CAUTION: Serendipitous roads may cause new perspectives

It was early March, just before Covid-19 exploded into our collective consciousness. We – my partner and I – decided on a quick weekend getaway to celebrate an anniversary. We live in Kitchener and had wanted to visit the Lake Huron shore. We found a resort just north of Grand Bend and made our plans to escape. And when I say ‘plans’, I do mean so, given that we drive an electric vehicle, and one that happens to be best suited to inter-urban transit.

Don’t get me wrong; I love driving ‘Mr. Bobby Button’, the moniker (and character) attached to the 2017 Mitsubishi MiEV that can be seen tooting around KW in all seasons. BB is about the size of a Smartcar-on-steroids, has all-wheel drive and can turn in a phone booth, and is remarkably spunky when the light goes green. This generation of EV, however, was built just-before the innovations embedded in today’s EVs that practically eliminate ‘range anxiety’. BB has an ‘effective’ full range of 150 kilometres on a full charge but temperature, ancillary electrical use (radio, phone charger, heater, etc.) and travelling speed can combine to reduce the 150 km range by a third or more. That’s not much of a problem when you are doing errands or running across town and back; you plug in at home and are fully good-to-go by the morning. But when you’ve got an extended journey ahead of you in an EV of BB’s vintage, you need to put a bit of extra planning in place to ensure that you arrive at your destination without the necessity of pushing the last kilometre or two!

And, truth be told, I’m a bit of a nervous-Nelly when it comes to range anxiety. When driving gas vehicles, the EMPTY light was a frequent travelling companion and a reminder to stop….soon-ish. In BB? Not so much. There have been a couple of ‘adventures’ that came close to running down the battery and getting the travelling party stuck in the middle of a farmer’s field. Oh, and there’s that other time that saw yours-truly come close to committing B&E to access an electrical outlet in a barn by the side of a country road somewhere west of Belleville.

With that in mind, the route was carefully planned, thanks to the ‘Queen of Google Maps and the EV Charging Apps’. Oh yes, there’s an app for charging your EV (recommended), or for scouting out potential stopping points (also recommend, and be sure to check the latest check-in). Actually, there’s three or four apps that you need in this part of SW Ontario. In Quebec and eastern Ontario, one app gets you from Montreal to Kingston….but then you’ll encounter a patchwork of stopping points, some demonstration projects brought forth by municipalities and some for-profit, app-based solutions. In southwest Ontario, there’s pretty good coverage in the cities like Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Stratford, Guelph and Brantford. For our trip to Lake Huron, we’d first need to stop and top-up in Stratford. And then find another place to stop before getting to the shore, as the top-up only takes BB to 80% charge and the temperature was cool to the point of chilly (and passengers likewise).

We made the first leg to Stratford without incident, although that luck wouldn’t be repeated on the homeward journey as the erstwhile-working charging suddenly wasn’t working on Sunday! But that’s a story for another day.

The battery in BB read 40% when we plugged in to the fast-charger, ChaDeMo (google it….I can’t remember what that stands for at the moment). It takes about 20 minutes to get to 80% from empty, although I’ve never risked that; in this case, the charge took about 15 minutes, which afforded us the perfect opportunity to advance scout the next stopping point.

As I mentioned, the Queen had a full array of apps to check and then cross-check with Google maps to plot time, distance and likelihood that I’d have a mini-meltdown before we reached the charging point. At this stage, I was focussed not so much on the bucolic nature of the quaint town housing the charging station – and much more focussed on not running out of ‘juice’ somewhere between Varna and Staffa….which last time I check an atlas were both located near the Black Sea? How could that be?

I should mention that in addition to the high-powered, separately-powered ChaDeMo fast-charger (15-20 minutes), there’s a mid-range charger (that runs on 220) that takes 4 hours to reach full charge from empty…and a plug-in, take-with version that can take up to 12 hours to get you to full charge from empty. Oh, and because we don’t drive a Tesla, Elon’s e-stations do absolutely nothing for us ‘plebs’. So figuring out which station was working in which location, and with which app to pay for the privilege of powering our progress, is kind of important.

