Canada's Environmental Voice
Summer is sadly drawing to a close and visions of leftover potato salad and backyard BBQs are fading away into the distant past – much like the toothsome memories of taut plastic wrap protecting my leftovers and potentially poisoning me with its unique mix of toxins and endocrine disrupters.
“This is going to be easy.” That was my first thought on being challenged to sign up for Live Local KW and “eat, shop and play locally” for one week (next week – you can still sign up here).
It’s after school on the south shore of Nova Scotia, and a handful of kids have gathered in the two-room public library in Lunenburg. Some flip through books, some tap on computers, but none seems to notice the new black box near the checkout desk. Roughly the size of a […]
The CBC is re-airing Wild Canada starting September 15th. Don’t miss it!
How can contemporary design adapt to the unique physical climatic conditions, tectonic traditions and rich local cultures of Canada’s Arctic? And how can the fragile threads of indigenous knowledge and tradition entwine with our collective modern lust for seductive new technologies, shiny objects and addictive processed foods without long-term damage […]
Several years ago a prominent environmentalist spoke at my university. Soon, he told us, he would stop flying. We were impressed. A few years later I saw him hurrying out of the Air Canada frequent flyer lounge at Toronto airport. Even with the best of intentions it’s hard to separate […]
A new kind of community centre is emerging across Canada, and its focus is food. Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) was launched in 2012 in an effort to provide a more integrated response to food insecurity and other food issues. One of the main principles behind the project is meeting […]
In 1904, Prince Piero Ginori Conti of Larderello, Italy found himself in charge of a boric acid extraction company. One can only assume his life’s greatest ambition was not boric acid extraction, because he quickly repurposed the firm’s resources to begin producing electricity via a reciprocating steam engine.
During the last 10 years in Canada, as well as elsewhere in North America and other parts of the world, proposed wind energy projects have spawned fierce opposition and intense controversy. It’s not headline news when members of the public react against possible changes to their neighbourhoods.
In the quest for sustainable sources of energy, we can anticipate the odd bump in the road. Some technologies appear unlikely to ever pan out (so long, cold fusion!), while others (oh, hi there solar PV!) look set to explode with unexpected vigour. Somewhere in the middle of the pack […]
