Tag Archives: soil

Quickening Ecological Restoration On St. Kitts

May 23, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

May, 2024. UNESCO. On International Day for Biological Diversity, we highlight the remarkable efforts underway to accelerate ecological restoration at St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve on the island of St. Kitts. Home to thousands of species, this UNESCO-designated site spans vast marine areas, forested ridges, agricultural hills, cloud forests, mangroves, and coral reefs. Despite its rich biodiversity, 32% of the land is degraded, necessitating urgent restoration efforts. St. Mary’s is the first site to benefit from the expertise of volunteer scientists from the UNESCO Earth Network project, aimed at collecting key data, implementing restoration plans, and identifying sustainable livelihood opportunities.

St Mary’s Biosphere Reserve’s main challenges

Like many Caribbean islands, the socio-economic history of St Kitts and Nevis was marked by a heavy dependence on the lucrative sugar trade. Thanks to governmental efforts to diversify the economy since 1970s, the federation turned to tourism development, which brought unprecedented opportunities to improve the livelihood of locals. However, when the tourism industry came to a near standstill between 2020 and 2021, St Kitts and Nevis saw a 14.5% drop in its GDP, followed by another 4.3% contraction in 2021.

In addition, as a Small Developing State (SIDS), it faces a number of natural challenges accentuated in the last decade by climate change, with more frequent and violent natural disasters, including hurricanes and seismic events. The effects of climate change highlight the need to protect tropical forests and promote resilient and biodiversity-friendly agriculture.

What does agriculture have to do with biodiversity conservation?

UNESCO/Joan de la Malla

One of the primary goals of St Mary’s Biosphere Reserve is to conserve biodiversity, particularly one of the most emblematic species of the area, the critically endangered leatherback turtle. It may not seem obvious, but this goal is closely related with sustainable agricultural practices.

As explained by Dr Kimberly Steward (Ross University), leachate and chemicals used in farming end up on the beach and affect nesting zones as well as the algae, food and refuge for the leatherback and other turtle species.

What were the objectives of the UNESCO Earth Network mission to the biosphere reserve?

UNESCO/Joan de la Malla

With the generous support of the Government of Italy, the Earth Network project embarked on a mission to St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve site to promote and work on ecological restoration. The initiative addressed specific challenges associated with agricultural practices, tools and methods of the St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve site: cultivation, preservation and monetization of sustainable and biodiversity-led agriculture processes.

Furthermore, an inventory of biodiversity loss, i.e., soil-erosion, tropical forest depletion, diminished mangrove cultivation, extent of fauna and different species of birds, bees and other pollinators etc., was prepated. The mission also analysed potential employment opportunities based on sustainable, biodiversity-friendly agriculture practices and tools, i.e., better use of tropical forests as sources of new fruit and vegetable cultivation, and introducing new seed varieties more tolerant to heat and drought; and examined opportunities for the creation of small enterprises associated with sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity.

Development of the mission and its first achievements

UNESCO/Joan de la Malla

The mission was conducted in two phases, both led by volunteer expert, Dr. Haydi Berrenstein. The first field mission took place from 20 – 24 February 2023 to collect data, assess the situation and exchange with local experts, as well as to interview local stakeholders.

A second mission took place in August 2023, when the Earth Network volunteer expert and local community members worked together to formulate technical advice towards an ecological restoration plan in line with available good practices and assess the feasibility of a local biodiversity inventory.

Additionally, in August 2023, a plan to improve their practices began to be implemented, through the creation of a Seed Bank, the development of natural fertilizers and a whole Biodiversity Agricultural Reforestation plan. The overall aim is to embrace better use of tropical forests, enhance the cultivation of new fruits and combat soil erosion.

Furthermore, the knowledge generated through the mission was consolidated and included in the UNESCO Biodiversity Portal, which provides real-time data from UNESCO-designated sites, as well as top-notch solutions.

Featured image- St. Kitts/Nevis natural springs.

Reviews

VieVité Cotes de Provence Is Ideal Wine For Victoria Day And Memorial Day

May 18, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

For many people, an ideal Victoria Day in Canada or Memorial Day in America depends on two essential things: SUN and BOOZE. VieVité’s Rosé #ROSEALLDAY is the weekend’s beach towel, boat, or post-brunch bag’s best friend. I mean.. is there really another way to kick off Summer celebrations?

“Perfectly pale pink. That perfectly chilled, hot weather day rosé is the ultimate dream.” – Women everywhere.

NEW YORK – The acclaimed Côtes de Provence region in France has long been known for its exceptional climate, soil and as the world leader in the production of premium rosé wines. VieVité (pronounced Vee-Veetay) is created at Domaine Sainte Marie, a renowned vineyard dating back to the 18th century and known for its true expressions of Provencal Rosé wine.
Located just 21 kilometers west of Saint Tropez, Domaine Sainte Marie stretches over 45 hectares of land; with bountiful southern exposure and land rich in filterable siliceous soil containing michaschists, schists, and white quartz, adding to the depth and quality of VieVité Rosé. Year after year, Domaine Sainte Marie receives critical acclaim and industry award recognition for its consistently excellent wines, which benefit from the soft gradient slopes, and hot, dry days and cool summer nights.

As one of the leading wines within the esteemed portfolio of Turquoise Life Beverage Brands, VieVité is offered in two varietals: the fresh and delicate VieVité and the limited cask VieVité Extraordinaire, sourced from older, time-tested vines. Both exceptional expressions of Provencal Rosé wine pride themselves on their unique vinicultural history, with the wines exemplifying the rare and old Grenache vines from which they are harvested.

VieVité is produced from grapevines averaging 25 years old, and offers a fresh and delicate aroma of cherries and strawberries coupled with notes of spice to create a satisfying sensation on the palate with a forward fruit nose of peach, grape and apricot.

VieVité Extraordinaire is sourced from 80-year grapevines and produced in smaller quantities, capturing the attention of true rosé connoisseurs for its opulent fruit flavors and exuberant panache. This deliciously vibrant Rosé delights with its intense and well- balanced fruit flavors, dominant with strawberries and berries, and structured with an intensity that highlights the old vines it is made from. Both wines have been declared as exceptional examples of true Cotes De Provence Rosé by wine lovers and critics alike.

Rosé wine has been gaining in popularity here in Canada and also in the U.S. and Mexico each year as more and more new wine drinkers are educated about the production methods used to make it; how the process of allowing the red skins of the grapes to macerate for a shortened amount of time gives it its signature hue.

Not to be confused with the similarly colored White Zinfandel wine of years past, true Rosé wines are absent of an overly sweet taste, which allows their quality and flavors to shine.

Turquoise Life Beverage Brands offers both VieVité and VieVité Extraordinaire across the United States in fine restaurants & bars, luxury resorts and hotels as well as wine boutiques. VieVité is also available internationally in the Netherlands, Turkey, and Greece.

Whether paired with a brunch, dinner, an ocean breeze, a poolside lounge, yachting or barbequing, VieVité is an ideal choice — any day — and all day. For the Silo, Jessica Kirk.

Earth

This Spring Improve Survival Of Trees You Plant

April 14, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

Every year the landowners of Ontario’s watershed areas collectively plant tens of thousands of trees. These trees help to restore the natural environment by protecting water quality in streams and rivers, providing wildlife corridors and purifying the air we breathe.

Unpredictable weather patterns mean it is even more important to keep planting trees. A number of crucial steps before and after planting will improve survival.

Right tree, right place

Factors such as soil texture, drainage and surrounding vegetation determine which tree species will thrive or die. Fine clay soils can hold trees like white cedar and Norway spruce. On the other hand, loose sandy soils are well suited to white pine and sugar maple. Silver maple and tamarack like wet sites, while larch and red oak will thrive in drier locations.

Road salt can contaminate the soil, but trees such as white spruce, larch and poplar have a higher tolerance for salt and these species are best for roadsides.

Site preparation

European buckthorn – Rhamnus carthartica – Invasive Plant Found In Ontario Watersheds — European buckthorn – Rhamnus carthartica

Preparing the land before planting will provide the best growth conditions for your trees. Clear areas of brush and invasive plants, such as European buckthorn. On larger sites, this can be done with a brush saw or a tractor and rotary mower to remove obstacles and provide growing space. Installing plastic mulch before tree planting is a great way to reduce weed competition and hold moisture in the soil. If planting into bare soil, seeding a cover crop of Dutch white clover is a great way to prevent excessive weed growth.

For the first years, control vegetation around the trees to make sure they have room to grow. This will give the trees the best chance of survival.

