Link hosts: Lynn Desjardins, Marc Montgomery, Levon Sevunts

Link hosts: Lynn Desjardins, Marc Montgomery, Levon Sevunts
Photo Credit: RCI

The LINK Online, Sun., Oct. 30, 2016

Your hosts Lynn, Marc

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A net zero home might have solar panels on the roof to power a high-efficiency heating system. Extra insulation retains the heat, reducing power consumption. © submitted to CBC by Vince Sharpe

The climate is changing, and virtually all scientists agree that man is responsible due to greenhouse gas emissions like C02.

Buildings account for about 17 percent of carbon emissions in Canada and the governments says it wants to reduce that.

It wants to see new builders create “net zero” buildings, those are homes and offices well sealed and that use renewable energy such that the houses supply almost all of their own energy needs.  It also wants to create tougher building codes generally to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Canada is far behind in its building codes compared to countries like Germany and other European countries.

Lynn spoke to  Karen Tam Wu, of the Pembina Institute, an energy think tank.

Observing whales from above gives important new insight in behaviour, not possible in tradtional methods of research
Observing whales from above gives important new insight into behaviour. ©  LGL Limited, UBC, VDOS Global, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and WWF-Canada

We have been studying whales for years now, but they are still mysterious creatures in so many ways.

Part of the problem in trying to learn more about them is simply the difficulty in observing them. Typically it has been done by following in boats, which may actually disturb the whales and limits observation only to the surface. Sometimes whales are counted from planes which of course move too fast to make long observations, or they can be studied perhaps by tagging which records travel and depth, but not habits.

Now a researcher for the University of British Columbia has been using the small drones with mounted cameras to observe the animals. The drones flying above at the whales own speed do not disturb them and the cameras can see down below into the water and gives new insight into behaviour below the surface.

Marc spoke to PhD candidate Sarah Fortune.

Canadian song : K.D Lang, from her 1989 album Absolute Torch and Twang, with the song “Trail of Broken Hearts”

Federal officials say they continue to monitor the detainees’ physical and mental health and well-being.
Federal officials say they continue to monitor the detainees’ physical and mental health and well-being. © Radio-Canada

About a dozen immigration detainees at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario, have been on a hunger strike for eight days to protest Canada’s immigration detention system, says a migrants’ rights advocacy group

The Central East Correctional Centre is a provincial maximum security prison located about 125 km northeast of Toronto, used by the federal government to detain immigrants who are either considered a danger to the public or a flight risk.

The End Immigration Detention Network says 15 people have died in detention while in CBSA custody since 2000 – three in just the last six months. At least eight of the deaths took place in Ontario provincial prisons. Most common cause of death is denial of adequate health care followed by suicide, Hussan said.

Levon spoke to Syed Hussan of “No One Is Illegal”.

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