On September 27, the last Friday of the month, 10,000 Haligonians marched through the streets of Halifax calling on politicians to act on climate change. Walking down Spring Garden road there were Haligonians of all ages, from babies to grandparents, channelling their inner Greta and asking for their government to act. The air was electric […]
environment
Posted inNews + Opinion
Province’s feet-dragging on endangered species has landed it in court.
Against the backdrop of a week marked by international climate conversations and action, a group of Nova Scotians who care about the natural environment and keeping it protected took the province’s minister of lands and forestry to court over what the group says is a failure to uphold the Nova Scotia’s Endangered Species Act. Bob […]
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David Suzuki, Stephen Lewis and Catherine Martin on putting the climate first
A few days before the Halifax stop of their Climate First Tour, renowned scientist and author David Suzuki and Stephen Lewis, humanitarian and former ambassador for Canada to the United Nations, spoke with me over the phone from Vancouver. While we were speaking, millions of people around the world were striking for climate action, inspired […]
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‘We are seeing the beginnings of the era of climate barbarism’
Do you feel encouraged by talk of the Green New Deal? I feel a tremendous excitement and a sense of relief, that we are finally talking about solutions on the scale of the crisis we face. That we’re not talking about a little carbon tax or a cap and trade scheme as a silver bullet. […]
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Kids these days know exactly what’s up when it comes to climate
No one who understands science questions whether humans are causing the climate to change to our detriment, mostly by burning fossil fuels. The evidence is indisputable. It’s been verified and accepted by every reputable scientific institution in the world, and by almost every government except the current, fact-averse US administration. The only real debate is about how […]
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Haligonians are composting almost twice as much as they are recycling
A ccording to HRM, residents disposed of an average of 380 kg of waste in 2017-18. That’s like 380 bags of flour per person. This includes everything from clear bag garbage to recycling and compost. The reported national average for Canadians is almost double that number, at just over 700 kg, according to Statistics Canada. […]
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Should we let the children vote?
Young people have been speaking out for their rights. Many are wise beyond their years. Without the blinkers of ideology, workaday priorities and ingrained values, they can see clearly what’s happening. They’ve had to step up for their own futures because too few of their elders are willing to accept that rampant consumerism has been […]
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What can we do about endangered species?
BC is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a captive breeding program to protect spotted owls. With an estimated six of the owls left in the wild in Canada, all in BC, that seems like good news. But while the program includes some habitat protection, the province is also approving logging in habitat the owl needs […]
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Deniers deflated as climate reality hits home
Climate science deniers are becoming desperate as their numbers diminish in the face of incontrovertible evidence that human-caused global warming is putting our future at risk. Although most people with basic education, common sense and a lack of financial interest in the fossil fuel industry accept what scientists worldwide have proven through decades of research, […]
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Climate protection is not a partisan issue
Media and politicians often regard environmentalists as a special interest group with political priorities served by “green” parties. If a Green politician isn’t present or allowed to participate in a public debate, journalists tend to eschew environmental questions, considering them the purview of the absent party. It’s absurd to think an issue like climate change […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: True leaders work for us, not the fossil fuel industry
Some politicians believe protecting a sunset industry’s interests is more important than looking out for the citizens who elected them. In Australia, the coal industry holds sway over government policy. In Canada, bitumen and fracked gas rule. In the US, it’s all of the above. Fortunately, many people, especially youth, are heeding the rational voices […]
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Getting urban garden projects off the ground is a challenge for local groups
U rban agriculture is trending hard these days, and there are a handful of reasons why: Knowing where your food comes from, it looks cute, it builds community and food security. There are over 25 community gardens or urban farms in HRM, but the municipality could be greener. There are under-used lots of land and […]