Click me to learn about Tree Planting incentives 🙂

Get trees into the soil quickly

The roots of bare-root stock (without soil around the roots) will dry out very fast when exposed to sun and wind and need to be planted very quickly. Keep these trees in their planting bag until they are directly planted into the ground. Potted trees can be kept in a shaded area and watered until they are planted.

Mulch madness

Mulching is one of the best ways to keep your trees growing well. Organic matter applied to the base of the tree acts as a blanket to hold moisture, protect against extreme soil temperatures and reduce grass competition. Make sure to place mulch in a donut shape around the tree, so that absolutely no mulch is touching the base of the tree. This can cause decay of vital root-collar tissue. A two to four inch layer of mulch at an inch or two away from the trunk is enough.

Water, water, water

For the first few years of growth, a tree expends a lot of energy trying to establish roots in the soil. Watering can be very important during this time if rainfall is sparse. Water the tree right after planting and weekly during hot, dry weather. But be careful not to over water, because soggy soil inhibits the tree roots from accessing oxygen. There are many circumstances when watering is difficult due to distance from a water source or the number of trees planted. For the Silo, Lisa Stocco.

Culture

Acupuncturist Explains Eastern Medicine Methods and Chi

April 7, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

As westerners we’re used to running to the doctor for a prescription when we’re sick, but the down side to this is that many pharmaceuticals come with serious side effects.

That’s just one reason why Asians believe in helping the body heal from more natural methods. Sheri Laine studied under one of the great Chinese medicine masters and in her new book, Living the EnerQi Connection, she shares a profound understanding of Asian medicine and explains the many benefits people are realizing from switching to natural products.

Many of us have heard the words Eastern/ Chinese/Asian medicine, acupuncture, and chi, but we don’t really understand what they mean or the long tradition behind the culture of it. We are westerners. We are used to doctors in white lab coats rushing to meet with us and write a prescription for whatever problem we have at the moment. Living the EnerQi Connection (HCI Books – $12.95) presents a new idea to health, medicine, and introduces us to what those words really mean.

The book discusses Asian medicine as a whole, but one of the main points that it touches on is qi (pronounced “chee” and sometimes spelled chi). This is the energy that is constantly circling through our bodies. Sometimes the flow of our qi can become blocked in some way, because we’re tired or run down which can leave our bodies susceptible to illness. Sheri Laine, L.Ac, has developed a way through Asian medicine to help us maintain our health and keep our qi flowing.

In this book Laine presents the L.A.I.N.E. system, which stands for: Learn, Align, Inform, Natural, and Energy.

Each chapter of the book explains a part of her system to give us a better understanding of the concepts of the energy in our bodies and the energy around us. This will help us to take a more active stance on our lives, our health and our healing.

Laine shows us moments from her childhood when she loved to play doctor to her friends and family, giving them shots by sticking them with cactus needles and giving them medicine from the plants in her back yard. Many years later she is doing this again, but she is no longer playing make-believe. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are a powerful way for Laine to help enhance our qi and energy.

Sheri Laine studied for many years under the Chinese medicine master, Richard Teh-Fu Tan. It is a long tradition that an apprentice study under a master for many years to get such an extensive knowledge of the medicine, the science, and the tradition behind it. This is how Laine is able to help us understand the concepts for ourselves so that we may apply them in our lives. She is the president of Eastern Medical Arts, a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and nutritionist, with a focus on Integrative Lifestyle Medicine.

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light. “– Theodore Roethke

Oriental Medicine draws from nature to diagnose internal medical challenges. We have all admired a great majestic tree. Your health is like that great majestic tree. The roots are your immune system, your qi essence, and the power of your qi essence. The branches of your tree are your subjective symptoms of a greater imbalance. The problem is not in a bad branch; it actually lies in the roots of the tree and within the soil that nourishes the tree, what is the underlying cause of distress?”– Chapter 2: Drawing from Nature: The Elements of EnerQi

Supplemental- Just how gentle can acupuncture be?

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.

Sci-Tech

Why Radiation Protection Makes Sense- even at ‘Low’ Exposure levels

October 5, 2022 The Silo 1 Comment

Radiation is all around us.

It occurs naturally in our environment, coming to us from the sun, from the soil and foods that we eat, and in the air that we breathe. It is omnipresent across a diverse cross section of industries. We tend to associate radiation with the nuclear industry, but the reality is that we come across radiation sources in numerous other areas: construction, health care, oil and gas, research, manufacturing, food processing – to name just a few.

With radiation being everywhere in our lives, it is not surprising that it garners a lot of attention, curiosity and, often, worry.

With more than 15 years as a career radiation protection professional, I’ve had to respond to many occupational radiation safety questions — some have related to regulations and compliance, others to potential health effects of exposure and ways to minimize such exposure. In all cases, it is best to rely on well established radiation physics concepts and scientific data, where available.

While there is not much that we can do to escape natural background radiation exposure, we do want to avoid any unnecessary exposure to high levels of radiation, such as the potential hazard due to elevated radon (a radioactive gas) in our homes and workplaces.

Radon testing of homes is the simplest first step you can take to protect yourself and your family from radon gas, but all too often we do not make the time to educate ourselves and make this a priority. Workplaces are required to have a radiation protection program in place that is appropriate for the type of radiation and potential risk in their industry. But it takes time and investment to develop these programs, and it requires the commitment of both employers and workers to put these programs into practice.

Our challenge is that radiation and its associated risks are not always well understood.

On the one hand, we do not wish to alarm anyone unnecessarily, yet we want to make sure that the public, workers and employers are aware of the steps they need to take to stay safe. Remember, we are talking about an “invisible” hazard that very rarely causes ill health effects in the short-term. Additionally, the existing radiation protection models are built on what we call the linear no-threshold concept, which, in simple terms, is based on studies of the atomic bomb survivors from the Second World War in Japan and other high-exposure situations, and extrapolates the information to the potential health effects of low exposures.

An agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a study on the health effects of low-level exposure to radiation that provides data to support the validity of the linear no-threshold model. We encourage all who read the study (available at The Lancet Haematology) to not get alarmed and to keep the study conclusions in perspective.

It suggests that extended exposure to low level of radiation increases the risk of developing leukemia.

A frightening statement, but we have to keep in mind that the increased risk is small, in line with what we have estimated based on the modeling concepts. This boils down to two things: first, it is important that we continue to apply the ALARA principle — “As Low as Reasonably Achievable” — to all our of interactions with radiation; and second, that we continue to view the numbers associated with radiation and risk in the proper context. The study points to a “small increase” of risk of dying from cancer from low levels of radiation exposure.

Let’s put this into perspective.

If we extrapolate this study’s conclusions for nuclear workers to persons living near Canadian nuclear plants, people are 6,000 times more likely to die in a car accident, than to die from leukemia due to doses received from reactor plant emissions. Yet most of us think nothing of driving to work, driving our kids to school, or driving to visit friends and family. The radiation risk is there, but it is significantly smaller than the risks we accept every day, often without even thinking or worrying about them.

More research is required on the health risks from low-level radiation exposure, and there are efforts underway around the world to make it happen. At the Radiation Safety Institute, we will be looking forward to hearing about more study results. In the meantime we invite all people who are interested in the subject of radiation safety, who have a question or a concern, to reach out to our Free Information Service at 1-800-263-5803 or by e-mail at info@radiationsafety.ca. Let’s keep the conversation going. For the Silo, Laura Boksman Chief Scientist at the Radiation Institute of Canada.

Earth

How Cell Phone Behavioral Data Can Help Save Our Planet

August 27, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

Zurich, Switzerland- A report from a few years ago deserves a second look. That study demonstrated how leveraging mobile network data can estimate levels of carbon emissions and air pollution in cities, an approach that could substantially reduce the cost of implementing the Paris Agreement.

The study analyses mobility patterns derived from mobile network data to estimate the usage of different transport modes within a city and derive conclusions about the respective pollution they cause.
This innovative methodology allowed scientists to estimate the concentration of air pollutants in urban areas with up to 77% accuracy.
The method could provide a scale-able and cost effective way to help understand and combat greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in cities worldwide.

Big data analytics company and ETH Zurich spin-off Teralytics, Telefónica NEXT and sustainability solution provider South Pole Group conducted the study in Nuremberg, Germany and revealed the analysis of mobile network data is an effective way to estimate CO2 and NOX emissions in urban areas at very low cost. To achieve this, Teralytics examined aggregated and anonymized data, which is generated when mobile devices communicate with Telefónica’s mobile communication cells during user calls, text messages or while using phones to browse the internet. Teralytics was able to refine this raw data into human mobility patterns to understand how the different modes of transport, for instance trains or cars, are frequented. Combining this information with data on the emissions of the different transport modes, the three entities were able to estimate air pollution and GHG emissions in the city.

