Air pollution linked for first time to droughts and major storms
By ClickGreen staff A groundbreaking new study has found an increase in air pollution can reduce rainfall in drought-affected regions and worsen the severity of storms in wet regions or seasons. Researchers have discovered that increases in air pollution and other particulate matter in the atmosphere can strongly affect cloud development in ways that reduce […]
Primordial gas: fitting the picture of before the first planet
Before the first planet, before the first star, there had to be gas. For the first time, astronomers have found pristine clouds of the primordial gas that formed in the first few minutes after the Big Bang. The composition of the gas matches theoretical predictions, providing direct evidence in support of the modern cosmological explanation […]
Canada's Environment minister declares polar bear species of concern
Canada’s Environment Minister has declared the polar bear as a species of special concern under the Species at Risk Act. “Canada is home to two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population and we have a unique conservation responsibility to effectively care for them,” said Peter Kent. “Listing the polar bear under the Species at Risk […]
Combating the culture of climate change denial
By Richard Matthews The failure to accept the anthropogenic origins of climate change may be partly attributable to a fallacy of modern culture. Popular culture pits us against nature which in turn undermines efforts to curtail climate change. Man versus nature is one of seven conflicts in literary studies, it relates to the theme in literature that […]
Think-tank says gas fracking jeopardizes greenhouse gas goals
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is calling on B.C. to slow down its shale gas development. The centre says gas fracking is placing unsustainable demands on the province’s water and power resources. Fracking — or hydraulic fracturing — extracts natural gas by injecting pressurized water and chemicals into shale rock formations, allowing the gas […]
Why population matters to the environment
By Simon Ross, chief executive, Population Matters Environmentalists agree on the issues facing us, including collapsing diversity, climate change and resource insecurity. We also agree on the causal factors, including pollution, invasive species, resource over-exploitation, waste, population growth, global industrialisation, unsustainable consumption and poor business practices. Solutions are harder. None will solve all our problems […]
Curbside recycling: Preventing a market failure
By Presidio Economics, Triple Pundit Nobody likes trash: taking it out or talking about it. It smells, it is a hassle to deal with, and it can be hazardous to your health, which is why we go through great lengths to have it hauled away every week. Recycling is trash’s cuter brother, with more support […]
New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project to be assessed by a federal review panel
A second chance has been granted to a controversial Interior mine project. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) announced today that the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project near Williams Lake will undergo an environmental assessment by a federal review panel. The massive New Prosperity Mine project, about 125 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, has […]
Website opens consultation on angling, hunting regulations
A new, permanent public engagement website will give British Columbians an opportunity to review and comment on proposed angling, hunting and trapping regulations. Regulations for angling, hunting and trapping are reviewed and developed every two years, with alternating years for fish and for wildlife. The website ensures the public can review and submit comments on […]
Greatest tree change in North America to hit B.C., Alberta
Some of the greatest shifts in tree species are expected to occur in both the northern and southern extremes of western North America, such as British Columbia and Alberta. Over the last three to four decades, forests throughout much of western North America have been subjected to disturbance at a scale well beyond that previously […]