SPRING 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

Our Blue Route The Emissions Transition More than Making Do

VOL. 33 NO. 1 A publication of CONTRIBUTORS Emma Boardman, Maggy Burns, Tristan Cleveland, Hilary Hamilton, Ian Johnston, Julia Contents Kemp, Sylvia Mangalam, Matt Miller, Katherine Nakaska, Mike Letters...... 1 Ruxton, Julian West & EAC Staff Eco-Briefs | Mike Ruxton...... 2 CONTENT EDITORS Emma Boardman, Erin The Magazine Formerly Known Burbidge, Maggy Burns, as Between the Issues | Maggy Burns...... 6 Cormekia Clayton, Ian Johnston, Mike Ruxton Our Blue Route | Jeana MacLeod...... 8

COPY EDITORS More Than Making Do | Julian West with Tristan Cleveland. . .10 Ian Johnston, Tiffany MacDonald, Mike Ruxton, Moving Forward | Stephanie Johnstone-Laurette...... 12 Andy Wainwright Strong Roots in Madagascar | Hilary Hamilton...... 14 ADVERTISING Adrienne Redden Strong Roots in Nova Scotia | Matt Miller ...... 16

ILLUSTRATIONS Expanding the Action | Katherine Nakaska...... 17 Colleen MacIsaac The Emissions Transition | Ian Johnston...... 18 PHOTOGRAPHERS Maggy Burns, Michelle The Seasonal Gourmet | Julia Kemp...... 20 Boyden, Hilary Hamilton Julia Kemp, Bianca Muller, Katharine New Publications...... 21 Nakaska, Ray Plourde Action in verse | Sylvia Mangalam ...... 21 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Action is our Middle Name ...... 22 Dean Gallant, Pinwheel Communication Design Eco Hacks | Emma Boardman...... 24 DISTRIBUTION EAC staff, members and volunteers To advertise in Ecology & Action, please contact [email protected]. We support businesses working towards social and environmental justice. The Ecology Action Centre’s vision is of Printed at Halcraft Printers on a society in Nova Scotia that respects and COVER ARTWORK Chorus Art Paper, 50 percent protects nature and provides environmentally recycled fibre, 25 percent post- and economically sustainable solutions for Emma Fitzgerald currently consumer with vegetable based inks. its citizens. The EAC is a founding member of lives in North End Halifax, the Canadian and Nova Scotia Environmental where she lives and works Ecology & Action is published three times Networks. Views expressed in Ecology & from home. She is currently a year by the Ecology Action Centre Action are those of the writers and do not (the EAC), a charitable organization necessarily represent the EAC or working on her first book, on (PM Registration # 40050204). its supporters. neighbourhoods of Halifax, to be published in 2015 with Formac Lorimer. She is always Ecology Action Centre www.ecologyaction.ca up for collaborations and commissions, particularly 2705 Fern Lane /EcologyActionCentre house and business portraits. Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 4L3 @EcologyAction You can find out more at www.emmafitzgerald.ca. 902.429.2202 /EcologyAction Letters WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS TO [email protected]

To the Centre From the Centre

Dear EAC,

I noticed that your last issue had some interesting articles on Oops! We goofed! reducing waste. At Foxy Moon Hair Gallery, we’ve just started a comprehensive recycling and reuse program, in partnership In our fall issue, we incorrectly credited a photo with Green Circle Salons! They are helping us recycle hair and that accompanied the article “The Case for Less chemicals that would otherwise end up in a landfill or in our water Waste” as taken by EAC staff, when in fact it was supply. This is a very exciting venture for us, and we would like as taken by Ashley David. We apologize! many people to hear about it as possible. The program is helping us to redirect everything once considered as garbage out of water streams and landfills: we are recycling hair (in 2010, Green Circle sent more than 1,000 pounds of hair to the Gulf of Mexico to help clean the BP oil spill), foils, colour tubes, paper, plastics, and liquid chemical waste (most salons today simply rinse all leftover liquid chemicals into the sink and down the drain). The beauty industry poses many challenges to the environment, and we hope to ameliorate our ecological footprint through these changes that will make both our salon and our industry more sustainable.

Sincerely,

Evyeneia Dexter Owner, Foxy Moon Hair Gallery PHOTO: Ashley David

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SPRING 2015 1 Eco-Briefs by MIKE RUXTON /// Editorial Committee Volunteer

Be Cool—Radiative Cooling

Traditional air conditioning works by robbing Peter to pay Paul, extracting heat from a building at the cost of heating the outside air. Inefficiencies coupled with the laws of thermodynamics mean you generate extra heat in the process, so it isn’t just a heat transfer from inside to outside.

Radiative cooling is how thermal bodies cool naturally, but what if you could convert heat to a wavelength not blocked by the atmosphere? If you could then direct the energy into space, you’re almost done. A third step might be to minimize heating in the first place. We know how to do this—use a mirror to block and reflect the light that is generating the heat.

The main obstacle to efficient radiative cooling is that the atmosphere traps radiative heat energy via the greenhouse effect. But there is a wavelength window that isn’t blocked by the atmosphere—eight to 13 microns.

A Stanford team of electrical engineers—Shanhui Fan, Eden Rephaeli, and Aaswath Raman—embraced the challenge of the atmosphere’s transparency window. They developed a material that has two properties: it is an efficient mirror, and it is also capable of radiating heat in the appropriate wavelength window. They developed a prototype the size of a small pizza, one that was not large enough for practical cooling, but it was at least a proof of concept. The device has achieved a cooling of five degrees Celsius and has the potential to do substantially better. The device is passive, requiring no energy input.

ILLUSTRATIONS COLLEEN MACISAAC /// Volunteer

SOURCES

• Passive radiative cooling below ambient air temperature under direct sunlight, Raman, Anoma, Zhu, Rephaeli & Fan, Nature, 27 November 2014 • A New Way to Cool, Robert F. Service, Science, 26 November 2014 • Mirrors could replace air conditioning by beaming heat into space, Ian Sample, The Guardian, 26 November 2014

2 SPRING 2015 Be Cool—Climate Interventions

Dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases are by far the best option for mitigating the negative consequences of climate change. Emission reductions are technologically Climate intervention feasible, but they are proving difficult to implement for political, economic, and social reasons. Negotiations continue, with the Paris discussions taking a more flexible, bottom-up approach than is no substitute for previous negotiations, which has some participants optimistic. But more extreme measures are also being considered by some of the dramatic reductions same leaders who have yet to find a workable consensus on how to address the problem. in greenhouse In 2012, the United States government and several of its science agencies (including the Central Intelligence Agency) gas emissions to asked the National Academy of Sciences to provide advice on climate geoengineering related to the costs, the risks, the ease of mitigate the negative implementation, the effectiveness, and related issues. The committee formed in response to the request came to an early realization that two of the most frequently discussed geoengineering approaches— consequences of carbon dioxide removal and albedo modification—have many substantial differences. The committee decided to study the two climate change. approaches separately and concurrently.