As each form of transportation produces a unique amount of CO2 and NOX emissions, understanding urban mobility patterns is vital to understand the source of emissions. The study in Nuremberg used this information to estimate with up to 77 per cent accuracy the concentration of air pollutants in the city. These findings encourage further exploration of how big data can be used to understand and ultimately solve environmental issues such as air pollution in cities across the world. This is particularly interesting with regards to the lower cost of analyzing and interpreting data compared to the higher cost of production and maintenance of elaborate measuring stations. The novel approach could thus allow an ongoing analysis on a nationwide scale.

“While our contemporary urban lifestyles result in the generation of harmful greenhouse gasses, it also generates large amounts of behavioural data. Our mission at Teralytics is to use this data for the benefit of society,” says Georg Polzer, CEO of Teralytics. “Our findings from Nuremberg showed that this data can be used to give city planners insights into how human mobility contributes to pollution. This is a vital part to efficiently design and implement clean air and low carbon strategies. We are looking forward to further exploring this opportunity.”

Using a three-level process, the fully anonymized and aggregated data was first transformed into movement flows by the data scientists at Teralytics, identifying over 1.2 million transportation routes during the analyzed time period, as depicted in Figure 2. The sustainability solution expert South Pole Group then used an atmospheric model to estimate air pollution levels caused by the usage of the different modes of transportation, taking into account meteorological data and information on the respective traffic carriers’ emission levels from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUB). In the third step, the accuracy of the method was examined by comparing the findings with existing data from air pollution measuring stations. The values measured at these stations were found to correlate up to 77 per cent with those from the Teralytics’ calculations.

The results of this pilot study in Nuremberg constitute a sound basis to further develop the methodology.

Following its success, the consortium was able to secure financial support from Climate KIC’s Low Carbon City Lab (LoCaL), an initiative that brings together cities, business, academia and NGO’s to deliver high environmental and societal impact. With this backing, the research partnership will expand and improve the methodology, focusing on short travel routes and taking into account local emission factors like airports, large-scale events, and types of vehicles on the road (i.e. electric cars and SUVs). Moreover, the influence of factors such as traffic jams and red lights will be taken into account in order to make even more accurate estimations of the air pollution levels in a city.

“The results from this pilot study exceed our expectations,” says Maximilian Groth, responsible for Business Development & Partnerships at Teralytics. “We are confident that we will soon be able to scale this product to cities worldwide to support urban planners in making our air cleaner and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement at the lowest possible cost.”

This research follows other successful studies on usage of mobile network data, including a smart data analysis for transport in Stuttgart by Teralytics, Telefónica Germany, and Fraunhofer IAO.

“Approximately 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated in cities, meaning that they play a key role in climate protection. We see great potential in the use of continuously generated data, such as mobile network data, to measure and reduce pollution levels in cities.” States Renat Heuberger, CEO of South Pole Group.

Florian Marquart, Managing Director of Telefónica NEXT for Advanced Data Analytics: “The pilot project in Nuremberg has clearly shown the specific added value of anonymised mobile network data for the environment. This is data from people for people. We see great potential in the results and will start the next phase of our research. The goal is to develop a product that German cities, German states and the German federal government can use to better face the challenges of emissions pollution”. For the Silo, Ricky Sutton.

About Teralytics

Teralytics is the trusted data analytics partner for some of the largest telecom operators in North America, Europe and Asia. Using technology built for operators by data scientists, they have perfected the ingestion, modelling and transformation of raw signals from subscriber actions and movements on operator networks to deliver meaningful and actionable insights, that delivers new value to our mobile operator partners. By unlocking and processing a massive scale of device movement and consumer intelligence data from location and behavioral signals, they can analyze people, places and things and offer actual insights to help city planners, venue owners, retailers, NGOs and media companies make informed decisions, optimize operations and maximize ROI. Headquartered in Zurich, Teralytics has offices in New York, and Singapore.

Earth

Plants With Real Healing Powers That Cure

August 20, 2022 The Silo 2 Comments

A fever, stomach pains or a simple case of the sniffles can send people rushing to the pharmacy for a drug to cure their symptoms.

But Mother Nature provides a number of medicinal plants with healing properties that also can nurse you back to health, a fact more North Americans are beginning to discover.

Doctor Sodhi -” more North Americans realize the effectiveness of remedies found in nature”

“The use of herbal medicine, although traditional in many Eastern cultures, had been only a minor fad in Western medicine until recent decades,” says Dr. Virender Sodhi, founder of the Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Medical Clinic , which provides complementary and alternative medicine.

That trend has been shifting as a growing body of studies and research has demonstrated the effects of traditional remedies on chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, says Sodhi, author of the new guide, “Ayurvedic Herbs: The Comprehensive Resource for Ayurvedic Healing Solutions”.

That’s not necessarily news to ailing people in other parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa. For centuries, they have found relief through herbal medicines derived from shrubs, vines, trees and other plants, Sodhi says.

Here are four examples, a couple of which are recognizable by better known names and purposes.

American licorice is a native, perennial legume that grows in temperate climates of North America. Licorice, which grows in Europe and Asia, is the root of varieties of the Glycyrrhiza plant.

• Glycyrrhiza glabra. Most people would recognize this plant by its more common name – licorice. It has been used for centuries in the traditional and folk medicines of Asia and Europe to treat ailments ranging from the common cold to liver disease, Sodhi says.

Most Americans likely encountered licorice as children because the sweet root of the plant is used to make candy. Licorice can cure more than a sweet tooth, though. It can protect people from the influenza virus. In cell line studies it was shown to reduce titer of the influenza virus by 90 percent and have strong immune modulation properties.

It’s an important ingredient in many herbal preparations, Sodhi said, especially for bronchial conditions. Because of its expectorant properties, powdered licorice has been used for centuries to treat coughs. Modern cough syrups often contain licorice extract.

• Piper nigrum. This flowering vine’s berries, when still unripe, are used to produce black pepper, but spicing up food isn’t its only talent. Piper nigrum has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-spasmodic properties that make it ideal for treating digestive disorders, Sodhi says.

It doesn’t stop there. Drug resistance is a major concern in cancer patients. Piper nigrum can reverse multiple drug resistance many fold and significantly increase the apoptotic effect of many pharmaceutical drugs.

CLICK me to discover more about Frankincense

• Boswellia serrate. Commonly known as Frankincense, this herb has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Several patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s colitis have gone in to remission using a Boswellia preparation.

In brain tumor patients it has reduced cerebral edema by 75 percent. Sodhi has mentioned case studies of many patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica and ulcerative colitis who went into remission.

• Bael. Commonly known as “golden apple”, this fruit-bearing tree indigenous to the hills and plains of central and southern India has numerous uses. The fruit promotes healthy digestion and is used medicinally to treat such conditions as diarrhea, dysentery and cholera. The leaves, roots and bark of Bael also have medicinal value.

They help relieve acute bronchitis, heart palpitations, intermittent fevers and many other ailments. Dr. Sodhi has observed 100 percent success in treating patients of clostridium difficile, who did not respond to standard medical protocol of metronidazole (Flagyl), Dificid (fidaxomicin), or vanconycin.

Culture

Quirky Doc About One Man’s Quest For Supreme Tea

June 6, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

2all_in_this_tea_movieposter — The movie poster says it all

Invest a little over an hour watching this documentary about tea and you might find yourself contemplating a new connection between rural farming communities and the tea farmers of China. That’s because All in this Tea deals with all aspects of Chinese tea production, but takes a special interest in how a new demand for high quality, organic Chinese tea is creating new opportunities for Chinese rural farmers.

The story begins by focusing on David Lee Hoffman’s elusive quest for rare and perfect teas.

David is a renowned tea importer and to say that he loves tea is an understatement. Based on the passion and knowledge shown in this doc, he seems to live for the stuff. Hoffman sees himself as a cultural zealot, promoting the rich history of simple Chinese farming practices and educating the western world on the merits of drinking pure, organic tea produced in the “Chinese way”.

He makes the act of producing tea seem like the ultimate expression of agricultural art.

His journey takes him to remote, obscure farms where he begins the process of encouraging the Chinese tea board to end mass farming practices and belligerent pesticide uses. His goal is to create a new tea farming economy, one where quality takes precedence over quantity. If you like tea or if you want to learn more about Chinese tea farming practices, If you’re a tea drinker or know someone who is (don’t we all?) then All in this Tea is the right documentary for you. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Earth

Crickets And Grasshoppers Relaxing Sounds For Your Mind

May 21, 2022 The Silo Leave a comment

If you didn’t know already, crickets and grasshoppers are not the same insect- though they do share a distant common ancestor from somewhere back in time.

How can you tell them apart?

