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SCIENCE MATTERS: Intact wilderness is a hedge against our ignorance

In 2011, I travelled with my family down Yukon’s Hart River. It’s one of seven pure rivers in the Peel River watershed, a 68,000-square-kilometre wilderness that’s been at the centre of a legal dispute for many years and a land-use planning debate for more than a decade.

By David Suzuki Mar 15, 2017

Science Matters Water Indigenous Canada

Iron and Earth is harnessing oil sands workers for renewable energy jobs

Alberta initiative wants to help unemployed Maritimers in an eco-friendly career transition.

   The conversation surrounding the opposition of oil sands and the fight for eco-justice has been too buzz-worthy to ignore. But it should come as no surprise that our environmental agenda still needs reworking.

By Michelle Cameron Apr 21, 2016

Earth Day Industry

A Q&A with Nova Scotia's new environment minister

Margaret Miller on carbon pricing, coal and the fracking moratorium.

Admittedly, Margaret Miller isn’t quite up to speed on several files in her new political portfolio.

By Jacob Boon Jan 21, 2016

Nova Scotia Legislature

Halifax to Paris, by way of Syria

Climate change is driving conflicts across the world, and we're starting to see the results.

“When you have drought, when people can’t grow their crops, they’re going to migrate into cities, and when people migrate into cities and they don’t have jobs, there’s going to be a lot more instability, a lot more unemployment and people will be subject to the types of propaganda that al-Qaeda and ISIS are using right now.”

By Chris Benjamin Nov 26, 2015

Refugee Syria Paris Talks

The French connection

Paris talks are our last, best chance at beating climate change.

Once again, the eyes of the world will be watching Paris.

By Jacob Boon Nov 26, 2015

Paris Talks Climate Change Halifax

What we're doing right in Halifax

No need to go to Paris, there are plenty of amazing people and programs right here fighting for a better future.

With the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference happening next week on the other side of the pond, we’re highlighting a few of the exceptional (and Halifax-based) initiatives that are tackling climate change and fighting the good fight here at home against environmental degradation.

By Leah Batstone Nov 26, 2015

Paris Talks Climate Change Halifax

<i>This Changes Everything</i> says change or be changed

This Changes Everything says change or be changed

"There are no non-radical options left."

Avi Lewis was filming This Changes Everything in nine different counties as his partner Naomi Klein wrote the book of the same name.

By Chris Benjamin Nov 5, 2015

Climate Change Paris Talks

Earth Day comes early when you take our easy eco survey

It's the annual look at Halifax's green attitudes and lifestyle choices. Have fun with it.

Don't wait until Earth Day to start thinking about the environmental state of things. You can take our awesome and easy and sciencey survey about Halifax's green attitudes right now!

Mar 26, 2015

Earth Day

Over a barrel, from Alberta to New Brunswick

The Energy East pipeline is causing turmoil.

The tar sands may be 4,600 kilometres away, but they’ll feel a lot closer should the proposed Energy East pipeline finally get built.

By Jacob Boon Dec 11, 2014

Canada Fort McMurray

Feds ban citronella pesticides

Despite decades of use, the all-natural insect repellant isn’t safe enough for Health Canada.

Insect repellent made from citronella oil was only recently banned by Health Canada, but some suppliers say the product has been blacklisted for a while now.

By Ariane Hanlon Sep 11, 2014

bug bites

Strip down and cool off with the Halifax Skinny Dippers

Come on in, the water’s fine.

There's no better relief on a hot August afternoon than a cool dip in the lake, swimsuit not required.

By Evey Hornbeck Aug 21, 2014

“Not everyone is familiar with my CV, I guess”

David Wheeler has learned bunches about fracking.

After two weeks of intense public meetings, the final report on fracking in Nova Scotia will be released by the province’s advisory panel later this month.

By Jacob Boon Aug 14, 2014

$What we know we don’t know about fracking$

What we know we don’t know about fracking

Before surveying the land and finding the gas, before boring the wells and breaking the shale, questions must be answered.

The practice is called fracking.

By Geoff Davies Aug 7, 2014

Herbicides in Lake Banook

Chemical treatment proposed for Dartmouth lakes clogged by weeds is more expensive, more dangerous than sustainable eco-friendly solutions

The city could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars pumping herbicides into some of Halifax's busiest freshwater lakes, all to get rid of some annoying weeds.

By Jacob Boon Jul 10, 2014

Copious cats

still needs homes for dozens of rescued felines

Cats don't hoard well.

By Beth Brown Apr 24, 2014

Halifax’s garbage wars

Changing waste management in HRM may be a great way to save millions, or it might trash a community.

Heather Johnston lives within smelling distance of the Otter Lake landfill. In 1993 she bought property on the edge of a wilderness area to build a house.

By Sam Littlefair-Wallace Nov 28, 2013

garbage longreads Slideshow

Plan bee

Operating in a legal sweet spot, Halifax’s backyard beekeepers are helping urban agriculture, bolstering the world’s declining honeybee population and finding beauty in a perfect swarm.

It’s early June, and Michelle McPherson is standing in an empty backyard in the north end.

By Sam Littlefair-Wallace Aug 22, 2013

longreads

Deepak Chopra's radical shift

Can the new-age guru's ideas about spiritual enlightenment save the planet?

Why even bother with Earth Day?

By Jacob Boon Apr 18, 2013

Earth Day

Reading between the pipelines

Why are Americans so much better educated about the risks of the Keystone XL project than Canadians are about Line 9, a similar Enbridge project that will pipe bitumen through Toronto?

South of the border, American environmentalists are perhaps better organized than ever before, at least around climate change policies.

By Tim Bousquet Apr 18, 2013

Earth Day

Dam problems

The Maritime Link is sold as a solution to our environmental problems. So why is no one talking about its negative environmental effects?

T he economics of the Maritime Link, a 180-kilometre subsea cable delivering Labradorean hydroelectricity from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, have generated intense media scrutiny.

By Chris Benjamin Apr 18, 2013

Earth Day

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