Assuming 350 parts per million of atmospheric CO2 is the target, recognizing that current CO2 levels are 400 parts per million and are many downsides to albedo modification. It is likely to change that current human activities are adding two parts per million of amounts and patterns of precipitation. Because it does not reduce CO2 annually, how do we get back to 350 by 2050? Once CO2 CO2 levels, it would need to be practised ad infinitum; imagine the is emitted by an automobile, coal furnace, or pellet stove, how consequences of deploying albedo modification for a decade and do we recapture and remove it? Reforestation is effective and has then stopping it. It also leaves problems such as ocean acidification potential co-benefits. Ocean iron fertilization has been studied unaddressed. The committee warns that albedo modification as a and, on balance, has substantially larger risks than benefits. Direct global measure without concurrent CO2 emissions mitigation and air capture and sequestration works better on the stack gas from CDR would be “irrational and irresponsible.” a power plant than ambient air; both require long-term disposal strategies. All these strategies have costs either comparable to or Governance of albedo modification is a major problem; for instance, exceeding emission reduction. Their climate impacts are minimal if Japan or Australia decided to implement an albedo modification in the short term. plan, how would the rest of the world know, let alone respond? The committee recommends the initiation of a serious deliberative Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) encourages complacency because process to examine the issues of governance of research and the we may think that we don’t have to stop burning fossil fuels and just types of research that would require such governance. need large scale CDR. However, there are benefits to CDR. It can be implemented incrementally and doesn’t require international The committee warns that climate intervention “is no substitute agreements for implementation. There don’t appear to be any for dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the substantial global risks. Existing technologies are nowhere near negative consequences of climate change.” adequate to achieve the target of 350 parts per million, so the committee recommends ongoing research for CDR.

Albedo modification—the process of reflecting sunlight away SOURCES from the earth—has three pluses: it works quickly, it can be done relatively cheaply, and it’s easy to accomplish. The science • Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and of albedo modification is very relevant to climate modelling, so Reliable Sequestration - The National Academies Press, scientists are interested in researching various elements of albedo February 2015 modification, such as clouds and aerosols. Unfortunately, there • Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth - The National Academies Press, February 2015 • Climate Intervention: Report in Brief – National Academy of Sciences Committee on Geoengineering Climate: Technical Evaluation and Discussion of Impacts, February 2015

SPRING 2015 3 The Nicaragua Grand Canal

The Panama Canal is about to conclude a major renovation, and the Suez Canal is undergoing an expansion to allow simultaneous two way traffic. The Maersk Shipping Line has recently switched its traffic from the Panama Canal to the Suez Canal because of its capacity to handle larger vessels. Does Central America need another Panama canal? Nicaragua thinks so.

The Panama Canal can currently handle vessels with a capacity of 4,500 shipping containers. The new Panama Canal, with a depth of 18 metres, should allow vessels of up to 12,000 containers; Maersk currently has vessels with a capacity of 18,000 containers. The Suez Canal has a depth of 24 metres.

A new canal that will be 28 metres deep and 278 kilometres long has been proposed to traverse Nicaragua, from Brito on the Pacific coast to Punta Gorda on the Caribbean. The Nicaraguan government approved the project in principle in 2013, giving Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development a fifty-year concession with extension rights for another fifty years. Nicaragua will have a controlling interest in the operation of the canal. The London- The canal will based consulting firm Environmental Resources Management has been working on an environmental assessment of the project. cut in half the The two men behind the project are Nicaraguan president Daniel Mesoamerican Ortega and Chinese industrialist Wang Jing. The project is huge, at an estimated cost of US$50 billion. Preliminary construction started in December 2014, with the whole project targeted for Biological Corridor, completion in 2020. Construction is projected to employ 50,000 people, and the completed canal could generate 200,000 jobs. which acts as a Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the region, after Haiti. natural land bridge In January, Jorge Huete-Perez, vice-president of the Nicaraguan Academy of Sciences, along with two international academics, wrote between South an editorial for Science, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, calling for a more rigorous and independent environmental review of the project. In February, Huete-Perez published a similar and North America, editorial in the British journal Nature, highlighting several reasons why the proposal is ecologically destructive and calling for global which is crucial for mobilization to challenge the government’s lack of concern over the environmental impact of the project. migratory species.

Many other individuals also have serious concerns about the environmental consequences of the project. The canal channel would bisect Lake Nicaragua (also known as Lake Cocibolca), the largest tropical lake in Central America, crucial for Nicaragua’s potable water and agriculture. The Association for Tropical Biology SOURCES and Conservation has such grave reservations about the project that they passed a resolution entitled “Halt the Interoceanic • Nicaragua canal will wreak havoc on forests and displace people, NGO warns, Mark Anderson, The Guardian, 30 Canal in Nicaragua.” The resolution notes that the project will September 2014 have major impacts on the wetlands of San Miguelito (protected under the Ramsar Convention), the Cerro Silva Natural Reserve, • Nicaragua Constructs Enormous Canal, Blind to its and the Rio San Juan Biosphere Reserve. The canal will cut in half Environmental Cost, Pablo Fonseca Q., Scientific American, the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, which acts as a natural 11 February 2015 land bridge between South and North America, and is crucial for • Nicaragua Canal could wreak environmental ruin, Jorge A. migratory species. Huete-Pérez & Axel Meyer, Nature, 20 February 2014

4 SPRING 2015 Where in The World World Conservation Monitoring Centre had the reserve mapped in its geographic Is Luama Katanga? information system (GIS) database. Oops!

In 2012, in the Democratic Republic of The Wildlife Conservation Society is calling the Congo, Miguel Leal collected a plant in on the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Luama Katanga Reserve on a moist and to submit correct coordinates for the actual shady rock face near a waterfall. His research reserve because people are starting to use the determined the specimen was a new species, reserve for agricultural purposes. The error has and so he named it Dorstenia luamensis, after been attributed to civil wars in the area and the reserve, and noted that it merits listing as administrative errors. endangered, having such a limited range. The Marungu–Kabogo region on the The Luama Katanga Reserve was established western shores of Lake Tanganyika contains in 1947 and is home to 1,400 chimpanzees the Ngamikka forest, which the Wildlife and many rare plant varieties. The Wildlife Conservation Society is also recommending Conservation Society, when documenting for conservation status because of several where Leal collected his specimens, discovered unique indigenous amphibians. The Wildlife a 50 kilometre discrepancy between the Conservation Society proposal suggests location of the reserve and where the United combining the Luama Katanga and Ngamikka Nations Environment Programme and its properties, which are essentially adjacent.

SOURCES

• Mapping Mistake Threatens 1,400 Chimpanzees and Newly Discovered Endangered Plant, John R. Platt, Scientific American, 12 November 2014 • Dorstenia luamensis (Moraceae), a new species from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Miguel E. Leal, PhytoKeys 42, 24 Oct 2014

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SPRING 2015 5 Between the Issues the Known as Between Formerly Magazine The 6 looked likeareligious publication. been aboutanything.In fact,onefocusgroup memberthoughtit picking upacopytocheckoutonthebusridehome,itcouldhave education andinspiringpeopletotakeaction.For reader anew didn’t say what it was: a publication dedicated to environmental suggestions tochangethename. We heard over andover thatit What we didn’t entirely expect was theforcefulness of the after 10years ofasimilarformat,itwastimeforsomethingnew. your feedback. When we embarked onthisjourney, we feltthat, look!Thesechangesare nameandwholenew inspireda new by bigchanges.This issueofourmagazineunveils some very We have members andreaders, oftheactionby writingaboutit! part most challengingissuesofourdayanddesire tomakeyou, our throughout our44-year history, suchasourabilitytotacklethe of members.Ilove thatsomanythreads have remained consistent collaborate withhundreds ofpassionatevolunteers andthousands community where more than40dedicatedandtalentedemployees and determinationofthe70s;forwhatwe’ve become—a by studentsintheoptimism scrappyorganizationbirthed started—a Sitting here in my office, I feel a great fondness for where we in ourarchives. andthenonwardnewsletter tothemanysubsequentpublications It’s humblingtolookbackattheEcology Action Centre’s first by issues. total ofeight There were a “Fine Print.” first newsletter: publishing its the EACbegan In April1973,