For one thing, grasshoppers have short antennae whereas crickets have long antennae. Considering that crickets are active at night, in the dark- it makes sense for them to have “supercharged” antennae.

Oh but the sound.

It’s amazing to know that together and in unison, thousands upon thousands of orthopterans (the common order that is shared by crickets and katydids, grasshoppers and locusts) can create a huge amount of sound from nothing more than, in the case of grasshoppers: rubbing their hind legs against their forelimbs or in the case of crickets: rubbing their fore wings together. Judging by the number of nature recordings ready for streaming, many of us are enjoying these sounds as a soothing treatment to help us unwind, relax and fall asleep. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Cricket or grasshopper? What do you think? photo: Dixie Greenwood

From the nature recordist NeCubFlyer:

“I’ve been recording high quality nature sounds for over 26 years for my own personal use. When I first started, nature recordings didn’t exist and when these types of recordings finally hit the market, they were so overly compressed & attenuated it didn’t even remotely sound natural!

Throughout some recordings you may find sounds that are man made.

All of my recordings are captured in nature as it happens. None of my recordings have been “Computer Generated” or are short segments looped together. I have traveled to some of the most remote areas of the US to capture my nature sounds only to find jets flying overhead or a train off in the distance blowing its horn. It is virtually impossible to capture a clean recording without the “Hand of Man” being heard. To remove these sounds would take some serious computer manipulation and destroy the integrally of the recording! Being a purest… what you hear is what you get… just like the real world.

If you enjoy these soothing sounds, please visit my site and help show your support…I hope you enjoy this beautiful recording as much as I have!!!”

Earth

Weak Labeling Rules for Canadians

November 2, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

From toothpaste to shampoo, to all-purpose cleaner and dish soap, cleaning and personal care products are essentials that we use every day.

Whether we choose a product based on the price or the brand, we often don’t realize that the ingredients in these products can contain harmful ingredients not indicated on the labeling.

Findings from focus groups conducted by Environics Research on behalf of Environmental Defence show that long-term health impacts are not at the top of consumers’ minds when choosing which cleaning or personal care products to buy. That’s not because people don’t care about the chemicals that they’re exposed to, but because interviewed Canadians trust that the products found on store shelves are tested and proven to be safe by government agencies and industry. Sadly though, under current regulations Canadian manufacturers don’t need to prove that chemicals are safe before they’re added to products. (Listen to Executive Director Tim Gray on Radio Canada International speak about this issue).

Cleaning products such as window, counter and toilet bowl cleaners are not required to have a full ingredient list. Although an ingredient list is required on cosmetics and personal care products, it is often incomplete. What many people don’t know is that in order to get that citrus-y or fresh scent found in our deodorants, cleansers and moisturizers, manufacturers are only required to mention “parfum” or “fragrance” on the label without listing the actual chemicals. This is due to an outdated legal exemption that deems scents a “trade secret”.

It’s on you to look it up to see what you’re ingesting or putting on your skin…but we’re not scientists. Within reason, they should be putting warnings on stuff.

Why Canada needs to strengthen its product labeling rules

Warning labels have been used for decades as a useful tool to inform consumers of potential health risks associated with using a certain product. Mandatory warning labels on tobacco products have helped reduce smoking rates around the world by informing the public about the dangers of smoking.

Another example comes from Proposition 65 in California which requires manufacturers to put warning labels on their products if they contain specific chemicals of concern, such as BPA. To avoid warning labels, manufacturers are reformulating their products to remove harmful chemicals.

Policies in the European Union require the use of graphic health warning labels on cleaning products to caution consumers of possible skin irritation, chronic health hazards and if a product may be toxic to aquatic life.

Canada needs to step up and do the same. That’s why we are calling on the federal government to update its labeling rules and make full ingredient disclosure and easy-to-understand warning labels a reality.

What you can do?

1. Make your voice heard and tell the Canadian government to strengthen Canada’s toxics regulations.

2. When you shop for cleaning or personal care products, always check the ingredient list (if provided) for harmful ingredients – especially those listed in our Toxic Ten Pocket Guide.

3. Go the extra step and look for eco-certified alternatives that use plant-based ingredients instead of harmful chemicals.

For the Silo, Sarah Jamal.

Culture

Winners And Losers Around The World In School Lunches

February 3, 2020 The Silo Leave a comment

School has ‘been in’ for awhile now. Does your child’s school lunches sound healthy to you? How do you think it compares to school dinners from around the world? And how much do school meals affect energy levels for post-lunch learning and does that have an impact on PISA test results?

Check out this infographic to discover what the school meals of other countries look like and how each nation scores on the PISA test. For the Silo, Dinah Makani.

around the world in school lunchboxes infographic — CLICK ME to visit this graphic’s sponsor 🙂

Culture

How We Set In Motion Coffee Global Business

August 26, 2019 The Silo 3 Comments

If you are like me- someone who has drunk much more than one coffee in your life, you might be interested in pondering this question: Why do you think the multi-billion-dollar global coffee industry can be a losing business for the growers, whose hands till the land from where coffee starts?

In fact, if you drink 2 cups of coffee a day for one year, you’ll be spending more than the annual income of the coffee farmer in a developing country. To help present to fellow North American coffee drinkers this huge disparity between the farmer and the other key players across the coffee value chain, take a look at the infographic below.

Considering that North America is the biggest coffee consumer in the world, we can make a big dent by supporting the fair trade advocacy that ensures farmers get paid properly. Take a look at the infographic again. It describes how coffee is made from the farm to the mill, to the roasting plant and all the way to the consumer. Here are some of its highlights that show the bigness of this industry:

– 100 M people depend on coffee for livelihood; 25 M of which are farmers

– The U.S. spent 18 B for coffee yearly, equivalent to Bosnia’s GDP

– Coffee is the second most globally traded commodity after petroleum

For the Silo, Alex Hillsberg Web Journalist

Here's How You Make Coffee A Billion Dollar Business

Supplemental- How North Americans can help the #fairtrade program

http://financesonline.com/cherry-to-cup-the-economics-of-coffee/

http://financesonline.com/why-fairtrade-should-matter-to-you/

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

Culture

Can Another Ottawa Residence Win Canada’s Best Garden Street?

May 9, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

Congratulations! Russell Avenue in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood is the winner of the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest. — Russell Avenue in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill
neighbourhood is the winner of the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest.

Toronto, ON Garden Days – The month of June hosts Canada’s three-day celebration of gardens and gardening. There are loads of Garden Days official activities scheduled across the country, and almost every province has a Flagship Event for you to enjoy. It’s the perfect time to get dirty in one’s own garden, visit a nearby public garden or spend some time in a local garden center.

You’ll be in great company
If you’re planning travelling around the province or across Canada this Summer, be sure to visit a few of the many public gardens that we’re becoming world renowned for. Dr. Richard Benfield, author of ‘Garden Tourism’ estimates that annually there are 6 million garden tourists in Canada.

And the winner is . . .

On the occasion of our upcoming National Garden Day, Friday, June 13, the Canadian Garden Council is pleased to announce the winner of the Garden Days’ ‘Best Garden Street’ Contest which celebrates the contribution that public and/or private gardens have made to the quality of life on individual streets and neighbourhoods. The winner of $1000 worth of Marks’ Choice Lawn and Garden products from Home Hardware, and the bragging rights to be named ‘Canada’s Best Garden Street’ is: Mary Moreland, Russell Avenue, Ottawa.

Garden Days spokesperson, Mark Cullen, recently said, “The partnership between the hand of man and Mother Nature has produced some of the highest quality green spaces and gardens in Canada and on earth. Garden Days, a new idea that’s all about this successful collaboration, has been sown on fertile soil. I have no doubt that the ideas and principles behind the concept will sprout and grow into national significance. And the sooner the better.”
This coming weekend join in the national celebration of everything that the Garden contributes the quality of all our lives.

Garden Days are a family affair. Photo: Pierre Boucher

Organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and kicked off with National Garden Day, always the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening. The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. For the Silo, Courtney Charette.

Art

Terrace Photographer Captures Sunrise And Sunset From Fourteenth Story

March 19, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

Great vantage point! A "terrace photograph" from Kim's new book. — Great vantage point! A “terrace photograph” from Kim’s new book.

“It’s important in today’s world that we counter all the bad news we read or hear about by savoring positive moments as if our lives depended on it.” So says author/photographer, Kim Weiss, who every days stops to “smell the sunshine” and photographs nature scenes from her 14th story balcony. This daily ritual, now documented in a small gift book and peppered with inspirational words is called Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude, Weiss’ offering that reminds us that there’s more to life than what the media shows to us. A significant portion of the proceeds from book sales is donated to AVDA – an organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence.