The Queen remarked that there seemed to be a new station, just up and running in the town of Exeter, which was conveniently located on our route to the shore from Stratford. With an almost-full charge under our engine’s fanless belt, we headed out with a load of enthusiasm and just a tad of concern about what would await us at the destination. We checked out the Google maps, saw that Exeter is located about 20 kilometres from the Lake Huron shore near Grand Bend, with an extra dozen clicks taking you up the shore to Bayfield. Exeter is also the largest and best-appointed town once you’ve left Stratford if you’re heading in the Grand Bend/Bayfield direction. The perfect waypoint, as it turned out.

And talk about serendipity! I was almost out of coffee and the charging station was located in the parking lot of the Timmie’s on the main street (actually, Main Street)!

The station was easy to find (which is NOT ALWAYS the case), the app connected easily (again, NOT ALWAYS the case), and we both let out a bit of an exhale knowing that we’d leaped the final range hurdle, with an 80% charge more than capable of speeding us the 20+ kilometres to our final destination, where we’d plug-in the overnight charger. I ducked inside, grabbed another double-double, and sat back, enjoying the respite while the vehicle charged. The Queen, not content with EV apps and Google maps, turned her attention to another favourite, real estate dreaming.

Firing up the MLS, we noticed a couple of properties for sale and for lease in Exeter, and specifically a couple of properties in the historic downtown core. Now, there was no impetus to look at properties but why not follow the way that the road was taking us, and Exeter was leaving us happier and recharged by the minute. Once we reached the max, we headed down to the core and spied out the listings. One or two looked promising – again, not sure promising what – so in the days after we reached out to the agents to explore what-ifs. And then the pandemic hit HARD, lockdown came, and more pressing realities pressed the idea away…..for a while.

In early September, to recharge from a strenuous summer spent developing two print issues and delivering a wealth of online content, we decided to head back to the shore for a Covid-safe weekend, this time staying in Bayfield. It was a lovely time, and on the road back home we decided to stop in Exeter to recharge the vehicle. There’s also a lovely park in Exeter, and we’d recently added a puppy, Zoey, to the family. Zoey needed a good stretch-of-the-legs in some deep, green grass and lungs full of fresh, clean air. So Exeter it was (we could have made the full trip to Stratford with the full charge and the warmer temperatures). The fact that we could stop at Timmies and recharge the vehicle (and the driver) only added to the appeal. We also took the time to drive to the downtown core and see how the local merchants and businesses were doing. We were happy to note that most businesses had managed to sustain operations in spite of the historic challenges, and that people were (safely) going about their daily activities, a smile in their eyes as they greeted us from behind the masks.

When we returned to Kitchener, we made a few enquiries in regard to real estate in Exeter. Well, as things would happen, an interesting proposition was brought to us by a friend of A\J: there was a street level shop in a building in the middle of the historic downtown core, and the rent would be ‘subsidized’ by the philanthropically-inclined new owners for a year (at least). But we’d need to be ready to put staff in that office once the pandemic lifted – and be ready to use this gift as an opportunity to learn, listen and grow more earthy in our opinions and in our writing. We’re there now.

We’ve got plans again, tentative plans given the uncertain circumstances. But the plans are rooted in the core mission of our organization: to become the most effective story-teller of environmental stories that are read by a broad cross-section of Canadians. We’ve got roots in cities and bigger towns, graduating from Peterborough to KW, with stops in Toronto in between. We’ve got roots in academic circles of informed-opinions and opinion-formers. We’ve got roots in the eNGO community, and frequently seek to empower collaborations that deliver 1+1=3. But, as an organization, our roots had not yet extended to the fertile soil of a community like Exeter. So, we leaped…. again….and we’re ready to take bigger leaps in the near future.

We’ve already made some friends in the community, and have discussed how we can best become a good neighbour and an economic development supporter. We’re ideating lectures and panels and musical events. We’re engaging with schools and businesses and organizations to understand their environmental stories – and to share them with our national readership. Admittedly, we’re doing it slowly; slowly but surely. We’re planting the seeds that we hope will grow into strong roots that will allow our writing, our story-telling, to blossom and flourish.

In Exeter, Ontario, at the crossroad to Lake Huron shore, on the road to serendipity… and opportunity.

The post On The Road To Serendipity appeared first on A\J.

In 1971, when Alternatives Journal (A\J) was launched, the world of academic publishing with a specialization in environmental sciences was in its infancy. Dr. Robert Paehlke was a young, newly minted professor who was ably assisted by a team of students at Trent University. They generally had no idea how to publish an environmental magazine but they learned. And every iteration of Team A\J has learned in the intervening years to adapt to the changing needs of our audience, readers who took the information and stories presented in our print publication and put it to use in their studies and or at work as they began careers of their own. Now, at 50, much has changed about A\J, both on paper and in spirit, but I hope that whatever is published under the A\J banner (regardless of media type) remains true to the initial founding principles established by Dr. Paehlke and his team.