MAGGY BURNS 1973 English word “sun.” also containedthe for “wind”and the Mi’kmaqname It tookitsnamefrom 1976 andJune1982. between January was published JUSUN, Our journal, SPRING 2015

1976 /// EACstaff

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1981 new lookandapproachnew managetodothosethings. accessibility.) Asyou dive intothisissue,we hopeyou’ll findthe &Action. (Awinnerhandsdown forclarityand title:Ecology new anddiscussions,ledustoour And that,alongwithalotofsurveys on theissues)andthatitshouldinspire action. readers, andreaders ofdifferent agesandwithdifferent backgrounds readers,it tobeaccessible(tonew busyreaders, digitallyinclined purpose ofthemagazine’s redesign, we identifiedthat we wanted That said, when our team of volunteers and staff distilled the really goingonandnotacceptthestatusquo. watchdog role. It spoketoourdeterminationgetbehindwhat’s I’ve alwayslikedhow thenameBetween theIssues evoked EAC’s Over time, both roles. of the firsteditionofBetween theIssues , there were onlythree issues which wouldfeature “longer, more in-depthfeature articles.” After messages.” It was to be published between the issues of was invented asa“vehicle noticesorurgent forconveying short was publishingajournaltitledJUSUN,andBetween theIssues the titleBetween theIssues madealotofsense.At thetime,EAC When four timesper year. a newsletterpublished Between theIssuesas issues” anddescribes particular environmental sporadically, on “published a journal June 1982,callsitself The finalJUSUN,from JUSUN, and Between theIssues wasfirstpublishedin October 1980,

1982 Between the Issues became fondly known as “BTI.” Between the Issues naturally transitioned to playing

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1992 JUSUN, your helpandinput.So, telluswhatyou think! Of formatwillevolve course,thatmeansournew andflourishwith living ourvalues, andadeterminationtoalwaysmakethingsbetter. collaboration, passionfordiggingintotheissues,commitmentto of thethingsthatmakeEcology Action Centre great: aspiritof too. It’s theculminationofawholelotwork, anditisbornofsome &Action, ishumbling Looking atthismagazine,now calledEcology Head there forevent listingsandstaffsnippets. content to our e-newsletter, two weeks. which is published every content. For example,we’ve moved someofthemore news-centric Similar towhenBTI working onandonesthatwe are not currently working on. international environmental issues,includingprojects theEAC is our commitmenttolongerarticles. We willstillcover localand elements (suchasinsetboxes andinfographics)whileretaining of issuesinasubstantial way. We are addingmore short-form its manypredecessors isourcommitmenttocovering awiderange One strand that we hope will connect this reconceived entity to • • ACTION TAKE Email Cormekia [email protected]. Email Cormekia members whoare willingtohelpwriteandorganize. Join ourteam!Oureditorialcommitteewelcomesnew [email protected] usat Tweet influence ongoingtweakstothedesignandcontent. ourthinkingandwilldefinitely thoughts willinform be revamping againforawhile(whew!),butyour Tell We uswhatyouthinkaboutournewformat. won’t 1996 @ecologyaction oremailusat firstemerged, we’re changesin venturing afew

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SPRING 2015 2010

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Our Blue Route by JEANA MACLEOD /// Editorial Committee Volunteer with input from Bicycle NS staff

From Concept to Reality

When Nova Scotians get up in the morning, and leave their houses for work, school or play – the choices for transportation tend to be by car or by foot. For the past eight years, Bicycle Nova Scotia has been working to change that –through an initiative to create a province-wide bicycle network.

s Inspired by the network of bicycle routes in Quebec, known as the Burn ggy La Route Verte, and with an inception at a Nova Scotia Bicycle PHOTO: Ma Summit in 2007, the Blue Route has gone from an idea to soon becoming a reality.

For many involved since the 2007 bicycle summit, it has been a Nova Scotia has certainly taken note of the trend. Twelve long wait, but Bicycle Nova Scotia is enthusiastic about the municipalities have now prepared active transportation plans, potential to see the first Blue Route signs hit the road in Nova two more are on the way; all of them consider opportunities to Scotia this summer. develop local biking networks. “Bicycle Nova Scotia recognized early on that the Blue Route was an opportunity to bring together the growing interest in active transportation into a unified plan The Benefits to support biking across the province”, says Buckwold. “The Blue Route has the potential to coordinate the efforts of the Province Over the past fifty years, only a handful of countries invested and local governments to make a greater impact”. heavily in bicycle infrastructure – with the Netherlands and Denmark tending to come out on top – while the rest of us worked While, the social and environmental rationale is compelling, a big hard to shape our cities around the convenience of the personal reason the Blue Route has caught on in Nova Scotia is the added car. Today that trend is changing as an ever-increasing number of potential to generate economic and community development cities and regions around the world are building bicycle networks as through tourism. part of their efforts to reduce reliance on the automobile, shake off sedentary lifestyles, and build safer, more inviting, affordable and Now or Never: An Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians attractive communities. (commonly cited as “the Ivany Report”) was issued last year and set bold goals. Among them is doubling provincial tourism revenues The benefits are well documented. Cycling reduces fossil fuel to roughly $4 billion annually. As we set out to achieve this goal, consumption, increasing our daily physical activity and is a healthy, luring outdoor enthusiasts – including cyclists – has become a key low-stress transportation choice. Individuals can take action on part of the strategy outlined by the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency. climate change and the looming obesity crisis with the simple These groups typically stay longer and spend more than the average action of getting on a bicycle, instead of in a car. visitor.

“But we need to invest in people’s ability and desire to make Nova Scotia is natural fit for bicycle tourism, and with the addition that choice”, says Ben Buckwold, the Director of Blue Route of good infrastructure we have potential to be really competitive. Implementation at Bicycle Nova Scotia. “It’s pretty well- “There are a lot of beautiful, small towns in Nova Scotia,” says acknowledged that our built environments have made healthy Halifax Cycling Coalition co-chair Emily MacDonald. “And biking lifestyle and transportation choices a lot less convenient than they is such a great way to see them. Moving at a slower speed, it’s much should be.” easier to do your exploring by bike.”

8 SPRING 2015 It’s pretty well- The Enablers

acknowledged that our Provincial government involvement has also been instrumental in built environments have the development of the current Blue Route plan. made healthy lifestyle and A crucial step in government participation was the Department of Energy’s April 2013 release of the Nova Scotia Sustainable transportation choices a Transportation Strategy, “Choose How You Move”. Susanna Fuller, the EAC’s Marine Conservation Coordinator and also a Bicycle lot less convenient than Nova Scotia Director, has commended the provincial strategy’s they should be. support for the Blue Route. “The day the strategy was released, with the inclusion of the Blue - Ben Buckwold, Director of Blue Route Route as a specific action – made all of the work we put in in the Implementation at Bicycle Nova Scotia preceding 7 years completely worthwhile. It was so incredibly satisfying – and marked a real change in how government became The Plan involved in the Blue Route.”

