Podcasts about land reclamation

Hummingbird Farm is a community-led urban agriculture project in the Excelsior neighborhood of Southeast San Francisco, stewarded by PODER's (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights) Urban Compesinx. Since its inception in 2017, the community has transformed nearly seven acres of underutilized public land into a vibrant space for growing food, culture and resilience. Joining forces in this work are PODER and 5 Elements, two local organizations reclaiming land stewardship and artistic expression as tools for self-determination among underinvested communities of color.   Producer Hannah Wilton speaks with two organizers from PODER—longtime Environmental Justice Organizer Tere Almaguer and Youth Organizer Alondra Aragón—about how they are weaving ancestral connection, intergenerational healing and translocal solidarity at Hummingbird Farm. We also hear from 5 Elements Co-Founder & Youth Engagement Coordinator Violeta Vasquez on the rising generation of urban compesinx and cultural workers who are reshaping the future of their neighborhoods. The post Urban Compesinx on Youth Power and Land Reclamation appeared first on KPFA.

On this West Virginia Morning, some things to keep in mind as we spend more time in the kitchen and around the fireplace. And the future of federal funds help to clean up abandoned mine lands under a new administration. The post Funding Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation And Fire Safety Tips For The Holidays This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Environmentalism, Harry Caudill, Appalachia, strip mining, deep ecology, pantheism, panpsychism, Biocentrism vs Anthropocentrism, pacifism vs violence in environmentalism, primalism and primitivism, Luddites, eco-extremists, Gaia hypothesis, Mary Midgley, Transcendentalism, John Muir, Mormonism, Bureau of Land Reclamation, spiritual dynamics in environmental debate, population control, Aldo Leopold, Sierra Club, GreenpeaceMusic by: Keith Allen Dennishttps://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/Additional Music: J Money Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Land Reclamation is in the 9th Circle of Stagnation Hell, published by Maxwell Tabarrok on January 13, 2024 on LessWrong. Land reclamation is a process where swamps, wetlands, or coastal waters are drained and filled to create more dry land. Despite being complex and technologically intensive, land reclamation is quite old and was common in the past. The reclamation of the Dutch lowland swamps since the 13th century is well-known. Perhaps less well known is that almost every major American city had major land reclamation projects in the 19th and 20th centuries. Boston changed the most with well over half of the modern downtown being underwater during the American Revolution, but it's not unique. New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Miami have all had several major land reclamation projects. Today, land prices in these cities are higher than ever, dredging ships are bigger, construction equipment is more powerful, landfills and foundations are more stable, and rising sea levels provide even more reason to expand shorelines, but none of these cities have added any land in 50 years or more. Land reclamation is a technologically feasible, positive-sum way to build our way out of a housing crisis and to protect our most important cities from flooding, but it's never coming back. The 9th Circle of Stagnation Hell Land reclamation is simultaneously harried by every single one of the anti-progress demons who guard Stagnation Hell. Let's take a trip to see what it's like. The first circle of Stagnation Hell is environmental review. The guardian demon, NEPA-candezzar, has locked congestion pricing and transmission lines in the corner and is giving them a thousand paper cuts an hour for not making their reports long enough. Land reclamation suffers from environmental review in the same way as all other major infrastructure projects, or it would if anyone even tried to get one approved. Reclamation clearly has environmental effects so a full Environmental Impact Statement would be required, adding 3-15 years to the project timeline. There's also NEPA-candezzar's three headed dog: wetland conservation, which, while less common, is extra vicious. Lots of land reclamation happens by draining marshes and wetlands. NEPA reviews are arduous but ultimately standardless i.e they don't set a maximum level of environmental damage, they just require that all possible options are considered. Wetland conservation is more straightforward: wetlands are federally protected and can't be developed. The second circle is zoning. This circle looks like a beautiful neighborhood of detached single-family homes, but every corner is filled with drug markets and stolen goods and every home is eight million dollars. Most land reclamation projects have become large housing developments or new airports, both of which are imperiled by strict zoning. The third circle is the Foreign Dredging Act. This watery hell is guarded by an evil kraken which strikes down any ship not up to its exacting standards. This law requires that any dredging ship (essentially a ship with a crane on it) be American made and American crewed. This law makes dredging capacity so expensive that the scale required for a large land reclamation project may not even exist in the domestic market. Next is cost disease, a walking plague. Construction labor is a massive input into land reclamation and the building that comes after it. Productivity growth in this sector has been slow relative to other industries which raises the opportunity cost of this labor, another reason why land reclamation was more common in the past. The final circle is low-hanging fruit. The shallowest estuaries and driest marshes have already been reclaimed, leaving only deeper waters that are harder to fill....

