What's at stake if Enbridge Builds its Northern Gateway Pipeline Project?

We've reported here on several occasions about our concerns regarding Enbridge's plans to build a pipeline to transport tar sands oil to tankers in the Port of Kitimat, BC.

It is hard to imagine what is at stake if this project is built and oil tankers are allowed to flood the Northern BC coast to the Great Bear Rainforest.

Now there's a short documentary that captures it all...

Watch it here, and please spread the word!

Photos by Tom Middleton

Getting out to the IBA at the Albany River mouth

Betwixt and between meetings, Peter Rosenbluth and I were able find a guide to take us out to the coast of James Bay where so many birds congregate on their ways north in the spring and south in the mid to late summer and fall. Upon leaving Fort Albany, we encountered Gray Seals playing hide-and-seek with us in the brackish waters, still several kilometres from James Bay. On our 40 minute trip in the characteristic sleek wooden-hull boats used by the Cree to navigate the rivers and the bay, we encountered many Common Goldeneyes, a few Common Mergansers, some Black Scoters, white-winged Scoters, Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles. Spray jumped the gunwales, hitting us on the face and getting our legs wet as the water was increasingly agitated as we moved further out the delta into the expansive James Bay where no longer we were sheltered from the cold wind. The mouth of the delta of the Albany is a myriad of islands with vast tidal flats and wetlands. It is a critical stop-over for several species of shorebird and waterfowl. Our guide explained how the vegetation along the coast is changing though - moving out into the the Bay each successive year.
We came ashore on a beach of mud flats and sand. Tidal flats stretched out dozens of metres from the high-tide mark, as the tide withdrew, leaving pools of water amongst the gravel, glacial erratics, mud and sand. There is a slight rise in the land separating the tidal zone from vast salt marshes of rushes, sedges, and horsetail beds. While walking the shore, a flock of 20 juvenile Hudsonian Godwits flew directly over my head, landing just down the beach. The adult Godwits congregate in huge numbers in the IBA in late July and August, laying on layers of body fat to fuel their flights to Southern Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In September, the young of the year come along, also building up in number before their more lazy departure which lasts into October. As many as 10,000 Hudsonian Godwits, about 20 percent of the global population, use this site as an important stop over. In the spring, some even stay around to nest, according to local residents. We also observed Dunlin, Snipe, Greater Yellowlegs, and Black-bellied Plover, but only in small numbers. The most common and widespread birds at this time of the year are Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs. They are everywhere along the shore, feeding on something, and constantly moving and being stirred up by us, a blowing leaf, or simply their irrepressible urge to move.

The IBA is truly a sight to behold, but also was our guide. A traditional hunter/gatherer, he knew all of the species, (not just birds) was able to identify them without binoculars both by sight and the soft sounds they uttered. He is one of many hunter gatherers in the Cree communities like Fort Albany and Kashechewan who know the land, river and coast better that anyone. It was a great privelege to visit the coast with him.

On our return, we observed more seals, a Peregrine Falcon, and a few Rough-legged Hawks along with one of the species that the coastal Cree communities depend upon and drives their annual spring hunt, the Canada Goose.

Is the CBD's Implementation at Risk?

From September 18 to 21 negotiations took place in Montreal to finalize text for the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Protocol is designed to ensure that fair and equitable sharing of benefits arises from the utilization of genetic resources. The text was not finalized and it was proposed to reconvene before the tenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP10) in Nagoya, Japan this October, but was refused by the EU representative; Canada, Australia and Switzerland did not voice a preference on whether or not to reconvene.

Hope for adoption of the protocol at COP10 has somewhat diminished following some developed countries lack of keenness on the matter (mainly Canada and the EU). This creates a divide between biodiversity-rich countries (providers of genetic resources) and developed countries (users of genetic resources). Developed countries are afraid that a legally binding protocol with a compliance mechanism would hinder progress within the pharmaceutical, agribusiness and biotechnology sectors. Conversely biodiversity-rich countries believe that an ABS protocol is essential for the proper implementation of the CBD. They are also concerned that if the protocol is not legally binding, cases of biopiracy (unauthorized access to a genetic resource and not sharing the benefits arising out of its utilization with the community in which it was discovered) will be on the rise.

When government leaders met on September 22, at the United Nations General Assembly High Level meeting to commemorate the International Year of Biodiversity, Brazil’s Minister of Environment, Izabella Teixeira, on behalf of the Group of Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (comprised of Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Africa and Venezuela – collectively holds almost 80% of the world’s biodiversity) stressed the importance of COP10; which sets the stage for three major decisions to be taken: 1) the Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, 2) the Strategic Plan for the post-2010 period, and 3) the New Strategy for Resource Mobilization.

Representatives from Denmark, Argentina, Belgium and the European Commissioner of the Environment stated that further action and commitment by Parties to the Convention was needed to conclude an ABS Protocol in COP10. Jim Prentice, Canada’s Minister of Environment, kept it short and sweet without mentioning the ABS Protocol. There are rumors that Canada is one of the main countries holding back the progress on this negotiation – presumably because of concerns over Traditional Knowledge held by indigenous communities.

Failing to adopt the protocol in COP10 could significantly undermine the CBD, especially given that ABS is one of three CBD objectives.

