Ralph Martin
@ralphmartin.bsky.social
Ally of First Nations, Inuit and Metis and committed to organic agriculture, ecology, reducing waste and minimimizing consumption
“The dead ones are silent. That’s why I’m speaking. I’m not speaking for your pity. I’m speaking that the world has no right to look away, because if you look away this will happen next to your homes.” www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
A musical ensemble tells stories of Ukraine’s abducted children
Led by a Ukrainian-Canadian, Daughters of Donbas mixes storytelling and singing to raise awareness of the 20,000 children forcibly deported to Russia
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 31, 2026 at 12:56 PM
“The dead ones are silent. That’s why I’m speaking. I’m not speaking for your pity. I’m speaking that the world has no right to look away, because if you look away this will happen next to your homes.” www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
“Gaza health authorities said direct toll from Israeli attacks had exceeded 71,660 people, with at least 10,000 presumed buried in the rubble of bombed buildings ... UN commission, rights groups and scholars have accused Israel of committing genocide in territory" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Israel accepts health authorities’ Gaza death toll is broadly accurate, saying 70,000 have died
Israeli military’s U-turn in accepting official figures comes after years of attacking data as ‘Hamas propaganda’
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:32 PM
“Gaza health authorities said direct toll from Israeli attacks had exceeded 71,660 people, with at least 10,000 presumed buried in the rubble of bombed buildings ... UN commission, rights groups and scholars have accused Israel of committing genocide in territory" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
“How food is currently produced and consumed accounts for roughly 30% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and about 70% of the world’s yearly freshwater use is for agricultural purposes. Agriculture is also a leading driver of nutrient pollution and biodiversity loss. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How to eat well and within Earth’s limits
Dietary change, supported by bold policies, is essential for a sustainable planet.
www.nature.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:34 PM
“How food is currently produced and consumed accounts for roughly 30% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and about 70% of the world’s yearly freshwater use is for agricultural purposes. Agriculture is also a leading driver of nutrient pollution and biodiversity loss. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
We have already filled the Earth with rubbish and we are now doing the same in space. Losing access to Earth’s orbit would undermine climate science, disaster response, agriculture and the global coordination of communication and navigation. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/n...
The lessons to be learned from our accumulating space junk
As private constellations expand at unprecedented speed — launching thousands of satellites each year — the governance gap has become a serious problem. What was once the domain of a few national agen...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:51 PM
We have already filled the Earth with rubbish and we are now doing the same in space. Losing access to Earth’s orbit would undermine climate science, disaster response, agriculture and the global coordination of communication and navigation. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/n...
We don’t need a bigger waste incinerator in Ontario, like the expanded facility proposed for Brampton. We need to reduce the amount of garbage we produce in the first place, write Karen Wirsig, Steve Papagiannis and Dr. Mili Roy www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/o...
Why environmental and health experts are concerned about the Brampton waste incinerator
The provincial government has already given the company a green light to seek a permit, despite hundreds of residents requesting a full environmental assessment. A proper assessment could have allowed...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:49 PM
We don’t need a bigger waste incinerator in Ontario, like the expanded facility proposed for Brampton. We need to reduce the amount of garbage we produce in the first place, write Karen Wirsig, Steve Papagiannis and Dr. Mili Roy www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/o...
‘CFN is not a governing body,’” Slett said. “That is correct, but the member nations of CFN are the governing bodies of their territories, which stand to be impacted by this proposed pipeline route and the oil tankers it would bring to our waters." www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Coastal First Nations hit back after pundits and politicians challenge its legitimacy in pipeline debate
Coastal First Nations push back against claims questioning their legitimacy, accusing political critics of spreading disinformation as disagreements escalate over the proposed BC coast pipeline.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:43 PM
‘CFN is not a governing body,’” Slett said. “That is correct, but the member nations of CFN are the governing bodies of their territories, which stand to be impacted by this proposed pipeline route and the oil tankers it would bring to our waters." www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
A new study from U of T gives cities emission budgets for construction aligned with keeping global warming within 2 C, and shows how far places like Toronto would need to cut. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/n...
New U of T tool gives cities a roadmap to cut construction-related emissions
A new open-source tool from University of Toronto researchers helps cities measure and limit the greenhouse gas emissions tied to construction materials like steel and concrete.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:39 PM
A new study from U of T gives cities emission budgets for construction aligned with keeping global warming within 2 C, and shows how far places like Toronto would need to cut. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/n...
