by Melissa Mortimer *Check out discussion questions after article At the age of 60, with more than 30 years as a sustainability outreach and engagement specialist behind her, Jo de Vries sometimes felt old, irrelevant, and invisible. “Many of my colleagues were in their 20s and 30s, and some seemed uninterested in listening to my […]
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‘MIND’ING NATURE: Cultivating Childhood Wellness Outdoors
SUMMARY People have become less connected to nature, particularly with increasing urbanization. However, many studies are now clearly demonstrating that nature connectedness is crucial to our physical and mental health, and to the future of our communities’ social, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being. Audrey Hystad, farm manager for the Clubhouse Farm in Kelowna, BC and […]
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NATURE’S PLAN: Using Natural Frameworks to Build Mentally Healthy Communities
SUMMARY Creating mentally healthy communities is becoming an issue of increasing importance. Dr. Marilyn Hamilton, an author and international thought leader, and Mark Holland, an author and award-winning community planner, discuss how we can use what we know about nature to plan, design, and build more livable, socially connected, and mentally healthy communities. They also […]
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ECO-GRIEF: Youth Bearing the Brunt of Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change
Imagine waking up on a summer day. You’re getting out of bed to then see a red-colored sun and orange sky outside. Sticking your head out the window, you see nearby wilderness catching fire, moving from tree to tree like a dancing plague. Tears gush from your eyes almost instantly. Smoke fills the air, and […]
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Asbestos Cement Water Pipes – Should We Be Concerned?
The 1930s were an exciting time for water infrastructure in North America. A new type of water pipe had been introduced in Canada and the United States just a year earlier. Asbestos cement (AC) water pipe was billed as cheaper, lightweight, and seemingly impervious to deterioration. Over the next few decades, the use of the […]
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WEALTH IN MENTAL HEALTH: Mobilizing a Just & Green Recovery Economy
SUMMARY Recovery from COVID-19 provides remarkable opportunities for transition to a just and green economy that would ultimately boost universal mental health. Policy professionals Trish Hennessy (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives) and Arden Henley (Green Technology Education Centre) talk about transformative concepts such as ‘doughnut economics’, ‘well-being budget’, ‘inclusive economy’, and the ‘three-sided coin’. They […]
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Flushing Our Environment Down the Drain
When one considers the source of water pollution, industrial operations quickly come to mind. However, municipal wastewater effluents are also a significant source of contamination. In fact, some pollutant levels in these effluents have been found to be many times higher than those in untreated industrial wastewaters. Although many municipalities utilize advanced processes to treat […]
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Are Those Cheap Hamburgers Killing Our Streams?
Intensive livestock operations, feedlots, concentrated animal feeding operations, or factory farms; whatever you chose to call them, they produce most of the meats we consume. In an effort to increase profits and decrease costs, producers are replacing many small livestock operations with fewer larger ones. These huge operations can have tens of thousands of animals […]
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PPCPs Are Turning Our Water Into Chemical Soup
Studies undertaken in several countries have detected a wide range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP’s) in surface water, groundwater, and even drinking water systems. The levels of these chemicals appear to be relatively low, however, due to their reactive nature, continual presence in the environment, and unknown effects on both humans and aquatic […]
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C5H2O – A Formula for Water Management
In scientific terms, C5H20 is a molecular formula. In human terms, however, it’s a formula that combines the human elements of creativity, communication, consultation, consensus, and collaboration with traditional approaches to maximize water management efforts. Arguably, people throughout the ages have talked with one another about common water concerns, and have worked together to achieve […]
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The Dollars and Sense of Wetland Preservation
Wetlands are crucial for the maintenance of a healthy environment and the provision of clean, useable water for human and ecosystem use. They are incredibly productive areas containing an abundance of biodiversity. They are natural buffers that reduce the occurrences of floods and droughts. And, they are critical breeding and nursery grounds for aquatic and […]
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More People Are Hitting the Bottle
On the label there’s an image of a mountain glacier, snow capped mountains, or perhaps a pristine mountain lake. The label may also contain words like: clear, refreshing, healthy, pure, and natural. When you combine these images with aggressive marketing campaigns that promote the benefits of drinking their products, it’s little wonder the bottled water […]
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Women’s Involvement Key to Sustainable Water Management
In many countries, men and women have different roles pertaining to the use and management of water. Because of these different roles and the way they are assessed, women are often left out of the decision-making process when water issues are discussed. In addition, women’s water needs are often given a lower priority than men’s. […]
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“Ribbons of Life” Are Tied to Long-term Environmental Health
Every shoreline is a “living edge” or “ribbon of life” where land, water, and air meet. Healthy natural shorelines along lakes, creeks, rivers, ponds, canals, estuaries, and oceans contribute significantly to the overall health of our entire water system. Silver Donald Cameron said, “The beach is magic, an infinitely complex and beautiful ballet of the […]
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Lawn Perfection or Environmental Protection?
If you drive through many neighbourhoods, you are likely to see yards, parks, and golf courses sporting the so called ‘perfect lawn.’ It’s a large expanse of lush weed-free green grass that is the pride and even obsession of many homeowners. Although this form of landscaping may be aesthetically pleasing to many people, it’s often […]
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