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
Bowhead whales live year-round in the Arctic. They’ve now been spotted in the Churchill River estuary. [UManitoba]
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society is urging the provincial government to reconsider its decision to revert to the lowest efficiency Tier 1 building standards, leaving homes less energy-efficient and more prone to air leakage. [SES]
John Pomeroy, a global expert on climate change in cold regions, says Alberta farmers should be planning for the future: “Individual irrigators need to continue to improve their efficiency of irrigation and make sure that the crops they are choosing to grow have less water demand and can get through these drier periods … also ones that can take advantage of the extra heat that we expect (is) coming and that may in fact increase the variety of crops that can be grown here to the benefit of some.” [Sunny South News]
Goldman Sachs predicts Trump’s energy tariffs will cost Canadian oil producers $7 billion and take more than $2.5 billion out of the provincial Alberta budget. A major US oil refinery has already announced plans to pivot away from Alberta oil. [The Energy Mix]
The Trump administration has suspended negotiations on the Columbia River Treaty which regulates flood control, electricity generation, water flows, and salmon restoration in the river basin on both sides of the border. It’s only one of a number of agreements governing cross-border bodies of water. [The Narwhal, The Conversation]
Across Canada
Industrial carbon pricing ensures big industry either reduces its emissions or pays a levy to fund research into emission-reducing technologies. It increases global productivity and protects the environment without placing a burden on individual taxpayers. [Pembina Institute, Clean Energy Canada]
Around the World
Established grasslands serve as reservoirs of biodiversity for recovering grasslands that require “more than 75 years of continuous management to regain their biodiversity because specialized pollinators are slow to return”. [Science Daily]
Making a Difference
WhaleSpotter is an AI-powered whale detection system designed to transmit real-time alerts to ships in time for them to change course and prevent a collision. Can they get it to work with large container ships? [bioGraphic]
An expansion of London, UK’s ultra-low emission zone in 2023 faced severe opposition, but the city’s air quality has improved dramatically. [The Guardian]
Planet Potluck, a podcast hosted by Grace Nosek, BC author of a YA climate fantasy novel, shares stories of hope, joy, and community in the climate movement. [Planet Potluck]
DIY
Air drying clothes 100% of the time could save a household upwards of $2,100 over the lifetime of a dryer and cut back CO2 emissions by more than 3 tons per household. [Futurity]
Biodiversity
Social media can help scientists track animal species, particularly in urban areas. [Science Daily]
A new study indicates artificial intelligence’s untapped potential to rapidly analyze vast amounts of biodiversity data, such as mapping species distributions and interactions. [UMcGill]
Nature’s Wonders
Ocean Census has identified 866 new marine species, many from the deep seas, in the first 2 years of the project. “The ocean covers 71% of our planet, yet only around 10% of marine life has been discovered” [Mongabay]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/25889132750
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.