There is a bit of good news, a meeting has been confirmed to resume negotiations before COP10 - a little bit of hope?

Call on Canada's Government to protect biodiversity by signing our open letter to Prime Minister Harper to take 5 steps on behalf of biodiversity.

Check Undercover COP for updates on CBD negotiations.

Lights, Camera, Action! Nature Canada joins Margaret Atwood on the Red Carpet

Margaret Atwood with a Nature Canada
bookmark during the Year of the Flood tour

The countdown is on to Canada's largest environmental film festival! The worlds of birders, movie celebs and environmentalists will collide as Planet in Focus kicks off this year with the Ron Mann film In the Wake of the Flood, a documentary about author Margaret Atwood's worldwide Year of the Flood book tour – and Nature Canada makes a small appearance.

Nature Canada joined Atwood for four stops on the Canadian leg of her tour, which were also fundraisers and awareness raising events for Nature Canada. Donations made at performances in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver went directly to support conservation work at Important Bird Areas throughout Canada.

Mann, director of Comic Book Confidential and Go Further, chronicled Atwood's journey from Edinburgh to London to New York and across Canada. Former Nature Canada board member, Anne Murray, has a fleeting glimpse at fame as she was filmed taking Atwood birdwatching along Vancouver's coast!

Nature Canada Executive Director Ian Davidson will brave the paparazzi to attend the premiere, as well as a special Nature Canada fundraising reception at which Atwood and her partner Graeme Gibson will receive Planet in Focus' Canadian Eco Hero Award.

Atwood and Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Club within BirdLife International, a global alliance of conservation organizations working together for the world's birds and people. As BirdLife in Canada, Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada deliver the Important Bird Areas Program, which aims to identify, conserve and monitor a network of sites that provides essential habitat for bird populations.

On the tour, and in the film, Atwood cited bird conservation as a cause dear to her heart, and the members of BirdLife International as effective protectors of birds and their habitat.

The 11th Annual Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival opens on Wednesday, October 13. The Opening Night screening of In the Wake of the Flood will also include a musical performance of passages from the novel. Tickets are on sale now!

Not in the Toronto area? A second Nature Canada fundraising event to promote the DVD release of the film is planned for December 2, so mark your calendars and we will keep you posted with details in the coming weeks.

September Photo of the Month: Garden Snails

Check out this too cute photo from Sarah Murphy in Freelton, Ontario!

Thanks for sharing it with us, Sarah. Even though these snails are so tiny, they can't help but capture your attention.

Snails are distinguished from other gastropods by their spiral shells. These shells are formed from calcium carbonate so, like humans, snails require calcium in their diet.

Interesting fact: Most snail shells are "right-handed." If you view a snail with the shell spiral facing you, it will generally proceed in a clockwise direction from the centre to the outer opening.

Do you love this photo? Put it on your desktop!

And why not share your photo with us for the chance to be featured as Nature Canada's photo of the month.

James Bay visits, Arrival in Fort Albany

Today I travelled from Timmins Ontario to Fort Albany, via Moosonee. This is about a two hour trip by a King 100 aircraft which seats about 12 people. Fort Albany is a small Cree village on the banks of the Albany River, about 150 kilometres north of Moosonee, near the coast of James Bay. I'm here with Peter Rosenbluth of Ontario Nature and Annie Metat of Mushkegowuk Tribal Council to meet with people in the communities, and share knowledge on birds and land use planning. There are 17 Important Bird Areas that ring James Bay, many of which are globally important as gathering sites for species of shorebirds such as the threatened Red Knot, Hudsonian Godwit and Semipalmated Sandpiper, and waterfowl including Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Brant, and Black Scoter. Fort Albany and neighbouring Kashechewan made national news a few years back when the water went bad from flooding and many Kashechewan residents were relocated to Timmins. The cost of food and gas is extremely high, as is travelling out. Air travel is the only option for leaving the community. Cree is spoken widely here, perhaps more than English.

It is September 27 but surprisingly mild. Only one sign of winter so far. Just after getting off the plane in Timmins, a small flock of Snow Buntings flew over. Otherwise, White-crowned Sparrows were abundant at the Timmin's airport, where I also saw several small flocks of Sandhill Cranes. American Pipits and Horned Larks foraged in the grass near the Moosonee airport terminal, some landing just a few metres from us. Several Green-winged Teal, Hooded Mergansers, and a Common Goldeneye floated on the backwaters of the river separating the island from the mainland, near the Fort Albany Airfield.

Tomorrow Bernie will take Peter and I by boat to the mouth of the river where we will briefly explore the Albany River Estuary and Associated Coastline IBA before returning to the town to join Annie in her daughter's Tepee for an informal community meet. Later in the day an official general community meeting will be held where I will have an opportunity to present the Important Bird Area program, and listen to the interests of local people.

In two days we travel downstream to Kashechewan for more meetings including one to the local high school.

More posts to come!!

Ted

Oil Now Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

An oil slick on the Gulf of Mexico, June 12, 2010
Photo by Deepwater Horizon Response/flickr

After the Deepwater Horizon oil well began spewing millions of litres of oil into the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year, governments, scientists, and coastal communities braced for what was expected to be a long and arduous clean-up effort. As attempts to stop the flow of oil failed repeatedly, the spill eventually grew to become the worst ecological disaster to hit American shores. The oil recovery effort was expected to continue for a very long time.

