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- In the News – June 1 to July 31, 2024
- In the News – Jan 1-May 30, 2024
- In the News – Climate & Biodiversity
- In the News – Wildfire
- In the News – Bioeconomy
- In the News – The Mill (NP)
- Related
Items “In the News” that have come to our attention for publication,
dates Aug 1, 2024 and onward. Most recent at the top.
Tip of the Hat to Tree Frog Forestry News for alerting us to many of these items.
Jan 9, 2025:
– Is the province favouring forestry over conservation? (Audio 8 min)
CBC Info AM with Portia Clark “Hear why the president of Save Our Old Forests has been filing access to information requests to try to find out about old growth forest stands in Annapolis County. Nina Newington talks about seeing a disconnect between what the government knows and what it’s posting publicly.” View Rough Transcript
Jan 7, 2025:
– Biden administration withdraws old-growth forest plan after getting pushback from industry and GOP
By Matthew Brown, The Associated Press, on halifax.citynews.ca “The Biden administration on Tuesday abruptly dropped its nascent plan to protect old-growth forests after getting pushback from Republicans and the timber industry.”
– N.S. wildlife sanctuary welcomes upcoming changes to bear rehab policies
Hannah Veinot · CBC News “An animal rehabilitation centre on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore is looking forward to the opportunity to rehabilitate orphaned black bear cubs as the Department of Natural Resources readies to issue required permits as early as this spring…Bear cub rehabilitation has been a controversial subject in Nova Scotia, most notably after an orphaned black bear cub was taken from Hope for Wildlife and euthanized in 2020. Soon after, the wildlife refuge submitted a proposal to the provincial government asking permission to rehabilitate orphaned cubs. It was denied the following year. Swinimer said a change in policy will help the facility further its mission. “
Jan 6, 2025:
– CIB commits $224.2 million to Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind’s large-scale energy project
Canada Infrastructure Bank “The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is providing $224.2 million in loans to help Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind Ltd build a large-scale wind energy project and support 13 Mi’kmaw First Nations, through Wskijinu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency Ltd. (WMA), buy a 10 per cent stake in the project.”
– Province of Nova Scotia hiring Large Mammal Specialist
On jobs.novascotia.ca. Department: Natural Resources & Renewables; Location: KENTVILLE; Type of Employment: Term; Closing Date: 20-Jan-25…The Sustainable Wildlife Use Program is responsible for the effective development, implementation and evaluation of management programs to maintain populations of wildlife at biologically and socially acceptable levels and to allocate appropriate and equitable uses of these wildlife resources in a manner beneficial to the people of Nova Scotia…This is a term opportunity with an anticipated end date of March 31, 2026; the status of the opportunity (term, temporary, casual) is dependent on the start date of the successful applicant.
Jan 3, 2025:
– FSC: Protecting forests with Google Earth Engine
By Forest Stewardship Council for Pulp & paper Canada “The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is leveraging cutting-edge technology to better monitor and protect the world’s forests. FSC is using satellite imagery and advanced data analytics available in Google Earth Engine (GEE) to track changes in forests, improve decision making, and support sustainable forest management.Satellite imagery has changed the way we understand forests, providing a bird’s-eye-view of how ecosystems change over time. Google Earth Engine’s powerful computing platform enables FSC to analyze vast amounts of data to identify shifts in forest characteristics, including changes away from “naturalness” – a measure of how much a forest has been changed due to human activity.”
– Advocates hope new purchase offer will halt tree removal in Lemay Forest
CBC. Related stories ‘This is sacred land’: People camp outside privately owned Winnipeg forest to protest tree removal (Dec 30);Protesters camped outside Lemay Forest ordered to stay off property (Dec 31); Trees in Lemay Forest ‘are all coming down,’ developer says, and City of Winnipeg can’t stop it (Dec 24, 2024)
Jan 2, 2025:
– Irving Forest Products to Acquire Masardis Sawmill in Maine
JD Irving “Saint John, New Brunswick — Irving Forest Products, which owns and operates wood processing facilities in Maine and New York State, will acquire the Masardis Sawmill in Masardis, Maine. The sale will close January 5, 2025. Previously owned by Groupe Lebel, the Masardis operation has a long history of producing random-length spruce and fir lumber. It currently employs 80 people and has the capacity to produce 115 million board feet annually. The sawmill is located within close proximity to Irving’s 1.3 million acres of timberlands in Maine….With the addition of the Masardis operation, J.D. Irving, Limited now operates 10 sawmills as part of its solid wood operations, with a total annual capacity of 1.3 billion board feet.”
Dec 28, 2024:
– Softwood dispute spells trouble again for Canada as U.S. holds upper hand
By Brent Jang for the Globe and Mail. Summary from TreeFrog News “…Washington argues stumpage fees are too low and give Canadian loggers a competitive advantage over U.S. producers, which harvest timber largely from private lands and bid against each other for the privilege. The U.S. Department of Commerce is expected to release its next preliminary duty rates on lumber in early May, or 90 days later than originally planned. Its sixth administrative review is based on lumber markets in 2023, when prices were low. Analysts say U.S. duty rates imposed on Canadian softwood could double in 2025 and reach nearly 30 per cent. …U.S.-headquartered lumber producers and timberland owners who complained about Canadian softwood ended up receiving 10 per cent of the US$5-billion in softwood duties paid in the previous round of the dispute, from 2001 to 2006. Canadian companies recouped 80 per cent of the funds while 9 per cent went to “meritorious initiatives” in the U.S., with the remaining 1 per cent allocated to promoting lumber in both countries. Vancouver-based forestry analyst Russ Taylor said, it’s unclear how much Canada will recover in U.S. duties already paid since 2017. [A Globe and Mail subscription is required to read this article in full]”
Dec 23, 2024:
– Premier ready to ban glyphosate if link found to mystery brain illness
Jacques Poitras · CBC News “Premier says residents fear herbicide’s impacts; federal scientist says it isn’t showing up in harmful amounts…Moncton neurologist Dr. Alier Marrero has suggested that glyphosate has contributed to blue-green algae blooms that can emit toxins that affect the brain. Edge says algae can feed on phosphate molecules in glyphosate, “but for that to work, glyphosate would have to be present in the rivers,” and his study found only that one sample.” Related: Anglers’ group tests New Brunswick rivers for glyphosate Post on NSFM Sep 22, 2024
Dec 21, 2024:
– Job Advert: (Land Administration Officer) Planning Technician (Province of Nova Scotia)
On indeed.com. “Full job description Department: Natural Resources & Renewables Location: HALIFAX, Closing Date: 06-Jan-25…Reporting to the Manager, Acquisitions and Disposals, the Land Administration Officer is one of ten responsible for supporting the administration, acquisition and disposal of Crown lands under the Crown Lands Act and other relevant legislation and policies.”
Dec 18, 2024:
– Conservationists Welcome BC NDP and Green Governance Agreement – BC Forestry Review Could Provide Key Opportunity to Strengthen Old-Growth Forest Protection Policies
News Release on www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org “The Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) and Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are welcoming the new 2024 Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the NDP and Green parties in BC. The cooperation agreement’s priorities include the protection of Fairy Creek and a comprehensive review of BC forests in partnership with First Nations and diverse sectors, offering a key opportunity to strengthen old-growth forest protection policies.”
Click on image for larger version with details of FSC initiative. Image from FSC newsletter
– Forestry Sector Council seeking advice from skilled Forestry Equipment Operators (Harvester/Forwarder)
“Are you a Forestry Equipment Operator (Harvester/Forwarder)? Do you know what skills and knowledge are needed to succeed in the trade? If so, we need your expertise!” View details in image at right. “The Forestry Sector Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing a skilled and professional workforce for the forestry industry in Nova Scotia.” View FSC website.
Dec 17, 2024:
– Procter & Gamble Commits to Enhanced Disclosures Regarding Sourcing from Boreal Forests in Canada
By Andrew Shalit. Green Century Fund. “Procter & Gamble has agreed to provide additional information regarding its practices related to sourcing wood pulp from the boreal forests of Canada… The updates will reiterate the company’s aim to eliminate sourcing from intact forest landscapes and to protect primary forests.”
– Spotlight on excellence: Jocelyn Taylor Archibald
By Jennifer Ellson in Canadian Forest Industries/Women in Forestry “Marking its 12th year, the Top 20 Under 40 awards by Canadian Forest Industries honor a fresh class of young leaders driving change across the forestry sector. These professionals are shaping the future as innovators, mentors, and advocates within their communities. Each week, we’ll highlight each of our 2024 winners. Today, let’s get acquainted with Jocelyn Taylor Archibald, CFO at Taylor Lumber in Middle Musquodoboit, N.S.Jocelyn brings nearly 20 years of experience to Taylor Lumber, a fifth-generation family business and zero-waste facility…”
Dec 16, 2024:
The future of Nova Scotia’s forests is at stake, but the Houston government is silent about Paper Excellence news
Tim Bousquet citing Joan Baxter in Morning File (Hfx Examiner). “The radio silence from Nova Scotian government and politicians on the Paper Excellence – Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) deal astounds and dismays me. We have so much to lose, and I haven’t heard a peep from one of them, or seen a word about it in any NS media (except the Examiner). That company, now openly run out of China – Singapore – Indonesia, will be deciding in February whether to open a huge new pulp mill in Nova Scotia, and thus not bother cleaning up its old mess and also not bother paying back all it owes for the land loan it got. Or not open a new mill, and walk away … from that pulp mess in Pictou. Federal parliamentarians are trying to get Wijaya to appear before them to answer questions, but not a single word from Houston’s government or any opposition politicians. I don’t understand it.”
