[Image-5] White sand beaches and turquoise water aren’t far from downtown Halifax. Located an hour from the city are nearly 300 islands stretching along the eastern shore from Clam Harbour to Mushaboom. The 100 Wild Islands archipelago stretches for over 30 kilometres and is the largest coastal island wilderness area in Nova Scotia. That’s why […]
environment
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax is in the weeds on its tree stump removal backlog
[Image-1] Councillor Linda Mosher is hoping to spruce up the HRM with a staff report asking for a dedicated fund for tree stump removal and the replanting of downed street trees. There’s currently a backlog of over 700 tree stumps in HRM awaiting removal. Most of those are leftovers from when Hurricane Juan tore through […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
HRM staff recommend purchasing the Purcells Cove Backlands
[Image-1] Parks and recreation staff are advising HRM Regional Council to buy the Purcells Cove Backlands property being offered by the Shaw Group, but the development firm needs to chill out with all the high-pressure sales tactics. Shaw, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), made an unsolicited presentation to council back in […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: Airline emissions are flying too high
In July, Solar Impulse 2 became the first airplane to fly around the world without using fuel. At the same time, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been working on electric planes. These developments mean air travel and transport could become more environmentally friendly, with less pollution and fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and planes would […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: The simple-minded nature of human super predators
[Image-1] Humans are the world’s top predator. The way we fulfil this role is often mired in controversy, from factory farming to trophy hunting to predator control. The latter is the process governments use to kill carnivores like wolves, coyotes and cougars to stop them from hunting threatened species like caribou—even though human activity is […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Defending a wilderness
[Image-1] In the hot and dry days of summer, when most people were out searching for some relaxation at the lake or the beach or wherever, 1,420 of your fellow residents were busy writing letters to city hall. What’s even more extraordinary about this, aside from so many folks proactively participating in a municipal planning issue […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Time to get angry
[Image-1] Halifax has a lot of great things going for it. It also has more than its fair share of bullshit. Feeling pissed off about the state of the world? You’re not alone. Student activism is usually derided by internet commenters as sound and fury signifying little real-world experience or effective change. Fuck those assholes. […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: In diversity, there is strength
[Image-1] It’s been shocking to watch news of the Brexit vote in Britain, Donald Trump’s promise to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. and the ongoing threats and violence against ethnic minorities in many parts of the world. I’m not a political or social scientist, but my training as a biologist gives me […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
It’s time for some climate change truths
[Image-1] Are we going to live up to our Paris commitments and act decisively to stop climate change? If the recent meeting of environment ministers is any indication, it depends on whom you ask. Federal minister Catherine McKenna clearly understands that urgency and opportunity have converged to create a potent moment for reducing carbon emissions, […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: How much food can cities produce?
[Image-1] Humans are fast becoming city dwellers. According to the United Nations, “The urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 746 million in 1950 to 3.9 billion in 2014.” Sixty-six percent of us will likely live in urban environments by 2050. The number of mega-cities (more than 10 million inhabitants) is also skyrocketing, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: How much food can cities produce?
Humans are fast becoming city dwellers. According to the United Nations, “The urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 746 million in 1950 to 3.9 billion in 2014.” Sixty-six per cent of us will likely live in urban environments by 2050. The number of mega-cities (more than 10 million inhabitants) is also skyrocketing, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: Clyde River Inuit fight to protect territory and livelihoods from big oil
The Arctic’s Baffin Bay and Davis Strait region is home to seals, bowhead whales, polar bears and up to 90 percent of the world’s narwhals. The area’s marine waters also provide habitat for 116 species of fish, such as Arctic char, an important dietary staple for Nunavut’s Inuit communities. Although the area is crucial to […]
