective. We are applying our expertise to pressing global challenges in innovative ways that will assess the risk and vulnerabilities to our forests and adapt our plans and practices to meet them head on. This is how we ensure the long-term values, benefits, and overall sustainability of our forests. 

GV: What is the change you wish to see for the future of this sector?

DS: I love the forest sector. It is not without its challenges, but fundamentally the people that work in this sector are dedicated professionals who care deeply about the forests they work in and who are dedicated to doing what they do and doing it better every single day. The biggest change I would like to see for the future of this sector is truly a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests. That is actually SFI’s vision and something we strive for everyday. I have said for years that many of the biggest challenges we face today—from climate change, to safe and healthy communities, to social inequality, to youth education—can all benefit from well-managed forests. For the future of the forest sector, I wish to see people from all places—including both urban and rural people—really come to appreciate and value that. There is one thing I think we all need to understand: when our forests win, we all win.

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Source: SodaStream 

Carbonated beverage fans unite – as SodaStream has shared their environmental overview of 2020, and it bubbled with some environmental wins. With eliminating single-use plastic waste with the mission to revolutionize the global beverage industry with a lower impact to our planet. With just one reusable bottle, it saves a family approximately 3,000 disposable bottles every four years. 

With sustainability as one of their core values for the product, they aim to hit even more environmental wins by focusing on goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action) of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They aim to avoid an additional 200 million single use plastic bottles by swapping to a metal bottle by 2025. They also, by 2023 will start producing sparkling water makers from recycled or plant-based materials. 

The CO2 cylinders are designed to be in a closed loop, from the manufacturing side all the way to the consumer side where the cylinders are returned and then reintroduced back into the market again. Making this possible through retail partners and online exchanges. For the future, plans are to boost inputs from solar energy five-fold to 10% over the next two years. Now that is something to feel bubbly about.

Over 25,000 Barrels Found at Toxic Dump Site in Pacific Ocean Off LA Coast 

Source: CBS News citing David Valentine

Marine scientists say they have found what they believe to be more than 27,345 barrels that possibly contain DDT (a colorless, tasteless, and nearly odourless insecticide) dumped off the Southern California coast, where a massive underwater toxic waste site dating back to World War II has long been suspected.

This environment strategy has been wreaking havoc on the marine environment for decades and its effects are still being felt today. According to CBS News, the toxic chemical DDT is making its way higher up the food chain through bioaccumulation. Now, it is in marine mammals up and down the California coast. 

According to Marine Mammal Center veterinarian Dr. Cara Field, “about 25% of adults, subadults, have cancer and that is an extremely alarming number,” referencing California Sea Lions. “Given the very severely high rate and how abnormal it is, it is really important that we understand what is driving this disease in these animals,” explaining a possible link to DDT. 

Let’s look at clean-up efforts. Diana Aga, a chemistry professor at University at Buffalo who is not affiliated with the study, said the findings were shocking if the barrels are proven to contain the toxic chemical. “That’s a lot of DDT at the bottom of the ocean,” she explained. She goes on to explain that if they barrels haven’t leaked yet, they can be moved and disposed of in a safer place. If they have leaked, scientists could take samples from the water, sediment and other marine life to gauge the damage to marine ecosystems in surrounding areas. 

Proposal for Increased Accountability on Canadian Climate Targets

Environment Minister Wilkinson stating the Bill C-12 changes for NDP support // Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press via CBC News

Canadian Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has proposed changes to Bill C-12 – the bill that ensures national climate change accountability to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Bill C-12 was introduced in the fall of 2020 but has “been stuck at the second-reading stage in the House of Commons” until the minority Liberal government gains support from at least one major opposition party.

The current bill outlines a series of 5-year targets that aim to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, the NDP have been asking the Liberals to set a 2025 target to ensure the current decade stays on track with reducing emissions. Wilkinson stated in a letter to two NDP MPs that, if he gets to committee, he is prepared to address this concern to support the additional accountability of working toward national climate change goals.

Wilkinson said the government’s proposal for better short-term goals for climate action accountability includes progress reports for the years 2023, 2025 and 2027.

“The additional requirements could include estimates of projected greenhouse gas emissions over time as well as projected reductions resulting from measures taken. This will ensure Canadians have a clear and publicly available picture of Canada’s overall trajectory toward meeting our enhanced 2030 target,” reads Wilkinson’s letter.

Putting these additional checkpoints in place will be critical to ensuring Canada stays on track with emission reduction goals.

Endangered Whale Spotting Causes Fishing Closures in Canadian Waters

Photo of North Atlantic right whale taken by DFO Science-Aerial Survey Team // Source: CBC News

The first sighting of the season of the at-risk North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters occurred on April 25, 2021. It was spotted from a plane northeast of the Magdalen Islands in the Cabot Strait on the east coast. Sean Brilliant, from the Canadian Wildlife Foundation, says the whales have arrived “on time, perhaps a little bit early” to the northern waters.

North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered species, which is the most severely threatened status before extirpated and extinct. Ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are leading causes of this species decline. For more information about right whale populations and the threats they face, check out the first story in our WTF Volume 43.

Following the sighting of this species at risk, measures to protect their populations were put in place. These measures included automatic fishery closures ordered by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and shipping-lane restrictions ordered by Transport Canada in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the area where the whales were spotted, fishing activity will be closed for 15 days minimum. If a second sighting occurs during days 9 to 15, that area will be closed until November.

“This is a fairly severe and drastic closure in an attempt to make sure that we’re doing the best we can to keep fishing gear away from whales,” Brilliant said.

Monitoring of these right whales will be ongoing. Researchers will continue using aerial drones, underwater gliders, acoustic sensors, and aircraft with active observers on board to best track this species and ensure they are protected in the areas they occupy.

Brazil Slashes Environmental Budget Despite Climate Pledges

Source: Unsplash

The environment is put on the back burner again for Brazil. Approval was passed by their president Jair Bolsonaro to cut the environment ministry budget, just a day after pledging to provide more funding for the country to fight deforestation. Promises were made to double the money reserved for environmental enforcement and to put a stop to illegal deforestation by 2030.

The vows took place at a U.S. climate summit, but there is criticism that the fundings were cut due to a negotiating deal with the U.S. to receive financial aid to protect the Amazon rainforest. Environment Minister Ricardo Salles had put in a request to the economy ministry to review the numbers to the pledge made due by President Bolsonaro, at the virtual climate summit that was hosted by President Joe Biden.

With deforestation records hitting an all time high in the past 12 years, activists and indigenous groups are hoping their outcries are heard, as the lack of environmental enforcement is underfunded and illegal logging and mining is going on in protected areas.

