Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Tens of thousands sign petition demanding CBC host climate debate

By Emma McIntosh, National Observer, August 8, 2019

A group of activists in Toronto delivered a petition with nearly 48,000 signatures to the CBC Friday morning, asking the broadcaster to host a federal leader's debate on climate change ahead of the October federal election.

The petition was organized by four advocacy groups: Leadnow.ca and North99, along with the climate-change-focused 350 Canada and OurTime, which recently made headlines with a campaign for a Canadian Green New Deal. In a statement, LeadNow said the CBC has a responsibility as a public broadcaster to "provide a platform about this unprecedented national emergency so voters can clearly see where leaders stand on climate and what they’re prepared to do about it.”

"We look to political leaders to lead on serious issues like climate change, but there’s so much misinformation and confusion,” said Amara Possian, Canada Campaigns Manager with 350.org. “A federal leaders’ debate focused on climate change and a made-in-Canada Green New Deal will give voters much-needed clarity on which parties have the best strategy to tackle the climate crisis head on.”

Ottawa named best city to live for expats

By SmartCitiesWorld, August 14, 2019

Seventy cities were judged on 24 criteria across the four categories of environment and urbanisation, family and society, experience and economics.

(...)The study analysed 70 cities around the world and ranked them for a total of 24 criteria across four major categories: urbanisation and environment; living; economics; and family and society.

(...)Ottawa scored well for air pollution, English proficiency, and house price to income ratio.

Food supply at risk from climate change

By the Canadian Press, InsideOttawaValley, August 7, 2019

OTTAWA — Canada will not be spared the impact of food shortages and price shocks if global warming is not kept below 2 degrees Celsius, a new report on land use and climate change suggests.

The report, released Thursday by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, delivers stark warnings about the need for drastic changes to agricultural practices, human consumption habits and forestry management to prevent an escalation in the climate-change-related floods and forest fires that could lead to a global famine.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?: Natural playground in Renfrew

By Jonathan Mulvihill, InsideOttawaValley, August 7, 2019 There is a new natural playground in Renfrew, located at Ma-Te-Way Park next to the splash pad, for residents to enjoy. JUST THE FACTS:

The idea of a natural playground was first brought up in 2016 as part of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, an initiative that supports local communities to initiate new programs and enhance existing ones to give kids a healthier start in life.

(...)“We wanted to do something that both gave Renfrew a new attraction and was environmentally friendly,” she said. “So we decided to make a playground made from all natural resources.”

EDITORIAL: On LRT, a passing score isn't always a passing score

By the Editor, Ottawa Sun, August 4, 2019

Back in March, light-rail fans may recall, the City of Ottawa approved the $4.65-billion LRT Stage 2 expansion. This ought to have been good news.

But there was kerfuffling from some city councillors after CBC reported the winning bidder for the Trillium line work (which is planned to go to Riverside South and the airport) hadn’t met the minimum technical threshold set out in city documents. That bidder was SNC-Lavalin, under the project name TransitNext.

At the time, with a council vote pending, Coun. Diane Deans asked bureaucrats if the report about the technical scores was true.

Fossil fuel burning leaps to new record, crushing clean energy and climate efforts

By Barry Saxifrage, National Observer, July 31, 2019

Despite decades of promises to prevent a climate crisis, the primary cause of it — global fossil fuel burning — continues to increase rapidly. Last year's record-breaking burn was a doozy.

That's according to data in the latest "BP Statistical Review of World Energy."

And renewable energy — a hoped-for climate solution — has not only failed to halt the explosive rise in fossil carbon burning, it's falling ever-further behind.

Pedestrian safety and roundabouts focus for August

By Lesley McKay, StittsvilleCentral.ca, August 2, 2019

The Ottawa Police Services, Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) will be focusing on pedestrian safety and roundabouts for the month of August.

There were 1,708 reportable collisions involving pedestrians between 2013 and 2017. These pedestrian collisions resulted in 1,827 injuries and 29 fatalities.

In same time frame, 533 reportable collisions involving roundabouts took place. The collisions resulted in 53 injuries and no fatalities.

