Recent Posts

Tourists at Hawaii Kai Beach. (Photo by Marufish. 2004) CC BY-SA
Sunscreen chemical ban seeks to save coral reefs from bleaching
Hai Lin Wang | Jul 17, 2018 | in EcoLogic
With chemical ingredients in sunscreen bleaching coral, we take a deep dive into how sunscreen is breaking reef ecosystems.
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Smokestacks near Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Bill Burris. 2013.) CC A-SA
Taxpayers will back a carbon tax if they get a cheque in the mail
Sumeet Gulati
Werner Antweiler
| Jul 16, 2018 | in Current Events
Ontario may have signalled an end to its cap-and-trade program, but the idea can still win popular support nationally...if Ottawa cuts every Canadian a cheque.
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A brittle star occupying a year-old subsea installation. (Photo by D. Jones)
Offshore infrastructure finds new life as reef habitat
Emily Yeung | Jul 16, 2018 | in Think Global
In the North Sea, thousands of oil rigs and wind turbines are being decommissioned and removed from ocean habitats. But could leaving them in be better for the environment?
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Pickering nuclear plant from Frenchman's Bay. (JasonParis. 2011) CC BY 2.0
OPINION: Playing politics with Pickering nuclear in no one’s best interest
Shawn-Patrick Stensil | Jul 13, 2018 | in Renewable Energy
The Pickering nuclear plant will close sooner rather than later. Are we ready to transition the plant’s workers to a post-nuclear reality?
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Volunteers with Hillside's state-of-the-art Trash Turnaround wagon. (M. Ruby)
A Hillside Family Weekend
Jessica Burman | Jul 12, 2018 | in Green Living
A near-zero waste community of supportive people bonding over music is Jessica Burman’s kind of place.
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Lane Burman with his kids at Hillside. (Photo by J. Burman)
Go to Hillside!
Lane Burman | Jul 12, 2018 | in Green Living
After 10 years, Lane Burman’s love of Hillside remains strong.
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MNRF water bomber on a sortie over northern Ontario. (Ryan McGilchrist) CC BY-SA
Forest fires rage southwest of Temagami
Andrew Reeves | Jul 12, 2018 | in The Wild Side
Lightning strikes have caused dozens of forest fires across the province in recent weeks, tens of thousands of hectares in size.
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William the Prince
Leah Gerber | Jul 11, 2018 | in Backstage at A\J
Award-winning singer songwriter from the Peguis First Nation talks to A\J about music, family, reconciliation and what’s next.
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Study co-author Rina Mandimbiniaina entering data. (S. Rakotonarivo)
Who pays the price for tropical forest conservation?
Emily Yeung | Jul 11, 2018 | in EcoLogic
Forest conservation programs that compensate local populations can become effective carbon sinks. But are developed nations paying their fair share?
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UN Sustainable Development Goals. Adopted September 2015.
Canada 20th globally in meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals
Andrew Reeves | Jul 10, 2018 | in Sustainable A\J
Canada ranked 20th globally in meeting its sustainable development goals. Challenges persist, but so do opportunities.
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Hwy 401 running through Greenbelt land. (Haljackey. 2013) CC BY-SA 3.0
Call for Proposals: Indigenous in the Greenbelt
A\J Staff | Jul 10, 2018 | in Sustainable A\J
Alternatives is looking for Indigenous writers, photographers and videographers to share their stories of Indigenous life in and around the Greenbelt for our latest project!
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Petare Slums in Caracas. (2013) CC 1.0
7.5 billion and counting: How many humans can the Earth support?
Andrew D. Hwang | Jul 9, 2018 | in Think Global
World populations are expected to level off around 2100. But that gradual slowing in growth "signals a harsh biological reality."
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Dairy cows having a bite. (Lee Simpson. 2017) CC BY-ND 2.0
Milking cows for data — not just dairy products
Gary Kazmer
Matthew Stuber
Shalabh Gupta
Steven Zinn
| Jul 6, 2018 | in Sustainable A\J
If dairy cows could spend less time each day being milked, what would they do with their new-found free time? And how could this improve bovine health? Enter big data.
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Plastic waste on a beach in Malaysia. (epSos.de. 2011) CC BY2
How to clean up our universal plastic tragedy
Tony Robert Walker | Jul 5, 2018 | in Current Events
The planet is drowning in single-use plastic. Here's how Canada is fighting back.
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Pigeons perch on a window ledge. (Jan Mehlich. 2006.) CC BY-SA 3
Where are all the dead pigeons?
Steve Portugal | Jul 3, 2018 | in Shades of Green
Fewer animals are as at-home in cities as the rock pigeon. Yet while they live among humans worldwide by the tens of millions, where do they go when they die?
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Woodland caribou in Jasper National Park. (ThartmannWiki. 2014) CC A-SA4
Covering-up caribou loss
Andrew Reeves | Jul 3, 2018 | in The Wild Side
A recent study suggests Canada's forestry sector and its allies in conservative think tanks have intentionally spread misinformation for years to cover-up their role in the decline of caribou nationwide.
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YRE from Environmental Defence.
YRE Canada Eco-Journalism Competition for Youth - 2018 WINNERS!
A\J Staff | Jun 29, 2018 | in The Green Student
Thanks to Environmental Defence, youth from across the country investigated solutions to plastic pollution in their communities, and shared their findings through video, photography, and writing.
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Riverfront Ave during Calgary flood. 2013 (Ryan L.C. Quan) CC BY-SA 3.0
Building Canada's capacity for climate change resiliency
Andrew Reeves | Jun 29, 2018 | in Current Events
Latest report on Canada's climate resiliency shows need to focus on protecting human health and learning from northern Indigenous methods of adaptation.
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Loch Ness expert Adrian Shine helping sample eDNA. Kieran Hennigan. CC BY-SA.
Monster hunt: using environmental DNA to survey life in Loch Ness
Neil Gemmell | Jun 27, 2018 | in The Wild Side
Environmental DNA gained prominence helping researchers trace invasive species. Today, it's finding new life helping scientists detect legendary monsters.
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A mosquito finds its host. (Jim Gathany. Center for Disease Control. 2003)
Why your summer might be full of mosquitoes, according to a scientist
Heath MacMillan | Jun 25, 2018 | in The Wild Side
Bad mosquito season? Weather and climate play a major role.
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