Browsing: Environmental News

World Water Day is a constant that always is celebrated on March 22. The changeable…

I am a surfer……and I love sharks.

For many these two passions would seem controversial and at odds, but as a shark conservationist and a surfer; for me these two things are inseparable.

I am a surfer……and I love sharks. For many these two passions would seem controversial…

In 2011, I travelled with my family down Yukon’s Hart River. It’s one of seven pure rivers in the Peel River watershed, a 68,000-square-kilometre wilderness that’s been at the centre of a legal dispute for many years and a land-use planning debate for more than a decade. For two weeks, we fished from the river’s vibrant green waters and gazed at the limestone and dolostone peaks of the Ogilvie Mountains.

In 2011, I travelled with my family down Yukon’s Hart River. It’s one of seven…

Apparently, fossil fuel companies protect watersheds and rivers by removing oil. That’s according to comments on the David Suzuki Foundation Facebook page and elsewhere, including this: “The amount of contamination occuring [sic] from extraction is far less than if we just left the oil there to continue polluting the waterways.”

Apparently, fossil fuel companies protect watersheds and rivers by removing oil. That’s according to comments…

A private member’s bill that would ban the importation of shark fins to Canada is being presented again by Coquitlam British Columbia MP Fin Donnelly. Private member’s bills are rarely adopted but advocates for the legislation are encouraged by the fact that an attempt in 2013 failed passing second reading by just five votes. Donnelly is an advocate for oceans.

A private member’s bill that would ban the importation of shark fins to Canada is…

We all know just how important the ocean is and how vital is that we help to support and maintain it as a resource and eco system but some individuals spend time and energy taking that to the next level to promote it locally and to instigate action. We meet Jim Cutting, a Portsmouth resident who has a passion for the environment and for its protection.

We all know just how important the ocean is and how vital is that we…

The battle lines are drawn — in some cases literally. On one side are those reaping massive profits from fossil fuels, determined to extract and sell as much as possible before the market dries up. On the other are those who see the amazing potential of energy conservation, renewable energy and other innovations to reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem destruction and exploitation of valuable non-renewable resources.

The battle lines are drawn — in some cases literally. On one side are those…

This World Wildlife Day, March 3, Project AWARE®, WWF and The Manta Trust are pleased…

Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario has had to boil water since 1995. “We’re over 20 years already where our people haven’t been able to get the water they need to drink from their taps or to bathe themselves without getting any rashes,” Neskantaga Chief Wayne Moonias told CBC News in 2015. Their water issues have yet to be resolved.

Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario has had to boil water since 1995. “We’re over 20…

Seeing terms like “post-truth” and “alternative facts” gain traction in the news convinces me that politicians, media workers and readers could benefit from a refresher course in how science helps us understand the world. Reporting on science is difficult at the best of times. Trying to communicate complex ideas and distil entire studies into eye-catching headlines and brief stories can open the door to misinformation and limited understanding.

Seeing terms like “post-truth” and “alternative facts” gain traction in the news convinces me that…

In the 1990s, the David Suzuki Foundation embarked on a program to develop community economic…

Documentary about Tanjung Luar Fish Market, East Lombok, Indonesia The Problem Sharks are a vital…

Since the 1950s, almost everything about work in the developed world has changed dramatically. Rapid technological advances continue to render many jobs obsolete. Globalization has shifted employment to parts of the world with the lowest costs and standards. Most households have gone from one income-earner to at least two. Women have fully integrated into the workforce, albeit often with less-than-equal opportunities, conditions and pay. A lot of our work is unnecessary and often destructive — depleting resources, destroying ecosystems, polluting air, water and soil, and fuelling climate change.

Since the 1950s, almost everything about work in the developed world has changed dramatically. Rapid…

Three years ago, a group of City of Moncton staffers boarded a plane, bound for Winnipeg. They were on a fact-finding mission to discover if Moncton, N.B. could evolve from building traditional bathtub-like stormwater retention ponds to incorporating naturalized retention basins in neighbourhoods instead.