Then, in early August, the U.S. Government published a report claiming that much of the oil was contained or cleaned up because, for the most part, the ocean's surface was "clean." Unfortunately, that prognosis proved too optimistic.

In the past month several reports and studies appear to show that oil from the BP blowout is still present. A report released in mid-August by the Georgia Sea Grant and the University of Georgia stated that "up to 79 percent of the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon well has not been recovered and remains a threat to the ecosystem."

Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) discovered an oil plume that spanned roughly 35 kilometres in length, reached heights of 200 metres and was 2 kilometres wide. This oil plume lingers more than 900 metres below the ocean's surface and is believed will remain for months; however the environmental repercussions will be felt for years.

Following this latest discovery, it was revealed that more oil was present at the bottom of the seafloor up to depths of over 1,200 metres. Scientists discovered that a substantial layer of oil sediments rests on the bottom of the seafloor stretching several kilometres in all directions.

Samantha Joye, a professor at the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Georgia, set sail on August 21 to better understand where the 750 million plus litres of oil went and she now has a pretty good idea. "It's showing up in samples of the seafloor, between the well site and the coast. I've collected literally hundreds of sediment cores from the Gulf of Mexico." The oil sediments covering the seafloor are about two inches thick and in some samples they found tar balls, dead shrimp, worms and other invertebrates.

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection reports on its website that "beaches in Northwest Florida will continue to receive isolated impacts, mainly scattered tar balls, in the coming months."

As reported in our June newsletter, nearly five million Canadian migratory birds are making their way south, many of which will be passing through the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

So far, it's unclear just how many birds have died or been injured in the spill, and some environmental groups have voiced scepticism about official tallies. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife report, issued in response to a freedom of information request, listed only 4,676 affected birds as of September 14th. It was quickly determined, however, that the figures were up to 60 percent incomplete.

It's widely accepted that it will take months if not years before scientists are able to produce a true picture of the effects of the BP spill. In the meantime, we need to ensure that this type of tragedy is not repeated in Canada. Take action now and send a letter to the Canadian government to place a temporary moratorium on new off-shore drilling projects as was done in the U.S. immediately following the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

California's Largest Burrowing Owl Population in Rapid Decline

We usually write about efforts to protect the endangered burrowing owl population here is Canada, but now, news that the species is in severe decline in California. From the Center for Biological Diversity:

New surveys show a 27-percent drop in the number of breeding burrowing owls in California’s Imperial Valley and provide some of the most striking evidence yet that the species is badly in need of state protections. The Imperial owl population has declined from an estimated 5,600 pairs in the early 1990s to 4,879 pairs in 2007, then dropped sharply to 3,557 pairs in 2008.

“It’s alarming to see such a rapid, single-year drop in owl numbers in an area that is supposed to be a stronghold. Breeding owls been eliminated from a quarter of their former range in California over the past two decades as their habitat has been destroyed and they’ve been shoved aside for urban development,” said Jeff Miller, conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, which led several groups in petitioning for state Endangered Species Act protection for the owl in 2003. [the petition was rejected].

Burrowing owls in the Imperial Valley nest almost entirely in ground-squirrel burrows along earthen irrigation canals and drains. They represent nearly half the state’s breeding pairs. Once common in California, burrowing owls have been driven out of much of the state, with large populations primarily in areas of intensive agriculture, including parts of the Central Valley, along the lower Colorado River and the Imperial Valley.

It is unknown what is causing the Imperial owl decline, but loss of suitable foraging areas from fallowing of agricultural fields due to water transfers and ground-squirrel eradication programs may play a role. There is no evidence that the Imperial owls are moving elsewhere in California.

Read more here.

The burrowing owl is considered an iconic grasslands species and though it faces many significant threats, there are many people and organizations working to preserve populations throughout North America. In addition to Nature Canada, the other groups who make up the Suffield Coalition are Alberta Wilderness Association, Nature Alberta, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Nature Saskatchewan, and Southern Alberta Group for the Environment.

South of the border, the JournOwl blog stays current with burrowing owl conservation efforts, and the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network actively works on behalf of the species in the States.

Fall Preview: What Should Parliament Be Doing for the Environment?

Parliament resumed this week, and there are several environmental policies or legislations that need action now. Nature Canada will be asking our elected representatives to:

• Complete the mandatory Species at Risk Act 5-year review.

The long-awaited 5-year review of Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) began in 2009. The House of Commons Environment Committee has heard testimony from many witnesses and received numerous submissions, including from Nature Canada, and now needs to complete its report. As we wait for recommendations to make this crucial environmental legislation stronger, the list of at-risk species in Canada has reached 602.

Parliament must act now to strengthen SARA and make the law work to protect our endangered species.

• Begin a comprehensive review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and reinstate crucial measures that were cut this spring in Bill C-9, the Budget Implementation Act.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) establishes the national environmental assessment process used to evaluate the negative environmental impacts of new projects like mines, pipelines and tar sands projects and seeks out ways to reduce or eliminate those negative impacts.

During the budget process this spring, changes were made to CEAA that weaken the Act, side-stepping a mandatory review process that was due to start in June.