The Safer Roads Ottawa Program is committed to preventing or eliminating road deaths and serious injuries for all people in the City of Ottawa — through culture change, community engagement, and development of a sustainable safe transportation environment. Safer Roads is the leader in this endeavour and they have partnered with Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Public Health and the Transportation Services Department to ensure pedestrian and road safety for everyone.

Quebec farms produce tonnes of unrecyclable plastic waste, study suggests

By Daniel Sucar, Ottawa Citizen, August 3, 2019

The traditional image of an industry that poses a concerning environmental threat consists of towering refineries perpetually emitting carbon into the air or coal mines spewing toxins into the water. But a new study from RECYC-QUÉBEC suggests that some of that concern should be directed toward the agricultural sector, and even the production of maple syrup.

According to the study, Quebec farms generate nearly 11,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year, with only 2,300 tonnes being recycled.

“Right now, there are no options for recycling, as there are no province-wide programs that aim to convert the waste into something reusable,” said Phil Quinn, owner of Île-Perrot’s Quinn Farm. “Our plastic is considered to be contaminated when we’re done with it.”

The market for such agricultural plastics as bailer twine, grain bags, hay packaging and pesticide containers has grown rapidly over the last 20 years, the study says.

The Home Front: Eco-friendly homewares and accessories

By Rebecca Keilor, Ottawa Citizen, July 27, 2019

Every season, there’s a new hot trend in home decor and accessories, and this summer, it’s a good one.

The keen awareness about the damage we’re doing to our planet through throw-away consumer habits is resulting in a move away from single-use plastics, notes Jason Templeton, merchandising manager for Simons Maison, the homes section of the Quebec-based fashion retail chain.

“The interest in articles that replace throwaway plastics has exploded and the demand is huge,” he says.

He says sales are especially hot for Items like silicone and stainless steel straws, beeswax wraps, and reusable, eco- friendly versions of plastic food storage bags, plastic wrap, plastic coffee cups and plastic water bottles.

'There is no evidence of a chemical spill', hydro plant most plausible cause of fish deaths, minister says

By CTV News, August 2, 2019

The Ministry of Environment for Quebec says the public should be rest assured the fish deaths are not the result of a chemical spill.

A spokesperson for the ministry tells CTV News there is an open investigation into the ‘operations’ of the Brookfield Hydro Plant located on the Lièvre River.

“The most plausible cause of fish deaths would be related to the Brookfield Hydroelectric Plant Operations,” said ministry spokesperson and Outaouais Environmental Control Centre regional director Alexandre Oullet.

Today's letters: Liquid cremation isn't good for the environment

By George Neville, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, August 2, 2019

There’s nothing green about this ‘burial’

Re: Public health puts brakes on liquid cremation, July 26.

Liquid cremation (better and more accurately termed alkaline hydrolysis) resulting in discharge of its waste hydrolysis product via sewers to our already overburdened rivers, is neither socially nor ethically responsible in this age of recycling.  Although rivers were used in pioneer times to carry off slaughterhouse blood and waste, to the detriment of water quality and watershed sustainability, in this age we know better to respect and care for the health of streams and rivers.

Alkaline hydrolysis of a corpse, whether by slow low-temperature (below 100º Celsius) or by pressurized high-temperature (about 150º C) digestion with use of either sodium carbonate or lye, results in a similar chemical soup – a mixture of amino acid salts from digestion of body protein, a mixture of fatty acid salts and glycerin from digestion of body fat and aqueous, and flocculant suspended iron oxide/hydroxides from alkaline degradation of body blood. That such a soup of bodily digested waste (animal or human) would be discharged into rivers such as the Rideau at Smiths Falls or directly into the Ottawa River is repulsive to human sensibilities, socially unacceptable as a source of potable water, and ethically irresponsible.

Ottawa woman assaulted while walking on trail near Transitway station

By Jacob Hoytema, Ottawa Citizen, August 2, 2019

Ottawa police were investigating Friday after a woman was assaulted while walking to work along a National Capital Commission trail near the Dominion Transitway station.

An Ottawa Police Service media release said the incident occurred at about 9 a.m., when an unidentified man grabbed the woman from behind, forced her to the ground and kept her there while holding a hand over her mouth.

The release said the man didn’t make any demands, but eventually told the woman something about “a mistake and got the wrong person” before fleeing toward the Transitway station.