“The first day of this conference was unbelievably overwhelming,” says Brooklyn Warehouse’s George Christakos of his trip to Turin, Italy for the 2010 Terra Madre Conference. “I just didn’t understand how to approach it. I felt like I was drowning in this wealth of information.” Slow food is a complex subject. Speaking with Christakos on […]
Green Halifax
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Green university
Two years ago Claire Campbell was a professor working in the Department of History at Dalhousie University. That is, until Dal’s College of Sustainability opened in September of 2009. “I always knew I wanted to do something about the environment,” says Campbell, now splitting her time between the history department and the new college to […]
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Veganism, raw food and the environment
A study at the University of Chicago in 2006 found that adopting a vegan diet has a greater impact in the fight against global warming than switching to a hybrid car. In a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, it was estimated that 18 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions come […]
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Feed-In Tariff troubles
In terms of electricity generation, Nova Scotia is one of the dirtiest, most polluting jurisdictions in North America. We now produce about 85 percent of our electricity by burning fossil fuels—mostly in four gigantic, greenhouse gas-belching, coal-fired power plants in the northern reaches of the province. The provincial government has set a firm target for […]
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Groovy garden gathering
This Friday night gives you a chance to hear some great local musicians while supporting community gardening in the city. Bands Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers, It Kills, Long Long Long and Bad Vibrations will jam while you celebrate local food, take part in a kale-eating competition, bob for radishes—whatever floats your, erm, vegetable. […]
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Garden variety
Earth Day visits us for the 40th time next week, and the Spring Garden Library is hosting a talk on urban gardening to mark the occasion. The Ecology Action Centre’s Garity Chapman—project coordinator for the Urban Garden Project—will give the talk. “It’s going to be kind of an introduction to growing food in the city, […]
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Artisans that use recycled materials
Five Surprises fivesurprises.com Haleigh Sheehan takes previously loved clothing—especially anything in natural fibres with an interesting print, texture or colour—to make handbags, tops and dresses, and cuts down on waste by using up all the scraps in smaller projects like scarves and cuffs. Worn-out bicycle tires are utilized on the soles of shoes and sandals. […]
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Biomass pros & cons
Of all the different ways Nova Scotia plans to meet its renewable energy goals—25 percent carbon neutral by 2015—the one we hear about most is biomass. The kind of forest biomass they’re talking about in Nova Scotia works by burning wood to convert it to energy. Supporters say biomass is carbon neutral: unlike fossil fuels […]
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Bullfrog power brings new green alternatives
We know we have green choices about food, methods of transportation and waste, but now Nova Scotians also have a choice about power. Bullfrog Power, started in Ontario in 2005, is a company certified by Environment Canada as 100 percent green that puts power from wind farms and low-impact hydro facilities into the regional grid. […]
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Choice Nova Scotia white wines
Green Halifax asked Alanna McIntyre, sommelier at Bishop’s Cellar, to recommend five Nova Scotia white wines available at her store that will perfectly compliment your meal. “It’s a cool climate,” she says, explaining why Nova Scotia whites are so fine. “It’s a moderate amount of sun and heat, the variation of daytime and evening temperatures. […]
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The myth of compostable containers
“No one comes to us first,” said a source in the HRM solid waste department, who preferred not to be identified for this story. Disappointed that businesses don’t consider the HRM guidelines for what can and cannot be composted, he explains that many local restaurants and cafes are trying to focus on their efforts to […]
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Nearby Farms & farmers’ markets
Halifax Farmers’ Market Brewery Market, 1496 Lower Water Street, 492-4043, 7am-1pm, Saturdays The Halifax Farmers’ Market (AKA The Brewery Market) is ground zero for anyone who wants to eat fresh, local food that is grown in a conscientious and sustainable way. The local restaurant industry relies on it to offer local food for its dishes, […]