Environment

Environment


Planned burn could have killed trapped firefighters, says B.C. safety report

British Columbia’s worker protection agency says a planned burn by the province’s wildfire service during the devastating 2023 fire season could have killed or injured multiple firefighters who became “trapped by extreme fire behaviour” that cut off their escape. Inspection reports by WorkSafeBC say the BC Wildfire Service didn’t adequately ensure safety during the burn […]

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N.L. premier leaves office on waves of praise, worry about legacy Quebec energy deal

If all goes to plan, many in Newfoundland and Labrador will likely remember outgoing premier Andrew Furey for ending a decades-old lopsided energy deal with Quebec, according to his inbox. More than 80 people sent Furey emails about a new tentative arrangement with Hydro-Québec in the seven weeks after he announced the deal on Dec. […]

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King Township promotes tree planting and recycling initiatives to combat climate change

Let’s protect our planet by keeping recyclables out of landfills and planting trees to create a greener future! That’s the message King Township is sending in advance of upcoming community tree planting events and several recycling initiatives.Recycling is crucial for several reasons. It helps keep the environment clean by reducing the amount of waste produced […]

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Town, MD of Pincher Creek offer financing program for energy-efficient home upgrades

Homeowners in Pincher Creek and area now have a cost-effective way to upgrade their homes for energy efficiency through the Clean Energy Improvement Program. Offered jointly by the town and MD, the program provides low-interest financing to make energy-saving renovations more accessible and affordable. The program, available to legal owners of existing low-rise residential properties, […]

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School division building climate action plan

The Seven Oaks School Division is doing a comprehensive audit of its carbon footprint to create a plan to help staff and students do their part under the 2016 Paris Agreement and signal-boost eco-friendly projects. “It can’t be a select few people caring for the Earth. It’s at the point where we need everybody on […]

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The feds raised doubts about a climate scientist’s LNG research. He says they sounded like fossil fuel lobbyists

Edward Burrier chuckled as he told his colleagues what he thought about an academic paper written by a prominent U.S. climate scientist. Burrier, a director of public policy at Canadian fossil fuel giant TC Energy, said the study was largely to blame for public skepticism about whether liquefied natural gas (LNG) is as environmentally friendly […]

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Environment ministry downplayed concerns expressed by health officials around St. Catharines GM site, FOI documents reveal

For years, St. Catharines residents living near the former General Motors industrial site have raised concerns about potential health and environmental risks posed by the contaminated 55-acre property. For just as long, their concerns have been met with vague assurances from officials, insisting there is no cause for concern.   Nothing underscores the ongoing worry more […]

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Lack of consent stalls plans for North America’s first whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia

An ambitious plan in Nova Scotia to build North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales may have hit a dead end. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press reveal the non-profit Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) has yet to secure approval from all five owners of property adjacent to where the group plans to build a […]

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Documents indicate massive diesel spill at New Brunswick Irving station

More than two months after being detected, the environmental cleanup of a massive diesel spill at an Irving truck stop on Beardsley Road in Woodstock continues. The full scope of the spill, initially detected on Dec. 12, 2024, only became evident in late February when CBC unveiled information garnered through a freedom of information request […]

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Environmental groups criticize Albania for delay in probing suspected toxic waste

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Environmental groups on Tuesday criticized Albania’s silence and lack of progress in analyzing 102 containers suspected of carrying a large amount of hazardous waste. Albanian prosecutors have put the containers in Porto Romano, 6 kilometers (4 miles) from Durres port, saying they would ask government institutions to conduct lab tests. The […]

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City taking hands off approach to clear dangers at former GM site in St. Catharines

Many of the toxic risks posed by the former GM site on Ontario Street in St. Catharines are clear.  As previously reported by The Pointer, Environmental Site Assessments obtained after a two-year fight with the City and GM officials who fought to keep the documents hidden from public view, revealed contamination of a number of […]

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Former GM site in St. Catharines a lasting reminder of environmental damage from heavy industry

When Melinda Lortie became a mother, her perspective on much of her surrounding world shifted.  “Motherhood really has made me mad at the world. I love my daughter more than anything in this world, there truly is nothing else that tops her importance to me. I love every part of being a mom. My anger […]

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