DEN Enews

^{Come make your voice heard! Repeatedly!}

^{In the past few weeks, we've seen the province show their intentions to erode our democracy and roll back crucial environmental protections.}

^{Enough is enough. It’s time to show Premier Houston and his government that Nova Scotians won’t stand for his anti-democratic and anti-environment power grab.}

^{What’s YOUR “special interest”?}

^{Uranium Mining?}

^Fracking?

^{Clean water?}

^{Freedom of information?}

^{Proper democratic process?}

^{A government that is accountable to their people?}

^{Come make your voice heard!}

^{Tomorrow - Wednesday, March 5, 12 p.m.}

^{Where: Province House, 1726 Hollis St. Kjipuktuk Kjipuktuk/Halifax.}

^{Remember - you can’t do it all but you can choose one passion to direct your activism:}

Have you written or called yet?

Bill 6, currently before the NS Legislature would repeal the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act and amend the Petroleum Resources Act to allow fracking for natural gas. The moratorium on fracking was enacted in 2014 following the then-Liberal government noting that there wasn’t enough public support to justify the industry. 

Recent studies have found strong correlations between proximity to fracking sites and: ● Increased rates of preterm births, low birth weight, and congenital defects ● Higher incidences of childhood asthma and leukemia ● Increased hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases ● Higher overall mortality rates and reduced life expectancy

Many of the chemicals used in fracking are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, or have other toxic effects. Groundwater contamination from fracking chemicals can persist for decades, impacting drinking water supplies and soils. There has also been a ban on uranium exploration since the 1980s, prompted by public concern over health impacts and contamination, and a full moratorium since 2009.

 Nova Scotia is not the only province that has disallowed uranium exploration — British Columbia and Quebec also have bans in place. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan is the world's second-largest producer of the element, the mining of which has been called an “established cause” of lung cancer by researchers.

 We do not need fracking and uranium mining in our province. Write to your MLA as well as to the Premier [email protected] or toll-free 1-800-267-1993, with copies to Claudia Chender, Leader of the Opposition 902-424-4134 or [email protected] and Derek Mombourquette, Leader of the Liberal Party 902-562-8870 or [email protected] 

International Women’s day is March 8th. The theme may be to Accelerate Action on gender parity but this editor is confident the rally tomorrow will be full of women wanting to accelerate action on environmental protection. Your voices are strong and they will be heard.

Something for the young and young at heart - open dates before the season starts

“God’s ways are ways of Justice and Righteousness”. Thank you to Bishop Sandra for posting week one of Queen’s College Faculty of Theology Lenten series,

 The Rocks Cry Out: Praying Lent With All Of Creation.

This link will bring to an inspiring video.

https://www.facebook.com/queenscollegenl

This link takes you to the liturgy.

.The Premier of British Columbia signed on in 2023 to work with the government of Canada and First Nations to double the protected areas in B.C. to 30% of the province by 2030. This was great news, but B.C. continues to issue permits to log the habitat forests mapped by the federal government as part of a spotted owl recovery strategy. This ongoing logging of the owl’s forest habitat has left only one wild-born spotted owl remaining in Canada, as well as a few captive-bred spotted owls that were released to the wild. Before industrial logging started, there were an estimated 500 pairs living in southwest mainland British Columbia. Send an email asking to stop issuing logging permits in the critical habitat in order to prevent this species from disappearing from Canada.

Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of thousands of people who signed petitions, alongside beekeepers and environmental activists, the EU’s ban on bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides has passed! While this is a reason to celebrate, some governments are starting to break the ban. More will follow unless the EU does something to stop them. Industry lobbyists and some European countries have already begun clamouring for exceptions. Take a moment to tell the EU to act swiftly, take the matter to the European Court of Justice, and uphold the ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.

