Linda Pannozzo is an award-winning author and freelance journalist. This is an excerpt from her forthcoming book “About Canada: The Environment” (Fernwood Publishing). The U.S. federal inquiry that investigated the financial crisis of 2008-2009 — the most serious crisis affecting the global economy since the Great Depression — concluded in 2011 that it was an […]
Fish farm regulations don’t go far enough, say environmentalists
Nova Scotia has new regulations for coastal aquaculture, but don’t expect that to put an end to the controversy around open net pen fish farms anytime soon. The new rules will do little to get local communities to accept the salmon and trout industry, says Raymond Plourde, Wilderness Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre. “That will […]
Will Nova Scotia take environmental racism seriously?
Indian Brook used to have the best water for miles around, said Dorene Bernard. But no one likes to drink it now. The change came in 2012, when the community’s water table was contaminated by digging at the nearby Nova Scotia Sand and Gravel pit. The community was issued a do-not-drink advisory, and the Department...
Environmental racism in Nova Scotia: Examineradio – Episode 20
This week, we speak with Dr. Ingrid Waldron, a sociologist and assistant professor at Dalhousie University, about environmental racism and its effects in Nova Scotia. Plus, Jimmy Melvin, Jr. is arrested in connection to the 2009 murder of drug rival Terry Marriott, Jr. Also, the provincial Liberal government mulls privatizing Service Nova Scotia as part of […]
Dartmouth’s World Peace Pavilion and the delusions of triumphant capitalism
From the water, it looks like a Cubist attempt at a military bunker. It’s a squat, grey, roofless trapezoid, and an unassuming sight. Yet, 20 years ago last month, seven of the world’s most powerful leaders opened Dartmouth’s World Peace Pavilion to the sounds of choirs and commendations from the people. They had all come...
Hey, Mama! Examineradio — Episode 17
This week, the Friends of Green Cove — a group opposed to the controversial Mother Canada statue propsed for Cape Breton Highlands National Park — revealed that Parks Canada had donated $100,000 to the project’s development. This, despite the fact that the government agency’s role is to evaluate the project’s worthiness. We speak with Dr. […]
Metro Transit fuel spill: $2.7 million lost but no accountability
Halifax Auditor General Larry Munroe today issued his report on the Metro Transit fuel spill. The jaw-dropping details: ➡ In April, 2014, a car dealership on Windmill Road noticed oil in a drainage ditch, and immediately called Halifax Water, which in turn promptly investigated. ➡ Workers traced the fuel back to a ditch next to Halifax...
Mapping the Social Arctic
For most, it’s hard to imagine a harder environment to navigate than the Arctic. 19th century British explorers certainly thought so; British ships trying to find the Northwest Passage were frequently trapped or destroyed by the ice, including Sir John Franklin’s doomed vessel, recently discovered in the waters off King William Island in Nunavut. But what if...
Climate change is killing the oceans
The specter of climate change presents a number of terrifying feedback loops. Perhaps the scariest of all is the destruction of the oceans. “Ocean acidification” is one of those phrases that manages to evoke a sense of post-apocalyptic peril. But what exactly does it mean? On the face of it, it seems straightforward; anthropogenic climate change...
Addicted to destruction: broken societies, dislocation, and finding purpose in life
In the 19th century, a new notion of addiction came to the fore. Although it’s now viewed as a development of modern neuroscience, said Bruce Alexander, the official understanding of addition as “chronic, relapsing brain disease” is essentially the same as that which was developed 200 years ago. “I’m going to leave that official view...