With apologies to Max, the central character in Maurice Sendak’s 1963 classic Where The Wild Things Are, and his arduous journey “in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room”, Alice the Moose puts his to shame. Alice left her home park in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, swam across the St. Lawrence river, somehow made it across the four-lane 401 highway and finally completed her 570 km-long journey by arriving in Ontario’s Algonquin Park. Talk about a wild trip!

Alice was just doing what comes naturally – migrating with the seasons, in search of safer grounds and more plentiful sources of nourishment. And not just Alice. Lots of other animals. Thousands of different species of animals in every glorious manifestation have been migrating through what’s now known as the ‘Algonquin to Adirondacks’  region (A2A) for thousands if not millions of years. We humans joined the pilgrimage for our own survival, dodging the worst of winter’s wrath and following our meal-tickets as they embarked on their own migrations.

Turns out, there’s an interconnected network of trails and wildways stretching up the east cost of North America. You – or an Alice – could travel from Everglades National Park through Georgia’s Smoky Mountains, up the Appalachians, through the Adirondacks, across the Frontenac Arch and the St. Lawrence river and on into Algonquin Park. And there’s an organization that has charted these wildways, the species (and their movements) and the threats to biodiversity, particularly the numerous species-at-risk.

In October 2019, Wildlands Network released an interactive map of the Eastern Wildway, representing a major step forward in realizing a vision of connectivity for this region:

In their own words:

The Eastern Wildway contains some of North America’s most beloved national parks, preserves, scenic rivers, and other wild places, from the wilderness of Quebec, the Adirondacks, and the Shenandoah Valley, to the Great Smoky Mountains and Everglades National Park. Protecting and expanding these and other key core areas is crucial to rewilding the East.

I like the idea of rewilding. Of our spaces and our souls. Allowing our footfalls to provide the syncopation as we walk away our worries, lost-to-be-found in nature. And allowing nature to reclaim, to repossess, what we humans have taken from them, the birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees.

I was thinking about Alice recently when I came across a tragic story about a deer. This deer had managed to swim to Prince Edward Island – akin to Marilyn Bell swimming across Lake Ontario – only to be hit and killed by a transport truck not long after its arrival on the island. Alice had somehow survived an ordeal similar to our dearly-departed deer friend in PEI. And in Alice’s case, she was crossing one of the busiest highways in North America, the 401/TransCanada. At the point where Alice dodged death, the 401 is four lanes wide and busy almost 24 hours a day. This was Alice’s reality and the reality faced by every other ground-based species that migrates through the A2A region. The animals are simply following deep programming, genetic memories of migrations from hundreds of generations. The pathways are ancient. Highways are the interlopers, the recent development that benefits one species to the detriment of all others.

There are solutions. They go by a variety off names – wildlife overpasses, animal bridges, wildlife crossings – but I like to think of them as a modern iteration on an ancient tale. In the biblical story of Noah and his Ark, human wickedness required global cleansing, as the Almighty prepared to wash the sins of humans away through the medium of an unprecedented flood. But recognizing that the animals did not cause the wickedness and therefore should be saved, Noah was instructed by the Big Boss to construct a gigantic ark, a boat, that could hold a pair of each species. This would allow the animals to repopulate the world after the forty days of ‘cleansing’.

In our modern times, humanity constructs transportation monuments that seem built to demand animal sacrifice. But when we build a bridge – a Noah’s Arch – that allows wildlife to cross our highway infrastructures, we fulfill an obligation to right a wrong.

The A2A Collaborative’s Road Ecology project is aiming “to help reduce wildlife road mortality across the entire Algonquin to Adirondacks region by making recommendations on the best possible locations for wildlife crossings.” There are strong financial reasons to support these public works projects that buttress the moral reasons. In Alberta’s Bow Valley, a study found that “from 1998 and 2010 (there) was…an average of 62 WVCs (wildlife-vehicle collisions) per year. This amounts to an average cost-to-society of $640,922 per year due to motorist crashes with large wildlife, primarily ungulates.”

An “analysis of a wildlife underpass with fencing at a 3 km section… within the project area near Dead Man’s Flats showed that total WVCs dropped from an annual average of 11.8 per-construction to an annual average of 2.5 WVCs post-mitigation construction. The wildlife crossings and fencing reduced the annual average cost by over 90%, from an average of $128,337 per year to a resulting $17,564 average per year.”

The judicious construction of wildlife crossings saves lives and saves money. And it makes our wildways that much more alive with wildlife. It’s time for us humans to do our part and prioritize wildlife crossings on our major highways and roadways.

Alice would thank you.

The post WHERE THE WILDWAYS ARE appeared first on A\J.

Almost every sector of the economy would benefit from oil sand development. But through all the positive economic growth Canada would receive, it is necessary to look at the impact on the environment it will have.

The refined oil will be transported through pipelines. Any released bitumen through a spill, leak, or rupture can contaminate the surrounding land or water. Tailing ponds to store the liquid to retrieve the oil can be shown to leak chemicals into the surrounding water supply like the Athabasca River and the Mackenzie River. Additionally, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted in the area shows that the overall quantity of chemicals (PAH) is lower than that which naturally occurs in recovering petrol. A change in formula can have health risks to the surrounding population.

These chemicals can cause upper respiratory issues on site. Moreover, the chemicals that are released through a spill, leak, or rupture, that do not work directly on-site will soon have more complicated issues like headache, nausea, skin rashes, and respiratory symptoms which coincide with exposure to crude oil.