There should be a full consultation and discussion on CEAA, allowing for open and transparent debate of any further amendments. We are calling on all MPs to work to reinstate the legislation that was removed from the Act and strengthen it to ensure that our environment is protected.

• Begin a comprehensive review of regulation of unconventional oil and gas production promised in the spring.

In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, the federal government voted on June 2 to immediately conduct an open public review of relevant federal laws, regulations and policies regarding the development of all unconventional sources of oil and gas. Since this decision, little action has been taken, leaving Canada's wildlife and habitats in danger from oil and gas development.

The federal government must immediately undertake this comprehensive review to assure Canadians that our oil and gas development regulations meet the highest standards.

Additionally, Bill C-311 - the only piece of climate change legislation currently under consideration in Canada - is stalled in the Senate. The Bill has been adjourned in the name of Conservative Senator Richard Neufeld and cannot move forward until he speaks to it.

This Bill has been passed in the House of Commons not once, but twice. It was originally introduced as Bill C-377 by the NDP in 2008; the Bill died when an election was called in the Fall of 2008. In its most recent form, Bill C-311 passed third reading in the House by a majority of MPs representing almost 2/3 of the Canadian population.

Concerned Canadians have constantly raised their voices demanding strong action from our government on climate change, and we hope to see this Bill move forward this fall.

If you agree that these issues are important and the federal government needs to act on them this fall, contact your MP today and tell them to take action for Canada's environment.

Recovery Strategy for Endangered Burrowing Owl Incomplete: Critical Habitat Not Identified in Suffield National Wildlife Area

Burrowing Owl
Photo by C. Wallis

Four years after a recovery strategy for the Endangered Burrowing Owl was due, the federal government has released a plan that overlooks critical habitat within CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA).

Burrowing owls are iconic small, long-legged grassland owls that were common summer residents in the southern regions of the prairie provinces and British Columbia until the mid-1900s when modern agriculture practices began. This species was first assessed as 'Threatened' in 1979 and designated as 'Endangered' in 1995. In the prairie provinces they continue to decline, with fewer than 800 pairs remaining in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Suffield NWA, located near Medicine Hat, Alberta, is one of the last large areas of unploughed mixed grass prairie in Canada. This unique habitat is home to nearly 100 plant and animal species at risk of extinction, including the Burrowing Owl.

Recovery Strategy Long Overdue

Under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the federal government was required to produce a recovery strategy for the Burrowing Owl by June 2006. This strategy should have identified the species' entire critical habitat based on the best available information.

In the summer of 2007, a year past the legal deadline, Environment Canada published a proposed recovery strategy which failed to identify any critical habitat for the Burrowing Owl. Nature Canada called for a new strategy to be written to include critical habitat, since enough information existed to identify it. In our formal response given to the department, we also stressed the urgency of identifying critical habitat within Suffield NWA, given the threat to such habitat from a gas development project proposed by EnCana (now Cenovus).

Now, more than four years after it was due, a revised proposed recovery strategy has again failed to identify the entire critical habitat for Burrowing Owl as the law requires.

Suffield Habitat Overlooked


Suffield NWA
Photo by A. Teucher



The revised recovery strategy does identify critical habitat in land currently under federal jurisdiction, such as within Grasslands National Park. However, the valuable habitat within Suffield NWA – another federal protected area – is overlooked and the presence of Burrowing Owls within Suffield is misrepresented.

The current proposed recovery strategy appears to indicate that Burrowing Owls are not found in Suffield NWA. However, in Environment Canada's own testimony before a joint environmental assessment review panel in February 2008, the department told the panel (established to consider EnCana's - now Cenovus - proposal to drill 1,275 gas wells in the National Wildlife Area) that the endangered owls are known to nest in the area's rare natural prairie environment. The department even stated it was possible that critical habitat could be identified in Suffield.

It would seem this vital habitat was overlooked in the identification of critical habitat for Burrowing Owl without considering the scientific data. Information is clearly available to identify critical habitat within CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area and such habitat should be identified in the recovery strategy.

Suffield Critical for Burrowing Owl Recovery

Nature Canada and our partners in the Suffield Coalition are urging the federal government to revise the proposed recovery strategy to identify all critical habitat for the Burrowing Owl, including at Suffield. We also continue to call on the government to accept the recommendations of its environmental assessment panel and reject Cenovus' proposed project to drill 1,275 gas wells in Suffield National Wildlife Area.

The Suffield Coalition comprises seven groups: Alberta Wilderness Association, Federation of Alberta Naturalists, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Nature Saskatchewan, Southern Alberta Group for the Environment, Grasslands Naturalists, and Nature Canada.

Suffield NWA should be a haven for grassland species such as the Burrowing Owl. The Burrowing Owl deserves to have its entire critical habitat identified according to the best available information. With a complete recovery strategy, land use decisions can be made that create a recipe for recovery rather than for extirpation.

IUCN Urges Governments to Make Funds Available to Slow Biodiversity Loss

As a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity, the United Nations is holding a high-level meeting today, September 22, at its General Assembly's 65th session in New York to address the extinction crisis - the first high-level meeting to ever address this subject. The event is part of the United Nations effort to raise awareness about the loss of biological diversity (biodiversity) and shed light on the need to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - one of three UN Conventions born at the Rio Summit in 1992 to enable countries to conserve their biological diversity, sustainably use it and share, equitably and fairly, the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.

