This morning on the show we heard about carbon taxation, had the fourth episode of our Madgical Moments series, and got an update from the Canadian Youth Delegation about the UN meetings . . . → Read More: December 9, 2010: Carbon Taxation and a Madgical Moment]]> Carbon emissions from a coal fired power plant. Hear about the potential future of carbon taxation in today’s interview with John Curtis.

This morning on the show we heard about carbon taxation, had the fourth episode of our Madgical Moments series, and got an update from the Canadian Youth Delegation about the UN meetings in Cancun.

John Curtis: Carbon Taxation
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor
This week Robyn Penney discussed carbon taxation with John Curtis, a distinguished fellow of the Canadian Center for International Gorvernance. For John, carbon taxation in North America is the way of the future. John and Robyn discussed how it is organized within the European Union, how it would be applied here in North America, and what are the barriers to success and implementation in North America.

Madgical Moments, Episode 4: The Santa Map
By: Beth Ray, Maps Specialist @ MADGIC
This episode looks at a map series called ‘The Santa map: a cultural geography of the world’s most beloved man’, with many separate maps, illustrations and texts. It speculates on his delivery routes around the world, and looks at the evolution of Santa Claus as a cultural phenomenon since 10,000 BCE. To track Santa Claus on his journey, visit NORAD’s site.

Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s news, debate continues on NASA’s discovery of bacteria that thrive on arsenic, the EU creates a memorandum of understanding for a future shared electricity grid for offshore wind, Google unveils a new platform to track environmental changes, the first private spacecraft successfully orbits the Earth, and the UN’s climate change conference in Cancun is wrapping up.

This morning on the show we heard the first feature from new SPF’er Kathy Lopez, and played the first episode of the Canadian Youth Delegation’s podcast series from the UN climate conference in Cancun. . . . → Read More: December 2, 2010: Peter Singer Lecture]]> Philosopher Peter Singer delivering a lecture; hear about his approach to climate change ethics in this week’s feature. Picture Credit.

This morning on the show we heard the first feature from new SPF’er Kathy Lopez, and played the first episode of the Canadian Youth Delegation’s podcast series from the UN climate conference in Cancun.

Peter Singer: Ethical Dilemmas of Climate Change – Lecture Analysis
By: Kathy Lopez, Regular SPF Contributor
On November 18th, 2010, the Department of Philosophy at Carleton University hosted professor Singer as he delivered a lecture entitled “Climate Change: The Moral Wrongdoing by the Developed World”. He approached the issue of global warming through an ethical perspective, and based on three moral principals that give different solutions to the problem. He also explored the moral obligations of governments and individuals in addressing climate change. Singer showed that climate change is not only an problem for international politics and economies, but a moral issue based on underlying ethical dilemmas.

The Canadian Youth Delegation: Cancun Conference Podcasts
By: The CYD
The Canadian Youth Delegation are a group of volunteers from around Canada who focus on increasing awareness of climate change, and seek to engage youth in the fight for solutions to current climate problems. They are in Cancun right now, attending the 16th UN conference for climate change. The conference brings together representatives from countries around the world, to try to reach an agreement on future policies to address climate change. The Youth Delegation has been making daily podcasts of their experiences so far, and we played one of their episodes on the show this morning.

The Environmental News
By: Andrew Lindstrom, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s environmental news, scientists develop a prototype that converts co2 into gasoline, governments act to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Nova Scotia introduces the first anti-idling act in Canada, and new research sheds light on the largest mammals that ever lived.

Andrea Charron: Arctic Sovereignty By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SpF Contributor

Dr. Charron is a research fellow with the Carleton Centre for Security and Defense Studies, and has written a number of papers on Arctic Sovereignty, . . . → Read More: October 7, 2010: Arctic Sovereignty]]> The multiple routes of the northwest passage, whose potential opening plays a major role in discussions of Arctic Sovereignty.

Andrea Charron: Arctic Sovereignty
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SpF Contributor

Dr. Charron is a research fellow with the Carleton Centre for Security and Defense Studies, and has written a number of papers on Arctic Sovereignty, and is a presenter at an upcoming forum hosted by the Canadian Associations of Defense and Security Industries. Focusing on the controversy of the Northern Passage, continental shelf exploration, and the use of force in the area, she talked to Henry this past week about Canada’s role and how the Inuit people can play an active role in the possible opening of the North.