Working on the oil sands can have an increased health risk, and during the current COVID-19 pandemic it will make it much worse. According to unnamed contractors, workers did not have inadequate distancing, testing, or sanitization Those that currently work at CNRL Horizon in the Alberta Oil sands have stated, “We don’t feel safe here, but we keep working because everybody wants to work,” one contractor at Horizon said.

It is difficult for these workers to bring complaints about these safety issues to those higher on the corporate ladder,  due to fear of losing their job. The liability does not fall on the oil sand operators anymore regarding the environment or the health and safety of the workers.

“We’re all feeling like, head down, blinders on. Don’t even look around you and just try to get through your shift without getting sick.”

It is frivolous to think that mining for crude oil will disappear in the next 10 years. But companies should have federal and provincial policies in place to protect the health of their workers – and the general public – from irreversible harm. “Personally, with experience in seeing all sides of corporate and environmental relationships, I know products must exist for now. But it is difficult for me to understand why an unexplored market could be so scary to a company when investments are made all the time for new products. 

Do you think you could help me understand?

The post The liability falls where in Alberta? appeared first on A\J.

Growing up, like most kids, I liked fantasy/adventure series – like Narnia, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings – and I read some of those books back then. But as I grew up, I became less interested in this genre and preferred to read more realistic stories. However, lately, I’ve been craving adventure and I’ve felt drawn to reading about these magical worlds again more than ever.

The pandemic has had me cooped up in my home for quite some time now. I don’t have my own car (not like there is anywhere I am allowed to go if I did), so the majority of the time when I want to get outside, I am restricted to a distance equal to as far as my legs can take me. As a result, I’ve been walking around my neighbourhood… a lot. Trust me, I’ve become so acquainted with the surrounding streets that I could walk them blindfolded. Although I appreciate all the moments I can spend outside, and being within walking distance to parks and green spaces is a privilege, I long for the excitement of travelling to new places, exploring natural areas, and having adventures. Since I can’t do that these days, I have started journeying to fictional places in my mind as much as I can through reading.

Source: Masterclass 

My fantasy novel reading kick started this year in 2021 because, after one year of the pandemic, I was feeling more antsy than ever. Like I said, I grew up liking adventure series, but they have a whole new effect on me these days. They provide a window into a new world, full of gripping adventures, in a time where we physically can’t do any of that in our own reality. 

More and more I’ve been feeling like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit – comfortable in my house and neighbourhood but feeling like there is a part of me aching for something more, for adventure. And sadly, a wizard is not going to come to my house and send me off on a journey, so it’s up to me to push myself out the door (metaphorically) and enter the fictional worlds that exist on my bookshelf. 

I typically read contemporary fiction and literature because I like realistic stories that can offer me insights into my own life and the real world. I always viewed fantasy as more of an escape from reality – just something fun to read to forget about real life and be immersed in a new, magical world. But the more I read fantasy novels, the more I realize that these stories might actually be helping me cope with my own changing, unpredictable world rather than distracting me from it. Sure, they sometimes provide oversimplified, utopian-esque reflections of life, but I genuinely think this literary genre can provide tools and insights that can aid us in the environmental movement. 

Inspiration for Fighting Our Battles

The courage that these fictional characters display can inspire us in our own stories.

First of all, the characters in these novels overcome great feats – and also small feats, too. They fight in battles, learn skills from their mentors, travel on long journeys, face harsh climates, and do all sorts of other “adventure trope” things, generally to save their world from evil. But their feats are not entirely unlike the ones we face in our world. The courage that these fictional characters display can inspire us in our own stories. Besides the fact that our world does not have fire-breathing dragons, centaurs, elves, and other magical beings, our world is not so different from many of the fictional worlds we can read about. Sometimes it just takes a closer look to see the similarities.

Source: The Almighty Guru

I put a Lord of the Rings quote in one of my other articles to emphasize the courage that we, as environmentalists, will need on the long road to fighting for a better world, and I’m putting another one in this article. Maybe it’s LOTR overkill, but the story of Frodo and the ring has so many relevant quotes that can give inspiration to environmental and social justice activists, and particularly youth, who feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. It’s not easy to face these issues every day, but we continue to fight every day nonetheless. Looking to fantasy stories for inspiration and courage would likely benefit all of us who find ourselves feeling the ever-present weight and discouragement of the state of the world.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Connecting with the Natural World

A lot of fantasy novels take place in the outdoors and the characters often get intertwined with the elements of nature. The setting of these stories, often being in very natural places, provide a lot of natural imagery and a mystical quality to nature, which the characters experience in awe, curiosity, and wonder. The natural aesthetic of these worlds can evoke in us a greater appreciation for nature. Keep in mind – the nature in these books is not altogether fictional… it’s based on the nature of our own world, just in combination with a bit of imagination.

But many fantasy stories also include the force of nature and the environment almost as a character itself. In the book, The Name of the Wind, only the most skilled individuals in the story who study the wind know the name of it, which basically means they can call on it with their minds and control it. The point is, the wind – and also other elements, like iron or stone – are great forces that come alive and become vital pieces to the story, almost like characters. The human characters are very intertwined with their natural world – just as we are with ours.

