Planet Watch - Environmental News

In the Planet Watch section we help our readers explore what is happening on earth from many perspectives.

We look at our Climate In Crisis, our diminishing Biodiversity, the state of our Environment, from Fresh Air, Clean Water, Rich Earth to our Forests and Wildlife. We look at what is happening in our Biosphere and how it affects not only the human species, but the complex living systems that we are so dependant on.

David Suzuki reminds us that Science Matters and reflects on the world from a scientific perspective. He also looks at our culture and how it impacts both negatively and positively on our environment. Under The News we put an environmental Perspective on the latest International, National and Community news. The articles below help us to stay informed about what is happening in our world.

On the road to reduced fuel use

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Written by Dr David Suzuki Tuesday, 06 April 2010 00:00

Cars and trucks are among the biggest contributors to the heat-trapping emissions that cause global warming. About 12 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions come from private automobiles, and up to a quarter come from road transportation in general. That makes driving a good place to start in confronting one of the most serious challenges humans face.

Canada and the U.S. just announced plans to enact fuel-efficiency standards for new cars and light trucks manufactured in the two countries. Canada is expected to match the U.S. standards, which will require all cars and trucks built by a company to get an average of about 35 miles per gallon, or six litres per 100 kilometres, by 2016. Canada’s government estimates that will lead to a 25 per cent reduction in vehicle emissions in 2016 compared to 2008. The government’s next step should be to require more zero-emission vehicles powered by clean-energy sources.

It’s getting harder and harder to spot the spotted owl

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Written by Dr David Suzuki Tuesday, 30 March 2010 00:00

If the northern spotted owl is healthy, it’s a good sign that the old-growth forests where it lives are healthy. Unfortunately, the spotted owl is not doing well in British Columbia, the only place it lives in Canada. Only six of the beautiful brown-eyed birds remain here.

Spotted owls live up to 17 years in the wild, but they breed slowly, mating for life and producing just one or two chicks every two years. Silent hunters with excellent vision and hearing, the owls swoop through the open canopy of old-growth forests at dusk to catch wood rats, voles, mice, and squirrels. At one time, at least 500 pairs lived in B.C.’s forests, but over the past 100 years, their habitat has been so heavily logged that the owls have been unable to survive.

Brain over brawn is the key to survival

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Written by Dr David Suzuki Tuesday, 16 March 2010 00:00

Many people say George Wald was the greatest lecturer in Harvard’s history. He was certainly the best I’ve heard. Dr. Wald won a Nobel Prize in 1967 for his work on the biochemical basis of colour vision. He and I became friends in the 1970s because we shared a common concern about the misapplication of science, especially during the war in Vietnam. Dr. Wald once captivated me with a story he told:

For close to 150 million years, dinosaurs dominated the planet, and they were impressive. They were huge animals, armed with weapons like spikes on their tails, giant claws, and razor-sharp teeth. They were covered with armour plates. They seemed invincible, and when they roamed the Earth, other creatures fled in terror. But they had a fatal flaw: a tiny brain in relation to their body size. Despite their impressive traits, they disappeared – victims, in part, of their low brain-to-brawn ratio.

Where the wild things are – but for how long?

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Written by Dr David Suzuki Tuesday, 02 March 2010 00:00

After the massive international spotlight on Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics, many people will remember Canada for the accomplishments of our winter athletes. Those who came to Vancouver for the Games will remember our friendliness and our ability to create a society where people from many backgrounds and cultures can live together. But just as many will remember us for something that has always defined our nation: our spectacular natural environment.

The forests, mountains, rivers, and ocean are visible no matter where you go in Vancouver. The wilderness at our doorstep is home to a wide range of plants and animals, especially for a northern temperate region. In much of Canada, you can still find all of the charismatic megafauna that were present at the time of European settlement, including grizzly bears, cougars, wolves, and wolverines.

Caring for ourselves goes hand in hand with caring for the planet

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Written by Dr David Suzuki Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:00

Ecosystems come in all shapes and sizes, often without distinct boundaries. And what happens in one ecosystem affects other ecosystems.

We can even consider the human body as an ecosystem, or perhaps more correctly as a number of interrelated ecosystems. According to a recent article in the scientific journal, Nature, “The human body is one of the most important ecological study sites of the coming decade.”