Kim Weiss- "Sunrise, Sunset" author/photographer — Kim Weiss- “Sunrise, Sunset” author/photographer

“I never thought that my hobby of photographing the sun would turn into my ‘passion project,’ never mind a book,” says photographer/author, Kim Weiss about, Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude (HCI Books) “Odd as it is to go from publicist to ‘author,’ I was moved to share the sense of awe I get to experience every day from my 14th floor terrace.” Her universally loved sunrises (& sunsets) fill the pages, accompanied by the sage words of inspiring people we admire. Each week commentary from people like Candace Bushnell, Lisa Nichols, Jack Canfield, Joan Halifax, Marty Becker, Marci Shimoff and many, many more complement the visual beauty of the sun rising and setting.

“I’m actually thrilled to see that a growing number of admirers of my photographs have convened on Facebook and Instagram and not only like my pictures but are inspired to post their own,” says Weiss. “We’re many thousands strong and have posts from Nova Scotia to Guam.”

Another lovely photo from Kim's book. — Another lovely photo from Kim’s book.

Sunrise, Sunset, (which happens to fit nicely inside a bag, or perch on a nightstand), is the ultimate gift book for saying “thank you,” sharing a blessing, or offering an oasis for spiritual awakening. From sunrise to sunset this book will be a perennial source of inspiration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Weiss (Boynton Beach, FL) has been a publicist in the book industry for many years and coaches other writers aspiring to be bestselling authors. Her love of nature and photography began when she was just a little girl and bloomed into the writer and photographer she is today. From her 14th floor terrace she witnesses the beauty of nature and captures it through the lens of her camera. As a storyteller, Kim has contributed to the hugely popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Ultimate Bird Lover.

Weiss’s actively growing community of backyard photographers can be joined on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KimWeissSunriseSunset and all her events and reviews can be seen at: www.sunrisesunsetbook.com

Earth

Canada Reassessing Glyphosate Roundup Herbicide Link To Cancer

January 25, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

It’s been nearly four years since we published the article below and the water surrounding glyphosate use in Canada is still murky. Roundup is currently being used in an official capacity in certain situations by government agencies such as the Ministry of the Environment to fight the invasive species Phragmites. Let’s review the earlier article:

Dear friends across Canada, top scientists warn the most commonly used herbicide in the world probably causes cancer. Monsanto is demanding the World Health Organization retract their ground-breaking report. And experts say the only way to ensure the science is not silenced is if the public demands action, now. The regulatory system is renowned for being secretive and captured by the agro-chemical industry. But we have a unique moment right now — Canada is officially reassessing glyphosate, with similar processes underway in the US, Europe, and Brazil. And the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and El Salvador are all looking at a ban. [However, it must be noted that as of today’s posting, Canada Health’s Food Safety Inspection statement is that glyphosate formulations ARE safe http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/gmf-agm/seralini-eng.php CP]The threat is clear — this poison is used on our food, our fields, our playgrounds, and our streets. Let’s get it suspended.

Join the urgent call and tell everyone: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_dont_silence_science_loc_cn/?bsOTIab&v=57275

Monsanto is up in arms. Glyphosate brings in $6 billion per year. It is the basis of RoundUp, the chemical cornerstone of Monsanto’s Genetically Modified empire. The company says the WHO report ignored studies showing glyphosate is safe. But these scientists are 17 of the world’s top oncology experts, not a bunch of crazies. They comprehensively reviewed independent studies, excluding those done by companies seeking product approval. Regulators rely mainly on tests done by the companies trying to sell the poisons!

Key results are kept from the public because they contain ‘commercially confidential information’, and 58% of the scientific panels in the EU Food and Safety Agency are linked to the sector. It’s nuts, but that is the system we have. And that’s why it’s going to take all of us to make sure this crucial independent report isn’t ignored. Some countries have already put bans on glyphosate. Now with the EU, the US, Canada, and Brazil all reviewing it, we have an incredible chance to turn the tide worldwide.

Fifty years ago Monsanto’s pesticide DDT was everywhere until the seminal book Silent Spring showed it could cause cancer — a decade later it was banned. If this could cause cancer, let’s not let it be sold for ten more years. Let’s demand emergency precautionary action now.

Join now and spread the word: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_dont_silence_science_loc_cn/?bsOTIab&v=57275

We’ve done it before — helped win a moratorium on bee-killing neonicotinoids in the EU and stop a Monsanto mega seed factory in Argentina. Now let’s protect our health and make sure we aren’t being used as lab rats. This could be a breakthrough moment in the fight for the safe, sustainable agriculture our world needs. With hope, Bert, Marigona, Antonia, Oliver, Alice, Emily, Danny, Nataliya, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team.

More information: New study points to link between weedkiller glyphosate and cancer (FT) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8b79a572-cf14-11e4-893d-00144feab7de.html#axzz3XOmCcv9c

Supplemental-

Monsanto seeks retraction for report linking herbicide to cancer (Reuters) http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/monsanto-herbicide-idINL2N0WP0UM20150324

Weed Killer, Long Cleared, is Doubted (New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/business/energy-environment/decades-after-monsantos-roundup-gets-an-all-clear-a-cancer-agency-raises-concerns.html

The Real Reason to Worry About GMOs (Mother Jones) http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/03/bittman-right-its-not-gmos-its-how-theyre-used

Groups seek EPA glyphosate review after WHO ‘carcinogenic’ link (Agri Pulse) http://www.agri-pulse.com/Groups-seek-EPA-glyphosate-review-after-WHO-carcinogenic-link-03272015.asp

More sources: https://avaazmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/Roundupsources.pdf

Fashion

Pull On Blundstone Boots Style Every Season

September 13, 2018 The Silo 1 Comment

Blundstone wearers are devoted- its not that unusual for the artist types to even sketch their beloved, worked-in Blunds.... sketch: Richard McLean image: redbubble.com — Blundstone wearers are devoted- its not that unusual for the artist types to even sketch their beloved, worked-in Blunds…. sketch: Richard McLean image: redbubble.com

A pair of Blundstone boots has a way of replacing a big chunk of your everyday footwear. Not only because Blundstone boots are so functional, but also because these are boots you want to wear every day. The two-tone styles aim to appeal to those who like a bit more colour in their fashion choices. Blundstone’s two-tone styles give you the same fantastic quality in a more colourful package.

“In the past, we’ve played it safe with neutral colours like Classic Black, Steel Grey and Rustic Brown,” says Ian Heaps of Blundstone Footwear. “The two-tone boots are perfect for those who want the same great quality, durability and functionality of the classic Blundstone boot, but with a little extra edge and a pop of colour.”

Blundstones are widely recognized for their practicality and adaptability as footwear, but they are also an extremely versatile fashion accessory. All styles are unisex, and the sleek look of the boots make them compatible with anything from jeans or shorts, to slacks and even skirts. The two-tones styles are available in women’s 6 to men’s 14 sizes.

#1319 Rustic Brown with two tone sole from Blundstone Boots Fall line.

....and the devilishly stylish #1316 Red and Black with two tone sole. — ….and the devilishly stylish #1316 Red and Black with two tone sole.

About Blundstone

Blundstones have been available in Canada since 1993 at Australian Boot Company and other retailers, and now sold at over 600 locations across Canada. Tin Shack is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Blundstone, located in Collingwood, Ontario. Founded in Vancouver in 1998, Tin Shack distributes footwear made by Blundstone, Pty, of Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1870, Blundstone is Australia’s leading manufacturer of quality footwear and remains a family-owned company to this day. Blundstones have been toughing it out for no-nonsense, go-anywhere, do-anything types seeking comfort, durability and rugged style. Boasting pull-on comfort, Blundstones are all-weather, lightweight, durable and no-gimmick footwear. For more information, visit www.blundstone.ca.

Earth

Sugar Battery Set To Power Phones, Tablets And Other Devices

June 12, 2018 The Silo 3 Comments

Catalyzing Commercialization Sugar could some day be used to power smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices thanks to a recent breakthrough by Blacksburg, VA-based Cell-Free BioInnovations, Inc. It might seem strange to use an ingredient found in cupcakes and cookies as an energy source, but it’s not, as most living cells break down sugar to produce energy. And, interestingly, the energy density of sugar is significantly higher than that of current lithium-ion batteries.

Working under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation, a research team led by Y-H Percival Zhang, Chief Science Officer of Cell- Free BioInnovations and an associate professor of biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech, has successfully demonstrated the concept of a sugar biobattery that can completely convert the chemical energy in sugar substrates into electricity.

As reported in the January 2014 issue of Nature Communications, this breakthrough in sugar-powered biobattery can achieve an energy-storage density of about 596 A-h/kg — an order of magnitude higher than the 42 A-h/kg energy density of a typical lithium-ion battery.

