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Art

Artist Torkwase Dyson Uses Black Compositional Thought In Latest Exhibit At Gray

November 2, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

Installation view of Torkwase Dyson, Errantry, 2024, at Art Basel Unlimited. Image courtesy Gary Yeh / ArtDrunk.

Chicago Gallery

GRAY is pleased to present Torkwase Dyson: Of Line and Memory, the artist’s first solo exhibition in GRAY’s Chicago gallery. Installed over three distinct spaces, the exhibition debuts a monumental sculpture in steel and painted wood, an immersive installation of new paintings, and new cast glass and wood constructions. Of Line and Memory opens at GRAY Chicago with a public reception for the artist on November 8 and remains on view through January 25, 2025.

Dyson works across the disciplines of painting, drawing, installation, and sculpture, distilling the spatial and affective residues of diasporic histories to envision new modes of environmental liberation. Through an improvisational process of mindful abstraction, which she calls “Black Compositional Thought,” Dyson seeks to create work that is fluid, abstract, poetic, and open to possibility. “If there is systemic oppression, there must be systemic liberation,” says the artist, “and I am in that zone… trying to condition myself in this relationship of a transhistorical liberation practice.”1

Of Line and Memory draws from years of research and Dyson’s own spatial memory of navigating the waterways and urban architecture of Chicago. Using the South Shore Cultural Center, a lakeshore landmark with rich historical and architectural significance, as a point of departure, Dyson extracts, reduces, and refines architectural and visual cues into geometric shapes and painterly abstractions. According to the artist, “Of Line and Memory asks, as we move through dramatic and ever-changing geographies, what memories are stored in these new and improvisational choreographies?”

Down-down, 2018
Exhibited inTorkwase Dyson, 2021-22 Hall Art Foundation
Schloss Derneberg Museum, Holle, Germany

An immersive, dynamic interplay of materials emerges throughout the exhibition. The Clearing, a cantilevered steel, wood, and graphite sculpture in two parts, balances monumental, curved shapes upon the weight of rectangular steel bases. Dyson’s new paintings unlock a sense of “state change” between thinly poured layers of deep blues and reds, opaque blacks, and the shapes and lines of geometric abstraction. Likewise, her Hypershape constructions in glass and graphite-coated wood balance the solidity of wood and graphite with the translucence of cast glass.

Of Line and Memory underscores Torkwase Dyson’s deep commitment to transforming complex histories of diasporic and urban landscapes into powerful abstractions. The artist states: “the topography echoes familiar and enigmatic ecologies in my consciousness without the promise of stability. Embracing this indeterminacy, I think through how the transhistorical ethos of infrastructure space, both visible and invisible, resonates in liberation and world-building.”

ABOUT TORKWASE DYSON

American interdisciplinary artist Torkwase Dyson (b. 1973 Chicago) combines expressive mark-making and geometric abstraction to explore the continuity between ecology, infrastructure, and architecture. Working across the disciplines of painting, sculpture and architecture, Dyson deconstructs, distills, and interrogates the built environment, exploring how individuals, particularly black and brown people, negotiate, negate, and transform systems and spatial order. Throughout her work and research, Dyson confronts issues of environmental liberation and envisions a path toward a more equitable future.

One of today’s most innovative artists, Dyson’s work has been the focus of solo exhibitions at ‘T’ Space Rhinebeck, New York; Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri; New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana; Colby College Museum of Art, Maine; Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Chicago, Illinois; Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Suzanne Lemberg Usdan Gallery, Bennington, Vermont; Hall Art Foundation, Derneburg, Germany; and Serpentine Galleries, London, UK.

Group exhibitions and biennials include the Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, UK; Bienal de São Paulo, Brazil; Desert X, California; California African American Museum, Los Angeles; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Drawing Center, New York; Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, Washington DC; Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC; and Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, among others. Her architectural sculpture Liquid Shadows, Solid Dreams (A Monastic Playground), commissioned for the 2024 Whitney Biennial, is on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s fifth floor terrace through February 9, 2025. Torkwase Dyson will create the conceptual design for The Costume Institute’s Spring 2025 exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Public collections include the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois; Hall Art Foundation, Reading, Vermont; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; The Long Museum, Shanghai, China; Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Massachusetts; Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri; Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts; Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington, DC; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; and Williams College Museum of Art, Massachusetts. Dyson studied sociology and social work at Tougaloo College, Mississippi, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Yale School of Art. Dyson lives and works in Beacon, New York.

PUBLICATION
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, to be published in 2025.

ABOUT GRAY

GRAY is a globally recognized team of art professionals devoted to fostering the development of historically important artists’ careers and to building outstanding art collections. Founded in 1963, GRAY has established its reputation as a resource for Modern, Postwar, and Contemporary art with prominent private and institutional clients worldwide. Known for producing critically acclaimed exhibitions and programming from its galleries in Chicago and New York, GRAY represents a roster of internationally recognized artists such
as McArthur Binion, Torkwase Dyson, Theaster Gates, David Hockney, Rashid Johnson, Alex Katz, Ellen Lanyon, Jaume Plensa, Leon Polk Smith, and Evelyn Statsinger.

1 Torkwase Dyson, lecture, SAIC Visiting Artists Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, March 7, 2023.

Featured image- Tuning (Hypershape, 311-520), 2018, exhibited in Torkwase Dyson 2022 Hall Art Foundation, Schloss Derneberg Museum, Holle, Germany

Finance

Free App Keeps Track Of Your Food Best Before Dates Saves Money

March 21, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

A major money saving and environmentally beneficial smart kitchen app launched waaaaay back in 2015, on World Environment Day, and deserves another look as it still works well and saves users up to $1,000 every year and helps reduce food waste.

The “Smart Kitchen” EatBy App reduces food waste, saving households up to $1,000 per year and helps the environment.

The staggering amount of wasted food continues to make headlines and back when the app was first created, husband and wife developers, Steffan and Barbara Lewis were focusing their passion for finding a solution to the environmental issues surrounding food waste and came up with the idea to develop and launch “Smart Kitchen” EatBy as soon as possible.

“We had the idea one lunchtime after we had to throw out the food we’d hoped to eat because it had passed it’s use by date. That led to a purge of all the out of date food in our kitchen. And quite frankly, we were shocked and disgusted with ourselves when we realised how much we waste.” said Barbara Lewis.

They decided to make the app free to download and offer expanded use with an optional shopping list that can be activated with an in app purchase.

“It’s important to us that the app’s basic functions have to be free in order to gain and benefit the maximum number of users. Collectively we can all make a huge difference to the environment. And it’s an added bonus that we’ll save around £700 ($1,000) each year.”