Dec 13, 2024:
– No room for reporters: media exclusion from swearing in ceremony doesn’t bode well
Philip Muscovitch in the Hfx Examiner
Dec 12, 2024:
– New Cabinet Builds on Victory to Make it Happen for Nova Scotians
News Release Premiers Office. “…Timothy Halman continues as Minister of Environment and Climate Change. He is also the Minister of Service Efficiency, formerly the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Efficiency…Tory Rushton remains as Minister of Natural Resources.[? Name change from Natural Resources and Renewables to just Natural Resources?]”
– Government of Canada provides disaster recovery funding to Nova Scotia for wildfires, flooding and storm Dorian
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. ” OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ – In 2023, Nova Scotia experienced one of its worst wildfire seasons, leading to extensive damage to residences, small businesses, farms, municipalities, and provincial sites, and the evacuation of more than 16,000 people. Just over a month later, the province experienced extreme rainfall that led to the worst flooding the province has experienced in 50 years. This follows the significant damage to public and private infrastructure and prolonged power outages caused by storm Dorian across the province in 2019. Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, announced payments of almost $67 million to Nova Scotia through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, to assist with response and recovery costs associated with the wildfires in 2023, the extreme rainfall and flooding in summer 2023, and storm Dorian in 2019.”
December 9, 2024
– Port Hawkesbury Paper says it shouldn’t have to pay for Nova Scotia Power bailout
By Taryn Grant
CBC News
Dec 8, 2024:
– How to Buy a Piece of a Lawsuit and Impoverish a Country
By Katie Surma, Nicholas Kusnetz for Inside Climate News “…Fossil fuel and mining companies have filed more ISDS claims than any other industry. For many politicians, advocates and legal experts concerned about climate change, the question now is whether litigation finance might drive yet more claims as governments enact climate policies.”
Dec 6, 2024:
– Green Party of Canada Welcomes Kathy Code as New Shadow Cabinet Critic for Forests
On www.greenparty.ca/en “The Green Party of Canada is proud to announce Kathy Code as the new Shadow Cabinet Critic for Forests. With decades of experience in ecoforestry, policy analysis, and environmental advocacy, Kathy Code brings unparalleled expertise and passion to this critical role.”
Dec 3, 2024:
EU Reaches Deal to Delay Contentious Deforestation Law
By John Ainger BNN Bloomberg. Comment: The legislation was supposed to take effect on December 30, 2024, for large enterprises, and mid-2025 for small and micro-enterprises. In October, the European Commission proposed a delay of 12 months, apparebtly now accepted. Canada/The Feds objected strongly to some aspects of it, re Forest Degradation.
Dec 2, 2024:
“Visitors and hosts from Community Forests International, the Farm Forest Network, and Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators gather for the Climate Adaptive Forestry Field Tour on the Jungle Road Demonstration Forest, in Cumberland County. Credit: Joan Baxter”
‘We want it messy’: Forest experts work to undo decades of bad forestry practices in Nova Scotia
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner. Subscription required. Intro in Morning File.”This is an informative, in-depth explanation of good forestry practices by people who actually know what they’re talking about. It’s worth a read just for that. Additionally, however, Baxter describes what these experts are up against…”
– Balsam fir trees ‘at risk’ in New Brunswick amid a changing climate
Danielle McCreadie | CBC News. “While artificial Christmas trees might be the popular choice during the holiday season, nothing beats the smell of a fresh balsam fir. But new research out of the University of New Brunswick shows the popular tree is at risk of being harmed by climate change…Taylor and two other researchers have spent the past six years correlating historic climate data with previous balsam fir mortalities — or die-offs — and found these trees in particular are sensitive to high temperatures and periods of drought. In the spring of 2018, Taylor said people noticed evergreens along the highway were turning red — and dying.”They tended to be individuals or small clusters of trees, but they were bright red,” said Taylor. “And so then the question became, well, what’s causing this?” Using historical temperature and drought data, Taylor and his team were able to draw a strong link between the clusters of red trees and climate anomalies across the province. “Just the year before, we had an abnormally dry summer, and it was also warm. It was a very warm, dry fall as well,” he said. “And so you had this warm, dry fall extending right into December. So you had a lot of trees basically going into dormancy in the winter time, going to sleep, under really dry, stressed conditions.” Taylor’s research found this wasn’t the first time mass mortality has happened here — the same condition was reported in 1986 and was referred to then as Stillwell’s syndrome. Coincidentally, 1986 was also a dry, hot year. “And so then that led us to the conclusion that climate is a driver of this mortality.” View related paper: Investigating climate anomalies associated with the sudden mortality of balsam fir trees in eastern Canada, by Broom et al., 20234 in Frontiers in Forests and Global Climate Change.
Nov 30, 2024:
– Opinion: Let’s keep our forests as forests
by Jack Savagepresident, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, in the Concord Monitor.
– Christmas tree exporters in Nova Scotia worried about Trump tariff threat
Nicola Seguin · CBC News “Incoming U.S. president’s proposed 25% tariff could cause industry to suffer next season”
Nov 28, 2023:
Nature group wants Crown land in Kings County protected from potential logging
Josh Hoffman · CBC News “Land near Cloud Lake Wilderness Area earmarked for possible high-production forestry”
Nov 27, 2024:
‘Terminate’ Canadian forestry giant’s green certificates, says credentials body founder
Stefan Labbé for www.vancouverisawesome.com “World Wildlife Fund tells the Forest Stewardship Council to “immediately terminate” sustainable forestry certificates for Paper Excellence, Canada’s largest forestry company.”
Nov 26, 2024:
– Nova Scotia PCs secure supermajority government with re-election win
Aly Thomson · CBC News “Nova Scotia voters handed Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives a supermajority government in Tuesday’s provincial election, a formidable outcome aided in part by the stunning collapse of Liberal support…Houston and the Tories were elected in 43 ridings… The New Democrats were elected in nine ridings, while the Liberals were elected in two…While Tuesday’s big win was bestowed upon the Progressive Conservatives, the NDP also made notable gains…NDP Leader Claudia Chender is slated to become the first elected female leader of the Opposition.” View some stats here
– How public forests in the U.S. nourish and heal millions
By Sanchari Sinha Dutta for www.news-medical.net Cites this paper: Provisioning Food and Medicine from Public Forests in the United States by James Chamberlain et al., 2024 in Trees, Forests and People “The study firmly supports the well-known fact that a large volume of forest-harvested flora and fauna contribute to the health and well-being of a significant proportion of the US general population.”
Nov 25, 2024:
– The green hydrogen for export dream is collapsing before our eyes; how much more public money will we dump into it?
Tim Bousquet in Morning File (Hfx Examiner), citing The hidden costs of Premier Tim Houston’s sustainable aviation fuel promise, Commentary by Larry Hughes for the Hfx Examiner. Hughes asks a very pertinent, very technical if counter-intuitive question – Where will the carbon dioxide come from?
Nov 24, 2024:
– Inside the Frantic Maneuvers That Saved COP29 Talks at a Cost
By Jennifer A Dlouhy et al. for Bloomberg News
– Scientists find rare species in survey of Chignecto Isthmus
Story by Prapti Bamaniya for cbc.ca on www.msn.com “…”I was surprised in a good way by the extent of higher quality forest,” he said.
“It can be a struggle to find more mature forest in larger patches in this region because it has a really long history of human occupation and quite intensive use for forestry and for other land uses that have converted the forest entirely…He spotted rare bird species such as the eastern kingbird and Canada jays, and even an orchid listed in New Brunswick as endangered: the southern twayblade.”
Nov 21, 2024:
NSWWT Secures Landmark Easement in Lunenburg County
Ellen Riopelle for Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust (NSWWT) “Landmark easement will preserve 82.7 acres of mature woodland through NSWWT’s innovative Hemlock Program. “Signing our first easement is a considerable milestone for the Trust,” said Mary Jane Rodger, Executive Director of NSWWT. “It protects the ecological integrity of the land and establishes a new partnership with the land steward – one where we can support each other to achieve the best outcomes for the forest considering challenges like HWA. Keeping carefully stewarded woodlands intact will always be a win-win for our rural communities and the environment.” “
Nov 22, 2024:
‘Canada got played for absolute suckers by the Wijaya family’
Joan Baxter in the HfxExaminer “Paper Excellence is the parent company of Northern Pulp, which owns the shuttered pulp mill in Pictou County, the polluted site it sits on, and 425,000 acres of Nova Scotia woodlands…Speaking to the Halifax Examiner, Angus said, “Canada got played for absolute suckers by the Wijaya family.” “We allowed a company, a family that has a very dubious track record, to walk in and assume control of about 22 million hectares of Canadian forests, and mill towns that are completely dependent on their whims,” Angus said. “And the warning signs were everywhere that this was a family group that should not be trusted with our natural resources. Everybody pretended that the facts weren’t there and looked the other way.””