A sugar biobattery with such a high energy density could last at least ten times longer than existing lithium-ion batteries of the same weight, drastically reducing how often users need to recharge their electronic devices. This nature-inspired biobattery is a type of enzymatic fuel cell (EFC)— an electrobiochemical device that converts chemical energy from fuels such as starch and glycogen into electricity.

While EFCs operate under the same general principles as traditional fuel cells, they use enzymes instead of noble metal catalysts to oxidize the fuel. Enzymes allow for the use of more-complex fuels (e.g. glucose), and these more-complex fuels are what give EFCs their superior energy density. For example, the complex sugar hexose can release 24 electrons per glucose molecule during oxidation, whereas hydrogen (a fuel used in traditional fuel cells) releases only two electrons. Until now, however, EFCs have been limited by incomplete oxidation, releasing just two to four electrons per glucose molecule.

“We are not the first who proposed using sugar as the fuel in the biobattery,” says Zhiguang Zhu, a senior scientist at Cell-Free BioInnovations. “However, we are the first to demonstrate the complete oxidation of the sugar in the biobattery, enabling our technology to have a near-theoretical energy conversion yield that no one has ever reported.”

Zhang and his team constructed a synthetic catabolic pathway (a series of metabolic reactions that break down complex organic molecules) containing 13 enzymes to completely oxidize the glucose units of maltodextrin, yielding nearly 24 electrons per glucose molecule.

We put specific thermostable enzymes into one vessel to constitute a synthetic enzymatic pathway that can perform a cascade of biological reactions the sugar, converting it into carbon dioxide, Zhang says. Unlike natural catabolic pathways for the oxidation of glucose in cells, the designed synthetic pathway does not require costly and unstable cofactors, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), coenzyme A, or a labile cellular membrane. The researchers used two redox enzymes that generate reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) from sugar metabolites. NADH, a reducing agent involved in redox reactions, is a natural electron mediator that carries electrons from one molecule to another. They also used ten other enzymes responsible for sustaining metabolic cycles and an additional enzyme that transfers electrons from NADH to the electrode.

This new synthetic pathway enables the biobattery to extract the theoretical number of electrons per glucose unit and thereby use all the chemical energy in the sugar. This, the team reports, represents a significant breakthrough.

In addition to its superior energy density, the sugar biobattery is also less costly than the Li-ion battery, refillable, environmentally friendly, and nonflammable. While researchers continue to work on extending the lifetime, increasing the power density, and reducing the cost of electrode materials for such a battery, they hope that the rapidly growing appetite for powering portable electronic devices could well be met with this energy dense sugar biobattery in the future. For the Silo, Zhiguang Zhu, chief scientist at”The Sweet Battery Project”.

This technology was funded through the America’s NSF Small Business Innovation Research Program.

Earth

Canadian Garden Days Is Annual Event Celebrating Vital Role Of Gardening

May 12, 2018 The Silo 1 Comment

'Garden Days' - June 13, 14 & 15 - are the ideal time to see what lies beyond your nearest public garden's gate. Photo: Tara Nolan — ‘Garden Days’ – are the ideal time to see what lies beyond your nearest public garden’s gate.
Photo: Tara Nolan

DO YOU LIVE ON CANADA’S BEST GARDEN STREET? Canada is a country made up of neighbourhoods, and in many are streets where neighbours take pride in making their gardens – and even city-owned medians – as pretty as possible through their collaborative ‘green thumbed’ efforts.

As part of this year’s Garden Days program, being held across the country from June 16 to 24, the Canadian Garden Council invites you to register your Garden Days activity. Let us know why your street is the prettiest in the country and how it contributes to your, and the neighborhood’s, quality of life. All Canadian gardens, garden centres, horticultural and plant societies, garden clubs, schools, garden-related businesses and communities are invited to organize Garden Days activities or events – between June 16 and 24 – to celebrate public gardens and home gardening.

Twelve garden gnomes have escaped from The Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island! Might they be among the dahlias? Help find them during 'Garden Days', June 13, 14 & 15 — The Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.

Garden Days is organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and begins with National Garden Day on the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening across Canada. The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. Garden Days is a joyful, country-wide celebration of the role of gardens in our communities and in our lives. To find a Garden Days activity near you visit: http://www.gardendays.ca and click on the ‘Activity’ button. For the Silo, Courtney Charette.

Garden Days is sponsored by: Scott’s, Miracle-Gro, bullfrogpower and supported by Communities in Bloom and the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Follow Garden Days on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/CanadasGardens and join in the conversation at #GardenDaysCanada

Earth

Ontario Law Protects Bees By Reducing Neonicotinoid Corn And Soybean Crops

April 19, 2018 The Silo 4 Comments

On July 1, 2015, Ontario was the first jurisdiction in North America to protect bees and other pollinators through new rules to reduce the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80 per cent.

Over the years, Ontario beekeepers have experienced unusually high over-winter losses of honey bees, reaching 58 per cent following the winter of 2013-14. image: naturalblaze.com

To support this goal, new requirements were put in place for the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed that will help ensure treated seed is only used when there is evidence of a pest problem. Reducing neonicotinoid use in these two crops presents the greatest potential to reduce pollinator exposure to the neurotoxic insecticide.

Pollinators, including bees, birds and butterflies, play a crucial role in agriculture and our ecosystem. The level of over-winter losses considered to be acceptable and sustainable by most apiculturists is 15 per cent.

The new rules are one part of Ontario’s strategy to improve pollinator health. The province will also develop a pollinator health action plan in consultation with the public and experts to address other stressors that affect pollinators.

Ensuring a strong and healthy agricultural sector is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

A flowering tobacco plant. Close to 100 per cent of corn seed and 60 per cent of soybean seed sold in Ontario is treated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

QUOTES

“Much of the food we eat and the vibrancy of Ontario’s natural habitats depend on a healthy pollinator population. Our government is taking necessary action to protect these vitally important species and the ecosystems they support from the effects of neurotoxic neonicotinoids.”

— Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

“Farmers are environmental stewards of their land and this regulation will enable our province’s farmers to strengthen their approach to protecting their crops. To have a significant impact on improving pollinator health, over the coming months, we collectively need to focus on three additional contributors: habitat and nutrition, disease and pests as well as weather and climate change.”

— Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

“Farmers care about the health of pollinators. That’s why the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has worked closely with the Government of Ontario to have these new regulatory requirements work for the province’s farmers. The OFA supports the need for a complete pollinator policy. The OFA will continue to work with the government toward the successful implementation of this regulation, keeping the concerns of farmers top of mind as part of a pollinator strategy.”

Don McCabe, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

“Friends of the Earth is pleased and impressed by Ontario’s leadership in finalizing this first permanent reduction in the use of neonicotinoids in Canada. With its new pesticide regulation, Ontario is delivering important benefits for nature including honey bees, native bees and other vulnerable species.”

Beatrice Olivastri, Chief Executive Officer, Friends of the Earth Canada

“Doctors are delighted Ontario will be North America’s first jurisdiction to introduce regulatory restrictions on bee-killing neonic pesticides. Assuming Ontario hits its target of an 80% reduction by 2017, this will be the most important pollinator-protection policy on the continent — and a major contributor to food security.”

Gideon Forman, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

QUICK FACTS

There are more than 400 pollinator species in Ontario and bees are the most common pollinator.
Bees and other pollinators are responsible for pollinating roughly 13 per cent of agricultural crops in Ontario (crops worth about $897 million), and support $26 million annually in honey production.
The province conducted a comprehensive, two-stage consultation process with the public and stakeholders to develop its neonicotinoid regulatory requirements.
Neonicotinoid-treated seeds are widely used in agriculture. Close to 100 per cent of corn seed and 60 per cent of soybean seed sold in the province is treated with neonicotinoid insecticides.

LEARN MORE

Learn more about the new regulatory requirements to protect pollinators

Learn about the importance of protecting bees and other pollinators

Supplemental- New York Times: Bee death may be linked to Tobacco ringspot virus

Earth

It Will Cost Over $45 Billion To Clean Up Alberta Toxic Tailings Ponds

July 4, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

The numbers are staggering. For over 50 years, the tars sands industry in Alberta has been producing a toxic brew of water, sand, silt and petrochemical waste products and storing them in what the industry refers to as “tailings ponds”. And, the volumes are only growing – surpassing 1 TRILLION litres, covering an area greater than Toronto and Vancouver combined!

Won’t you help us fight to clean up this mess?