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Land Reclamation is in the 9th Circle of Stagnation Hell, published by Maxwell Tabarrok on January 13, 2024 on LessWrong. Land reclamation is a process where swamps, wetlands, or coastal waters are drained and filled to create more dry land. Despite being complex and technologically intensive, land reclamation is quite old and was common in the past. The reclamation of the Dutch lowland swamps since the 13th century is well-known. Perhaps less well known is that almost every major American city had major land reclamation projects in the 19th and 20th centuries. Boston changed the most with well over half of the modern downtown being underwater during the American Revolution, but it's not unique. New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Miami have all had several major land reclamation projects. Today, land prices in these cities are higher than ever, dredging ships are bigger, construction equipment is more powerful, landfills and foundations are more stable, and rising sea levels provide even more reason to expand shorelines, but none of these cities have added any land in 50 years or more. Land reclamation is a technologically feasible, positive-sum way to build our way out of a housing crisis and to protect our most important cities from flooding, but it's never coming back. The 9th Circle of Stagnation Hell Land reclamation is simultaneously harried by every single one of the anti-progress demons who guard Stagnation Hell. Let's take a trip to see what it's like. The first circle of Stagnation Hell is environmental review. The guardian demon, NEPA-candezzar, has locked congestion pricing and transmission lines in the corner and is giving them a thousand paper cuts an hour for not making their reports long enough. Land reclamation suffers from environmental review in the same way as all other major infrastructure projects, or it would if anyone even tried to get one approved. Reclamation clearly has environmental effects so a full Environmental Impact Statement would be required, adding 3-15 years to the project timeline. There's also NEPA-candezzar's three headed dog: wetland conservation, which, while less common, is extra vicious. Lots of land reclamation happens by draining marshes and wetlands. NEPA reviews are arduous but ultimately standardless i.e they don't set a maximum level of environmental damage, they just require that all possible options are considered. Wetland conservation is more straightforward: wetlands are federally protected and can't be developed. The second circle is zoning. This circle looks like a beautiful neighborhood of detached single-family homes, but every corner is filled with drug markets and stolen goods and every home is eight million dollars. Most land reclamation projects have become large housing developments or new airports, both of which are imperiled by strict zoning. The third circle is the Foreign Dredging Act. This watery hell is guarded by an evil kraken which strikes down any ship not up to its exacting standards. This law requires that any dredging ship (essentially a ship with a crane on it) be American made and American crewed. This law makes dredging capacity so expensive that the scale required for a large land reclamation project may not even exist in the domestic market. Next is cost disease, a walking plague. Construction labor is a massive input into land reclamation and the building that comes after it. Productivity growth in this sector has been slow relative to other industries which raises the opportunity cost of this labor, another reason why land reclamation was more common in the past. The final circle is low-hanging fruit. The shallowest estuaries and driest marshes have already been reclaimed, leaving only deeper waters that are harder to fill....

People are artificially expanding the coastlines of cities by extending industrial ports and creating luxury residential waterfronts.  Major cities have added 900 square miles to their coastlines just since 2000.  A recent study published in the journal Earth's Future made use of satellite imagery to analyze land changes in 135 cities with populations of at […]

Frank Howard from Howard Concrete Pumping, knows a thing or two about abandoned mine land reclamation.Their company has completed more mine reclamation projects than our competitors combined in the regions we serve.  Howard has completed nearly 30,000 injection holes for over 2,000,000 feet of drilling and 1,100,00 cubic yards of grout in the past ten years.  Abandoned Mine Land reclamation (AML), serves an important part in restoring the environment in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Companies like Howard Concrete Pumping that work in AML reclamation help resolve mine fires, mine subsidence, dangerous high walls, open shafts and portals, mining-impacted water supplies, and other hazards resulting from past coal mining.The infrastructure and jobs act has helped fund the continued work on AML. Tune in to listen to the fascinating stories of how this work will make Pennsylvania safer and healthier.