And the numbers add up.

Recent reports state that the average household wastes $80 usd ($109.23 CAD) every month on un eaten food. With over 123 million U.S. households that’s $9,840,000,000. Factor in similar habits throughout the rest of North America and an equivalent amount in Europe, the tally is somewhere around a staggering $236 Billion each year. It’s known that about one third of all food produced is discarded but the real cost to the environment is misunderstood: 1.3 billion tonnes of wasted food contributes 10% of worldwide total greenhouse gases.

Many strategies for reducing food waste have been proposed by environmentalists, government agencies and industry specialists. But the husband and wife creators of the EatBy App claim their app is the first practical personal tech solution to the problem of food waste. It is a simple to use Smart Kitchen App that effectively helps manage the food in your kitchen and lets you know when food items expire. The optional integrated shopping list will also help reduce buying too much food in the first place.

“We are under no illusion that our app will immediately solve this global problem,” Said Steffan Lewis, “But if only a few million people download and use it, then it’ll already make an impact and that’d be a great start. Obviously, we’d like everyone to use our app and benefit from it!”

The EatBy App is available for both Android and Apple devices. More information about the project’s history can be found at https://www.eatbyapp.com

Supplemental- Students in Vancouver, Canada feed 5,000 using ‘rescued food’

Earth

Agrarians From Ancient World Knew About Biochar

January 26, 2023 The Silo 1 Comment

Agrarians from various ancient cultures around the world discovered the soil fertility benefits of charred biomass over two thousand years ago.

Now known as ‘biochar’, this ancient soil management practice has been enjoying a renaissance of late for a number of reasons largely related to the need for more resilient and productive soils and biochar’s ability to sequester carbon in a safe and beneficial manner.

Biochar is made by baking organic material in an oxygen-limited environment, called pyrolysis. Benefits vary depending on the soil, crops and climate where biochar is used with poor soils benefiting the most. Providing long-lasting organic material, improving water and nutrient holding capacity, and improving overall soil tilth are all potential benefits.

Due to its porous nature and cation exchange capacity, biochar can also be used as a filtration medium to prevent nutrient run-off from farms into local water bodies. In Europe livestock farmers are adding small amounts of biochar to feed rations to improve feed conversion ratios and overall animal health. Biochar as carbon fodder has also shown promise as a way to reduce enteric methane emissions.

Biochar is increasingly available to purchase but farmers can also convert their on-farm waste biomass in to biochar.

Farm scale equipment for making biochar is evolving and shows promise not just as a waste conversion technology which produces a valuable soil amendment, but also as a means for farmers to generate renewable energy in the form of heat, and in some cases electricity. For the Silo, Kathleen Draper.

Seen here: “…we focused on organic plant nutrients and started multiple tests with a wide variety of nutrient rich biomass wastes including: liquid animal manure, urine, feathers, yeasts, wool, vinasse etc. Over the past four years we have developed a panoply of organic carbon fertilizer that can be produced commercially or manufactured by farmers themself all over the world. One of our favourites is the sheep wool, vinasse, pyrolyse ash, biochar pellets with 7% Norg / 6.5% P2O5 / 6% K2O “

Kathleen Draper is the US Director of the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence, a non-profit focused on research, education and program services that promote climate positive solutions which enhance land management, urban design, and resource efficiency.

Art

LGBTQIE And Ecosexuality

June 17, 2021 The Silo 1 Comment

Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” -Anais Nin

Nature is born of sexuality.

The two are inextricable and inevitable partners. Where humans find fault with sex that does not suit their particular beliefs in what is right or wrong, nature transcends. There is no taboo in the natural world, there is no polite side-stepping of the rawness of nature. Nature simply is, in all its sensual glory.

Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle have collaborated for 17 years.

They recently showcased their film Water Makes Us Wet at Documenta 14. They were one of just 180 artists at the exhibition which takes place only every five years and draws in a million people. In conjunction with the film they exhibited visual art, performed Ecosex Walking Tours, and facilitated “sidewalk sex clinics.” Their film premier at the Gloria Theater was the only one to completely pack the house. For their Documenta Ecosex Walking Tour, Stephens & Sprinkle consciously began at the site of the first tree planted in Joseph Beuys’ 1982 Documenta project 7,000 Trees.

Their film is part art, part activism, a call to action, and a vision of how the future may look if we are careful with the earth as opposed to how it could look if we continue our ecologically destructive behaviors. Within the environmental activist movement, the two always felt a bit out of place. They felt the need to hide their flamboyance, their sexuality, and some of the details of their pasts. Because of this they began their own movement, an all inclusive environmental activism that encourages people to be themselves.

By allowing people to embrace their own identities and to infuse a little fun, they hope to create a movement that is sustainable and perhaps avoids some of the activist burnout that frequently effects those constantly fighting for the future of a healthy planet.

For the film, and throughout their work, Stephens & Sprinkle have unabashedly embraced and exposed their own bodies. In so doing, they show both their vulnerability and their strength as well as embrace their advancing age. Sprinkle, who is now 63, was once a pornographic film actress. She finds that showing her 63 year old body has pushed more limits than anything she’s ever done. “I think that taboo does need fixing,” she says.

During the making of the film, Stephens & Sprinkle were in a serious auto accident which features in the documentary. The two were seriously injured and hospitalized but eventually walked away. The wreck served as a metaphor for the universality of “eco-sinners” in that even the filmmakers were driving around in an old, polluting van.

The two describe the incident as romantic and remarkable and say it has given them a new lease on life. The accident was a result of another driver’s distracted driving. The film as a whole is a look at the issues facing the planet, some of those perpetrating them, and ways to think about the problem. “What we really hope with our film is that people leave the film thinking about the issues we’ve presented but also feeling like well, there is something I can do in my personal life.”

The term “eco-sexual” was originally used by dating sites and subsequently in a book titled Eco-sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable by Stephanie Iris Weiss. Stephens & Sprinkle took the term and created an art movement around it. “We like to think that all sex is eco-sex including human on human because we are the earth, we’re not separate from the earth…we acknowledge all the sexuality that is going on around us.” At UC Santa Cruz where Stephens is a professor, the two established E.A.R.T.H Lab which stands for Environmental Art Theory & Happenings. There they incorporate some of the principles of ecosexuality in the programs they run. For the Silo, Brainard Carey.

