EcoSask News, September 28, 2021

Upcoming Events 

Last of the Right Whales premieres at the Calgary International Film Fest Sept. 26. It will be available online from Sept 27-Oct 3 in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. 

The Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan is holding an online information session for rescue and transport volunteers at 2 pm, Oct. 2. 

Library of Things, Saskatoon, will be open for pick-ups by reservation from 1-4 pm, Oct. 2. 

City of Saskatoon residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am to 3:30 pm, Oct. 3. 

Saskatoon’s Energy Management Task Force is offering an online update on DEEP from 7:30-9:15 am, Oct. 6. 

The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is hosting a video conference on measuring greenhouse gas sources and sinks in the Canadian Prairies crop sector from 12-12:55 pm, Oct. 7. Register to participate. 

Looking Ahead 

The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is hosting repair cafés in Regina, Saskatoon, and online from 10 am-2 pm, Oct. 23. You’re encouraged to book an appointment for both live and virtual events. 

Full details on all upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

 

Local News 

Great news - and well deserved! Wild About Saskatoon: NatureCity Experience is a finalist for a national Community Action Award from the National Museum of Nature. 

This article counters the current arguments in favour of grass-raised beef from a cost, scale, and environmental impact perspective. The article states, “Regenerative ranching begins with the assumption that cattle must be commercially ranched and then backfills an ecological narrative to sustain that assumption.” [The New Republic] 

A joint City/University research study has found a wide range of pharmaceuticals and chemicals in Saskatoon’s wastewater. “The levels we have measured are not high enough to be likely to acutely impact aquatic organisms living in the river. But that does not mean that there are no chronic, long-term implications that might manifest over longer time scales.” [CTV News] 

Urban Coyote, a poem by Glen Sorestad. [This Singing Land kanikamot askiy] 

Healthy People, Healthy Environment 

A new report states that climate change is a threat to public health as well as the environment and the economy. It will affect everyone but not equally, depending on factors such as age, access to health care, and economic disadvantages. [Canadian Institute for Climate Choices] 

The 3-30-300 rule is designed to create equitable access to urban forests, addressing air pollution and urban heat islands. A few communities, such as Saanich in BC, have adopted the rule which calls for every resident to be able to see at least 3 decent-sized trees from their home, live in neighbourhoods with at least 30% tree canopy cover, and live no more than 300 meters from the nearest public green space. [Nature Canada]

Pollution Prevention 

The Sierra Club has endorsed a strong statement opposing “unnecessary and harmful artificial lighting during the day and night.” They provide a comprehensive explanation for their rationale as well as a list of the over 70 references and resources that were consulted in developing the policy. [Sierra Club]

“The production of steel, cement, and ammonia together emit about one-fifth of all human-caused CO2. Technologies are emerging that promise to decarbonize these problem industries, but analysts warn that big challenges remain before the processes can be cleaned up.” [Yale Environment 360] 

Planned obsolescence may be good for phone companies but it’s bad for users’ wallets and even worse for the planet, because it encourages people to treat their phones as disposable. No one really knows how much e-waste (electronic refuse) is generated every year, but one recent estimate put it at 53.6m metric tonnes in 2019. [The Guardian] 

Book Reviews 

Gernot Wagner, author of Geoengineering: The Gamble, says it’s right to be skeptical about solar geoengineering (reflecting solar radiation back into space), but it can’t be ignored as somebody is likely to try it eventually. [Earthbound Report] 

“In Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change, [Thor] Hanson talks to scientists all over the world about how plants and animals are moving and changing, and why some are inherently better set up for success than others.” [The Revelator] 

Did you know? Highbush Cranberry belongs to the honeysuckle family and isn’t actually a cranberry. 

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 subscribing by email (top right corner).

EcoSask News, June 22, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

Help weed and mulch the 200 fruit-bearing trees and shrubs on the east side of the river between the Circle Drive and train bridges from 1-4 pm, Saturday, June 26. Tools will be provided. Contact Jordan for additional information (306-380-9565, jrs260@usask.ca). 

Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Switch from videoconferencing to voice-only online meetings and you’ll reduce your environmental impact by 96%. [Anthropocene] 

Upcoming Events 

Have your say on the City of Saskatoon’s Green Infrastructure Strategy at a virtual workshop from 1-3 pm, June 24, or 7-9:30 pm, June 29. Or you can complete an online survey from now until July 4. 

Nature Conservancy of Canada is hosting a webinar on tackling invasive species from 11:30 am-12:30 pm, June 24. 

City of Regina residents can dispose of hazardous waste from 4-7 pm on Friday, 9 am-4 pm, Saturday, and 9 am-4 pm, Sunday, June 25-27. 

EnviroCollective Regina will be holding an online meeting from 7-9 pm, June 28.

Looking Ahead 

Enjoy art classes in a natural setting at Ness Creek from July 26-29.

 

Local News 

“In a province that’s home to nearly half of Canada’s arable land . . . the impact of farming operations on downstream water bodies is huge. . . . a careful balance has to be struck between the vital economic necessities of farming and protecting the environment for the future” [Saskatoon StarPhoenix] 

Find out more about the prairies with games and activities from the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan, including an interactive game, a field guide to the plants and animals living on the prairies, and field activities. 