The proposed Maharani Energy Gateway project in Muar, Johor will involve creating three man-made islands covering an area of 1,295 hectares, and making it into an energy hub and deep-sea port. It's expected that the main activities involved in the reclamation stage for the man-made islands are the transportation of sea sand from Malacca, sand filling work, compaction, and bank revetment works. Sahabat Alam Malaysia recently assessed the quality of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, and are of the opinion that it is far from adequate, and cannot be approved as it exists. Among other reasons, they cite legal and policy matters, loss of fishing grounds and hindrance of access to the sea for fisher groups, and a lack of a comprehensive economic valuation assessment and cost and benefit analysis. We discuss this and more with Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia.Image credit: Enviro Knowledge Management Center (EKMC)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we close off the month of March 2022, we look back at some of the top conservation and environment-related news from the month past, with the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga, Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn.On today's episode, we discuss the tabled amendments to the nation's Forestry Law and whether it will be binding to all states, before turning our attention to the rise in coastal reclamation projects across the country and whether its supposed economic benefits outweigh the social and environmental impacts of such megaprojects. Finally we take a look at SUHAKAM's upcoming report on transboundary haze, the need for the formulation of laws to tackle this problem, and how “the haze” is both an environmental and human rights issue.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura reports from “He Sapa‘', the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota where NDN Collective is reclaiming ancestral lands to address homelessness, addiction and violence against Native Americans. Catalyzed in 2020, by an action in which Land Defenders blocked former President Donald Trump's road to Mount Rushmore, this Landback campaign is about reclaiming, along with stolen land, native ceremonies, spirituality and traditions of community care. In this special feature, Laura reports on Camp Mniluzahan, a tipi village built on tribal trust land, that welcomed hundreds of unhoused Indigenous people and others in the Rapid City area in the dead of winter last year.  Laura's guests, Oglala Lakota activists Nick Tilsen, Krystal Two Bulls, Sunny Red Bear and Hermus Bettelyoun of NDN Collective. [Camp Mniluzahan] is... a teaching moment [about] what could happen. We're envisioning what could be if we actually had control of our lands and what it would mean to have land back.  -Sunny Red Bear, Director of Racial Equity, NDN Collective; Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux ReservationGuestsHermus Bettelyoun, Racial Equity Organizer, NDN Collective; Oglala LakotaSunny Red Bear, Director of Racial Equity, NDN Collective; LakotaAmy Sazue, Education Equity Organizer, NDN Collective; Sicangu & Oglala LakotaNick Tilsen, President & CEO, NDN Collective; Oglala LakotaKrystal Two Bulls, Director of LANDBACK Campaign, NDN Collective; Northern Cheyenne/Oglala Lakota Full episode notes including related articles and LFShow episodes to watch and/or listen to are posted at https://Patreon.com/theLFShow. Patreon Members receive access to the FULL UNCUT INTERVIEW with Sunny Red Bear from this episode.

There is so much abandoned mine land all over the state of West Virginia. Learn how busineses across the Mountain State are utilizing Abanoned Mine Land Grants to grow West Virginia tourism and economic development. Join us as we speak with Jeffrey Lusk, Executive Director of the Hatfield McCoy Trails Regional Recreation Authority, Jocelyn Sheppard, Founder/President of Appalachian Botanical Co., and Terri Cutright, President of Terri Reed Cutright & Associates. Hatfield McCoy Trails: https://trailsheaven.com/ Appalachian Botanical Co: https://appalachianbotanical.com Terri Reed Cutright & Associates: https://www.trcandassociates.com/

Welcome to the latest episode of The Lede, where Iorì:wase Journalists discuss the latest news and events happening in the community of Kahnawake, including a land development issue with a neighbouring community, back to school, "Reservation Dogs," and more...

