The Bigger Picture
Media coverage of airports, aviation, farming, farmland protection, food and water security, and climate change around the planet
Number of Articles: 628
Green flights not in easy reach, warn scientists
Publication Date: February 28, 2023
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change
The Royal Society in the UK concludes that zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions flying will be a challenge and difficult to achieve.BBC News
Our political leaders must reduce our dependence on oil
Publication Date: July 22, 2019
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change
(letter to the editor) Re “Embrace” letter: This is the kind of change we need; not another airport.durhamregion.com
Why some climate scientists are saying no to flying
Publication Date: May 13, 2019
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change, Environment
After seeing the deadly effects of warming oceans on coral reefs, one scientist says: “Flying is a luxury and a privilege that must be reserved for a fraction of the events that we use it for right now.” Science
How to make things worse in Durham region
Publication Date: May 2, 2019
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) On Durham Region’s recent pro-Pickering airport resolution. (reader sign-in required)DurhamRegion.com
Trudeau: citizens’ group to fight air and noise pollution
Publication Date: January 16, 2019
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Montreal citizens' group to launch a class-action lawsuit over high concentrations of airborne particles at Trudeau airport.CBC News
Prestwick: No timescale for airport to pay back government loans
Publication Date: January 16, 2019
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Prestwick is described as a "zombie airport."The Scotsman
Trudeau: High levels of airport particles recorded at Montreal airport
Publication Date: December 29, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Study finds high concentrations of particles harmful to human health in the air at the Montreal airport.CBC News
Mexico’s Texcoco airport project to be cancelled!
Publication Date: November 27, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment
The partially completed airport, a project plagued by controversy over the high cost of building such infrastructure on a sinking, flood-prone former lake bottom, and its proximity to a migratory bird refuge, will be cancelled. The new Mexican government plans to relieve air traffic congestion by expanding an existing military airport. This is the second major "greenfield" airport project cancelled this year. France cancelled plans to construct a new airport at Nantes, opting to expand its existing airport instead.New York Times
Canadians need to rethink air travel in a warming world
Publication Date: November 27, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change
Writer and activist Michael Polanyi writes: "We need to urge our governments to come up with ways to reduce aviation growth, and to expand infrastructure for lower-emission means of travel, such as buses and trains."nowtoronto.com
Report: Aircraft noise kills
Publication Date: August 27, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The adverse health impacts of aircraft noise.silencity.com
Heathrow: what are the pros and cons of expansion?
Publication Date: June 25, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The UK Parliament will vote on Cabinet's agreement to build a third runway at the airport. Heathrow expansion (or not) has been a political issue since the 1960s. The project is expected to be privately financed at a cost of $24 billion – for one runway! The taxpayer cost for the supporting infrastructure is claimed to be an additional $26 billion.theweek.com
No more flights from Sri Lanka’s second airport
Publication Date: June 8, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment
White elephant dept.: Airlines have stopped using Sri Lanka's new airport, Mattala International.Channel News Asia
Heathrow expansion: key questions answered
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Actually, it’s more like “key questions not really answered.”Independent
Two Airbus A380 jets to be stripped for parts 10 years after superjumbo’s debut
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Will the Airbus A380, the world's largest commercial airliner, become obsolete?Globe and Mail
Trudeau: Montreal airport to get $2.5B facelift
Publication Date: April 30, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Major expansion of Montreal airport's terminal facilities announced.Montreal Gazette
Canadian government postpones study of airport privatization
Publication Date: April 20, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Transport Canada puts in limbo a scheme to privatize large Canadian airports to raise cash for new infrastructure projects. Institutional investors have also repeatedly told the government that their preference is to invest in existing, revenue-generating infrastructure assets rather than in new Canadian projects.Globe and Mail
Pearson: GTAA outlines plan for noise mitigation near Brampton
Publication Date: April 16, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The GTAA presents a Pearson airport noise mitigation plan.inbrampton.com
Vancouver: airport scares record number of birds from runways
Publication Date: April 15, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment
Vancouver airport reports that it chased a record 1.5M birds away from its runways in 2017.Vancouver Sun
Frankfurt: Exorbitantly high fine dust readings near airport
Publication Date: April 4, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment
Experts are alarmed by high levels of ultra-fine particulate matter (aka aerosols) measured in the town of Raunheimer, 8 km from Frankfurt airport.uecna
Historic Argentine drought shakes grain markets
Publication Date: April 2, 2018
Tags: Climate Change, Food/Water/Agriculture
Argentina's severe drought is impacting global grain prices.GRO Intelligence
Peterborough farmers urge more preservation of farmland
Publication Date: March 20, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Peterborough conference emphasizes need to preserve farmland.globalnews.ca
Unconventional: Time to take these farmers seriously
Publication Date: March 12, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Young farmers are changing the Canadian farming industry.CountryGuide
Report: On Ontario’s World Foods
Publication Date: March 7, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
An Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs report on the state of world foods in Ontario and opportunity for growth.OMAFRA
Why Canada has a golden opportunity in the food industry
Publication Date: March 3, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Multinational food company sales are slowly dying as young consumers look for different, organic, local foods.Independent
Berlin Brandenburg: Tear down unfinished airport and start over!
