This morning on the show Henry and Robyn talked about their fourth year theses, Robyn having researched possible green roof implementation on Campus, and Henry studying renewable energy awareness and solar panel implementation under the Ontario microFIT program. The Future . . . → Read More: April 14, 2011: Green Roofs & Solar Panels]]> The OPA’s microFIT program and a green roof in Chicago. Credit 1 & 2.

This morning on the show Henry and Robyn talked about their fourth year theses, Robyn having researched possible green roof implementation on Campus, and Henry studying renewable energy awareness and solar panel implementation under the Ontario microFIT program.

The Future Is Bright: Solar Panel Implementation in Ontario
By: Carol Hunsberger & Matt Street
Henry Hawkins recently finished his fourth year Geography thesis, and studied the motivations and obstacles to people purchasing solar panels for their homes, under the microFIT program. He also completed a survey to discover how much people know about the electricity they consume, and their awareness of energy production and common sources. What is the microFIT program? Why do people apply for it, and what is the future potential of feed-in tariff programs and solar power in general?

If you would like to listen to the radio features that were made for the thesis, discussing what renewable energies are, and available options for homeowners, you can access them here.

Green Roofs at Carleton University
By: Carol Hunsberger, Matt Street & Henry Hawkins
Robyn Penney also finished her fourth year Environmental Studies thesis, and studied possible implementation of green roofs on campus, mostly looking at retrofitting existing buildings. She talked about the composition of green roofs, what they are commonly used for, and the future potential of implementation.

The Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins
In this week’s environmental news, a report suggests shale gas fracking is more harmful to the environment than coal production, the federal election cycle begins with the Green Party taking a step backwards, the United States loses ground in renewable energy investments, one year after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, bp remains resilient, and penguins in Antarctica face diminishing food supplies.

This morning on the show we heard a two part feature looking at how the campus has evolved over the years, with a focus on sustainable buildings, and by looking at some of the personal experiences within the environment. . . . → Read More: April 7, 2011: The Evolution of Carleton University’s Campus]]> What the future Paterson Hall may look like according to the Campus Master plan. Credit.

This morning on the show we heard a two part feature looking at how the campus has evolved over the years, with a focus on sustainable buildings, and by looking at some of the personal experiences within the environment.

Carleton University Campus: The Built Environment
By: Henry Hawkins & Robyn Penney
In this feature, Henry and Robyn discussed how the Carleton University campus has grown over the years, starting from farmer’s fields to the early days of campus in the 1950s, and the rapid growth thereafter. We then looked at how some of the more recent buildings have used sustainable building features in their design.

Carleton University Campus: Personal Experiences
By: Henry Hawkins & Robyn Penney
Having looked at how the landscape has evolved over the years, we then focused on how people have interacted with that environment over the years, focusing on a few people’s experiences with spaces and places on campus.

The Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins
In this week’s environmental news,  the World Bank announces reductions in coal power funding for developing countries, the Earth may be getting windier, some confusion arose this week about BP resuming drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Fukushima disaster continues.

This morning on the show, we had two 4th year geography undergrads come in to talk about their thesis research, and we discussed our plans for next year.

Majia McKibbon: Aging Urban Geographies By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor Robyn Penney spoke with Maija McKibbon about her 4th year thesis research. Maija focused . . . → Read More: March 31, 2011: 4th Year Undergrad Thesis Talk]]>

This morning on the show, we had two 4th year geography undergrads come in to talk about their thesis research, and we discussed our plans for next year.

Majia McKibbon: Aging Urban Geographies
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor
Robyn Penney spoke with Maija McKibbon about her 4th year thesis research. Maija focused on the dynamics of an aging population in urban centers and how it is affecting transportation, local businesses and the people themselves. Her research showed some surprising facts and knowledge on this misunderstood sector of the population.

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 . . . → Read More: March 17, 2011: Israeli Awareness Week]]>

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.

This morning on the show we heard from Sarah Walker about the Oxbow Park Naturalization Project, and took a trip to the archives to hear about Dana Meise, who is walking across Canada on the Trans-Canada Trail.

Sarah Walker: . . . → Read More: February 17, 2011: Oxbow Park Naturalization]]> Oxbow Park, one of the few remaining natural spaces on Carleton’s Campus. Credit.

This morning on the show we heard from Sarah Walker about the Oxbow Park Naturalization Project, and took a trip to the archives to hear about Dana Meise, who is walking across Canada on the Trans-Canada Trail.

Sarah Walker: Oxbow Park Naturalization Project
By: Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributor
Oxbow Park was created in the early 1990s as a space of recreation and relaxation on campus, governed by ideas of sustainability and naturalization. By planting indigenous species of plants and shrubs, the park has become a natural, low maintenance area on campus that provides an accommodating haven for wildlife. Robyn talked to Sarah about OPIRG-Carleton’s efforts to conserve the park, and how Carleton views the park as a liability instead of a recreation area.

