Pierre Mineau: Industrial Agriculture By: Chris Mineau, Regular SPF Contributor For her first feature, Chris discusses the . . . → Read More: December 16, 2010: Industrial Agriculture]]> This morning on the show we heard the first feature from new SPF’er Chris Mineau, about industrial agriculture, and Henry and Robyn talked about their fourth year undergrad geography theses, and their process so far.

Pierre Mineau: Industrial Agriculture
By: Chris Mineau, Regular SPF Contributor
For her first feature, Chris discusses the history of industrial agriculture, and spoke to senior research scientist Pierre Mineau from Environment Canada about the consequences of pesticide use. He talks about the ‘green revolution’, and its pesticide use, fertilizers, and selective seed breeding, that has allowed increased crop yields to support exponentially growing populations over the past few hundred years.

The Carleton University Undergrad Thesis: Research & Ethics
By: Henry Hawkins & Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributors
Henry and Robyn have progressed with their theses, with Henry focusing in on solar panel adoption in Ontario under the OPA’s microFIT program, and Robyn looking at the effects of green roofs in Ottawa, and on Carleton campus. They talked about their progress so far, about the hurdles of ethics clearance, and about their topics in general.

The Environmental News
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s environmental news, bp gets the treatment it deserves, new hope to save the polar bears, Finland’s fight to protect forest space has finally ended, and butterflies flutter no more?

The CKCU Funding Drive

It’s that time again; the annual CKCU Funding Drive! During the 3 week period, the station raises money toward their operating budget for the year, and every show kicks in to help them reach their $110,000 target. . . . → Read More: October 28, 2010: Funding Drive Show I]]> The CKCU Funding Drive: Visit their website at www.ckcufm.com and support community radio!

The CKCU Funding Drive

It’s that time again; the annual CKCU Funding Drive! During the 3 week period, the station raises money toward their operating budget for the year, and every show kicks in to help them reach their $110,000 target. Your donations totaled $165 for our first show, so thank you very much for all of your donations! If you would like to donate, please give the station a call at 613-520-3920 (toll-free at 1-877-520-3920), or pledge online at their secure website.

Fracesca Schembri: The First Annual Eco-Summit
By: Carol Hunsberger, Regular SpF Contributor

This morning on the show Carol spoke with Francesca Schembri, the organizer of the first annual Eco-Summit at Elmwood High School in Ottawa. The event will see students from across the city gathering together, to inspire and motivate teenagers to plan and carry out environmental initiatives at their schools this year.

The Environmental News
By: Andrew Lindstrom, Regular SpF Contributor

In this week’s Environmental News, we heard about methane being absorbed in the Gulf of Mexico, tourism threatening manta rays in the Maldives, Argentina’s efforts to protect glaciers, Nova Scotia’s wind power plans, and the discovery of the oldest known galaxy.

The David Suzuki Legacy Lecture: Writer’s Festival 2010 By: Robyn Penney & Henry Hawkins, Regular SpF Contributors

David Suzuki was in Ottawa this past week as part of the annual Writer’s Festival, and gave his Legacy Lecture speech. . . . → Read More: September 30, 2010: The David Suzuki Legacy Lecture]]> David Suzuki, answering questions during his Legacy Lecture given as part of the 2010 Writer’s Festival.

The David Suzuki Legacy Lecture: Writer’s Festival 2010
By: Robyn Penney & Henry Hawkins, Regular SpF Contributors

David Suzuki was in Ottawa this past week as part of the annual Writer’s Festival, and gave his Legacy Lecture speech. The talk was based on his life’s work, and was developed as a response to the question, ‘If you had one last lecture to give, what would you say?’. Covering everything from the beginnings of life on Earth to the future of sustainable development, and touching on biology, genetics, conservation, education, and the economy, Suzuki’s Legacy lecture is an excellent summary of his work over the last 40 years. It has recently been the subject of a film that will see limited release tomorrow, as well as an accompanying book.

Robyn and Henry attended the lecture, and had a live roundtable discussion of the lecture, discussing some of the issues he brought up during his talk.

The Interactive Learning Project: Micheal Nemr
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SpF Contributor

Everyone has played some sort of video game in their life but have you ever thought of watching a live lecture in a 3-D auditorium, then hanging out with your friends on top of Dunton tower? Maybe it’s a different kind of fun than beating out your opponent in a racing game but it could be the future of “going to school” here at Carleton. Robyn interviewed Micheal Nemr on an interactive learning project for Carleton University courses, a video game-like experience where students can wander round a representation of campus and talk with professors.