Publication Date: March 1, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Nearly $11 billion have been spent so far on building Berlin’s new airport. This op-ed says the project is a bottomless money pit and unfixable.DW
Foods at risk
Publication Date: February 22, 2018
Tags: Climate Change, Food/Water/Agriculture
Twelve foods that are vulnerable to climate change.World Economic Forum
Environmental noise and the cardiovascular system
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
A research paper published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology describes how loud noise contributes to the development of heart disease. Aircraft noise is not ignored.UECNA
WestJet begins selling tickets, some for $0, for its ultra-low cost carrier Swoop
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Will Westjet's Swoop kill off competition from nascent Canadian ultra-low-cost air carriers?financialpost.com
Food insecurity and climate change
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Tags: Climate Change, Food/Water/Agriculture
According to climate change forecasts, food security will become a major issue in the world's most heavily populated regions. Interactive map.World Food Programme
Government support ensures US air service to small communities
Publication Date: January 31, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
U.S. government heavily subsidizes most small American air-passenger airports.Eno: Centre for Transportation
Dairy farmers call TPP signing a “somber” day
Publication Date: January 24, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Canadian agri-business views are split on TPP-11 export opportunities.TheWesternProducer
US farmers in crisis; looking to Trump for relief
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Rural America is counting on President Trump to end its farm crisis.The New Yorker
Cape Town at risk of being first major city in world to run out of water
Publication Date: January 18, 2018
Tags: Climate Change, Food/Water/Agriculture
Climate change catastrophe? The 3.7 million residents of Cape Town are being warned about "Day Zero," in April, when the city will be shutting off the water supply to homes. The city is running out of water.Globe and Mail
Millennials are leaving desk jobs for this surprising profession
Publication Date: January 18, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Millennials want to return to the farm. Barriers include the price of land and equipment.ThriveGlobal
France abandons plan for €580m airport near Nantes
Publication Date: January 17, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Food/Water/Agriculture
One of the world's most infamous airport battles has ended. Over 50 years ago, the French government proposed an airport project in Brittany called the "Great West” transatlantic gateway and expropriated over 4,000 acres of farmland near Nantes for the project. Five decades of protesting followed, involving thousands of people at rallies, the lands permanently occupied by protesters, and several violent clashes between protesters and police. Expansion of existing airports (at Nantes, at Rennes) was rejected by the government. The new Macron government committed to making a final decision by mid-January. Today came the announcement: in face of continuing "stiff opposition" the project would be abandoned and the site "would remain for agricultural use." The airport at Nantes will be expanded instead.The Guardian
France abandons plan for €580m airport near Nantes
Publication Date: January 17, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Food/Water/Agriculture, Historical
One of the world's most infamous airport battles has ended. Over 50 years ago, the French government proposed an airport project in Brittany called the "Great West” transatlantic gateway and expropriated over 4,000 acres of farmland near Nantes for the project. Five decades of protests followed, with thousands of people at rallies, the lands permanently occupied by protesters, and several violent clashes between protesters and police. Expansion of existing airports (at Nantes, at Rennes) was rejected by the government. The new Macron government committed to making a final decision by mid-January. Today came the announcement: in face of continuing "stiff opposition" the project would be abandoned and the site "would remain for agricultural use." The airport at Nantes will be expanded instead.The Guardian
Ontario invests $24 million in Chinese-owned baby formula factory in Kingston
Publication Date: January 10, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
The operation is expected to increase Ontario dairy milk production by 7% per year, and the funding will help create local jobs at the factory. Farmers forum