While President Bolsonaro rejected such claims, he praised Brazil as an example for conservation measures. But at the last summit, he promised Brazil would move to zero carbon emissions by 2050 – making it 10 years earlier than previously agreed on. Last week, the environmental minister stated that the country is in need of $1bn of foreign aid to reduce the amount of deforestation in the Amazon by 30 – 40% within a year. But politicians and environmentalists urge for Brazil to come forward with results first before any financial aid is dished out by other countries.

Four New Marine Discoveries 

The Ocean Conservancy released an article the other day exploring 4 recently discovered ocean species. Discoveries like these will surely continue to be documented given that more than 80% of our ocean remains unmapped or unexplored. Over the past 12 months or so, several interesting new marine organisms have been observed. Here’s a summary and some added information. 

The species 

1. A ‘Sea Jelly’ that mimics a hot air balloon 

Source: NOAA

Scientists discovered this new species of comb jelly in deep underwater trenches off the coast of Puerto Rico that they said was observed moving like a hot air balloon tethered to the seafloor. Researchers from the US scientific agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), discovered the new species of ctenophore using underwater cameras.

2. A creature that looks like jellyfish string

Speaking of jellyfish, another incredibly fascinating discovery was a creature that looks like a bunch of strings thrown into the ocean. 

Source: The Smithsonian

The official name is: siphonophore Apolemia. Siphonophores are typically long, thin, transparent floaters that occupy the open ocean. They emit light to lure in potential prey and use jet propulsion to move through the water. Siphonophores are actually large colonies of bodies, similar to corals. Individual bodies clone themselves thousands of times into different kinds of specialized units, strung together in 100-foot-long ropes. 

3. A purple & yellow tree spider crab 

Source: Futurity citing Abdul Riyas

A brand new species of tree-spider crab was discovered in the lush mangroves of Kerala, India. Researchers from the University of Kerala collected about 3 specimens of crabs just by chance. As it so happens, during a visit to the University of Kerala, Professor Peter Ng, head of the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, saw the specimens. He recognized the crab as a new member of the genus Leptarma. The discovery was documented in the journal Crustaceana.

4. A sea snail disguised as another snail 

Source: Tohoku University

Last but not least, researchers from Tohoku University and Okayama University studying marine snails happened upon a brand new species: Tegula kusairo. To read a comprehensive list of the differences between the seemingly very similar species click here. 

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“Building on recent investments, Budget 2021 proposes to provide $17.6 billion towards a green recovery to create jobs, build a clean economy, and fight and protect against climate change.”

5.1: Growing Our Net-Zero Economy

Source: Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care

The Canadian economy needs to start making bolder investments towards becoming net-zero and work towards our commitment to achieving net-zero by 2050. Here’s what Budget 2021 proposes to do to support this target and grow the net-zero economy.

The Net Zero Accelerator is a part of Canada’s climate plan that aims to transform and completely decarbonize high-emitting industry activity, for example, in the auto and aerospace sectors. The Budget is allocating $5 billion over 7 years to the Net Zero Accelerator, which, in combination with the funds from 2020, adds up to $8 billion total.

In terms of supporting pre-existing clean tech projects, the Budget will help draw in private investment to commercially upscale these projects. This support will help grow and improve clean tech projects on the market. To create jobs in the growth of clean tech, the Budget proposes to reduce income tax rates by 50% for corporate and small businesses that manufacture zero-emission tech. A few examples of manufacturing zero-mission tech are:

• Renewable energy systems i.e. wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric, and geothermal
• Zero-emission transportation e.g. electric cars, buses, and other vehicles
• Production of biofuels from waste materials

With an expected surge of vehicle electrification and solar panels in the next decade, the Budget proposes to enhance Canada’s supply of critical minerals needed to manufacture low-carbon tech. The Budget will allocate $9.6 million to the Critical Battery Minerals Centre of Excellence at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). There will also be $36.8 million to NRCan for research and development to advance the processing and refining of battery minerals.

Now, let’s talk zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Although Canada already has been investing in implementing charging and refueling stations, the measurement and pricing of the energy is not always clear to drivers. The Budget will provide over $56.1 million over 5 years to Measurement Canada to provide more transparency for ZEV drivers by making a consistent set of codes and standards for ZEV charging and refueling stations.

To reduce emissions coming from transportation and landfills – that together account for almost 30% of Canada’s GHG emissions – the Budget will provide $104.6 million over 5 years to Environment and Climate Change Canada to strengthen GHG emission regulations for vehicles, methane regulations for large landfills, and support activities that reduce waste at these sites.

Forest-based innovations have also been key in moving towards a low-carbon economy as wood is used in biofuels, bioplastics, building materials, and other essential products. The Budget is allocating $54.8 million over 2 years to NRCan to support the growth of the “forest-based bio-economy”. 

5.2: Investing in Our Clean Industry Future

Source: Government of Canada

The Canadian government has suggested that they will invest millions of dollars on clean industry, technology, and energy sectors. This comes with an eight-step process which includes:

1. Promoting Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) in Canadian Industries

This promotes the adoption of CCUS tools in high carbon-emitting sectors within the country. Captured or stored carbon will then be used to create new products and will doubly decrease negative emissions into the atmosphere.

The government has been quick to provide examples of these systems already in place, such as CarbonCure in Nova Scotia. This company utilizes carbon to build strong concrete, which is then used for the growth of the province’s infrastructure.

2. Providing Incentives for CCUS

Budget 2021 wishes to include an investment tax credit for industries that adopt CCUS systems. In doing so, they hope to achieve a decrease of 15 megatonnes of CO2 per annum.

3. Advancing CCUS Technologies

The plan hopes to provide $1.5 million over the next seven years to support research and the development of new CCUS technologies.

4. Investing on Cleaner Fuels

The federal government plans to provide $67.2 million over the next seven years on the Clean Fuel Standard. This plan would focus on developing economic opportunities to Canadian biofuel producers, farmers, and foresters, such that low-carbon fuels can be created and utilized in the supply chain.

5. Producing and Utilizing Clean Fuels

$1.5 billion will be provided over the next five years to establish a Clean Fuels Fund to support the production and distribution of low-carbon or zero-emission fuels across Canada. An additional $67.4 million will be provided to ensure low-carbon fuels are used in the commercial sector and for conventional reasons.

6. Establishing a Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement Program

The federal government wishes to purchase low-carbon fuels for domestic air and marine fleets. Budget 2021 will provide $227.9 million over eight years (beginning in 2023) to the Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement program such that clean fuels are adopted in the aviation sector.

7. Funding the Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy in British Columbia

The government will provide $35 million to help establish a clean energy centre in British Columbia. This facility will seek to advance the commercialization of clean technologies (such as CCUS) across the country.