You're listening to the Iorì:wase Front Page podcast. In this episode we speak to Kanien'kehá:ka Nation at Kahnawake spokesperson Joe Deom about an ongoing land reclamation initiative happening on the border between Kahnawake and Chateauguay. #CommunityMedia #CMSSF  

“Building Islands and Influence: Chinese Land Reclamation in the Southwest Pacific,” by Nitya Labh, Australian Defense Magazine, May 6, 2021. 

Land reclamation is not something new, from Denmark to Singapore, urban planners have reclaimed land from the sea for decades for offices, apartments, and tourism. But is this necessary for an island to thrive? On today’s show, our expert guests discuss issues related to land reclamation, how it fits into city planning, and the comparison between Penang, Hong Kong as well as Singapore. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Is the oil sands destroying Alberta's northern forests? Shannon Carla King is quick to point out no: lands are reclaimed by oil sands producers to a natural, self-sustaining habitat. Her method of showing this is unique: she's an Alberta artist who paints  landscapes of the Canadian outdoors with a focus on, you guessed it, the wild beauty of reclaimed lands from completed oil sands projects. In this podcast, Shannon discusses with Energy Examined host Tracy Larsson why she's using art to correct misinformation about destruction of lands in the oil sands, and the kind of response her work's received to date.  Check out the conversation and the paintings in this video podcast.