Source: Alicia Ochoa via Art Station

Rediscovering the Magic of the World

Although reading about these magical worlds can still be a form of escapism for many, these stories can also help us rediscover the magic within the real world. I know what you might be thinking – there is no magic in our world. Well, there is definitely a magical essence of nature. Nature is full of life, energy, and beauty – and it’s so complex. Humans have probably only scratched the surface of understanding the planet and the nature around us, but being in nature is far more than understanding – it’s also feeling and experiencing, which goes beyond merely thinking about it. 

When I go into nature, I feel at peace and inspired. When I travel to a new place and experience a whole new ecosystem, I feel shocked and amazed. When I see fireflies, starry skies, colourful sunsets, beautiful birds, the list goes on and on, I feel a way that I imagine magic would make me feel – in awe. There is so much in nature to appreciate, feel, and draw energy from, and I think it’s worth rediscovering the magic in our own world to feel more connected to nature and more motivated to better protect it.

Overall, I have a much greater appreciation for this literary genre than I did before the pandemic. Now that I’ve given it more of a chance without making presumptions about it, like that it would be childish or too “far-fetched” or irrelevant to my own life, I’ve come to realize that many of these books are none of those things. They are simply a look into another world that we can experience, find delight in, and also learn and draw inspiration from. The magic of our world is all around you and maybe picking up a fantasy or adventure book will help you rediscover it.

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Over the past week or so, my world has been very high-energy, productive, and busy, busy, busy! I have been maximizing my time at A\J by writing, thinking, creating, editing, and giving as much of myself to my work as I can – not only because I have obligations, but because I love it! I am someone who thrives on busyness. I want to have my foot in every door and I want to check off every box on the to-do list – these things energize me and move me forward. But recently, I came to a point, after a lot of constant creative output, where I was left with a mental block. I sat down to write this article, which was going to be about how nature relieves eco-anxiety (we’ll get to that later), and I could not think of anything to write. I had zero ideas, and when I dipped into my creative pool, it was dry. 

My brain felt like an internet browser with 25 tabs open, tons of information whizzing around, and all the softwares working at once – and it was starting to get slower and slower, lagging and loading… loading… loading … I actually did have tons of tabs open on my computer and its functionality was diminishing. My screen was exhausted and my eyes were sore from staring at it; I literally felt connected to my computer. So, when I finished work the other day, I closed all the tabs, shut down my computer, and walked away from it. And funny enough, I was unintentionally doing the same thing to my brain – disconnecting and unplugging.

After finishing up my work for the day, I decided to go for a walk around the block. It was around 6pm, so the sun was no longer in the sky, but the light of day remained and blanketed the world in a golden hue. I stepped outside, took a deep breath of fresh air, and the first thing I heard was the call of a mourning dove. It instantly calmed me. I heard its familiar call and it had a very real, very immediate effect on me. For a moment, the only thing occupying my brain was the sound of another living being. It was as if all the other thoughts that usually have intense bumper car competitions in my mind were temporarily wiped away – the bumper car ride at the amusement park was closed for maintenance and it was finally quiet. 

I walked a little farther down the street, then stopped for a moment by a giant pine tree. A little identification trick that I learned in school popped into my mind, so I picked up a fallen needle and tried bending it between my fingers – snap! It broke in half, indicating that it was a red pine. Then, I heard tiny chitter-chatter noises coming from squirrels in the trees as they sat exchanging their latest news to one another. I also heard another unknown bird – chip! chip! chip! And then I heard the whirr of bikes as a few people sped past me, and I decided to keep walking before I looked weirder than I already did, standing alone on the sidewalk, looking at squirrels. 

I turned around a corner onto another street and was boldly met with the sky – bright, royal blue fading into deep, golden orange on the horizon. No clouds were in the sky, which made the colours even more striking. All of the sudden, after stepping outside and noticing a few mere suburban elements of nature, I realized I felt inspired again. I had been giving so much of myself in my life and work that there was not enough left for me to draw inspiration from. It was time for me to refill myself, so I could once again have the capacity to give and share again, and being in nature was what allowed me to do so. 

I have often turned to nature for inspiration and healing when I feel empty or distant from my own self. I stop looking at the screens that so often dictate my every move. I get away from the obligations, the voices, the lists. And I go outside. I listen and look closely, paying attention to minute details. I clear my brain of the constant reel of information and thoughts that run through each day, and start making room for new thoughts that are meaningful, that spark inspiration, and that allow me to reconnect with my physical surroundings. These types of thoughts can come in when I stop thinking about all the how’s, why’s, when’s, and where’s of my day. I had been pondering how I was going to write this article for a couple of weeks, then in one moment, it all came to me – just from going for a walk and intentionally NOT thinking about it. 

Tiny fungi rainbows // Credit: Siobhan Mullally

Nature as a Remedy for Eco-anxiety 

I have found that there are a great many things to befriend in nature that can heal, inspire, and give us peace in our lives. It’s quite known these days that nature greatly benefits mental health. There have been many studies that show how interacting with nature can be therapeutic and calming, and help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. Even bringing nature indoors by listening to recorded nature sounds or having images of natural spaces in our homes can help improve our moods. So, we know that nature is beneficial for a healthy mind, but what if the state of nature is the core reason for mental negativity?

As a young person today, a main source of anxiety for me is the state of the world. I’m sure many others are with me on this who experience this eco-anxiety on the daily. The world is on fire, species are dying, our natural world is becoming trashed and artificial, but greed seems to win the fight every time. The people fighting for a better world are exhausted and the young people inheriting it are terrified (and most of the time these two groups consist of the same people). This isn’t the kind of stress or anxiety that goes away after finishing a project at work, submitting a final assignment, or giving a major presentation. It’s a constant, looming anxiety that will never go away because it is about holding the world together. 