In short, the Blue Route will link Nova Scotia’s communities and The need for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure regions under common bicycle route standards and policies. The Renewal to be involved was fairly obvious, as more than 70 percent s Burn project will create up to 3000km of connected bikeways throughout of the proposed network is on provincial roadways. The Department ggy PHOTO: Ma a network of roads, trails and streets across the province. As the of Health and Wellness supported the concept through its funding Province works to enhance infrastructure on roadways with signage for the initial feasibility studies of the Blue Route as well as current and strategic shoulder paving, communities will be actively engaged funding to Bicycle Nova Scotia for Blue Route implementation. in implementing the Blue Route as part of their active transportation plans. The vision is a province-wide regional network, with the Blue “Another really exciting part of this project is that multiple Route as the backbone of local AT networks. government departments are collaborating – TIR, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Energy, Nova Scotia Tourism The Blue Route has the support of cycling organizations across Agency, Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities – together with non- Nova Scotia. “Cycling infrastructure, education, visibility, and government organizations like Bicycle Nova Scotia and QUEST, “ opportunities are necessary to realize the full potential that notes Fuller. this province and our people have – it will make our province a healthier, more active place to live. Completion of the Blue Route The province, never having implemented a bike lane on a is something that we look forward to with great anticipation.” says provincially-owned road before, is helping to ensure due diligence Velo Cape Breton President Collette Smith, and safety protocols are in place. It, in turn, is looking for community engagement and local governments to support and The Blue Route isn’t meant to replace existing infrastructure or promote the Blue Route as well. The province can only provide the create whole new system: the plan is to connect and strategically links on provincially-owned roads. Community interest is critical enhance what we have. By evaluating and investing in our for providing the links through the communities themselves. infrastructure through a bike-friendly lens, the Blue Route will develop and designate bikeways on a range of route types, and The Blue Route will do more than connect communities, it will result in a network that connects communities in every county in provide Nova Scotian visitors and Nova Scotians themselves with Nova Scotia. an enhanced connection to the province’s charms. It will give us another choice when we leave our homes in the morning – to commute, to ride for fun or to teach our children one of life’s early rights of passage – to ride a bicycle. TAKE ACTION

• To support the Blue Route, join Bicycle Nova Scotia Jeana MacLeod is a grad student and • Ask your municipal councillors when it is environmentalist interested in all the ways we form community and connect with each other. Connect coming to your town with her at [email protected] • For updates, subscribe to the Bicycle Nova Scotia Newsletter at [email protected]

SPRING 2015 9 More Than Making Do by JULIAN WEST with TRISTAN CLEVELAND /// EAC staff

I’ve been riding a bike, like many people, since I was a young boy. The freedom and independence that I still get from cycling is unmatched. Of course, there are mental, physical, societal and environmental reasons to ride a bicycle. I won’t forget the early years of learning to maintain my bike. My father taught me about the value of taking care of my things but gave me the freedom and tools to experiment, learning about my bike and how things worked.

Today, more than ever, I see the importance of taking time to learn about and care for my things. We live in a society in which most of the time, we pay other people to do things for us because we are distracted by our busy lives and other things going on around us. Bike Again But I’ve found that the rewards of doing things like maintaining a bicycle or building a table are far greater than not doing them. Bike Again is a community-led, do-it-yourself bike shop that was Actually, doing things myself is easy and fun, saves me money, and started by the EAC in 2000. It was formed out of a community even makes me feel good. need to provide affordable bicycle transportation to citizens and to educate and empower citizens to service their own bicycles. It’s an I’d like to tell you about a place that you can go to satisfy your own inclusive environment that provides common ground for people of do-it-yourself needs: Bike Again and The Halifax Tool Library. different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Its community services include stand time tool use by donation, reasonably priced used bikes and basic parts, and bike maintenance tutorials.

I won’t forget my first visit to Bike Again. Michael, Bill, and other kind volunteers welcomed me and gave me friendly advice and assistance as I learned to repair a hub and true a wheel for the first time. After a few visits, I was able to help others who came through the door.

That’s the beauty of Bike Again in a nutshell, and that’s what makes its wheels go round; it’s the driven and dedicated volunteers and the reciprocal sharing of knowledge. Volunteer Scott Biggar agrees that volunteerism is the backbone and a future necessity of Bike Again.

“Bike Again is really eager to start expanding its open hours. In order for us to meet this goal, however, we’ll need to have new volunteers join our ranks who are committed to becoming a part of Bike Again’s culture.”

Since Bike Again and its bike mechanic services are completely volunteer run, it relies on donations, whether they be in the form of time, bikes, bike parts, tools, supplies, food, or cash.

Bike Again volunteers have repaired and donated well over 1,000 bikes. Its community partnerships are many and have included the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, the reachAbility Association, and important events such as Switch Open Streets, to name just a few.

PHOTOS BIANCA MULLER Many Bike Again volunteers were present to celebrate the Tool Library’s grand opening in October.

A New Partnership is Born The Halifax Tool Library

This past June 2014, a partnership was born between Bike Again The Halifax Tool Library is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization and the Halifax Tool Library, a newly formed non-profit. Not only which provides its members with shared resources from an extensive were both groups looking for a new space, but the community tool library. It also provides space and volunteers to share knowledge services offered by the two groups are quite complementary and with and to support repairing and building things. serve like-minded customers, so it made sense to operate both shops under the same roof, while saving on rent. The Halifax Tool Library has a collection of over 700 tools donated by residents and local businesses, including a jointer, miter saws, After some searching, volunteers found a new location offering nail guns, a lawn mower, table saws, air compressors, and a pressure convenient, street-level access (with a service bay door) and plenty washer. Members can borrow whatever tools they need. Anyone of room for both groups to work and store tools and bikes. can become a member for an annual maintenance fee.

Local artist Norman Laporte says the Tool Library has made a big difference. TAKE ACTION “It’s fantastic. Changed my life.” • If you live in Halifax and would like to become a Tool Library member or donate Norman used the tools he borrowed to build an art sculpture called The Goldfinch, which is a tribute to a book by the same name. tools, email [email protected], or drop by in person at 102-6050 Almon “The project that I made, without the Tool Library, I couldn’t do it. Street on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Tools that you need once or twice, it makes sense if you don’t have to buy them.” 6:00pm to 8:00pm and on Saturdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Sarah Manchon, a Tool Library volunteer since the spring of 2014 says, “I like being part of a project that is so practical. I’ve been part of other projects that are too abstract or too lofty, but with the tool • Check out Bike Again at the same library I feel like the results are measurable and tangible. And we location on Mondays 6:00pm to 9:00pm, actually are achieving our goals, and not because our goals were small, Tuesdays 6:00pm to 8:00pm, and but because they were straightforward, and we have been focused.” Wednesdays 5:00pm to 9:00pm . You can also go to www.ecologyaction.ca/issue- Julian West is the Making Tracks Coordinator with the area/bike-again for information on how to Ecology Action Centre. He is an avid cyclist and supporter and promoter of bike culture. If he lived in Halifax, he would be a volunteer or donate. Halifax Tool Library member and active Bike Again volunteer.

• Tuesday evenings are for women and Tristan Cleveland is a co-founder and co-director of the trans-identified folks. Halifax Tool Library. He also works on the Halifax Greenbelt campaign at the Ecology Action Centre.

SPRING 2015 11 Moving Forward compiled by STEPHANIE JOHNSTONE-LAURETTE /// EAC transportation staff

Why we love active At the Ecology Action Centre, transportation! we are thrilled to be getting youth involved in active transportation: The financial savings attached to active and sustainable living are tremendous. The Since 2008, over 7,000 annual costs of owning and $9,000/yr children have received operating a car, aside from the our Making Tracks active original purchase, averages transportation safety and at $9,000 and can be as skills training. much as $12,500 (Canadian Automobile Association). 7,000+ A bike’s costs is a one-time fee of about $150! $150 % of the children who have received 92 the training reported an increase one time in their safety knowledge and skills % after the program. 26 of greenhouse gases in Nova Scotia are produced by the transportation sector. of program participants reported that they will use % active transportation more 78 after the program. % of these GHGs 18 are from personal vehicle usage. We help parents, students, and schools work together to create and implement their own “school travel plans” Active transportation to make active transportation for kids more doable: causes % Since 2008, 0 the number of GHGs! % participating 4.5 elementary schools has grown from % Participating schools four to 24. Nearly 75 of that offered comparative students surveyed data reported a 4.5% in an Ontario increase in use of active Walkability study transportation to and said they would from school. prefer to walk or cycle to school regularly. Since 2001, the number of schools that have taken part in our active transportation events has grown from nine to 98.