– ‘We got completely played for suckers,’ MP says of recent takeovers in Canadian forestry
Zach Dubinsky, Elizabeth Thompson · CBC News
“Paper Excellence owner to take over Asian conglomerate after repeatedly denying operational links with it”
– More public money for EverWind: this time a $22.5 million federal grant for tugboats to move around green hydrogen that doesn’t exist
Joan Baxter in the HfxExaminer. Intro in Morning File. Comment: More Suckers?
– CTV Leaders’ Roundtable was feisty, but ignored climate change
Jennifer Henderson in Halifax Examiner. Intro in Morning File.
Nov 20, 2024:
Green hydrogen is a gargantuan scam
Joan Baxter in Morning File (Halifax Examiner. “Remember when Nova Scotia was going to get rich from the Sable Island methane field? They even dug up my street and put a methane line down it, offering discounts to my neighbours and me if we hooked up our stoves and such to burn methane instead of using electricity, which at least theoretically could one day be powered by renewable energy…Well now people see that burning methane isn’t such a great plan, and then Russia blocked shipments to Europe and Ukrainian spies blew up the North Sea pipelines, …” View related posts under In the News – Bioeconomy
Nov 19, 2024:
– Protecting wilderness areas
Interview with “activists” Mike Lancaster and Raymond Plourde on the topic of logging in citizen proposed protected areas on CBC’s InfoAM. View related post on nsforestmatters.ca: CBC InfoAM interviews on Logging in Citizen-Proposed Protected Areas #1: the “Activists” 20Nov2024
Nov 15, 2024:
– Nova Scotia beef producers take home The Environmental Stewardship Award
By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan for Canadian Cattlemen “…the hall buzzes with conversation and the clinking of cutlery, but also with excitement as The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) announcement draws closer. The crowd jumps to their feet at the announcement of this year’s winner, Holdanca Farms of Nova Scotia, run by father-daughter duo John and Maria Duynisveld…“Holdanca Farms is a testament to how responsible farming practices can go hand in hand with success and their importance to protecting and preserving our land and wildlife,” Mike Duguid, one of the co-chairs of CCA’s environment committee, says in a press release…The Duynisvelds manage 500 acres, half of which is a native woodlot and the other half pasture. They raise beef cattle alongside sheep, pigs and chickens, and offer custom grazing services…The Duynisvelds also manage their native woodlot alongside their local co-op. They say a diversity of plant life in the forest is beneficial because it supports soil and animals and becomes more diverse and therefore more resilient to challenges.”
– The carbon tax is dead; long live the carbon removal charge
By Jamie Stephen, PhD, managing director for TorchLight Bioresources in Canadian Biomass. “The likely impending doom of the carbon tax opens the door for better policy, BECCS”
Nov 14, 2024:
– Nova Scotia leaders on climate action (News Video)
CBC “From floods to wildfires to hurricanes: Nova Scotia’s been hard hit by a number of disasters attributed to climate change. Leaders are asked how they would keep Nova Scotians safe from the effects of climate change.”
Nov 13, 2024:
– Nature Nova Scotia pens letter to premier
Suzanne Rent for Morning File (Halifax Examiner) “The president of Nature Nova Scotia says Tim Houston should suspend “controversial forest cutting/harvests” on Crown lands proposed for protection until the election is over.”
– Beetles from B.C. settling in Nova Scotia, taking up the fight to rescue hemlocks
Hina Alam, The Canadian Press on tlantic.ctvnews.ca “The offspring of beetles imported from British Columbia are ready to take up the fight against an invasive insect that is killing hemlock trees in Nova Scotia.”
– Bedford residents rally against possible development near centuries-old petroglyphs
Glenn MacDonald for Saltwire “A centuries-old set of stone carvings are in a wooded area, known as the Barrens, in the heart of Bedford…“Everybody felt pretty comfortable that we had protected the area,” said Tim Bernard, executive director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq.That was until two weeks ago when four privately-owned plots of land near the petroglyphs were put up for sale…“They are one of a few known petroglyphs that are in Nova Scotia.” Most of the documented petroglyphs in the province are found in Kejimkujik National Park, with more than 500 carvings and drawings, some estimated to be over 800 years old.”
Nov 12, 2024:
– ‘Obviously dishonest’: Premier Tim Houston repeatedly met with green hydrogen investor Trent Vichie, then failed to properly file his expense claims, obscuring those meetings
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examier. Subscription required UPDATE Nov 15: removed from paywall. Intro in Morning File for Nov 13, 2024. “Joan Baxter reports on Tim Houston’s New York visits with Trent Vichie, the ultra-rich investor promoting massive “green” hydrogen projects in Nova Scotia. The trouble? None of them show up on Houston’s expense claims, where one would reasonably expect to see lobbying meetings reported.”
Nov 8, 2024:
– Law Firm Calls on Nova Scotia Party Leaders to Legalize Environmental Rights
Linda Pannozzo in The Quaking Swamp Journal Cites Press Release by East Coast Env. Law. “The model bill also recognizes the impacts of environmental racism in Nova Scotia, the need for environmental justice and equity, and the Indigenous rights affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” the firm states. I explored the subject of environmental rights in my 2016 book, as well as in research I did with the late Silver Donald Cameron for The Green Interview, who, along with filmmaker and producer Chris Beckett, travelled to Ecuador and Argentina—ground zero for some of the most inspiring work in the field of “green rights.” You can peruse the multi-media archive here.”
Nov 6, 2024:
– St. Mary’s River named candidate for Ecologically Significant Area designation
Joanne Jordan in Penticton Herald “The St. Mary’s River has been named a candidate for Ecologically Significant Area (ESA) designation under the Canada Fisheries Act. Donald Humphrey, director of eco-systems management for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), made the announcement during an open house at the St. Mary’s River Association (SMRA) office Nov. 2. “We have done some further work and, as a candidate, this means we can now go forward with the establishment process, which is a multi-year process to get to a designation, meaning it will go into the planning stage and establishment of regulations,”…Scott Beaver – SMRA president – shared that, while doing the case study work for the ESA candidacy, the partners unearthed “some pretty cool stuff.” The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM) have identified multiple species of rare freshwater mussels – also known as brook floaters – which he said are “doing fabulous” on the St. Mary’s River, an indication of a healthy ecosystem. He added that the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) has already identified 40 rare species on the watershed route.”
– Trump plans to dismantle some of the most effective U.S. climate policies
By By Jennifer Mcdermott & Matthew Daly for the National Observer. “The election of Donald Trump as president for a second time and the Republican takeback of the U.S. Senate could undo many of the national climate policies that are most reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate solutions experts. When they list measures that are making the most difference, it lines up with policies Trump has said he’ll target.”
– The High Environmental Costs of Extractive Industries in Nova Scotia (video)
Video of lecture by Joan Baxter (link provided on the Halifax Examiner) Fall ESS Lecture at Dalhousie University, given on Oct 31, 2024.
Nov 4., 2024:
– With campaign in full swing, N.S. party leaders weigh in on exporting wind energy
Luke Ettinger · CBC News “EverWind, Bear Head Energy, have plans to build hundreds of turbines to produce hydrogen with intent to export”. Also view: How Nova Scotia wind turbines could become an election issue (CBC news Video) “Hundreds of wind turbines are proposed for rural communities in Nova Scotia. But the energy is slated to produce green hydrogen for export and one group is attempting to make that a provincial issue. Luke Ettinger has the story.”
Oct 29, 2024:
– “The world is running low on cheap wood, B.C. wood summit hears
Nelson Bennett for BIV “Shrinking global log supply could be good for lumber producers in the coming years”
– Nova Scotia forestry program to fund small logging business
By Dakota Smith “CHESTER, Nova Scotia — Wood products producer Kyle Millett Logging will receive funding from the Nova Scotia Forestry Innovation Transition Trust to increase production capacity, support sustainable forestry practices and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions at its Chester Grant mill.”
Oct 27, 2024:
– Nova Scotians heading to the polls Nov. 26 after early election call
Jean Laroche · CBC News “PC Leader Tim Houston turns his back on fixed election date he passed into law in 2021”. View Elections Nova Scotia: Provincial General Election 2024 for details of voting process,
Oct 26, 2024:
Public Meeting on the proposed Chain Lakes Wilderness Area Mon Oct 28, 2024
Special Announcement: The province has promised to protect 20 % by 2030, but they are evidently not taking their promise very seriously. The apparent intent by DNRR is to cut the best of the remaining public forests before protection is fully evaluated or finalized. There are harvest proposals put forth within several proposed wilderness areas. The harvests would remove roughly half the forest each time under the guise of ecological forestry, but leave a degraded and fragmented landscape behind. Everyone is invited to a meeting to answer public questions about the proposed Chain Lakes Wilderness Area on Monday, October 28th, 7 PM at 3083 Aylesford Road, Lake Paul.
Oct 25, 2024:
– Forestry Trust Funding for Chester Grant Business
NS Gov Economic Development “Wood products producer Kyle Millett Logging will receive funding from the Nova Scotia Forestry Innovation Transition Trust to increase production capacity, support sustainable forestry practices and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions at its Chester Grant mill.”
– Can urban forests survive the housing boom?
