The U.S. president may think global warming is a hoax perpetrated by China, but his administration has concluded Earth’s average temperature will rise 4 C over pre-industrial levels by 2100 if we fail to address the causes. Overwhelming scientific evidence concludes that such a rise would be catastrophic for humanity and many other animals and […]
environment
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: Will the world act on climate change before it’s too late?
When our children and grandchildren and those of us still here in 20 years look back to this time, will we say it was when the world finally got serious about the climate crisis? Or will we mark a tragic time when political and business leaders prioritized short-term economic gain over the future of humanity? […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Nova Scotia approves tire burning just in time for the end of the world
Urgent changes at an unprecedented level never before seen in human history are needed to save the planet from environmental collapse. Nova Scotia has responded to this clarion call from the world’s leading scientists by paying a company to burn old tires. The Department of Environment announced today it’s awarded industrial approval for Lafarge Canada […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: Protecting the complex web of life should be the priority
News that Environment and Climate Change Canada is considering “priority threat management” to assess endangered species is troubling. The method is often used to inform a “triage” approach in which some species are abandoned to focus resources on others ranked higher priority. The federal government is legally required to oversee recovery of all species at […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Science Matters: Get outside and save the world
Renowned biologist Edward O. Wilson says to protect nature, people must regain their innate love for it. That means spending time in nature. While the concepts in Wilson’s book Biophilia have gained widespread acceptance since its publication more than 30 years ago, we’re still facing serious problems based on a lack of understanding of and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: We must heed storm warnings to build a brighter future
In 2012, North Carolina’s Coastal Resources Commission warned that sea levels there could rise by a metre over the next century. The warning was based in part on U.S. Geological Survey findings that “sea level rise along the portion of the East Coast between North Carolina and Massachusetts is accelerating at three to four times […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Algae a blooming problem in Nova Scotia lakes
The headlines are frequent and ominous. A quick Google search summons warning after warning: satellite images of green spiralling across Lake Erie; health warnings plastered along rivers in Alberta; three dogs in New Brunswick, dead. Halifax is not immune. In August, the municipality issued a blue-green algae warning for two Dartmouth lakes, Banook and Mi’kmaq. […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: One of the worst words in the dictionary
My parents married during the Great Depression. After the 1929 market collapse, people had to learn to make do, help each other out and live on meagre incomes. Those times were seared into my parents’ attitudes and values. Although we were all born and raised in Canada, my family was seen as the enemy during […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: Hot enough for you?
If you follow climate news (and you should), you’ve likely heard of the global warming “hiatus.” In attempts to keep the world hooked on diminishing reserves of polluting fossil fuels, climate science deniers seized on that phenomenon to claim the warming they once argued didn’t exist stopped. Others took up the false claim out of […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Everything wrong with Nova Scotia’s forestry review
Raymond Plourde is trying to be optimistic about the province’s new forestry review, but it’s a struggle. At best, says the Ecology Action Centre’s wilderness coordinator, the report is a mixed bag. The overarching idea to prioritize forest protection is laudable. But there are still some glaring omissions and dangerous proposals in the long-awaited document. […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax is right to be excited about its new Green Network Plan
The Halifax Green Network is not your average greenbelt plan. Regional councillors enthusiastically and unanimously voted to approve the long-awaited plan this past Tuesday, to the delight of many supporters outside City Hall, conservationists and environmental advocates across HRM. Jenny Lugar, the sustainable cities coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre and one of the leaders […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
SCIENCE MATTERS: Cool solutions mean a hothouse planet isn’t inevitable
In the midst of worldwide record heat, devastating wildfires, droughts, refugee crises, and torrential rains and flooding, some particular disturbing headlines have hit the news. “Planet at risk of heading towards irreversible ‘hothouse’ conditions” the CBC announced. Similar headlines appeared in other media outlets. As CBC explained, “Scientists from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the University […]