8. Developing Clean Energy in Northern Indigenous Groups

To halt the exacerbated effects of global warming on Indigenous communities in Northern Canada, the government plans to invest $40.4 million over the next three years to support the transition to clean energy in these areas.

5.3: Advancing Canada’s Climate Plan

Source: Unsplash 

Building upon the Pan-Canadian framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, the plan has allocated $15 billion into investments that will drive Canada to exceed the 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target. With the government also announcing that roughly $15 billion will be used for public transit electrification and subway extensions.

Canada introduced the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act to legislate the goal of net-zero by 2050. With this, Budget 2021 aims to provide $94.4 million over the next five years to support clean technology policy and growth. With the price on carbon since 2019, approximately 90% will be going back to Climate Action Incentives to reduce pollution and ensure environmental protection. The other 10% will be returned back to communities – such as small businesses, schools, and indigenous communities. Additional support will be allocated such as:

• Farmers are estimated to get back $100 million in the first year with an expanded program on Agricultural Clean Technology that will prioritize $50 million for more efficient grain dryers. Further details to be announced later in 2021 by the Minister of Finance.
• Canada will put a $185 million Agricultural Climate Solution program that covers improving nitrogen management, increasing adoption of cover cropping, and normalizing rotational grazing. $60 million for the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. With an additional $10 million to power farms with clean energy and move off diesel.
• Canada’s crown corporations will show climate change action and leadership by disclosing climate-related financial risks starting in 2022. Corporations with less than $1 billion in assets are to provide climate reports beginning in 2024.

5.4: Building Green Homes and Communities

Source: T&D World

The energy used to heat and cool buildings accounts for 13% of Canada’s emissions. Transforming our buildings to be more energy efficient through retrofitting (upgrading already existing infrastructure) will both lower emissions and costs. The Federal Budget is allocating funds for communities to invest in these building retrofits and the process will also provide local employment opportunities.

“Climate action starts at home” 

A large part of section 5.1 of the budget is about making home energy retrofits accessible and affordable for homeowners, which will save them money in the long run by cutting down energy bills. Examples of these energy retrofits are the following:

• Replacing low-efficiency or oil furnaces with higher efficiency systems, like air source or geothermal heat pumps.
• Improving wall and basement insulation to keep homes warm in winter and cool in summer.
• Installing a high-efficiency water heater or on-site renewable energy systems like solar panels.
• Or just simple upgrades, like replacing drafty windows and doors.

The 2021 budget aims to give Canadian homeowners the opportunity to upgrade their home energy infrastructure by giving $778.7 million to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) over the next 5 years, and then continuing these funds in future years totalling $4.4 billion. Through CMHC, Canadians can receive interest-free loans to complete retrofitting projects in their own homes up to $40,000. This program will be available by summer 2021 to any Canadian homeowners who want to undertake EnerGuide-authorized retrofits. The budget also claims that there will be a stream of funding going to low-income homeowners and rental properties to support those residents as well.

The government estimates that over 200,000 households will take advantage of this program to make their homes more energy efficient and to protect their homes from potential climate risks.

5.5: Adapting to Climate Change for a More Resilient Future 

Source: Pixabay

Climate-related disasters like flooding, wildlife’s, sea-level rise, coastal erosion etc. are becoming more frequent and severe, impacting public safety, human health, the economy and our communities. Budget 2021 proposes a number of measures that will better understand and prepare Canada for climate-related disasters, and ways to mitigate their impact. These measures would help make our communities safer and more resilient to a changing climate. 

 A. Strengthening Climate Resiliency (the overarching goal for the rest of the considerations)

Issue: Climate-related disasters can result in billions of dollars in disruptions, damages, and recovery costs. 

 Solutions: To ensure Canada’s resilience in the face of climate change Budget 2021 proposes to:

• Provide $1.4 billion over 12 years, starting in 2021-22, to Infrastructure Canada to top up the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. 
• Of this, $670 million would be dedicated to new, small-scale projects between $1 million and $20 million in eligible costs. In addition, 10% of the total funding would be dedicated to Indigenous recipients to benefit each distinctions-based group.

The idea is that this funding will help support small, rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

• And to invest $11.7 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, through Infrastructure Canada to renew the Standards to Support Resilience in Infrastructure Program, so that the Standards Council of Canada can continue updating standards and guidance in priority areas in the North such as flood mapping and building in the North. 

This is meant to help communities plan and build infrastructure that is more resilient to climate change i.e., roads, buildings etc. 

B. Keeping Canadians Safer from Floods

Issue: Communities across Canada now face once-in-a century floods every few years due to climate change. Floods are Canada’s most costly natural disaster, causing over $1 billion in direct damage annually. 

Solution: Budget 2021 proposes to provide $63.8 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Public Safety Canada to work with provinces and territories to complete flood maps for higher-risk areas. 

C. Improving Wildfire Resilience and Preparedness

Issue: Climate change is causing wildfires to become more frequent and more severe across Canada, threatening our health, economies, and wildlife.

Solutions: To help improve our resilience to wildfires and make our communities safer Budget 2021 is proposing two things: 

• To provide $100.6 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $4.7 million in remaining amortization, to the Parks Canada Agency to enhance wildfire preparedness in Canada’s National Parks. 
• To provide $28.7 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $0.6 million in remaining amortization, to Natural Resources Canada to support increased mapping of areas in Northern Canada at risk of wildfires. This funding would also enhance the capacity of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which is jointly funded in partnership with provinces and territories. 

D. Supporting Provincial and Territorial Disaster Response and Recovery

Issue: As climate change causes increased natural disasters, public finances at the provincial and territorial level are steadily more strained.

Solution: To ensure provinces and territories have the capacity to keep people safe climate change threats,from the threats climate change poses Budget 2021 proposes to provide $1.9 billion over five years, on a cash basis, starting in 2021-22, to Public Safety Canada to support provincial and territorial disaster response and recovery efforts.

E. Addressing Climate Change in Yukon

Issue: Climate change threatens the safety and resilience of northern infrastructure, ecosystems, and traditional ways of life.

Solution: To help Yukon adapt to climate change impacts, Budget 2021 is proposing to provide $25 million, in 2021-22, to the Government of Yukon to support its climate change priorities, in collaboration with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

F. Preserving the HMS Erebus and Terror

Issue: If you don’t know what that title means, I’ll explain. The shipwrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, from the Franklin Expedition of 1845, were discovered near Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Inuit co-manage the wrecks with Parks Canada. They are some of the best-preserved wooden wrecks in the world. They contain clues that can help us unravel one of the world’s greatest maritime mysteries. However, (the real issue) reduced ice cover and increased sea swells caused by climate change are accelerating the deterioration of the HMS Erebus.