By Hanna Hett in the National Observer “…Canada needs an additional 3.5 million housing units by 2030 to address its housing shortage. Various governments are trying to increase supply, from cities adopting “missing middle” policies, B.C. legislating municipalities to increase density, or the federal government slating public lands for affordable housing. Trees, meanwhile, help cool the air, manage stormwater, sequester carbon, decrease air pollution, provide wildlife habitat and promote people’s mental and physical health. And when they grow in the same places people are trying to build that much-needed housing, sometimes a choice has to be made: keep the trees, or cut them down?…New suburbs and single family homes are the biggest contributor to urban tree loss in Canada. To build new neighbourhoods, agricultural land, forest and wetlands are cleared away…“I would much rather lose two trees in downtown Toronto to build a building that’s going to house 100 people, then have those 100 people spread out over multiple acres in [what is] presently farmland or Greenbelt or remnant forest,” Irvine said…Urban forest experts say a city should have around a 40 per cent tree canopy cover to garner its benefits. Vancouver, Toronto and Victoria are some of the country’s leafiest cities, with about 25 per cent, 28 per cent and 29 per cent tree cover, respectively, while Calgary lags far behind with just eight per cent of its sprawling area shaded by trees. No city exceeds Ottawa-Gatineau, however, which claims a 46 per cent cover. Tree canopy may be unequally spread between cities, but it’s also spread inequitably within cities. Low-income and racialized neighborhoods tend to have lower tree canopy — and fewer benefits — than others.”
Oct 23, 2024:
– Friends raise $20K to buy island they want all Nova Scotians to enjoy
Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri · CBC News “Friends formed society to fundraise to buy Annapolis County island, hoping it can be part of provincial park
Oct 21, 2024:
– Record disaster claims raise concern over the future of Canadian insurance
On www.timescolonist.com/
– Minister Guilbeault delivers statement on opening day of COP16
By Environment and Climate Change Canada/ “”COP16 is here, and Canada is ready. Our livelihoods, our communities, and our economies rely on being responsible with the natural world, which is telling us it is in trouble.””
– Mulgrave mayor ‘pretty darn scared’ after run-in with coyotes as frequent sightings reported
CBC News “Mayor Ron Chisholm says 4 coyotes killed in collisions with vehicles last week, DNR to set traps…Chisholm said four coyotes were killed in collisions with vehicles in the last week. He also had his own run-in with a pair of menacing-looking coyotes that slowly approached him as he walked, against his own advice, to his truck after dark recently. “One snarling with teeth showing and hair standing up on his back,” he said. “It became really real for me then. I was more than nervous, I was pretty darn scared really.”Chisholm said he believes recent land clearing in the area might be pushing the coyotes out of their habitat and into the town, causing the sudden influx of sightings.”
Oct 18, 2024:
P.E.I. conservationists urge province to enact law meant to dismiss ‘bully’ lawsuits
Stu Neatby for Saltwire (subscription may be required) “A group of conservationists say P.E.I. should implement a law to protect citizens from frivolous lawsuits, called SLAPPs, that they say have been wielded by wealthy individuals to silence appeals or complaints from members of the public. A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a suit that aims to silence critics of a person, organization or corporation. Ann Wheatley and Gary Schneider, two members of the Environmental Coalition of P.E.I., and lawyer Jacinta Gallant spoke before the all-party standing committee on health and social development on Oct. 16. The three said the province needs a law to protect the right to participate in public appeals and consultations without fear of being sued. They say Ontario and B.C. have already put in place anti-SLAPP laws that P.E.I. could adapt.”
Oct 17, 2024:
– The artificial lake tearing apart a Nova Scotia community — and killing thousands of fish
Moira Donovan for The Narwhal “A provincial emergency order has kept Lake Pisiquid filled for more than 16 months. It’s also blocked the passage of fish, jeopardized Mi’kmaq Rights — and put a local fisherman, who had his truck keyed, at the centre of a hostile campaign”.
– Nature Nova Scotia Launches Hemlock Conservation Legacy Fund to Protect Hemlocks and Fish Habitat (Press Release PDF)
“Nature Nova Scotia is proud to announce the launch of two important events that will officially kick off conservation actions under the ‘Hemlock Conservation Legacy Fund’. This fund focuses on protecting eastern hemlocks that grow along waterways. Two events are annnounced: Event 1: Conserve Hemlocks and Fish Habitat at Gehue’s Brook,Saturday, October 19th, 2024 & Event 2: Conserve Hemlocks and Fish Habitat at Fales River, Saturday, October 26th, 2024.
Oct 14, 2024:
– ‘Legacy’ Forests. ‘Restoration’ Logging. The New Jargon of Conservation Is Awash in Ambiguity. And Politics
By Nathan Gilles for Inside Climate News “Among environmentalists, government agencies and logging interests, a war of words is raging over the future of our forests…“Kropp says the trees he saw were older, “mature” second-growth trees that had grown naturally without human intervention. The forest he visited also had many of the same “structural” features as an old-growth forest: dark forest floors (the result of closing canopies), as well as standing dead wood and large logs that provide habitat for plants and animals. In the following years, Kropp visited similar forests on state trust lands. He became concerned that few of these types of forests were left, especially at lower elevations. He decided that the forests needed saving, and for that he needed to raise public awareness…It occurred to me that I needed a way to succinctly describe these forests in a way that was compelling and that conveyed the importance of protecting these forests. ‘Naturally regenerated second growth, mature forests that preserve the biological, functional and structural legacies of the forests they replaced’ was not a very efficient way of describing the forest,” says Kropp. He settled on “legacy forests.” The name caught on and is now used by organizations and nonprofits around Washington, from the Black Hills Audubon Society to Western Washington University’s College of the Environment.
Oct 11, 2024:
– Verified Impact: Nova Scotia
FSC Newsletter “Vivian Peachey and Amy Willox from FSC Canada visited the Nova Scotia Landowners & Forest Fibre Producers organization who provides FSC forest management certification for private woodlot owners in Eastern Nova Scotia. They also met with representatives from other organizations in the Maritimes who are interested in becoming FSC certified. Topics: Introducing New FSC Programs and Training, Exploring Ecosystem Service Impacts and Funding, Forest Tours and Conservation, Learning About Woodlot Easements and Stewardship, Addressing the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.
Oct 8, 2024:
– Timber trail blazers see new growth in green building drive
By Darius Snieckus| Part 5 of Big Green Build in the National Observer. “Lumber was once a go-to building material before concrete and steel took over. Now, reborn as mass timber, it may be on the cusp of a comeback as the construction sector steps up its green transition.” The article covers pros and cons of Mass Timber in Canada, from a green perspective.
Oct 2, 2023:
– Kings, N.S., site spared, others sprayed before 2024 aerial glyphosate season ends
Kirk Starratt on Saltwire. Subscription may be required
– Frontline Machinery expands CBI distribution to Eastern Canada
By CFI Staff “Frontline Machinery has extended its distribution network to Eastern Canada, now offering CBI grinders and chippers across Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The move provides access to industrial material processing equipment known for handling wood, green waste, and construction debris…The expansion taps into Eastern Canada’s growing biomass sector… ”
Oct 1, 2024:
–Blanche Peninsula: A Landmark Achievement for Coastal Conservation
NS Nature Trust “The Blanche Peninsula is one of the last highly biodiverse and intact coastal lands of its size in Nova Scotia. With your help, we have officially protected a large property covering the majority of the peninsula as well as a large beach section on the southwest coast. Together these lands ensure that 1,772 acres (717 hectares) of this ecological treasure will be protected – forever.”
– Lichen Camp at Goldsmith Lake, Nova Scotia, Celebrates and Packs Up 1Oct2024
Post on this website. By Nina Newington & Lisa Proulx
Sep 30, 2024:
Letter: Geographers needed to explain impact of N.L. land loss to mines, wind-to-hydrogen projects
Letter by Allan Hann, NL, in Saltwire (Subscription may be required). “Dear geographers, it seems the island of Newfoundland teeters at the edge of the most extreme cumulative environmental disaster in its history (at least above water). Massive areas of wild places will be cleared, and endless new roads will be cut into our forests to accommodate clearcutting operations, mines and wind-to-hydrogen projects. The colourful maps provided for these projects are vague and difficult to interpret… Dear geographers, please let us know how much living space we’re going to lose in the coming decade. For example, how many miles of hard compacted roads will be built to accommodate clearcuts and energy projects? I mean, if you added all the new roads together, how big of an area will be lost? Something the size of the mall, 10 malls, or more? How much land will be covered in concrete? Please help us visualize and understand these impacts. Will caribou and other species have a quiet place to give birth? What do these projects and roads mean for the climate? Will wind-to-hydrogen lower our light bills? What’s the overall carbon footprint? How will increased vehicle access to wild places, paired with biodiversity loss, affect our communities and culture?…”
Sep 27, 2024:
– Sugar Maple Stands & Ecological Forestry (Audio)
Blomidon Naturalists In Conversation series. “In this episode, we chat with local sugarbush farmer Chris Hutchinson, whose ecological forestry practices help keep over 700 acres of forest healthy. Then we chat with Alan Warner about the proposed Chain Lakes Wilderness area and how those same ecological forestry practices can help safe guard our forest for the future.”
