EcoSask News, Oct. 26, 2021

Upcoming Events 

SK-PCAP is hosting a noon-hour webinar on weather, climate, and living things on grassland on Oct. 28. 

Wild Ecol Seminar Series is hosting an online talk about tracking cougars across southern British Columbia’s fire-prone landscape at 3:30 pm, Oct. 29. 

EMTF-SK is hosting an online update on DEEP at 7:30 am, Nov. 3. 

Watch the film, The Legacy of Saskatoon’s Secret Forest, with stories from people who knew Richard St. Barbe Baker from 1-3 pm, Nov. 6. 

Families are invited to enjoy guided and self-guided nature activities in Finlayson Park, North Battleford, the afternoon of Nov. 7. Sign up for a time slot. 

Looking Ahead 

Energy-efficient passive house standards aren’t just for new buildings. Sign up for an online course in Achieving the Passive House Standard for Existing Buildings starting Dec. 6. 

Full details on all upcoming events are available on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

 

In the Spotlight – British Columbia 

Planned amendments to BC’s Forest and Range Practices Act mark a move away from 'industry-driven' policy that doesn't plan for the health and makeup of forest ecosystems in the long term. [CBC]

The Cool 'Hoods Champs program, a neighbourhood-based climate change workshop, was created to bridge the knowledge gap between climate science and everyday people — by bringing solutions to where they live. [CBC]

In a precedent-setting case, the BC Supreme Court ruled that “by allowing industrial development in Blueberry River's territory at an extensive scale — without assessing cumulative impacts and ensuring Blueberry River's ability to continue meaningfully exercising its treaty rights — the province breached the treaty.” [CBC]

North Vancouver businesses are offering customers the option of reusable containers to be returned within 14 days. [CBC]

Vancouver is calling for a city-wide ban on outdoor gas-powered tools such as leaf blowers due to noise and GHG emissions. [CBC]

 

Wetlands 

Wetland drainage on the prairies has a significant impact: 

• It reduces the land’s ability to store water and increases the risk of flooding; 
• Groundwater reserves aren’t replenished; 
• Increased rate of nutrient export downstream affects water quality, fish habitat, and recreational opportunities; 
• There is a loss of pollinator habitat and biodiversity; and 
• Reduced landscape diversity results in decreased ability to adapt during times of stress. [The Conversation] 

A wetland in the midst of Colorado’s largest wildfire was spared – thanks to the beavers who created an abnormally wet patch in the middle of an otherwise dry area. The beaver meadow stores the water, releasing it slowly and delaying water shortages in a drought. [KUNC Public Radio]

 

Probing the Future 

A policy paper by Dale Eisler, expresses doubt as to whether Canada and the world can achieve its climate goals while maintaining economic growth. He notes that Canada’s economic success since its early days has been dependent on its natural resources, including oil and gas production, whereas we have no comparative advantage in terms of renewable energy. “To date government and others engaged in the climate debate have failed to prepare the public for the real and measurable impacts on their lives if we are to meet our climate targets. The reason is simple: they know the political risk that comes with being honest about what it’s going to take. But all that avoiding the truth does is ensure we continue down the path of the last four decades where we set impressive targets, and then never meet them. The day of reckoning is fast approaching.” [Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy]

Ecological Citizen has published 3 articles on the topic of overpopulation and its impact on the environment and on our wellbeing as a species. The first article explores how discussion is silenced by raising past experiences with eugenics and ultra-nationalism as population control. The second article propose what just population policies would look like, while the third examines the anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric moral reasons to reduce population.

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, July 20, 2021

This Week’s Highlights 

One quarter of methane emissions on oil and gas sites come from tanks, which are designed to allow the methane to off-gas: that’s not a leak, that’s a design problem. [CBC]

Beavers are being reintroduced to Utah’s desert landscape. If they become established, “their impacts can be wide-reaching. Just one beaver dam can improve water quality, as well as acting as a firebreaker for the surrounding land.” [BBC] 

Upcoming Events 

Efficiency Canada is hosting a virtual energy efficiency networking event from 1-1:45 pm, July 22. 

