The Bigger Picture

(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

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

Prestwick is described as a "zombie airport."The Scotsman

Trudeau: High levels of airport particles recorded at Montreal airport

Publication Date: December 29, 2018

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

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

The adverse health impacts of aircraft noise.silencity.com

Heathrow: what are the pros and cons of expansion?

Publication Date: June 25, 2018

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

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

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

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

Major expansion of Montreal airport's terminal facilities announced.Montreal Gazette

Canadian government postpones study of airport privatization

Publication Date: April 20, 2018

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

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

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

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

Argentina's severe drought is impacting global grain prices.GRO Intelligence

Peterborough farmers urge more preservation of farmland

Publication Date: March 20, 2018

Peterborough conference emphasizes need to preserve farmland.globalnews.ca

Unconventional: Time to take these farmers seriously

Publication Date: March 12, 2018

Young farmers are changing the Canadian farming industry.CountryGuide

Report: On Ontario’s World Foods

Publication Date: March 7, 2018

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

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

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

Twelve foods that are vulnerable to climate change.World Economic Forum

Environmental noise and the cardiovascular system

Publication Date: February 1, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Barbudians, land rights, and a new airport

Publication Date: November 22, 2017