Humans love the outdoors. We love to observe it, recreate in it, listen to it, and we depend on its resources to drive our economy and build cool stuff. Unfortunately, the way we go about extracting some of these resources can sometimes leave nature worse for wear. In comes land reclamation to save the day! Reclamation of environmental resources is a tricky, complex, and fascinating science. From building soils like Anthroposols (human-made soil) to fixing waterways, land reclamation is one very cool way to rebuild what was lost.Your Forest Podcast by Matthew KristoffDefining Land Reclamation with Anne NaethEpisode highlightDr. Anne Naeth is Professor of Land Reclamation and Restoration Ecology, Director of the Land Reclamation International Graduate School (LRIGS), Director of the Energy Systems Signature Area, Director of the Future Energy Systems Research Program, all at the University of Alberta. In this episode, she defines the types of land reclamation and who should be held responsible for it and how to create a sustainable future for us all. ResourcesUniversity of Alberta’s Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Sciences | Majorin Land Reclamation:https://www.ualberta.ca/agriculture-life-environment-sciences/programs/undergraduate-programs/degree-programs/environmental-conservation-sciences/land-reclamation/index.htmlSponsorsWest Fraser: https://www.westfraser.com/GreenLink Forestry Inc.: http://greenlinkforestry.com/Damaged Timber: https://www.damagedtimber.com/GiveawayEnter YourForest10 at checkout at the Damaged Timber store for a 10% discount!Quotes16.08 - 16.23: “Land reclamation, put very simply, is taking land that has been disturbed andreclaiming it, getting it back to what it was either before the disturbance or to some otherproductive use.”17.35 - 17.45: “Ecological restoration is really building that broader ecosystem rather thanfocussing on a particular end land use.”25.12- 25.19: “What is it that we need as stewards of the land in that particular area at thatparticular time?”27.38 - 27.58: “I teach in land reclamation, that it’s not just about our romantic views or ourideals but it’s about what is appropriate - and appropriate of course is a loaded word as well -but what is appropriate for the time, for the place, for the people in that particular area.”40.39 - 40.59: “We have learned so much just by working with nature and understandingecological processes that now there is augmented natural recovery and in some cases, whatwould be considered doing nothing is the best approach to be taking for that particularrestoration.”44.36 - 44.42: “We have to always remember that land reclamation, in itself, is a disturbance.”47.39 - 47.48: “We are part of the environment… we can’t talk about ourselves as beingseparate from nature, we are part of nature.”1.02.05 - 1.02.13: “There are many good companies and they take their responsibility seriouslyand they will do the best that they can.”1.055.55 - 1.06.22: “If we as consumers make smart choices and we decide we’re going tomake our choices for whatever we need... then you know we have a lot of control too because ifwe’re saying we’re not buying your product because you don’t clean up your environmentalmesses then that product becomes less valuable for that particular company.”1.06.42 - 1.07.01: “It’s hard when you are raising a family, you don’t have a great paychequeand... you’re just trying to... make ends meet, you’re not necessarily going to make sustainableenvironmental choices. You’re going to take the cheapest fuel or whatever you have to spendless money for.”1.21.51 - 1.22.00: “This whole COVID scenario just really reminded me of what we can do whenwe put our hearts and minds into it when we work together.”1.22.49 - 1.22.56: “You mess around with the environment, nobody’s going to buy your stuff. So,get on board and do what you need to be doing.”TakeawaysNature trailblazer (6.08)Living on a farm as a child, Anne loved nature. When she took botany in her pre-medical study at university, she decided to switch to environmental studies. She worked with the University of Alberta to create an individual master’s program in land reclamation so she could explore the subject. She completed many courses in plant and soil science to earn the first land reclamation degree there. Nature conservation is her passion and duty, she says.Where can you learn about land reclamation? (10.23)Anne has been actively involved in developing land reclamation studies at the University of Alberta. Land reclamation is offered as a major in the bachelor’s program in environmental and conservation sciences. The master’s and doctoral programs are a broad offering with many areas of focus. The Land Reclamation International Graduate School (LRIGS) began in 2012 and delves into international aspects of land reclamation, in keeping with the times.Terms of reclamation (15.30)Anne explains land reclamation as bringing disturbed land back to its original state (ecological) or to productive use (agricultural). Restoration, remediation of contaminants and revegetation are components of land reclamation. The terms are used differently across the planet and sometimes interchangeably. However, she is mindful of the legal implications of the terms from her experience with the Environmental Appeals Board and considers land reclamation to be the scientifically appropriate term.Land ownership and responsibility (28.26)Anne believes that “land reclamation practitioners should be involved in the planning before the disturbance, not just coming in and cleaning up the mess after”. The planning decisions are made differently in each province in Canada based on ownership (private or crown). Landowners are expected to complete documentation before undertaking any disturbing activity and are held accountable to their reclamation plan in order to get a reclamation certificate.To whom the land belongs (32.21)Anne believes land reclamation plans should be developed in consultation with indigenous spiritual perspectives and traditional ecological values because “the soil can be rebuilt, the plant community can be reestablished but we don’t necessarily have that sense of place; the spirit of the land isn’t brought back”. Land reclamation has now evolved from only a science-based practice to one where the spirit is considered.Conscientious reclamation (42.49)Land reclamation projects have evolved conscious stages to manage any ecological issues that may come up since the reclamation process is itself disturbing to the land. Different approaches are taken based on how populated the area is. Less invasive techniques like drones are being employed for monitoring purposes in sensitive environments. Anthroposols (soils made by humans) are being created to reclaim the land where natural materials are not available.The future of reclamation (56.34)Today, before land reclamation plans can be approved, companies have to separate the soil horizons and use natural materials to ensure the viability of the land reclaimed. Anne imagines a time when companies trade soil layers to ensure maximum viability through timely use, though ownership and cost may be hindrances. She also hopes that companies will be given a time frame in which to reclaim disturbed lands and only be allowed a certain amount of disturbance in a certain period.Miles to go (1.02.51)Anne laments that there are some philosophical and practical hurdles to overcome, and tradeoffs between the environment and economy that will have to be made to continue our modern way of life. The industry, other peers, and consumers along with regulators could exert pressure on companies to operate sustainably. However, end consumers should not be expected to carry the weight of responsibility through their choices.Making regulation work (1.09.06)Anne observes that Alberta has a stringent certification process that has evolved to regulate the operations of companies and hold them accountable to sustainability. She recommends conducting more studies on the ecosystems of the lands being reclaimed to truly assess the ecological impact of the operations and reclamations. Monitoring metrics need to be refined based on the type of land.Orphaned oil wells (1.15.59)When companies go bankrupt or cease operations, they abandon their oil wells, reneging their responsibility of reclamation. The Orphan Well Association reclaims these using the deposits the companies had paid before beginning operations. Anne suggests that each company should be given the responsibility to reclaim one oil well pro bono every year with the help of land reclamation students. Abandoned oil wells could also be used for geothermal projects.The future is in whose hands? (1.21.36)Anne worries that we may be taking too long to implement positive changes to protect the environment, but is excited by the new technologies and ideas pouring into this space from people concerned about sustainability. She is also hopeful about youth entering environmental careers or choosing sustainability as a way of life and her observation that “the environment is important to them even if they are living in the city”.

