Tuesday 13 April 2021

EcoSask News, April 13, 2021

Ring-billed gull with crayfish

This Week’s Highlights 
The Centre for the Study of Science and Innovation Policy, JSGS, is hosting a video conference to discuss “Are SMRs right for Saskatchewan? Five questions that need answers” from 12-1 pm, Apr. 15. 

A rare, newly-discovered habitat in northern Saskatchewan is home to extraordinarily high numbers of rare species. Unfortunately, the Saskatchewan government is currently refusing to protect it from resource development. You can help by contacting the Ministry of Energy and Resources. 

Upcoming Events 
Nature Conservancy of Canada will present a new national study on the importance of wildlife corridors in a webinar at 12:30 pm, Apr. 15. 

City of Moose Jaw residents can dispose of hazardous waste from 9 am-3 pm, Apr. 17. 

Gravelbourg Green Initiatives is hosting an online composting workshop from 10-11 am, Apr. 17. 

Saskatoon Makerspace invites you to drop in and work on a sewing project with an instructor there to help from 11 am-2 pm, Apr. 17. Tickets are $50. 

Branimir Gjetvaj will discuss action for climate and biodiversity: why small steps are important at the 7 pm, Apr. 19, virtual meeting of Nature Regina. 

Regina Public Library is hosting an online talk to help you identify the birds you see in your community at 7 pm, Apr. 20. 

There will be a noon-hour webinar on native pollinators in the prairies on Apr. 20 as part of the Native Prairie Speaker Series. 

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society will hold their virtual annual general meeting and a series of short presentations on powering the transition: outstanding issues in our energy future at 7 pm, Apr. 21. 

Our Land, My People covers the impact of resource exploitation on the Lubicon Cree. The film will be shown at 7 pm, Apr. 22, in Regina. 

The Saskatoon Nature Society’s Golden Eagles invite retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world to attend their field trips
Apr. 22, 10 am – Wanuskewin Heritage Park 
Apr. 29, 8 am – Waterfowl Trip
 
Ring-billed gull

Local News 
The Saskatchewan government plans to tax electric vehicles. Other provinces are offering rebates. The government has also cut the funding for the provincial office responsible for climate change policy by almost 50%. 

Saskatoon’s spruce trees could be at risk as drought makes them more susceptible to insects and disease. 

From Information to Action 
Three Canadian trucking companies are employing emission-reducing solutions that also improve their bottom line. Musket Transport “provides training to drivers on fuel-efficient driving techniques, such as reducing acceleration and deceleration, and identifying optimal speeds.” Canadian Tire is using one third less fuel by replacing two trucks with one long multi-trailer vehicle. Erb Transport is employing a variety of tactics to reduce drag and rolling resistance. 

There’s a lot of hype about green hydrogen. But the questions remain: Make it from what? Move it how? At what cost? And who benefits? 

Light pollution is increasing at more than 2% per year and has a surprising number of implications, including increased transmission of the West Nile Virus, changes in landscape, and interfering with the food supply for entire marine ecosystems. 

The GHG+H2O Green Facility Toolkit provides health care organizations with a specialized package of educational materials, awareness tools, and technical resources. 

Food for Thought 
“Nobody is denying that humans are exceptional. The concept of human uniqueness is only a problem when we deny the beauty and necessity both of our animal lives and the lives of other animals. . . . We’re only at the beginning of scientific discoveries about the way memory and intentions grip animal bodies from tip to claw. Eventually, we’re going to have to reckon with the true complexity of the other lives that surround us.” 

Avian Magic 
To power their perilous migratory journeys, birds undergo extreme feats like doubling their body weight and rearranging or even consuming their internal organs. 

16 fabulous photographs of birds, from a comical duckling and a surfing penguin to sunlit birds of happiness. 


Did you know? Nesting colonies of Ring-billed Gull normally include a few two-female couples, both of whom lay a clutch of eggs. (Nature Companion)

EcoFriendly Sask supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app. 

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