Plus ça change. Et plus c’est la même chose.

(with apologies to Alphonse Karr)

I mention this now because our organization is undergoing, as I type, another ‘growth spurt’, with equal parts prodding and pulling being the root drivers of this change. Prodding because our initial business model of ‘print publishing’ has been challenged for some time due to market and sustainability forces – and the recent supply chain challenges in the pulp and paper sector (diverted to make PPE, masks, etc.) has literally created a national case of publishers’ writers block. In the case of A\J, we completed three full print magazine issues and one celebratory issue (in honour of our 50th) within the 2021 calendar year but cannot find a printer with the stock available to support small-run publishers like A\J who cannot pre-buy their paper stock to take advantage of economies of scale (or even just to hoard). We are hopeful that this particular concern will eventually recede with the pandemic, but it forced a decision upon the Board about the best way to ensure that we continue to deliver vitally needed environmental journalism and storytelling.

In truth, the Board has been cognizant of the fact that evolutionary times were upon us since we stepped in during an emergency in 2019. We published a full array of print magazine issues in 2020 with the help of a team of young students, grads and volunteers. But we also focused our collective efforts on the development of the digital assets of the organization, testing out new concepts while dedicating efforts to expand our digital reach at a time of massive and inevitable change vis-a-vis media consumption patterns. And, as previously mentioned, we produced (but can’t print) four full print magazine issues in 2021. While all that work was going on, there was also a very dedicated effort to expand our digital journalism and story-telling efforts via alternativesjournal.ca, with hundreds of articles and posts being written each year, consumed, shared and used by hundreds of thousands of environmental readers.

As the calendar flipped to 2022, the Board of Directors of Alternatives Inc. were staring at a fundamental challenge to our continuing operations, or so we thought at our core. I can speak, as one of the Board members, as to our thought processes and discussions. And I can also share with you the harbingers of opportunity that presented themselves during this period of deliberation and contemplation. For it was true: due to the shortage of print-grade paper, the print operations of Alternatives Journal were imperiled – and would continue to be for an uncertain amount of time. We had been grinding away for fifty years as a print publication, and grafting digital capabilities as we could in more recent years. But the challenges, the grind, of the print publication (and its industry), continued to become more, well, challenging. Expenses went up, revenues went down. The Law of Diminishing Returns has been at play for some time – and the pandemic simply enhanced its impacts.

A\J has been a quarterly, then a bi-monthly (6x per year), then back to a quarterly. It has remained true to the idea that each issue should be thematically related and relevant. And prescient. And cohesive and organized and curated to maximize the overarching takeaway that the editorial team established when first spitballing potential issue themes. There is a merit to that format, today as much as yesterday. A format of informed opinions informing the opinions of opinion-makers. And informed by a youthful zeitgeist that is rebellious and reverential all at the same time, undergrads and grad students egged on by young professors with dreams of a better way. When the status quo isn’t working, look for alternatives. In 1971, the only format available was print. Today, if that status quo isn’t working – and the machine of print has literally ground to a halt due to a lack of paper – then we must look for alternatives. Luckily, in our case, the alternative was readily at hand with www.alternativesjournal.ca.

In the past few months, as the Board came to grips with the realities facing our print operations and watched with admiration the achievements of our digital team, the majority of our collective efforts have been dedicated to executing a new paradigm of operations, digital-first with healthy sprinklings of print publications when conditions warrants (and our appetites are suitably whetted to do so). Alex Goddard has outlined this shift, as well he should as the newly-minted Editor, Digital Media for our team. He first worked with A\J as he was completing his MES at Western University – and he’s kept his hands in the works since then, primarily on the digital side but also dabbling on our print work (which comes in handy, as we’ll all see today). 

And, in the interim, team A\J collaborated with Nature Canada on a special project supporting the 2022 Pimlott Awards and its worthy recipients, Margaret Atwood and the late Graeme Gibson. In that project, A\J’s own Siobhan Mullally contributed a piece called IN MY LIFE. Reflecting on the sustained, bird-like love and partnership of Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson. Siobhan’s story was well written (and appropriately released on Valentine’s Day), which made it very special, but you can imagine our surprise and pride when Ms. Atwood noticed:

This would be the same Siobhan Mullally who had her first blog post, written for us in January 2021, reprinted in-toto in a massive communications textbook hitting campuses around the world in the fall of 2022.