12 SPRING 2015 The Ecology Action Centre celebrates the essential support of our Sustainability Allies

Learn more www.ecologyaction.ca/sustainabilityallies Strong Roots in Madagascar by HILARY HAMILTON /// Volunteer

In the past few centuries, deforestation has surged worldwide. The primary concern with this type of land use is that burning deters While forests cover 30% of the earth’s surface, these habitats are the regrowth of most tree species, resulting in less productive fallow being cut down at an alarming rate. This loss of forest is glaringly periods. Instead of allowing natural regeneration, fire promotes the evident in Madagascar, an island country off the east coast of Africa. growth of resistant grasses. These grasses further inhibit the growth of trees and do not return enough nutrients to the soil. After several First thoughts of Madagascar often wander to images of impassable crop cycles, the soil becomes barren, and farmers must cut a new jungles and the last unexplored corners of the world. While these plot of land from the forest for their next crop. ideas hold true in a few regions of the country, the greater reality is that most of the landscape has been converted from lush rain Scientists predict that within 20 to 40 years, all forest in Madagascar forests to farmland or grassland through slash and burn agriculture, will be replaced with non-woody plant growth. With the population illegal logging, and the harvest of fuel wood. Less than 10% of growing yearly at 2.8%, it is possible the Malagasy people could see Madagascar’s forests remain, leading one to think the future for the complete loss of their forests even sooner. Madagascar’s wildlife and people is nothing but bleak. While the people in Madagascar are facing an economic disaster As long as humans have inhabited Madagascar, they have because of their depleting resources and skyrocketing population, depended heavily on rice that was grown using a technique likely the wildlife of the island is in even more peril. What remains of adapted from Polynesian ancestors. “Tavy,” or slash-and-burn the forest are small isolated patches, a phenomenon called forest agriculture, is the process by which primary or secondary forest fragmentation, and the animals residing in the remaining patches is cut; the remaining vegetation is burned, and rice is planted. of forest are separated from members of their species and other resources by farmland, cities, and roads. Forest fragmentation can result in a hastened extinction of populations and species—an issue which is global, not just confined to Madagascar.

Collaboration between science and social-focused NGOs has allowed outreach to younger generations in hopes of integrating conservation into school curriculum and everyday life. PHOTO: Hilary Hamilton

14 SPRING 2015 In Canada, seismic oil exploration slashes corridors through the boreal forest, making the ever-roaming caribou susceptible to predation. In Madagascar, animals confined to small patches of forest are left with few mating partners and a small genetic pool. The resultant inbreeding can cause an accumulation of negative traits, and it can therefore reduce the success of the population.

By studying captive populations, scientists have confirmed that inbreeding depression is also a concern for lemurs, the poster children for Madagascar conservation. These small primates resemble ancient monkeys and are found only in Madagascar and its surrounding islands.

Not only are these animals under constant pressure from a quickly diminishing habitat, they are hunted for food or as part of cultural rituals against evil. Local nursery manager, Victor, Because of the dire ecological and economic situation that helping out at a community Madagascar now faces, efforts are being made to protect the forest planting event in Kianjavato, Madagascar. that remains and to replant farmland back into forests. During PHOTO: Hilary Hamilton a coup that ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana from power, many international aid agencies withdrew funding from Madagascar, and deforestation was allowed to continue unchecked for several years. After the recent democratic election that replaced are planted to serve as a buffer zone between forest and farmland the coup leader, foreign governments and non-governmental and to provide important fruit harvesting income for the farmers organizations are again becoming involved in the conservation of who have donated their land. These types of grassroots projects that Madagascar’s ecosystem. unite community building and wildlife conservation also improve Madagascar’s poor economy and damaged environment. Organizations such as the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership are committed to finding a solution for cooperative conservation In many cases, projects like this are in their early stages, and it and economic growth. Incorporating science, education, and is difficult to see any dramatic improvements in the Malagasy community outreach, this organization provides a solution that environment or economy. However, these are important first steps allows communities to become stewards of the ecosystem on which to strengthen the relationship between people and the environment. they depend. Deforestation effects can be seen globally with increased soil erosion In Kianjavato, a region that is home to the critically endangered into watersheds, habitat loss for millions of species, and disruption of greater bamboo lemur and other vulnerable species, the organization the water cycle. Because humans have grown to depend so critically is working directly with rice farmers to find a solution to the on forests, the solution is not as simple as ceasing deforestation. swift rates of deforestation. Through the Education Promoting More realistic is a shift in lifestyles and habits, which will allow Reforestation Program, farmers can enroll fallowing crop land to humans to live in concert with the ecosystem we so heavily rely on. be replanted with trees, which are economically important to the community and biologically critical to the ecosystems.

In this program, the tops of hills are planted with native forest Hilary Hamilton is a B. Sc. Graduate from Mount Allison species, and non-native pioneer species, both of which will University and an EAC volunteer. She recently spent seven encourage slow-growing forest species. Moving down the hill, months volunteering in Madagascar with the Madagascar commercially valuable tree species are mixed with forest species. Biodiversity Partnership, where she worked on a community- These can be sustainably harvested when fully grown without wiping based reforestation project. out large forest areas. Finally, at the base of the hillside, fruit trees

SPRING 2015 15 Strong Roots in Nova Scotia by MATT MILLER /// EAC staff

While Nova Scotia has made major strides in wilderness conservation through the expansion of the province’s protected areas network, forest harvesting practices—specifically clearcutting—continue to pose a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency across the working landscape.

Planting trees following clearcutting has been common practice in Nova Scotia, with annual programs in place since the late 1970s. However, the overwhelming focus on growing softwood fibre to fuel the expansion of the pulp, paper, and softwood lumber industries has come at the expense of the natural diversity of the Acadian Forest, one of the most diverse forest regions in all of Canada.

The vast majority of silviculture funding—money spent for improving forest growth—invested through taxpayer funded programs has supported the industrial model of clearcutting, followed by planting single-species softwood monocultures and actively removing hardwood trees that compete with industry- preferred softwoods.

Redirecting this funding away from clearcutting and towards partial cutting and uneven-aged management, which maintains a standing forest following harvesting, will help capitalize on protected area gains by fostering connectivity on the working landscape. This will help maintain quality wildlife habitat and build a more diverse and resilient forest that will subsequently support a more diverse and resilient forest industry.

TAKE ACTION

• Follow “Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest” on Facebook, and stay tuned for public events.

• Learn about Medway Community Forest Cooperative, Atlantic Canada’s first community forest, and consider becoming a member. Visit this site: www.medwaycommunityforest.com.

• Read Jamie Simpson’s book, Restoring the Acadian forest: A Guide to Forest Stewardship for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes.

Matt Miller is a professional forester and the EAC’s Forestry Program Coordinator. He can often be found on his family’s woodlots cutting and hugging trees.

16 SPRING 2015 Expanding What change the Action are you most by KATHERINE NAKASKA excited about /// Volunteer in the EAC’s

This past December, the Ecology Action new space? Centre hosted an open house for local guests, staff, members, and volunteers at our Fern Lane office. At the open house, the EAC unveiled new plans for expanding and renovating our 130-year-old building to make better use of the space for the organization’s growing team.

