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
Wetlands aren’t replaceable. A 20-hectare wetland will be destroyed to make way for BC’s Site C dam. [The Narwhal]
Ancient Forest Alliance, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and the Wilderness Committee have given BC failing grades for its lack of progress in protecting threatened old-growth forests. [Sierra Club BC]
A wetland and riparian habitat that is home to endangered bank swallows and a heron rookery is threatened by a proposed suburban development in southeast Calgary. [CBC Calgary]
West-central Alberta has been home to caribou for thousands of years, but rapid industrialization is taking its toll. A report outlines what can be done to help. [Alberta Wilderness Association]
Solar energy is on the rise in Alberta. Small-scale projects have grown from 5 megawatts in 2015 to 18 today. A 10-fold growth in large solar farms is expected by 2024. [The Western Producer]
SaskPower is hosting virtual consultations on the province’s power future from Sept. 12-15. Spaces are limited. [SaskPower]
Manitoba’s Green Action Centre offers information and resources (including radio ads and a youth activity books) to help First Nations communities minimize waste. Subscribe to their newsletter to stay up to date. [Green Action Centre]
Across Canada
The federal government is asking for feedback from professionals and the general public on their Green Buildings Strategy. The deadline is September 16. [Government of Canada]
Around the World
In a first for the cruise and shipping industry, a French ferry has installed a fine-particle filtration system that removes 99% of the main air pollutants emitted by ships. Cruise lines operating in BC currently discharge these pollutants into the ocean. [Euro News Green]
15 issues that will affect oceans and coastlines, from terrestrial wildfires and waste to tracking technologies and robotic research. [The Guardian]
DIY
WikiHouse puts the tools and knowledge to build zero-carbon, zero-waste buildings into the hands of citizens, communities, and businesses. They’re built with blocks that can be re-used or recycled. [Wikihouse]
In its first year of operation, Manchester, UK’s Renew Hub renovated and sold on 50,000 items, diverting over 500 tonnes from landfill. They’ve created 20 jobs and held training workshops [Earthbound Report]
A how-to guide for turning an ordinary backyard pond into a breeding ground for frogs. [Friends of Cortes Island Society]
On the Bookshelf
Enjoy stories and macrophotography portraying plankton, the ocean’s smallest creatures, in Planktonia by Erich Hoyt.
15 new books about birds, bugs, bees, and wasps that you’re sure to want to read. [The Revelator]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/29853743467
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 subscribe by email.