EcoWest News, September 19, 2023
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
Incentives and regulations are valuable tools for promoting green roofs to reduce urban heat and stormwater run-off in cities like Saskatoon. [CBC]
Squamish rock climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts are being asked to bag their poop and pack it out rather than contaminating the forest. [CBC]
Chunks of artificial turf made from recycled tires could contaminate Bowker Creek in Victoria, a stream where locals hope to reintroduce salmon. [CBC]
Edmonton and Saskatoon residents can sign up with PlantForever to plant a tree in their garden and help green the urban forest. [PlantForever]
The authors of Canopy of Titans shine a spotlight on the Pacific Coast rainforest that stores more carbon per unit area than any other forest in the world. [Undark]
A lights-out overnight bylaw to protect birds migrating through Calgary would be a win for the birds and an energy-saving win for the environment. [Calgary Herald]
Stanley Park, Vancouver, is a great place to see old growth trees without endangering delicate ecosystems. [The Tyee]
The start of a series on fossil fuel economics: reaching a better understanding of the factors that shape Alberta’s relationship with fossil fuels. [Alberta Beyond Fossil Fuels]
Explore lichens in and around Regina on two fall field trips. [Nature Regina]
Around the World
The label says it’s sustainable, recycled, compostable, eco-friendly – but is it really? Here are 5 ways to fight greenwashing. [trailrunner]
Even at temperatures approaching -22 F, heat pumps outperform oil and gas heating systems. [Mother Jones]
How much energy will you save by NOT buying the latest iPhone 15? Quite a bit as 79% of the phone’s lifecycle carbon emissions are released during production. [EuroNews Green]
Adapting with Nature
Scientists hope that reintroducing salt marshes could buffer Venice from rising sea levels, enhance the economy, and serve as an example for other coastal communities. [Technology Review]
Smart waterfront planning on New York’s Hudson River combines wetland parks and recreational areas. [The Dirt]
Food for Thought
70% of American households have a pet, providing humans with unconditional love. But what about the animals? “If people really cared about animals, we would only engage in rescues and helping animal sanctuaries’ wildlife rehabilitation – things that we find fulfilling, but that also help the animal.” [The Guardian]
An average 22kg dog generates 530kg of CO₂ emissions annually based on the food they eat. [The Conversation] Dogs in the US produce the same amount of feces as 90 million humans. [Blue & Green]
New on the Bookshelf
Trees Against the Wind: The Birth of Prairie Shelterbelts by William Schroeder provides an insight into Prairie history and people’s relationship with trees. [Nature Saskatchewan]
A Warbler’s Journey, a picture book by Scott Weidensaul, tells the story of a tiny yellow warbler as it migrates from the tropical forests of Central America to the edge of the Canadian subarctic, helped along the way by human families caring for the land that supports her and millions of other migrant birds. Scott Weidensaul is the author of A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds. [Scott Weidensaul]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/28497032138
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.