What a Good Idea! 

E-scooter fees will partially fund a $2 million program to add 3 miles of protected bike lanes in downtown Miami. [Planetizen] 

The online shopping boom calls for new urban freight options to reduce emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion. Here are 10 proven options as well as 4 new ones. [Pembina Institute] 

Ten Bold Ideas: Accelerating Climate Action in the 2020s offers some intriguing ideas, such as a repair workshop on every main street, menu flipping, and real golf. [Possible] 

Over 100 wildflower meadows, funded by the municipalities, have been planted in Germany’s largest cities over the past 3 years. Their goal is to protect Germany’s wild bees, more than half of which are endangered or on the verge of extinction. [The Guardian] 

A colony of rare orchids, thought to be extinct in the UK, has been discovered in the rooftop garden of a London bank, demonstrating that green infrastructure can protect and maintain biodiversity. [The Guardian] 

We Can Do Better! 

Cascades: Creating a Sustainable Health System in a Climate Crisis wants to engage the health care community in climate action and is hosting a listening tour, starting July 7. [Centre for Sustainable Health Systems] 

A proposed lithium mine in Nevada highlights a dilemma facing green tech: it’s still reliant on extractive industries. Opponents “assert that the mining industry is simply greenwashing old practices and exploiting the political climate that favors green energy, while using the laws that have enabled dispossession and destroyed environments for over a century.” [Earth Island Journal] 

“Peatlands, such as fens, bogs, marshes and swamps, cover just 3% of the Earth’s total land surface, yet store over one-third of the planet’s soil carbon.” They’re drying out or being destroyed, and that’s a problem. [The Conversation] 

If you’re looking for hard economic data to support climate action, check out The economics of climate change: no action not an option, which states, “The world economy could be 10% smaller if the 2050 net-zero emissions and Paris Agreement targets on climate change are not met.” [Swiss Re Institute] 

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 subscribe by email (top right corner).

Nature Companion, a free nature app/website for Canada's 4 western provinces

EcoSask News, April 13, 2021

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

 

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. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner). 

EcoSask News, March 30, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

“The key to bringing the environmental impact of architecture in line with planetary limits is to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings while radically reducing new construction. In other words: less demolition, more refurbishment.” 

Jeff Olson will discuss the effects of farmland drainage on our environment in a 1:30 pm, Mar. 30, webinar hosted by the School of the Environment and Sustainability Students’ Association. 

Upcoming Events 

Learn about research directions and a grassroots movement that led to a reduction in the amount of lead exposure in wildlife during the WildEcol Seminar at 3:30 pm, Apr. 2. 

Saskatoon Nature Society is planning a bluebird trip on April 3 and a crocus trip on Apr. 14. Field trips are currently for members only, so sign up now. Advance registration is required. 

Learn how to use a compass for orienteering in a free online webinar from 7-8 pm, Apr. 6. 

There will be an online discussion on plastic pollution and the efforts globally, nationally, and locally to identify solutions at 7 pm, Apr. 6, as part of the Sustainability Speaker Series. 

There will be a discussion on the Saturn power story and its Highfield solar project at the virtual breakfast meeting of the Energy Management Task Force on Apr. 7. 

Global Water Futures is offering an online lecture series on women and water with a presentation at 12:30 pm, Apr. 8, on women in the field. 

Saskatoon Nature Society’s Golden Eagles are planning a bluebird trip on Apr. 8 and a crocus trip on Apr. 15. Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate. 

Local News 

SOS Trees Coalition Saskatoon (trees@sostrees.ca) is looking for interesting true tree stories that will be shared in the organization’s newsletter right before Arbor Day. 

Join Stan Shadick, Saskatoon, for a socially distanced private birding tour or online/outdoor workshops (Signs of Spring, Sounds of the Night, Dancing Grouse). Proceeds will support Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation. 

A petition calls for an environmental assessment for agricultural drainage networks in Saskatchewan.

 

Neighbours 

“Nature, declares Richard Mabey, makes us ill. . . . ‘Bacteria and viruses and man-eating tigers and predatory Asian hornets are also all part of nature.’ . . . The most respectful terms of engagement, he argues, are not ‘anthropomorphism or manufactured empathy’ but ‘a sense of neighbourliness’. This is not friendship but ‘based on sharing a place, on the common experience of home and habitat and season’. ‘It might provide a bridge across the great conceptual divide between us and other species.’” 

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” 

From Information to Action 

Irrigation canals covered with solar panels are a powerful combination. 

“The quest for net zero health-care emissions involves re-imagining a society where health and wellbeing are prioritised, and incentives are aligned to promote fiscal and environmental stewardship. . . . Mitigating the health-care footprint requires interventions both to the health-care system and to the factors driving demand.” 

“In the last five years, while acceptance of climate change has gone more mainstream, the 60 largest commercial and private investment banks in the world financed the fossil fuel industry to a tune of nearly $4 trillion.” 

