yellowknife Archives - Ecology North

Background

Ecology North worked with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the hamlet of Kakisa, and representatives from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) to study the physical and mental health impacts of 2014’s extreme forest fire season and the related costs to the healthcare system. Climate change is creating conditions in the North and across Canada that will make extreme forest fire seasons more common. Drier winters with less snowfall, low water levels, and warmer summers with more lightning storms all contribute to an elevated risk of forest fires during the summer months.

The health risks associated with climate change are many and varied, and the concurrent costs may be more than our system can handle. With the completion of this project we hope to show that climate change is impacting the health system and all of us. The summer of 2014, and the incredible smoke that blanketed the NWT, impacted people in many ways. Vulnerable populations had their physical health impacted by the smoke, but what was most captivating about the results of this project were the emotional and stress related affects throughout the population.

Ecology North and CAPE managed this mixed-method study researching the impacts on the health system, while at the same time asking ordinary NWT residents from four communities to make videos of their experiences in the Summer of 2014. The results show the wide impact that the forest fires had on the population.

The infographic below shows a narration of the Summer of Smoke against the Yellowknife air quality records of the season.

Ecology North was also interested in how Yellowknife’s air quality during the Summer of Smoke compared to the notoriously bad air quality in Beijing, China. Check out the results below.

Summer of Smoke – Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Research Project

January 23, 2016 marked the first public showcase of preliminary results from the Summer of Smoke interdisciplinary mixed methods research project. We were incredibly lucky to have such a wealth of knowledge, experience, and initiative on the speaker’s panel. Much thanks goes out to Dr. Patrick Scott; Fred Sangris, former Chief of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation; Jessie MacKenzie, Climate Change and our Lands in Film research coordinator; Dr. Courtney Howard of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment; and Dr. James Orbinski of the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

This project is made possible with funding from Health Canada.

The Yellowknife Centralized Compost Program diverts organic waste into the YK Centralized Compost Facility, where it is processed into finished compost. The program began in September 2009, diverting food and yard waste from the landfill, and we continue to look for ways to increase the participation of residents and businesses.

Normally, all of this waste would just be landfilled, where it would sit, rot, and release methane into the environment. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 21x more potent than carbon dioxide! In its first five years, the Yellowknife Centralized Compost Program managed to reduce the release of over 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasses into the environment. This is like taking 45 cars off the road every year for the last five years. Way to go Yellowknife!

Who participates?

In November 2014, curb-side collection was introduced to Range Lake residents as part of the City of Yellowknife’s four-year compost program roll-out. The program has since expanded to include all neighbourhoods in Yellowknife as of September 2017, as well as several businesses.

How can out-of-town/off-grid residents participate?

There is a special bin for household food scraps and yard waste located next to the salvage area at the Solid Waste Facility. It is labeled “Organic materials only” and it is free of charge to drop off your appropriate waste there.

What Goes In?

Unlike backyard composting, the centralized compost program can accept materials such as meat, fish, bones and dairy products. The large windrows (long piles) at the centralized compost facility reach sustained high temperatures (above 55°C) that properly decompose and destroy any harmful organisms associated with these items.

Things that DO NOT belong in your green bin include: glossy magazines, biodegradable bags, any sort of plastic (including plastic bags and fruit trays), clean cardboard (which should be recycled), disposable coffee cups, styrofoam.

Click here for more information on Dos and Don’ts

Interested in comics about compost? http://www.thecomicstrips.com/subject/The-Compost-Comic-Strips.php

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