A 10 year strategic plan, known as the Post-2010 Strategic Plan, consisting of 20 targets, is due to be adopted by the Parties to the CBD during the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) in Nagoya, Japan this October. The aim of the Strategic Plan is to assist Parties in halting the loss of biodiversity by 2020.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognizes that it is imperative to take into consideration the financial resources needed to achieve these targets and is calling on governments to address this issue at the high-level meeting before COP10.

Examples of questions for discussion at today's meeting are:

- What are the human, institutional, scientific and financial resources that countries need in order to fully implement the Convention and what mechanisms are needed to ensure that each country has access to the resources it needs?

- How will you ensure that the post-2010 biodiversity strategy is reflected in your national biodiversity strategy and action plan, including a set of measurable national biodiversity targets?

- How will you ensure that the post-2010 biodiversity strategy is reflected in your national and local development priorities and that biodiversity will be mainstreamed throughout government and in all sectors of society and the economy?

"When governments meet next month in Nagoya they must be ready to invest what’s needed to halt biodiversity loss, and so avoid the much larger costs of inaction" says Julia-Martin Lefèvre, IUCN's Director General.

According to the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, 21 percent of mammals, 30 percent of amphibians, 12 percent of birds, 35 percent of conifers and cycads, 17 percent of sharks and 27 percent of reef-building corals assessed are threatened with extinction!

Call on Canada's Government to protect biodiversity by signing our open letter to Prime Minister Harper to take 5 steps on behalf of biodiversity.

Raising A Green Fledgling - Part 5 - Eating Greener Greens...?

Hello Readers!

Do you know where your food comes from? I mean, where it really comes from? Could you point to the community on a map where your food is grown, raised, produced (or synthesized)?

It's hard to do, right? And almost all of us would need a World map to even try. As new parents, my wife and I want to have a greater ability to know where our food comes from and how it's produced - and we want our daughter to know these things as she grows up, too.

On that note, we started buying our produce, meat, baked goods and some other foods at a local farmers' market several years ago. We used to live in Halifax, where visiting the farmers' market was a weekly tradition in all seasons, and we took pleasure in seeing the same producers from communities around Nova Scotia each week. Since moving to Ontario, we've been semi-regular patrons of the seasonal Ottawa Farmer's Market and love the selection of locally produced meats (artisan and traditional), tree fruits, plants and body-care products that were equally great but in lower supply at the Halifax market. But friends in Ottawa helped us discover a new way to know more about where our food comes from: Community-supported Agriculture (CSA).

CSA is, according to the Ontario CSA Farm Directory website, an agreement in which:

CSA farmers receive a set fee (from you - the consumer) prior to the start of the growing season. In return, you receive shares (produce) in the farm's bounty and you also share the risks due to weather and other factors beyond the control of the farmer.

CSA is an amazing way not only to know where your food comes from, but to also have a part in producing your food, and being more closely connected to the local/regional forces of nature that dictate what produce makes it to your table. Moreover, CSA is a great way to support agricultural production in your region in a time when it's somehow economically sensible/feasible to ship apples from New Zealand, South Africa and Chile to Canada throughout the year!?

Our CSA farm is based in Aylmer, Québec, just across the river from Ottawa, and the farm owners offer several drop-off points throughout Ottawa-Gatineau to more efficiently deliver weekly food boxes (small or large) to share-holders. 'Our farm' has organic certification and the offers farm open houses and opportunities for share-holders to help out with the harvest. In fact, some CSA farms require that share-holders help with the harvest to keep farm operational costs lower, for example. And CSA farms don't only provide produce, some offer various types of meat as well*. There is even a community-supported fishery (CSF) in Nova Scotia that provides weekly seafood catches to its shareholders. I'm sure others exist elsewhere, too. In any case - wow!

But enough about CSA and farmers' markets - how does all of this relate to raising a green fledgling??

Well first of all, knowing where your food comes from and how it's produced gives you a lot of control over your exposure to pesticide and herbicide residues, as well as knowing whether synthetic fertilizers were used and, if so, how their use was regulated. Run-off from both synthetic and "natural" fertilizers (e.g., manure) can infiltrate waterways and even drinking water resources, causing problems like nitrogen and/or phosphorus contamination, eutrophication and hypoxia, and should be minimized. Products from farmers' markets and CSA farms can offer environmental advantages, like organic production techniques, compared to supermarket produce and meat, which in turn help to minimize my family's environmental footprint and reduce our exposure to synthetic chemicals.

Second, experiencing the same weather in which your food grows, and then seeing what grows and what doesn't as a result of that weather, forges an intricate connection to nature. Suddenly you understand how an unusually dry summer translates into the food on your table throughout the fall and winter months. And it does - having a secure, sustainable supply of food on the table is something many Canadians take for granted, especially since foods like carrots, leafy greens and raspberries are available at the supermarket year-round. Again, the locavore or down-to-earth lifestyle choice helps to minimize my family's environmental footprint while giving us insight into the realities of farming in the Ottawa Valley region.