Solution: To conserve and protect these historical features Budget 2021 proposes to provide $15 million over three years (, starting in 2021-22), to accelerate archeological and conservation work of these artifacts.  of international importance.

5.6: Protecting Nature

Source: Unsplash

The action to protect nature is critical, in Budget 2021, it will ensure that Canada reaches its goal of conserving 25% of lands and oceans by 2025. Canada is committed to ensuring the protection of nature and all that it entails, with a focus of also providing better access to natural spaces for all. Budget 2021 proposes $2.3 billion over the next five years to Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the department of Fisheries and Oceans, starting in 2021-22.

With this funding allocated, it will all build on natural spaces to reduce the dependence on infrastructures with the goal to combat climate change. These support the six strategies below.

• City of Toronto’s Ravine Strategy: Plans to support the protection of over 300 kilometers of urban ravines. Focusing on the neighborhoods that have limited access to private or public greenspace.
• City of Vancouver’s Rain City Strategy: Focuses on natural solutions with aims on preventing urban flooding and improvement of water quality, with the use of absorbent landscaping, tree trenches, and green roofs.
• City of Winnipeg’s Parks Strategy: Main focus is on connecting people with nature, and proving accessibility for persons with disabilities to natural spaces.
• City of Saskatoon’s Green Strategy: Building on urban forests, focusing on ecosystem health and resilience to natural disasters. Providing more accessibility for persons with disabilities to natural spaces.
• City of Halifax’s Green Network Plan: Promotes the sustainable use of green space & land use for outdoor recreation.
• City of Montreal’s Vision 2030 Strategic Plan: Nature in cities through prioritizing biodiversity, green spaces, and management of natural riversides and sustaining aquatic heritage. Also, providing access to everyone to parks and tree planting.

For the conservation of Canada’s oceans, Budget 2021 proposes to allocate $976.8 million over five years to help Canada reach its 25 % by 2025 target that aims to protect the health of our oceans, commercial fishing stocks, and improve coastal community livelihood.

• “Ghost Gear Fund” – plans to allocate a $10 million increase by 2021-22.
• Preservation of Wild Pacific Salmon – proposes providing $647.1 million over five years.
• Double the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation fund with an additional $100 million.

There are also commitments to better understand the environment by building on data of climate change and the impacts it has. $25.6 million will also be allocated to these efforts. There will also be allocation of the budget to the support of the Polar Continental Shelf, with a proposed amount of $25.4 million over the next three years. Also, with $476.7 allocated to Canada’s chemical management regime.

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Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced the funding, provided under the Youth Employment and Skill Strategy (YESS), during a Facebook Live event with Minister Carla Qualtrough and PLT Canada’s President and CEO, Kathy Abusow.

“Canada’s future depends significantly on the health of our country’s forests and ecosystems and on the skills and ingenuity of our youth. I am pleased to support investments to employ young people in the conservation of forests and protected places and in the enjoyment of these places by all Canadians. The young people employed through these partnerships are the next generation of stewards of Canada’s invaluable ecological resources.”

– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada 

This funding will help place over 1,700 youth into diverse paid opportunities across the forest, conservation, and parks sectors, using the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s, Canadian Parks Council’s, Nature Conservancy of Canada’s , and Ducks Unlimited Canada’s networks. PLT Canada Green Jobs will also contribute to Canada’s plan to plant two billion trees over the next 10 years.

Since 2018, PLT Canada has helped place young people (ages 15–30) in over 3,500 work experiences by offering a 50% wage match to more than 250 Green Jobs employers. Thanks to the new funding from the government of Canada, PLT Canada can continue supporting employers with wage matching and youth with job opportunities.

“By taking bold action and thinking outside of the box, our government is setting up young Canadians for success and ensuring an inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our collaboration with Project Learning Tree Canada is a great example of how government can work with community organizations to break down barriers to employment and create long-lasting change in the lives of young people. When we make skills-building and job opportunities available to young Canadians, we all succeed.”

– The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

The goal of YESS is to help young people in Canada gain skills and paid work experiences to join the workforce. PLT Canada is committed to helping all youth, including Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities, visible minority youth, young black Canadians, and youth living in rural or remote areas along their career pathways, offering supports ranging from skill-building resources, to job opportunities, to mentorship programs.

There are so many diverse, rewarding green careers in Canada that many people aren’t aware of. By working in a Green Job, you contribute to a more sustainable planet. Jobs supporting the conservation of nature and sustainably managed forests are key to helping fight climate change—sustainable management helps conserve biodiversity, store carbon, maintain the quality of our water, and more.

Through past PLT Canada Green Jobs, young people have gained valuable experience in positions like silviculturists, wildlife biologists, and Indigenous knowledge coordinators. PLT Canada’s Green Jobs Quiz can help you explore different options by matching your personality to the meaningful green careers best suited to you.

“It’s vital that we help all young people find success in discovering and navigating green career pathways. This is something we value deeply at PLT Canada, and we’re proud of the positive impact we continue to have through meaningful gender-balanced work experiences and our positive engagement of Indigenous, newcomer and all youth that may need support accessing jobs across the country. We’re looking forward to working with Parks Canada in providing access to valuable opportunities for all youth, including those facing barriers, in the forest and conservation sector.”

– Kathy Abusow, President and CEO, Project Learning Tree Canada

Thank you to the government of Canada for their renewed support, Parks Canada for their partnership, our incredible employer network for being committed to building a diverse and resilient Green Jobs workforce of the future, and our youth network for bringing new perspectives and so much value to the sector.

Read Parks Canada’s press release here.

Employers: Find out if you are eligible for PLT Canada’s 50% Green Jobs wage matching program.

Youth: Register as Job Seeker to apply for Green Job opportunities across the country.

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Credit: Lucy Binfield

Many bamboo products may appear to be made of wood, but the material’s form, mechanical, structural and biological properties differ greatly. Bamboos have an aesthetically pleasing round, noded stem with a tough, durable shell. Some species of bamboo can grow almost a meter over 24 hours, and species used in construction typically reach maturity for harvesting in just three to five years, much quicker than a typical tree harvested for timber.  Different bamboo species grow to different sizes, from a few millimeters right up to 30 centimeters in diameter and over 30 meters in height. Larger species, like Guadua angustifolia, common in South America, tend to be hollow, while some species, like the Vietnamese Bambusa blumeana, have a solid culm. This size and structural variance makes for a broader range of weight-efficient structural and architectural applications than those of wood.