The people fighting for a better world are exhausted and the young people inheriting it are terrified (and most of the time these two groups consist of the same people).

Imagine the world is a giant broken vase. Some people are actively contributing to the breaking, and some people have no active role in either the breaking or fixing, but the rest of us are all working together to hold the pieces in place and fill in the cracks where we can. Older generations are starting to let go of the pieces, passing them onto younger generations, but the pieces are breaking more than ever, so young people are having to use both hands. They can’t let go or it will fall apart. But wait! My nose is itchy and I can’t scratch it; I can’t take my hands off because I have a duty to hold this world together. I must ignore my own natural, normal needs (i.e. my hopes and dreams of pursuing my life goals, having a full career, starting a family, having a functional planet to live in, etc) to keep it from falling apart. Eco-anxiety is fully real.

Climate Strike at the University of Waterloo // Credit: Siobhan Mullally

As young people who deal with eco-anxiety, we need to be taking breaks from work and screens to be in nature to help sustain our mental health. By being in nature, we can reconnect with it, feel like we are a part of it, rediscover our innate thirst for the beauty of the natural world and our dependence on it, feel it in our own hands, and be grounded in it. Nature’s great peril is what drives eco-anxiety, so it makes sense that nurturing our relationship with the Earth by physically being with it can help aid this.

Connecting with nature can look like a lot of different things: growing plants in your garden, digging your hands into the soil, going to a local forest and feeling the bark of the trees, learning the names of the birds in your backyard, laying on the grass and watching the clouds, or even simply noticing living things that you might not have noticed before, like lichens, fungi, and moss. I think all of these small actions can help alleviate greater anxieties about the world. It’s about bringing your mind from the global picture and scaling it down to the hyper-local microclimate where you physically stand, honing in on the small details. I believe that we may be more able to continue advocating for a better world in a global sense if we devote time and energy to connecting with the natural world around us on a more intimate level.

A closer look at a Citrus Flatid Planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa) // Credit: Siobhan Mullally

By stepping outside, not only are you getting a good dose of fresh oxygen, serotonin, vitamin D, and maybe a pretty sunset out of it – you’re reconnecting with the earth. The ground you’re walking on. The plants and animals that you coexist with. The little delights that live and thrive and breathe and walk and live all around you. And if we keep connecting with these things, I hope we will feel a little bit more grounded in our own backyards, realizing that we’re part of nature and we can take care of it in the footsteps of people who have done so for many generations. We can get to know the names of the species around us, the bird calls, the texture of the grass outside, the smell of the soil in our gardens. These details are important – they are vital to upholding the connection we have to the Earth. And we will be able to fight for this planet and remedy our eco-anxiety if we keep tending to the relationship we have with nature.

All you have to do is shut down your internet browser brain, close all the tabs, and let it rest. Shut down the cranial bumper cars for maintenance. Embrace the quiet in your mind to feel inspired and rejuvenated. Go outside and find treasures in nature that calm you, reconnect you, ground you, and inspire you. Listen for your mourning dove call.

The post A Being in Nature: How the Mourning Dove’s Call of Inspiration Quieted My Busy Mind appeared first on A\J.

Far from discussing fish biology, the film speaks to the legacy of colonial oppression experienced by indigenous communities from the 16th century when Chile became a settlement of the Spanish Crown to this day. The film focuses on a Mapuche community in the south of Chile. The Mapuche people make up 84 percent of the indigenous population in Chile. They remained independent throughout the colonial period and were forced to join the Chilean state in the 1880s, under siege by the Chilean army. It took about a century for the Mapuche collective land rights to be recognized by a 1993 Indigenous Law, yet there are recurring confrontations over collective land and water rights and human rights abuses. To this day, Mapuche people record some of the lowest social and economic indicators in the country. It is no surprise to see in the film a wealthy settler family vacationing in their rural estate serviced by Indigenous employees in the house and on the property.

Chile // Source: Audley Travel

Settler colonization is a distinct form of colonization that “covers its tracks” (Veracini, 2011, p. 3). To succeed in their colonial project, settlers need to extinguish or erase the former inhabitants of the land. One of the film’s scenes illustrates the engineered amnesia that permeates the contemporary settler’s consciousness. In a casual conversation among male settlers, one of them contends: “What I don’t understand is this idea of ‘recovering the lands’. They talk about the historical debt. What historical debt? They have never owned anything!” To which another responds: “But their ancestors have.” The first man disagrees: “Noooo. They were collectors and hunters. The agricultural activity was minimum. They walk through these woods. They usufruct the woods. They were not owners.” The conversation went on as a trifle and ended in laughter.

The film is not about fish, but rather the treatment of invasive species reminds how in settler colonization projects, binary language is used to establish and justify a society of deserving “haves” and undeserving “have-nots” (Harding, 2006), of us-who-belong-here vs them-who-do-not. In one of the scenes, a boy tells Pancho that the carps “come from another place.”  Pancho explains: “Look, the carps are originally from the Amur river that divides China from Russia. They brought them here to exterminate the algae, but they didn’t tell them that they reproduced very fast.” The ironic similarity with Indigenous people’s extermination by the European settlers was not brought up in the conversation which, again, ended in laughter. In face of the threat posed by over productive invaders, Pancho justified their extermination by all means necessary, including detonating explosives in the lagoon. The violence of the method soon triggered concerns in his daughter Manena.