These harbingers of opportunity made the Board’s decision that much easier. As one door or channel closed or came close to closing, another was opening opportunities farther and wider than we could have ever imagined. This organization was founded in 1971 to the ideals of expanding environmental literacy and education, to enhancing environmental journalism, and, in doing so, provide vitally-needed communications capacity. Those founding ideals are just as pertinent, relevant and needed today as they were then. And while the young students and professors of 1971 have retired and stepped back, their places have been taken by equally-bright young people ready to make important contributions to our world – and important changes to how we work together to build a better world. Today. And tomorrow.

(“Changes” is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released on his 1971 album Hunky Dory)

The post Changing For The Better Future appeared first on A\J.

Almost every sector of the economy would benefit from oil sand development. But through all the positive economic growth Canada would receive, it is necessary to look at the impact on the environment it will have.

The refined oil will be transported through pipelines. Any released bitumen through a spill, leak, or rupture can contaminate the surrounding land or water. Tailing ponds to store the liquid to retrieve the oil can be shown to leak chemicals into the surrounding water supply like the Athabasca River and the Mackenzie River. Additionally, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted in the area shows that the overall quantity of chemicals (PAH) is lower than that which naturally occurs in recovering petrol. A change in formula can have health risks to the surrounding population.

These chemicals can cause upper respiratory issues on site. Moreover, the chemicals that are released through a spill, leak, or rupture, that do not work directly on-site will soon have more complicated issues like headache, nausea, skin rashes, and respiratory symptoms which coincide with exposure to crude oil.

Working on the oil sands can have an increased health risk, and during the current COVID-19 pandemic it will make it much worse. According to unnamed contractors, workers did not have inadequate distancing, testing, or sanitization Those that currently work at CNRL Horizon in the Alberta Oil sands have stated, “We don’t feel safe here, but we keep working because everybody wants to work,” one contractor at Horizon said.

It is difficult for these workers to bring complaints about these safety issues to those higher on the corporate ladder,  due to fear of losing their job. The liability does not fall on the oil sand operators anymore regarding the environment or the health and safety of the workers.

“We’re all feeling like, head down, blinders on. Don’t even look around you and just try to get through your shift without getting sick.”

It is frivolous to think that mining for crude oil will disappear in the next 10 years. But companies should have federal and provincial policies in place to protect the health of their workers – and the general public – from irreversible harm. “Personally, with experience in seeing all sides of corporate and environmental relationships, I know products must exist for now. But it is difficult for me to understand why an unexplored market could be so scary to a company when investments are made all the time for new products. 

Do you think you could help me understand?

The post The liability falls where in Alberta? appeared first on A\J.

Source: Christine Siddoway via BBC News

A small, green rock was found deep in the ocean off the coast of West Antarctica and scientists are saying it has given us insights into the future … sounds a little strange, right? Just keep reading and we’ll explain how this rock could be foreshadowing an undesirable future of our planet.

The rock in question is a small piece of sandstone, discovered in the deep ocean, far off the coast of West Antarctica. Scientists call this type of rock a “dropstone”, which means it is an isolated piece of rock debris that has dropped from a frozen ice sheet and deposited into the water. 

Scientists claim this rock was an unexpected find because of the long distance it must have travelled to end up far off the coast. According to researchers, this dropstone was scraped off the continent by a glacier, carried in flowing ice for a while, and then discarded offshore by an iceberg. Researchers believe it to have originated from the Ellsworth Mountains – a mountain range far inland of Antarctica, approximately 1300 kilometres from where the rock was found. Scientists have been scratching their heads trying to figure out how it survived travelling so far underneath the ice all the way to the coast.

Christine Siddoway, professor of geology at Colorado College, explains, “In our view of observations of that material, it would not withstand a great deal of transport, with deposition and then re-transport over multiple steps of a cycle … it probably would not hold up well to a great deal of interaction between the ice sheet and the bedrock. It would be destroyed and disaggregated.”