“Danny with Mohawk warrior spirit nudges us all toward impossible, giving us back our power ... Some cry, overwhelmed by the freedom they are being asked to embrace.” Dan David, Mohawk journalist and founder of APTN, was champion of Indigenous representation - The Globe and Mail
January 30, 2026 at 2:25 PM
“Danny with Mohawk warrior spirit nudges us all toward impossible, giving us back our power ... Some cry, overwhelmed by the freedom they are being asked to embrace.” Dan David, Mohawk journalist and founder of APTN, was champion of Indigenous representation - The Globe and Mail
“Animals existed in cryptobiosis, a reversible state of suspended animation. Multicellular animals can withstand tens of thousands of years in a state of almost completely arrested metabolism.” What the sleeping beauties of the animal kingdom teach us about life and memory - The Globe and Mail
January 30, 2026 at 2:19 PM
“Animals existed in cryptobiosis, a reversible state of suspended animation. Multicellular animals can withstand tens of thousands of years in a state of almost completely arrested metabolism.” What the sleeping beauties of the animal kingdom teach us about life and memory - The Globe and Mail
“Generations of Canadians before us built an astonishingly far-flung network of corridors to keep us connected. The imminent return of trains to N Ontario and Gaspé is great news." Canada’s passenger rail lines are getting revived after decades of vanishing service - The Globe and Mail
January 30, 2026 at 2:09 PM
“Generations of Canadians before us built an astonishingly far-flung network of corridors to keep us connected. The imminent return of trains to N Ontario and Gaspé is great news." Canada’s passenger rail lines are getting revived after decades of vanishing service - The Globe and Mail
“The Treaties were agreed to by First Nations and Crown before Alberta was created. Alberta is not a party to the Treaty and cannot make changes without First Nations’ consent.” First Nations leaders urge Albertans to oppose separation - The Globe and Mail
January 30, 2026 at 1:29 PM
“The Treaties were agreed to by First Nations and Crown before Alberta was created. Alberta is not a party to the Treaty and cannot make changes without First Nations’ consent.” First Nations leaders urge Albertans to oppose separation - The Globe and Mail
“Pesticide residues are permitted in the EU below certain maximum levels. But Pan Europe warned of the “cocktail effect”, when consumers are exposed to several pesticides simultaneously in a single product” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Pesticide cocktails’ polluting apples across Europe, study finds
Pan Europe found several pesticide residues in 85% of apples, with some showing traces of up to seven chemicals
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:11 AM
“Pesticide residues are permitted in the EU below certain maximum levels. But Pan Europe warned of the “cocktail effect”, when consumers are exposed to several pesticides simultaneously in a single product” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Gas projects in development in the US will, if all completed, cause 12.1bn tonnes in CO2 emissions over their lifetimes, double current annual emissions from all sources in US. Worldwide, planned gas boom will cause 53.2bn t of emissions over projects’ lifetimes” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
US leads record global surge in gas-fired power driven by AI demands, with big costs for the climate
Projects in development expected to grow global capacity by nearly 50% amid growing concern over impact on planet
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:07 AM
“Gas projects in development in the US will, if all completed, cause 12.1bn tonnes in CO2 emissions over their lifetimes, double current annual emissions from all sources in US. Worldwide, planned gas boom will cause 53.2bn t of emissions over projects’ lifetimes” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Groundwater from wells across half of 45-ha development will be drawn by high-efficiency electric heat pumps, powered in part by solar panels, to provide low-cost heating and cooling with little GHG emissions for 850 homes and several light-industrial buildings” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘The LED of heating’: cheap geothermal energy system makes US comeback
Minnesota housing project to draw energy from water stored deep underground, 45 years on from city’s initial research
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:54 AM
“Groundwater from wells across half of 45-ha development will be drawn by high-efficiency electric heat pumps, powered in part by solar panels, to provide low-cost heating and cooling with little GHG emissions for 850 homes and several light-industrial buildings” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Obed said Carney's argument earlier this month in his speech before the World Economic Forum — that great powers impose their will on smaller nations — could also describe Ottawa's treatment of Indigenous nations” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Inuit call for a larger role in Canada's Arctic defence surge
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed said Wednesday Inuit want to avoid a repeat of their experiences during the Arctic military buildup of the early Cold War, which he said "radically changed...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:49 PM
“Obed said Carney's argument earlier this month in his speech before the World Economic Forum — that great powers impose their will on smaller nations — could also describe Ottawa's treatment of Indigenous nations” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Northern BC humpbacks’ social bonds allow them to share and adopt bubble-net feeding tactics that may boost the whales’ recovery in changing oceans, a new study suggests.
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
Social smarts help BC humpbacks adapt as oceans change
Humpbacks’ social bonds allow them to share and adopt bubble-net feeding tactics which may boost the whales’ recovery in changing oceans, a new study suggests.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Northern BC humpbacks’ social bonds allow them to share and adopt bubble-net feeding tactics that may boost the whales’ recovery in changing oceans, a new study suggests.
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/n...