Join a nation-wide backyard bioblitz coordinated by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, July 29-Aug. 2. 

City of Saskatoon residents can dispose of household hazardous waste from 9 am-3:30 pm, Aug. 8. 

All events are listed on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

Local News 

SOS Trees is urging Saskatoon residents to ask City Council to eliminate landfill fees for the safe disposal of elm as a contribution to protecting the city’s urban forest. [SOS Trees] 

Global warming, urban growth, and spring run-off from farm fertilizers are degrading surface waters in southern Saskatchewan and creating poisonous toxins. [Regina Leader Post] 

The Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan and The Fur-Bearers address issues surrounding human-wildlife coexistence through local efforts to protect a family of foxes and to respond to the trapping and killing of coyotes in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. [WRSOS, The Fur-Bearers] 

Prince Albert's plastic bag ban will go into effect Oct. 12 after being delayed due to the pandemic. Saskatchewan produces the second-most waste per capita in Canada. [CBC]

 

Reuse & Repair

Some reusable kitchenware products have a greater environmental impact than single-use products. Silicone sandwich bags and beeswax wraps use too much water and energy to be beneficial. [Anthropocene] 

More and more products aren’t easily repairable – from laptop computers to farm machinery. Here's why we need the right to repair and what it should entail – information, parts and tools, legal unlocking, and accommodating repair in design. [New York Times Wirecutter] 

Retrofitting Our Homes & Cities 

“Pavement — comprising roads and parking lots — takes up roughly 30% of the city surface. . . Removing urban pavement would reduce stormwater run-off and treatment, rebuild natural climate buffers in cities, release soil from confinement, make space to plant trees, sequester carbon, and allow people to breathe fresh air, not asphalt.” [Next City] 

Home energy renovations (insulation, heat pumps, better windows) could create jobs and save on healthcare costs. [Pembina Institute report] 

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).

Did you know? Hawk Moth fly and move like hummingbirds and can be seen hovering in front of a flower while they unfurl their long tongue and insert it in the flower to sip the nectar.

Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle: Tips for Decluttering Your Home and the Planet

Here are a few tips to help you reduce, repair, reuse, and recycle in Saskatchewan. 

Reduce 

1. Pause before you buy to avoid purchases you’ll later regret. 

2. Get the most out of what you buy by checking for reliability and repairability. 

3. Buy in bulk or buy products with less packaging. 

4. Take advantage of or initiate a library of things that loans infrequently used objects at little or no charge (e.g. Library of Things YXE). 

5. Take advantage of Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore (Regina, Saskatoon) to purchase used home furnishings and construction materials. 

6. Obtain garden seeds from a seed library (Prince Albert, Saskatoon), at a Seedy Saturday event, or a garden exchange. 

Advocacy 

1. Write a letter to a manufacturer expressing your concern about the overpackaging of their products. 

2. Let your local member of parliament know that you believe manufacturers should be held physically and financially responsible for collecting, processing, and repurposing their materials after they’ve been used by consumers (additional information). 

Repair 

1. Take advantage of local repair cafés when they are open (Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Swift Current). The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council has been offering virtual repair cafés during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

2. iFixit provides step-by-step guides for fixing just about anything. 

Advocacy 

1. Push for right-to-repair legislation in Canada so that consumers can fix and modify their gadgets, appliances, and vehicles. 

Reuse 

1. Pass along your old stuff (e.g. phone, tablet). It might be out-of-date for you but perfectly fine for someone else. 

2. Food banks and thrift stores will often accept used clothing, kitchenware, and household furnishings. 

3. Hold a yard sale. 

4. Take advantage of a Little Free Library near you.

4. Upcycle fabric and art supplies (e.g. Regina's Art Supply Exchange, Yorkton's Art and Craft Supplies Exchange, Saskatoon's Nefilibata Arts and Crafts). 

Recycle 

1. The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council maintains a database listing what can be recycled and where for communities in Saskatchewan. 

2. Loraas provides a list of what can be recycled in Saskatoon. Here is what can be recycled in Lloydminster, Regina, and Swift Current. 

