May 1, 2013

• Many environmental experts have warned about the unsustainability of fish farms for a decade now and we have documented those objections in many previous articles. Unfortunately, nothing has yet been done to improve the system. As usual, government agencies and environmental organizations around the world turned a blind eye to what was predicted to become...

May 1, 2013

• On February 1, Raging Granny Marge Johnson spoke at the Enbridge Commission Review Panel in Vancouver. She was accompanied by two other Raging Grannies who acted as observers. Below is a transcript of Marge’s address at the Enbridge Commission Review Panel. The Raging Grannies are a group of women my age who are strong and firmly believe in social...

May 1, 2013

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • Access to information is a basic foundation of democracy. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms also gives us “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” We must protect these rights. As we alter the chemical, physical and biological...

Apr 1, 2013

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • Despite its huge area, Canada has relatively little dependable farmland. After all, a lot of our country is rock or buried under ice and snow. Fertile soil and a friendly climate are hard to find. To feed our growing urban populations and sustain local food security, it’s critical to have productive land close to where...

Apr 1, 2013

FILMS WORTH WATCHING by Robert Alstead • Rob Stewart is the underwater filmmaker who, with Sharkwater, showed everyone it’s safe to go back in the water; what’s more, he opened our eyes to the barbaric practice of shark-finning. The film’s impact came from gorgeous, up-close footage of different species of sharks combined with hard-hitting sequences...

Apr 1, 2013

ON THE GARDEN PATH by Carolyn Herriot • I recently met my first Young Agrarian (YA) at a farmer-2-farmer conference on Vancouver Island. A Young Agrarian is self-described as someone who values food, farmers, nature and community and is intent on growing food sustainably. YA is partnered with FarmFolk CityFolk, a not-for-profit society that cultivates...

Mar 1, 2013

How an ancient poet inspired a local initiative to preserve McLellan Forest by Susan McCaslin / photos by Erin Perry • Last Thanksgiving, I discovered that Glen Valley in Langley still had some mature rainforest. This discovery was bittersweet, however, as I also learned the Township of Langley was planning to sell it off to raise funds to build a recreation...

Mar 1, 2013

Do something great for Canada Water Week, March 18-24 Nuclear waste dump fact sheet 1. Ontario Power Generation (OPG), a multi-billion dollar corporation wholly owned by the Province of Ontario, plans to build a nuclear waste dump at the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant site, in the Municipality of Kincardine, Ontario, located approximately one kilometer inland from...

Mar 1, 2013

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • A 14-year-old boy in Donetsk, Ukraine, made a fascinating discovery halfway around the world and 894 metres under the sea. Kirill Dudko was watching Neptune Canada’s live-stream footage of the ocean floor near Vancouver Island on his computer when he saw a creature with a “nose and moustache” eat a hagfish. It seemed...

Mar 1, 2013

ON THE GARDEN PATH by Carolyn Herriot • Seed selection: To answer the question “What shall I grow?” ask yourself what you and your family most like to eat. It also makes sense to grow food that costs more to buy, especially when gardening space is an issue. Select varieties that will mature and produce in your garden’s microclimate. Soil: Most...