1 Week, 7 Stories - Newsletter #24

Every edition features 7 stories, from the past week. I’ll draw on my background in media, journalism, agriculture, biotech, and renewable energy to come up with an interesting selection and to offer some context.

Sometimes built around a theme, sometimes random, but always with a Canadian twist.

The impact we have on our environment is usually obvious to us as we look around our community or scroll through our news feed. We are littering the ocean with plastic, a haze often hangs over our cities, and whole landscapes destroyed by armed conflicts are a headline staple. But there are less obvious changes occurring.

Take evolution for example.

We generally think of it as taking centuries, but the little wood frog has other ideas. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York found the process took place over the course of only 25 years in areas where road de-icing salts ended up in habitats where the frogs breed. In an open access paper published in Ecology and Evolution, the findings indicated that over time, the frogs developed a tolerance to the increased salt levels with no impact on growth and development. The paper also noted that as we increase our use of road salts, there is no guarantee the frogs have an unlimited ability to adapt.

Some adaptations are occurring at a deep genetic level that are not readily observable as in the case of the southwestern willow flycatcher in the United States. It is an endangered bird because its riparian habitats (where land meets rivers or streams) are disappearing. Over time however, the genetic diversity of the bird is increasing which was a surprise to researchers. Like the little wood frog, that does not mean animal adaptation can keep up with climate change and destruction of their environments. Fixing climate change is the answer – not fixing evolution.

The 4th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution wrapped up this week in Ottawa. The goal was to develop an international agreement to control plastic pollution that would be legally binding. ?All it ended up with was a commitment to reduce harmful chemicals produced by plastic and to make plastic easier to recycle. Another one of those ‘we plan on planning to do something’ meetings. That final plan will happen at the fifth meeting in South Korea in late November. That’s a lot of meetings to make a plan that still does not set limiting plastic production as a goal, though Canada was still saying all options are on the table as the meeting? ended. Realistically that would be hard to accomplish. Look at this list from the British Plastics Federation and try to wrap your head around which one of the uses you could do without and could find a suitable alternative. When surveyed, 73% of Canadians say they are in favour of cutting plastic production? to stop pollution. Perhaps, but when I walk down my back alley and still see plastic in garbage bins and mounds in recycling bins, I’m not so sure we are walking the talk. Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled , 79% ends up in landfills (or tossed into the environment) and the rest is incinerated.

If we can’t slow plastic production, at least improving recycling would help. A story in TechCrunch says that Kubik , a plastic upcycling startup in Ethiopia, has raised $1.9 million in seed extension money. It is making interlocking building materials like bricks, columns, and beams. Apart from recycling plastics it will reduce the use of cement or steel in construction. Sounds like our plastic future may include large scale Lego!

In a previous newsletter I wrote about frustrations with self-checkouts in stores. I was not alone in my frustration and now more stores are “ditching self-checkouts ” according to a CBC story this week. Walmart and Giant Tiger are 2 of the major chains that have experienced increased complaints from consumers and a rising number of thefts (The process is cumbersome enough that you may do it unintentionally) .

How mad are consumers? Gizmodo called it a “nightmare” and a “failed experiment”. ?While some stores may be reversing on self checkouts in response to regional situations or to create fodder for media releases, anecdotally I am certainly not seeing it. The nearest Walmart to me increased the number of self-checkouts after renovations were completed last year and my local Calgary Co-Op has decreased the number of living, breathing cashiers so the only way to avoid line-ups is to move over to self-serve points.

Grocery prices are already steep enough in Canada, while the grocery chains continue to pull in higher revenues and marginally higher profit margins as outlined in a CityNews story this week. This week also marked the start of what some consumers hope is a boycott of Loblaw stores. Meanwhile we are expected to scan and bag our own grocery items. Here is an idea that might help on a couple of fronts. How about applying a 10% discount for everything you have purchased through the self-checkout line? Everyone else in the store is paid. So should we.

