The coronavirus spreading COVID-19 around the globe isn’t the first disease microbe suspected to have jumped from other animals to humans, nor will it be the last. That we know to a large extent why so many diseases are making that leap should help us resolve the problem. Dealing with a swiftly spreading illness with many […]
Suzuki
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Being energy efficient is essential to curbing climate breakdown
Inefficient systems are everywhere. From crosswalks that switch sides of the street at each intersection, to third-floor apartments with heat so high the windows spend the entire winter wide open—while across the street a renter who pays for heat themselves puts on an extra sweater to save a buck. Providing the same, or better, services […]
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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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Connecting the dots between the climate and biodiversity crises
The polar bear has become the poster child for climate change impacts in the Arctic. Sea ice, which the bears depend on for hunting, is melting at an ever-expanding rate. For other species, climate impacts are not as direct. The 2019 State of Canada’s Birds report found aerial insectivores populations of birds like swifts, swallows and nightjars […]
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Fracked gas heats the planet, but supporters say it’s a solution
The best way to address climate disruption is…burn more fossil fuels? It doesn’t make sense, but that’s what industry, media and governments want us to believe. To profit as much as possible from fossil fuels before markets fall under the weight of climate chaos and better alternatives, industry and its allies tell us fracked gas […]
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New IPCC report flags diet and land-use changes to curb climate chaos
Land and agriculture are critical components in the climate crisis. According to a new Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change report, land use—including agriculture and forestry—accounts for 23 percent of human greenhouse gas emissions, while “natural land processes absorb carbon dioxide equivalent to almost a third of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry.” […]
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Avoiding climate chaos means zeroing in on emissions
We’re caught in a bad cycle. Global greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, causing more extreme weather events and temperature swings. Hotter than normal weather in some places and colder in others means more people are using heat and air conditioning, which creates more emissions… According to a statistical review by oil and gas company […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: What do we do when the cathedral burns?
When Paris’s Notre Dame caught fire on April 15, the flames threatened more than eight centuries of culture and history. The fire evoked shock, horror and grief worldwide. While the cathedral burned, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed determination to rebuild what the French regard as a sacred site. Beset by divisive “yellow vest” demonstrations, the […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: As fracking booms, report finds we know little about impacts
Earthquakes, methane emissions, scarred landscapes, water depletion and contamination are just a few known effects of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. There’s also a lot we don’t know—but that hasn’t stopped governments and industry from throwing caution to the wind and fracking as if there’s no tomorrow. Fracking wells in Saskatchewan multiplied a hundredfold in 10 […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Government should heed Unist’ot’en message
I visited the Unist’ot’en camp near Kitimat, BC, a year ago. The people, led by Chief Freda Huson, are trying to re-establish a sustainable relationship with territory that has enabled them to flourish for millennia. Ever since colonization and settlement, much of that traditional way of life has been lost or seriously constrained. These are […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Carbon, climate and corruption coalesce in concrete
Most of us rarely think about concrete, but it’s the foundation of modern society — from roads, buildings and bridges to the economy, political power and crime. We use more of it than anything except water. Concrete has been a great driver of human progress. It’s allowed us to build up instead of out, made […]
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SCIENCE MATTERS: Indigenous input on energy matters
Energy is inextricably linked to a range of community issues, from health to housing. That was one message that emerged from a four-day gathering in Calgary of more than 200 young Indigenous leaders from every province and territory, organized by Disa Crow Chief of the Siksika Nation and Cory Beaver of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. […]