There are over 1600 known species of bamboo, including both running and clumping varieties. Due to their extensive root systems, bamboo is considered suitable for rehabilitating degraded land, and unlike trees, the culms (poles) can be harvested without killing the plant. This and their extremely fast growth means that well-managed bamboo groves can sequester and store carbon at a much higher rate per hectare than many tree species. The physical properties of bamboo are also notable; the culm tissue has exceedingly high tensile strength and ductility, allowing it to flex under wind and snow loads without splitting or breaking. These properties have historically enabled its use for complex, high strength woven containers and other structures that are now made using plastic, glass or carbon fiber.

Taking advantage of these unique attributes, new value-added composite materials can be developed using the residues from primary bamboo processing. Bamboo elemental fibers perform well compared to wood and to many other natural fibers in morphology and tensile strength due to the complex poly-laminate cell wall layering, making it a strong candidate for use as a high-performance reinforcement for composites, including in automotive body parts. Bamboo pulps also have unique properties, and researchers at UBC are working on developing high-performance molded pulp materials for packaging, tableware, and other applications such as biodegradable personal protective equipment.

Research into the microstructure and mechanical properties of bamboo helps scientists understand how its unique properties can be further manipulated and exploited. The Bamboo Applications and Management Group (BAM) at UBC is collaborating with researchers around the world to develop specialized analytical techniques such as resin microcasting and complex numerical modelling to enhance our understanding of bamboo tissue structure, lengthening its already impressive list of applications.  The group is also using computer software to simulate and analyze the effects of different parameters that affect the density variation in structural pressed bamboo composites, which will help improve the production process control and mechanical properties of structural bamboo composites and allow us to better understand their potential.

The cities of the future could be built from bamboo: made using new-generation sustainable building materials as alternatives to steel and concrete, and locking up carbon in sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and functional bio-based structures and complementing existing natural building techniques. The BAM group at UBC is spearheading research into bamboo connections, structural design, novel architecture, process automation, and control techniques in North America. Research at UBC will even extend to understanding how the current regulatory environment can facilitate further use of bamboo as a building material by representing bamboo in the building codes of different countries.

Credit: Casa Congo

Research into innovative products, structural design, manufacturing technology, and fiber utilization efficiency is critical to making bamboo products competitive in a crowded global market. The group is collaborating with international industry partners to work on extending the use of long strips of bamboo, traditionally used in basket and complex shell weaving, into a high strength wound wall substrate for bio-based drainage pipes. Other collaborations involve carbonized charcoal from bamboo, which has a more complex pore structure than wood charcoal, and is used in cosmetics, fabrics, high performance air and water filtration, and polymer flame retardant applications. The cellulose in bamboo is also unique and being developed into a range of textile and other engineered nano-cellulose applications.

Consumer demand for sustainably sourced products has seen the market for simple items made from bamboo, such as bamboo toothbrushes, kitchen-wares and furniture, grow significantly in recent years. Research at UBC also extends to understanding how and why these consumer trends have developed and will influence bamboo-producing communities around the world. Equally important to the group’s remit is the sustainability, community development and socio-political aspects of bamboo exploitation and governance. This also includes how this growing demand for bamboo could influence biodiversity in areas where many species depend on the plant for survival.

The Bamboo Applications and Management Group at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver is the first ever multidisciplinary research group in North America dedicated to studying bamboo, its properties and its applications. We believe that bamboo has a key role to play in a sustainable, equitable future, and that high-quality research into this fascinating plant will yield dividends.

Lucy Binfield is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The Bamboo Application and Management Group (BAM) is made up of Associate Professor Chunping Dai, Dr. Kate Semple, Dr. Meiling Chen, Dr. Yu-an, Hu, Jialin Zhang, Milad Khajouei, Hugo Pineda, Bruce Zhou, Eric Li, Rain Liu, Sol Lewites, and Associate member Tamara Britton from the University of Western Ontario.

Credit: Casa Congo

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Snapshots of Google’s Timelapse video – Greenland 1986 – 2020 // Source: Google 

Google has drawn on satellite images dating back to the 1980s to introduce a time-lapse feature called “Timelapse” that lets users explore the world through the decades. To create the feature, Google worked with NASA, the United States Geological Survey’s Landsat program, the European Union’s Copernicus program and its Sentinel satellites, and Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab, to help develop the technology. Timelapse takes static imagery and turns it into a 4D experience, allowing users to click through time-lapses around the world. The plan is to keep updating these images, with even newer images, aimed at showing the progression of our planet. 

Google says it hopes the feature will help to visualize the impacts of climate change, as well as other ways humans are directly altering the planet. Timelapse can show us things like the decline of ice in the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica, to deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, or the urbanization of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The tech giant also says that it hopes governments, researchers, journalists, teachers and advocates will analyze the imagery, identify trends and share their findings with the public. Google is giving science a visual voice. “Visual evidence can cut to the core of the debate in a way that words cannot and communicate complex issues to everyone,” said Rebecca Moore, a director of Google Earth, in a blog post. Click here to watch a video Google put together about what time Timelapse can do, and how you can use it. 

Using TikTok to Raise Awareness and Advocate for Environmental Justice

Source: CTV News

Indigenous photographer and filmmaker, Morgan Tsetta, is using the app TikTok to shine a light on environmental hazards that the former Giant Mine project has left behind, of which communities in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, continue to suffer from.

Tsetta is a Yellowknives Dene First Nation and wanted to raise awareness about the toxic aftermath of the Giant Mine project because many Canadians have not heard of the issue before. “It’s not surprising that it’s not known or talked about. There is a certain degree of coverup that is prevalent in the history of Giant Mine,” Tsetta said.

Giant Mine is a former gold mine site and one of Canada’s most contaminated sites today. 237,000 tonnes of toxic (and in many cases, fatal) arsenic trioxide is contained here. Not only was the land lost to the Yellowknives Dene nation, but there have been prolonging damages and negative health impacts inflicted upon the communities from the aftermath. For more information on the history of the Giant Mine issue, read this article.

Tsetta initially started making these videos when TikTok blew up as a popular platform during the pandemic. She has been posting videos about the mine project, pressuring the federal government to apologize and compensate for the chronic damages. The Yellowknives Dene had a petition to gain a seat at the Giant Mine Remediation Project – an initiative that aims to address the toxic waste and remedy the area. After Tsetta posted her videos educating others about the project, the petition gained thousands of signatures, and closed with more than 32,000.

It’s encouraging to see TikTok being used as an effective tool for communicating and spreading awareness of environmental issues to gain support. Tsetta says she will continue using the app to update her followers about the process with the remediation of the area. To watch her videos, you can find her on TikTok at: @porterfieldlol.

Are Conservationists A Problem?

Source: Unsplash

Are conservationists accidently killing endangered species by spreading diseases? In short, yes. While it is all done with love and good intentions, many diseases and parasites are spreading through their efforts of relocation.