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). 

Did you know? Each adult female Richardson’s Ground Squirrel has her own tunnel where she raises her litter without help from the male.

EcoSask News, July 30, 2019

Upcoming Events
Planet in Peril, Aug. 1, 8, 15 (Regina)
The Regina International Film Festival is showing 3 films by Edward Burtynsky on the human influence on the earth: Manufactured Landscapes at 7 pm, Aug. 1; Watermark at 7 pm, Aug. 8; and Anthropocene at 7 pm, Aug. 15. There will be a panel discussion following the film on Aug. 15.

Get Wild, Aug. 7 (Saskatoon)
Meet and learn about animals that have ended up at Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation from 2:30-3:30 pm, Aug. 7, at the Round Prairie Branch Library.

What’s in your Water, Aug 9 (Osler)
Join the South Saskatchewan Watershed Stewards from 2-3 pm, Aug. 9, at Osler Library to sample water and find out why it’s important to keep our watersheds healthy.

Looking Ahead
Bats then Beers, Aug. 16-17 (Last Mountain Lake)
Join the Saskatchewan chapter of The Wildlife Society at Last Mountain Lake Regional Park Aug. 16-17 as they go looking for bats and enjoy local beer.

Fish Id, Aug. 18 (Echo Lake)
Nature Regina is offering a fish identification workshop from 9 am-3:30 pm, Aug. 18.

Outdoor Adventures for Kids 
Nature Baby, Sept. 10-Oct. 29 (Saskatoon)
Wildernook Fresh Air Learning invites 6-18 month olds and their mobilizers to participate in Nature Baby from 11:15 am-12:45 pm, Tuesdays, Sept. 10 to Oct. 29.

Nature Grandparenting, Sept. 12-Oct. 17 (Saskatoon) 
Grandparents and their 3-5 year olds are invited to participate in Nature Grandparenting from 9:30-10:40 am, Thursdays, Sept. 12 to Oct. 17.

Early Fall Tiny Ones, Sept. 13-Oct. 25 (Saskatoon) 
Timbernook Saskatoon invites caregivers with 1½-4 year olds to enjoy outdoor adventures on Fridays from 9:30-11:30 am, Sept. 13-Oct. 25.

Early Fall Little Wild Ones, Sept. 13-Oct. 25 (Saskatoon) 
Timbernook Saskatoon invites 4-7 year olds who aren’t in school or are home schooling to participate in their forest program on Fridays from 1-4 pm, Sept. 13-Oct. 25.

Saskatoon Nature Society
Golden Eagles 
Aug. 8, 8 am – Nature Walk at Schmeiser’s Acreage
Aug. 15, 8 am – Shorebirds
Retirees and partners who are interested in birds and the natural world are invited to participate.

Other Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips 
Aug. 7, 6:45-8:15 pm – Prairie Wildflower & Tree Hike
Everyone is welcome. Check the Saskatoon Nature Society’s website for full details and updated information.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News
Meewasin Valley Authority is looking for volunteers to put up marker tags to make it easier for wildlife to see fences at Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale. Contact Renny Grilz if you’re interested.

Saskatoon residents are invited to complete a short survey on green infrastructure priorities. The deadline is Aug. 6.

The City of Regina plans to install brighter lighting in Victoria Park to help people feel safer. Are they also taking into consideration the effect of light pollution on plants, animals, and the night sky?

Thousands of people, minimal waste at Saskatoon’s Food Truck Wars.

Women are dominating the deconstruction industry: “Instead of focusing on trendy plastic straw bans, they are recycling whole houses.”

“ ‘Conserving the diversity in our soils may be the most effective health intervention we can ever make.’ . . . by getting your hands dirty planting trees or building soil erosion control structures — you are not only conserving biodiversity, you are also inoculating yourself with microbes that you yourself may need.”

Ikea’s new store in Greenwich, UK, combines solar, geothermal, orchards, rainwater harvesting, and much more.

Could large-scale biogas systems be the next big thing in green energy?

These photographs of urban trees are heartbreaking, “but in almost every photo, there is hope in the sense that the trees and topiary are still emerging through the cracks, taking back the land, or not necessarily playing by man’s rules due to their inherent qualities of being wild.”

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

The Pros and Cons of Geothermal Energy

The federal and provincial governments are providing financial support for a geothermal energy plant in southeastern Saskatchewan. DEEP Geothermal’s plant will drill down 3.5 kilometres into the hot sedimentary base of the Williston Basin, making it the deepest well ever drilled in the province. The geothermal fluid will be pumped through heat exchangers, creating steam to drive the generators. Brine from the source well will be re-injected into the ground.

Geothermal energy uses heat stored in the earth’s core to generate electricity. The earth’s core is hot enough to melt rocks, creating magma. Sometimes the magma escapes as lava, but it normally stays below the earth’s surface heating the surrounding rocks and water. The heated water can form hot springs or geysers, but it usually remains below ground in geothermal reservoirs. By drilling into the reservoir, hot water can be pumped up to the surface and used to generate electricity or heat individual buildings. In some locations, if there is no water or steam to extract, the rock is cracked and water forced through it to be heated and pumped for use. This is referred to as enhanced geothermal.