The Environmental News
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SpF Contributor

In this week’s news, the Canadian government spends 2.5 million dollars on bottled water and water coolers, new improvements in solar cell research from Stanford University, and the Council for Canadians bash Harper’s agreement to join the international conference of water corporations.

The Madgic Department – Overview By: Susan Jackson, Head of MADGIC

This morning we launched a new recurring feature on the show from The MADGIC Department here at Carleton University in the MacOdrum . . . → Read More: September 23, 2010: The Madgic Department]]> An olde world map from 1570, made by Abraham Ortelius and referred to as the ‘first world atlas’

The Madgic Department – Overview
By: Susan Jackson, Head of MADGIC

This morning we launched a new recurring feature on the show from The MADGIC Department here at Carleton University in the MacOdrum Library. They are the Maps, Data, and Government Information Centre, and they provide their services to help students find and use data most effectively, with a wealth of information to draw from in the form of maps, census data, government information, and much more. This morning we heard an overview of what they are all about, and what services they can offer students.

They also maintain the Madgical Web Blog, featuring a wealth of information about interesting maps on current topics, covering everything from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill ‘blow by blow’, to a real-time interactive map of worldwide shipping traffic.

Madgical Moments, Episode 1: Earthquakes
By: Beth Ray, Map Specialist in the MADGIC Department

We also heard the first in our new feature from the Madgic Department. This episode looked at a map called ‘The City of Ottawa Seismic Classification Map’ that shows geological faultlines in the Ottawa region, as a way of visualizing potential locations for future earthquakes. To see this map in person, drop by the Madgic Department in the 2nd floor extension of the MacOdrum Library to see the new Spaces, Places and Faces display.

The Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SpF Contributor

In the Environmental News: bp announces that they have finally sealed the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, plans are underway in California to build the world’s largest solar power plant, at a capacity of 1000MW, the results are in for the yearly Arctic summer melt and are not as dire as predicted, an archaeological discovery in the Arabian Peninsula suggests the exodus of humans from Africa may have occurred up to 50,000 years earlier than previously thought, and Toyota announces a number of new electric and hybrid cars.

This week on the show we heard from John Wall with a discussion on getting job with a Geography degree. What are employers looking for, and how should geographers sell themselves in a job market? . . . → Read More: June 17, 2010: Jobs In Geography]]> Sunspots seen in ultraviolet light; hear all about the sun being out of sync in this week’s Environmental News.

This week on the show we heard from John Wall with a discussion on getting job with a Geography degree. What are employers looking for, and how should geographers sell themselves in a job market? How can geography undergrads get the most out of their undergrad degree?

In this week’s Environmental News, Henry discusses the sun’s cycles being out of sync and baffling scientists, the latest on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the gulf and what President Obama and the congressional hearings have accomplished, climate talks in Germany, the Japanese Hayabusa space probe, and the anniversary of Jacques Cousteau’s birth.

The Story . . . → Read More: May 21, 2009: Campfire Stories And Karate Kids]]> On the May Long weekend SPFer Matt Street went camping at Sand Banks Provincial Park and took along his audio recorder.  He recorded some interesting sounds, but he particularly liked this story that was read around the campfire. Listen carefully and you can hear the fire and the frogs in the background.

The Story is tentatively called “The Rub.” – By Douglas Ullrich ready by Mark Sedore.  Here is what the Author wrote about it:

“It’s sort of random at the start, and then makes more sense as it goes on.  It’s basically about sitting on the subway or the streetcar and looking across the aisle at somebody who looks totally content, just in the moment and thoughtless, and almost wishing you could have that kind of simplistic certainty or peacefulness (even though you’re aware of the fact that just sitting there, pondering all this stuff, analyzing all these angles, means you could never be that person).”

In the second part of the show Matt Street reports back to Paul Martin on a Karate fundraiser for the Brockville YMCA in Brockville Ontario.

Matt Street reported on another fundraising effort: a pumpkin carving contest in Ottawa that raised money for low-income Kenyan children to attend secondary school through the Canada Mathare Education Trust. . . . → Read More: October 30, 2008: The Funding Drive]]> The first of our funding drive shows brought in $320 in pledges. Thanks to everyone who donated to keep CKCU running for another year!

Matt Street reported on another fundraising effort: a pumpkin carving contest in Ottawa that raised money for low-income Kenyan children to attend secondary school through the Canada Mathare Education Trust. Organizer Wayne Van Sickle explained how the prizes were few but the rewards were many for everyone involved.