This was seen with a population of mussels, which serve an important purpose of cleaning water bodies and play a key role in the food web. Joshua Brian from the Department of Zoology at University of Cambridge stated, “moving animals could introduce a disease to a new region, or expose the individuals being moved to a disease that they haven’t encountered before.”

He also stated, “People move mussels and other animals around all the time, and they almost never stop to think about parasites or diseases first.” There was an example from Yellowstone National Park where wolves died after pathogen exposure from their canine relatives.

Many of the threats are often invisible to the human eye such as viruses, bacteria, worms, ticks – but can have deadly consequences to a species and an ecosystem as a whole.

Fukushima Nuclear Plant Plans to Release Wastewater Into The Ocean

Source: Unsplash

One million tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant is to be released into the oceans. That is enough water to fill more than 500 Olympic-sized pools. The reactor buildings were damaged through a hydrogen explosion in 2011 when Japan was struck with an earthquake and tsunami. Three cooling systems of the reactors melted down, with over a million tonnes of water used to cool down the melted reactors. The plan to release the water is set to begin in about two years.

This doesn’t come without opposition, the decision and approval came after many years of debate. The locals in the fishing industry stand very strongly against the decision, as do China and South Korea. The water is to be treated and diluted so the radiation levels would be below the set amount for drinking water. While most of the radioactive parts can be removed, some can’t – such as tritium, which is harmful to humans in large doses with a halflife of approximately 12 years.

Greenpeace has been opposing this for a long time, and stated that Japan’s government is in the wrong and “once again failed the people of Fukushima”. The fishing industry also worries that people may be afraid consumers will not buy fish from the area, from the threat of tritium being ingested and moving up the food chain through the consumption of seafood. The US stands with Japan on the decision, and Japan states that this process is safe and has got the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which their Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi states, “Releasing into the ocean is done elsewhere. It’s not something new. There is no scandal here.”

Jargon-Heavy Scientific Literature is Not as Smart as it Seems

Source: Unsplash

A large portion of the scientific literature out there is filled with technical terms and special terminology that make the information tricky to nearly impossible to understand unless you are well-versed in the given field of research. Just ask any university student – reading academic articles can sometimes seem like you’re reading another language, and they’re not easy to get through even when you do understand most of the terminology!

A new study has found that scientific literature that is filled with jargon is less likely to be cited by other scientists. Basically, if a scientific paper is hard to read, it won’t be read nearly as much.

Co-authors Alejandro Martinez and Stefano Mammola reviewed over 20,000 academic papers on the particular topic of cave science. They found that the authors who leaned heavily on scientific jargon in the titles and abstract (summary) of their paper were less likely to be cited by other scientists. In other words, people weren’t using their research as much as the studies written in more widely understandable language.

The authors explain that, in cave research, scientists use specialized terminology from a range of disciplines, depending on their own scientific background. For example, a zoologist may refer to a white blind salamander as a “neotenic metazoan with anophthalmia”, and a geologist is likely to define marble as a “metamorphic rock produced by the recrystallization of calcite or dolomite”. “In order to capture these meanings, you have to share the background [of] the person who’s using the jargon,” Martinez said. 

Even within scientific circles, definitions of technical terms are not always agreed upon, so the meanings of words can easily be misunderstood. The authors state that jargon definitely makes an author sound like an intelligent expert in their field, but… in the grand scheme of things, it’s far more important to actually have your research read and understood by others, and accessible for other scientists to use. 

The takeaway? Don’t make your readers dissect and translate your science, especially if the research is important for other disciplines or the greater public. Keep your audience by writing more plainly.

Carbon Tracking Satellite Network to Launch in the 2020s 

Rendering of one of the satellites // Source: Carbon Mapper 

A consortium led by the State of California and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that they are planning on releasing a constellation of satellites that will circle the globe in an effort to try and pin-point the very specific releases of climate-changing gases (carbon dioxide and methane). As global warming continues to ramp up, there is an urgent need to deploy technologies that can efficiently and accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions. If we can measure it, maybe we can manage it. 

The constellation is one element of Carbon Mapper, a public-private partnership aimed at providing information to help limit greenhouse gas emissions. The first two prototypes will launch in 2023 and are designed to detect 80% of the largest global methane sources, as well as the major carbon dioxide emitters. The rest of the constellation of 20 or so spacecraft going up from 2025 with the objective of providing frequent observation of greenhouse gas sources. The goal of this initiative is to heighten public awareness and understanding of greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to watch an introductory video about Carbon Mapper, their mission and vision for the future. 

The post The WTF: TheWeek This Friday Vol. 44 appeared first on A\J.

Source: Science

North Atlantic Right Whales are listed as Critically Endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); their populations are in decline and they’re on track to becoming extinct. Three years ago, this species was observed to be producing no offspring at all, which was quite a blow to the scientific community and conservation groups. However, this past winter (2020-2021), these whale populations reproduced in greater numbers than have been seen since 2015. Is this increase in births a promising trend for this whale species or could it just be false hope since many threats to this species still exist?

The past few years have been dismal for this species’ reproduction, but this year we’ve seen more newborns than the combined total for the past 3 years. Researchers believe that the declining trends could have been due to a shortage in available food (e.g. zooplankton) and this new spike could be attributed to the whales moving into regions with more abundant food sources.

This past winter season, research teams spotted 17 newborn right whales with their mothers offshore between Florida and North Carolina. However, one of the newborns soon died after being struck by a boat – a prime example of a threat that experts fear is driving their declining numbers. Along with boat collisions, the other major threat to this species’ survival is entanglement in fishing gear.

The overall population of North Atlantic Right Whales is dwindling around 360 individuals, so scientists are still very cautious and hope to see higher birth trends continue. This upward climb in newborns is a hopeful sign, but in order to help this species stabilize to a healthy level and grow again, they need to be better protected and the human activities that threaten their existence need to be better managed.

The Earliest Cherry Blossom Bloom in Japan – Result of Climate Change

Source: Unsplash

The earliest bloom in over 1,200 years. Read that again. Japan’s cherry blossoms are hitting historical records of the earliest bloom due to climate warming. The peak of the bloom was recorded on March 25th in the capital city of Kyoto. Researchers at Osaka University, traced back in time while looking at historical data that was recorded in diaries of emperors, aristocrats, governors and monks to conclude this finding.

Due to the fluctuation in the weather, it leads the cherry trees to bloom faster than ever this year. In Japan this year, January was very cold and then February was very warm, leading to the acceleration of the blooms.

The cherry blossoms are a big part of the Japanese culture and often attract large crowds during their blooming season; the flower viewing has become a tradition which dates back centuries. The cherry trees are very sensitive to temperatures, and out of the 58 tracked trees, 40 have hit their peak bloom.