Every day 25 million new litres of tailings are added to the ever growing toxic tailings ponds. These tailings ponds leach toxic chemicals, like lead, mercury, arsenic and benzene – putting local and downstream communities at risk. First Nations living in Fort Chipewyan, 200 km downstream from the oil sands development sites, have experienced higher than normal rates of cancer as a result.

We cannot stand idly by and do nothing.

We are working hard to ensure that regulations are implemented that are stringent, binding and effective. And, that they reduce the volume of tailings, guarantee existing tailings ponds are treated at a faster rate than they are produced and make oil sands companies bear full financial responsibility for the cleanup (now estimated at over $45 billion and growing).

With my sincere gratitude,

Dale Marshall

National Program Manager

P.S. We just released our report on Alberta’s tailings ponds – you can read it and check out the live trackings of tailings ponds volume and clean up liability here.

Environmental Defence Canada – 116 Spadina Avenue, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2K6

Featured image- blogs.nelson.wisc.edu/es112albertasaskatchewan301/water/

Earth

Winners Of Earth Day Canada Hometown Heroes Awards

June 8, 2017 The Silo 1 Comment

Earth Day Canada is thrilled to announce the five winners of our Hometown Heroes Award Program 2017. This program recognizes and celebrates environmental leaders at the community level with a Youth, Individual, Teacher, Group and Small Business award.
Earth Day Canada’s (EDC) Hometown Heroes Award Program has become one of Canada’s most prestigious environmental awards. Established in 2004, the program recognizes and celebrates environmental leaders, groups and small businesses fostering meaningful, long-term community awareness and action. Local heroes, working at a grassroots level and often with very limited resources, can make an enormous difference to the health of our planet – they deserve our recognition. Learn more at http://www.earthday.ca/hometown.

CLICK to view this year’s Winners

Celebrated every year on April 22, Earth Day is the largest environmental event in the world. Founded in 1990, Earth Day Canada is a national charity that inspires and supports people across the country to connect with nature and build resilient communities. We lead an annual Earth Day campaign in conjunction with free, year-round, award-winning programs that get people outside, interacting with the natural environment — this, in turn, fosters an intrinsically motivated, enduring commitment to stewardship and conservation. EDC works closely with school-aged children and youth through our renowned EcoKids program and new EarthPLAY initiative, and recognizes via our Hometown Heroes Awards those who are leading the way in solving environmental challenges.
Le Jour de la Terre du Canada est ravi d’annoncer les cinq gagnants du prix de notre programme les Héros de chez nous 2017. Ce programme reconnaît et célèbre les leaders environnementaux engagés au sein de leur collectivité en décernant des prix jeunesse, individuel, pour enseignant(e), de groupe et pour petite entreprise ayant pour but d’encourager leurs efforts exceptionnels.
À propos du programme de prix Les Héros de chez nous
Le programme de prix Les Héros de chez nous de Jour de la Terre Canada est devenu l’un des prix environnementaux les plus prestigieux du Canada. Lancé en 2004, le programme reconnaît et célèbre les chefs de file individuels, les groupes et les petites entreprises férus d’environnement qui encouragent une prise de conscience et une action significative et durable au sein de leur collectivité. Les héros de chez nous, en travaillant à l’échelle communautaire et souvent avec des ressources très limitées, peuvent influer de manière concrète sur la santé de notre planète – ils méritent notre reconnaissance. Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site jourdelaterre.ca/heros.

HH2017-Winners-PSA_FR French PDF

À propos de Jour de la Terre Canada
Célébré chaque année le 22 avril, le Jour de la Terre est l’événement environnemental le plus important de la planète. Fondé en 1990, Jour de la Terre Canada (JTC) est un organisme de bienfaisance national qui inspire et soutient des gens de partout au pays dans leur effort de se rapprocher de la nature et de bâtir des collectivités résilientes. Nous menons une campagne annuelle pour le Jour de la Terre au moyen de programmes annuels gratuits et primés qui encouragent la population à sortir à l’extérieur et à interagir avec l’environnement naturel, démarche qui suscite à son tour un engagement durable et une motivation intrinsèque envers la conservation et la saine gestion. JTC travaille de près avec les enfants d’âge scolaire et les jeunes dans le cadre de son programme renommé Écoapprentis et sa nouvelle initiative JEU de la Terre, et il reconnaît, au moyen de son programme de prix Les Héros de chez nous, ceux et celles qui ouvrent la voie en relevant des défis environnementaux.

Earth

This May Be Last Chance To Save Ontario Greenbelt From Sprawl Developers

May 3, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Ontario’s Premier is facing intense pressure from real estate and development lobbies. These groups are peddling myths that are intended to weaken the Greenbelt and Growth Plans so that the development industry can build more sprawling cookie-cutter subdivisions, instead of building a greater range of family-friendly and affordable housing options. Send a message to the Premier to show your support for protected local food and water sources. Tell Ontario to stop sprawling developers from paving over the Greenbelt.

GOOD GREEN JOBS FOR ONTARIO

Ontario’s plan to retrofit buildings to increase their energy efficiency will create nearly 33,000 jobs over five years. Our new report, Building an Ontario Green Jobs Strategy shows how the province can ensure it creates good jobs and career opportunities for people who need them most. Find out more.

Tips & tricks
for non-toxic spring cleaning

While spring brings warmer weather, sunnier days, and beautiful flowers, it also brings the reminder that it’s time to air out, declutter our homes, and do some spring cleaning. With these tips, your home will be sparkling and toxic-free!

*Feature image- Perth, Australia’s unsustainable urban sprawl. photo: heraldsun.com.au

Earth

Funding Available To Cover Up To 80% Of Tree Planting Costs On Your Open Land

March 16, 2017 The Silo 3 Comments

Spring is for new ideas. Do you have idle land or extra acreage that could be enhanced? Planting trees is an excellent way to add value to your property and has never been easier. If you have 2.5 acres or more of open land, you may be eligible for the 50 Million Tree Program, and the trees are planted for you!

If you are considering a large-scale planting on your property, the 50 Million Tree Program can help by providing both funding support to cover a significant portion (up to 80%) of the total planting costs and technical assistance. A local planting partner will work with you to develop a site plan that suits your property’s unique needs; they will do the planting and conduct follow up assessments in subsequent years. The landowner can relax while the work is conducted by experienced professionals.

“One of the great things about the 50 Million Tree Program is that it’s full service. Landowners work with the Planting Delivery Agencies (PDA) to develop the plan and choose the species of trees being planted on the property,” explains Mark McDermid, a Field Advisor at Forests Ontario. “The PDAs – forestry professionals – are responsible for the purchase, delivery and planting of all trees in the program.”

The 50 Million Tree Program plants for landowners who want to make their property more aesthetically pleasing, for farmers who have an idle field or want a windbreak, and for golf course owners who want to add some shade. Every landowner has a different vision so the planting agents work with you to make sure that vision becomes a reality.

The 50 Million Tree Program makes tree planting as easy as possible for landowners in Ontario. To book a site visit, contact Suzanne Perry, our Forestry Outreach Coordinator at 1-877-646-1193 or sperry@forestsontario.ca. Please mention thesilo.ca when contacting.

About 50 Million Tree Program
Forests Ontario administers the Ontario government’s 50 Million Tree Program, part of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign. The United Nations’ goal is to plant one billion trees worldwide each year. Ontario is committed to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

The 50 Million Tree Program is designed to significantly reduce the costs to landowners of large-scale tree planting and thereby increase the number of trees planted across the province.

About Forests Ontario

Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests. Working to promote a future of healthy forests sustaining healthy people, Forests Ontario is committed to the re-greening of Ontario through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas, as well as the renewal and stewardship of Ontario’s forests through restoration, education and awareness. Visit www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario.

Politics

The Dakota Access Pipeline, Environmental Injustice And More?

February 10, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

“Standing Side by Side in Peaceful Prayer” Starting in April 2016, thousands of people, led by Standing Rock Sioux Tribal members, gathered at camps near the crossing of the Missouri and Cannon Ball Rivers to stop the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) there- creating the #noDAPL movement. DAPL is a 1,172-mile pipeline for transporting crude oil from North Dakota to refineries and terminals in Illinois.

As a business venture, DAPL’s advocates claim the pipeline will meet the highest environmental safety standards. They also claim the venture will produce greater U.S. energy independence and jobs at the same time it lessens the environmental risks of oil trains, though it is opaque how the new pipeline could increase oil production, oil consumption, employment, and state tax revenues.

Part of what makes things contentious: The Planned route- depending on who you speak to, either crosses, nears, touches, goes through, or avoids Standing Rock Reservation.

The #NoDAPL movement sees the pipeline as posing risks to the water quality and cultural heritage of the Dakota and Lakota peoples of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Part of DAPL’s construction is occurring on lands and through waters the….click here for full article.
Article by Kyle Whyte, academia.edu.