Although geothermal energy provides only a very small proportion of energy worldwide (0.3%), it makes a much more significant contribution in some areas. Geothermal plants produce approximately 30% of Iceland’s electricity, while geothermal heating meets the heating and hot water requirements for 87% of the nation’s housing.

The proponents of geothermal energy are quick to point out its many benefits with SaskPower’s website noting its reliability, lack of emissions, and small environmental footprint. Unfortunately, very few things in life are quite that simple, and geothermal energy is no exception. The pros and cons of geothermal energy are mixed and complex.

Reliability: Unlike wind and solar energy, geothermal energy is not limited to certain days or times of day. Many view it as a renewable resource, but that is not the case if the groundwater reservoirs are depleted. Similarly, aggressive extraction can surpass natural limits resulting in financial losses as the power plant is unable to function at full capacity.

Location & Cost: In theory, geothermal energy can be produced anywhere, but it is a much more reasonable proposition when the heat is close to the earth’s surface as is the case in Iceland. Geothermal power plants have much higher up-front costs than other power plants. One can only assume that costs, both financial and environmental, will rise the deeper one has to dig to reach the heated rock and water.

Geological Stability: Extracting and re-injecting hot fluids into the ground can cause the ground to settle and may generate earthquakes. In most cases, the earthquakes associated with geothermal energy production have been minor, but concerns have been raised by larger earthquakes in Switzerland and South Korea near enhanced geothermal facilities.

Re-injecting spent fluids into the well is supposed to prevent land subsidence by replenishing the reservoir; however, the fracking industry’s practice of reinjecting waste liquids into disposal wells has been linked to earthquake activity. Recent seismic activity near a fracking site in northeastern British Columbia measured between 3.4 and 4.5 magnitude.

Health & Environmental Problems: The water or steam that is brought to the surface often contains hydrogen sulphide, which is released into the environment as gas, causing health and environmental problems. Concerns have already been raised in Saskatchewan about leaking gas from fracking operations - will the geothermal plant generate similar concerns? Reports indicate that hydrogen sulphide from geothermal plants has increased the seriousness of respiratory problems and asthma in Reykjavik. Hydrogen sulphide can also lead to “increased corrosion of metals, increasing the costs of replacement of circuit boards and other complicated electronics.”

Noise pollution can be substantial during drilling, construction, and operation, affecting both nearby residents and wildlife. It will be interesting to see whether this concern is adequately addressed by a German company constructing a 50 MW geothermal facility in the heart of Munich. The company’s noise prevention measures include “ongoing measurements in order to be able to locate and control noise sources immediately, noise barriers, a particularly quiet drilling rig and adapted construction site logistics. Thus, the noisy delivery and unloading almost exclusively during the day.”

Pipes can leak, and DEEP Geothermal’s CEO acknowledges the importance of monitoring the pipes carrying the brine, particularly in an agricultural area.

Water Supply: Geothermal processes use a lot of water and may require external water sources to maintain their operations. Is there an adequate water supply in southeastern Saskatchewan to meet the needs of residents, agriculture, recreation, and nature as well as industry?

Wildlife & Natural Beauty: Has a detailed environmental assessment been carried out to examine the potential impact of the geothermal activities near Estevan on wildlife and plants? A geothermal facility in Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya, contains “Miles and miles of pipes – some high enough off the ground that trucks can pass underneath and giraffes won’t hit their heads” - carrying steam to huge power plants also located in the park. One can only question the impact this has on wildlife and tourism, a major economic driver in East African countries.

It’s great to see money being invested in a renewable energy project, particularly one in southeastern Saskatchewan, which has been for so long reliant on coal for employment and a strong economy. However, let’s make sure that all the potential risk factors receive due consideration and mitigation. All necessary steps must be taken to protect humans, wildlife, and nature.

Further Information:
Geothermal Energy Pros and Cons
10 Geothermal Energy Pros and Cons 
How Does Geothermal Drilling Trigger Earthquakes? 
South Korea’s Most-Destructive Quake Probably Triggered by Geothermal Plant
The Hidden Price of Iceland’s Green Energy
Saskatchewan Firms Aims to Build Canada’s First Geothermal Facility

EcoSask News, January 22, 2019

Upcoming Events
Bike to Work Day, Jan. 24 (Saskatoon)
Enjoy some fun on your way to work on Bike to Work Day, Jan. 24, in Saskatoon.

24 Hours in the Desert, Jan. 25 (Saskatoon)
Meaghan Hackinen will share what it takes to successfully complete a 24-hour bike race from 6:30-8:30 pm, Jan. 25.

SCYAP Bike Art Show (S. Ballard-McKinlay)

A Comfortable Nest, Jan. 25 (Saskatoon)
Join Lyndon Penner at Wild Birds Unlimited at 7 pm, Jan. 25, for a discussion on what birds need to build a nest.

