Every edition will feature 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 do my best to offer some context.
Sometimes built around a theme, sometimes random, but with a Canadian twist.
Solar farms installations can take up a lot of space. A new project in PEI for instance covers 68 acres of a well-field which cannot be used for any other development because it is a significant source of groundwater for the municipality. The idea of a dual-purpose facility is one of the side-bar advantages of solar power. A five-year study in the US found that native insect populations grew in numbers and diversity. In particular, pollinators such as bees and wasps thrived and spread to nearby fields. Globally insect numbers are down, so as more renewables facilities are built, the more opportunities there are to create habitat for beneficial insects. Agrivoltaics is also catching on as farmers find that synchronicity can be achieved with some careful planning. A project in Colorado carefully spaced 3,200 solar panels to allow for the planting of vegetables in between rows. Not only did the crops thrive, but they used less irrigation water and the evaporation helped cool the solar panels. To keep the area around solar panels from becoming weedy there is a simple answer – tune into this week’s Flock Talk (yes, Flock Talk) and hear how sheep can get the job done! The synchronicity equation is surprisingly simple. Producers can reap the income (or the energy) from a solar panel field, grow certain crops around the panels, and provide shade for livestock.
Last week I wrote about the rise of Group A Streptococcus. This week we have information on another virus making its comeback. Measles. Like Streptococcus it isn’t new (been around since the 6th century BCE), it was considered eliminated in 2000 thanks to vaccinations, and could still be no more than a minor irritant if we managed to eliminate measles misinformation as well. The Guardian says a slow decline in vaccination rates means that 3.4 million children under the age of 16 years in the United Kingdom are unprotected against measles. Apart for vaccine hesitancy, the pandemic disrupted regular vaccination schedules across the pond, and the numbers in Canada are dropping as well. There was recently a measles warning from the Saskatchewan Health Authority and as long as cases continue to pop up in the United States and Europe, it is only a matter of time before the highly contagious disease sets up shop here as well. We’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt – we don’t need another one.
More bad news for the media sector and for journalists, especially those at the Los Angeles Times which is about to lay off 20% of its newsroom staff. It will be one of the largest cuts in the paper’s 143-year history according to a syndicated Associated Press story this week. Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong bought the paper in 2018 and could lose up to $40 million on the venture in the coming year. In June of 2023, 74 newsroom jobs were eliminated and the following month it was rumoured to be up for sale. The LA Times is just the latest sign of the troubles facing media everywhere as they continue to experience a decline in revenue, subscription, and website traffic. Most of the big media outlets rely heavily on advertising revenue and according to Variety, advertisers are “riding the brakes” on spending. A survey of digital leaders from more than 50 countries and territories done by the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford won’t overwhelm you with confidence. The good news in the numbers was that 47% of those surveyed were confident of the about the prospects for journalism, but with so many platforms available and building “news fatigue”, the year ahead will still be a difficult one.
Food insecurity is as official term from the USDA which has earned global use. It is not related to food safety or general considerations of food availability. In Canada the term is used “when a household has inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints”. If you cannot afford food of good quality, quantity, or nutritional value, a paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says, it can lead to diet-related diseases including cardiovascular problems, diabetes, certain types of cancers, and of course anxiety related problems that come from dealing with the challenges. There are several reasons an increasing number of Canadians are forced to deal with food insecurity. An interview on CBC Saskatchewan’s The Morning Edition points out how it affects rural areas, not just because of cost, but because of availability or transportation costs. Food prices are exacerbated in rural or remote areas but are being felt right across the country. The Associate Medical Officer of Health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit wrote an article in the Caledon Citizen (reprinted in other regional publications) this week where she said one in five households in Simcoe Muskoka are experiencing food insecurity. Lisa Simon said that it often comes down to a choice between food and other essentials such as housing, utilities, or child care. Statistics tend to lag behind reality but a November 2023 release from Statistics Canada said that 18% of Canadian families reported experiencing food insecurity. This was up from 16%. Quebec had the lowest percentage with Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Alberta at the top. Families at the highest risk of food insecurity were single mothers, Indigenous families, and Black families. There are no easy answers to the problem because as this article in Science World points out, food “doesn't just show up on our plates“. The problems need to be addressed throughout the supply chain and with policy interventions.