Over the past 10 years, the EAC’s membership has more than doubled, and its presence in and impact on the community have also grown! A large increase in the number of employees has also resulted in a space that just isn’t big enough anymore.

To accommodate all this action and success and to decrease the overall ecological footprint of the building, our new design includes building a third storey, significantly improving energy efficiency, and a reconfiguring the main level entrance to give a more welcoming street presence. Construction is scheduled to start in May 2015.

We asked the guests at the open house, “What change are you most excited about in the EAC’s new space?” Here are some selections from the many positive answers.

PHOTOS KATHERINE NAKASKA

Katherine Nakaska is a volunteer with the EAC’s Fern Lane Expansion project. As project documentarian, she uses her skills as a writer and photographer to help tell the story of this exciting project. Katherine was raised in Halifax and is currently studying photography and art history at NSCAD University.

SPRING 2015 17 The Emissions Transition by IAN JOHNSTON /// Editorial Committee Volunteer

The discussion of pollution pricing has recently taken off in Nova Scotia. The Broten Tax and Regulatory Report recommended Nova Pollution pricing makes Scotia implement a carbon tax based on BC’s model, sparking a lively debate across the province. For Catherine Abreu, Energy sense. It forces us to Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, this is a positive step for Nova Scotia. look at the actual

“The Broten Report may have kick-started the conversation,” says cost of pollution and Abreu, “but the idea of pollution pricing has emerged from the other more dubious recommendations made in the report. We gives incentives to are now focused on figuring out what model of pollution pricing makes sense for Nova Scotia and how we can design a system reducing pollution that is equitable and improves lives everywhere in the province, particularly in vulnerable households and communities.” and attracting new investment in green The Green Economy technology. “We’ve been talking about the green economy in NS for years now,” Abreu says. “I think Nova Scotians and our governing institutions understand we are in the midst of transformation and trying to manage that transformation as intentionally and strategically as we can is really essential to our success. Pollution pricing is a tool we can use to cement the ideas of sustainability into our fiscal reality. Why Put a Price on Carbon? I think that that’s quite special. Capitalism has existed in a state where the costs of environmental degradation are externalized. It’s A tax on carbon is a polluter pays model. The costs of the pollution time to internalise those costs. It’s time to be real about how much is offset by tax revenue that can be used to mitigate and clean up what we do with our economic goals impacts the environment we pollution, rather than that burden being on the average taxpayer. live in. There is no economy without the environment.” Taxing carbon also encourages companies to reduce emissions and develop cleaner technology. While the rest of Canada’s emissions Attracting new investment to Nova Scotia is a government priority. increased about three percent, BC reduced its carbon emissions by Adding a new tax seems counter to that goal, although some sixteen percent. economists dispute that tax levels are a major factor in determining where investors put their money. Abreu sees pollution pricing as an BCs carbon tax is revenue neutral. Meaning all the funds gained opportunity to send a signal to the clean tech industry that this is a through the carbon tax must be offset by tax reductions, and place to be, as has been the case in BC. targeting refunds to vulnerable groups. A pollution tax could also be designed to be partially revenue neutral with some of the money While a carbon tax might increase the cost of energy, revenues from being returned to Nova Scotians and some of it going toward other a carbon price could be used to reduce taxes, to invest in much- priorities. needed infrastructure projects that transition us into a clean energy future, to help low-income Nova Scotians, to improve public Pollution based taxes also take the strain off other sources of revenue transit, and a whole host of other possibilities. for the provincial government.The government is predicting that income tax revenue will decrease as our population ages and retires, Abreu says “BC has been quite successful in the past seven years or leaves the province looking for work. Critics have pointed out with its carbon tax. We now have the opportunity to look at BC’s that if the government is indeed facing long-term declining revenues experience and learn from their successes and also avoid a lot of their from income tax, a pollution tax should not be accompanied by shortcomings.” A major hurdle is Nova Scotia’s reliance on coal to income tax cuts. generate power, whereas BC uses mostly hydroelectric power. Any new tax must examine who will be affected, and if some are affected unfairly something must be done.

18 SPRING 2015 PHOTO: Ray Plourde

Conclusion

THERE ARE 4 BASIC CHOICES IN HOW THE REVENUE Pollution pricing makes sense. It forces us to look at the actual FROM TAXES ON ENERGY CAN BE USED. THESE ARE: cost of pollution and gives incentives to reducing pollution and attracting new investment in green technology. Already Nova Helping low income households pay for energy. Scotia has seen growth in research and development in tidal energy. Carbon pricing, through taxation or cap and trade programs, is Cutting corporate income taxes coming. Every business knows this and is preparing for it. Relative and personal income taxes. to other pricing mechanisms, pollution taxes are straightforward to implement and modify. This isn’t just about reducing pollution, Paying a dividend directly to each Nova it’s about a sustainable Nova Scotian economy. Implementing Scotian in the form of a regular cheque. pollution taxes now can give Nova Scotia a competitive edge by providing investors a stable and predictable future. Paying for public programs and services.

Or some combination of these. MORE READING

• Good Q and A from BC Government on their carbon tax http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/tbs/tp/climate/A6.htm

• Clean Energy Canada released a report on how to implement successful DOES IT WORK? tax drawn largely from BC experience. http://cleanenergycanada.org/2015/02/19/environment-economy-win- bcs-carbon-tax-report-2/ While tax talk quickly leads to conversations about equity, competiveness and other hot button issues, the • Article by CCPA’s Marc Lee on how to ensure carbon tax is progressive or at least not regressive primary reason for a pollution tax is to reduce pollution. http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2014/11/24/cge-models-and- A carbon tax is seen as one of the most effective ways carbon-tax-incidence/ to reduce emissions across all sectors of the economy • Canada needs a new suite of eco-fiscal policies including transportation. This is often missed by other http://ecofiscal.ca/reports/report/ measures even in Nova Scotia, which has done a good • A Nova Scotian take on pollution tax with focus on equity job of reducing its GHG emissions. Supporters of the BC http://www.taxfairness.ca/en/blog/has-nova-scotia-found-cure-ailing- tax claim that since its introduction in 2008, fuel use in economy-0 BC has dropped 16 percent. Not surprisingly, given the • A supportive and myth busting take on a carbon tax for NS complexity of the data behind this figure, there is debate http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2015/02/16/will-nova-scotia- over this claim and the role that the tax played in any implement-a-ca reduction. Regardless of the extent of the drop, fuel use is declininging at the same time that BC’s GDP has slightly outperformed the rest of Canada since 2008. A carbon tax also creates an incentive for action With an eclectic background, Ian Johnston has written at the level of the individual. on diverse topics including literature, real estate, executive leadership and mental health. He received an Master of Arts from The University of Western Ontario, and a Master of Education from The University of Ottawa. He lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

SPRING 2015 19 The Seasonal Gourmet by JULIA KEMP /// Volunteer Rhubarb Spritzer & Rhubarb-aide

