The Freedom to Read

If knowledge is power, then reading is how we re-fuel.

If we can't read the latest research about climate change or the impacts of the tar sands because the scientists have been muzzled, or we don't public analysis and debate over the latest reports because a vital think-tank has been closed, our ability to understand the complex issues diminishes. The light of knowledge dims and the darkness of confusion and apathy grows.

Freedom to Read Week encourages all Canadians to think about and reaffirm our commitment to intellectual freedom. At A\J, we are dedicated to enhancing environmental literacy and the rights of all Canadians to read and understand the issues pertaining to preserving and protecting our natural inheritance.

We kick against the darkness of vested interests and deep-pocketed media manipulators. We shine the light of informed opinion and science-backed journalism – and put it to work in fomenting positive solutions for a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone.

A\J is proud to support Freedom to Read Week. If you'd like to support A\J's efforts to ensure free and unbiased access to the latest stories exploring environmental research, inspiring eco-heroes and green tech innovations, please subscribe to A\J or donate to our publishing fund today.

Here are just a few of the stories we've refused to let be silenced over the past year:

• An Act of Deception: Fiction upstages fact in the environmental assessment of Alberta’s tar sands.
• Schindler's Pissed: Freshwater science pioneer David Schindler fires back about tar sands development, closing the Experimental Lakes Area, and why researchers should speak out. (+ extended interview)
• Field of Nightmares: Ottawa continues to embrace the widespread use of Roundup on Canadian farms by letting corporate seduction trump scientific evidence.
• In Defence of Science: During our trip to Ottawa last fall, A\J hosted a panel of top science educators and communicators on why policies and laws need to be informed by independent, untainted science - and why WE need to demand it!
• Up Close & Personal: The ELA has been helping students gain a whole-ecosystem perspective since 1968. The government’s plan to shut it down misses the big picture. (+ ELA Alumni Make A Splash)
• No Means No: After saving their land once from the Prosperity mine, the Tsilhqot’in First Nation in central BC are still fighting for their way of life against a second open-pit proposal.
• Environmental Protection Under Seige – This Time They Want it All: A\J founder Dr. Robert Paehlke recounts a thorough history of cuts to Canadian environmental protection agencies, leading up to the ruthless slashing we’re seeing today.
• Rising Giant: Methane gas, 25 times more potent than CO2, has "exploded" onto the climate change scene. Read about climate change's impact on our poles and watch methane fireballs in action.
• Ontario Forests Will Be Net Carbon Source Until 2040: The "State of Ontario's Forests" report stresses the need to understand the impacts of climate change on Crown forests – and their role in mitigating it. 
• Blocking the Arteries of the Tar Sands: Guest blogger Paisley Cozzarin calls for action and public dialogue about the Line 9 Pipeline reversal and tar sands expansion.
• Battling Canada's Carbon Addiction: Dan Beare asks Bernard Fleet how we can expedite Canada’s (inevitable) transition to a low-carbon economy.
• Why Local Voices Matter: The mini-documentary Living Democracy from the Ground Up uses the struggle to protect BC's Fish Lake from the New Prosperity mine to demonstrate the real impacts of environmental laws.
• New Poll: Opposition to Northern Gateway Pipeline Increasing: Opposition to the project is up to 60% in BC, thanks in part to Enbridge's own ads.