Herbicide Spray Drift a “Normal” Farm Practice?
Organic farmers in Nova Scotia filed a lawsuit against a neighbouring farm for damages allegedly caused by a herbicide which drifted onto their property. In particular, the plaintiffs claimed that the herbicide caused damage to their crops, the miscarriage of four horses, and personal injury…
View the post titled Herbicide Spray Drift a “Normal” Farm Practice?Huge manure spill fines: $120,000 plus surcharge
Two hog farming businesses and a Director must pay manure spill fines of $120,000, plus $30,000 victim fine surcharges, for discharging pig manure into the Thames River and Sweets Creek. The manure impaired the quality of water, contrary to the Ontario Water Resources Act. The individual Dir…
View the post titled Huge manure spill fines: $120,000 plus surchargeClimate change and gardens
As passionate gardeners, we keep wondering how the changing climate is affecting our gardens. (We last wrote about climate change in this space during the heat of summer in 2010.) We therefore noticed when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated its plant hardiness zone map on Janu…
View the post titled Climate change and gardensRoundup pesticides to have special review
West Coast Environmental and Josette Wier have obtained a court order requiring Health Canada to conduct a special review of one use of common glyphosate-based pesticides (such as Roundup) mixed with an ingredient known as POEA. There is conflicting evidence about the toxicity of the mixture…
View the post titled Roundup pesticides to have special reviewAgent Orange: we knew, but did it anyway
As calls flood in to the Agent Orange hotline by people worried about their health, I came across a 1970-Press release by MPP Dr. Morton Shulman. Dr. Shulman, one of Canada’s early environmental campaigners, lambasted the provincial government for continuing to spray 2,4,5T up and down…
View the post titled Agent Orange: we knew, but did it anywayThe Agent Orange story keeps growing
We are closely watching the growing story about Agent Orange use in Ontario, and the possible toll it may be taking on affected workers. Mutagenic pesticides like Agent Orange can take decades to make people sick. And when a 60 or 70 year old gets cancer, it can be fiendishly hard to know wh…
View the post titled The Agent Orange story keeps growingFactory farms- who controls the pollution?
Who is responsible for pollution from contract farms: the family farm, or the multi-national food company who controls everything that they do? A US case has set an important precedent on the liability of the food companies. In Assateague Coastkeeper v Hudson et al, an environmental group su…
View the post titled Factory farms- who controls the pollution?Spreading sewage sludge
The court found that experts disagree about the potential risks associated with the use of Biosolids, and that the municipality had jurisdiction to ban their use within its boundaries.
View the post titled Spreading sewage sludgeWhat is Biomass?
Now that interest in green energy is hot, everyone is trying to define "biomass".
View the post titled What is Biomass?Receive Blog Posts
By subscribing to our blog, you will receive an email when a new post is added. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending an email to us at [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.