Earth

The Biggest March On Climate Change Ever

May 27, 2020 The Silo 1 Comment

Way back in 2014, our community decided on a crazy goal – the largest mobilization on climate change in history. So on September 23rd, we blew past our wildest expectations, with a climate march *6 times* the size of anything before it!!! This was 80 city blocks of New York:

And this was London, Berlin, Bogota, Paris, Delhi, and Melbourne…

Over 675,000 of us marched around the world. It was a beautiful expression of our love for all that climate change threatens, and our hope that we can save this world and build a society powered by 100% safe, clean energy. Together, we made history, but it’s just the beginning. The crucial Paris climate summit is 15 months from now — that’s where we need a global deal. By March next year, countries have pledged to make their national commitments — so our movement will divide to focus on these national targets. But every few months until Paris we’ll come together globally again and again, bigger and bigger, to beat a drum for change, for 100% clean energy, that our leaders can only follow. The movement we’ve been waiting for has begun.

With gratitude, Ricken, Emma, Alice, Iain, Nataliya, Patri, Oliver, Diego, Rewan and the whole Avaaz team

PS – We worked with thousands of organisations to make this day happen and particularly love our friends at 350. But our community deserves to celebrate the step we’ve taken. The Avaaz team and community played a central role in almost all the marches and events held. The Guardian called it “an organising triumph” for Avaaz and the BBC said “the marches brought more people on to the streets than ever before, thanks to the organisational power of the social media site Avaaz.” We fielded hundreds of organisers and thousands of volunteers, and donations from our community provided millions in funding to the effort. The challenges of our time call us to be better, and together we’ve done that, growing and changing into a new and more effective kind of movement, a movement that is now both online, and offline. Huge gratitude to everyone who made it happen.

Avaaz.org is a 38-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Earth

When Planting Native Ontario Trees Use This Tree Atlas

November 5, 2019 The Silo 3 Comments

There are many reasons to plant a tree – to shade your home, help the environment, or just for the pleasure and beauty it brings. There are many questions when it comes to choosing the right tree. What kind of tree will thrive in my community, and on my property? How fast will it grow? Should I worry about choosing a native Ontario tree?

The Tree Atlas

You can get answers to those questions and much more information from an online Tree Atlas (ontario.ca/treeatlas).

The Tree Atlas shows you which trees will work where you live, your soil type, and other conditions to consider. It can also help you find the kind of tree that helps you achieve other goals, like offering shade to keep your home cool in the summer, attracting birds, or a fast-growing, bushy species to hide an unsightly view.

The Tree Atlas describes trees that are native to Ontario, so you’ll be planting a tree that’s adapted to the province and supports a healthy environment. You’ll also find tips on when and how to plant a tree to give it the best chances to thrive on your property.

Trees clean our air and water, help fight climate change, increase wildlife habitat, provide shade and help prevent flooding. When you plant a tree, you’re helping the environment.

The Tree Atlas was developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources, so you can be confident that the information provided is accurate and reliable.

Many Ontario towns and cities have tree planting programs – check with your municipality for tree planting information and assistance in your area. For the Silo, Emmilia Kuisma, District Strategic Officer Ministry of Natural Resources.

Earth

Climate Peril Book Highlights Predicted Ecological Catastrophe

August 10, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

How do we know? "Orbital climate satellites will measure changes in energy that is entering and exiting the atmosphere as well as the effect that manmade greenhouse gases (GHG) or aerosols, are having on the atmosphere." http://green.blorge.com/2011/01/the-glory-climate-satellite-will-join-the-a-train/ — Orbital climate satellites measure changes in energy that is entering and exiting the atmosphere as well as the effect that manmade greenhouse gases (GHG) or aerosols, are having on the atmosphere. image: green.blorge.com

A new, authoritative climate book puts all major aspects of the climate crisis into a broad national and international perspective, revealing that the gravity, imminence, and permanence of the crisis are widely misunderstood.

Climate Peril: The Intelligent Reader’s Guide to Understanding the Climate Crisis (Northbrae Books) by energy and climate expert Dr. John J. Berger has an introduction by Dr. Paul and Anne Ehrlich of Stanford University and a foreword by Dr. Ben Santer, an internationally respected climate scientist with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The book underscores the unprecedented urgency of the climate crisis, providing detailed revelations about the grave harm climate change is now doing to human health, national and international security, our economy, natural resources, including the oceans, and biodiversity. Climate Peril demonstrates, for example, that holding global heating to 2° C is no guarantee of climate safety, contrary to the assumptions of many policymakers, and that the world is very likely to exceed this limit anyway.

Readers have found that Climate Peril makes important findings of climate science easily accessible and helps them better understand the breadth of the climate threat to our economy and society. The book begins by explaining how the climate system naturally operates and then illustrates how human activity has disturbed it.

Climate Peril goes on to document the broad consequences of rapid climate change, drawing attention to its impacts on nature, the economy, human health, and national security. In the process, Climate Peril highlights our proximity to irreversible climate tipping points and to ecological catastrophe.

Supplemental- Why a two degrees C increase in global average temperature IS a big deal by Elizabeth May https://www.greenparty.ca/blogs/7/2013-01-21/why-two-degree-celsius-increase-global-average-temperature-big-deal

Earth

Record Number Of Clean Beach Blue Flags Now Flying

June 21, 2019 The Silo 1 Comment

More Canadian beaches and
marinas awarded Blue Flags

2018 is another record year for Canada’s waterfronts, 27 beaches and nine marinas have been awarded a coveted Blue Flag, including our very first coastal flag at beautiful Aboiteau Beach, NB. The Blue Flag is the internationally recognized symbol of environmental excellence for beaches and marinas. Read on to find the best waterside spots to spend your Victoria Day weekend.

Time for
the Government
to step up on
plastic waste

Only 11 per cent of Canada’s plastic waste is recycled. Let that sink in for a minute. This problem goes way beyond individual changes, we need the Federal Government to step up and take meaningful action before it’s too late. Sign the petition now to ask for a plastic free environment.

Banned chemicals found in products that babies chew, play and nap on

A new study reveals that 86 per cent of tested products sold in Canada contain toxic chemicals, some of which are banned. Baby bibs, blankets and more were found to contain water and stain resistant chemicals linked to hormone disruption, and even cancer. Find out how you can take action.

Tell Canada that all high-carbon projects need an impact assessment

What the frack?! The Canadian government is proposing to exempt fracking and in situ tar sands from the new federal environmental review process. We have until June 1st to fix this – send a letter now to tell the government that ALL high-carbon projects should get an impact assessment.

Culture

Ebola Outbreak Essentials

November 5, 2018 The Silo 1 Comment

Earth

All Parties Support Ontario Greenbelt And Recognize Immense Values

May 9, 2018 The Silo 1 Comment

Last week, a video was released showing Ontario’s PC Party leader Doug Ford promising to open up a “big chunk” of the Greenbelt to allow development on its protected areas, an idea he attributed to the “biggest developers in this country.”