Just in case you’re sick of DIRECTIONS strawberry rhubarb pie or rhubarb crumble... Begin by washing the rhubarb stalks well Just kidding, we all know to remove any dirt. that’s not possible. But you Roughly chop and may want another recipe or place in a small pot, two kicking around, especially making sure to use one for those weekend mostly pink pieces to evenings, after a day of ensure a beautiful rose gardening or yard work; those color. Add cinnamon are the days when you really stick, if using. want to sip on something and to put your feet up. Cover the rhubarb with water, place the lid on the In this recipe, rhubarb pot, and bring to a boil. Lower p em becomes our local version the heat to medium and continue lia K PHOTO: Ju of the lemon. It’s tart and to boil lightly for 10 minutes. refreshing. Be sure to make the juice ahead so it has time Remove the pot from the heat and pour to chill before your serve it. the contents through a fine mesh sieve or multiple layers of cheesecloth, This recipe will need to be catching the juice in a container below. adjusted to your taste buds. Compost or save the pulp for another use. Stir the honey into the hot juice until it completely dissolves. INGREDIENTS (Serves 4) For my personal taste, 6 tablespoons worked well for the spritzer, and 3 2 cups rhubarb, chopped tablespoons worked for the Rhubarb-aide. Place the juice in the fridge until it is thoroughly chilled. 1 cinnamon stick (optional) Fill glasses with ice and divide the juice among the glasses, roughy 1/2 cup each. honey, to taste For Rhubarb-aide, serve as is or add additional water or sweetener to taste. sparkling water or For a spritzer, top with sparkling water or Prosecco, starting with a small Prosecco (or other amount and increasing to taste. Feel free to add a garnish such as a few sparkling wine) frozen raspberry or strawberries or a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

Julia Kemp is a Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant working with clients to enhance their health, strengthen their food knowledge, and expand their cooking skills. Individual and group cooking classes available at www.juliakemp.ca

20 SPRING 2015 New Publications

All our recent publications are available on our website at www.ecologyaction.ca/publications

Smart Groundswell Creating a Seafood 2014 Annual Culture of Water Choices Report and Energy Efficiency in Nova Scotia: Recommendations on water efficiency and energy efficiency for municipal water

Action in Verse p em lia K by SYLVIA MANGALAM P TO: Ju HO /// volunteer contributor

Indignant Red Apples

In the old orchard down the hill Rosy apples hanging still Wave their indignant red Before my eyes “Why are we left to rot When people hunger, and have not Fresh dainties such as we Hanging sweetly from a tree?”

What flagrant wastrels we! But even now Waste creeps up quietly behind To smother us. And we are blind To all the dirt of cleanliness And all the possibilities Of good clean mess.

SPRING 2015 21 Action is our Middle Name MARINE BUILT ENVIRONMENT A Step Towards High Seas We Are Cities

Protection The Built Environment Committee has become a convenor for the We Are Cities project The high seas are one step closer to a new (wearecities.ca), for which round tables are agreement to protect biodiversity, including being held across Canada to develop a the establishment of Marine Protected Areas. Canadian Cities Agenda. There’s a lot that This past January, countries reached consensus can be done to make cities more sustainable to begin the process of negotiating a legally and livable in Canada, and this is an attempt binding agreement under the Law of the Sea to develop a country-wide sense of consensus Convention. In November, members of the Marine around key issues we can take action on. team attended the 19th Special Meeting of the We held our first roundtable in February, and International Commission for the Conservation some great ideas came up that we plan to of Atlantic Tunas to advocate for precautionary use locally, such as providing “a mandatory management of bluefin tuna and better protection program to educate elected municipal for threatened shark species. This was the fifth year officials about best practices worldwide.” that the Ecology Action Centre attended as the only Canadian environmental NGO. While we were Food for thought! disappointed that the fishing quota for bluefin tuna was increased and still no management measures were agreed upon for sharks, we were glad to have attended as the voice of conservation and COASTAL & WATER feel that our presence had an impact on the decisions made by Canada’s representatives. Unearth the Hidden Nature in Our City

We can’t see it, but a stream flows under the ENERGY city of Dartmouth! Celebrate Earth Day by joining the Human River Walk of people, fish Pricing Pollution puppets, and a giant blue-water ribbon along It’s time for Nova Scotia to put a price on pollution, the historic Sawmill River on Sunday, April 19, starting with carbon. Your Energy Team is working 2015. This spring, schools located in downtown hard to make our province continue its leadership Dartmouth will be taking part in educational in green energy by internalizing the cost of our presentations on migratory fish, biodiversity, pollution. Pollution taxes adjust the fiscal system and river restoration. Students will be invited so that government raises revenue by taxing to colour Gaspereau fish puppets and bring things that are harmful to society, while spending the fish and their families to the Human River on things that are helpful to society. It isn’t Walk to simulate the spring migration from the about adding taxes, but about shifting them to ocean to the lakes. The Coastal and Water disincentivize pollution and incentivize sustainable Team are helping to restore and stabilize the prosperity. Making polluters pay for their pollution shoreline at the Saint Mary’s Boat Club in can protect people, help communities tackle Halifax, using Living Shorelines techniques. On climate change, and boost economic prosperity. Saturday, April 25, 2015 (rain date April 26), join Pollution taxes implemented fairly and equitably, us and Helping Nature Heal Landscaping to in addition to socially progressive energy efficiency plant native and heritage shrubs, flowers, and programs, will help ensure that low-income trees along the shoreline to replicate a natural and vulnerable communities don’t suffer as we shoreline ecosystem. Visit ecologyaction.ca for transition to a fossil-fuel-free energy system. details on these workshops and events.

22 SPRING 2015 TRANSPORTATION Huge Strides in Walking and Biking

The Transportation Team is pleased to report huge active transportation successes from the past few months. Comparative data from FOOD some participating Nova Scotia schools in the 2013–14 school year showed an average Picturing Gardens increase of 4.5% in students’ use of active We are concluding a wonderful photovoice transportation. In October 2014, 85 schools project. This project featured 12 gardeners, or youth groups in Nova Scotia took part in all newcomers to Canada, from Bhutan to International Walk to School Month and 70 Afghanistan. A collection of images, captured participated in Winter Walk Day in February by the gardeners, illustrates the garden’s 2015. We hosted the Planning Walkable role in their lives. Look for this exhibit around Communities Workshop in December for Halifax in coming months. In November 2014, 24 planners and engineers from across 450 people congregated in Halifax for Food Nova Scotia. We presented to the Halifax Secure Canada’s annual general meeting. Regional School Board on creating an active It was a jam-packed few days of inspiring transportation policy and provided input talks, and we are proud to have played an on provincial active transportation policy, important role in its organization. The number sustainable transportation funding and the of community gardens continues to rise, and Nova Scotia Greener Economy Strategy. this fall we hosted three gatherings to support Staff from the Cape Breton Family Place the coordination of these gardens in Halifax, Resource Centre became leaders in Making in Cumberland County, and on Cape Breton Tracks Walking Safety. Two hundred John (the first such gathering on the island). From Martin Junior High students received Making salsa canning to sauerkraut, folks around the Tracks Skate Pass training. Three hundred province participated in over 30 food-skills and thirty Sparks, Girl Guides, and Pathfinders workshops. And the learning continued, as participated in Making Tracks Walking Safety Halifax had our first “Food Upskilling Festival,” a activities. In February 2015, Girl Guide Leaders, day’s worth of interactive and fun skills-building Bridgewater teachers, and youth became sessions in everything from beekeeping to Leaders in Making Tracks Walking Safety. cultural food preservation.

WILDERNESS Atlantic Canada’s First Community Forest

To close out a busy 2014, we participated in a public rally hosted by the St Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association that attracted over 200 members of the public. The rally was aimed at securing a role for the public and interested stakeholders in collaborative land use planning for Crown lands in south western Nova Scotia. We participated in the first annual Parks and Protected Areas Forum hosted by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management, Nova Scotia Environment, and The Department of Natural Resources. The theme for this year’s event was “Environmentally Sustainable Recreation.” Our previous advocacy that highlighted the problem of clear-cutting in an environmentally sensitive area near Panuke Lake led to the creation of an independent review panel, which we met with in late 2014. The beginning of 2015 saw a late Christmas present of sorts for the Forestry and Wilderness file with the launch of the Medway Community Forestry Co-op, Atlantic Canada’s first-ever community forest!