Gone Wild for Wildlife, Jan. 26 (Saskatoon)
Meet hawks, bats, and snakes; dissect an owl pellet; make a pine cone bird feeder; and enjoy science experiments at Gone Wild for Wildlife from 10 am-5 pm, Jan. 26.

This Changes Everything, Jan. 27 (Regina)
This Changes Everything, a film about climate change vs. capitalism, will be shown at 6:30 pm, Jan. 27, at the Regina Public Library.

Walking Saskatoon, Jan. 27 (Saskatoon)
Everyone is invited to attend Walking Saskatoon’s meeting from 1-2:30 pm, Jan. 27.

Renewable Energy, Jan. 28 (Prince Albert)
Join RPIC to discuss renewable energy’s role in climate change and social justice at 6:30 pm, Jan. 28.

Loggerhead Shrikes, Jan. 28 (webinar)
PCAP-SK is hosting a webinar with Amy Chabot, Shrike Watch Canada, about loggerhead shrikes at noon, Jan. 28.

Birds of Saskatchewan Book Launch, Jan. 29 (Saskatoon)
Nature Saskatchewan will be launching their new book, Birds of Saskatchewan, at McNally Robinson Booksellers at 7 pm, Jan. 29.

Come and Grow, Jan. 31 (Saskatoon)
City of Saskatoon is holding an open house from 3-8 pm, Jan. 31, to discuss its plans for growth. Included in the discussion is the University Sector, which overlaps with the Northwest Swale.

Project Wild, Feb. 1 (Saskatoon)
SaskOutdoors is hosting a Project Wild workshop for educators at the University of Saskatchewan on Feb. 1.

Learn to Kiteski, Feb. 1-3 (Regina)
SaskOutdoors is offering an opportunity to learn to kiteski from Feb. 1-3 in Regina.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Citizen Science at the Swale (Saskatoon)
Contribute your observations of the Northeast Swale’s flora and fauna to iNaturalist’s Meewasin Northeast Swale project. You’ll be helping to establish an inventory for long-term monitoring.

In the News
“Issues like climate change require rapid transformations in both conservation and food production practices. Rather than perpetuating polarization, bold leadership should work toward consensus among groups. This must start with recognizing that food production and conservation are not opposing ends of the spectrum.”

SOS Elms December 2018 newsletter discusses urban forest challenges, including infill development and root protection.

Greystone Kids, a newly launched children’s book program, will be launching 6 new books this fall themes of nature and the environment. And, best of all, one of them - Hello, Crow! - is by Candace Savage.

Healthcare creates 10% of US greenhouse gas emissions - it needs to be part of the solution.

Six conservation movies for the whole family.

Naturalist poet Mary Oliver reminded us to be devoted to life:

“believe us, they say, it is a serious thing
just to be alive 
on this fresh morning 
in the broken world …"

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Noise Pollution

“Next time you go for a walk in the woods, pay attention to the sounds you hear – the flow of a river, wind through the trees, singing birds, bugling elk. These acoustic resources are just as magnificent as visual ones, and deserve our protection” (Rachel Buxton, Colorado State University)

Listen – what do you hear – a baby crying, a motorcycle roaring, a siren, footsteps, a refrigerator humming? Animals developed ears before vocal cords and “hearing is far more universal than vision.” Noise alerts us to danger, helps us to communicate with each other, and provides pleasure. It’s vitally important for all living beings and yet we’ve taken it too far. One in four adults in the United States show signs of noise-induced hearing loss and noise pollution is causing stress and damaging the health and well-being of humans and animals.

Our ears are exceptionally sensitive. Microscopic hairs detect vibrations and relay sound to the brain. But if the sounds are too loud, the hairs can bend or break and can never be repaired. Humans can tolerate noise up to 85 decibels (vacuum cleaner 81.1-94.5, weed whacker 94-96) without damage, but anything over 65 decibels (city street corner 70, office noise 70) affects blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones in the blood. It’s important to also take into account intensity (loudness), frequency (pitch), and duration.

Let’s take traffic noise as just one example of the health problems caused by noise pollution. The risk of heart disease is 20% higher if you live on a noisy street, and 50,000 people in the European Union die prematurely from heart attacks caused by traffic noise. You may think you’re getting used to the noise, but that doesn’t change your risk of a heart attack. Often ignored but equally unhealthy is in-vehicle noise pollution experienced daily by commuters, often for extended lengths of time.

The sounds we aren’t even aware of may affect us the most. Our ears are processing background noises while we sleep. “Even if you don’t wake up, it appears that continual noise sets off the body’s acute stress response. . . . It is this response that can lead to cardiovascular disease and other health issues.”

It’s not just humans that are affected by noise pollution. From spiders and grasshoppers to birds, prairie dogs, and whales, all living beings are suffering from an excess of man-made noise. Animals use sound to avoid predators, find food or mates, and maintain social relationships. Loud noises can scare animals off their territory, but even low-level noise has a significant impact. European robins have learned to time their singing to correspond to quieter times of the day, while great tits have changed the frequency of their call so it can be heard over low-frequency urban noise. Frogs change their pitch. This helps the animals to make themselves heard, but it may make them less desirable to mates who are judging their virility based on their call’s pitch or complexity.

