Toronto Forum on EJ in Canada
December 7th, 2009
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Toronto Forum
Pumped Up Prices — Can we combat climate change by raising the cost of energy?
The Society of Environmental Journalists, the Center for Environment at the University of Toronto, the Tornoto Star and the Canadian Broadcasting Company sponsored the event on June 20, 2008 at Hart House, University of Toronto.

Panelists for the event included (left to right above):

Nicola Ross — Editor of Alternatives Journal
Stefan Reichenbach — Global Head of Environmental Markets for Thompson-Reuters
Susan Mcgehee – Sustainable Business Practice advisor for Price Waterhouse
James Levine — Producer, Canadian Broadcasting Company, Quirks and Quarks
Mark Lutes – Policy Analyst, Climate Change & Energy, David Suzuki Foundation
Peter Gorrie — Toronto Star environmental reporter, [...]

Deadly Hot
November 6th, 2009
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By Steve Howard

It’s not just polar bears that need to worry about global warming according to Health Canada.  While increases in extreme weather conditions, melting icecaps and infectious diseases are well documented, an increase in temperature may be having effects closer to home.
Peter Berry, Health Canada’s senior policy analyst for climate change and health, delivered a speech on October 19th as part of the EcoCare 2009 conference, during which he outlined the dangers facing Canadians due to climate change. Berry, who spoke first at the conference put on by the London Health Sciences Center, suggested the number and severity of heat waves will be increasing worldwide.  And with those [...]

Getting it: One student’s journey
November 6th, 2009
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By Joel Tiller
Waste Reduction Week is less than two weeks away and I am left wondering how I can get involved. You see, I am already a conscious recycler – thanks to my overbearing mother – and I have even jumped on the re-usable-bag bandwagon for those weekly trips to the supermarket. Yet, I still don’t feel like I am doing enough. Admittedly, I have brought on this added pressure myself, but when you take into consideration that we, as Ontarians, left close to one million tonnes of refuse along our curbsides in 2008 alone, I feel this newfound obligation for wanting to make a difference is nothing short of [...]

Anticipating climate change
November 6th, 2009
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By Colin Schultz
It’s hard to go through the day without hearing someone mention climate change, how you should be reducing your carbon footprint, or noticing the cute sustainability slogans on t-shirts at the mall.
What’s even harder is trying to wrap your mind around what climate change could really mean for us. The ice caps are deteriorating, and the annual average temperature is on the rise, but it’s hard to gather what that means for regular people.
The way it’s usually framed is by saying there will be more hurricanes, flooding, and mass hysteria.
These predictions are made using climate models.
Dr. Peter Berry studies the human health impacts of climate change for Health [...]

Rethinking your food
October 19th, 2009
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 By Marika Motiwalla
Seeking a healthy, environmentally friendly and affordable lifestyle within your community seems like a daunting task for regular Ontarians. But Londoners may be starting to realize that it does not have to be.
“There’s a movement going on in the [London] community…people are trying to get control of their food supply,” said Gil Warren, a community activist in London.
Warren has a plot of land in a community garden in downtown London where he can grow his own food, herbs and flowers. He is one of many Londoners who are leaning towards local production and sharing of food.
The Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition (OHCC) is an organization that

Roundabout way to reduce carbon footprint
October 19th, 2009
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By Geoff Turner
If you’ve ever driven in Europe, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve driven through a roundabout. Roundabouts are those big circular intersections where multiple lanes of traffic converge without the aid of signals or stop signs. To Canadians, they sometimes seem like the embodiment of anarchy.  Here, we’re accustomed to the strict order of the green, yellow, red. The idea that thousands of vehicles could merge and flow seamlessly without stopping seems preposterous and even scary.
Yet there is mounting evidence of the environmental and safety benefits of replacing signalled intersections with roundabouts. Several jurisdictions around North America have already begun to adopt them as a way to reduce [...]