For her last regular interview, Science Correspondant Sapna Sharma speaks with Dr. Cheryl Murphy, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, about the effects and implications of endocrine disruptors on humans, ecosystems and the feminization of fish.
Continuing on last week’s theme of protecting urban spaces, Jordan Poppenk interviews Tree Tour Coordinator Liz Forsberg, highlighting the Toronto group, Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF), which works to promote healthy tree growth in urban spaces.
The headlines in brief:
A new study from Environment Canada has provided the first confirmation that global warming is already affecting world’s rainfall patterns;
A provincial government program to help farmers build systems that convert agricultural waste into clean energy is being slammed as a loophole to let big business set up factories on farmland;
An infestation of blue-green pond scum is unfolding that has cleared beaches and killed tourist business in parts of Quebec;
Enbridge Inc. has received the final approvals it needs to begin building what will be Canada’s second-largest wind farm near Kincardine;
The Nova Scotia provincial government has purchased over 10,000 hectares of sensitive land and heritage areas for protection;
A major pipeline broke near a busy port in Canada, spewing 1,400 thousand litres of crude oil;
The federal government has unveiled a new logo for organic foods;
New federal regulations have been announced on the amount of power that new products will be allowed to use in standby mode;
The Toronto Star has uncovered major flaws in the federal ecoEnergy program for assessing the energy efficiency of homes;
The Canada-wide record for the highest humidex reading was broken this week in Camaran, Manitoba, which reported a humidex level of 53°C.
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Liz Benneian, President of the Oakville Green Conservation Associataion, speaks with Jordan Poppenk about the development of urban green spaces, the successes her organization has had at preserving them, and the tactics it has used.
Jordan and Kevin Farmer discuss new global warming adaptation spending in Canada’s Arctic.
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The headlines in brief:
Environment Canada is considering ending its funding of a bundle of environmental programs, such as the Canadian Environmental Network, that provide a financial and operations backbone to grassroots community environment groups across the country;
Six all-time temperature records were set in British Columbia this week;
Toronto City Council unanimously passed Phase 1 of its Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan;
Toronto passed new environmental policy calling for a program to shift all taxis and limousines to hybrid or low-emission vehicles by 2015;
The city of Toronto has finalized an agreement for the operation of a “biosolids pelletizer'’ at the Ashbridge’s Bay treatment plant;
The County of Simcoe is refusing to provide Tiny Townships’s Site 41 Community Monitoring Committee with a copy of the mathematical model used by the County to evaluate a new dump site;
28 cities committed to a goal of 15 per cent reduction in water consumption by 2015 at the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative conference;
A US Geological survey has found that melting sea ice is driving polar bears onto dry land to give birth;
A new study says that the best way to protect tropical forests is to set up small community projects to harvest forest products;
The ministry of health in Italy is urging employers to let their staff dress more casually so that air conditioners can be turned down.
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Simon Watson interviews Professor Heather Eaton, Professor of Theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, past president of the Canadian Theological Association, and founder and co-chair of the Canadian Forum on Religion and Ecology (CFORE). They discuss the need for scientific and evolutionary knowledge for religion to effectively address the environmental crisis.
“In case you missed it”: Jordan Poppenk speaks with Professor Miriam Diamond from UofT’s Environmental Chemistry Research Group about what polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are, why they’re showing up in the news, and why they’re showing up in your bloodstream (originally aired March 2, 2007).
The headlines in brief:
Toronto’s top health official wants Toronto businesses to report their emissions;
Toronto has launched an 18-month trial run of its new Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which estimates the risk to health of polluted air;
The sudden death of thousands of carp in Lake Scugog appears to be the work of warm-water bacteria;
Authorities in Florida are staging a major cleanup of tires that were dumped in the ocean in an ill-fated attempt to create artificial reefs;
A new study asserts that the sun’s changing energy levels are not to blame for recent climate change;
Athens, Greece is experiencing an unprecedented environmental protest after a forest fire damaged a national park;
Scientists from the US and France released a study that suggests that radiation from the Chernobyl disaster affected some bird species much more than others;
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According to a report released by Environmental Defence, levels of toxic chemicals in Great Lakes fish are alarmingly high, and becoming more serious over time;
Ontario environment commissioner Gord Miller says the province has to do more to investigate whether chemicals in the water supply from everyday pharmaceuticals and personal care products are dangerous;
The provincially-owned utility Ontario Power Generation has spent nearly $1.2-million since 2004 on advertising the benefits of nuclear and other power sources;
The proposal to store nuclear waste deep underground close to Lake Huron’s shore will be studied by a review panel;
Toronto City Council’s parks and environment committee endorsed a proposal to spend a million dollars on tree planting this fall;
Environment Minister Laurel Broten has bowed to neighbours objections and changed a planned two-storey garage to one level;
Wal-Mart Canada recently hosted a sustainable packaging expo in partnership with the Packaging Association of Canada;
Internationally acknowledged Canadian environmental activist Colleen McCrory passed away last Sunday;
A chemical spill in China has halted water supply to two hundred thousand people;
China’s top environmental official says that anger with worsening pollution is leading to more protesting;
Farmers in Australia are chopping down protected trees in protest against strict land-cleaning laws;
A new study shows that hurricanes may be helping to protect coral from the effects of global warming.
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This week:
This week:
