Spaces, Places and Faces » Food

March 17, 2011: Israeli Awareness Week

SPF — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:46:09 +0000

Descalier’s 1550 World Map, detail of Australia. Hear about the map in this week’s Madgical moment. Credit.

This week on the show we heard the other side of the issue from last week’s feature on Israeli Apartheid Week, had a feature from first time SPF contributor Chris Boerger, and our 7th episode of the Madgical Moments series, on a 1550 world map.

Emile Scheffel: Israeli Awareness
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor
Last week we had a feature from the organizers of the Israeli Apartheid week, and this week we had Emile Scheffel on to discuss the opposing viewpoint to the week’s events. He discussed some present issues that face pro-Israel students on campus, and the desperate need for some understanding and acceptance of opposing views on both sides.

Local Foods In Ottawa
By: Chris Boerger, Guest SPF Contributor
This morning we heard a feature from first-time SPF contributor Chris Boerger, a 2nd year environmental studies student who completed a radio documentary for one of his courses last semester. He looked at local foods in Ottawa, and interviewed the owner at Absinthe Cafe in Hintonburg.

Madgical Moments, Episode 7: 1550 World Map
By: Sue Pinard, Map Specialist in the Madgic Department
In this seventh episode, Sue discusses a map made by Pierre Desceliers in 1550, an interesting blend of old and new information in a time of rapid exploration in North America. You can see this map in the MacOdrum library, on the second by the elevators.

March 17, 2011: The Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s environmental news, Japan continues to recover from the 9.0 earthquake that devastated the country last friday, sales of electric vehicles get off to a slow start in the US, LEED certifications come under fire, and wind power gets a break in a recent Ontario court case.

January 13, 2011: The Yes You Can Conference

SPF — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:25:15 +0000

The Yes You Can conference – this weekend at Carleton University. Visit www.yesyoucancu.com for tickets, or more information.

This morning on the show we heard from an organizer of this weekend’s Yes You Can! conference, and Matt Ellerbeck talked about vegetarianism.

Emile Scheffel: The Yes You Can! Conference
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
Yes You Can! is the first student run conference at Carleton to focus on student leadership, with students and professors giving talks on a wide range of topics. Arranged into three themes, the 20 different presenters will give lectures and workshops on a variety of subjects related to activism & entrepreneurial initiatives, environment, and philanthropy. Emile Scheffel is on the communications committee for the conference, and will also be presenting this weekend, giving a talk on getting involved with local political campaigns. Henry Hawkins talked to him this week about the concept behind upcoming conference, and what they hope to achieve with the presentations.

Matt Ellerbeck: Vegetarianism and Veganism
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor
The concept of vegetarianism and veganism is a blurry on, typically misunderstood, says Matt Ellerbeck of the Kingston Animal Trust. Robyn spoke with him about what it really means, and the ethical reasons behind most people’s motives to make the change, including some alternatives to meat in every meal.

Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s environmental news, the most common form of banana faces extinction, the core of the moon is seen after more than 30 years, China seeks to control its export of rare earth metals, and several cases of groups of fish and birds dying in the thousands have been reported in the past few weeks all around the world.

December 16, 2010: Industrial Agriculture

SPF — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:53:39 +0000

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?

October 7, 2010: Arctic Sovereignty

SPF — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:50:52 +0000

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.

September 24, 2009: Local Foods

SPF — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:57:07 +0000

We all know that buying local food is better for the environment, and better for building social capital. Or so we thought…why is it that economic geographer Pierre Desrochers believes that food miles and the 100 mile diet are a marketing fad? He believes they distort the environmental impacts of our food systems and detract from real pursuit of sustainable food systems. Desrochers is an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus. SPF contributor Stewart Fast caught up with him earlier this month by phone from Montana where he is spending his sabbatical as a visiting scholar at the Property and Environment Research Centre in Bozeman.

We also heard a previously recorded interview with Matt Dudley, the proprietor of Ottawa Organics and Natural Foods, which lets Ottawa residents order organic, fair trade and often local foods online and then delivers them to the door. Matt Street talked with Matt Dudley about how the system works and how Ottawa Organics decides when to choose local and when to choose fair trade produce. This piece originally aired on May 14, 2009.

May 14, 2009: Organics Right To Your Door

SPF — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:02:35 +0000

SPFer Matt Street spoke to Matt Dudley the proprietor of the Ottawa Organics and Natural foods, an on-line option for consumers in the City of Ottawa to order organic goods and have them delivered to their door.

April 9, 2009: Something Fishy

SPF — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:36:57 +0000

This week we turn our attention to responsible choices for fish eaters. Matt Street explores the “Sea Choice” program that helps consumers make sustainable choices and interviews Josh Bishop of Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster and Fish Supply and consumer taste for sustainable seafood in Ottawa.

March 26, 2009: Spring Is In The Air

SPF — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:32:42 +0000

As the spring equinox passes people are looking forward to a bright, warm and environmental season. This week we look at getting ready for gardening and biking as the thermometer begins to work its way up.

Brittany Boychuk also brings us a Green Routine tip on working with the sun. For those of us . . . → Read More: March 26, 2009: Spring Is In The Air

February 26, 2009: Farming in Ontario Part 2 and Project Blue

SPF — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:36:14 +0000

Matt Street continues his look into alternative agriculture in Ontario in an interview with John Vanden Heuvel from World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming (WWOOF) Canada and a discussion of opportunities for interns who want to learn about organic agriculture by working on organic farms.

John Wall brings us an interview with Abner Lico . . . → Read More: February 26, 2009: Farming in Ontario Part 2 and Project Blue

February 19, 2009: Farming In Ontario And Green Stimulus

SPF — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:12:36 +0000

In this week’s show Matt Street brings us an interview with CRAFT, a network of Ontario farmers which facilitates internships for young people interested in learning and doing organic agriculture.

Carol Hunsberger reports from Nairobi on a United Nations Environment Programme summit looking at how economic stimulus packages around the world could be used . . . → Read More: February 19, 2009: Farming In Ontario And Green Stimulus