Mushroom Hunting & Orbital Solar Power
This weeks show has a wide variety of awesome stuff for you, Rebekah Rooney and Tasneem Karbani started off the show with the environmental news headlines. For the features, new volunteer Brett gives a run down on orbital solar technology, Myles Curry introduces a new segment called Local Campaigns with a look at RePower Alberta, and Ellis Agbenyega tackles the term “greenwashing” in another installment of EcoBable. Steve Anderson hosted and produced the show.
Morel Mushroom Found in Southern Alberta (By annkelliott on Flikr)
Environmental Headlines
Calgary takes #1 spot in Eco city ranking
but…. A United Nations report released in April found that Calgary was among the worst polluters. It ranked 5th out of 50 international cities surveyed Here is a video of Jim Prentice(Minister of Environment) responding to that ranking.
Gulf oil spill continues to worsen
Obama orders six-month freeze on offshore drilling and expansion
Gulf oil spill is public health risk, environmental scientists warn
US coast guards harass journalists covering BP’s oil spill disaster
At a UN conference nations agree to an increase in aid from rich to poor countries to protect the Earth’s forests and curb global carbon emissions.
Oslo Forest Climate Conference
Canada has not committed a specific sum of money to the initiative, Jim Prentice (Minister of Environment) attended the conference and pledged Canada’s support of the REDD initiatives (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and degradation)
Trial of an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand begins in Japan
Overfishing pressure is predicted to combine with the Deep Horizons Gulf oil disaster to devastate the Bluefin population which spawns in the Gulf of Mexico
Orbital Solar Power
New Terra Informa correspondent Brett Tegart sheds some light on the possibilities and practicalities of the cutting edge technology, orbital solar power.
Local Campaigns
Across Canada there are countless groups and individuals working on environmental issues and causes in their communities that face a daunting task in spreading their message. This week on Terra Informa we introduce a new recurring segment called ‘Local Campaigns’ highlighting these often under reported efforts. Myles Curry debuts this segment with a look at a new green jobs and renewable energy campaign called RePower Alberta.
Greenpeace: Stop the tar-sands
Urban Mushroom Hunting
Did you know that one Portabella mushroom can have more potassium than a banana? Did you also know that some species like the edible Honey Mushroom produce a bioluminescent light? For many people, the world of fungi and mushrooms is mostly a mystery. In fact, there are about 38,000 varieties of mushrooms and it is estimated that there are over a million species of fungi, but only about 10% have been officially described in the scientific literature.
Terra Informa correspondent Marcus Peterson attended a presentation on mushroom hunting for urbanites by the Alberta Mycological Society, one of the few mycological societies in Canada and the only one between Vancouver and Toronto. Although mushroom hunting can be a minefield fraught with lethal fungi, after this show, you’ll feel much more confident about going out and identifying your first morel.
EcoBable
Jargon seems to creep into discussions of just about everything these days, and the environment is no exception. So every now and again, in our Eco Babble series, we take a look at a common term whose meaning isn’t quite as clear as it should be. Today’s term is greenwashing and Ellis Agbenyega will clear it all up.
