Thursday, 25 April 2024

Environment

Town of Shelburne councillor throws FaceBook tantrum after Black residents raise pollution fears

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Town of Shelburne councillor Rick Davis says African Nova Scotian residents worried about pollution from a town dump need to stop playing the race card. That dump was a good thing for Black residents, he suggests, “after all, “the reality is, that many black people relied on that dump for a living, because they, unlike many others I suppose, were the only ones that would deal with the removal of town trash.”

Louise Delisle on the despair caused by environmental racism in the Town of Shelburne

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This morning at the launch of the Environmental Bill of Rights Louise Delisle, a resident of the Black community within the Town of Shelburne, spoke about the damage done by pollution from the town dump placed right in the middle of the community. With her permission we publish that speech here.
“We were not allowed to speak. They would never speak for fear of repercussions, not being able to care for their families if they spoke up because they would lose their job.”

Halifax Science March: saying no to the attack on science

The Halifax Science March this Saturday is part a show of solidarity with embattled scientists in the US, and partly a push back against climate change denial and other anti science attitudes here in Canada. We talked with one of the organizers.

Harrietsfield homeowners win in court, but drinking water concerns remain

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Rebecca Hussman reports on the Harrietsfield homeowners who, after nearly eight years, have won the legal battles involving a contaminated recycling site in Harrietsfield. They are not celebrating yet. The companies responsible for the pollution have stopped court-mandated water monitoring, and residents are still waiting for water treatment systems that the province promised would be in place by February. The story includes a video that shows the devastating effects of the contamination.

“In our own community here, every moment of every day is consumed with the contaminated water, either when you go to have a shower, brush your teeth, whatever… It’s always there in the back of your mind, and it’s very frustrating.”

Journalist in Newfoundland and Labrador faces criminal charges for doing his job

Justin Brake​, the fearless Newfoundland and Labrador journalist for the TheIndependent.ca​ is facing jail for reporting on an occupation of Nalcor buildings at Muskrat Falls by indigenous people. Everybody should care, and Nova Scotians doubly so, because through the Maritime Link these things are a lot closer than they appear.

Worse than coal? Biomass not so green, scientists say.

Burning biomass to generate electricity is not green. In fact, using coal in the short term is cleaner. And short term here means for the next sixty to seventy years. Also, a very sad 2011 video of a clearcut at Higgins Mountain, Cumberland County.