Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.
Across the West
The BC government, in collaboration with First Nations, has developed a comprehensive Coastal Marine Strategy covering healthy coastal marine ecosystems, resilience to climate change, thriving coastal economies and communities, and informed governance. [West Coast Environmental Law]
A UBC Okanagan professor is studying the technical and economic feasibility of hydrail tram-trains powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that act like a tram in cities and a train between communities. [UBC Okanagan News]
“By 2050, growth in clean energy industries will create more jobs than will be lost, even in provinces with many jobs in fossil fuel production and use. By putting the right policies and plans in place, governments can ensure that these clean industries succeed, and that workers have the right skills to take advantage of new job opportunities.” [Pembina Institute]
Alberta’s nature and environmental organizations are speaking out against a recent government decision permitting the hunting of ‘problematic’ grizzly bears. “Hunting is not an acceptable management approach for a threatened species … Grizzly bears have a very slow reproductive rate, and trophy hunting could undo all the recovery of the last decade.” [AWA]
You’re invited to sign a petition asking the University of Saskatchewan to substitute more humane ground squirrel population control methods for their current use of rodenticides that cause a slow, painful death and endanger non-target species. [Change.org]
Around the World
Should trees be relocated rather than removed to make room for development? [Earthbound Report]
Fungi have successfully reduced petrochemical and heavy metal pollution in several industrial sites in Los Angeles, transforming the areas into thriving native plant meadows. [Yale Environment 360]
Electric vehicles are a cost-saving option for rural drivers who often lack public transit and use over a quarter of US gas. [Planetizen]
Conservationists are relying on dogs’ keen sense of smell to detect invasive plants, find bird and bat carcasses on wind farms, or locate scat from endangered species. [Nautilus]
Making a Difference
BC Cancer has eliminated the paper on examination tables, reducing carbon emissions by the equivalent of a car driving 130,000 km. [CBC]
Michigan’s Homeowner’s Energy Policy Act empowers members of homeowner associations to install rooftop solar and employ energy-saving measures such as clotheslines and heat pumps. [Grist]
A rental unit energy report card program would encourage landlords to make their buildings more energy-efficient and provide renters with valuable information about a unit’s carbon footprint and utility costs. [The Energy Mix]
The DarkSky Approved Outdoor Sports Lighting program reduces off-site light trespass and sky glow, establishes curfew requirements, and promotes “Best Lighting” practices to reduce energy consumption. [Dark Sky]
DIY
Planning a move? Renting plastic bins is convenient and slightly more sustainable than cardboard boxes. [The Verge]
On the Bookshelf
Oil and gas development creates large amounts of waste. It’s laden with contaminants and almost impossible to dispose of - Petroleum-238: Big Oil's Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It by Justin Noble. [Inside Climate News]
30 Years of Nature Conservation on the Salish Sea by Sheila Harrington highlights the efforts of local people and grassroots organizations to protect nature on and around the islands of the Salish Sea. [CBC]
Lessons From History
Due to a Japanese government policy of not trading with outside nations during the Edo period (1603-1868), there was a scarcity of resources such as wood and cotton. As a result, Edo was a city almost without waste. Fabric scraps were patched together to make new garments. Candle wax drippings were reused. Timber for house construction was rationed. [BBC]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/34189622432
EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Mastodon, or subscribe by email.