Background noise may stop baby birds from picking up on auditory cues to sit up and beg when their parents approach with food or crouch down and hide when predators appear. Prairie dogs spend less time looking for food and more time checking for danger when they’re in a noisy environment, and bats, who rely on sound to detect prey, may struggle to find food.

A study in New Mexico found that natural gas compressor sites had far fewer insects than sites without compressors. The number of wolf spiders, who rely on vibrations to detect prey, decreased by 44% for every 10-decibel increase in sound. Even animals that choose to remain in a noisy area may be suffering: “Many animals are living on the knife edge of an energy budget, particularly small animals who work to get enough food and not be eaten . . . . Seemingly small perturbations might just shift things in one direction and could put them on the wrong side of this knife edge."

We may think of oceans as a silent environment, but that’s not the case. Ship noise makes it hard for animals to communicate and to distinguish natural sounds from ship noises. This results in accidental collisions, a significant cause of death for right whales. The oil and gas industry uses very loud pulses of sound to detect oil or natural gas, and these can chase animals away from the area. Pulses of high frequency sound from military sonar are so powerful that “whole groups of whales and dolphins can beach themselves to escape the auditory assault. They can also disrupt communication and feeding behaviours and cause temporary hearing loss and permanent tissue damage.”

Parks and wildlife areas aren’t immune from noise pollution. A study of 492 protected areas in the US found that “human-caused noise pollution was twice as loud as natural sounds in 63 percent of the areas surveyed — in 21 percent of the areas, some of which were home to endangered species, it was ten times as loud.” The noise can have a major impact on the ecosystem as a whole. If it scares away large predators, the population of smaller prey will increase. If it results in less birds and pollinators, there will be fewer plants and without plant shelter the insect population will decline.

Addressing the Problem
There are many solutions to noise pollution. We tend to address the problem on a case-by-case basis – a neighbour’s leaf blower or nearby road construction, but that may not be the best approach. “Targeting the noise of individuals is ineffective, antisocial, and fails to eradicate the noise that really hurts people: environmental noise. Solutions to that problem must be systemic, requiring a large-scale, collective response across many different targets.” For example, Germany has banned lawn-mowing on Sundays, and the European Union has placed noise restrictions on household appliances, such as dishwashers and refrigerators. A return to low-tech tools, such as brooms, can significantly reduce noise levels. Bike lanes and rapid transit reduce traffic noise as do different types of road surfaces.

Limiting use of motorized boats and other recreational vehicles in wildlife areas and encouraging canoeing and hiking will protect wildlife. Shuttle services in popular parks will cut back on vehicle traffic, and noise can be confined to specific corridors by restricting aircraft to routes over roads. Quiet areas off the major coastal shipping routes could be set aside as wildlife refuges. Sound-reduction methods (sound barrier walls, mufflers, submersed oil pumps) on drill sites could reduce stress in birds.

EcoSask News, January 30, 2018

Upcoming Events
Wildlife Rehabilitation, Jan. 31 (Saskatoon) 
Jan Shadick will discuss wildlife rehabilitation at 3:30 pm, Jan. 31, as part of the U of S Wild Ecol Seminar series.

Decoys Book Launch, Feb. 1 (Prince Albert) 
Bill Robertson will launch his book of poetry, Decoys, at 7 pm, Feb. 1, at the John M. Cuelenaere Library. His poems explore how his roles as father and grandfather allow him to share his love of the natural world and passion for birds.

Nature in Winter Workshops, Feb. 3 & 11 (Saskatoon) 
Lichen Nature is offering winter walks from 1-4 pm, Feb. 3 and 11, when she will answer questions about plants and animals in winter.

Between Earth and Sky, Feb. 6 (Saskatoon) 
U of S Environmental Programs is screening Between Earth and Sky: Climate Change on the Last Frontier at 5:30 pm, Feb. 6, to be followed by a reception and discussion.

Climate Change, Feb. 7 (Edenwold) 
Jared Clarke is giving a presentation on climate change at 7 pm, Feb. 7, in Edenwold.

Bus Rapid Transit, Feb. 7 (Saskatoon)
City of Saskatoon is holding a come-and-go event from 5:30-8 pm, Feb. 7, to discuss the City's re-envisioned transit system based around Bus Rapid Transit.

Air Source Heat Pumps, Feb. 7 (Saskatoon) 
Mike Nemeth, Radiance Cohousing, will discuss Air Source Heat Pumps at the Feb. 7 meeting of the Saskatchewan Energy Management Task Force.

Family Fun Cross-Country Ski Event, Feb. 10 (Regina) 
Join SaskOutdoors for a family-friendly cross-country ski event from 2-4 pm, Feb. 10, at the White Butte Ski Trails near Regina.

Meet a Burrowing Owl, Feb. 10 (Saskatoon) 
Meet a burrowing owl at Wild Birds Unlimited at 12:30 pm, Feb. 10.