Buying Local Foods Discussion
By: Robyn Penney, Veronica Tang, Chris Mineau, & Special Guest Host DJ Diggs

We also had a spontaneous discussion about local foods, spurred by an upcoming donation of $10,000 dollars to local farmers by the Royal Bank. The conversation went off on a few tangents along the way, about ethical business, motivations for donations, and briefly on where to buy local organic foods on campus.

The Environmental News
By: Veronica Tang

In this week’s news toxic sludge is released in Hungary causing at least 4 deaths, acidifying waters, and possibly contaminating the Danube, Europe’s second largest river.

Have you seen the new solar array on the Canal Building? . . . → Read More: August 26, 2010: Sustainable Campus Initiatives and Climate in the North]]> More than most places in the world, communities in the far north are wrestling with issues related to climate change. SPFer John Wall spoke to Gary Davidson and Beate Bowron, planners who are working on issues related to climate change in the north.

Have you seen the new solar array on the Canal Building? What about the River Building’s green roof? Ok, these projects are still under construction but they are close to completion. They are just two of the many green initiatives that are going on at Carleton. Carol Hunsberger caught up with Murdo Murchison, Carleton’s Sustainability Officer, to learn more about the university’s green achievements and priorities for further action.

Today on the show we heard a two-part feature with Tim Patterson. A professor of Geology at Carleton University, he has made a number of appearances in the media over the years arguing . . . → Read More: July 22, 2010: Tim Patterson On Climate Change]]> A record of sunspot activity for the last 400 years, argued to be directly responsible, or strongly related to climate change.

Today on the show we heard a two-part feature with Tim Patterson. A professor of Geology at Carleton University, he has made a number of appearances in the media over the years arguing against human caused climate change. Henry Hawkins spoke with him a few weeks ago, to hear his side of the argument, one that is largely ignored, and he talked about solar cycles, weather processes, and the cultural phenomenon of climate change.

On the Environmental News, Henry covered the spill in the gulf of Mexico that has finally been capped after 3 months, the rise of electric car battery manufacturing plants in the US, summer 2010 being the hottest ever on record, lakes being discovered on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, and the end (?) of the ecofee.

Northern Canada is a harsh environment, with conditions that make transportation a major problem. The Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road stretches 568 kilometres from Yellowknife to Nunavut crossing frozen lakes, and several narrow portages. As a road that . . . → Read More: July 8, 2010: The Tibbitt To Contwoyto Winter Road]]> A winter road crossing snow, ice, and lakes, similar to the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road

Northern Canada is a harsh environment, with conditions that make transportation a major problem. The Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road stretches 568 kilometres from Yellowknife to Nunavut crossing frozen lakes, and several narrow portages. As a road that is only open for two months each year, small changes to the local climate can have great impacts on the industries who rely on the route. With that in mind, Tim Patterson, a professor of Geology at Carleton University is conducting a research project to determine the long term feasibility of the road. Henry Hawkins spoke with him this past week about what the process entails.

We also heard from Matt Street with an interview with Hugh Campbell at the Brockville Climate Action Group. They talked about what the . . . → Read More: May 20, 2010: Biking In Ottawa, Part 2]]> This week on the show we had the second part to our spring biking feature, hearing from Robyn Penney on where to buy, fix, and ride your bike here in Ottawa.

We also heard from Matt Street with an interview with Hugh Campbell at the Brockville Climate Action Group. They talked about what the group is doing in their community to combat climate change on a small scale, and heard about some of their upcoming events.

We also had another update from Robyn Penney on her Geography Field course, as she spoke with Leanne Bing about their progress with the planning for Oxbow Park.

After that we tapped the . . . → Read More: January 7, 2010: Forests and Bears]]> In today’s show we feature two interviews that touch on forests. In the first half of the show we heard from Chris Henschel of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, speaking about forests and climate and how forestry is being included (or not) in current global climate change negotiations.

After that we tapped the archives for one of our favorite stories from 2009, an interview with Simon Jackson of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition on BC’s white kermode bears and an innovative effort to protect their habitat.

Then, . . . → Read More: November 19, 2009: Voter Representation and Environmental Justice]]> On today’s show we looked into the geography of voting. Many of us take “one person, one vote” for granted, but Stewart Fast  explained how our votes can make more, or less, of a difference based on where we cast them. He spoke with Andy Blair and Yannick Carrière of Fair Vote Canada.

Then, we heard about environmental justice and the Alberta oil sands. Clayton Thomas-Muller from the Indigenous Environmental Network gave a keynote speech on the topic at the Power Shift Canada conference few weeks ago. We played a slightly shortened version of his address. Thanks to Greg Macdougall for recording the speech.