Canada, a decade ago, used to do more good than bad in the wider world. Now we’re an international wrecking crew, teaching countries how to waste their water supplies on international disasters like shale oil. This sort of unproductive activity is also changing our climate. It’s also slowing investment in
Continue readingTag: water
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Our Acidic Ocean
The last time Earth's oceans were this acidic, a six mile-wide asteroid had just smashed into the Yucatan Peninsula: gizmodo.com/how-global-war…— Extinction Symbol (@extinctsymbol) March 26, 2014 It’s incalculably high what this will cost us.
Continue reading350 or bust: Send Water Some Love On World Water Day
Tomorrow is World Water Day; the waters that nurture and sustain life on earth need our protection more than ever. * * World Water Day: Global Synchronized Water Ceremony
Continue readingThings Are Good: A Billboard That Finally Has a Reason to Exist: Free Water
) In Lima, Peru, there is a new billboard that is selling an idea by providing free water to the local population. Water access is an issue in the area for a variety of reasons which impacts poverty and other water-related issues in the area. A local engineering school wanted
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Yukon fracking threatens groundwater safety: hydrologist
The Liard River Basin is threatened by proposed fracking (Two Island Films) Read this Jan. 31 article from the Whitehorse Star on the risks and benefits of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas wells on the Yukon’s groundwater: The Yukon needs a better understanding of its groundwater system before the government
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Fracking in Canada: Why the Council of Canadians’ new “Fracktivist’s Toolkit” matters
by: Obert Madondo In this age of the Harper Conservatives and a rampaging fossil fuel industry, Canadian anti-fracking activism requires more than a sense of environmental and social justice. It requires a toolkit of knowledge about what’s happening and how to effectively respond at the local, national and global level. The
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: David Suzuki: Trading water for fuel is fracking crazy
Fracking protest in New Brunswick (photo: Colin McPhail) It would be difficult to live without oil and gas. But it would be impossible to live without water. Yet, in our mad rush to extract and sell every drop of gas and oil as quickly as possible, we’re trading precious water
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: California rejects green label for BC’s private “run of river”
Construction of a private power project on the Ashlu River (Photo: Range Life) Read this January 21st story by Megan Hooker in on the California Energy Commission’s rejection of BC’s green label of its private river diversion projects has profound ramifications for the province’s power export industry. On January 15th,
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: California facing 500-year drought, running out of drinking water
Folsom Lake, California (Associated Press) Read this Jan. 30 story from the Huffington Post on the 500-year drought facing California today. California is dry as a bone, and the effects are like something out of an apocalyptic film. Cities are running out of water. Communities are fighting over what little
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Environmental hearing process not working for public
The 3-member panel reviewing Site C Dam has complained about the volume of documents from BC Hydro Read this Jan. 27 letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun by David Suzuki Foundation Senior Science and Policy Advisor John Werring on our broken environmental assessment process. Site C review panel chairman
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC’s private run-of-river power projects a ‘horror show’, documents reveal
A map of private power projects – proposed, under construction and in operation around BC (ippwatch.info) Read this Jan. 29 Province story on the appalling government mismanagement of private river power projects in BC, only a quarter of which are operating at a satisfactory environmental standard. The majority of run-of-the-river power projects
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C Dam story changes again – now it’s about powering California
The $10 Billion proposed Site C Dam could provide power for export to California, BC Hydro representatives told the Joint Review Panel examining the project on the final day of public hearings, last week in Fort St. John. A last-minute change to the story that keeps on changing, the new rationale for the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C review panel changes mind, asks for ALC’s input on farmland
The Peace River Valley is home to some of BC’s best farmland (Damien Gillis) Read this Jan. 23 Globe and Mail story by Mark Hume on the Joint Review Panel for the proposed Site C Dam’s last-minute reversal of an earlier decision not to seek the input of BC’s Agricultural Land Commission on the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Peace Valley’s “extraordinary” farmland could feed a million people, agrologists tell Site C Dam review
The Peace River Valley is one of Canada’s most fertile regions (Damien Gillis) A pair of highly-respected agricultural experts made a compelling case this week for sparing some of BC’s best farmland from a proposed dam on the Peace River. Together, veteran agrologist Wendy Holm and soil scientist Evelyn Wolterson argued that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – John Cassidy makes the case to call the U.S.’ war on poverty a success – pointing out that there has been a meaningful reduction in poverty over the past 50 years connected almost entirely to government programs. But lest that be taken as
Continue reading350 or bust: Reimagining Crisis As Opportunity
When young anthropologist and social entrepreneur, Cynthia Koenig, reframed the world’s water crisis as an opportunity, she “reinvented the wheel”. Here’s her talk at TEDxGateway: * WelloWater.org
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Audio: Why Site C Dam is a bad deal for taxpayers, environment
The Common Sense Canadian’s Damien Gillis discusses the economic and environmental drawbacks of the $10 Billion proposed Site C Dam on Vancouver Co-op Radio – January 8, 2014. Public hearings into Site C in northeast BC conclude this month – without involving citizens beyond the region of the project. (12
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Yet another CNRL leak probed by Alberta regulator in Cold Lake
An earlier CNRL leak in Cold Lake, Alberta (Chester Dawson / Wall Street Journal) COLD LAKE, Alta. – The Alberta Energy Regulator is investigating another leak from a Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) bitumen well near Cold Lake. The regulator says 27,000 litres of crude bitumen were released underground on Jan.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C Dam: Federal panel seeks input from spurned energy watchdog
Location of proposed Site C Dam (photo: Damien Gillis) Read this Jan. 7 story from Justine Hunter in the Globe and Mail on the concerns of the federal panel reviewing the proposed Site C Dam the BC Government’s stripping of the BC Utilities Commission’s oversight of the project. The B.C. government has shielded
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Food Over 3 Decades Old
Yesterday I ate fruit cake my Mum made for her wedding, and it still tasted good. Few people get to eat food older than they are, and can say they enjoyed it. One of the greatest things to come out of the 70s was me. Another of those great things
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