YREA summer 2024 news & views

Diversify your grains

The UN celebrated the International Year of Millets in 2023 & there is a lot to celebrate. Millet can survive harsh climate conditions, is tolerant to diseases & pests, is less costly & more nutritious than rice. Use millet instead of other grains in many delicious recipes including burgers, polenta, tabbouleh, salads, risotto, pilaf & stir fries. Organic millet is grown in Canada & readily available. We don't need genetically engineered golden rice when we already have this healthy ancient grain. Why not giive it a try?

PFAS - Forever Chemicals are everywhere

Forever chemicals DO NOT break down in nature. Exposure to PFAS may lead to:

Decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women.
Developmental delays in children, accelerated puberty, behavioral changes.
Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney & testicular cancers.
Reduced immune system ability to fight infections, reduced vaccine response.
Interference with the body’s natural hormones, endocrine disruptor.
Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.

Listing the entire class of these chemicals as toxic would enable Environment & Climate Change Canada to enact more effective restrictions. As with pesticides, industry pushback & lobbying is an impediment. So it is up to us as individuals to take measures to protect ourselves. Read about hot spots in Canada & ways we can lower exposure to PFAS

Pesticide spraying, GMO, pollution prevention

Safe Food Matters says spraying of pesticides on Canadian forests makes foraged foods unsafe, kills the diversity of forest life which results in animal & plant death, destruction of foods & accelerates forest fires. We must STOP THE SPRAY

CBAN reports genetically engineered chestnut trees are a failure & release of these GE trees in US forests would pose a real threat to the endangered American chestnuts in Canada with unforeseen consequences.

Good News! Richmond Hill has updated standards for contractors employed by the City who are now required to ensure stone & concrete dust suppression measures are put in place to minimize air contaminants during construction or landscaping. Clean Neighbourhoods bylaw will also enforce concrete dust suppression on private properties. Time for all other municipalities concerned about air pollution & human health to do the same.

Why we need organic food in schools

National School Food Program Canada funding must be earmarked for organic food. See video below & spread the word to teachers, trustees, parents & those concerned about the health & well-being of our children.

God & St. Francis discuss the baffling

gardening practices of some earthlings

GOD: You know all about gardens & nature. What in the world is going on down there? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds & stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought & multiply with abandon. The nectar from the blossoms attracts butterflies, bees & birds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them & replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds & bees; only grubs & sod worms. It's temperature sensitive. Do Suburbanites really want all that grass?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it & keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass & poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains & warm weather makes grass grow really quickly. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up & put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off & pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain & turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth & saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses & pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it & pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty & shade in the summer. In the autumn, leaves fall to the ground & form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil & protect the trees & bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the Suburbanites rake them into great piles & pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No! What do they do to protect the shrub & tree roots?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out & buy something they call mulch. They haul it home & spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees & grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

Have fun & learn more about nature with helpful guides when outdoors this summer