Our Executive Director, Tim Gray responded in the news that this would have severe consequences and allow land speculators to build massive subdivisions, at immense profits, on farms, forests and natural areas currently protected in the Greenbelt.

Watch Tim Gray’s interview on CTV news.

Ontario’s PC Party leader Doug Ford later reversed his position. This is consistent with polls that suggest more than 89 per cent of Ontarians support the protection of the Greenbelt. Ontarians like you.

The good news is that now all parties support the Greenbelt and recognize its immense values. Thank you for your help in securing the future of farmland, forests and water systems in Ontario.

Over the last few months, many of you signed petitions supporting expansion of the Greenbelt. Your voice matters now more than ever. We encourage you to ask candidates questions on their views during the upcoming provincial and municipal elections.

It’s time to set the record straight.

The Greenbelt does not constrain housing supply or cause high house prices. In fact, municipal data shows that there is enough land available to provide for housing development within existing Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area urban boundaries until 2031.

The best way to address housing prices and supply in our region is by directing growth to existing urban areas, limiting sprawl, and building different kinds of affordable homes close to transit.

Read our latest blog highlighting 7 facts about the Greenbelt and what really impacts housing prices in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Thank you,

Susan Lloyd Swail
Livable Communities, Senior Manager

Earth

Ask Ontario To Grow Greenbelt To Protect Vital Water Supplies

December 12, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Dear Silo, I share with you and your readers both good news and not so good news. The Province has launched a consultation process on expanding the Greenbelt to protect critical water resources. Several hydrologically significant areas are included in the proposal, but vulnerable areas are missing.

We need to get this right. Ask the Ontario government to expand their proposal and protect a “Bluebelt” of 1.5 million acres to ensure clean water supplies for future generations.

Over 1.25 million people in the region rely on groundwater for their drinking needs. And, our lakes and wetlands are home to numerous at-risk species of fish and wildlife. We urgently need features like moraines, wetlands and headwaters that filter and store water protected from development.

Photo credit: Shezamm

9 in 10 Ontarians support the Greenbelt’s protection of water, farmland and nature. You can be one of them.

Together we can grow the Greenbelt to protect our precious resources.

To learn more, you can read our latest blog.

Susan Lloyd Swail
Livable Communities, Senior Manager

Culture

Natural World Immediacy A Rare Concept

August 15, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Immediacy? “Nothing important comes into being overnight; even grapes or figs need time to ripen. If you say that you want a fig now, I will tell you to be patient. First, you must allow the tree to flower, then put forth fruit; then you have to wait until the fruit is ripe. So if the fruit of a fig tree is not brought to maturity instantly or in an hour, how do you expect the human mind to come to fruition, so quickly and easily?” -Epictetus

TheWormForSiloSite

watershort2_0002

The Worm (2008) and Watershort (2008) are time-contemplative short films by Canadian sound and visual artist Jarrod Barker.

In the natural world, immediacy is rarely a concept. While it is true the Mayfly lives only for a day, it is also true that each fly is one infinitesimal link in the long succession of the species. As humans have increasingly stepped beyond the boundaries of nature, we have begun to forget the importance of waiting and patience. We live surrounded by cheap treasures gotten easily and quickly. But like the Mayfly, these spoils of instant gratification perish quickly leaving us desiring more. No longer do we answer to the rhythm of nature, preferring instead to force the world to step up to our breakneck pace. All the while we are saturated with reminders that “good things come to those who wait” but too often choose to ignore this time tested wisdom.

Stefan Klein works in Berlin. Presently he is examining the concept of waiting. To this end, he has conducted quite a lot of field research. Waiting, he says, “is something that’s so routinely existing in our daily lives but at the same time has this very existential dimension to it so that almost everybody can relate to it but at the same time it’s a very abstract topic.” Another project, titled Introduction to Microeconomics is a book documenting Klein’s repeated ordering and return of a book by the same name. In this way, he examined documentation as a vital element of a whole work. Much of Klein’s work investigates complex systems through performative means. In September, Klein will begin a series of waiting sessions with people from various disciplines. He will meet with guests at a bus stop (a place of waiting) for a conversation. His audience will be comprised of both those who came to see the performance and those who happened to be waiting for the bus. In this way, Klein will access waiting from many perspectives.

Emilie Clark is a New York City based artist who spends part of the year in New Hampshire. Much of her work is based on the work of nineteenth-century natural historians and scientists, most of them women. She also explores the literal interpretation of the word ecology (earth’s household) incorporating historical texts and working in the landscape. In New Hampshire, Clark works in a floating research station surrounded by the natural world. In New York City her experience is quite different though she has noticed similarities in plant species between the two locations. From her research station, Clark collects specimens, makes sound recordings, draws, paints, preserves, and fully immerses herself in nature. This process is rooted not only in creating but in learning.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket

A work of art, a career, a relationship, anything worth investing our hearts and minds in, must be given time. We must relearn to wait, to fall back in step with the world around us. For the Silo, Brainard Carey.

Brainard is currently giving free webinars on how to write a better Artist bio and statement and how to get a show in a gallery – you can register for that live webinar and ask questions live by clicking here.

Art

Art Of Painting With Camera Focus At Hurban Vortex Exhibit In Cannes

March 14, 2017 The Silo 1 Comment

If you could choose just one photo exhibit to see all year, it would have to be Hurban Vortex in Cannes.
Often, photography is the visual equivalent of telling a one-word story, expressed through an immediately comprehensible image. In contrast, Parisian photographer Boris Wilensky takes you on a journey through time, space, and humanity. His photos are true documentaries which require time to contemplate, and listen to. Yes, listen to, not just look at. Because all of his work tells a powerful, juxtaposing story. A story of humans in cruel, all-consuming urban environments… facing challenges beyond their control… surviving in harsh conditions… A story that is already written but that is reinvented every time you look at the image.

Boris Wilensky’s current exhibition Hurban Vortex at the Suquet des Art(iste)s in Cannes opened on December 9 last year, featuring a selection of 30 of his works. Much has been said and written about it, and him, since, so no further biographical introduction is needed. And what really shaped his life, are locations rather than dates – Israel and Palestine, Tokyo, Fukushima, and Cambodia.
An emotional trip to Israel and Palestine in 2005 left a big impression on the idealistic young man, and he started keeping and publishing travel journals to share his impressions. At some point he began illustrating those with photos. Meanwhile he kept working as a photographer in entertainment and sports.
In 2008, a café in Paris offered him space to display his photos. Thinking to himself, “This is a great opportunity… probably the only one I’ll ever have to exhibit”, he went for it. It was a success, and the impetus to turn his passion into a profession.