– JOHN DeMONT: How a long-haired wave of dropouts changed Nova Scotia
In Saltwire. Subscription likely required. References a new book by Christopher Murphy, Far Out! The Untold Story of the ‘60s-Inspired “Back-to-the-Land” Migration that Changed Nova Scotia. View publisher’s post about the book. From deMont: The unlikely spontaneous influx of idealistic, long-haired dropouts who felt that Nova Scotia was the answer to their dreams of living sustainable, alternative lives lasted for just a decade… You will meet 50 of them in Murphy’s book Far Out…Learning about Nova Scotia via what Murphy calls “the hippie grapevine” — word of mouth — they arrived in Antigonish County, the Annapolis Valley, the Eastern Shore, the far reaches of Cape Breton and every rural corner of the province. Some just seemed to find their way here by chance like Dirk van Loon, the New York City-born newspaperman Murphy interviewed. He was on the way to Maine when he saw a Nova Scotia licence plate. On a whim, he followed the car right to the border, where a Canadian guard was handing out citizenship papers…”
Sep 26, 2024:
With old-growth forests still standing, citizen scientists set to celebrate closure of Annapolis County ‘Lichen Camp’
Yvette d’Entremont in Halifax Examiner. Subscription requried. Intro in Morning File “As Joan Baxter reported last month, a group of citizen scientists and supporters have been camping since March at a site they call the “Lichen Camp.” Located near Goldsmith Lake about 20 km south of Bridgetown, the forested Crown land was slated for harvesting by WestFor, a consortium of 11 large mills, including Northern Pulp…In a media release Wednesday, Citizen Scientists of Southwest Nova Scotia said it’s closing the camp, and members and supporters plan to celebrate this weekend. “The forests are still standing around the camp, and they have put Goldsmith Lake on the map, literally,” the release said. “Their new map of the 3900 hectare proposed Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area shows not only the 77 species at risk occurrences they have identified, but also 20 stands of old-growth forest.”
Sep 25, 2024
Brian and Steven Eadie of Antigonish County named 2024 Eastern Region Winners of the Woodlot Owner of the Year Award
on www.989xfm.ca; inlcudes an audio file. “The eastern region winners of the 2024 Woodlot Owner of the Year Award are brothers Brian and Steven Eadie, owners of the Greenwood Poultry Farm Limited, in Antigonish County. Greenwood Poultry Farm includes 500 acres of farmland and woodland, with the woodlot staying with the Eadie family for several generations.A release from the province states the woodlot has a well-developed access road system and biodiversity is abundant in the mature hardwood forest. It is managed with a selection thinning approach, done by K.A.T. Forestry & Pallets, to use natural regeneration of tolerant hardwood species.” Also view Meet the 2024 Winners: Woodland Owner of the Year (DNRR webpage). Other winners for 2024: “The western region and provincial winners of 2024 Woodland Owner of the Year Award are Judy and Thomas Mailman of Bridgewater, Lunenburg County. The central region winners of the 2024 Woodlot Owner of the Year Award are Julia and David MacMillan of Tatamagouche, Colchester County.”
Sep 24, 2024:
Guysborough residents, environmental advocates concerned about ‘endless’ list of negative effects from another green hydrogen project
By Suzanne Rent in the Halifax Examiner. “Residents of Guysborough and environmental advocates are concerned about the loss of wilderness and the effects on forests, watercourses, wetlands, wildlife and their communities as yet another company announces a green hydrogen project – the third – for Nova Scotia. The latest player to join the fray is Irish company Simply Blue…”
Sep 23, 2024:
Nova Scotia seeking Manager, Sustainable Wilflife Use
On Indeed.com “Manager, Sustainable Wildlife Use. “Province of Nova Scotia, Kentville, NS $6,094.44–$8,379.90 a month – Permanent, Closing Date: 07-Oct-24 “…As a vital part of the Wildlife Division, the Sustainable Wildlife Use program is responsible for conserving the diversity of wildlife species and the integrity of habitats upon which wildlife depend. Ensuring that planning, decision making and management action involving wildlife species and habitats are based on the best scientific and traditional knowledge available. Reporting to the Director of Wildlife, the Manager leads the development, implementation and evaluation of programs, legislation, policy, research and management strategies and plans that promote and enable the conservation and sustainable use of Nova Scotia’s harvestable large mammals, furbearers and upland game species, and that manages conflict between humans and wild species….” Comment: Advertisements for replacements, new positions are pretty well all the public ever learns about staffing in NRR. There are no annual reports to the public of what different people do, of the projects and their progress and there are no general directories of Staff personnel on the government website (novascotia,ca), Communications between the public and staff personnel, except at some of the regional offices, are handled by “Communications Nova Scotia”. It is difficult, for example, for a scientist outside of NRR to communicate freely with scientists within NRR without the intervention of Communications Nova Scotia The forest industry has their own channels, but those are not shared with the public.
Sep 21, 2023:
– Anglers’ group test New Brunswick rivers for glyphosate 21Sep2024
Post on this website inlcudes reproduction of a post by the Hammond River Angling Association on their Facebook page
– MLAs call for “interprovincial inquiry” to “address surge of atypical neurogenerative illness.”
Linda Pannozzo in the Qualing Swamp Journal/ “Early last week, two MLAs issued a joint press release calling for federal and provincial “cooperation” to address a “surge of atypical neurodegenerative illness.” Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, MLA for Cumberland North in Nova Scotia, and Megan Mitton, MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar, in New Brunswick, say there are patients on “both sides” of the border and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) should step in and lead an interprovincial inquiry.”
Sep 20, 2024:
– Province House: Chignecto dispute continues, pharmacies expand care
Jannifer Henderson in the Halifax Examiner, subscription required. Intro in Halifax Examiner Morning File “Premier Tim Houston is keeping quiet about whether the province will accept an offer of $325 million from the federal government to pay half the estimated cost of shoring up the Isthmus of Chignecto at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border,” reports Jennifer Henderson: A letter from federal cabinet ministers Dominic LeBlanc and Sean Fraser was sent to both Houston and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs last week. Higgs accepted the money and as of yesterday, is campaigning in a provincial election. It’s a different story in Nova Scotia where Houston publicly lambasted the federal government for suggesting Nova Scotians should be willing to accept payment for half the cost when Ottawa should pay the full shot. The narrow, 24-kilometer stretch of highway that connects Nova Scotia with New Brunswick and the rest of Canada is at risk of being flooded out by rising sea level due to climate change. One Category 3 hurricane coming up the Bay of Fundy at high tide could turn Nova Scotia into an island. There should be more urgency about this than is being demonstrated.”
– Dartmouth bear
Tim Bousquet in the Halifax Examiner Morning File “Wednesday night, I was completely unaware that a bear was running around Dartmouth, startlingly close to my house. I was in downtown Halifax all day Thursday, so missed the drama, but it turns out that in the early morning the bear wandered from the Dartmouth Common over to Sullivan’s Pond and then back to the Common.
Sep 18, 2024:
Simply Blue launches renewable energy project in Goldboro
By Alec Bruce in www.guysboroughjournal.com “More than 130 area residents of all ages enjoyed popcorn, cotton candy, lunch, live music and even a bouncy castle at the Goldboro Interpretative Centre Sept. 14, as they attended the official launch of the project, the details of which had been a closely guarded secret for almost three years…The project, which the company expects to be fully operational in 2029, involves installing solar collectors and as many as 100 wind turbines on 46,000 acres of land the company has secured through a private lease agreement near Caledonia in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s. From there, a new transmission line would send approximately 300 megawatts of solar-generated – and 800 megawatts of wind-generated – electricity a year to a new plant on 266 acres the company recently purchased for $12 million from Pieridae Energy in the Goldboro Industrial Park (with a three-year option on an additional 489 acres owned by the Municipality of the District of Guysborough – MODG). That facility would convert leftover wood chips (biomass) from the forest and saw milling industries into green hydrogen to make SAF for international distributors.According to Simply Blue Chief Operating Officer and Director of Hydrogen and Sustainable Fuels Michael Galvin, the company has signed an agreement to buy 700,000 tonnes of biomass annually from Truro-based woodlot manager Wagner Forest Management to produce approximately 150,000 tonnes of SAF a year. “Wagner will act as our agents to gather it,” he told The Journal. “In order for us to be able to certify our end product as sustainable, we’ve got to make sure that it’s the type of fiber that nobody else wants – that it’s a byproduct.”
Sep 17, 2024:
Investigation raises concerns about logging impacts on watersheds
By Tanner Senko for BC Forest Practices Board “An investigation into a complaint about the amount of timber harvesting in the Kettle River Watershed and its potential impacts on water flows has highlighted a need to improve watershed oversight.”
– ‘Small victory’ for anti-spray group near Advocate Harbour
Joan Baxter in the Hfx Examiner. Subscritpion required; intro in Morning File for Sep 17, 2024 “Joan Baxter reports on the “small victory” by activists who camped out for weeks in Cumberland County to prevent the aerial glyphosate spraying of nearly 900 acres owned by Bragg Lumber at Allen Hill.”
