Enter Electric Green GloFish: why Bill S-5 must protect nature from genetic pollution
Genetic engineering is a powerful technology. We increasingly have the capacity to alter the inherited traits of not only humans, but of any species on the planet. There is promise in this technology, mostly for human health, but also peril. Recently, we saw exactly how things can go wrong. Twenty or so years ago, researchers […]
The science is clear, so why aren’t we listening?
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—which brings together 270 scientists and experts from 67 countries—presented its latest report on April 4, laying out the need for major and near-term transitions in the global energy sector in order to avoid the catastrophic consequences that would come with allowing global warming to exceed 1.5 C by […]
Making Canada greener, one contract at a time
After a year of heatwaves, catastrophic wildfires, and historic flooding, it is impossible to ignore the urgency of addressing the climate crisis. The Canadian federal government has set a goal of a 40-45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050, but there is a big difference between […]
‘Hard to find, unclear, or incomplete’: feds must improve ‘greening government’ strategy to meet net-zero, audit finds
Five years after launching a “greening government” strategy to tackle the federal environmental footprint, Ottawa is “falling short” of its net-zero by 2050 target, with even Canada’s largest departmental emitter having “no clear” information on meeting the reduction goal, according to a new audit conducted by Canada’s federal environment and sustainable development commissioner. In the […]
Climate change hits southern Africa
LONDON, U.K.—Tropical Storm Ana in January, Tropical Cyclone Batsirai in February, then Dumako, Emnati and Gombe in quick succession: three cyclones and two ‘tropical storms’ in six weeks hitting the coasts of southeast Africa. Then Cyclone Idai in late March, which practically destroys the city of Beira in Mozambique, killing more than 750 people. Three […]
Canada is a climate criminal, say Wakefield letter writer
The latest IPCC climate report once again raises alarm bells to the quickly closing window for climate action. The report makes clear that we are in a now or never moment, warning that earth is firmly on track toward an unlivable world while calling for “rapid, deep and immediate” cuts in greenhouse emissions which must […]
Canola sector tops environment lobbying in March with Net-Zero concerns
Canada’s canola industry took the lead in environmental advocacy in March, partly to address how that sector will fit into Ottawa’s target of reducing nitrogen emissions by 30 per cent by the end of the decade. “There’s an emission target put out there, and so growers would be concerned, naturally. They need to be able […]
Boreal Wildlands project a model for combatting biodiversity loss and climate change
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has just announced plans for the largest private land conservation project in Canada’s history. When complete, Boreal Wildlands will protect 1,450 square kilometres of boreal forest near Hearst in northern Ontario. The project will encompass an area twice the size of the city of Toronto. As we celebrate Earth Day […]
This Earth Day, it’s time to construct climate action
Today is Earth Day. Unfortunately, in recent years, it passes with little notice or fanfare. And that’s too bad because all of us have some serious thinking to do about preserving our plant. Earth Day was started in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson to mark the birth of the environmental movement and to get […]
Federal budget a failure when it comes to addressing the water crisis
The climate crisis is a water crisis—affecting everything from prosperity and public health to food availability, energy, security, salmon, fisheries, and ecosystems. The recent flooding, drought, and fires show all Canadians the reality of a very chaotic future where these kinds of events will not only be more common, but also increasingly severe, impacting community […]