Violence is an underlying theme throughout the film. Pancho’s choices seem to indicate a form of internalized violence; in addition to bombing the carps, he also installed an electric fence to protect the family lakeside estate. Latent violence grows in the Ovalle household as the movie progresses with Manena realizing that not only is the carp population aggressively controlled, but their Indigenous neighbours are also being dispossessed of their land and ways of life. The film depicts institutional violence led by the state police, los carabinieros, in a raid against a Mapuche village. Inter-community violence is also visible though lopsided, as animal and human casualties are only recorded on the Mapuche side: first, a Mapuche farmer loses a sheep against the electric fence, then a Mapuche worker, Manena’s friend, loses his life, also by electrocution.

Los carabinieros de Chile // Source: Illustrado Noticias

Although this film brings to the foreground the colonial legacies the Mapuche nation faces in Chile, there are certain limitations in this representation. One of the most questionable aspects is the viewpoint from where the audience accesses the story, in this case, Manena, a settler teenage girl that in her vacation begins to perceive the injustices indigenous communities endure in her father’s land. Even though Mapuche women and men appear on screen, the privileged voice is Manena’s. This can lead us to question which voices have the power to be heard, not only in the film but in the public sphere.

Mapuche men are the indigenous characters with most presence throughout the film; in fact, Manena’s friend is the common thread that opens and closes the film. However, this is not the case for Mapuche women. Dedicated to the care work within the settler’s household, they seem to be voiceless presences with no agency whatsoever. This representation falls short given the central role indigenous women have across Latin America in standing up against both environmental injustices and gender violence, up to such a point that scholars have observed a feminization of these fights, this is, more and more women join activist manifestations. Even more so, although the protagonist of the film is a girl, the representation of all the women is an aspect that deserves consideration. Manena’s mother is a character stripped of agency by being constantly silenced by her husband who diminishes her. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol and plays no part in the family business or her children’s education.  

The Summer of the Flying Fish takes place in southern Chile, but its message is global. It speaks to institutionalized violence and systemic racism in other settler colonies including Australia, the United States, and Canada. It compels viewers to turn a critical eye on themselves. To some viewers, maybe, this could be an unsettling exercise to examine their privileges and realize their complicity in perpetuating colonial ideology. About her interest in filmmaking and politics, filmmaker Marcela Said shares that she wants to “shoot what’s invisible, atmospherical… the tension.” The film ends leaving the viewer to know more. How far will Manena go in her standup against her father? How will the Mapuche community react to the loss of one of their youths?  Said can be commended for casting light on the invisible in this atmospheric and politics-laden drama.

This article is part of our March 2021 Western Student Editorial Series – a series that showcases the works of students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program. Read more articles from this series here!

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Enjoy a plastic free beach day during these scorching hot summers, with the #plasticfreejuly initiative started in 2011 in Australia, we can use every July to move forward to a more sustainable and plastic free way of life. Through skipping plastic for a month it serves as a good reminder of how much plastic we use in our everyday life. 

For more on the Plastic Free July Series see:

Plastic Free July Series (Volume 3 of 5)

Enjoy a plastic free beach day during these scorching hot summers, with the #plasticfreejuly initiative started in 2011 in Australia, we can use every July to move forward to a more sustainable and plastic free way of life. Through skipping plastic for a month it serves as a good reminder of how much plastic we use in our everyday life. 

For more on the Plastic Free July Series see:

Volume 1: Strong and Plastic-Free

Volume 2: Breaking Up With Plastics

Volume 3: A Guide to a Plastic Free Beach Day

Volume 4: Revolve, Reduce, Reuse

The post A GUIDE TO A PLASTIC FREE BEACH DAY appeared first on A\J.

These reflections were made especially interesting due to the unique make-up of the editorial team, including: individuals who were born in Canada, who immigrated as children, and those from other countries residing in Canada through work and student visas. 

This Canada Day the Alternatives Journal editorial team were tasked with reflecting on the nature of Canada, what it means to them, and what one aspect of Canada each member appreciates the most. 

These reflections were made especially interesting due to the unique make-up of the editorial team, including: individuals who were born in Canada, who immigrated as children, and those from other countries residing in Canada through work and student visas. 

When reflecting upon the nature of Canada, the team recognizes the difference between the geopolitical entity called ‘Canada’ and the lived experiences of the peoples who have called this landmass home for millennia (and who continue to struggle against systemic injustices today). The team, through listening to the stories shared with us by friends in Indigenous communities, from coast to coast to coast, came to understand that for many, Canada Day is not a day of celebration. This may be best read through this article posted June 29 on the CBC wherein Terre Chartrand (of the Algonquin Nation), one of the organizers of the current occupation in Kitchener’s Victoria Park said “Canada Day is not a day of celebration for Indigenous people. It’s an Indigenous day of mourning,”. Fellow organizer Amy Smoke of the Mohawk Nation Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River also stated “We don’t celebrate the day. This country was built on the backs and blood of my family and my people.” 

The personal reflections of the team on the nature of Canada may be read as follows:

The Gentle Island

Lucy Maud Montgomery once said, “You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight when the dew is falling and the old stars are peeping out and the sea keeps its mighty tryst with the little land it loves. You find your soul then.”

Prince Edward Island is a special place. The Gentle Island gets its name from the soft, rolling sand dunes which stretch as far as your eye can see along the north coast. The dunes stand strong to safeguard their coastal communities from mighty waves and windy storms. While tough, the dunes are gentle.