One more story from the food front. A new report found that people are taking a bit of a roll of the dice when consuming food that has gone past its best before date (BBD). 58% of those surveyed by the Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab were more likely to eat food close to or past its best before date due because of higher food costs. 50% admitted that prices pushed them to take more risks. Before you rummage through the pantry and fridge to throw things out there is a caveat. Not all food becomes a problem after the BBD. Fresh meat in the refrigerator is a no-no, but if it is in the freezer for a little longer you have some leeway . A blog post from Second Harvest is a handy guide to work with for a variety of products. You should also note that an “expiration date” is different than the BBD and needs closer attention .?

I’ve written about the plight of caribou multiple times over the last few years. The iconic Canadian animal is in trouble everywhere in the country and are considered “of special concern” . I’ve seen them in the wild and they are a sight not to be forgotten.

The latest study published in Global Change Biology has identified a new threat to some caribou populations beyond habitat loss caused by people. Climate change has allowed white tailed deer to expand their range into the boreal forests that caribou call home.

In a Canadian Press story one of the lead author of the paper said this creates, “… some real social, economic and ethical considerations for all of these various management options.” Those tough management decisions include direct feeding of caribou and wolf culls to remove a key predator. This interview from CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks will take you through some of the options to give the woodland caribou a break while longer term solutions are found.?

Some short term measures such as the traditional management approach being taken with Arctic caribou and breeding programs in national parks are having some success, but it is the long term solutions that are more elusive. Quebec has long promised such a strategy to protect its woodland and mountain caribou, but in a media release this week the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador said that so far it shows an “ unwillingness to protect the caribou”.

We need to ensure that there are more caribou around than just those found on the Canadian 25-cent piece.??

Starbucks’ share prices have fallen to a 21-month low and this week marked the worst single day price drop for the coffee chain in the last year. I’m not a Starbucks investor, but I am a coffee drinker and love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are often a go-to stop for me if an independent is not nearby. What immediately came to mind for me however was less about the financial picture, but what I see when I buy a pastry at the stories. How many croissants for instance do they likely sell around the world every week? Millions? When I order one, the staff reach under the food case and pull out a pastry packaged in plain cellophane. They open the package, throw it in the garbage, and place the croissant in a branded Starbucks paper and cellophane package. Multiply that by the 35,000 Starbucks around the world and the volume of landfill that one simple action creates is mind boggling and that throw-away adds to the operating expenses.

The chain has also been criticized for food waste. Past practice was to find local charities to take food left at the end of the day, but more recent news suggests that it is going into the garbage at many locations instead.

The company say it is going “greener” with more certified stores and reducing plastic use with redesigned cups . The sheer volume of food and packaging produced by Starbucks makes greener practices a huge undertaking if it is to have a noticeable impact.?

On May 1, 1999, the body of George Mallory was found on Mount Everest. He died on the mountain in June of 1924 either on his way to becoming the first person to reach the summit, or he died on the way down having reached his goal. This article from Aspects of History, might help you reach the conclusion that he did beat out Sir Edmund Hillary’s first recorded successful expedition in 1953. Climbing in general and Everest in particular, might seem like an obsession, a challenge, or in the case of Mallory simply “because it is there”. If you are interested in what drives someone to decide to climb into the rarified atmosphere at 29,000 feet, 840 letters between George Mallory and his wife Ruth, have been digitized and were released to the public last week. The collection also includes 3 letters retrieved from the coat pocket of his body which was interred where it was found on the mountain. I come from a family of climbers and behind me in my home office where I write is a diary written by a relative who was part of the first Canadian expedition team which made it to the summit. It is surprisingly straight forward given that 3 sherpas and a Canadian cameraman were killed during the expedition, but it often seems to be the way successful climbers get the job done.

21st technology and too many climbers with varying levels of experience may have robbed Everest of its magic and mystery. While it is still a significant challenge to make it to the top, it is no longer the 50 to 1 odds against success that Mallory noted in the final letter he wrote to his wife.?The last surviving member of Mallory’s first successful team to reach the summit in 1953 said in March that it is “too crowded and dirty, and the mountain is a god that needs to be respected ”.

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I’m available for contract and freelance work with not-for-profits and charities. With 40 years of experience behind me and lots of time ahead of me, I’m here to help you make a difference in your media relations, public relations, and general communications needs.

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