A visit to Tokyo in 2009 would prove to be the pathway into that professional career as an art photographer. The swirling, frenzied city of dazzling lights around the clock inspired him to find a way to capture the craziness of the megalopolis and the loneliness of its citizens … and he found a way to do so by superimposing two photos taken in the Tokyo subway, of the train and its travelers. It turned out so well that this type of photography would soon become his signature.

On his next visit to Japan – and in fact to Fukushima, just one month after the 2011 reactor catastrophe there – he found a country that had profoundly changed. The Japanese were beginning to awaken to the consequences of boundless, unchecked use of nuclear energy. As a consequence, the garish lights all over town were dimmed, and the mood had become much more somber and sober.

This was when the Hurban Vortex project started taking shape in the artist’s mind. “Hurban Vortex is an urban adventure with a big H”, he explains, the constant game between the concepts of humanity and urbanity, extending into notions of modernity and identity, future, sustainable development, ecology and economy. The City, symbolizing Progress and Modernity, in constant growth, now become a “megalopolis”, or a “City-world”, a space built by humans to live in but one that eats them up in return.

For this project, and forever drawn to Asia, Boris Wilensky returns to Tokyo, Shanghai and Bangkok to take as many “photographic backgrounds” as possible. Then he tours Cambodia for two months, the stark contrast to the other cities’ modernity. Here he immerses himself fully in the ancient Khmer culture, taking portraits of men, women and children. Many of those faces bear silent witness to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime, and yet retain pride and dignity that speaks of inner strength.

Over 15,000 photos later, Hurban Vortex sees the light of day. The ensemble of artistic, esthetic and human adventure are at the core of the triptych that represents his works: Origins corresponds to 2009 (present), the period of an oblivious, profligate, consumerism-driven world. Collapse takes us into 2011 (future)…Fukushima, with its worldwide impact. The glasses and gas masks worn by the humans represent the man-made destruction of a world as we had known it before and which will never be the same. And in Post we find ourselves in an urban landscape filled with waste and shattered ruins. But people are no longer wearing their blinders… Maybe there is hope after all that cities may disappear but humans are still around? Or does the urban jungle always win in the end? You decide, because it is your personal interpretation, after an intense dialogue with the image… exactly what Boris Wilensky wants.

What the viewer sees, is how this artist sees the world – not in the literal but figurative sense. But he does not dictate, he suggests. He considers himself a storytelling portraitist first and foremost, and an urban photographer second. As you look at his large-size pictures (180 x 120 cm), the image in front of you transforms from a flat canvas to a three-dimensional scenography. You are drawn in, pulled onto a stage, you become part of the performance, an actor engaged in a dialogue. You are the person across from the man in the photo, but you also become him, turning outward to the viewer.

The continuous movement – the vortex – pushes and pulls you as the borders between Human and Urban blur and become Hurban. There are violently cold and anonymous city landscapes, consisting of monochromatic and starkly geometric patterns, entirely unlike anything you find in nature. But the human element, superimposed, invariably bestows them with a strangely appealing aesthetic. For the Silo, Natja Igney. This article originates at Riviera-buzz. Banner diptych image Boris Wilensky- concept by Jarrod Barker.

Politics

Economic Aspects Of Globalization In The Past Material World

January 12, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Questions and deliberations concerning globalization are more than a hot topic of extended cross-disciplinary focus in academia; they are also central to the long-simmering debates regarding policies and their implications that today often enter the public arena. For example, a quick perusal of broadly accessible media outlets from late 2013 and early 2014 reflects a suite of still unresolved but vibrant civic pondering: “When did globalization start” (The Economist 2013), “The dark side of globalization: why Seattle’s 1999 protesters were right” (Smith 2014), and “Have we reached the end of globalization?: (CNN 2014).

Yet can such issues really be evaluated judiciously without defining the critical elements of globalization, and then dissecting and assessing its historical scope? Given the broad temporal and spatial elements implied by the concept of “globalization”, it is not most likely that the outcomes and effects of this multifaceted process would be highly variable across time and space?

But through a diachromic and comparative examination of human connections over time, might we see some commonalities and learn relevant lessons?

Continue reading this essay by Gary Feinman by clicking here.

*Banner image of Ronald McDonald -McDonalds China courtesy of image.minyanville.com

Earth

Shephardess Innovates With Dynamic Agriculture System

September 29, 2014 The Silo Leave a comment

photo's: Carrie Wooley — photo’s: Carrie Wooley

Trying to find agricultural systems that are environmentally friendly and economically viable is a challenge facing the agriculture industry. So when a friend from New Zealand told us about how they graze sheep in fruit orchards we instantly liked the idea. All of a sudden the apple and cherry orchards on the farm didn’t look just like orchards, they also looked like sheep pasture. So we went for it and purchased our first group of ewes in January of 2013. Our goal was to build a sheep production system that worked with the current farm set up and where we can produce quality lamb raised in an environmentally sustainable and welfare-friendly system.

Our sheep graze permanent pastures in spring and early summer where they give birth to lambs, and are moved to orchards the rest of the year.

Utilizing the grass in the orchards allows us to reduce feed costs and grass cutting costs. While the sheep convert grass and weeds into meat they also fertilize the orchards with their manure. Having the sheep on pasture eliminates costs associated with keeping animals in barns such as bedding material and manure removal. Lambs are born outside on pasture in May and June. Raising lambs on pasture can bring challenges such as coyotes and internal parasites.

To help protect our sheep from coyotes we utilize electric fences and livestock guardian dogs. Livestock guardian dogs have been used for hundreds of years by shepherds to protect their sheep from people and predators. We use the Kuvasz and Maremma breeds of livestock guardian dogs, other guardian breeds include the Great Pyrenees, Akbash, and Anatolian Shepherds. These amazing working dogs see the sheep as their family and guard them day and night. Raised with sheep from the time they are puppies, guardian dogs sleep with the flock at night and can even be found helping clean off newborn lambs.

The idea of a more dynamic and sustainable agricultural system is something we want to pursue. We, as farmers and stewards of the land, recognize that we need to be inventive to keep soils and ultimately the environment healthy. In agriculture there is always lots to learn and it provides me with an exciting and interesting line of work.

Culture

Watershed Forests Returning On Former Farmer Fields

May 27, 2014 The Silo 1 Comment

The Grand River watershed was 85 per cent forest 200 years ago. However, tree cover dropped to just five per cent by 1900 as land was cleared for farming and urban areas. Today, the tree cover has rebounded to about 19 per cent. Environment Canada suggests a healthy watershed needs a tree cover of about 30 per cent.