Supplemental- News about Dakota Access Pipeline

Earth

Circular Economy Is New Direction For Waste Free Ontario

June 3, 2016 The Silo Leave a comment

In late Spring 2016, Ontario passed legislation to divert more waste from landfills, create jobs, help fight climate change and lead towards a waste-free province. Currently, Ontario is producing too much waste, and not recycling enough. Over eight million tonnes of waste is sent to landfill each year. Absolute greenhouse gas emissions from Ontario’s waste have risen by 25 per cent between 1990 and 2012 as the amount of waste disposed in landfills has increased.

The Waste-Free Ontario Act will: encourage innovation in recycling processes and require producers to take full responsibility for their products and packaging, lower recycling costs and give consumers access to more convenient recycling options to help fight climate change by:

-reducing greenhouse gas pollution that results from the landfilling of products that could otherwise be recycled or composted
-overhaul Waste Diversion Ontario into the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, a strong oversight body with new compliance and enforcement powers that will oversee the new approach and existing waste diversion programs until transition is complete.

The province will also be finalizing its draft Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy, within three months of the legislation coming into effect. The strategy outlines Ontario’s vision for a zero waste future and proposed plan to implement the legislation.
Harnessing the value of waste as a resource is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in talent and skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history and investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

QUOTES
“Ontario is moving in an exciting new direction for managing waste in the province. The Waste-Free Ontario Act is an important step in creating Ontario’s circular economy — a system in which products are never discarded, but reintroduced and reused or recycled into new products. Managing our resources more effectively will benefit Ontarians, our environment and economy and support our efforts to fight climate change.”
— Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

QUICK FACTS
Every 1,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill generates seven full-time jobs, $360,000 in wages (paying above the provincial average) and $711,000 in GDP.
Every year in Canada, an estimated $1 billion in valuable resources is lost to landfill.
Eventually the Waste-Free Ontario Act will eliminate industry funding organizations such as the Ontario Tire Stewardship and Ontario Electronic Stewardship.
The Blue Box program is available in about 95 per cent of Ontario households and keeps approximately 65 per cent of residential printed paper and packaging from landfills.

LEARN MORE
Read about the draft Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy
Learn more about Ontario’s current waste programs

BACKGROUNDER via Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
The Waste-Free Ontario Act and Strategy
Ontario has passed the Waste-Free Ontario Act and will be finalizing the draft Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy, within three months of the legislation coming into effect.
Together, the proposed legislation and strategy would:
-Foster innovation in product and packaging design that encourages businesses to design long-lasting, reusable and easily recyclable products
-Boost recycling across all sectors, especially in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, which will reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions
-Incent companies to look for ways to make their recycling processes more economical while staying competitive
-Shift the costs of the blue box from municipal taxpayers to producers while continuing to provide convenient collection services for Ontarians.
-Develop an action plan to reduce the amount of organic materials going to landfills.

The draft Strategy embraces a vision of “an Ontario where we have zero waste and zero greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector and where all resources, organic or non-organic, are used and reused productively, maximizing their recovery and reintegrating recovered materials back into the economy.”
Ontario’s vision would be fulfilled with the draft Strategy’s two goals: a zero waste Ontario and zero greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector. To achieve these goals Ontario would work towards systematically avoiding and eliminating the volume of waste, while maximizing the conservation and recovery of resources. This would also help the province meet its climate change commitments and help Ontario build a low-carbon economy.
Disponible en Français

Politics

Ontario Passes Landmark Climate Change Legislation

May 18, 2016 The Silo 1 Comment

Today, Ontario passed landmark climate change legislation that lays a foundation for the province to join the biggest carbon market in North America and ensures that the province is accountable for responsibly and transparently investing proceeds from the cap and trade program into actions that reduce greenhouse gas pollution, create jobs and help people and businesses shift to a low-carbon economy.

Under the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-Carbon Economy Act, money raised from Ontario’s cap and trade program will be deposited into a new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Account. The account will invest every dollar in green projects and initiatives that reduce emissions.

Following extensive consultation with industry and other groups, the legislation was strengthened by now requiring enhanced accountability and public reporting on the province’s upcoming Climate Change Action Plan and investment of cap and trade proceeds.

From J. Magnuson's Book on the approaching post-carbon economy. Link below. — From J. Magnuson’s Book on the approaching post-carbon economy. Link below.

Ontario will post its final cap and trade regulation upon royal assent of the legislation. The regulation covers detailed rules and obligations for businesses participating in the program. The final design was also informed by extensive consultation https://www.ontario.ca/page/cap-and-trade-consultations-summary with businesses, industry, the public, environmental organizations and Indigenous communities.

Climate change is not a distant threat – it is already costing the people of Ontario. It has damaged our environment, caused extreme weather like floods and droughts, and hurt our ability to grow food in some regions. Over the near term, climate change will increase the cost of food and insurance rates, harm wildlife and nature, and eventually make the world inhospitable for our children and grandchildren.

Fighting climate change while supporting growth, efficiency and productivity is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in talent and skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history and investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

QUOTES

“Passing the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-Carbon Economy Act marks the start of the next chapter in Ontario’s transformation to an innovative and prosperous low-carbon economy — one that will benefit households, businesses, industry and communities across the province. This legislation is about enshrining in law our resolve and action to protect and strengthen our environment for generations to come.”

— Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

QUICK FACTS

§ Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan is the next step in Ontario’s ongoing fight against climate change and is expected to be released in spring 2016. The plan will describe actions that will help more Ontario households and businesses to adopt low- and no-carbon energy in homes, vehicles and workplaces.

§ Ontario’s $325-million Green Investment Fund http://www.ontario.ca/greeninvestment , a down payment on the province’s cap and trade program, is already strengthening the economy, creating good jobs and driving innovation while fighting climate change — a strong signal of what Ontarians can expect from proceeds of the province’s cap and trade program. These investments will help secure a healthy, clean and prosperous low-carbon future and transform the way we live, move and work while ensuring strong, sustainable communities.

§ The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Account will receive proceeds from auctioning allowances under Ontario’s cap and trade program. The first auction will be held in March 2017.

§ Ontario intends to link its cap and trade program with Quebec and California.

LEARN MORE

Ontario’s Climate Change Strategy https://www.ontario.ca/page/climate-change-strategy

Learn How Cap and Trade Works https://www.ontario.ca/page/cap-and-trade

Green Investment Fund https://www.ontario.ca/page/green-investment-fund

Supplemental- Joel Magnuson’s Book- The Approaching Great Transformation: Toward a Livable Post-Carbon Economy

St Mary’s Biosphere Reserve’s main challenges

What does agriculture have to do with biodiversity conservation?

What were the objectives of the UNESCO Earth Network mission to the biosphere reserve?

Development of the mission and its first achievements

“Perfectly pale pink. That perfectly chilled, hot weather day rosé is the ultimate dream.” – Women everywhere.

VieVité is produced from grapevines averaging 25 years old, and offers a fresh and delicate aroma of cherries and strawberries coupled with notes of spice to create a satisfying sensation on the palate with a forward fruit nose of peach, grape and apricot.

Not to be confused with the similarly colored White Zinfandel wine of years past, true Rosé wines are absent of an overly sweet taste, which allows their quality and flavors to shine.

Right tree, right place

Site preparation

Get trees into the soil quickly

Mulch madness

Water, water, water

As westerners we’re used to running to the doctor for a prescription when we’re sick, but the down side to this is that many pharmaceuticals come with serious side effects.

In this book Laine presents the L.A.I.N.E. system, which stands for: Learn, Align, Inform, Natural, and Energy.

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.

While there is not much that we can do to escape natural background radiation exposure, we do want to avoid any unnecessary exposure to high levels of radiation, such as the potential hazard due to elevated radon (a radioactive gas) in our homes and workplaces.

It suggests that extended exposure to low level of radiation increases the risk of developing leukemia.

Let’s put this into perspective.

The results of this pilot study in Nuremberg constitute a sound basis to further develop the methodology.

A fever, stomach pains or a simple case of the sniffles can send people rushing to the pharmacy for a drug to cure their symptoms.

The story begins by focusing on David Lee Hoffman’s elusive quest for rare and perfect teas.

He makes the act of producing tea seem like the ultimate expression of agricultural art.

How can you tell them apart?

Oh but the sound.

From the nature recordist NeCubFlyer:

Throughout some recordings you may find sounds that are man made.

From toothpaste to shampoo, to all-purpose cleaner and dish soap, cleaning and personal care products are essentials that we use every day.

Why Canada needs to strengthen its product labeling rules

What you can do?

QUOTES

Canada's 'biggest little blogspace'