3. London Drugs accepts items (e.g. batteries, light bulbs, ink cartridges) that have been purchased at their stores. 

4. Staples accepts items such as ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries, and electronics. 

5. SARCAN operates recycling depots in a number of Saskatchewan communities and accepts beverage containers, electronics, household paint, and batteries. 

6. BN Steel & Metals, Saskatoon, and TruGreen Metal Recycling, Regina, are two of the SK businesses recycling scrap metal. 

7. Start your own compost bin. 

Warning: Recycling information changes frequently. Check with local businesses for the most up-to-date information

Advocacy 

1. Encourage your municipality to start or expand an organics recycling program. 

Additional Resources 

Waste Not yxe Directory and Guide 

Waste Not yxe on Facebook 

Waste Not yqr on Facebook

Green Living (SWRC blog) 

Shareable: people-powered solutions for the common good

January 14, 2021

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

A full list of upcoming events (both online and in person) can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar

Graphics: iStock (000013321780, 000015889240)

EcoSask News, August 25, 2020

Upcoming Events
Outdoor Family Adventure, Aug. 29 (Regina) 
Families can rotate through a variety of outdoor experiences organized by Nature Regina in McKell Wascana Conservation Park from 10 am-2 pm, Aug. 29. The event is limited to 40 families and registration is required.

Household Hazardous Waste Day, Aug. 29 (Moose Jaw) 
The City of Moose Jaw is holding a household hazardous waste day from 9 am-3 pm, Aug. 29.

Wildlife Corridor, Aug. 31 (webinar) 
Find out about the work Nature Conservancy of Canada – Alberta is doing to protect the wildlife corridor in the Crowsnest Pass at noon, Aug. 31.

Looking Ahead 
Curbside Swap, Sept. 19 (Saskatoon) 
The City of Saskatoon is hosting a city-wide curbside swap on Sept. 19.

A full list of upcoming events (online and in person) can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Local News 
Lumsden has received federal funding to install solar panels on 4 municipal facilities, putting 3 of them on track to reach 100% net-zero emissions.

The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation hopes to turn the former Saskatoon police firing range into a multicultural interpretive centre focusing on the historical and future importance of areas like the Northeast Swale.

Life Outside Gear Exchange, opening in September in Saskatoon, will sell high-quality, gently used outdoor clothing and gear.

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. And I am asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs. Oh please do not cut down another one.”

The City of Saskatoon’s Trees on City Property policy prevents the removal of city-owned trees unless they are dead, dying, or diseased. The Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services is proposing an amendment that would permit the removal of public trees that individual residents perceive to be a nuisance (e.g. too much shade, too few leaves, “ugly”). The amendment would also place a greater financial burden on the City. SOS Trees Coalition is asking people who view trees as a public asset and value Saskatoon’s urban forest to email their City Councillor expressing their concerns.

From Information to Action
“We can only have pandas and eagles (and clean air and water, for that matter) if we also have the complex and interconnected ecosystems that support them. And yes, those ecosystems include bugs…”

Moths – easy to spot and endlessly fascinating.

Routine gas flaring is wasteful, polluting, and under-measured.

“Human beings cannot flourish and maintain health without healthy ecosystems to live within. That’ll be one of the biggest lessons of the twenty-first century, and I think COVID-19 points us in that direction.”

An Indigenous health care facility was built using rammed earth, and scientists have developed a method for 3-D printing greener buildings using local soil.

Solar panels are starting to die, leaving behind toxic trash – we need a recycling plan.

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).

Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces

EcoSask News, October 3, 2017

Upcoming Events
Campus Sustainability Week, Oct. 10-13 (Saskatoon)
The University of Saskatchewan Office of Sustainability is hosting Campus Sustainability Week, Oct. 10-13. Events include:
Oct. 10, 12-1:30 pm, Public Health Impacts of Climate Change
Oct. 11, 1-3 pm, Bicycle Tune-Up Workshop (BCBC)
Oct. 11, 3-4 pm, Ice-Cycling on Campus
Oct. 11, 5-7 pm, Sustainable Drinks
Oct. 12, 10 am-4 pm, Sustainable Swap Meet
Oct. 12, 11 am-1 pm, Native Vegetation Tour

U of S Sustainability Networking Fair, Oct. 12 (Saskatoon)
As part of Campus Sustainability Week, the U of S Office of Sustainability is hosting a networking fair from 4:30-6:30 pm, Oct. 12, so students can meet businesses and organizations involved in sustainability initiatives.

