Biodiversity Threatened Biodiversity Threatened With genetic engineering we are growing fewer and fewer species of crop.
Saving Heritage Tomato Seeds Tomatoes are the defining summertime crop for home and market gardeners alike. Every winter we stare at seed catalogues as if they are crystal balls, trying to divine which variety will ripen earliest, taste best and make us happies.
Cultivated Versus Wildcrafted Herbs The eco-pressure is on, as pygeum, goldenseal and otherpopular herbs are at risk of becoming endangered species in the wild.
A Seedy Business The business of farming has undergone an arguably ominous shift and the commodity most at risk is our seeds. Twenty years ago, farmers controlled almost 100 per cent of their seed supply by saving it year after year. Now 80 per cent of Canada’s seed supply is under corporate control.
Speak Up! The Fish Can't Hear You
At lunch with a new acquaintance the other day and the guy orders Chilean sea bass.
I almost coughed my water all over him. He looked at me. The waiter looked at me. I folded.
Death of a Predator The young surfer paddles out deeper into the ocean, bobbing up and down as the undulating swell of each wave rolls toward the distant shore.
Animal Testing Perhaps you have seen the images of fluffy white rabbits, locked into restraining devices while substances are smeared into their eyes or rubbed onto their shaved skin to test for a reaction. Animal testing to determine the safety of cosmetics, personal care products, and household cleansers is only part of the science that involves warm-blooded mammals.
All the Fish in the Sea Fish is a healthy source of protein and omega-3s, and eating the right fish just twice a week may help protect against heart disease, improve immune function, alleviate depression, and reduce arthritis symptoms.
Plight of the Honeybee At the Trout Lake Farmers’ Market in East Vancouver, beekeeper Vladimir Cukor is one of the lucky ones. His honeybees in Maple Ridge, BC, haven’t been affected by colony collapse disorder (CCD), the infamous “missing bee” phenomenon that has affected a notable portion of American bee colonies.
Dark Days on the Salmon Coast The other day, I dug out the old leather wallet that contains the best of the best among my trout and salmon flies.
Marine Mystery Thousands of poisonous, heartless, brainless creatures are taking over vast swaths of the world’s oceans. The boneless blobs might seem otherworldly, but they aren’t aliens—they’re jellyfish. In certain seas, their populations are exploding, and some scientists view the phenomenon as a sign of ecological disaster.
Biodiversity articles