Lights Off For Fireflies

Source: Unsplash

Light pollution is classified as another driving force for the insect apocalypse that we are facing. There are two new studies which point to the negative unintentional effects of artificial light. One study focuses on how grasshoppers were drawn to the city lights of Las Vegas (Maybe they wanted to hop over and try their luck at the casinos?). While another study is showing the correlation between artificial light at night and the mating of fireflies – this could long-term drive a wedge in the survival of the species.

Avalon Owens, an entomologist at Tufts University has been studying fireflies for about ten years between North America to Taiwan, where the insects can be seen year-round and thought to be the spirits of ancestors.

Fireflies are part of the beetle family and create flashes of light in their abdomens. These flashes depend on the species itself, but the main purpose of the flashes is to attract mates. With light pollution being the main disturbance of this natural process, disconnecting the search for potential mates within the species. Such courtship suppresses light, and the study has concluded that bright amber light was the worst culprit behind the disturbance.

While no light is the most obvious solution, it is often still needed to light the way for safety and traffic. There are suggestions for lights with motion sensors to help the situation as we don’t need constant lights on.

Americans Opting for Economic Relief Instead of Environmental Protection

Source: Gallup

A new survey released this week showed that many Americans are currently more worried about the economy than protecting the environment. A company known as Gallup has been surveying the American population annually for over 36 years, and the most recent poll conducted in 2020 has shown that 50% of Americans believe that protecting the environment is of importance. Whereas 42% of the surveyed population believe that strengthening the economy is a greater priority.

At first glance, the results may show that more Americans prioritize the environment over economic growth, however, this is one of the lowest percentages recorded of this category since 2015; this year’s result is down from 60% in early 2020 (surveyed before the pandemic) and is the lowest recorded since 2015 when only 46% of the population held this view.

Gallup has stated that the rise of interest in the economy might be due to the current U.S. unemployment rate, which has been steadily increasing ever since the initial lockdown in March 2020. The struggle to make a stable income has most definitely affected how many people view the economy within their country, as they seek relief and stability from it.

However, it is still impressive that more Americans still value the environment, even if only by a slim margin. Gallup has been quick to say that the current Biden administration has been pursuing an environmental agenda that might cause economic risks but protects the country’s natural systems in the process. Progress is progress nonetheless.

Coffee Can Wake Up Forests, Too!

Source: Stuff

New research from a study in Costa Rica shows that putting coffee pulp on the ground layer of forests can help ecosystem restoration. The study took place in a region of southern Costa Rica that had previously experienced rapid deforestation of the tropical rainforests for agricultural land. Before the experiment, the lands were mostly dominated by non-native pasture grasses.

The team compared two sites in their study, one covered with coffee pulp and the other not. They measured soil quality, plant species, tree trunk diameter, and forest ground cover. On the coffee-treated land, they saw faster tree growth, more vegetation, denser tree trunks, and greater canopy height after two years compared to non-treated land. The coffee-treated land also had nearly 30 times more tree coverage than the non-treated land.

After the two year study period, the non-treated land was still more than 75% covered in the non-native grasses, but the coffee-treated land had new growth of herbaceous plants, improvements in the soil quality, and a much more lush ecosystem overall.

The researchers believe that their results could be very useful to inform future forest restoration efforts, although they note that restoration methods vary depending on location and other local factors. This method appears to be a promising solution to this region, at least. Who knew that this beloved brew could revitalize nature as well as humans?

New Documentary Takes Us Behind the Scenes of B.C.’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre 

The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre team freeing a seal entangled by plastic // Source: Cottage Life citing White Pine Pictures Inc.

If you’re an avid browser of environmental news, the oceans should be on your radar, especially in the past few weeks. A new three-part documentary series titled “Wild Pacific Rescue” follows the B.C. Marine Mammal Rescue Centre (MMR) and shows us what goes on behind the scenes, from the operating room to the ocean. The documentary explores things like the Sealion Disentanglement Program, which involves remotely injecting animals that have been severely entangled in marine debris with a dart gun and freeing them. Viewers will get to meet some of the animals recovering at the centre, like Quatse, a baby sea otter found isolated and unconscious near Port Hardy, and Sandy, a stellar sealion who was discovered lying comatose on a beach near Tofino in March.

The Vancouver Aquarium’s rescue centre saves more than 100 marine mammals each year and rehabilitates them at its facility near Crab Park before releasing them back into the wild. The documentary series will start airing this coming Wednesday, April 14th on Cottage Life TV. Documentary director Michael Sheehan was given exclusive access to the team and its facilities to document their work and to show people the front-line work that goes on to protect these amazing animals. “The underlying goal was just to engage people, the whole idea of conservation and the threats that wildlife face and how those threats are related to human activity, and what people can do to eliminate those negative threats,” Vancouver Aquarium head veterinarian Dr. Martin Haulena explains. To find out more about the series, click here. Cottage Life also conducted an exclusive interview with the team to answer a list of top 10 questions about the MMR.

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Eco-Friendly Routes – Thank You Google Maps

Source: Unsplash

Google has done it again – providing routes for not only the directionally impaired but those who want to have a smaller carbon footprint too! The Google Maps app will direct drivers to take routes which produce the lowest carbon emissions possible to get to your end destination. This is done by considering traffic, slopes, and several other factors to calculate the most eco-friendly route.

This feature will be available later this year in the United States, and will spread throughout other countries in order to stand up for the fight against climate change. The user will still have full control of which route they would prefer to take, but the default route will be the most carbon friendly one but also comparable to the fastest route too. If other routes show to be much faster, the app will allow the users to see the difference in time and emissions and choose for themselves.

Russell Dicker, a director of product at Google stated, “What we are seeing is for around half of routes, we are able to find an option more eco-friendly with minimal or no time-cost tradeoff,” allowing this to be a win-win for the environment and drivers. So hip-hip hooray to technology standing alongside us to make small changes that can eventually lead to big outcomes in the name of the environment.

Break Free from Plastic Pollution Bill Enters Congress: So, What’s it All About?

Source: Break Free From Plastic

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2021 holds many of the same provisions as its 2020 predecessor with measures targeting Extended Producer Responsibility. If passed, the bill would require packaging manufacturers to be responsible for the “design, collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal of their consumer products and packaging, to prevent pollution from consumer products and packaging from entering into animal and human food chains and waterways, and for other purposes.” Plastics manufacturers would be required to increase the post-consumer recycled content of beverage containers to 25% by 2025, 50% by 2030, 70% by 2035 and 80% by 2040. 