UN Sustainable Development Goals, Oct. 12 (Saskatoon)
The USSU Sustainability Committee and the Office of Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, are hosting a UN Sustainable Development Goals training seminar from 6:30-9:30 pm, Oct. 12.

NatureCity Festival Celebration & Planning Kick-Off, Oct. 12 (Saskatoon)
Wild About Saskatoon is hosting an evening of celebration and fun as they begin planning for NatureCity Festival 2018 at 7 pm, Oct. 12. Everyone is welcome.

Seeking Sustainability: Practices for Mindful Living, Oct. 14 (Saskatoon)
Churches for Environmental Action are presenting a workshop on Oct. 14 on Seeking Sustainability: Practices for Mindful Living.

Vermicomposting for Families, Oct. 15 (Regina)
Learn about vermicomposting for families from 2-3 pm, Oct. 15, at the Sunrise Branch, Regina Public Library.

Looking Ahead
Renewables in Remote Communities, Oct. 24-27 (Whitehorse)
Pembina Institute is hosting a Renewables in Remote Microgrids / Communities conference from Oct. 24-27 in Whitehorse.

Wilderness First Aid, Oct. 27-29 (Lumsden)
SaskOutdoors is offering a Wilderness First Aid course, Oct. 27-29, in Lumsden.

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

In the News
"Local energy has only become possible with renewables, which can be installed at small scale . . . . As wind and solar get cheaper the technology opens up all sorts of new opportunities for people to take ownership of their energy supply, and have a stake in their own services." [book review]

Toilet paper was clogging the pipes; the Netherlands used it to pave a bike path.

NYC is mandating that existing buildings become energy-efficient. It’s an expensive but effective way to cut carbon emissions.

Wildlife collisions are expensive. Fences and over/underpasses can pay for themselves.

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).

Made to Last

Keep? Throw away? Our grandparents bought durable products and repaired them when they broke down. That hasn't always been the case for our generation. But times are changing and people are becoming more aware of the cost to the environment of our disposable consumer culture. They’re reinventing ways to repair, reuse or reduce, and reestablishing and strengthening the power of the consumer.

Repair
When something breaks, our tendency is to replace it; we’ve lost the knowledge that past generations had. But there are other options.

Repair Cafés 
Grassroots groups are organizing repair cafés where neighbours help neighbours to repair items. It reduces waste, saves money, and offers people a chance to socialize. Toronto Repair Café and Brighton Repair Café (photo) are two examples of a global movement.

Fix It 
iFixit is a wiki-based site that teaches people how to fix almost anything and empowers individuals to share their technical expertise. For example, they’ll show you how to replace the Home button on your iPhone and you can order all the necessary parts and equipment through their website.

Spareka, a French website, believes that the majority of broken appliances can be repaired. The website helps you identify the problem, buy the necessary repair parts, and carry out the repairs. If you want to repair your dishwasher, Spareka explains how it works, provides an overview of all the component parts, tips on how to maintain it in good condition, a checklist to diagnose the problem, and videos on how to repair specific problems, such as replacing the pump or the door closure. Technicians are on hand if you can’t find the solution to your problem online.

Regen Box 
Where there’s a will there’s a way, and one determined individual has set up Regen Box, an open-source regenerator for non-rechargeable alkaline batteries. The goal is to establish a community of beta testers to try it out with all the different types of batteries currently on the market.

Create Café
3D Printing Technology creates opportunities as well as roadblocks. Digital saws, laser cutting tools, and 3-D printing provide new options for repairing or creating. Create Cafe 3D Printing is a Saskatoon-based 3-D printing and coffee shop. They favour 3-D printing due to the low waste produced, cost benefits, and dynamic abilities.