The same can be said for the island locals.

What Prince Edward Island may lack in size; it makes up for in personality. Hardworking and friendly, Islander hospitality is hard to replicate. To this day, some of my best memories as a child include dancing and clapping along to the fiddle or banjo of a Celtic song after a long day at the beach- my skin still salty from the ocean.  

The island air is clean and crisp- my mother always said she thought the clean air made the colours more vibrant on PEI (I would have to agree).  The most memorable of which is the rusty red soil- rich with iron oxide. The same vibrancy and richness extend into every aspect of life on PEI- from food and art to history. Traditionally home of Celtic and Acadian settlers, and the Mi’kmaq people before that, the island is best known as the birthplace of confederation. And this Canada day, it only seems fit to pay tribute to PEI.

By Alexandra Scaman

No electricity? No problem

Source: CTV News

Given the task of reflecting on the nature of Canada for Canada day, and what one piece of this nature I appreciate the most, my mind immediately sprung to a trip to a hunting cabin in 2018. To me, the nature of Canada is of course seen outside, but also lives within its people. As a foreigner to the country, and someone from a small island, I had never experienced camping in the “great outdoors”, going fishing on a lake, being scared of bear attacks… Thankfully, in my first year of university I met four of my current best friends, all of whom just happened to be from the Ottawa Valley, and all who had a special interest in making sure I, the foreigner, experience the great natural areas that Canada had to offer. This is the other nature of Canada I mean – the sense of pride that my friends had in the natural areas of Canada; and the fact that despite on many occasions saying I didn’t want to go camping, wouldn’t take no for an answer, and insisted that I experience what they described as “what Canada really is about”.

I will forever be grateful that they did. The weekend we went to this hunting cabin we weren’t aware that there would be no electricity or cell service, we didn’t know much to be honest – just that it was in the middle of nowhere next to a lake. The ice cream we brought may have melted, but my newfound appreciation for the country was created. By having no online distractions for five days we were all forced to truly immerse ourselves within nature, and spend our days together on trails, fishing on the lake, and really just appreciating the untouched nature that Canada has to offer. And this untouched nature, as well as the pride of my friends of sharing this nature with me, is the piece of Canada I appreciate the most.

By Alex Goddard

Oh Canada

As a traveler, and immigrant, and moving over a dozen times it felt like a nomadic lifestyle was in the cards for me. Yet there is no place like home. It may seem like a faint memory, but I still remember crying on my plane ride to immigrate to Canada. But much of it faded as I was warmly welcomed by friendly faces, mesmerizing landscapes, and beautiful cities with bold architecture. When reflecting about the nature we are blessed with in Canada, my many camping trips and from having an opportunity to travel from the East to West Coast Canada came to mind. With it’s captivating natural landscape never failed to take my breath away, Canada wide travel has reinforced my love for the natural landscapes we have here and how grateful I am to have seen it. There was something incredibly fascinating to me of how small it made me feel, yet still so significant with the opportunities that are presented to each individual.

There are so many gems within Canada, I would encourage the opportunity to explore one’s backyard, as often we can forget to grasp the beauty that lays beneath our noses. I will never forget the image of crystal blue lakes, or the wildlife such as deer and bears peacefully roaming in national parks reminds me how important it is to protect and advocate for nature within Canada, it’s a feeling and a sight you wish everyone can experience. This is what the Canadian nature is all about to me, I am grateful everyday to call this my home.

By Greta Vaivadaite

The Beauty of Canada

Views of Lake Louise, the Colombia Icefields, the Rocky Mountains and Radium Hot Springs (top left to right, bottom left to right)

Remember taking that summer road trip to enjoy nature at its finest? My first experience in Alberta, was my family’s road trip just a few days after Canada Day in 2010. It spanned 7 days with over 26 hours of driving, 9 stops and 26 people in total-what a once in a lifetime experience!

Moving from Four McMurray, to Edmonton, to Hinton and then being greeted by the lovely Jasper National Park where miles of snow-capped mountains were reflected on the turquoise lake water. The Colombia Icefields had slippery ice sheets full of history and the existence of tour buses with tyres taller than some. Streams of cold meltwater were in abundance where some of the freshest and most pure water could be tasted. Lake Louise had landscape akin to that straight out of a magazine – just pristine. Radium Hot Springs offered horseback riding and sulfur pools followed by summer barbequing with sing-a-longs around the campfire. This lovely walkable town also provided me vivid memories of bighorn sheep coming down off of the mountains onto the streets and within arms-length distance- just observing us. At Banff, taking a gondola and then a short walk, amidst the chilling winds to an area near the summit greeted us with a breath-taking bird’s eye view of Banff, surrounded by the mountain ranges. The trip ended at Calgary near their time of Stampede festivities before having to head back to our starting point. I left nothing but footprints, took lots of pictures and gained enjoyable memories. 

This truly unforgettable experience broadened my appreciation for nature and would not have been possible without the splendour that Canada has to offer. Each province has their own natural beauty, making it worth getting out and exploring in your own backyard this Canada Day.

By Shanella Ramkissoon

They’re called “The Great Lakes” for a reason!