The answer to this scientific mystery lies in the Pliocene – about 3 million years ago. This epoch was the last time in Earth’s history that carbon dioxide levels were over 400 parts per million (ppm). Back then, it is estimated that Earth’s temperature was significantly warmer and sea-levels higher. The sea-levels imply that the West Antarctic ice sheet had largely melted away, leaving a series of islands in place of the massive continent that exists today.

This explains how the rock could have travelled so far through the large, melted channel. Professor Siddoway says these findings show how the ice disappeared and reformed at a fairly rapid rate in geological time.

“We read from very detailed records that the ice sheet has collapsed back a considerable extent, specifically in the middle Pliocene. This is an interval, if we read current literature from climate modellers, that we may be entering… The climate conditions of the Pliocene are what we are expected to enter. And if warming continues at the rate that it is now, we may stay there.”

Although scientists have reassured that they do not expect the West Antarctic ice sheet to fully melt any time soon, the small, green rock is a warning of the conditions that our Earth is moving towards and an urge to slow climate change … now!

Research Confirms Trawl Ban is Helping the Oceans 

Source: Greenpeace International YouTube

A study led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has found that the prohibition of trawling activities in the Hong Kong marine environment for two and a half years has significantly improved biodiversity. Biodiversity is crucial to the health and existence of marine ecosystems. 

Greenpeace wrote an article a few years ago outlining 7 ways fishing trawlers are bad for the seabed. They talked about trawling depleting fish populations leading to overfishing, unwanted bycatch getting stuck in the nets, destabilizing the sea floor by dragging sediment, and destroying coral reefs and other life within the seabed. Despite what we know about trawling, this is still a primary fishing method used all over the world. 

CityU research shows, for a fact, that a trawl ban can restore and conserve biodiversity in tropical waters. On December 31, 2012, the Hong Kong SAR Government implemented a territory-wide trawling ban in Hong Kong waters with the hope of rehabilitating the marine benthic habitat. To investigate whether this intervention can facilitate ecosystem recovery, the research team, led by Professor Leung, collected sediment samples with five replicates from each of 28 locations in Hong Kong waters in June 2012 (half a year before the trawl ban) and two and a half years after the trawl ban, and then examined for physicochemical properties of the sediment and diversity of benthic animals that typically live at the bottom of a body of water. 

The findings

The results of this study suggested the trawling ban has reduced pressure on the marine environment from fishing, and has led to substantial increases in the richness of species and the abundance of benthic marine organisms. To read a detailed account of the findings click here. Hopefully this research will allow governments to see that a trawling ban can work to protect the integrity of our marine ecosystems.

Western Caribou Populations Losing the Fight to Habitat Loss

Source: Pixabay

According to a new study, collaboratively funded by the B.C., Alberta, and federal governments, woodland caribou might become extirpated in Western Canada due to habitat loss if conservation efforts are not put in place ASAP.

The study findings show that caribou populations are mostly threatened by habitat loss, which is caused by logging, road building, forest fires, and climate change. These caribou have lost “twice as much habitat as they’ve gained over the past 12 years”.

Jesse Zeman, director of fish and wildlife restoration with the B.C. Wildlife Federation said, “What this paper tells us is that … caribou over the long run [are getting] closer and closer to extinction as we move forward.”

Caribou also have cultural significance to the West Moberly First Nations in this region, which makes their protection even more important to prioritize. Chief Roland Wilson of the West Moberly First Nation said that the members of their community have not been allowed to hunt caribou due to the Species at Risk Act (SARA), but this lack of hunting has put pressure on other species.

“We used to hunt caribou, moose and elk and buffalo. And you would hunt them all at different times [because] they all mate at different times,” Wilson said. “During those times of importance, you would leave them alone. They were a pretty critical piece of our culture … When you look at conservation measures, you don’t hunt an animal to the brink of extinction. You hunt them when you need them and then you let them recover.”

Jesse Zeman claims that the government has known about the threats and causes of caribou habitat loss since the 1970s, but the action to prevent or mitigate the impacts have not been adequate. Zeman and the B.C. Wildlife Federation continue to advocate for better protection of caribou that involve real, measurable actions instead of short-term band-aid solutions.

“Climate change will play a role, a wildfire will play a role, but we have control over these other mechanisms,” Zeman said. “And we know that if we stop logging or manage it more sustainably, things will get better for caribou.”

