“The economy is a subsidiary of the ecosystem…The only place where the environment and economy are separated is in the human mind.” – Dr. William Rees, UBC Professor, Founder of the ‘Eco-footprint’ concept Perhaps the most foolish and dangerous misconception of our time is that we must somehow choose between the economy and the environment. […]

Rossland's proposed pesticide ban died another procedural death this week, in the rather (ahem) toxic environment of the city's first council meeting of the year, with the mayor roaring about “criminals” and councillor Jill Spearn so disgusted by proceedings that she briefly lost the ability to speak.   Monday's introduction...

By Marian Wang in ProPublica. The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and more than a dozen of her constituents in Tucson this weekend has sparked criticism of Arizona’s lax gun control laws and renewed calls from some to tighten those restrictions. Six individuals were confirmed dead. Here’s our attempt to briefly break down a few […]

A new year has come, but lingering disputes between communities at the SD20 school board table remain. This past Monday, the board held its first meeting of the year following a tumultuous and at-times heated final month of 2010 and, although it was clear dramatically differing opinions based around the Planning for the Future document […]

By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily Several storylines will intertwine this week as the Sinixt Nation appears in Vancouver’s Supreme Court to argue its inherent right to protect the forests and drinking water quality along Perry Ridge. The Sinixt are contending the Crown failed to do its duty to consult the Sinixt in the course […]

In my heart pennies are tradition, a kind of symbolism of Canada.  The maple leaf on the front waves at you as strong picture of our great country.  But the use of them has become so slack that it seems pointless to keep them.  Tradition or not something that is wasteful to both our economy and the environment.  It isn’t as...

We’ve got a plan to make Rossland more sustainable in place, but how is it working? That question will now begin to be answered as the Sustainability Commission works toward completing Phase Three of its State of Rossland project in the coming weeks. “We have to monitor how well the Strategic Sustainability Plan implementation...

What kind of year in politics is 2011 going to be? Very likely another year (or at least ten months) of gridlock at the federal level, with no sign of any so-called game changer on the horizon.   A spring election is looking less likely as the Conservatives try to make a deal with the […]

By Maggie Fox Four previously abundant species of bumblebee are close to disappearing in the United States, researchers reported Monday in a study confirming that the agriculturally important bees are being affected worldwide. They documented a 96 per cent decline in the numbers of the four species, and said their range had shrunk by as […]

Introducing a new column for The Nelson Daily: Greening Up – What can I do? Michael Jessen has been following energy issues since the 1973 oil crisis. He has authored more than 700 newspaper and online articles about sustainable lifestyles, waste reduction, and climate change. Currently, Jessen is an efficiency and renewable energy advisor and operates […]