Sep 15, 2024:
– Shell Camp Lake (Annapolis Co.) Forest Glyphosate Spray Site is within Cornwallis Park Water Supply Area
Bev Wigney, post on Annapolis Environment & Ecology (Public Facebook group – ‘may require visitor to be on Facebook). “About a week ago, a very observant member of one of our forest groups commented that he thought Shell Camp Lake was part of the water supply for Cornwallis Park. I did some checking into this and did confirm that it is part of the official Water Supply Area. You can see that in the map which I’ll re-post here – I posted it last night after finding the actual outline of the Water Supply Area for Cornwallis Park. I also found a webpage on the Municipality of Annapolis that stated that: “no person shall: place, deposit, discharge or allow to remain therein any material of any kind that may impair the quality of water; or bathe, wash or otherwise impair the quality of the water…”
– Nova Scotia premier repeats calls for Ottawa to pay for protecting Chignecto Isthmus
The Canadian Press/Yahoo News.
Sep 13, 2024:
Irish company planning to produce jet fuel in Goldboro, N.S., at former LNG site
By Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press , posted on halifax.citynews.ca “An energy firm based in Ireland says it is planning to produce sustainable aviation fuel at the site where a liquefied natural gas project had been proposed on Nova Scotia’s eastern shore…Simply Blue Group announced Friday that construction would begin in 2026 with the biofuel project expected to be operating by 2029 in Goldboro, N.S., about 165 kilometres northeast of Halifax…The company says it has secured about 305 hectares of land for development, including 108 hectares previously owned by Calgary-base Pieridae Energy, which had planned to build a $10-billion liquified natural gas export terminal at the site. But the project, proposed in 2012, was shelved in 2021…Simply Blue says that every year its Goldboro project will source about 700,000 tonnes of wood biomass through Wagner Forest NS Ltd. to produce 150,000 tonnes of the fuel. Wood biomass is typically defined as residue from the wood processing industry and material left behind by forest management, but it can also be created by harvesting smaller, less-desirable trees…Meanwhile, the company also said it will make use of wind and solar power to produce the fuel. Tory Rushton, the province’s natural resources minister, issued a statement saying the plant could represent a new market for the province’s forestry sector. “We know many landowners have an abundance of low-grade wood fibre …. so this is another renewable energy project coming to Nova Scotia,” the minister said, adding that the project requires environmental and safety approvals…Raymond Plourde, wilderness co-ordinator at the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, said in an interview the term “low-grade” biomass doesn’t only refer to the wood chips and sawdust created in sawmills, but it can also include cutting species of trees unwanted by sawmills. He said 700,000 tonnes of biomass a year is “huge,” and he estimates it represents the “consumptive capacity” of a medium-sized pulp mill. ”
Sep 12, 2024:
– Nova Scotia not to blame for U.S. softwood lumber duties: Premier
By Tim Houston on Danadian Forest Industries – See Post under Sep 3, 2024 below for context.
– Integrating ancient resource management wisdom with modern forestry practices – First Annual Indigenous Forestry Conference draws hundreds
By Denise Titian in www.hashilthsa.com “The Best Western Barclay Convention centre was packed with Indigenous leaders and foresters who were there to share ideas, resources, and successes as they move forward in a new era of sustainable, First Nations-led forestry practices in their territories.”
Sep 11, 2024:
– Are BC’s Forests Running Out of Trees?
Zoë Yunker in The Tyee. “The province prides itself on its sustainable forestry. But even industry is now sounding the alarm.”
– Bridgewater Couple Named Woodland Owners of the Year
Natural Resources and Renewables News Release “Judy and Thomas Mailman of Bridgewater are the western region and provincial winners of the 2024 Woodland Owners of the Year Award. The Mailmans have worked hard to take care of their woodland. They have taken part in a project on silviculture for hemlock woolly adelgid – an insect that attacks hemlock trees – hosted classes from Nova Scotia Community College, worked with researchers on tree care and wood heating, and put up birdhouses. They have also teamed up with the Western Woodlot Services Cooperative to promote their woodlands.
Sep 10, 2024:
Canadian government: Please stop greenwashing tar sands pipelines
Gregory M. Mikkelson et al., in National Observer (subscription may be required). “This past June, the Canadian Parliament amended the Competition Act to crack down on corporate greenwashing. These amendments prohibit — for the first time, believe it or not — companies from making groundless claims about their environmental impacts. “[W]ithin minutes”, a group of tar sands companies called the Pathways Alliance “removed its entire online presence.” All six members of the group — Canadian Natural Resources, Suncor, Cenovus, Imperial Oil, MEG Energy, and ConocoPhillips — “deleted their corporate sustainability reports from their own websites.” The federal government’s small but important move to protect society against fossil fuel propaganda came as a welcome surprise to us. At the same time, however, it brings into stark relief the question of how to stop the government itself from greenwashing.”
Sep 9, 2024:
Annapolis County resident exposed to glyphosate after aerial spraying in Phinneys Cove
Kirk Starratt for Saltwire Subscription may be required. “Round Hill resident Cameron Stiff, who opposes the aerial spraying of the herbicide glyphosate for forestry purposes, says he was inadvertently exposed to the chemical Aug. 30 after it was applied to a recovering clearcut in Phinneys Cove.”
Sep 7, 2024:
– ‘Sustainable’ logging operations are clear-cutting Canada’s climate-fighting forests
C. Kirkham et al for a Reuters Special Report. “Nonprofit environment watchdogs put their stamps of approval on countless wood products that get touted as responsibly produced. But Reuters found that the timber firms these groups certify are harvesting large swaths of Canada’s older forests, which are critical to containing global warming…The rapid loss of older Canadian forests highlights the flaws of certification programs that have come under heavy influence of the logging and forest-products industries, a Reuters investigation has found.”
– ‘We’re really determined: Residents with environmental, health concerns setting up protest encampments against aerial glyphosate spray
by Ken Starratt in the Annapolis Valley Register, Saltwire (subscription required) “Concerned Annapolis Valley residents are once again camping out on forestry land approved for aerial spraying of the herbicide glyphosate…The provincial Department of Environment and Climate Change issued three new approvals for aerial herbicide spraying for forestry purposes, covering 1,817 hectares. This is up from the 1,415 hectares approved for spraying in 2023…For those protesting, Newington said, there is a growing sense of frustration as the practice continues. “It’s extremely anxiety provoking,” Newington said.”
– Citing health, environmental, and wildlife concerns, citizens aim to stop aerial herbicide spraying near Advocate Harbour
Jan Baxter in the Hfx Examiner (subscription required, def worth it!). “Since Aug. 23, a group of self-described “forest protectors” have been gathering on the edge of the Pugwash River Road behind a sign that says “Private Property, Keep Off.” They’ve got their own “No Spray” signs to prop on their vehicles and hold up to people driving by. Nearly everyone honks and offers them a smile or thumbs up…Purdy is also trying to keep in touch with people at other sites where Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (NSECC) has issued permits for the 2024 aerial spraying of glyphosate-based herbicides over forestry lands…the spraying she wants stopped is on three woodland properties on the Pugwash River Road… the three properties where spraying has been permitted off Pugwash River Road are owned by Bragg Lumber of Collingwood, belonging to Nova Scotian billionaire John Bragg, who among other business holdings owns Oxford Frozen Foods and Eastlink…The spray site on Pugwash River Road is about a kilometre from the Pugwash River, which worries 73-year-old Betty Hodgson, chair of the group ‘Friends of the Pugwash Estuary.’ “Whether the spray companies or the forestry industry like it or not, water runs downhill,” Hodgson said. “So if you spray at the top of the hill, it’s going to end up in the river sooner or later.”
Sep 6, 2024:
– ‘Ludicrous’ to subject environmental groups to greenwashing rules, says MP
By Natasha Bulowski in Canada’s National Observer. “One of Canada’s most powerful oil lobby groups wants environmental organizations to be bound by a new federal anti-greenwashing competition law. The proposal, from the Canadian Association for Petroleum Producers (CAPP), is “absolutely ludicrous,” said NDP MP Charlie Angus…”
– ‘Don’t spray Cumberland County’: citizens mobilize to protest aerial spraying of glyphosate herbicides by forestry companies
Joan Baxter in HfxExaminer (Subscription required), Intro in Morning File
Joan Baxter travelled to the Pugwash area and reports on “a group of self-described “forest protectors” fighting to stop aerial spraying of glyphosate….”
Sep 5, 2024:
Canada’s Forest Sector Responds to Activists’ Report on Forest Carbon Emissions
Forest Products Association of Canada “Earlier today, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) issued the following statement regarding a carbon emissions report released by anti-forestry activists: “The Canadian government’s approach to forest carbon reporting and accounting continues to be based on science and evidence. The approach is consistent with the guidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).”
