A Brief One from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper
Niagara At Large, November 29th, 2019
A banner reading “Consumerism = Climate Crisis,” written in spanish and displayed on a banner hung from a store in a shopping district in Spain by the environmental group Greenpeace. Give it some serious thought
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‘Future generations will face increasingly severe impacts of climate change include rising temperatures, extreme weather, water stress, sea level rise, ocean acidification, disruption to ecosystems.’ – United NationsSome Critical News about the Health of Our Planet from the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization
Posted November 25th, 2019 on Niagara At Large
Levels of the three main heat-trapping gases emitted into the atmosphere – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide – have reached yet another high, the United Nations’ meteorological agency, WMO, said this Monday, November 25th.In an appeal to Governments to do more to reverse countries’ reliance on producing energy from fossil fuels, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, warned that “the future welfare of mankind” was at stake.
To vew a video the World Meteorlogicala Orgaization put together on the news that greenhouse gas concentartions have hit a new record high, please click on the screen below –
“We have again broken records in carbon dioxide concentrations and we have already exceeded 400ppm level which was regarded as a critical level,” he said, in reference to the 407.8 parts per million reading for 2018. “That happened already two years ago and this carbon dioxide concentration continues and continues, and last year’s increase was about the same as we have been observing in the past 10 years, as an average.” Continue reading
Hosted by The Film House in St. Catharines and Better Neighborhoods Inc. Niagara, Ontario –
The best one-day short film festival on placemaking is coming to St. Catharines! The Better Cities Film Festival collects, curates and presents the very best shorts from international filmmakers on the theme of improving the places we live.
Free screening sponsored by Better Neighbourhoods Inc., St. Catharines. Continue reading
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Greta Thunberg (left) and Autumn Peltier, taking their turns at the United Nations, speaking for a healthy environment and their future. How many of us older people out there are ready to heed their call for action?
15-year-old “water warrioer” Autumn Peltier, another heroic champion for our planet.
Except for those who have spent the past year or two on another planet or not paying attention to the news, most of us have heard of Greta Thunberg.
Greta Thunberg is the 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden who has made headlines around the world with her passionate pleas for climate action to world leaders at the United Nations and at other international venues, and who has ignited tens-of-millions of people– including more young people than ever before – to stand up for their future and demand more action from their elders.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford
News from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Conservative Government
Posted November 13th, 2019 on Niagara At Large
TORONTO — Ontario is taking the next steps in its plan to better integrate the province’s health care system to help end hallway health care.
On December 2, 2019, five provincial agencies will begin transferring into Ontario Health while the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) have been clustered into five interim and transitional geographic regions.
The Hamilton, Niagara, Hadlimand, Brant LHIN (Local Health Integration Network), still outlined with thin black border lines on this map, is now being clustered with other LHINs to form an interim West region stretching west to Windsor and northward along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Map courtesy of Ontario government
This is an administrative step only and not a merger of the LHIN boundaries. Further, there will be no impact to patients’ access to home and community care or long-term care placement as Ontarians continue to receive the care they need from the care providers they have built relationships with at the 14 LHINs. Continue reading
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News from Niagara College
Posted November 13th, 2019 on Niagara At Large
Niagara, Ontario – Niagara College will mark its 20th year of applied research activity with the honour of earning the number one spot in all of Canada for research.
In its annual report “Top 50 Research Colleges,” Research Infosource Inc. has announced that Niagara College has secured the top place in the country, based on total research funding numbers for 2018. The listing also demonstrates NC’s steady standing as a leader in research in Canada, as this represents the fifth year in a row of being in the Top 10.
On November 12, Niagara College announces its number one ranking in Research Infosource Inc.’s Top 50 Research Colleges. President Dan Patterson (front right) and VP Research, Innovation & Strategic Initiatives Marc Nantel (front left) hold up a banner announcing the good news as they gather with staff members from NC’s Research & Innovation division.
“A great year for Niagara College research,” said Ron Freedman, CEO, Research Infosource Inc. “Not only in terms of research income – number one in the country – but research partnerships, where Niagara ranks number three among large colleges.” Continue reading
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A News Release from Environmental Defence Canada, Ontario Nature, Wellington Water Watchers and Gravel Watch
Posted November 12, 2019 on Niagara At Large
Some of the Ontario residents protesting what they charged was a secret meeting earlier this year between representatives of the province’s Ford government and quarry owners and operators to discuss the possibility of some deregulation of quarries
Toronto, Ontario – With the introduction of Bill 132, the Ontario Government is rolling a boulder in front of municipal efforts to control groundwater impacts from aggregate pits and quarries and taking aggregates policy in the wrong direction.
Proposed changes to the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) will prevent municipalities from addressing the impacts of pits and quarries on groundwater by outlawing the use of municipal zoning bylaws to
prevent aggregate operations from digging beneath the water table. This change poses a dangerous threat to local groundwater supplies and quality.
The provincial government is also proposing to stop municipalities from
implementing zoning restrictions on aggregate development on Crown Land within their boundaries. This change impacts many communities across Ontario.
Meanwhile, the government’s proposed amendments would make it easier for aggregate operators to make changes to their operations with a poorly defined “permit by rule” system that allows changes for unspecified “low risk” activities. It would also prevent consideration of road damage from haulage in deciding on license approvals. Continue reading
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