Recent Posts

Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River/SAE 2015.
Belo Monte: there is nothing green or sustainable about these mega-dams
Ed Atkins | Aug 15, 2018 | in Renewable Energy
Hydroelectricity may appear clean. But when it comes to megadams, the veneer of sustainability can wear thin.
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Walmart/Mike Mozart.
Walmart tried to make sustainability affordable. Here’s what happened
Andrew Spicer
David Graham Hyatt
| Aug 14, 2018 | in Shades of Green
Walmart embarked on a colossal effort at greening their supply chain. But under closer scrutiny, just how sustainable has the global megastore become?
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Common starling/Pierre-Selim CC BY-SA 2.0
Antidepressants are changing animals’ behaviour – and we’re using technology to find out how
Alex Ford | Aug 10, 2018 | in EcoLogic
Antidepressants are being increasingly found to influence animal behaviour. Now, technology is helping researchers understand just how deep those impacts are.
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Forest fires rage in northern Alberta in 2009/Cameron Strandberg CC BY-2.0
Fighting historic wildfires amid bad ideas and no funding
Edward Struzik | Aug 9, 2018 | in The Wild Side
Uncontrolled fires are burning across North America. To get ahead of them, fire fighters and need modern tools. And government cash.
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Elephant successfully translocated to Addo Elephant National Park/Matt Hayward
A gigantic trek: what it takes to move 200 elephants 1500 km
Matt Hayward | Aug 8, 2018 | in The Wild Side
The need for translocating some the planet's megafauna is challenging, but government agencies must take risks in the name of global biodiversity.
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What do changing food trends in Canada mean for BBQ? (Photo by Eelke)
The rise of the conscious carnivore
Sylvain Charlebois | Aug 7, 2018 | in Food and Culture
More and more Canadians under 35 are seeking out plant-based alternatives to meat. What the trend means for Canadian diets and meat producers.
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SCI + POP helps democratize science and health policy/author provided
Mixing science and art to make the truth more interesting than lies
Timothy Caulfield | Aug 2, 2018 | in Food and Culture
Art offers a unique way to bridge the divide between science and public thought. University of Alberta health researcher Timothy Caulfield weighs in.
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Paint the town, Chippewar
Jill Barclay | Aug 1, 2018 | in Food and Culture
Guelph’s 2018 Hillside fest served as a canvass for artist Jay Soule to speak up about Indigenous visibility in art and community
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Tourists take a selfie in Marin County, California/F. Delventhal
How social media can help sustainable nature tourism
Francesca Mancini | Aug 1, 2018 | in EcoLogic
Can mining social media data help conservationists discover regions where wildlife may face added stress from tourists? Apparently.
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Reflections on Hillside 2018: Community through Music
Andy Miller | Aug 1, 2018 | in A\J Editorial Board
In an ever-dividing world, we unite under song.
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Earliest Earth Overshoot Day in History
Niara van Gaalen | Aug 1, 2018 | in Current Events
We’ve already used up a year’s worth of Earth’s resources. And there are five months still to go.
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Clothing dropped at a charity clothing bin/Anna Gregory
Clothing rental could be the key to a stylishly sustainable fashion industry
Naomi Braithwaite | Jul 31, 2018 | in Green Living
Can renting clothing help reduce the enormous waste generated by the fashion industry?
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The Crowds. Photo Credit: Leah Gerber.
The Healthy Side of Hillside
Michael Torreiter | Jul 30, 2018 | in Green Living
As a healthcare practitioner, I always look for practical ways to reduce the impact of stress on my patients. Could a summer music festival be part of the solution?
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Hiking in Prince Edward Island/Martin Cathrae
Why Canadians need “the right to roam”
Matthew Robert Anderson | Jul 30, 2018 | in Made in Canada
Giving Canadians the ‘right to roam’ might be a small step toward answering the calls of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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Wind farm in southwestern Ontario/Michael Swan. 2015. CC BY-ND 2.0
Doug Ford’s energy shake-up could cost Ontario
Mark Winfield | Jul 29, 2018 | in Renewable Energy
Setting aside lawsuits from shuttering wind projects, Ontario is turning its back on unprecedented opportunities in the renewable energy and clean tech sectors.
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Music Lessons
Niara van Gaalen | Jul 27, 2018 | in Food and Culture
How Music is Overcoming Hate with Beauty
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Data showing Canadian support for carbon pricing.
Ford’s illusory climate policy mandate
Matto Mildenberger | Jul 26, 2018 | in Renewable Energy
Ontario’s mostly pro-climate-pricing voters didn’t abruptly shift their thinking on fighting climate change on election day — only the PC leader did.
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Music as a Space to Relax
Karin Lee | Jul 26, 2018 | in Backstage at A\J
Adrian Underhill talks about his album cover, why Hillside is his favorite music festival, and what he wishes was different about the music industry.
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Youth Fades, but Beauty Remains
Karin Lee | Jul 25, 2018 | in Backstage at A\J
Birds of Bellwoods speak up about youth, Kintaro’s hair, and the price of a six pack.
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Seascapes on the Scotian Basin (Photo by Simon Ryder-Burbidge.)
Offshore: Mud and Marine Spills in Canada's North Atlantic
Simon Ryder-Burbidge | Jul 24, 2018 | in Summer Reading Series
On June 22, 2018, BP spilled 136,000 litres of offshore drilling lubricant off the coast of Nova Scotia, one of the largest such spills in Atlantic Canada's history. But it was far from unique.
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