SPRING 2015 23 Eco Hacks compiled by EMMA BOARDMAN /// EAC Staff

What do you do in your You can hardly go anywhere on the internet these days without stumbling home, garden, or office to across a “Life Hacks” list of amazingly innovative ways to repurpose make life a little “greener?” objects, ways that make you say, “Wow, why didn’t I think of that?” Let us know and you may see it here! That, along with feedback we received that our readers want to see more practical, everyday tips in this magazine, inspired us to create this Please email new column. We suspected our members had lots of ideas for simple [email protected] everyday things that make life just a little bit gentler on the environment, with your ideas! so we collected a few tips from our social media followers and Ecology Action Centre staff.

“We keep our bathtub filled with used bath water and use it to help flush the toilet. I made a scoop by cutting open a plastic bin from cat litter. I also use the bath water to wash my woolen items.” -Pamela Jean Wentzell McDormand (via Facebook)

“Make your own laundry/dish washing soap. Make your own body products using toxin- free ingredients.” -Kate MacEachern-Ali (via Facebook)

“Dish pan water, full of food debris and mild natural detergents and a little bit of warmth can be great on the garden. (We also have rain barrels and buckets for the garden.)” -Pamela Jean Wentzell McDormand (via Facebook)

“Instead of buying a bunch of plastic pots for an early start to your fruit and veggie growing, reuse plastic containers of yogurt, olive jars, plastic trays that have plastic dome lids, etc. They work just as well.” -Libby Bolton (via Facebook)

“Homemade kitchen cleaner using orange peels soaked in vinegar for a few weeks. Dilute with water and spray away!” -Lindsay MacIsaac (via Facebook)

“Kind of strange, but peeing in the shower (if you’re already in it) saves 720million litres of water annually. http://www.greenoptimistic.com/save-world-pee-shower-20141013/#. VO3nDi42dZ5 ” -Michael Benson (who is evidently not at all shy, via Facebook)

“Downsize your appliances to maximize your household’s energy efficiency! Use a toaster oven rather than a full-sized one. Use a fan rather than an air conditioner in the summer. Get rid of your fridge, or if you can’t make the switch, downsize to a smaller one. A lot of things we think we need to refrigerate (bread, fresh eggs, fruit) don’t actually need to be refrigerated.” –Emma Norton, Ecology Action Centre Efficiency Coordinator

“One of the most important means of increasing use of Active Transportation is through JULESCHAMBERLAIN.CA encouragement by example. Set the standards for those around you—walk to work, bike 9028176007 to your friends’ house, or jog to the gym!” –Stephanie Johnstone-Laurette, Ecology Action AGENTIMMOBILIER/REALTOR® Centre Youth Active Transportation Coordinator

24 SPRING 2015 OPERATIONS STAFF EAC & Contacts Staff

Policy Director: MARK BUTLER 429-5287 [email protected] Managing Director: MAGGY BURNS 429-5287 [email protected] Financial Director: CARLA VANDENBERG 442-0254 [email protected] Office Manager:JULIA MCRAE 442-0254 [email protected] Administrative Assistant: CORMEKIA CLAYTON 429-2202 [email protected] Digital Communications Manager: EMMA BOARDMAN 429-2202 [email protected] Membership and Development Coordinator: RYAN O’QUINN 429-2202 [email protected] Membership Canvass Coordinator: DANA LIPNICKI [email protected] Volunteer and Events Coordinator: JOANNA BULL 429-2202 [email protected] Fern Lane Expansion Manager: PHOEBE OWEN [email protected] Volunteer and Materials Manager for Fern Lane Expansion: EMMA NORTON [email protected] Membership Retention Officer:ROWAN SWAIN [email protected] Membership Officer:ADRIENNE REDDEN [email protected] Logistics Technician: BRAD MACINNIS [email protected] Ecology & Action Magazine Advertising: ADRIENNE REDDEN [email protected]

PROJECT STAFF Built Environment Our HRM Coordinator: TRISTAN CLEVELAND 429-0924 [email protected]

Coastal and Water Freshwater Coordinator: JOCELYNE RANKIN 442-5046 [email protected] Geoscience Coordinator: JENNIFER WEST 442-5046 [email protected] Coastal Adaptation Coordinator: ROBIN TRESS 442-5046 [email protected] Bird Conservation Coordinator: MARK BUTLER 429-5287 [email protected]

Energy Energy Coordinator: CATHERINE ABREU 422-0199 [email protected] Energy Efficiency Coordinator:EMMA NORTON 422-0199 [email protected]

Food Action Food Connections Project Coordinator: MARLA MACLEOD 442-1077 [email protected] Community Food Coordinator (Cumberland): SU MORIN [email protected] Community Food Programmer: WILL HILL 442-1077 [email protected] Community Food Coordinator (Cape Breton): GEORGIA MCNEIL [email protected] Community Food Researcher: MIRANDA COBB 442-1077 [email protected] Community Food Coordinator: AIMEE CARSON 442-1077 [email protected] Community Food Coordinator: LAURA MATHERS 442-1077 [email protected]

Marine Marine Conservation Coordinator: SUSANNA FULLER 446-4840 [email protected] Community Supported Fisheries Coordinator: DAVID ADLER 442-0999 [email protected] Seachoice Atlantic Coordinator: ROB JOHNSON 446-4840 [email protected] Marine Issues Project Staff: HEATHER GRANT 446-4840 [email protected] Marine Campaign Coordinator: KATE SCHLEIT 446-4840 [email protected] Sustainable Fisheries Campaigner: JUSTIN CANTAFIO 446-4840 [email protected] Marine Policy and Certification Coordinator:CATHARINE GRANT 446-4840 [email protected]

Transportation Active Transportation Coordinator: JANET BARLOW 442-5055 [email protected] Youth Active Transportation Coordinator (Mainland): NATALIA DIAZ-INSENSE [email protected] Youth Active Transportation Coordinator (Cape Breton - Eastern NS): STEPHANIE JOHNSTONE-LAURETTE [email protected] Making Tracks Coordinator: JULIAN WEST [email protected] Making Tracks Project Officer:ADAM BERRY [email protected] Transportation Projects Officer:EMMA BOARDMAN 442-5055

Wilderness Forestry Program Coordinator: MATT MILLER 442-5008 [email protected] Wilderness Coordinator: RAYMOND PLOURDE 442-5008 [email protected] Recent Successes

• Helped organize the November 2014 Food Secure Canada assembly, bringing together over 450 people from across the country working on healthy, just and sustainable food systems.

• Launched a pilot project with Dalhousie University, to help provide sustainable seafood to campus cafeterias through Off the Hook Community Supported Fishery.

• Celebrated an increase of 4.5% in the use of Active Transportation at our Travel Planning Schools!

• In collaboration with Ecojustice, forced the federal government to release the draft environmental assessment on GM salmon as well as over 500 CEPA waivers dating back to 2005.

• In partnership with Afishionado, held our first ‘Shrimp Fest’, which sold well over 600lbs of fresh, fair and sustainable Chedabucto Bay trap-caught shrimp.

• Published a ground breaking study on municipal water and efficiency use in Nova Scotia.

• Rallied over 200 Dartmouth residents to attend a Town Hall meeting on Daylighting the Sawmill River in January, almost all of whom expressed support for bringing this historic river back to life!