Sep 3, 2024:
– Blame Nova Scotia for billions Canada will pay in softwood lumber duties
By William Pellerin in The Globe and Mail. Summary from TreeFrog: “The recent U.S. decision to increase softwood lumber duties to nearly 15% is a blow to Canada. …Since 2017, Canadian lumber producers have paid more than $9-billion in duties. Many Canadians would be surprised to learn that Nova Scotia bears a heavy portion of blame. …The province of Nova Scotia… invests considerable effort to produce the benchmark information that it then shares with the United States. …Few Canadians know that softwood lumber produced in Nova Scotia is exempt from the U.S. duties. When U.S. lumber producers petitioned the U.S. government for the duties, they presented data on Nova Scotia’s timber pricing to support their allegations that other Canadian provinces were subsidizing producers. While Nova Scotia has benefited from securing its exclusion from the U.S. duties, other Canadian provinces bear that heavy burden. …It sets a dangerous precedent where a Canadian province collaborates with a foreign government at the expense of other provinces. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]”
– Some want a robust gold industry in Nova Scotia. Others say good riddance
Taryn Grant | CBC News “Industry says provincial government is hindering its efforts”
Sep 2, 2024:
Residents hope a road that threatened old-growth forest will be rerouted
Moira Donovan · CBC News “Ron Cousins’s family has owned the woodlot for 80 years…Several trees on his property are hundreds of years old, he said, including a hemlock that’s at least 218 years old and a yellow birch that naturalists have said may be the largest in the province.”
Aug 30, 2024:
– Annapolis Valley, N.S., residents setting up protest encampments against aerial glyphosate spray
Kirk Starratt for Saltwire. Subscription may be required. “Concerned Annapolis Valley residents are once again camping out on forestry land approved for aerial spraying of the herbicide glyphosate.”
– Saving old forests in Nova Scotia
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner. (Subscription required) “Citizen scientists, lichen hunters and intrepid campers work to protect endangered species and biodiverse forests on public land”
– In Tiny Letters: Warnings about eating berries on forest glyphosate spray sites in Nova Scotia
Page on this website, From a Post by Nina Newington – Stop Spraying & Clear-Cutting Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) shared on Woods and Waters Nova Scotia.
– Nanoplastics found to interfere with tree photosynthesis
on www.swissinfo.ch “After absorbing plastic particles, the trees no longer used part of the sunlight’s energy for photosynthesis, but dissipated it as heat. This is a typical stress reaction of trees, wrote the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) in a press release on the study on Thursday. The SNSF funded the research project.”
Aug 28, 2024:
– Robots Are Starting (Good) Fires in California
By Coco Liu in Bloomberg “BurnBot’s tank-like robot helps manage wildfire risk by conducting controlled burns with no open flames, minimal smoke and much less manpower.”
–Study explores how active management relates to Australian forest management
By Forestry Australia on Phys.org “A new paper, “Active management: a definition and considerations for implementation in forests of temperate Australia,” published in the journal, Australian Forestry, “Explores where active management sits in relation to a sometimes-confusing array of related concepts including passive management and adaptative management,”
Aug 27, 2024:
– Version 2.0 of the Canadian NLT guide is now available!
Message received from www.naturallywood.com “The NLT Canadian design and construction guide 2.0 is the only comprehensive nail-laminated timber (NLT) resource available that combines design, construction, and fabrication expertise from built projects into an easy-to-use reference.”
Aug 26, 2024:
– Natural Resources says there was no bear attack on Halifax-area trail
CBC News “Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources says an investigation has concluded there was no bear attack on a Halifax-area trail. The department said Monday it was investigating an “unconfirmed bear attack” after someone was injured on Shearwater Flyer Trail in Cole Harbour.” Related: Bear Attacks in Nova Scotia, by Ross Hall for NRR Wildlife, archived 2011
– Post-Fiona forestry report suggests changes for resilient forests
PEI Gov. “Updated analysis reveals further details on how post-tropical storm Fiona affected Island forests.” View Post-Fiona Forest Update
Aug 25, 2024:
– N.S. First Nation to build third lodge along traditional canoe route to Kejimkujik
Luke Ettinger · CBC News ‘We wanted to develop something that we could share our story with everybody else in the world’
– EU Deforestation Regulation: Is the European forest products industry content? NO!
By Ed Pepke et al. for Dovetail Partners Inc.
Aug 25, 2024:
Nina Newington meets Gini Proulx, a citizen scientist (interview)
On www. soundcloud.com “Interview of Gini Proulx, a citizen scientist in Mi’kma’ki (25 Aug, 2024) Interviewer: Nina Newington Documentation: Haeweon Yi. 53 min. On a sunny afternoon in late August 2024, Nina Newington met up with Gini Proulx and had a great conversation about citizen science. Gini is a citizen science trailblazer in Southwest Nova Scotia – even before “citizen science” became a thing. Gini shared her stories with Nina and talks passionately about her adventures adventures observing and documenting the natural world from her family’s camp near the Tobeatic and all along the Digby Neck and everything in between!
Aug 22, 2024:
Forests Worth Knowing Education for Teachers Click on image for larger version
– We are pleased to announce the success of the 2024 Forests Worth Knowing Atlantic Teachers’ Tour
(NS) Forestry Sector Council on linkedin.com. More about the program and Teachers 2024 here (page with links etc on this website).
– Earth’s ‘combined crisis’ demands common solutions, officials say
By John Woodside in the National Observer ““We see in recent years increasing incidents of fires, of floods, of droughts, of heat waves, and these are rightly attributed to climate change,” he [David Cooper] told reporters on Wednesday. “But it’s also related to biodiversity loss, and it’s also related to ecosystem degradation.”
– Uncertainty over Ottawa’s anti-greenwashing rules could silence promotion of net-zero efforts, industry groups warn
By Jesse Snyder in The Logic (subscription rquired) “Lobby groups representing industries from automotive to mining to manufacturing are raising alarm over the federal government’s new anti-greenwashing rules, warning that they limit companies’ ability to promote environmental achievements and could even hinder access to capital…Corporate greenwashing has become a global issue in recent years, as activists warn that lack of regulatory oversight lets companies claim environmental bona fides without earning them. In particular, carbon offsets, or schemes in which companies purchase land or virtual renewable power contracts to offset their emissions, have failed to meaningfully reduce CO2 output…In Canada, environmental groups including Ecojustice, Équiterre and the Quebec Environmental Law Centre lobbied for even more stringent amendments to the law that would’ve outright prohibited certain forms of greenwashing. Keith Stewart, senior strategist at Greenpeace Canada, said the ability to track and assess industrial activities is key to meeting global climate targets, and anti-greenwashing provisions support those efforts by forcing companies to adhere to specific reporting requirements.”
Aug 21, 2024:
– Canada and Nova Scotia to Plant up to 21 Million Trees and Restore Ecosystems Affected by WildfiresNatural Resources Canada. Also view: Provincewide Tree Planting Starts in Neighbourhoods Affected by Wildfire, By Natural Resources and Renewables. Comment: A form of greeenwashing/subsidizing excessive forest harvesting?
Aug 20, 2024:
– How ‘green’ electricity from wood harms the planet — and people
By Melba Newsome, Nature News Briefing.”Many nations have embraced burning wood pellets to produce electricity — under the assumption that it is carbon neutral. But research shows this approach can boost greenhouse-gas emissions and threaten the health of local communities. ”
– NS government once again approves aerial spraying of NS woodlands – with a probable carcinogen
Joan Baxter in the Hfx Examier. Intro in Morning File “…The NSECC approvals for the aerial spraying of glyphosate over Nova Scotia come just one day after the New York Times published an in-depth investigationinto the mysterious degenerative neurological disease that has affected dozens of people in New Brunswick and may be linked with glyphosate “that is regularly used as part of the forestry industry in New Brunswick.”
– Enbridge is getting millions in hydrogen funding from feds
By John Woodside in the National Observer (subscription may be requred for full access) “Gas giant Enbridge is receiving millions of dollars of new federal funding to help build Canada’s hydrogen economy…Canada’s hydrogen strategy envisions scaling up a low-carbon hydrogen sector, using a regional approach. In places with strong renewable energy potential, such as Atlantic Canada, there are plans to produce “green” hydrogen using renewables. In Western Canada, the approach is largely focused on “blue” hydrogen produced with natural gas equipped with carbon capture. The federal government interchangeably calls the various colours “low carbon” or “clean” hydrogen — umbrella terms designed to capture both varieties, even though the emissions associated with the different types of production vary significantly. In 2021, Cornell University professor Robert Horwarth and Stanford professor Mark Jacobson published the first peer-reviewed study of blue hydrogen’s greenhouse gas emissions and uncovered its greenhouse gas footprint is more than 20 per cent higher than burning natural gas.”
Aug 18, 2024:
Net Zero’s Carbon Removal Conundrum
By Alastair Marsh on Bloomberg News. “Two Oxford academics argue that while new technology for removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is essential, cutting emissions should be the primary weapon for slowing global warming…University of Oxford researchers just devised a “carbon removal budget” to address the issue…Carbon removals are not free and face some significant economic constraints,” Caldecott said in an interview. “So if a company that could easily abate emissions decides instead to use a chunk of the available carbon removal budget, what will that mean for other actors? There has to be equity in the way this finite resource is distributed, and there will undoubtedly be tradeoffs.” In other words, industries that can more easily cut emissions should maximize that effort, leaving more of the world’s limited capacity to remove carbon from the atmosphere for those that, because of their very nature, are limited in their ability to do so. Companies in so-called “hard to abate” sectors like steelmakers and airlines might have greater need for such removals under certain scenarios, the authors said.”