The forest biomass industry has been exposed for logging and burning forests for fuel while calling it clean. The industry says it is renewable because trees grow back while fossil fuels do not. However, scientists and common sense informs us that forests take decades, even centuries, to regenerate. The U.K.'s Drax Power Station gets pellets from forests around the world, including Canada’s. They have plans to almost double pellet production by 2030, from five million tonnes globally to eight million tonnes. Drax has a monopoly in B.C., and other forest biomass corporations are clawing up forests in Ontario and on the East Coast. Our government has the power to shut those plans down. Send a message to our leaders asking that we follow Australia’s lead and reject forest biomass as a renewable energy solution. 

Renewable Energy

Twenty years ago, Granma had a conversation with her son. She was so excited about a new DIY using pop cans to make a water heater. The pop cans worked like a solar panel. Wow, we could make solar panels!

My son’s opinion was “Mom, go to Canadian Tire and buy a solar panel. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel”

There is a good reason to reinvent the wheel. You learn how the wheel works. You learn how you can do stuff on your own. Even if Grandma agrees that a pop-can solar panel is a long stretch for solar energy, it was a teaching model.

Just for fun I went to the internet and searched for kits for solar, wind and even hydroelectric kits. They are out there for sale and not that expensive. For $600 I could have my very own vertical axis wind power kit.

Naw! Grandma wants to spend time with a bike wheel, a fan motor and making blades from water bottles. In the end, it is more of a “what would I do with the energy once I get it?”

If thinking of “buying” such a thing, what may be good models?

Grandma always wanted a “water lily” and its conversion kit to a “wind lily”. Throw it in a river or stream or set it up on a tripod and you can charge your cell phone in the middle of nowhere. Then charge flashlights, camp stoves, etc.

https://get.waterlilyturbine.com/paddling-charger/

Another product I like is Nova Scotia’s own “Shine”. This is a wind turbine good to take anywhere. It is a small, tubular shape with wings that extend. Check it out at

https://shineturbine.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqw4CjoM-UznEOEIAmE_LfK1154XJ3dq2Yrt6YgAsRdNcfYeiMR

Whatever technology allows us to have the convenience of electricity is a good thing. Do you know of another product? Tell Grandma at [email protected].

Update to Seed Share

Sunday, February 23^rd my friend Robert came to lunch after service. As part of the environment team, I could always count on him to turn up for any green event. I knew my friend Bob Harris was going to be there, but I was concerned that would be all.

I kept telling myself that it didn’t matter. I had lots of time to fill seed envelopes before mid-March when they needed to be to Rev. Patti to give out down the South Shore. This project was unstoppable.

Off we went to the rectory and set up spots around the dining room table for people to stamp envelopes, fill envelopes and seal them.

Robert and I sat down alone at 1 PM to start the work by stamping the seed envelopes. In came Bob with his wife Joanne in tow who started to fill the envelopes. Carolanne arrived and started closing the envelopes. Curtis, Cheryl, and Aylisa joined in where needed. By the end of the afternoon, 1700 envelopes were filled.

Bob and Joanne took home the Planting Kit envelopes to fill with their family around a kitchen table. The rest of the wildflower seed came home with me to fill.

We have this! Mid-March the seeds are delivered to be used in the parishes of the South Shore Region plus a few in Rivers to Trails. Synod delegates will see them there. If interested in helping next year write [email protected]

What meant the most to me was that my Parish backed a Diocesan project, spending a Sunday afternoon around a table filling seed packets for the Diocese. We not only accomplished our task but chatted and laughed away on a gloomy winter day. It felt like old times when work parties were a common occurrence.

Something to eat

This week Grandma was looking for a recipe for “Rice-a-Roni.” Received as a prize in a game we had at a meeting, I wanted to find a recipe to use the pack. Porcupine meatballs did the trick. No Rice-a-Roni in your house? No problem. Use a cup of regular rice. Maybe not as spicy but you can add the spices you like

Porcupine Meatballs

1 pack of hamburger

1 pack rice-a-roni or 1 cup rice of choice

1 egg

Something to make a tomato-based gravy (tomato soup and corn starch and water If not using a pack of rice-a-roni, beef bouillion cubes and water if using the pack)

Mix the first 3 ingredients and shape into balls. Put in a baking dish with the gravy and bake for 20-30 minutes. We serve it with mashed potatoes.