Finding the true cost of food: hard truths
Publication Date: January 10, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
(video) Guests on The Agenda with Steve Paiken discuss how to reconfigure the food system – a complex issue.TVO
Politicians take note: rural Ontario is about more than just farms
Publication Date: January 8, 2018
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
In a new paper about economic development in rural Ontario, the Rural Ontario Institute (policy director Norman Ragetlie,is also chairman of Ontario Farmland Trust) argues that one rural policy for all Ontario is insufficient; rural policies must address regional needs.TVO
Land grab looms in hurricane-wrecked Barbuda, and not just for an airport
Publication Date: January 4, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Disaster capitalism. Rather than rebuilding hurricane-damaged infrastructure on Barbuda so its population can return home, the government is trying to revoke centuries-old collectively held property rights to build an international airport and sell some of the best unspoiled beachfront properties in the Caribbean to tourism development companies.International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI)
USA: 2017’s natural disasters cost US agriculture over $5 billion
Publication Date: January 4, 2018
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Food/Water/Agriculture
In 2017, American agriculture suffered major economic losses from extreme weather/climate change disasters.The New Food Economy
Air passenger growth records in 2017
Publication Date: January 1, 2018
Tags: Aviation/Airports
In 2017, Canadian airports saw a record number of air passengers.Canadian Airports Council: Airport Voice
Want to save the environment? Stop travelling by air
Publication Date: December 16, 2017
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change, Environment
What the experts have to say.futurism.com
Minister MacAulay strengthens ag trade partnership with Mexico
Publication Date: December 8, 2017
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
The federal agriculture minister's visits to Mexico and China are part of Canada's efforts to grow global agri-food exports to $75 billion by 2025.Farms.com
Mozambique government wants to make Nacala airport profitable
Publication Date: December 4, 2017
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Building an airport without researching whether any airline is interested in flying to it is a bad idea.allAfrica
Soil power! The dirty way to a green planet
Publication Date: December 2, 2017
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Food/Water/Agriculture
The importance of soil carbon sequestration.New York Times
Report: A Food Policy for Canada
Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Food/Water/Agriculture
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has proposed our first National Food Policy. Our vision for the remaining Federal Lands tallies perfectly with the Committee's recommendations. Have a read!
Parliament of Canada
A growing number of young Americans are leaving desk jobs to farm
Publication Date: November 23, 2017
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
They are part of a growing movement – highly educated, ex-urban, first-time farmers, capitalizing on booming consumer demand for local and sustainable foods. Expert say they could have a broad impact on the food system.Washington Post
Berlin’s Brandenburg airport may not open until 2021
Publication Date: November 23, 2017
Tags: Aviation/Airports
In the post-Cold War era, Germany decided to replace Tegel and Schönefeld airfields with a new airport in Berlin. Planned to be a model of infrastructure efficiency, it would modernize a runway of adjacent Schönefeld airport thus requiring construction of only one new runway. It’s been a decade-long disaster. The plan to have private investors build the airport fell through, their proposals deemed too expensive. The new airport was to open in 2011-2012, but now 2021-2022 is more likely. Most of the delay has been caused by major design and construction flaws in nearly all the safety systems in the passenger terminal, making it unsafe to use. It will take several more years to gut, redesign, rebuild, repair and certify these systems as safe. The original construction cost estimate of $4.3B has ballooned to over $10B – or $5B per runway.Business Traveller
Emails show Airbus writes aircraft CO2 rules
Publication Date: November 23, 2017
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change
Oops. The European Union allowed Airbus to write key aircraft CO2 emission rules?! This explains a lot!Transport & Environment