The Act aims to accomplish the following: strengthen environmental justice, test reuse and refill programs, hold companies accountable for products/create transparency, incentivize good design, require real recycling, reduce toxics, reduce pollution, reduce single-use plastics, and manage our own waste. The details of a nationwide single-use plastic bag ban also is contained in the bill. Manufacturers or retail establishments that are not compliant with the requirements would face serious economic repercussions. Finally, the bill outlines a national bottle collection refund with a minimum 10-cent regardless of material. Greenpeace USA, 5 Gyers, the Surfrider Foundation, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition are just some of the supporters of the Act. Industry leaders are pushing back, arguing that the Act would stall efforts to address plastic waste in the environment and limit the essential role plastic plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation includes damaging provisions that would restrict the production of modern and innovative plastic materials and limit advanced recycling technologies needed to recover plastic waste and revolutionize how we use – and reuse – our plastic resources. Two sides to an issue that is, in my opinion, a no-brainer. Stagnant and linear supply chains, with cheap materials designed for obsolescence, marketed to a fast-paced consumer culture, is the problem. Plastics end up in our oceans, degrade our ecosystems, harm animals, and even end-up in our food chains. 

To read a detailed summary of the Pollution Act click here. #breakfreefromplastic 

We Finally Captured a Photo of the World’s Most Secretive Mammal!

Source: Assou et al., 2021

Have you ever seen or heard of a Walter’s duiker before? These small African antelopes are known for being one of the most secretive mammals in the world. Some even joke that this species must have the power of invisibility due to the great difficulty it is to observe them. But the lucky day has come for those who study this species because they finally have an image of two in the wild. 

Researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), University of Oxford, caught the first ever photo of a Walter’s duiker in it’s natural, wild habitat. The taking of this photo was part of a 9000-day, 100-camera monitoring project in Fazao-Malfakassa National Park, the largest protected area in the country. This was the first ever comprehensive remote camera trapping survey for mammalian megafauna in Togo (West Africa). The team recorded many other endangered and endemic species but were pleasantly surprised when they captured an image of Walter’s duikers.

Walter’s duikers have been a mystery to scientists for years. “This graceful antelope has, for the last 200 years, displayed a great talent for avoiding scientists, but proven tragically less adept at avoiding nets, snares and hunting dogs. Camera ‘trapping’ revolutionizes biological survey: an army of cameras sits patient and uncomplaining, immobile for months on end, awaiting an interesting passer-by,” said Professor David Macdonald, WildCRU’s Director.

Dr. Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Associate Professor at University of Lomé, said, “It is critically important to recognize the importance of the protected area system of Togo, which acts as a vital stronghold for a rich diversity of wild mammals. We hope our exciting find will increase the call for further protection of our remaining forest and savannah.”

This photo sounds like a big win in the wildlife research world as it has not only brought a secretive species to light, but has brought awareness to the biodiversity crisis and provided a celebration of biodiversity.

Frequent Flyer Club – More Like Privileged Polluter Club

Source: Unsplash

Ain’t no mile high club when it comes to emissions. A select few frequent flyers are dominating air travel and contributing to a hefty amount of emissions. In the UK, 70% of flights are made by 15% of the wealthy population. This is circulating a conversation on implementing frequent flyer levy – which a tax would be incurred by the globetrotters and would increase with each year as more flights are taken.

While there are many reward systems we have heard of such as Airmiles and Aeroplans that support frequent flyers – Greenpeace wants them to be banned as it encourages people to take more flights, they also support the tax.

This is not just exclusive to the UK, this trend is seen in many other wealthy countries, as shown by research. With some of the parallel statistics shown below:

• Canada: 22% of the population takes 73% of flights.
• The Netherlands: 8% of people take 42% of flights.
• China: 5% of households take 40% of flights.
• India: 1% of households take 45% of flights.
• Indonesia: 3% of households take 56% of flights.

This overall displays the income inequality that reflects the emission per person inequality. How a select few produce a considerably larger amount of emissions per person due to their lifestyle and being able to afford it – without any consequences. We shall see what the future holds for the privileged flyers club and if they will soon run out of points.

Consumers are the Biggest Threat to Climate Change, But We Already Knew That, Right? 

Figure shows how national deforestation footprints have changed between 2001 and 2015 for these 6 countries // Source: Carbon Brief citing Hoang and Kanemoto, 2021

A new study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution looks at the global deforestation picture over the years between 2001 and 2015. Using high-resolution forest maps and a global supply chain model, the researchers compiled a comprehensive and highly detailed account of how deforestation is being driven by consumer behaviour. So, while countries like the UK, Germany, China and India have all planted more trees domestically in recent years, all are linked to rising deforestation outside their borders, specifically in tropical forests i.e., the Amazon. While consumers in India and China are responsible for the loss of around one tree per person per year, this rises to almost four in the richer G7 group of countries (3.9). 

According to the researchers, growing international trade is doing more harm than good for climate and for biodiversity. The researchers were able to be very precise about the impacts of this trade. Cocoa consumption in Germany poses the highest risk to forests in Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana, while in Tanzania, it’s the demand for sesame seeds among Japanese consumers that’s a key driver. It’s not just the wealthier nations – demand in China is responsible for deforestation in Northern Laos as land is cleared for rubber plantations. The authors argue that economic growth is not the answer. As richer countries saw their economies grow dramatically over the period of the study, their dependence on tropical forests has increased. Have you ever heard of ‘the rich get richer while the poor get poorer’ rhetoric? Instead, the authors are arguing for the need to reform zero-deforestation policies through strong transnational efforts and by improving supply chain transparency, public–private engagement and financial support for the tropics.

Jumping into Earth Month with EcoHack-a-city Events!

Source: Earth Day Canada

Earth Day Canada is launching its first ever EcoHack-a-city Initiative, which includes a series of sustainable solutions-focused events across the country! This series of events, in collaboration with the TD Ready Commitment program, aims to create networks and foster partnerships between all the stakeholders involved in making cities more sustainable.

Each EcoHack-a-city event will have two running programs: a virtual panel with experts who will share their insights on local environmental actions, and an online training program to kickstart the development of solutions from all sectors. 

This initiative is taking place in 5 regions of Canada to seek nationwide action and solutions. From the west to east coast, each region’s event will have a different theme ranging from small-scale green energy solutions, to sustainable transportation, to moving towards a zero-waste industrial sector. For more details and dates of each event, click here.

Speaking of Earth month… A\J and Earth Day Canada are teaming up to produce a collaborative editorial series – “The Past, Present, and Future of Earth Day”. We will be releasing articles on the Thursdays leading up to Earth Day (April 8, April 15, April 22). Keep an eye out for this awesome series coming to you next week!!!

The post The WTF: The Week This Friday Vol. 42 appeared first on A\J.