On January 16th, the City of Calgary’s single use plastics bylaw came into effect. I’m all-in when it comes to controlling our use of plastics, but this new bylaw raises some questions on the best way to get it done. For a start, businesses will now ask you first if you need a bag, plastic cutlery, or packaged condiments. Interestingly, businesses that once provided these items as part of your take-out food order are now adding a fee if you make the request. What was once absorbed by the seller is now added as a cost to be passed on to the purchaser under the guise of the bylaw. Chalk that one up to the business owner. Then there are your grocery purchases. Produce such as grapes or carrots already come in a plastic bag and items such as meat are shrink-wrapped in plastic. But when you hit the check-out, plastic bags are not a-okay and the consumer either brings their own bag or pays for a plastic bag or paper bag. The cost of choosing the paper bag option at the check-out has jumped as well, even though paper is recyclable, reusable (albeit limited), and compostable. I am one of many consumers who tries to limit my plastic use and to always put the appropriate plastic in the blue bin. But even that practice is becoming a bit suspect. A new paper in the journal Circular Economy and Sustainability says that 50% of EU plastic waste collected for recycling is shipped outside the EU. Much of it is sent to Vietnam and a significant percentage of that plastic “gets dumped into nature”. Globally about half the plastic produced is single use and only 9% gets recycled. “To curb plastic pollution, industry and academia must unite” says a commentary in Nature this week, and I would add you – and I – need to be part of that collaboration.
There are only two northern white rhinos left in the world and they are both females. The demise of the species is a familiar tale. Poaching.
A new breakthrough in embryo transfer may offer a glimmer of hope. I emphasize may because the latest news is only a proof of concept carried out with the less endangered southern white rhino and some conservationists are skeptical that this is in time to save the northern white subspecies. A team led by Biorescue transferred the embryo of a southern white rhino in a surrogate mother resulting in a 70 day pregnancy (the surrogate mother died of unrelated causes before reaching term). This story in The Guardian does a good job of explaining the procedure.
If you want insights into how dis-, mis-, and mal-information makes its way around the world, University of Alberta professor Tim Caulfield is always worth reading. I have worked with Tim in the past and his column in The Walrus takes on this week’s Tucker Carlson events held in Calgary and Edmonton.
My own view is that the significance of the events is less about politics and policy, and more about perception. Back in November when the event was announced “sources” were reported to have said the Premier would appear on stage to help promote Alberta and the province’s position on emissions reduction and energy development. The events were part of Carlson’s “Liberating Canada tour” which the Premier chose to associate with her name and Alberta’s name. At a press conference this week the Premier said “ “I don't do a screening test to make sure that every person that interviews me matches 100 per cent of what I believe”. I know from my own experience in media and government relations that is highly unlikely. A good politician knows exactly who they are talking with and what to expect. Danielle Smith is a good politician and she knew who she was talking to and what the gist of the conversation would be.
The event was not broadcast live by Carlson, so her brief 17-minute appearance was mostly for the audiences in attendance. On Carlson’s Twitter/X feed, all that is posted from his Calgary and Edmonton appearances were his own speeches which resembled a late-night comedy stand-up routine full of one-liners, insults, and false information. That is Carlson’s well-known style and did not require any careful analysis for anyone to understand what was coming. The political spin on the event and the Premier’s participation has leaned heavily into calling this a media opportunity and an interview with a journalist. Listen to what a journalism professor has to say about that aspect. Premiers usually do not make a habit of having dinner with the interviewer and posting pictures on their Twitter/X feeds, but photo-ops were aplenty for this one. The Premier’s X feed also said it was “A packed house in Edmonton, Alberta to witness free debate, thought, and expression. We need more of this from all sides!” Debate was nowhere in sight. So what did Alberta get from this? Nothing beyond being a participant in the “Liberating Canada tour”.
This week's shout-out is to Parachutes for Pets in Calgary which ran into some trouble this week when burst pipes ruined supplies meant for pets in need. The organization is "Dedicated to helping vulnerable Calgarians with their pets before they turn to shelters" and they need an extra hand right now. Wherever you are, there is likely to be similar organizations so use the Googling-machine to find one near you.
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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.