Third, I personally love knowing that I'm supporting farmers in my region. I grew up in Nova Scotia's breadbasket, so this means a lot to me. Farmers feed cities. Not only that, but we're sharing in the gains and losses of our region's farmers; we make the same investment at the beginning of each season without knowing what or how much produce we'll end up with. This is another important aspect of our connection to nature - humans are intimately connected to the environment through our nourishment and our economy.

These points play a big role in raising our green fledgling. She'll (eventually) be eating a substantial amount of organic, locally produced, farm-fresh food - and hopefully year-round, if we follow-through on plans to make our own baby food from summer produce! ;-) Plus, our daughter will grow up knowing where her food comes from and having a sense of what's involved in getting it from the field (or barn) to her dinner plate. That's very important to my wife and I. And yes, I concede that agriculture in many of its forms can be associated with negative environmental impacts, but that discussion goes far beyond the scope of this post. We all need to eat and, in my mind, we should strive to eat food that is produced and harvested as 'greenly' as possible.

As with many greener lifestyle choices, shopping at local farmers' markets and belonging to a CSA and/or CSF is not financially feasible (or geographically practical) for all. But I really wish it were, and I think that Canadian society is moving toward making that so. The premium, if any, charged for local agricultural products better reflects the costs of production, and maybe even the environmental costs, as more farmers move toward sustainable agricultural practices.

If you're interested in CSA, CSF or local farmers' markets, try searching the net for one in your region, or contact your provincial/territorial federation of agriculture to find out what options are available. You can also try contacting non-profit groups working on agriculture, fisheries and/or sustainable living issues to get more info.

I hope you've enjoyed this part in the series - I know I had fun writing it. Sorry for the delay on this addition to the RAGF series and check back in two weeks for the next post!


*Currently our CSA is veggie-only. Instead, we get a lot of our meat from farmers' markets and through friends' with transitionally-organic farmers in their family.

UPDATE - Version française - Your thoughts on the state of Environment Canada's protected areas?

Hello Readers! Bonjours lecteurs!

Yesterday I posted information about a survey that Nature Canada is conducting to determine naturalists' and nature enthusiasts' views on the condition/state of Environment Canada's protected areas.

To be more specific, I posted information on the English version of this survey.

Mais, veuillez noter qu'il y a aussi une version française du sondage disponible içi.

Once again, the French version of Nature Canada's survey is available here.

Thanks for your interest! Merci infiniment de votre intérêt!

Ozone Success Shows Emissions Can Be Reduced

When I was growing up, before going to play outside we were always told, "Put on lots of sunscreen!" The hole in the ozone layer was a fairly recent discovery, and cholorfluorocarbons (CFCs) were still found in everything from refrigerator coolants to hair spray aerosol pumps.

While today's findings by UN scientists that the ozone layer has stopped thinning don't mean I can leave the tube of sunblock at home, they do show us that a concerted global effort can reduce emissions and have a positive effect on the environment.

From the AFP story:

"The Montreal Protocol signed in 1987 to control ozone depleting substances is working, it has protected us from further ozone depletion over the past decades," said World Meteorological Organisation head of research Len Barrie.


"Global ozone, including ozone in the polar region, is no longer decreasing but not yet increasing," he told journalists.

The 300 scientists who compiled the four yearly ozone assessment now expect that the ozone layer in the stratosphere will be restored to 1980 levels in 2045 to 2060, according to the report, "slightly earlier" than expected.

 
This success in reducing CFCs, also a contributor to climate change, shows us that a concerted effort could reduce other greenhouse gas emissions. The world was able to recognize its danger once before and we hope that global leaders will come together again this winter to agree on steps to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere by human activity.

Your thoughts on the state of Environment Canada's protected areas?

Hello Readers!

Have you ever visited one of Canada's National Wildlife Areas or Migratory Bird Sanctuaries?

These sites make up Environment Canada's network of protected areas and complement our national parks system and provincial/territorial protected areas networks from coast to coast, to coast. Eventually, Marine Wildlife Areas will also make up Environment Canada's network, with the Scott Islands off of northern Vancouver Island slated as the first addition in 2012.

Regardless of how you answer the above question, Nature Canada would like to know your views on National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. In fact, we're in the process of conducting of survey of naturalists and nature enthusiasts across Canada (and beyond) to better understand their views on the condition/state of these areas.

Simply follow this link if you'd like to participate in the survey. Time to complete the survey shouldn't exceed 25 minutes and will vary depending on your level of familiarity with Environment Canada's protected areas.

Nature Canada will use the results of this survey to inform a formal report on the state of Canada's National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (to be completed this fall). The report will build on previous work we've done on this theme, including Conserving Wildlife on a Shoestring Budget (2002) and Wildlife In Crisis (2004).

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the survey and/or Nature Canada's protected areas program.

Photo 1 - A. Teucher, CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area

Birds Dying in Oil Sands at 30 Times Rate Reported

Does self-reporting work for the tar sands? A new report casts doubt on the industry's ability to accurately monitor its impact on the environment. From the Toronto Star:

A new study says birds are likely dying in oilsands tailings ponds at least 30 times the rate suggested by industry and government.

