UBC earthquake lab shakes, rattles and rollsNews The Earthquake Engineering Research Facility is studying the dangers of seismic instability. Post a comment In a time when disasters seem to be a daily occurrence, it can be hard to look beyond the challenges at hand. But in places that are… Jan 18 22January 18, 2022Article at University Affairs
Religious Leaders Call on Christy Clark to End Coal ExportsReligious leaders across a number of faiths are calling on the government of British Columbia to halt its plans to expand coal exports. “We state emphatically that making money at the expense of the health and prosperity of the planet is wrong,”… May 13 14May 13, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Community on Forefront of Climate Change Adaptation Offers Lessons about Food SecurityFood is at the heart of our cultural lives. It’s not just sustenance—it’s part of how we celebrate, how we mourn and how we come together. But what happens when the food that defines us begins to disappear? According to the Intergovernmental Panel on… May 06 14May 06, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Fracking Data Woefully Lacking in Canada, Finds Federal ReportThere is simply not enough reliable information to be confident about the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing, according to a new report released by the Council of Canadian Academies. The report, commissioned by Environment Canada, takes a… May 02 14May 02, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Increased Mosquito Habitat One Among Many Climate Change Impacts Threatening Public HealthIn May 2000 in the town of Walkerton, Ontario, heavy rains swept water containing the O157:H7 strain of E. coli bacteria from a nearby farm into a well of drinking water. For almost two weeks, the two city workers in charge of water quality claimed… Apr 17 14April 17, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Insurance Industry Calls for Cooperation on Climate ChangeIn the aftermath of last year’s flood in Southern Alberta, insurance companies had a public relations nightmare on their hands. Residents were facing massive rebuilding costs and banks were suddenly holding mortgages for useless properties. Yet much… Apr 07 14April 07, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Concerned Engineers Warn of Flaws in Enbridge Northern Gateway Tanker PlanA group of engineers has released papers warning us not to trust the numbers provided by Enbridge when it comes to tanker traffic associated with the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. Concerned Professional Engineers (CPE) is a group of four… Mar 18 14March 18, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Library Association Requests ‘Informed Dialogue’ with Feds on Library ClosuresThe Canadian Library Association (CLA) has requested the federal government engage in talks concerning the recent closures of and cuts to government libraries, according to a statement released Tuesday. In the three-page statement, the organization,… Feb 19 14February 19, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Canada’s New Environment Commissioner, Julie Gelfand, Tied to Mining Industry and NGOsJulie Gelfand, Canada’s new environment commissioner, has ties to both environmental advocacy and industry. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Gelfand was a staunch advocate for environmental legislation. As executive director of the Canadian… Feb 14 14February 14, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Loss of Librarians Devastating to Science and Knowledge in CanadaIt has been a difficult few years for the curators of knowledge in Canada. While the scientific community is still reeling from the loss of seven of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' eleven libraries, news has broken that scientists with Health… Jan 28 14January 28, 2014Article at The Narwhal
DFO Library Closures Anger Scientific CommunityWalter M. Miller Jr.’s classic sci-fi book "A Canticle for Leibowitz" tells the story of a post-apocalyptic future in which a small group of monks strive to preserve the remnants of humanity's scientific knowledge. After the destruction of… Jan 09 14January 09, 2014Article at The Narwhal
Port City Secures Six-Month Moratorium on OilSands ExportsThe city of South Portland, Maine banned the export of oilsands crude from local port facilities this week. Portland, the suburban community of 25,000 is the Atlantic terminal of the Portland Montreal Pipe Line, which currently carries millions of… Dec 21 13December 21, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Fracking Cancelled near Newfoundland UNESCO World Heritage SiteThere will be no fracking near Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Newfoundland. Shoal Point Energy has lost its exploration license for an area near the park as well as its $1 million deposit after applying to extend that… Dec 14 13December 14, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Environmentalist Praises Oil Exec for “Common Sense” as Federal Government Delays RegulationAn oil and gas giant drew unusual praise from a sustainable energy think tank last week for its “common sense” call for predictable environmental regulation. In a speech to the Economic Club of Canada, Shell Canada president Lorraine Mitchelmore said… Dec 09 13December 09, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Cancer-causing Chemical Levels Skyrocket in Alberta’s Industrial HeartlandAn independent study has found high levels of airborne carcinogens downwind of Alberta’s industrial heartland, an area that has come to be known as “cancer alley” for its high rates of rare cancers. Alberta’s industrial heartland is at area of 533… Oct 28 13October 28, 2013Article at The Narwhal
New Study Shows Mercury Levels On the Rise in Athabasca AreaA study has found evidence of rising mercury levels downstream from Northern Alberta’s oil sands extraction plants. Researchers collected gull and tern eggs from nests in various locations around Alberta over several years. Eggs collected in the… Oct 21 13October 21, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Former Syncrude Exec to Chair Expert Panel on Oil Sands TechnologyFormer Syncrude CEO and chairman Eric Newell has been tasked with spearheading an expert panel on the effect of energy technology on oil sands development. The Council of Canadian Academies is convening the panel on behalf of Natural Resources Canada… Sep 19 13September 19, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Alberta’s New Wetland Policy Leaves Terrible FootprintOn September 10 Alberta Environment Minister Diana McQueen announced Alberta’s new wetland policy at the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary, a protected marshland near Devon, Alberta. Eight years in the making, the policy would be a step in the right… Sep 15 13September 15, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Warning Labels on Gas Pumps Connect Consumers and Climate ChangeRobert Shirkey has a simple idea that he thinks could change the world, and he’s looking for a little help. It all began with a phone call from his 95-year-old grandfather in Saskatchewan, he explains from the Toronto office of Our Horizon, a… Sep 05 13September 05, 2013Article at The Narwhal
Suncor Celebrates Tar Sands Wetland Reclamation Project a Bit EarlySuncor is celebrating their new wetland reclamation project in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Dubbed Nikanotee, the Cree word for future, the fen represents a leap forward in cleaning up the multiple… Sep 04 13September 04, 2013Article at The Narwhal
