I am lucky to live in the heart of the city, where I can walk or bike to work and play, and I’m only a hop and a skip away from a provincial park where I can lose myself in the woods and lakes for days. What I cannot escape […]
Research
Flare Fatale
Oh, and the night, the night, when the wind full of cosmic spaceGnaws at our faces – R. M. Rilke, Duino Elegies (trans. Leslie P. Gartner) IF WE CONSIDER the phenomenon of solar flares, Rilke’s description of how cosmic winds sometimes blow in our faces is surprisingly true. Atmospheric auroras, the […]
Fatal Fungus Wiping Out Bat Populations on East Coast
Out for a late winter walk in 2006, I was suprised to see a bat flying around in broad daylight in a wooded area of Bedford, Nova Scotia. Seven years later, Nova Scotia’s bat population is hanging by a thread and I have to wonder whether White Nose Syndrome (WNS), […]
Hopeful Monstrosities: A Historical Perspective on the MS Turanor Planet Solar
On July 13, 1908, huge crowds gathered in the streets of various small towns and villages in Germany to witness the spectacle of LZ 4, one of the first airships, flying overhead. The airship, which was on a proving flight from Lake Constance to Mainz, was greeted with cheering crowds and […]
37 Million Dead Bees Bring Strong Warnings
Honeybees have been part of both our agriculture and our mythology for millennia. From Mesopotamia to Maya bees have been depicted as symbols of eloquence and prophecy. The Delphic oracle was often called the Bee, and the eloquent Plato, Pindar and Saint Ambrose were all said to have had their […]
A New Leaf: The Future of Solar Power
Having been millions of years in development, the life forms that thrive on Earth have come up with a trick or two for maximizing sustainability. So what better model could we use for sustainable technology than the Earth’s own natural processes? And one of the most impressive of the world’s […]
The Human-Tree Connection
A longitudinal study recently published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine reinforces growing evidence that the natural environment is a public health benefit and its loss has significant consequences. Donovan et al. (2013) discovered that a loss of trees resulted in increased mortality rates among local residents suffering from […]
Taking Local Action on Climate Change
Looking to engage in reducing the Region’s greenhouse gas emissions, A\J attended the ClimateActionWR Community Forum at THEMUSEUM in Kitchener on March 21.
Fish Food: The Future of Sustainable Agriculture
What began as an idea between two classmates nearly two years ago has become one of the most innovative and environmentally sound student organizations on the University of Waterloo campus. The UW Aquaponics Design Team (UWAQ) began modestly in September 2011, but with research, dedication and a lot of hard […]
Geoengineering: Do We Use The One Ring?
Last July, a rogue businessman dumped 100 tonnes of iron sulphate into the Pacific with the intention of creating a massive plankton bloom to absorb carbon dioxide and attract salmon to the area. Although he meant to benefit the planet, oceanographers were quick to declare that “it is difficult, if […]
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