Moncton heads in the “right direction” as they adopt guidelines that embrace natural infrastructure. Three…

Aquariums have become a normal part of society, in that most of us have visited one at some point or other. The question is do they work as a good educational tool for the ocean and its creatures and do they encourage conservation? What do people take away from a visit and are aquarium’s a positive experience? Here in the UK they are a way for us all to engage with a range of tropical creatures that we might otherwise not be exposed too but does that encourage a more positive and active drive to care for them in the natural World?

Aquariums have become a normal part of society, in that most of us have visited…

For decades, scientists have warned that we’re on a dangerous path. It stems from our delusion that endless growth in population, consumption and the economy is possible and is the very purpose of society. But endless growth is not feasible in a finite biosphere. Growth is not an end but a means.

For decades, scientists have warned that we’re on a dangerous path. It stems from our…

Apart from my editing duties, I also work with young people in schools and decided to try and collaborate the two things I love the most. Overnight my ‘Scuba in Schools’ project was born. An enriching program/activity for young people to get involved in. Something new and different as part of the school day to help create the next generation of young divers.

Good news, bad news. I have both. Bad news first. Our coral reefs are in…

If you fly over a forest and look down, you’ll see every green tree and plant reaching to the heavens to absorb the ultimate energy source: sunlight. What a contrast when you look down on a city or town with its naked roofs, asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks, all ignoring the sun’s beneficence! Research shows we might benefit by thinking more like a forest.

If you fly over a forest and look down, you’ll see every green tree and…

“Like a living window into a continent, the Great Lakes are vibrantly visible from space. A fresh water source for millions, they are the basis of a huge ecosystem and a vital transportation route for the world. Everyone gazing thankfully on their shores needs to be a part of keeping them healthy for centuries to come. The future of the Great Lakes is the future of us all.” CHRIS A. HADFIELD Colonel, Astronaut ret’d.

“Like a living window into a continent, the Great Lakes are vibrantly visible from space.…

The longer we delay addressing environmental problems, the more difficult it will be to resolve them. Although we’ve known about climate change and its potential impacts for a long time, and we’re seeing those impacts worsen daily, our political representatives are still approving and promoting fossil fuel infrastructure as if we had all the time in the world to slow global warming.

David’s Suzuki’s column returns after taking a break for the holiday. The longer we delay…

Thanks to you, in the past year we have celebrated numerous victories for people and the planet. We won the lengthy fight against Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, pressured the government to ban microbeads, and protected Canada’s national parks from commercial encroachment. As 2016 has come to a close, and 2017 is now here, our team is reflecting on the this year.

Looking back at 2016 Thanks to you, in the past year we have celebrated numerous…

The decision has been welcomed by conservationists, but has also been described by northern leaders as heavy-handed, with complaints that the opinions of local communities were excluded from the decision-making process.

The decision has been welcomed by conservationists, but has also been described by northern leaders…

How much stuff will you give and receive this holiday season? Add it to the growing pile — the 30-trillion-tonne pile. That’s how much technology and goods humans have produced, according to a study by an international team led by England’s University of Leicester. It adds up to more than all living matter on the planet, estimated at around four trillion tons.

How much stuff will you give and receive this holiday season? Add it to the…

According to the most comprehensive and up-to-date public analysis ever conducted on the state of Canada’s fish, only 24 per cent of Canada’s fish stocks are considered healthy, and the health of 45 per cent cannot be determined due to a lack of data.

Canada’s fish populations, and the health of our oceans, are at risk. According to the most…

When government biologists in Canada want to learn where caribou are, they put radio-tracking collars on some animals and monitor their movements. This gives them a rough idea of where herds are and where they travel, but it doesn’t tell them much about a caribou population’s history — travel routes before their habitat was degraded or historical feeding, breeding and calving spots.