Reuse 
Equipment and materials don’t have to end up in the landfill. Here are a few alternatives.

If you’re doing home renovations, why not donate old fixtures and appliances to Habitat for Humanity? ReStore resells quality new and gently used building materials and home furnishings.

PSI Technologies Inc. crushes and recycles up to 2,500 tonnes of material a day using concrete collected from demolished commercial and industrial buildings in and around Saskatoon. During demolition,

Innovation Place salvages as much material as possible so that doors, ceilings, light fixtures, and other items can be reused. If there is surplus material, it is donated. (photo: Marks & Spencer, UK)

Reconditioned Appliances and Electronics 
Back Market bills itself as a supermarket for reconditioned electronics (from cameras and smart phones to coffee makers and toasters). NEU Appliances of Austin, Texas, cleans, tests, warranties, and sells used appliances.

Recycled Jeans 
REMADE in France uses old jeans to make new ones. Their goal is to save water and reduce pesticide contamination as growing cotton requires immense amounts of water and uses 24% of the world supply of pesticides.

Magasin pour Rien 
Magasin pour Rien in Mulhouse, France, accepts items that people no longer want and then gives them away. People are invited to visit once a week and pick out 1-3 free items, including children’s clothing and toys, dishes, and small electrical appliances. Social service agencies now direct their clients to the store.

Reestablish
Ads encourage us to buy, buy, buy while manufacturers control availability and information. Reestablishing and strengthening the power of the consumer is happening in various different ways.

Legislation
In 2014, France passed a law to enhance the rights of consumers. Manufacturers are expected to provide a 2-year warranty (in place of 6 months) and to list the availability of replacement parts.

Sweden has introduced tax breaks for repairs in a bid to cut waste.

Putting an End to Planned Obsolescence 
HOP: Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée, a French advocacy group, has 3 principal objectives: inform and speak out against planned obsolescence, bring people (from citizens to academics to manufacturers) together to take action, and put forward research papers and proposals to support a different economic model.

Reduce 
The most effective means of valuing natural resources and preventing waste is by reducing consumption.

Made to Last
Individuals and companies are encouraging consumers to buy less stuff by buying good-quality, durable products.

Made to Last, a UK website, profiles products that have been hand selected for the quality of their workmanship and designed to stand the test of time. Products must have a clear guarantee and a high utility value.

BuyMeOnce “finds and promotes products that don't break the bank, don't break the planet ... that don't break at all!” They challenge manufacturers to build stuff that really lasts.

Sustainable Fashion
The fashion industry, with its seasonal trends and cheap, badly made clothes, is responsible for a great deal of waste. A few companies are breaking with that pattern with clothes made with recycled or organic materials. Patagonia is leading the trend with a mission statement to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

Fairphone 
Fairphone “is a Dutch social enterprise that makes smartphones with easily replaceable components, encourages the recycling of e-waste, uses materials that support local economies, and advocates fairness among its partners.”

Say No to Greenwashing 
In a joint position paper on Bioplastics in a Circular Economy, Friends of the Earth Europe stress the need to focus on waste reduction and prevention to avoid false solutions. “Our overconsuming, throwaway culture is tied to a linear buy-use-dispose economy, and will not be solved by relying on technological solutions. Instead, we need behavioural and production change and for government priorities to be on prevention and reuse.”

Values Reset 
In most parts of the world, the focus is on continuous economic growth sustained by the non-stop acquisition of goods and materials as measured by the Gross Domestic Product. Some countries and regions have chosen to follow a different path.

Kerala, in southern India, follows a model of equitable growth, emphasizing land reforms, poverty reduction, access to education, and child welfare rather than a high GDP.

Bhutan champions “a new approach to development, which measures prosperity through formal principles of gross national happiness (GNH) and the spiritual, physical, social and environmental health of its citizens and natural environment.”

Each of us as individuals chooses how to define success and prosperity. By making changes in our personal lives and advocating for society-wide changes, we can make a difference.

See Also
Landfills, Organic Waste, and Recycling