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
A research study to examine the sources of air-borne phosphorous (boreal forest pollen, wildfire smoke, wind across eroded agricultural fields) hopes to inform long-term plans for improving the health of Lake Winnipeg. [UManitoba]
Protesters painted a mural stating “The Ocean is Not for Sale” in front of Metals Company’s headquarters. The company hopes to be the first to conduct deep sea mining in international waters. [The Tyee]
Across Canada
LNG is touted as a clean energy source, but the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment is concerned about the consequences of increased fracking operations releasing “harmful pollutants—including benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and particulate matter linked with asthma, heart disease, birth defects, and childhood leukemia.” [The Energy Mix]
More than 100 groups from across Canada are calling on the federal government to prioritize building out Canada’s east-west electricity grid with renewable energy. [David Suzuki]
Around the World
Ikea is selling balcony solar panel and battery kits. Balcony solar systems typically save households about 30% on their energy bills and, with no installation fees, can pay for themselves within 6 years. [One Step Off the Grid]
To reduce the risk of collisions with space junk and damage to the ozone layer, we need fewer satellites with longer operational lifetimes. [Smithsonian Magazine]
Have Your Say
Meewasin Valley Authority is inviting the public to complete a survey as they explore the designation of a National Urban Park in Saskatoon. [Urban Parks Sask]
The Province of BC is inviting public feedback by Aug. 1 on CleanBC programs and policies that are meant to cut emissions and help the province meet its climate targets. [The Tyee, BC survey]
Making a Difference
Port Moody is considering designating the ecologically rich mudflats at the eastern end of Burrard Inlet as North America’s first municipally located urban marine protected area. [Tri-Cities Dispatch]
The Yaqan Nukiy (Lower Kootenay Band) is working with project partners to restore 517 hectares of wetland by reconnecting waterways, removing dikes, and reshaping the land to allow nature to do what it does best. [Nelson Star]
The BC Badger Connectivity Initiative aims to create safer road crossings for badgers at five spots in BC's Interior where badgers are most likely to be killed by road traffic. [CBC]
Biodiversity
Scientists agree that the southern resident killer whale population is at risk of extinction. “We know what we need to do … Dealing with noise, dealing with prey, dealing with contaminants – the control is in our hands. We actually can do this and remove these threats, or reduce these threats, to a level that we think would support their recovery.” [The Tyee]
In Canada, wolves are killed to protect caribou. In Scotland, they’re trying a different approach. They’re keeping predators such as pine martens so well fed that they can’t be bothered to eat the eggs of the capercaillie. [Anthropocene]
The Federal Court has ordered Canada to fix flawed habitat protections for Piping Plovers. [Ecojustice]
After almost 20 years, the federal government has released a Spotted Owl recovery strategy, calling for the protection of over 4,000 square kilometres of forests within a day’s travel of Metro Vancouver. [Ecojustice]
Nature’s Wonders
A 6-minute animation follows one whooping crane family’s annual migration north – 37 days and 2,500 miles up the heart of the continent. [Cornell Lab of Ornithology]
From lean, mean tiger beetles to scarabs, whirligigs, and diving beetles – getting to know Alberta’s beetles. [Royal Alberta Museum]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/54627225245
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 BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.