Meet a Red-tailed Hawk, Feb. 10 (Saskatoon)
Meet Jadis, a red-tailed hawk, at 3 pm, Feb. 10, at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Kȏna Wanuskewin Winter Festival, Feb. 10 (Saskatoon) 
Lots of outdoor activities on Feb. 10 at Wanuskewin’s Kȏna Festival.

Wildlife Rehab Fundraiser, Feb. 10 (Saskatoon) 
Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation is holding a fundraising dinner on Feb. 10.

Create a Hummingbird-Friendly Garden, Feb. 11 (Saskatoon) 
Lyndon Penner will share his passion for plants and hummingbirds at 2:30 pm, Feb. 11, at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Looking Ahead
Education for Sustainable Development Award Applications, Mar. 31 
Application forms are now available for RCE SK’s Education for Sustainable Development awards. Return completed applications by Mar. 31.

Wilderness First Aid, Apr. 13-15 (Saskatoon) 
SaskOutdoors is hosting a Wilderness & Remote First Aid course, Apr. 13-15, close to Saskatoon.

Waste Reforum 2018, Apr. 18-20 (Regina) 
The annual Waste Reforum will be held from Apr. 18-20 in Regina.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News 
A group in Prince Albert is setting up a monthly Repair Café.

Animals need to move in order to find food, shelter, and a mate. A global study shows animals are moving distances two to three times shorter in areas disturbed by humans than in the wilderness.

Wild Words - posters designed by local teenagers and young people to promote the importance of protecting urban wildlife and greenspaces.

The health care system is responsible for 10% of US greenhouse gas emissions. The culprit? Anaesthetics.

Toledo’s mayor has pledged to commute by bus one day a week.

Food for Thought 
"we continue to sign up to the very Victorian and out-dated view that nature is something to be controlled and tamed, we've simply lost our natural tolerance. Repeatedly I'm bombarded with examples of our disconnection and intolerance of things which to me are part of the holistic beauty of a world we should be part of, not fighting against. Whether it's worm casts on the lawn, wasps in the attic, birds or bats with the audacity to dare nest on our own homes or a family of slow-worms killed because they were misidentified as Adders" [ReWild: The Art of Returning to Nature, Nick Baker]

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

EcoSask News, January 23, 2018

Upcoming Events
Starting Your Zero-Waste Journey, Jan. 24 (Saskatoon)
Cassandra Stinn will share her insights on going zero waste from 7-8:30 pm, Jan. 24, at Soul Foods Conscious Grocer.

Climate Change Initiatives in Saskatoon, Jan. 25/27 & Survey (Saskatoon)
Residents, organizations, and businesses are invited to complete online surveys (Jan. 16-Feb. 15) to help the City of Saskatoon identify climate action opportunities, priorities, and areas of interest. They’ll be hosting a pop-up conversation at the University of Saskatchewan from 11 am-2 pm, Jan. 25 and at Wintershines from 12-3 pm, Jan. 27.

Wintershines, Jan. 27-Feb. 4 (Saskatoon)
Head outdoors during Wintershines from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4 in Saskatoon.

Going Zero Waste, Jan. 28 (Regina)
Find ways to minimize your impact on the environment from 2-3:30 pm, Jan. 28, at the Sunrise Branch Library, Regina.

Renewable Power – the Intelligent Choice, Jan. 29 (Prince Albert) 
Renewable Power – the Intelligent Choice Prince Albert is meeting at 7 pm, Jan. 29, at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library.

Permaculture Regina AGM, Jan. 29 (Regina)
Permaculture Regina will hold their annual general meeting on Jan. 29. For further information, email permacultureregina@gmail.com

Greater Sage-Grouse Recovery from a Landowner Perspective, Jan. 31 (Mankota)
Miles Anderson will discuss Greater Sage-grouse Recovery from a Landowner Perspective at 7 pm, Jan. 31, in Mankota as part of PCAP-SK’s Native Prairie Speaker series.

Campus Master Plan Community Open House, Jan. 31 (Saskatoon)
See the work to date and share your ideas on the Preliminary Concept Plan for the Campus Master Plan from 5-8 pm, Jan. 31.

Looking Ahead
Transboundary Grasslands Workshop, Feb. 13-15 (Montana)
The Transboundary Grasslands Workshop, featuring presentations on challenges facing wildlife and human communities in the grasslands of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana, will be held Feb. 13-15 in Glasgow, Montana.

Snowlandia, Feb. 20-23 (Saskatoon)
Wildernook is offering Snowlandia, an opportunity for young women ages 10-12 to be active outdoors during the winter break from Feb. 20-23.

Passive House Planning Package, Mar. 8-10 (Saskatoon)
Passive House Canada is offering instruction in using the Passive House Planning Package modelling software to design a passive house Mar. 8-10 in Saskatoon.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News
The Co-op is awarding $2 million in Western Canada to projects enhancing community recreation spaces, preserving natural places, and small-scale urban agriculture initiatives. Apply between Feb. 1 and Mar. 1, 2018.

Trevor Herriot is celebrating the Year of the Bird with a Facebook page entitled Sparrows for a Penny and will be posting photographs and anecdotes celebrating birds’ intrinsic value.