For many Indigenous people, skateboarding is an active way to express yourself, and reclaim territory in unexpected ways. This week on Unreserved, meet Indigenous skateboarders who are taking the sport onto the streets, and into communities. 

If you live in the Bay Area, you've probably heard this term at some point, but land reclamation is not just relevant to the Bay Area. We reached out to Cary Ronan, an experienced geotechnical engineer, to help explain what land reclamation is and how it works.

The UN has declared 2021 to 2030 to be the Decade of Ecological Restoration and, thanks to the University of Alberta–based award-winning Land Reclamation International Graduate School (LRIGS), students in Alberta are taking up the challenge. That's this week on Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio podcast produced in collaboration with the Emerald Foundation's "What on Earth Can We Do" podcast. Learn more: http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/245-land-reclamation-and-the-decade-of-ecological-restoration

Tee Iriarte is an art curator, lawyer, organizer and farmer who moved to Puerto Rico to work with communities in Canóvanas, Loíza and Río Grande. I sat down with Tee to talk about her vision and initiative, the Sol2Soul Freedom Project. Her mission is to co create sustainable agro ecological business models that prioritize well being. Follow Sol2Soul Freedom Project on Instagram @sol2soulfreedomproject.

Dustin Morin explains the process of land reclamation, in which he updates and maintains Alabama’s state inventory of abandoned mine land features and conducts environmental assessments prior to the undertaking of mine reclamation projects. Learn what makes Alabama unique, the positive impacts in safety, and how the landscape is being improved.

In early August, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is pushing ahead with plans to legalize land expropriation without compensation in the country. As of 2019, white farmers in South Africa could be forced to give up their own homes in line with the constitutional go-ahead for land expropriation without compensation, according to media reports. What does this say about South Africa and what does this mean going forward? For these answers we turn to my first guest, he's the US correspondent for The Herald Newspaper in Zimbabwe, Obi Egbuna. So, land expropriation without compensation. Is that a proper description for the action being proposed by President Ramaphosa or, is that inflammatory rhetoric as was used when former Zimbabwean President Mugabe implemented land reclamation in Zimbabwe? A recent analysis of 4,484 killings of women in 47 major U.S. cities during the past decade found that nearly half of the women who were killed — 46 percent — died at the hands of an intimate partner. In many cases, they were among the most brutal deaths, and the most telegraphed. In a close analysis of homicides in five of the cities, The Washington Post found that more than one-third of all men who killed a current or former intimate partner were publicly known to be a potential threat to their loved one ahead of the attack. What is behind this problem and what solutions can be implemented? In 1980, an FBI agent testified in Elmer Daniels' rape trial that hair evidence found on both the victim and Daniels linked him to the assault. Thirty-nine years later, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have determined that testimony – ironclad at the time – has "exceeded the limits of science" and is "invalid," court documents say. The state won't go so far as to say Daniels, now 56, is innocent. But it does say that dismissing the indictment is the "most just outcome." What are we to make of this 39 years later? GUESTS:Obi Egbuna — Activist and US representative for the Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald.Amina McWhirter - Founder of Love By the Handles, domestic violence survivor and victims advocated and author of Shh…No More Be Free & Live Life.Eugene Craig III — Republican strategist, former vice-chair of the Maryland Republican Party and grassroots activist.

Dustin Morin is a Land Reclamation Inspector for the Alabama Department of Labor, Abandoned Mine Land Program. Before he began a career in public service he worked as an environmental consultant to the U.S. EPA which provided him a strong scientific background and technical skill set. He is passionate about environmental and conservation issues and uses his experience to accomplish the goals of the Abandoned Mine Land program and restore land and water resources impacted by coal mining to a more natural condition.