Aug 14, 2024:
– U.S. nearly doubles duty on Canadian softwood lumber
Rafferty Baker · CBC News “The sharp increase in duty was signalled in February, but the 14.54% rate went even higher than expected”. A Reader Comments: “Quite interesting about the U.S. tariff increase — and that they are responding to what they consider unfair subsidies in the Canadian softwood industry. This morning, the National Observer just ran an article about the increase in permits for Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada — and the logging sector was singled out as increasing its use of foreign workers… So much for the forest industry “making work” for communities. Here is a link to the story: Sharp rise in temporary foreign workers in Canadian logging By Hope Lompe. August 14th 2024 in the National Observer (subscription may be required for full access).
Aug 13, 2024
– Carbon capture? A river runs through it
By Pam Sullivan for National Observer. (Subscription may be required for full access). Succinct outline of the operation, financing of this project “…CarbonRun’s first official dosing operation — for carbon removal, and separate from the NS Salmon Association — is about to launch in West River, Pictou, and will be an impressive first in the world of CO2 removal operations. The doser, which will run autonomously, 24 hours a day, will constantly be adding ground limestone as needed, with sensors controlling and administering based on water flow; all of which will be remotely communicated through computer and cell phone, recording data as it goes. And investments, Sterling says, are now coming from leading carbon credit buyers outside the country, which though on its face might seem unusual, is actually a win — not only for CarbonRun, but for the province itself.”
Comment: Rigorous science and accounting are behind the scientific, financial and practical success of this NS-born carbon sequestration project; no hype. A mark contrast to NS Biofuel and Green Hydrogen projects. More about it
– Clean Fuel Fund helping transition Nova Scotia industries to biofuels, biomass
By Canadian Biomass staff In www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca. Also view: Funding Available for Industries to Move Toward Cleaner Fuels, NRR News Release Aug 13, 2024.
– How Maine is unique in fighting emerald ash borer
By Elizabeth Walztoni in The Bangor Daily News “The larvae of long, green beetles are winding their way under the bark of Maine’s brown ash trees in northern and southern pockets of the state. Known as emerald ash borers, the insects have decimated ash trees in the Great Lakes already. They likely will do the same here one day, local researchers said. But for 20 years, Maine has been preparing with a focus on protecting Wabanaki traditions and including Indigenous knowledge, an approach setting it apart from other states.”
Aug 12, 2024
– Mature trees offer hope in world of rising emissions
Esme Stallard for BBC News/ “Older trees are able to accelerate their rates of absorbing planet-warming emissions, scientists at the University of Birmingham have found. A forest of mature oak trees was exposed to elevated levels of carbon dioxide for seven years and in response, the trees increased their production of wood – locking in the greenhouse gas and preventing it from warming the planet. The researchers hope the study, published in Nature Climate Change, will demonstrate the importance of protecting and maintaining mature forests for tackling climate change. References this scientific paper: Enhanced woody biomass production in a mature temperate forest under elevated CO2 by Norny et al., In Nature Climate Change published 12 Aug 2024″
Aug 9, 2024
– To hug or to cut? A new generation of foresters says do both.
By Richard Mertens & Riley Robinson in The Christian Science Monitor “American forestry has been a stage of conflict between timber interests and conservation. A new generation of ecological foresters wants both to flourish.”
– Premier Appoints New Communications Director
Premier’s Office News Release “Premier Tim Houston announced today, August 9, that Stephen Moore has been appointed Communications Director for the Premier’s Office.“Stephen has proven experience in communications, and I am excited to welcome him to the team,” said Premier Houston. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to improve healthcare and build up Nova Scotia.” Mr. Moore is currently the Executive Director of Forest Nova Scotia. Prior to that, he held positions at Saint Mary’s University and MQO Research, as well as director of communications for the Premier’s Office from 2014 to 2018.Mr. Moore’s appointment is effective August 19.”
Comment from a reader: Some of Mt.Moore’s perspectives are expressed in Q&A with Forest Nova Scotia’s Stephen Moore, February 20, 2024 By Maria Church in Canadian Forest Industries. From that interview:
– “There are some groups that are never going to be happy so long as we’re cutting a single tree. There are groups that fundraise to stop us from existing. The idea that we are going to win them over is silly.”
– “Those things need to happen (harvesting), but some people don’t want to see it happening where they go for hikes.”
– “I say we have social license. We need to stop worrying about playing nice with everybody.”
– “People are built to do certain things and I’m built to be a political animal.”
– Carbon offsets are bullshit
Tim Bousquet in the Halifax Examiner. “It’s true that the carbon offset program factors in a buffer for trees lost to wildfire, but the problem is that fires are increasing in both frequency and scale, and so the buffer is inadequate. (CarbonPlan studied this in detail a few years ago, and published its findings here.) This is not just a problem with California’s offset program but with carbon offset schemes generally — they all depend on both reliable long-term human management and a more or less stable environment, neither of which can be assured.” Also View Comments by Bev Wigney
– Climate change behind Atlantic Canada’s summer heat wave, research says
by Yvette d’Entremont” in the Hfx Examiner. Subscription required; Intro in Morning File.
– Forest school in Halifax started by parents who saw it benefit their son
By Lauren Phillips in The Coast
Aug 8, 2024:
Session 1: Intro to Planting Pruning & Thinning- Planting (YouTube Video)
On Nova Scotia Forest YouTube channel (NSWOOA) – View more videos by NSWOOA
“This event was part of “Ecological Forest Management in a Changing Climate: A Workshop Series for Forest Stewards”, a series hosted in 2023/2024 by the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners & Operators Association with support from the NS Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. Led by Ryan Dickie, Forest Operations Coordinator with the Family Forest Network, this workshop was held on the Macaulay and Oprel woodlot near Glencoe Mills, Inverness County, NS in September 2023.”
Aug 7, 2024:
Cut Carbon not Forests
“The UK gives billions to energy companies that burn trees for electricity, harming our climate and forests around the world. Cut Carbon Not Forests is a campaign to stop handouts to this dirty and destructive industry. Ask your MP to help end biomass subsidies now.”
Aug 6, 2024:
– [HRM] Municipality seeking feedback on updated Urban Forest Management Plan
Survey, Guided Tours, Updadating of its 2013 Urban Forest Master Plan.
– Nova Scotia’s rivers still suffer from acid rain. Restoring them could also help the climate
CBC “Acid rain, which is caused when pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide infiltrate precipitation, was largely mitigated by the passage of the U.S. Clean Air Act in 1990, and by the 1991 U.S.-Canada Air Quality Agreement. But in Nova Scotia rivers, the problem never truly went away… CarbonRun is launching what it says is the world’s first carbon removal project via enhancing river alkalinity, and it’s set to begin in the coming months. Also view CarbonRun & Liming Forest Soils (page on this website).
– Revolutionary scientific discovery upends deep sea mining negotiations
By John Woodside in the National Observer. Cited here as a striking example of ‘what we dont know can hurt us’ and why we need to take a very precautionary approach to exploiting nature. “Mining the ocean floor for critical minerals was already controversial, but a new groundbreaking scientific study has thrown the industry into chaos as countries negotiate its future…Scientists discovered what they called “dark oxygen”… The scientists describe “polymetallic nodules” – lumps of rock containing minerals found around four kilometeres deep that produce a small electric current. That electric current is believed to be splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen in a process called saltwater electrolysis, similar to how hydrogen can be produced using an electric current to split water into oxygen and hydrogen…The Metals Company wants to mine those nodules and sell them to produce batteries needed for the energy transition…The Metals Company strongly disagrees with the findings.” References this paper: Evidence of dark oxygen production at the abyssal seafloor by Sweetman et al., 22Jul2024 in Nature Geoscience.
Aug 4, 2024:
Conservationists push to triple protected natural areas
By John Chilibeck, The Daily Gleaner reported in www.thespec.com “New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative government spent two years increasing protected natural areas from just under five per cent of the province’s land and freshwater to 10 per cent, a doubling that was proudly announced in December 2022. But now there’s a push from conservationists for far more: to hit 30 per cent by 2030, the vaunted “30 by 30” that the Trudeau Liberal government pledged for the country as a whole at a United Nations biodiversity forum in Montreal a couple of years ago. The local chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Atlantic Salmon Federation recently released the results of a poll they commissioned, suggesting that two out of three respondents in New Brunswick support the bigger goal.”
Aug 2, 2024:
– Membertou First Nation builds area’s first mass timber commercial building
By Don Procter Daily Commercial News “The Membertou First Nation near Sydney, Cape Breton, is building the area’s first mass timber commercial building, a 92,000-square-foot office complex as part of the community’s Seventh Exchange, a new 35-acre retail and service district.”
– What could existential sustainability be? A conceptual study of existential dimensions of sustainability
Johammes Persson in PlosOne “The term “existential” is nowadays used in connection with different kinds of threat, risk and hazard–sustainability discourse included. Loss of certain forms of existence, potential, conditions and values have all been claimed to be incompatible with existential dimensions of sustainability (or “existential sustainability”, for short). In order to clarify the notion(s) of existential sustainability, two recently more discussed concepts–‘existential threat’ and ‘existential risk’–are used for comparison and contrast. With increased popularity comes the risk of conflating uses of “existential” in the sense of the meaning (fulness) of human existence and “existential” in the sense of the very existence (or annihilation) of something. It is suggested that the concept of existential might usefully be pushed in the direction of managing (the risk of) permanent or irreparable consequences related to different levels of aggregation.”
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