The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is hosting a virtual repair café from 11 am-2 pm, Apr. 10. There will be darning and sewing machine tutorials. Register to participate.
10 climate podcasts that are worth a listen.
Upcoming Events
SaskOutdoors is hosting an online panel discussion on global citizenship education at 6:30 pm, Mar. 30.
Wild About Saskatoon is hosting an online conversation from 7-10 pm, Mar. 31, regarding progress in the past year on the City of Saskatoon’s Green Strategy.
An online event from 7-8:30 pm, Apr. 1, will look at how to leverage the National Climate League report card to support local climate action.
All ages are welcome on an outing to explore the Habitat Conservation Area with Nature Regina on Apr. 2 (various time slots). Register in advance and confirm the event is going ahead.
Looking Ahead
SaskOutdoors and the Saskatchewan Orienteering Association are offering an Orienteering for Kids and Youth program in Saskatoon with six sessions (1 session/week) starting the week of April 12.
SaskOutdoors is hosting a remote first aid workshop from Apr. 16-18 on White Butte Trails east of Regina.
Local News
The City of Saskatoon is developing a renewable energy strategy and would like your thoughts.
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has published a report on Building the Low Carbon Economy: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for Saskatchewan.
Agriculture
Food systems generate one third of global greenhouse gas emissions with a large chunk generated in the earliest stages of farming: “Land-use change, which involves the conversion of wild land into farms, made up the remaining 32% of the 71% figure, manifesting in carbon loss from deforestation and the destruction of organic and peatland soils to make way for farmland.”
A new report from the National Farmers Union, Imagine If . . . A Vision of a Near-Zero Emission Farm and Food System for Canada: “The report argues that a climate-friendly food system can be designed to increase farm income. Using, and paying for ever-larger quantities of fertilizers, fuels, chemicals, plastics, and other inputs have increased emissions and at the same time lowered farmers’ net incomes. . . . a low-emission food system will necessarily be a low-input food system that increases farm profitability.”
Yard Work
Some gas-powered leaf blowers “produce more than 100 decibels of low-frequency, wall-penetrating sound—or as much noise as a plane taking off—at levels that can cause tinnitus and hearing loss with long exposure. Beyond that, gas-powered lawn care of all kinds spews pollutants linked to cancers, heart disease, and asthma, and blowers blast air up to 280 miles per hour, eroding topsoil and sending pollen, fertilizers, and herbicides adrift. Workers who spend hours a day with equipment are most at risk.”
Spring clean-up – 7 tips for a biodiverse yard.
Last, But Not Least
Our cultural discomfort with death has led us to overlook the environmental cost of funerals and burials. There are eco-friendly options, from embalming and the casket to burial and cremation.
EcoFriendly Sask supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app.
You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).
Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.