Angie Bugg, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, shares tips on how to keep your home cozy and save energy by checking for drafts.

Some birding groups are refusing to post photos of nesting and snowy owls out of respect for the birds.

Bales of clothes – some worn out, others barely worn – are recycled in India. The workers wonder why they were discarded: Maybe white people don't like washing them? Maybe water is more expensive than clothes? [short video]

“We may be living longer, but we are doing it in a way that will rob our children of their health, well-being and long lives”

The impacts of diminishing snow cover on ecosystems, animals, and plants can be highly disruptive. 

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Light Pollution: A Growing Problem

In the past 20 years, night-time light emissions in North America and Europe have increased by 70%. The Milky Way and the Northern Lights are lost to large percentages of the world’s population due to reflected light from homes, businesses, and streets.

As unfortunate as that is, the loss of the dark has far more serious consequences for both human and animal health.

Health Risks
Here are just a few examples of the impact of light pollution on humans and other animals:

Artificial light lures moths and other night-time insect pollinators away from plants. A recent trial found that light exposure reduced the number of pollinator visits by 62% with 29% fewer species coming to the lighted areas (1).

Almost all small rodents and carnivores and 20% of primates are nocturnal (3). Light pollution increases their mortality rates as they have difficulty foraging, can be detected more easily by predators, and have a harder time getting away because their vision is impaired (2).

Many birds migrate at night using the stars to navigate. Pulled off course due to light pollution or killed in collisions with lighted buildings, many of them never reach their destination.

Female sea turtles, who like to nest on dark, remote beaches, are deterred from laying eggs. The young hatchlings normally head towards the ocean and away from the dark land mass. Millions die each year when they become confused by the bright lights and crawl towards the city instead of the water (2).

Excessive light inhibits frogs’ mating calls and reduces their reproductive capacity (3).

Disruption of the normal rhythm of light and dark has a significant impact on human health: “Disruption of the circadian clock is linked to several medical disorders in humans, including depression, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, says Paolo Sassone-Corsi, chairman of the Pharmacology Department at the University of California, Irvine, who has done extensive research on the circadian clock. ‘Studies show that the circadian cycle controls from ten to fifteen percent of our genes,’ he explains. ‘So the disruption of the circadian cycle can cause a lot of health problems” (3).

Two Israeli studies show a statistically significant correlation between outdoor artificial light at night and breast cancer (3).

LED Lighting Increases Light Pollution
Greater use of LED lighting has significantly increased light pollution: 

Recent satellite measurements of light pollution underestimate the actual degree of night-time radiance as satellite images aren’t sensitive to the blue-light wavelengths emitted by LED lights (4).

Short-wave LED lighting has greatly increased the amount of light scattered by the atmosphere, causing a glow over areas with little or no lighting (4).

LED lights use just a fraction of the electricity required by incandescent bulbs and last much longer. As a result, “decreases in cost allow increased use of light in areas that were previously unlit, moderately lit, or lit only during the early evening hours” (4).

“LED light bulbs are increasing light pollution because, since they require less electricity to create the same amount of light, people are installing more and more of them. ‘We’ll light something that we didn’t light before, like a bicycle path through a park or a section of highway leading outside of town that in the past wasn’t lit,’ lead author Chris Kyba, a physicist at the German Research Center for Geosciences, said to Phys.org. ‘And so all of those new uses of light offset, to some extent, the savings that you had” (5).

We assume that increased efficiency will lead to decreased demand, but that’s not the case. For example, consumers tend to travel more when they have fuel-efficient cars (6). Research has shown that, “Regardless of historical or geographical context, humans tend to use as much artificial light as they can buy for ~0.7% of GDP” (4).

There are Solutions
“We could instantly reduce the problem by about half if we assured that all outdoor lighting fixtures were fully shielded, meaning that they emitted no light directly above the horizon. . . . We could then further reduce the amount of light pollution in the world if fixtures were properly designed and installed such that the light they emit was confined to the task area, and provided in no greater intensity than needed to safely illuminate the task. Lastly, we could reduce the biological harm of our lights by ensuring that they emit as little short-wavelength (blue) light as possible, by choosing ‘warmer’ lamps,” says John Barentine, the resident physical scientist for the International Dark-Sky Association (7).

A great deal of the responsibility for reducing light pollution belongs with individual property owners. The International Dark Sky Association provides some useful tips when selecting night sky-friendly light fixtures (8).

Further Information
The High Cost of Lighting up the Night 
Traffic Calming Measures to Protect Wildlife in the Swale 

References
1. Light Pollution Lures Nighttime Pollinators Away from Plants
2. The Effects of Light Pollution on the Environment 
3. Missing the Dark: Health Effects of Light Pollution
4. Artificially Lit Surface of Earth at Night Increasing in Radiance and Extent
5. Energy-saving LED Lightbulbs are Contributing to Light Pollution
6. Jevons Paradox 
7. Switch to Outdoor LED Lighting has Completely Backfired
8. Outdoor Lighting Basics