New forests are rising on old farm fields in Mapleton Township in an effort to improve water quality in streams feeding Conestogo Lake reservoir. About 70,000 trees are being planted this year and next on two parcels of land totalling 40 hectares (100 acres) on the north side of the reservoir.

The GRCA is planting a variety of species that are native to the area, including spruce, tamarack, white pine, bur oak, silver maple and cottonwood. In addition to the new forests, the GRCA will also do some reshaping of the landscape to create some seasonal wetlands that will also help improve water quality and provide additional habitat.

As the trees grow in coming years, the areas will quickly become home to a variety of animals, such as deer and wild turkeys. Later, as the forests mature, it’s expected that several bird species including scarlet tanagers, ovenbirds and great horned owls will take up residence. A 12 hectare parcel near Wellington Road 10 and Concession Road Five has been planted this year. The second parcel of 28 hectares is near Concession Road 5 and Sideroad 15. About 18 hectares has been planted this year and the rest will be planted in 2015. The land was acquired by the GRCA when it built the reservoir in the 1950s. It has been leased to farmers since then.

These two parcels of land were prone to erosion which sent a lot of sediment down the streams into the reservoir, explained Ron Wu-Winter, watershed forester with the GRCA. In addition, the sediment also carried nutrients – phosphorous and nitrates – which are found in manure and commercial fertilizers. The nutrients would spur algae and plant growth in the reservoir, resulting in lower water quality.

The northwestern part of the Grand River watershed contains some of the best farmland in Ontario. As a result, the forest cover is some of the lowest in the watershed. Forest cover is estimated at 15 per cent or less. A healthy watershed should have forest cover of about 30 per cent. Trees help raise water quality in several ways. They soak up nutrients in the soil, so reduce the volume that runs off the surface into a watercourse. Trees along a stream shade it, keeping it cooler in summer which is good for some coldwater fish species.

The total cost of the project is about $150,000. About $50,000 was contributed by the Grand River Conservation Foundation. It is also supported by the Trees Ontario Foundation which is contributing $65,000. For the Silo, Dave Schultz.

Tree Facts
* Across the entire watershed, the GRCA will plant about 400,000 trees this year, including 95,000 on its own land and 300,000 in partnership with private land owners.
* The GRCA operates a nursery near Burford, in Brant County, where it grows more than 150,000 trees a years from 60 different species.
* Since it was created in 1934, the GRCA has planted more than 27 million trees on both private land and its own land.
* The Grand River watershed was 85 per cent forest 200 years ago. However, tree cover dropped to just five per cent by 1900 as land was cleared for farming and urban areas. Today, the tree cover has rebounded to about 19 per cent. Environment Canada suggests a healthy watershed needs a tree cover of about 30 per cent.
* To learn more about the GRCA’s tree planting program, go to the Tree Planting section of the GRCA website. The GRCA helps private landowners develop planting plans, plant the trees and find grants to offset costs.

Supplemental- Turning farm land back into forest- http://www.udel.edu/PR/Messenger/04/03/PTturning.html

Earth

Help End Peru’s Savage Dolphin Hunt By Adding Your Signature

January 17, 2014 The Silo 1 Comment

Dear Silo,

Up to 15,000 dolphins are being killed every year in Peru’s waters — for bait to catch endangered sharks. A new report has forced the government to respond but they’re not taking enough action yet and meanwhile the dolphins and the sharks are being killed. We can stop the massacre by threatening Peru’s international reputation as a tourism destination. Sign now and share:

I just saw a report on the news in Peru showing how fishermen are slaughtering up to 15,000 dolphins every year — for bait to catch endangered sharks. The entire story made me sick — and now I’m fighting to end this nightmare.
My government is starting to react, but they’re not taking enough action yet. Dolphin hunting is already illegal and punishable with several years in prison, but authorities are turning a blind eye — allowing thousands of dolphins and sharks to be butchered. The government cares a lot about Peru’s international reputation, especially for tourism, and if we can make them feel embarrassed with a massive global campaign, I’m sure they’ll start taking action to end the massacre.

Once I deliver a million signatures from all over the world to the government of Peru, Avaaz will place ads in tourism magazines in countries where most of our tourists come from and the government won’t be able to ignore us! Help me stop the brutal slaughter by signing now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/dolphin_hunt_peru/?bsOTIab&v=33625

When I saw this horrific hunt I realised I needed to do something about it before our dolphins and sharks are gone forever. So I decided to set up a petition and shared it with my friends and in less than 24 hours over 10,000 people had signed it!

Partially butchered Dolphin, found on Bujama beach on 1.24.13 image: bluevoice.org

Our oceans are under attack. Sharks and dolphins already face threats from pollution, climate change and entanglement in fishing gear. They play an important role as ocean predators and need to be protected — not butchered. Many marine ecosystems are on the verge of collapse from which they won’t recover and they will not wait while our politicians dither around making empty statements.

Tourism is Peru’s third largest industry, growing faster than any other South American country. Visitors are coming to see our pristine wilderness and eco-tourism is very important. We can create a serious threat by taking out hard-hitting ads in key countries where most visitors are coming from. Our government will realise people not only love our country because of the Machu Picchu and local gastronomy but also because they love our oceans and wildlife. Sign now and share this with everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/dolphin_hunt_peru/?bsOTIab&v=33625

As an Avaaz member I’ve been truly amazed at our ability to help protect our oceans. At first, I wanted to get 15,000 signatures to represent the 15,000 dolphins that are killed every year but together we can represent all the dolphins and the sharks that can be saved in Peru’s waters!

With hope and excitement,

Zoe — together with the Avaaz Community Petitions Team

This petition was started on the Avaaz Community Petitions Site. It’s quick and easy to start a petition on any issue you care about, click here: http://avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?30311

Supplemental:

Dolphins killed for shark bait in Peru (CNN)
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/22/world/americas/dolphins-killed-peru/

Dolphin Slaughter Fueled by Illegal Shark Trade (National Geographic)
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/24/dolphin-slaughter-fueled-by-illegal-shark-trade/

Revealed: brutal reality of (The Ecologist)
world’s ‘biggest dolphin hunt’

http://www.bluevoice.org/news_perudolphinhunts.php

Politics

Ontario Greens: “Will push government to protect people and places we love”

September 9, 2013 The Silo Leave a comment

(Queen’s Park): Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling for an end to political gamesmanship at Queen’s Park. Instead,
Schreiner wants the minority legislature to move on legislation that protects food and water, democracy and local jobs during the fall session.