In this episode, we bring you a recording of our recent event with Chia-Huan Chang, a visiting fellow of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS and a former instructor at Taiwan's National Defense University. Chia-Huan Chang's research interests include the issues related to the international law of the sea, maritime policies, and the South China Sea disputes.

Transcript -- Dr David Robinson explains the relationship between fungi and living trees.

Transcript -- Dr David Robinson explains the relationship between fungi and living trees.

Dr David Robinson explains the relationship between fungi and living trees.

Dr David Robinson explains the relationship between fungi and living trees.

Transcript -- A land reclamation project that involves planting acacia mangium to establish suitable conditions to grow dipterocarps.

A land reclamation project that involves planting acacia mangium to establish suitable conditions to grow dipterocarps.

Transcript -- A land reclamation project that involves planting acacia mangium to establish suitable conditions to grow dipterocarps.

A land reclamation project that involves planting acacia mangium to establish suitable conditions to grow dipterocarps.

Demand for organic food in Canada has been growing steadily at 25 percent a year. With new federal regulations passed in December and a new Canada Organic logo backing organic claims, the Canadian organics sector can expect this growth to continue. Canadians are becoming more health conscious and concerned about the safety of our food system. Consumers need to be aware of new information about our food, especially as it relates to our and our children's health. That's why scientists, children's health experts and the general public discussed what it means to grow up organic at the one day conference "Growing Up Organic" in Toronto on February 17th , 2007. The conference was hosted by Canadian Organic Growers. The organic standard bans the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, additives, genetically modified organisms and irradiation. The result is food that has fewer toxic residues and a healthier ecosystem that will sustain food production over the long term. With the growing popularity of organics, people are asking many questions. Some of the more common questions include: Are organic foods really healthier? Should I be buying organics for my children? Are organics worth the higher price? The body of knowledge around organics continues to emerge, as scientists and nutritional experts conduct studies to answer these kinds of questions. Speakers Ann Clark, Associate Professor in Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph (Guelph, ON) - Dr. Clark's research program encompasses pasture and grazing management and organic agriculture, as well as risk assessment of genetically modified crops. A native Californian, she studied at the University of California at Davis and at Iowa State University. Her academic career started at the University of Alberta, but she has been at Guelph since 1983. In a career spanning 26 years, she has authored 15 books or chapters in books, presented papers at more than 50 conferences and symposia, and published 25 refereed journal and 150 technical and extension articles. She currently teaches Crop Ecology, Crops in Land Reclamation, Managed Grasslands, and several courses in Organic Agriculture, and coordinates the new Major in Organic Agriculture. Peter Macleod, Executive Director of Crop Protection Chemistry - CropLife Canada (Toronto, ON) - CropLife Canada is a trade association representing the developers, manufacturers and distributors of plant science innovations (pest control products and plant biotechnology) for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings. Peter MacLeod has spent his career in the field of scientific research and regulatory affairs. His research activity has mainly focused on the degradation of pesticides in soil and water but he has also managed environmental toxicology studies and food residue studies. Peter is an active participant on the Pesticide Management Advisory Committee to the Federal Minister of Health and has served on many panels on pesticides and risk management. Born in Yarmouth , Nova Scotia his fondness for Agriculture and Science led him to attend the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. He graduated in 1987 with a B.Sc. (Agr.) Hon., Dalhousie University. Ellen Desjardins, Public Health Nutritionist - Region of Waterloo Public Health (Waterloo, ON) - Ellen has worked in various programs throughout the province and at the federal level for the past 20 years. Ellen has co-authored numerous articles in the area of food security. She has also chaired work-groups and prepared position papers for the Ontario Public Health Association on food systems, public health concerns about food biotechnology, and mercury in fish. In 2005, Ellen was a founding member of the new national organization Food Secure Canada. Wayne Roberts, Coordinator, Toronto Food Policy Council (Toronto, ON) - Wayne moderated the session of the conference titled Is Organic Worth the Price?. The Toronto Food Policy Council partners with business and community groups to develop policies and programs promoting food security. Our aim is a food system that fosters equitable food access, nutrition, community development and environmental health.