Something is Killing Killer Whales 

Source: Centre for Whale Research

A new study from McGill University suggests that some Icelandic killer whales have very high concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in their blubber. PCBs are industrial chemicals banned decades ago after they were found to have serious health impacts on both humans and wildlife. Since they degrade incredibly slowly after being released into the environment, they still bioaccumulate in the bodies of marine mammals. 

The researchers collected skin and blubber biopsies from 50 orcas in Iceland and found considerable variation in the contaminant concentrations and profiles across the population. The whales that ate a mixed diet of other sea mammals, e.g. seals and fish, like herring, had concentrations of PCBs in their blubber that were up to 9 times higher on average than the whales that just stuck to a diet of mainly fish. 

“Killer whales are the ultimate marine predators and because they are at the top of the food web, they are among the most contaminated animals on the planet,” explains Melissa McKinney, an Assistant Professor in McGill’s Department of Natural Resource Sciences and the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Change and Environmental Stressors. This research suggests that there are higher thresholds of PCBs in the world’s ultimate marine predator, and that could lead to serious immune and reproductive problems. 

The researchers at McGill will continue studying these animals, and plan to put together a database of containments in orcas across the Atlantic Ocean to contribute to conservation efforts. 

The post The WTF: The Week This Friday Vol. 47 appeared first on A\J.

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. 

The post The WTF: The Week This Friday Vol. 46 appeared first on A\J.

Everything that has ever been written has been for you. Perhaps I shouldn’t speak for every writer that has ever produced an article, book, essay, letter, or poem – but I can speak for myself and likely most writers out there. I write for you. When I put my thoughts onto paper, when I write out the ideas that swim around in my mind, when I share my stories and small glimpses of the contents of my heart, it is all for you.

As a writer, I think of you often, especially when I’m creating. I wonder what you’ll think of my words and phrases, whether you’ll feel inspired, shocked, interested, delighted, or the complete opposite. I care about what you think and feel when you read my work. Often, I probably care too much that it affects which words I end up scratching out and which ones I let run free. But, since I write for you, it’s worth all the wrestling to get it just right.

I want my stories to be like a party invitation for you, a card that you unexpectedly receive in the mail and stick on the fridge in anticipation. I want you to feel like you don’t know exactly what will happen at the party but that the uncertainty makes you more intrigued to attend. Once you enter the party, I want you to feel welcomed and acquainted by all of my selves that are occupying the room. There’s intellectual Siobhan by the drink table, talking to anyone who gets thirsty for knowledge about the news, statistics, and science – educating and sharing what she can. There’s wall-flower Siobhan, sitting in the corner, observing the events taking place, sharply attuned to the tone and mood of the room. Activist Siobhan is on the dance floor, of course, using her energy and voice to inspire you to join in. Storyteller Siobhan is doing her rounds, making sure that every other part of myself is doing their best to fulfill their role, and making sure that you, the guest, are enjoying yourself. I want you to feel invited into my story and have a positive, memorable experience overall.

It takes energy and heart to write stories for you, but I know it also takes energy and heart to read stories and give feedback. That is why writing for you can be so rewarding – it is motivating and empowering when you reciprocate the welcoming feeling that I create for you by sharing your own thoughts, ideas, and appreciation with me, too. The support means the world. Even if the only reader is you, it is more important to me to impact one individual in a deep and meaningful way that affects positive change than many individuals on a surface level. 

I hope I can continue to enlighten and inspire you in all the ways I can. Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for receiving my invitation and deciding to come to my party. Don’t worry, you will always get an invite. 

Sincerely,

A Writer

The post Dear Reader appeared first on A\J.

“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.

The post The WTF: The Week This Friday Vol. 45 appeared first on A\J.

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.

The post The WTF: The Week This Friday Vol. 43 appeared first on A\J.

A/J is looking for a few volunteer writers to join our team in contributing a book review for one of two upcoming issues! This is a great opportunity for a writer looking to make connections in the environmental media world and have your work published.

For our upcoming issue (46.2), “The Future of Us”, we have 2-3 books ready to be reviewed.

For the following issue (46.3), “2071”, we are switching it up and doing 4 reviews on environmental children’s books! 

We are looking for skilled writers that have an interest in environmental issues and can bring a creative, insightful perspective to review these books. If you are interested, please send us an email with a sample of your work to this address: siobhan.mullally@alternativesjournal.ca

We look forward to hearing from you!

The post Call for Book Reviewers! appeared first on A\J.