“Greens will push the government to protect the people and places we love,” says Schreiner. “The status quo parties need to stop playing
political games so that we can get things done for the people of Ontario. Greens succeeded in pushing the Premier to save the Experimental Lakes Area [ search our site for more on the Experimental Lakes Area CP] in the spring, which was more than the Tories accomplished with 36 seats.”

As the only political leader to sign the Food and Water First pledge to protect prime farmland and source water, Schreiner is challenging the Premier and opposition parties to follow his lead.

“We can’t eat subdivisions, quarries or pipelines,” says Schreiner. “Ontario is losing farmland at an accelerating rate, bees are dying, and 2 pipeline proposals threaten our drinking water. None of the status quo parties are doing enough to protect the places we love.”

Greens know that part of the solution is to reduce the influence of powerful vested interests by banning corporate and union donations to political parties.

“People vote, not corporations,” says Schreiner. “We have to get politics back on track by closing the money taps that buy influence for powerful corporations and big unions.”

Greens are also calling on the government to remove barriers for entrepreneurs to create local jobs. Schreiner wants to see changes to finance laws to allow crowd source funding for new businesses.

“Ontario must invest where the puck is going, not where it is,” says Schreiner. “People want to invest in their communities to support entrepreneurs in clean tech and low carbon industries.”
For the Silo, Becky Smit

Culture

10 Year Old Eco Blogger Hannah Alper

August 30, 2013 The Silo Leave a comment

Eco-blogger and 'kid activist' Hannah Alper. — Eco-blogger and ‘kid activist’ Hannah Alper.

Dear Silo, you’ve probably heard me talk about my daughter Hannah in the past. She has been called many things: “The future of social media”, “Eco-Warrior”, “Changemaker” and “Activist”. At 10 years old, she is all of these things. And now, she can add Free The Children’s “We Day” speaker to the list. There will be nine We Days across Canada this school year, plus two in the United States. And the first U.K. We Day will happen in London next spring. [More on what “We Day” is all about below CP]

She created her blog, www.CallMeHannah.ca , at 9 years old, with the goal of sharing her growing knowledge and concern for the environment. Having always loved animals, Hannah made the connection between animals and the effects of environmental destruction on their habitats and lives. Hannah has become an engaged global citizen seeking to further her own understanding of her connection to and responsibility to the world. Believing that even the little things that we do add up to make a difference, her journey and discovery meet her call to action through her blog.

Issues that Hannah has written about in the past year include eco-friendly living, fair trade, bullying, clean water and child labour. She seeks inspiration and motivation from those who have come before her and regularly features the stories of her role models on her blog.

Not limiting herself to her laptop, Hannah has put her words into actions. She organized a shoreline cleanup in her community, was a WWF Earth Hour Team Captain 2013 and spoke at the WWFs Earth Hour event in Toronto, was the official “on the ground eco-blogger” for the JUNO Awards and launched We Create Change. Her impassioned speech at two local schools motivated her peers to collect 97,500 pennies for Free The Children’s clean water projects. An effective communicator, Hannah is comfortable and confident on both sides of the camera or in front of a crowd. She has honed her skills as an interviewer through conducting interviews with Craig Kielburger, Spencer West and Severn Suzuki. Hannah has appeared on CanadaAM, The Marilyn Dennis Show, APP Central, CBC’s Fresh Air and The George Stroumboulopoulos Show. She has been featured in a spotlight from Chickadee Magazine and named as a Champion of the Earth in Owl Magazine and was the youngest team captain for The WWF’s Earth Hour in 2013. As you can see, I am very proud of my daughter and her efforts to improve the world we live in. Her current focus is on We Day.

“We Day is a room that can transform people, where messages about bullying and social issues can resonate and a place where students can find people just like them,” said Free The Children ambassador Demi Lovato. “Growing up I was forced to deal with many personal struggles and I craved a space where I not only belonged but felt powerful enough to make a difference. To me, that‘s what We Day does – it brings people together in a day of celebration for world change, showing them they aren‘t alone in their journey and that it is cool to care. And I am so grateful to be a part of that.”

“As kids, we face different pressures all the time,” said Austin Mahone, Award-Winning American pop singer. “You‘ve got to surround yourself with positive people in your life, and that‘s what We Day does. It brings people together to celebrate the difference we can make for each other. I‘m so excited to be a part of it for the first time this year!”

We Day is a stadium-sized educational event and a movement of young people leading local and global change. We Day is tied to the year-long program, We Act, which supports students and educators with free educational resources, student-led campaigns and support materials to help turn the event‘s inspiration into sustained activation. Since 2007, youth involved in the We Act program have raised $37 million dollars for over 1000 local and global causes and logged more than 9.6 million volunteer hours.

“I had the opportunity this past summer to participate with Free The Children‘s communities in Kenya, and see first-hand the lasting impact that youth in North America are making through their charitable work,” said Joe Jonas from the Grammy® nominated, multi-platinum band the Jonas Brothers. “I understand what it means to these communities to have access to clean water and an education and I was thrilled to get involved by committing to help build two schools overseas with Free The Children. It may seem like a simple assignment to make one local and one global commitment, but these efforts fundamentally impact the lives of people around the world.” Eric Halper.

Stay connected:

– Like We Day on Facebook: facebook.com/WeDay

– Twitter: @Freethechildren; @CraigKielburger

– Official Hashtag: #WeDay

– Visit www.weday.com

About Free The Children

Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner. Founded in 1995 by international activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children believes in a world where young people are free to achieve their fullest potential, and empowers youth to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens. The organization‘s domestic programs—which includes We Day, Free The Children‘s signature youth empowerment event—educate, engage and empower 1.7 million young people across North America, the UK and around the world to become engaged global citizens. Its international projects have brought more than 650 schools and school rooms to youth and provided clean water and sanitation, health care and food security to one million people around the world, freeing children and their families from the cycle of poverty.

The organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. For more information, visit www.freethechildren.com.

Earth

Green Party Emphatic No To Proposed ‘Tar Sands Oil’ Pipelines In Ontario

July 24, 2013 The Silo 3 Comments

Ottawa – Green Party leader Mike Schreiner is pledging to fight two oil pipeline projects through Ontario. Joining Ottawa South candidate Taylor Howarth on a campaign tour, Schreiner and Howarth raised concerns about the health, environmental and economic effects of TransCanada Corp.’s proposed east coast pipeline, which travels through Ottawa, and Enbridge’s proposed Line 9 pipeline. Both projects
will pump tar sands oil east.

