Canada's Environmental Voice
One question I am frequently asked in my work at Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is “what’s the difference between a butterfly and a moth?” From my perspective, the most noticeable difference is that butterflies are more popular. While butterflies are celebrated symbols of freedom, peace and beauty, moths tend to be […]
A plant-based cosmetics and skin care industry can encourage the protection of species and forests all over the globe, but only if it’s developed responsibly utilizing a variety of species globally and practicing ethical agricultural practices. There is a dark side to using plants at a commercial scale and the […]
It’s the Smoking Gun. A groundbreaking report published in July by the international peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE has shed new light on the plight of honeybees. Taken all together, the evidence indicates that bees are at risk from a multitude of factors.
Like the beaver, maple syrup, politeness and hockey, the canoe has sadly descended from valued cultural icon to pure kitsch for those who peddle Canadiana kitsch. So it was refreshing to see the canoe in its proper light in Peterborough, Ontario at the Canadian Canoe Museum. The museum’s diverse collection […]
There’s no denying that folks in the developed world are growing heavier. In this CBC The Nature of Things episode, originally screened on August 2, 2012, David Suzuki says babies have been getting larger since 1950. Today about half of all adults in the West are overweight, while one in […]
Canada and Australia have so much in common that they might be twin nations separated at birth. Both are large democratic, English-speaking, settler nations, thinly populated, prosperous, resource rich and politically moderate. They have multi-party, representative systems and historically have had strong environmental movements. Yet both have lately elected extreme […]
I used to be scared of bees. As a child I panicked and ran away screaming from bees during recess. Usually, the bee was just chillin’ on a dandelion. I know now that the bee was probably just minding its own business, collecting pollen from flowers.
Screen time and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive. A recent US Public Interest Research Group study found that hand-held technology advancements are leading smartphone users to choose multi-modal transportation over privately owned vehicles, especially among 16- to 34-year-olds. Beyond making car sharing, bike sharing, cab hailing and public […]
While the media has focused its lens upon the Harper government’s undermining of scientific research, scant consideration has been given to the impact of the “war on science” on Canada’s judiciary. Tasked with reviewing and adjudicating upon the constitutionality and validity of Canada’s resource regulatory process, the judiciary may be […]
The success of Amy Miller’s 2013 documentary The Carbon Rush has propelled the creation of an accompanying book of the same name. Originally planning to create a follow up to her previous Canadian film Myths for Profit by focusing on Canada’s carbon offsets, Miller kept encountering the same questions. “But […]
