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...

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...

Feb 1, 2013

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • Last year ended on a sad note, with the accidental drowning death of Rebecca Tarbotton in Mexico, at 39 years of age. Becky was the inspirational executive director of San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network, but her roots were in British Columbia. In an October speech, she eloquently recalled her early days in the...

Jan 1, 2013

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • The race to become leader of the world’s most powerful democracy often seemed disconnected from reality. During debates, the two main candidates stooped to insults, half-truths and outright lies. The overall campaign included appallingly ignorant statements about women. But the most bewildering disconnect was over the...

Dec 1, 2012

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • When I canoe or hike along the edge of lakes or oceans and see trees that seem to be growing out of rock faces, I am blown away. How do they do it? Think about a seed. Once it lands, it’s stuck. It can’t move to find better soil, moisture or sunlight. It’s able to create every part of itself to grow and reproduce. After...

Nov 1, 2012

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • Most North Americans know that human-caused global warming is real, even if political leaders don’t always reflect or act on that knowledge. According to a recent poll, only two percent of Canadians reject the overwhelming scientific evidence that Earth is warming at alarming rates – a figure that may seem surprising...

Oct 1, 2012

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • At least 38 earthquakes in northeastern BC over the past few years were caused by hydraulic fracturing (commonly called fracking), according to a report by the BC Oil and Gas Commission. Studies have found quakes are common in many places where natural gas extraction process is employed. It’s not unexpected that shooting...

Sep 1, 2012

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • Preventing illness is the best way to get healthcare costs down. So why aren’t governments doing more to protect the environment? We’ve long known environmental factors contribute to disease, especially contamination of air, water and soil. Scientists are now learning the connection is stronger than we realized. New...

Aug 1, 2012

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • We can’t live without clean water. Canada is blessed with an abundance of lakes and rivers and has a global responsibility to manage them well. But if we really want to protect freshwater supplies and the ecosystems they support, we must understand how human activity and natural disturbances affect them. The world-renowned...