The results add weight to arguments that depending on industry to monitor its own environmental impact isn’t working, said study author Kevin Timoney, an ecologist whose paper was published Tuesday in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology.
“We need to have credible scientific monitoring,” Timoney said. Bird deaths are currently tracked through industry employees reporting carcasses. The eight-year annual average of such reports, from 2000 to 2007, is 65.
“It’s basically ad hoc,” said Timoney, who decided to take a different approach for the tailings ponds of Suncor, Syncrude and Shell...

...Using averages for the mortality rate of oiled birds, and adjusting for the increased size of tailings ponds over the last two decades, Timoney came up with what he says is a more reasonable estimate for bird deaths in the 120 square kilometres of ponds he studied.

The 14-year median, including raptors, songbirds, shorebirds and gulls, is 1,973 deaths every year. That’s more birds than died in the April 2008 incident that saw Syncrude convicted of charges under the environmental protection legislation earlier this year.

Read more.

Environmental Groups and First Nations take Legal Action Against the Federal Government to Protect Caribou

Yesterday, lawyers representing First Nations (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Enoch Cree First Nation and the Beaver Lake Cree Nation) and environmental groups (Alberta Wilderness Society and the Pembina Institute) filed two separate applications for a judicial review to require the immediate protection of woodland caribou in the tar sands producing regions of Alberta.

They are going to argue that the federal government, Environment Canada in particular, failed to protect the caribou herds of northern Alberta and that the Minister of Environment failed to issue an emergency order to protect caribou from further development in the area. In addition to this, a recovery plan for caribou under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) is long overdue – it should have been done in 2007.

First Nations, represented by lawyer Jack Woodward of BC law firm Woodward and Company, decided to take legal action after the government failed to address their concerns. In a letter they sent to Minister Prentice on July 15, they wrote that if the government had not ceased to give out development permits and developed an emergency plan for caribou by August 27 they would take legal action. Their letter had also included findings from a study carried out by Stan Boutin from the University of Alberta suggesting that caribou herds were facing extinction.

This is the second time First Nations have intervened this year with respect to lack of caribou protection. Earlier in March the West Moberly First Nations won a case against the BC Government to protect the Burnt Pine caribou herd from a proposed coal mine.

Raising A Green Fledgling - Series Update

Hello Readers,

Thank you as always, for following my Raising A Green Fledgling series on Nature Canada's blog. I'm greatly enjoying sharing my learning, thoughts and challenges in green parenting with you and look forward to continuing the series as the pages of the calendar turn over time.

This update is to inform you that instead of appearing each week, new installments in the series will appear every two weeks from now on. This change will allow me more time to research and develop each installment.

Thanks again!
-Alex

Raising A Green Fledgling - Part 4 - Fried Green Diapers

Hello Readers!

This week's Raising A Green Fledgling installment focuses on green diapering. It can be a messy topic but no worries, we'll keep it nice and clean. Which takes me to the title of this week's post. Why "fried green diapers"? It's simple really, but you'll have to read on to find out why.

Cloth/reusable diapers seem to be enjoying a resurgence after years of high consumer demand for convenient, disposable diapers. I think this resurgence makes sense both environmentally and practically, but it's worth exploring some other perspectives on this, especially since there can be substantial up-front costs for cloth/reusable diapers.

A 2009 research review called Diapers and the Environment, from the Massachusetts-based group NEARTA, compared disposable and reusable diapers in four areas: solid waste, non-renewable resources consumption, airborne/water-borne wastes, and water consumption. The authors' showed that reusable diapers had fewer negative environmental impacts than disposables in the first three areas, while there was no advantage for either type of diaper with respect to water consumption.

Alternatively, the UK Environment Agency showed that reusables can be better or worse than disposables in terms of their negative environmental impacts. In a 2006 study, An Updated Lifecycle Assessment Study for Disposable and Reusable Nappies (Aumônier et al), the Agency concluded that "consumers' behaviour" largely determined the negative environmental impact of reusables over time. Translation: the impacts of reusables vary based on how you wash, dry and hand them down over time, not to mention the appliances you use and the electricity and water you use to rinse, wash and dry them (and where the electricity and water come from). Other life cycle assessments of disposables and cloth/reusables have failed to find a clear front-runner, as well.

Fair enough. Reusable diapers do require a lot of rinsing, washing and drying, multiple times per week. And rinsing a reusable can consume more water once baby is on solid food. Hot water washing (w/ cold rinsing) is also recommended to remove stains from reusables. Finally, you shouldn't mix regular laundry with reusables because they require less detergent and detergent that is less harsh and free of synthetic chemicals (see RAGF Part 2). Detergent residues left after washing can decrease the absorbency of reusables and may lead to skin irritation.

But I was perplexed that life cycle assessments would fail to name reusables the clear winner. I mean, disposables generate so much MORE persistent, non-degradable waste than reusables, right? And disposables may take up to 500 years to decompose and break-down into tiny bits of plastic that persist in the environment. Most disposables also contain super absorbent polymer (SAPs) compounds that solidify to gel once 'activated', adding additional chemical waste to the mix.

Reusables range from being 100% composed of natural fibres to being a clever mix of natural and synthetic fibres. They're typically designed with an outer cover and an absorbent insert, both of which are washable. While the synthetic components of reusable diapers have life cycle impacts similar to those of their disposable counterparts, reusables produce far less waste at the end of product life and can be re-used by multiple babies over time in a family. Try that with a disposable.