“Greens will fight for the health and safety of our communities,” says Schreiner. “If BC can say no to dirty oil pipelines, Ontario should too.” TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline could transport as much as 850,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day. The project would require retrofitting a 55 year old natural gas pipeline to handle the heavy, more abrasive and corrosive tar sands oil.

“I don’t want to see a tragedy in my community, and I will fight to prevent it,” says Howarth. “This pipeline was not built to handle tar sands oil, and as MPP, I will push the Ontario government to oppose the project. Every vote for the Green Party sends this message to Queen’s Park.”

According to the Montreal Gazette- Municipalities and Counties strung along the Line 9b pathway received cash donations from Enbridge. CP

Studies in the U.S. reveal that pipelines carrying tar sands oil spilled almost three times as much crude oil per mile of pipeline between 2007 and 2010 compared to the U.S. national average. And heavy tar sands oil is more difficult and expensive to clean up than light crude or natural gas. “Both of these pipeline projects are a bad deal for Ontario,” says Schreiner.

“These pipelines are all risk and no reward.” Instead of projects that will increase pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the Green
Party is calling for policies to support clean tech innovation. “Ontario must invest in where the puck is going, not where it is, to create jobs and clean prosperity,” says Schreiner. “Ontario should commit to building electric cars that don’t pollute and support made in Ontario renewable energy, not pipelines that threaten our communities.” For the Silo, Becky Smit.

Supplemental- Ontario Energy Workers union backs proposed Line 9 Oil pipeline http://business.financialpost.com/2013/07/09/energy-workers-union-backs-line-9-project-calls-for-stricter-oil-by-rail-regulation/?__lsa=6225-fce3

Enbridge Website Line9 Reversal Phase 1 Project Overview http://www.enbridge.com/ECRAI/Line9ReversalProject

Earth

Fined $2K For Possessing Living Snakehead “Frankenfish”

May 2, 2013 The Silo 2 Comments

Frankenfish- the other name for the Snakehead. Frankenfish usually refer to genetically modified fish (search genetically modified salmon for more) but due to the 2004 movie "Frankenfish" which starred a Snakehead- this term is being used more and more for The northern snakehead, (Channa argus). This invasive species is now being discovered throughout North America and the United Kingdom. CP — Frankenfish- the other name for the Snakehead. Frankenfish usually refer to genetically modified fish (search genetically modified salmon for more) but due to the 2004 movie “Frankenfish” which starred a Snakehead- this term is being used more and more for The northern snakehead, (Channa argus). This invasive species is now being discovered throughout North America and the United Kingdom. CP

A Chatham man has been fined $2,000 for illegal possession of snakehead fish. Yung-Chieh Liu pleaded guilty to illegally possessing live invasive fish. In addition to the fine, two snakehead fish were also forfeited to the Crown.

Justice of the Peace Malcolm Rogers heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Blenheim, on April 17, 2013.

The Ministry of Natural Resources reminds residents that it is against the law to have certain invasive species in your possession, because they pose a serious threat to native species and ecosystems.

“The Northern Snakehead might enjoy life in Canada, but it would not be welcome here. This fish, native to eastern Asia, has invaded parts of the United States, where it threatens to disrupt ecosystems and native fish species unaccustomed to its presence. Scientists at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) want to stop the snakehead from establishing a base in Canadian waters – and building a strong defence is the key to success.

The risk posed by snakeheads is very real. Several of the 36 species have a long history of invasions, and are very hardy. They can even live out of the water for a time – to pursue their prey or find a new home if the former one dries up. They survive winter under the ice of northern lakes; some have even recovered from being frozen! The Northern Snakehead, in particular, thrives on conditions that are similar to many Canadian waters. It is a voracious predator, and it grows rapidly to an adult length of 1.5 metres or more.

In their native waters, some snakehead species are fished for food or used for aquaculture. Many are exported to other countries where they may be sold live in food markets and pet shops. Scientists believe that the Northern Snakeheads found in lakes in some US cities may have originated from food markets. Some may have been released to the wild in an ill-advised attempt at fish stocking or because they were no longer wanted as pets.” Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Be on the lookout for the Snakehead. Report any sightings and help keep this invader out of Ontario's waters. — Be on the lookout for the Snakehead. Report any sightings and help keep this invader out of Ontario’s waters.

For further information about fishing regulations, please consult the 2013 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, available at ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres, licence issuers and at ontario.ca/fishing.

To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Politics

Ontario Greens seek Experimental Lakes petition signatures UPDATE Liberals agree to fund

May 1, 2013 The Silo 1 Comment

(Toronto, Ontario): The Green Party of Ontario has launched a campaign calling on the Ontario government to take over the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) from the federal government. In less than a day over 700 people have written emails to the Finance Minister Sousa demanding the ELA be included in the upcoming Ontario budget.

Federal Bill C-38 terminates federal funding for the ELA on March 31, 2013. “The Prime Minister is poised to throw away 45 years of world-renowned freshwater research with his anti-science agenda,” says Green Party leader Mike Schreiner.

“The Experimental Lakes Area is vital to keeping our water clean, sovwe’re calling on Premier Wynne and Minister Sousa to save this priceless resource for future generations.”

Ontario already owns the 58 lakes around Kenora that make up the Experimental Lakes Area. Since 1968, the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans has managed the operations of the ELA. The cost to maintain the ELA as avworld-renowned laboratory is only $2 million per year.

The ELA has played an essential role in explaining algal blooms and acid rain. ELA scientists continue to publish in scientific journals with the ELA being recognized as the most important freshwater research facility in the world.

“No one can predict the next threat to our water,” says Schreiner. “But we can predict the ELA will be vital to the scientists working on tomorrow’s challenges. The Prime Minister refuses to protect Canada’s water, so we’re demanding Premier Wynne step in before it’s too late.”

The Green Party’s ELA petition can be found here:

http://press.gpo.ca/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=82&qid=125123 For the Silo, Becky Smit

UPDATE- May1 2013 The Ontario Liberal Party has committed to ‘saving’ the Experimental Lakes through funding and other support platforms.

Chicago Gallery

ABOUT TORKWASE DYSON

ABOUT GRAY

The “Smart Kitchen” EatBy App reduces food waste, saving households up to $1,000 per year and helps the environment.

And the numbers add up.

Now known as ‘biochar’, this ancient soil management practice has been enjoying a renaissance of late for a number of reasons largely related to the need for more resilient and productive soils and biochar’s ability to sequester carbon in a safe and beneficial manner.

Biochar is increasingly available to purchase but farmers can also convert their on-farm waste biomass in to biochar.

Nature is born of sexuality.

Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle have collaborated for 17 years.

Canada's 'biggest little blogspace'