Dana Meise: Trans-Canada Traveller
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
This morning we replayed an interview with Dana Meise from last year, who is spending his summers walking across Canada on the Trans-Canada trail. Starting in Newfoundland in 2008, he walked his way through Ottawa last May, and after his third season had walked a total of 7,570km. Henry talked to him about his travels to that point, and some of his experiences along the way.

The Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s environmental news, Ontario halts all plans for offshore wind electricity projects, a court in Ecuador has ordered Chevron to pay 8.6 billion dollars for for environmental damages caused by mining in the 1970s and 80s, compensation payments for the 20 billion dollar Gulf of Mexico fund stumble along, and two recent reports provide further evidence of the link between climate change and extreme weather events.

On this week’s show we had a tour of Canada’s first Passive House, designed by Vert Design’s Chris Straka, and located here in Ottawa.

Chris Straka & Ross Elliot: Canada’s First Passive House By: Henry Hawkins & Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributors . . . → Read More: February 10, 2011: Canada’s First Passive House]]> Located in New Edinburgh, Ottawa – it’s Canada’s first Passive House.

On this week’s show we had a tour of Canada’s first Passive House, designed by Vert Design’s Chris Straka, and located here in Ottawa.

Chris Straka & Ross Elliot: Canada’s First Passive House
By: Henry Hawkins & Robyn Penney, Regular SPF Contributors
This past week, Chris Straka, from Vert Designs, and Ross Elliot, from Homesol (who certified the home as ‘Passive’) gave Henry and Robyn a tour of Canada’s first Passive House, located in New Edinburgh. Designed with solar panels, geothermal heating/cooling, and a green roof, this home uses 90% less energy than typical homes, and features many design considerations to be cost effective, and efficiently built.

In Part One, Chris and Ross talked about the concept behind the house, and in part Two we went on a brief tour of the house, as different features were discussed.

The Environmental News
By: Henry Hawkins, Regular SPF Contributor
In this week’s environmental news, Enbridge adds another 20MW to its solar energy capacity in Ontario, two Canadian companies have been fined $40,000 for illegally transporting electronic waste to China, the USDA approves the use of genetically modified alfafa, and yesterday the EPA responded to a new bill that questions their power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clear Air Act.

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?

Have you ever wondered what it takes for a building to be ‘green’, or what that term means beyond some vague definitions or confusing claims? The LEED Certification is perhaps the most widely . . . → Read More: September 16, 2010: LEED Building Certifications]]> The LEED Certification Logo of the Canada Green Building Council, and one of the first Platinum Certified buildings in the US.

Have you ever wondered what it takes for a building to be ‘green’, or what that term means beyond some vague definitions or confusing claims? The LEED Certification is perhaps the most widely sought certification a building can get, and with 5 levels of certification, there are a number of things involved in the process. Some buildings are built to the standards, others are retrofitted to be more green, and some even manage to go completely ‘off the grid’. Robyn Penney has a keen interest in the topic, and has been doing some interest on the subject. This morning she shared the results of her research with us.

It’s a new year at university, and that means that we are currently recruiting new volunteers for the show. This morning we talked a bit about our own experiences on the show, why it’s been so beneficial for us, and how new people can get involved.

Have you seen all the new trees growing across from Carleton’s campus along Bronson Ave. by Sunnyside? Recently, city workers have been damaging a number of these trees in their maintenance work, ruining the efforts of the local community members who have been working hard to get the city to support their construction of this mini green space. We heard from Declan Hill about what they’ve been trying to do for the area.

Mel-Rose also brought us the week’s Environmental News, and talked about Syncrude being charged with a number of counts of pollution for Oil Sands runoffs into the Athabasca River, a new LIDAR project, and the discovery of a number of Viking artefacts in Norway that have been recently uncovered by melting glaciers.

Our own John Wall has been teaching a summer course here at Carleton, Geography 1020 People, Places and Environments. Last night, they went on a trip to the Glebe and walked around Lansdowne Park, the Rideau canal, as well as . . . → Read More: August 12, 2010: The Glebe – A Cultural Landscape Tour]]> Students of Geography 1020 at Carleton University, on the walking tour of the Glebe

Our own John Wall has been teaching a summer course here at Carleton, Geography 1020 People, Places and Environments. Last night, they went on a trip to the Glebe and walked around Lansdowne Park, the Rideau canal, as well as some of the residential areas.

On the tour, John talked about the history of Lansdowne Park and its many uses and construction, how the styles of houses have changed over the years, the history of Bank Street and how it is designed to be a functioning retail hotspot within the Glebe.  He also focused on the ways that Ottawa is designed and constructed as a symbolic capital city, and how planning has shaped the Glebe into the friendly neighbourhood it is today.

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.