My wife and I considered the waste our reusables might generate if we tossed them out with this week's trash (assuming we were bonkers). We estimated the waste at less than one regular-sized garbage bag, and that's based upon one-size-fits-all reusables that will last us at least until our daughter's first birthday. Plus we can re-use them with future children. Using some of the estimates presented in the research above, a typical baby goes through 70 to 80 disposables per week. That's easily enough to fill 52 regular-sized garbage bags in that same one-year period. One garbage bag compared to 52 for the same period amounts to a lot more impact from disposables in my mind. A 2004 World Health Organization study said that disposable diapers are the "third largest individual constituent of municipal solid waste" making up "over 4%" of the total amount.

So notwithstanding water consumption, I don't buy the conclusion that disposables and reusables have equal environmental impacts. But that's just my opinion, and you know my bias. I also can't get beyond the fact that disposable diapers effectively 'lock-up' biodegradable human waste for hundreds of years, while reusables often liberate that waste into sewerage systems where it can be treated and/or biodegraded more readily.

I haven't talked about the difference in cost between disposables and reusables, but it's enough to say that reusables have a greater up-front cost. However, this cost is usually amortized, or spread-out, over the baby's entire diaper-wearing life. And the diaper-wearing lives of its younger siblings. Disposable diapers cost less per unit in the beginning but become more expensive as baby grows, and they have to be newly purchased newly when they run out. NEARTA conducted another research review, Diaper Cost Comparison, which reported these conclusions. The review also points out the costs associated with water and electricity consumption for laundering reusables, including the cost of using a cloth/reusable diaper cleaning service. This is certainly not insignificant in every case.

As for our experience with reusable diapers so far: they're wonderful. We're happy about the reduced waste associated with reusables, which allows us to feel like responsible environmental stewards. On the practical side, we're very impressed with how well reusables work and how little odor they have when soiled. Our daughter seems to love them, too. They're not messy and rarely leak if fitted and fastened properly, plus many of the new outer cover materials prevent external soaking. We use a non-airtight diaper pail lined with a washable diaper bag to store soiled diapers, and control occasional odors between washes by using drops of tea-tree oil in the bag. We also use washable cloth wipes with an all-natural diaper wipe spray, and we found great all-natural, biodegradable bamboo baby wipes to use as an alternative when not at home.

There's one other huge benefit to cloth/reusable diapers: they motivate toddlers to potty-train earlier since there are no super absorbent polymers and moisture-wicking membranes to make baby feel dry even though he/she's not. Yes, you have to pay more attention to the state of baby's diaper this way, but it's worth it in the longer-term I think.

Oh yeah, what about the title of this week's post? Well, fried green diapers refers to a trick that comes in handy with reusables. Normal washing and drying often won't remove all stains from reusable diapers, but the sun does a remarkable job of naturally bleaching them. So whenever possible, we line-dry our diapers to make sure they stay looking as good as new. I think "fried green diapers" nicely describes this process, since the sun 'fries' our 'green' diapers. :-)

Disclaimer: This is by no means a comprehensive look at the benefits and pitfalls of cloth/reusable diapering. There are numerous maternity stores, baby shops, boutiques and other retailers that can help you navigate the world of cloth/reusable diapers and I encourage you to seek the advice of their experienced staff. A simple Google search will help you find a retailer or cloth/reusable diapering blog or forum in your region.

Photos: A. MacDonald

Contaminants in the Athabasca River

A study, carried out by Dr. David Schindler and several of his colleagues from the University of Alberta, found high levels of mercury, lead and arsenic in the Athabasca River. Their findings challenge data found in government reports and are an indication that the tar sands industry has had a significant impact on the Athabasca River. Local fishermen have realized that migratory species such as ducks no longer land where they used to and have even found fish that were deformed or had lumps on them. The report will become available in the scientific journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Science'.

The team has recommended that monitoring must be improved in order to properly assess and control the industry’s impact on the environment. In a press conference on Monday the Edmonton Journal reported Dr. Schindler saying:

"There's no way industry can be belching out hundreds of kilograms of toxins every year and this not be detectable in the environment unless the monitoring program is totally incompetent." ... All of this is in clear violation of the Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Act is not based on amounts released or concentrations in the river; it just says flatly that there will be no deposition of any deleterious substance to a river or near enough to a river to get into it. Period. ... You have to ask where is Environment Canada on all of this? ... You have to wonder why do we have money for propaganda and not for proper science? Government has been putting money into their propaganda campaign to tell people everything is OK. I just think that's not the way democracy should work. If people can see what's really going on and they still choose to develop in the oilsands that's democracy. But making people think that everything's OK when it really isn't and therefore getting them to agree to this is not the way the government of this country or this province was set up to work.

Both the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) and Alberta Environment are challenging Dr. Schindler's results. Alberta Environment would like to look at supplementary data before making comparisons and Fred Kuzmic from RAMP has said that such high levels are 'associated with naturally occurring compounds'. According to Dr. Schindler, RAMP, an industry led group overseeing the river's water quality, should be replaced with Environment Canada.

Help Nature Canada stop the tar sands from expanding and destroying significant habitat for wildlife by signing our letter to Prime Minister Harper.