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Canada plans inquiry into disappearance of BC sockeye
Vancouver Sun
11/06/2009
Canada will stage a judicial inquiry into the collapse of sockeye salmon runs on the Fraser River, which have been in a two-decade decline and hit a 50-year low in summer 2009. It has prompted concerns that sockeye are heading for a population failure on the scale of the collapse of Atlantic cod.
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Spirit bears 'invisible' to salmon
BBC News
11/06/2009
On a few islands in western Canada, white 'spirit bears' walk the woods. Now scientists have discovered why these striking animals, a race of black bear, survive. White bears are less visible to fish than their black counterparts, making them 30% more efficient at capturing salmon in the islands' rivers.
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Farmed salmon's ecological finprint measured
New Scientist
11/04/2009
The first cradle-to-grave analysis of the environmental impact of salmon farms has found that in some ways they're less harmful than, say, raising beef cattle -- but that there is plenty of room for improvement.
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BC has enough power for millions of electric cars
CBC BC
11/04/2009
There's enough under-used capacity in British Columbia's power grid to charge 2.5 million electric vehicles, almost the number of vehicles on BC roads right now, a new study suggests.
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Bacteria may gobble toxics at military test sites
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/05/2009
Bacteria with the potential to eat military testing sites clean are going under the microscope at the University of British Columbia.
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BC clear-cuts flout forest salvage efforts
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/05/2009
A stampede to harvest pine beetle-killed lumber in interior British Columbia has resulted in gaping clear-cuts that flout recommendations made at the beginning of the salvage effort in 2004, increasing the risk of floods.
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Views: Smart, green and humane
Vancouver Sun
11/04/2009
According to the latest UN population projections, the next 40 years will see an almost doubling of urban populations. This growth will offer both unprecedented challenges and great opportunities to cities around the world.
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MEC raises ire of bicycle industry
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/03/2009
Vancouver BC's Mountain Equipment Co-op, which has built its retailing reputation on a feel-good image of environmental and social responsibility, has ignited anger in an unlikely place - the bicycle industry.
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Settling the 'which Vancouver?' question
Crosscut
11/03/2009
Cascadia has two Vancouvers, which causes confusion. That's why residents of Vancouver, WA are interested in re-branding their city, distinguishing it from their better-known neighbor to the north.
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BC natives claim landmark fish victory
Vancouver Sun
11/03/2009
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council claimed a legal victory Tuesday after the BC Supreme Court affirmed the right of aboriginals to sell the seafood they harvest. The court gave the aboriginal people of the west coast of Vancouver Island the right to harvest and sell fish and other seafood in their territory, although the right is not unrestricted.
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Expert: Impact of BC hydro projects on rivers unknown
Vancouver Sun
11/04/2009
British Columbia is decades behind other North American jurisdictions when it comes to confronting the impacts that hydroelectric development may have on the environment, a green energy conference heard Tuesday in Vancouver.
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Campbell announces sweeping BC energy policy goals
Vancouver Sun
11/02/2009
BC's premier aims to make the province an international leader in green power development -- both for local energy needs and for export to the US and elsewhere in Canada. He's rolling out the red carpet, seeking proposals from private industry.
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BC seeking green energy proposals from private industry
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/03/2009
British Columbia will ask private industry for a new slate of green electricity proposals in the spring, Premier Gordon Campbell says, as the government pushes to more quickly develop clean energy for the province and for export.
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Vancouver, BC, bike lanes win public support
CBC BC
11/02/2009
The temporary bike lanes on Vancouver's Burrard Bridge could be here to stay after a city survey found bike traffic was up, accidents were down and supporters outnumbered opponents nearly two to one.
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Radio: The Perils Of Over-Fishing
NPR
11/02/2009
Daniel Pauly, a professor at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia, warns that the global fishing industry has drastically depleted the number of fish in the oceans
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Rare BC abalone easy pickings for poachers
Victoria Times Colonist
11/01/2009
Northern abalone can spend their entire lives within a pond-sized patch of BC coastline. And that is where their problems begin.
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Vancouver bike-lane trial a success so far
Vancouver Sun
11/02/2009
The Burrard Bridge bicycle-lane trial in Vancouver, BC, is a success with cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, according to a survey. That means the bike lane could remain well past this February's Winter Olympics.
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In troubled Vancouver 'hood, a place to grow food
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/01/2009
Hunger is a concern in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood of Vancouver, BC. Many people there rely on food banks, and don't get the nutrients they need. Fruits and vegetables are hard to come by. A new half-acre farm could help -- plus provide needed jobs.
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The great BC real estate bust
Toronto Globe and Mail
10/29/2009
Offering mountain views and golf on the doorstep, developers spared no expense to draw retiring boomers to rural, sprawling BC housing complexes. Now the projects are in creditor protection.
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Local waters may become "Salish Sea"
KPLU
10/30/2009
The Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Georgia Strait are parts of a connected marine ecosystem. Now, a Washington board is likely to approve a new name for these inland waterways: The Salish Sea.
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BC clears way for greener power expansion
Vancouver Sun
10/30/2009
The Canadian government wants power-supplier BC Hydro to focus on sources of clean, renewable, and cost-effective electricity, shifting away from a gas-fired plant.
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Fishing rights between BC native, commercial claims
Toronto Globe and Mail
10/30/2009
The fight for fishing rights in BC waters is at its most ferocious when the salmon are scarce. This fall, hungry grizzlies are having to get in line behind the gillnetters, sports fishermen, and native communities sparring over meager runs.
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BC city eyes action plan for climate change
BC Local News
10/29/2009
The Vancouver Island city of Saanich wants a plan to deal with the effects of a changing climate, including sea level rise and the need to plant different types of trees.
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Riding the school bus could become costly
BC Local News
10/29/2009
A move by the Chilliwack school district near Vancouver, BC, to start charging fees to all bus students is being considered to make up for a budget shortfall.
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Studies begin on Surrey, Vancouver rapid transit routes
BC Local News
10/29/2009
BC's TransLink doesn't have the money to build new rapid transit extensions in Vancouver and Surrey right now, but it's launching $10 million worth of studies to lay the groundwork for them.
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