I’ve never been a fan of lakes. The unpredictability of lake animals unnerved me as a child. Moving to Canada from a coastal European town at a young age made me think of this country as bricks and concrete. I couldn’t see the ocean or smell the salt in the air. Nature took a backseat in my mind and I didn’t do a lot of thinking about it until about age 14 when I went sailing on Lake Simcoe. I was hesitant at first, as you might have guessed, but it ended up being one of the first (since then many) times I felt most connected to the natural world. Seeing the sunsets from the boat, swimming with Bass and Trout, and taking the dingy out for a quick trip around the bay made me appreciate the natural beauty that Canada has to offer.

At the end of my trip, I was hesitant to leave. I knew I would miss the calming effect that the outdoors had on me. This experience reminded me that you don’t have to live near the ocean or on the foothill of a mountain to experience Canadian nature in its most beautiful form: free. 

By Teo Guzu

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When you attend Hillside Music Festival at Guelph Lake, Ontario you enter an eco-village where sustainability and community are top priorities. This 36 year old grassroots organization opens up a world of possibilities and solutions that other events can strive towards. They set the bar high with thoughtful innovations that have earned them several awards over the years. It’s a paradigm shift and hopefully a glimpse into the future of all music festivals.

Here are some of the highlights of how Hillside operates a zero-waste, eco-conscious concert experience. 

01: Seed Swap

Hillside offers a seed swap where you can bring seeds from your garden and exchange them for something different. It’s an amazing way to build your garden’s biological diversity.

02: Bike Lot

Hillside is located about 10 km from the nearest town but it seems that biking is the preferred method of transportation for many people. This bike lot offers a secure place to store your ride during the festival.

03: Independent Food Vendors

You won’t see a chain anywhere at this festival. The food vendors are all independent businesses carefully vetted by the organizers. You can get some seriously gourmet grub here, from organic ice cream to a fresh oyster bar. Hillside is a foodies’ paradise.

04: Zero-Waste Dining

This part is mind-blowing. All the food vendors are supplied with reusable plates, cups, and cutlery to serve their food on which are then washed by volunteers. No paper plates, plastic cups, forks etc. Food vendors are also not allowed to sell bottled water.

05: Trash Turnaround Areas

These are scattered around the island to handle trash. There is a bin for compost, dirty dishes to be washed, recyclables (paper, plastic, cans), and landfill (usually empty). People are diligent about keeping the island clean and their trash sorted. All the bins are carted away on a trike.

06: Water Refill Station

BYOB as in bottle. The City of Guelph sends a truck full of their great-tasting tap water for people to fill up their own reusable water bottles for free. There are no single-use plastic water bottles anywhere and it’s glorious.

07: Eco Merch

The Hillside wristband is made out of cloth instead of plastic and the reusable beer and wine cups are made from stainless steel.

08: Zero Waste Drinking

The beer is on tap and sourced from local microbreweries. The wine is from Ontario. To purchase a cold one, you must have your own Hillside reusable cup, which are sold at cost for $6.

09: Indigenous Circle

The area hosts story-telling, music, dancing, workshops and ceremonies.

10: Solar-Powered Charging Stations

You have to keep your phone charged at a festival. What if the performer asks for crowd flashlight action? Hillside has you covered with several charging stations powered by solar panels. It does a great job charging your phone quickly and there are quite a few outlets available.

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It’s 2019 and people are becoming more aware of the seriousness of the climate crisis and more importantly, the part we as nations, communities and humans play in addressing it. In recent years, a large number of communites in Canada have been developing sustainable energy plans. For instance, Oxford County, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia are committed to achieving 100% renewable energy sources by 2050. Vancouver is also aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% below 2007 levels. The cities of Guelph and Markham are going Net Zero Carbon by 2050. So, what about the community I live in, the Region of Waterloo?  

In 2013, local organizations and community members of the Waterloo region collaborated with the Sustainable Waterloo region, Reep Green solutions and the Region of Waterloo to develope the Climate Action Plan. This was done in order to join a nation-wide effort to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. Cities across Canada are decreasing their total GHG emissions to reach a community reduction target. The Region of Waterloo is aiming to reduce its GHG emissions by 6% from 2010 levels by 2020. 

According to Ken Seiling, a former (and the longest sitting) Chair for Waterloo Region, 6% was the chosen target because Climate Action Waterloo Region (ClimateActionWR) believes it is realistic and achievable. There are many important projects in the community that can help us reach this goal, which will mean reducing GHG emissions by 842,000 tonnes by 2020. To visualize this, just 1 tonne of GHG is equivalent to the area of an average two-storey three bedroom house.

Between 2010 and 2015 alone, ClimateActionWR has stated a 5.2% reduction in GHG emissions, which is equivalent to 235,935 tonnes of CO2 emissions or 58,000 cars removed from the roads.

I wanted to know more about where the target stands currently, what the region has been doing to reduce emissions and achieve its targets, and how all the organizations involved work together.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tova Davidson, the Executive Director for Sustainable Waterloo Region, and Samantha Tremmel, the Interim Plan Manager for ClimateActionWR.  

Tova Davidson

What does Sustainable Waterloo Region have to do with the ClimateActionWR? I wondered. “Climate Action Waterloo Region is a programme Sustainable Waterloo Region and Reep Green Solutions run together,” explains Ms. Davidson. It collaborates with local organizations, community members and municipalities to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. She also adds that “Part of their [Climate Action WR’s] job is to support and promote other organizations in the work they are doing to reduce emissions. They do this through conversation, policies and connections to the community.” The 6% reduction by 2020 is not Climate Action WR’s only target. They have a long term “80 by 50” target too, which simply means reaching an 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050. 

