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In my Master’s research I looked at why people chose to live in the suburbs. Nearness to nature and natural spaces featured very high on the list of reasons. In fact, living closer to the green spaces costs more, emphasizing its importance in housing choice. The funny thing about these neighbourhoods though, is that they are … Continue reading
Much has been written about the consequences of the phrase throw things away. The fact that “away” seems to eliminate the problem, and visibility, of waste has been accused of contributing to our typically consumptive lifestyles. However, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of research that addresses the psychology of away. One link I … Continue reading
I love wrapping gifts, so I always struggle with the environmental impact of it. I do things like reuse some types of wrapping paper year after year – we had some metallic paper that worked really well for this, use cloth bags that someone made me, use regular gift bags. But these are all pretty … Continue reading
For years now I have stubbornly refused to use two paper towels to dry my hands. The prevalence of the two towel hand dry had to be having a negative impact on our paper consumption and waste production. But until now this meant that my pants generally assisted in my hand drying efforts. Little did … Continue reading
When I was a kid and my brother moved out, I took over his room immediately. Why would we think that animals are any different? I am not against recovering threatened and endangered species obviously. But, it sometimes amazes me that we are surprised that other animals, and plants to, have adapted to their absence. … Continue reading
I was watching the local news a few days ago and was stunned to hear a story of local farmers and ranchers wanting wolves removed from the ecosystem. I have sympathy for the individuals. I understand that the wolves affect their livelihood. I think one of the issues here, and with so many similar cases … Continue reading
The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute released a new report in June 2014 assessing the climate change vulnerability of Alberta’s land based plants and animals. 173 species were examined regarding their sensitivity, exposure to risk, and ability to adapt. Not surprisingly, amphibians are considered to be most vulnerable to climate change. This makes sense because humans create … Continue reading
When I used to talk to kids about burrowing owls I couldn’t help but talk about the relationship between the owls and farmers. I would talk about how they were both trying to make their way in the world, working to meet their own needs and this brought them into conflict with each other as … Continue reading
I am money conscious and waste conscious. When I am buying things in containers I will do things like buy the 1 L bottle of shampoo, rather than having to buy more of the smaller containers. It is generally cheaper to buy more and produces less waste; so long as I can use it before … Continue reading
I used to take people on voyageur canoe trips down the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Edmonton. Today, I paddle and coach dragon boats on the river. I bike through the river valley on a regular basis, both commuting and for recreation. I meet friends in the river valley parks for campfires and walks. And … Continue reading
Connecting with Science 