“Concern about threats of unregulated integration of AI into military systems and its potential misuse in aiding biological threats and AI’s role in disinformation globally. Continuing challenges posed by climate change” ‘Doomsday Clock’ is closer to midnight than ever before - The Globe and Mail
January 29, 2026 at 8:23 PM
“Concern about threats of unregulated integration of AI into military systems and its potential misuse in aiding biological threats and AI’s role in disinformation globally. Continuing challenges posed by climate change” ‘Doomsday Clock’ is closer to midnight than ever before - The Globe and Mail
“Forests are cooler, less polluted than cities; hints benefits go beyond a break from urban harm. Plants release phytoncides — organic compounds that make the woods smell so good — that counteract plant parasites and might also have immune benefits for people” www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How ‘forest bathing’ keeps lungs healthy
Wooded environments release organic compounds that seem to improve respiratory health, but the magnitude and mechanism of the effect remains unclear.
www.nature.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:41 PM
“Forests are cooler, less polluted than cities; hints benefits go beyond a break from urban harm. Plants release phytoncides — organic compounds that make the woods smell so good — that counteract plant parasites and might also have immune benefits for people” www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“Bonaire is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise, extreme heat and other climate-related impacts; not enough people, resources or specialist knowledge. These risks had been clear for decades, court ruled, but there was still no coherent plan to address them” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Dutch government discriminated against Bonaire islanders over climate adaptation, court rules
Judgment in The Hague orders Netherlands to do more to protect Caribbean people in its territory from impacts of climate crisis
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:38 AM
“Bonaire is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise, extreme heat and other climate-related impacts; not enough people, resources or specialist knowledge. These risks had been clear for decades, court ruled, but there was still no coherent plan to address them” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“It all boils down to the fact that we are nature ourselves. We are a part of it, not apart from it.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
‘I wasn’t going to be diverted,’ says King Charles about campaign on the environment
Monarch says he has remained focused despite early criticisms of his beliefs, in new film Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:31 AM
“It all boils down to the fact that we are nature ourselves. We are a part of it, not apart from it.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
“Residential flood damages in Ontario average $805 million/yr. Nationally, annual residential flood damages average $2.97 billion and are expected to increase by 5-6%/yr … upstream wetlands reduce flood damage by 29% in rural areas and 38% in urban areas” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/o...
Wetlands are a natural solution to basement flooding
The destruction of these natural environments is unfortunate because, as climate change causes more frequent and intense rainfall, flooding has become the costliest natural hazard in Ontario.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:25 PM
“Residential flood damages in Ontario average $805 million/yr. Nationally, annual residential flood damages average $2.97 billion and are expected to increase by 5-6%/yr … upstream wetlands reduce flood damage by 29% in rural areas and 38% in urban areas” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/o...
"Protecting Porcupine caribou herd’s health and their migratory route. We've been fighting for 40 years for this. [Right now] we are trying to slow them down in every area, we're trying to stop it … there's way more at stake than anyone ever knows.” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Canadian, US First Nations defend caribou habitat from Trump's Arctic oil plans
Gwich’in leaders are renewing their legal challenge to protect the Arctic Refuge and the Porcupine caribou herd that has sustained northern communities for generations after US plans reopened the door...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:41 PM
"Protecting Porcupine caribou herd’s health and their migratory route. We've been fighting for 40 years for this. [Right now] we are trying to slow them down in every area, we're trying to stop it … there's way more at stake than anyone ever knows.” www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Ontario is heading back to court to try again to remove bike lanes from Bloor, Yonge and University — after a judge ruled the plan would violate Charter rights. Cycling advocates say the stakes go far beyond Toronto. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Ford’s war on bike lanes heads back to court
This week, the province will return to court to challenge a decision that ruled that taking out bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue in an effort to reduce traffic congestion...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Ontario is heading back to court to try again to remove bike lanes from Bloor, Yonge and University — after a judge ruled the plan would violate Charter rights. Cycling advocates say the stakes go far beyond Toronto. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board keeps investing in fossil fuels and backsliding on climate at the same time as its Quebec-based peer La Caisse is proving its both possible and worthwhile to divest from coal and oil. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Canada's largest pension fund retreats from climate but other funds show leadership
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board invested at least $7.1 billion in new fossil fuel and pipeline assets between October 2024 and October 2025, pension watchdog Shift Action estimated in its ann...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:33 PM
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board keeps investing in fossil fuels and backsliding on climate at the same time as its Quebec-based peer La Caisse is proving its both possible and worthwhile to divest from coal and oil. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
"Our food system has been consistently seen as one of the safest in the world," said Lawrence Goodridge. "With these cuts, we are going to start to see more illnesses, more hospitalizations [and] more deaths due to contaminated food in Canada." www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...
Food safety agency cuts hundreds of jobs despite fears it can't protect Canadians' food
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is firing 587 people, according to the union representing agency employees. The move comes as the agency worries it can't respond adequately to concurrent em...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:32 PM
"Our food system has been consistently seen as one of the safest in the world," said Lawrence Goodridge. "With these cuts, we are going to start to see more illnesses, more hospitalizations [and] more deaths due to contaminated food in Canada." www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/28/n...