So, how has the city been working to achieve the 6% target? In Waterloo, the 2015 emissions breakdown shows that the transportation sector is the largest emitter of CO2 at 49%, followed by industrial, commercial, and institutional work places at 27%, our homes at 18%, agriculture at 5% and waste management at 1%. Ms. Davidson mentions that the transport sector is a major focus for the Waterloo Region because it carries the largest footprint. 

Uptown Waterloo. Image Credit: Explore Waterloo Region

Actions taken to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector include an initiative called the Community Access Bikeshare (CAB). CAB is a project designed to provide affordable public access to bicycles to get to meetings or run errands, as well as a way to encourage exercise. Kitchener-Waterloo currently has nine bikeshare locations. Similarly, another initiative is the community carshare, a way for households to own fewer vehicles and for the city to provide hybrid taxis that reduce fuel consumption, save money and lower GHG emissions. Lime, a transportation company who has placed electric scooters around the University of Waterloo campus and Waterloo Park, is also supported and promoted by ClimateActionWR. “It’s an interesting project and a decarbonization and pilot programme,” says Ms. Davidson. The ION light rail, which I greatly appreciate for its clean design and air conditioning this hot summer, is also a part of the initiative to reduce GHG emissions. The ION light rail only started its operation this June, but with the operation of fourteen electric, zero emission trains, some of the standard public buses have been taken off the roads. 

An initiative taken by the waste management industries include the green bins, as over 50% of household waste by weight is organic and can be used as compost. When not properly disposed of, organic waste creates a potent GHG called methane during decomposition. Between 2010 and 2014, over 11,000 tonnes of GHG has been reduced by Waterloo Region residents using the green bins.

Lastly, for our workplaces, one initiative that’s been taken up is implementing green building standards. The municipality provides initiatives for developers to voluntarily adopt more sustainable building standards or energy efficient designs. These incentives may be reduced development charges, permitting additional floor area, or an expedited review process for buildings that meet higher construction and performance standards. Other workplace initiatives include LED street light retrofits, which are expected to reduce GHG emissions by 920 tonnes per year.      

Other programs Sustainable Waterloo Region run include the ‘Regional Sustainability Initiative’. “It’s a target setting program for businesses, and we work with municipalities, schools, individual organizations and independent businesses to help them measure their carbon footprint. We set a target over a ten year period and we work to meet that target,” says Ms. Davidson. 

The evolv1 building located in the David Johnson Research and Technology Park, Waterloo, is Canada’s first zero carbon building, according to its developers The Cora Group. The building is also a part of the work Sustainable Waterloo Region is doing, and their office is in the evolv1 building. “Right now, we are working on not only scaling this building and getting other people to understand what happens in evolv1, but also on the culture of sustainability in terms of ‘how do we get people to see themselves as sustainability actors and behave in a way we need them to?’”

All the partner organizations of Sustainable Waterloo Region are always hiring for various paid and volunteer positions posted on their website and social media accounts

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A disturbing mix of flood hazards are present in the capital city of Ghana, Accra. The city has annual floods that result in a disturbing loss of lives and livelihoods. These perennial floods come with the onset of the rainy season in June each year and can be traced back to a core failure of city planning processes, waste management efficiency and civic recalcitrance towards responsible waste management.

Background Information

A disturbing mix of flood hazards are present in the capital city of Ghana, Accra. The city has annual floods that result in a disturbing loss of lives and livelihoods. These perennial floods come with the onset of the rainy season in June each year and can be traced back to a core failure of city planning processes, waste management efficiency and civic recalcitrance towards responsible waste management.

Photo: Flood cause-effect: Drainage blocked at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. Accra, Ghana. Image Credit: News Ghana

The Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, commonly known just as “Circle” by locals, is a sprawling transportation hub where thousands of commuters connect with mass transit buses, taxis and passenger buses to go about their daily movement.

Photo: Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle). Accra, Ghana. Image Credit: Douglas Anane-Frimpong

A consequence of this heavy human traffic is the accumulation of waste produced by people in the form of rubber bags, food waste from vendors, disposable packaging and all forms of undesirables. These undesirables end up clogging gutters and blocking run-off water routes, particularly the Odaw River located at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange; a major water route, which when clogged, contributes to significant flooding. 

Photo: De-silting of Odaw River, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle). Accra, Ghana. Image Credit: Citi Newsroom

One particularly devastating flood disaster occurred on June 3rd 2015 in Accra, Ghana at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange. Flooding from continuous rainfall triggered an explosion at a fuel station that led to over 150 deaths. 

Photo: Rains and Living Hell Fire at GOIL filling station – Kwame Nkrumah Circle during flood on 3rd June 2015. Accra, Ghana. Image Credit: Walter Adamah, Twitter

On this fateful day, June 3rd 2015, people finding shelter from torrential rain at a fuel station were instantly vaporized when a massive fire engulfed the area; the fire’s cause was attributed to flood effects. 

Photo: Burnt out shell of GOIL filling station, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, following June 3rd 2015 fire. Accra, Ghana. Image Credit: Christian Thompson/AP

The wider conversation around environmental management in the form of efficient city planning and urban zoning coupled with responsible waste management with respect to impact analysis continues. In a country racked by wanton corruption and irresponsible and self-seeking decision making by administrative officials, one can identify this undesirable perennial flooding situation as metaphorical ‘Tears of a Nation’. 

Photo: Sanitation, euphemism for corruption in Ghana? Image Credit: MyJoyOnline TV – Ghana

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