Ralph Martin
@ralphmartin.bsky.social
Indigenous ally and committed to organic agriculture, ecology, reducing waste and minimal consumption
“Our analysis shows the sector can expand significantly with no call on public funds, provided government sets the right framework.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
UK can create 5,400 jobs if it stops plastic waste exports, report finds
Campaigners say closure of loophole making it cheaper to export rather than recycle will boost circular economy
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:39 AM
“Our analysis shows the sector can expand significantly with no call on public funds, provided government sets the right framework.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Innovation of this work – developed by several international research partners – is the inclusion of two antibiotics that have been around for many years but have never been used in Africa to treat sepsis: fosfomycin and flomoxef” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Antibiotic resistance: how a pioneering trial is using old drugs to save babies from sepsis
The infection is responsible for 800,000 newborn deaths each year, but clinics in eight countries are working together to find new treatments
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:57 PM
“Innovation of this work – developed by several international research partners – is the inclusion of two antibiotics that have been around for many years but have never been used in Africa to treat sepsis: fosfomycin and flomoxef” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
“Lawyer Laura Bowman has faced the PMRA in court over its decisions and says many are made with out-of-date science from 10, 20 or 30 years ago. “They don’t have a systematic approach for looking at new information,” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/n...
The Poison Detectives: Pesticides for dinner
Season two of The Poison Detectives looks at the built-in failures of the agency tasked with approving the pesticides used to grow our foods.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:35 PM
“Lawyer Laura Bowman has faced the PMRA in court over its decisions and says many are made with out-of-date science from 10, 20 or 30 years ago. “They don’t have a systematic approach for looking at new information,” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/n...
Wood debris from logging is destroying rocky intertidal ecosystems, decimating barnacle populations and threatening plummeting shorebird populations on the West Coast.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
Drift logs are scouring marine life from BC’s rocky shores
Wood debris from logging is destroying rocky intertidal ecosystems, decimating barnacle populations and threatening plummeting shorebird populations on the West Coast.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Wood debris from logging is destroying rocky intertidal ecosystems, decimating barnacle populations and threatening plummeting shorebird populations on the West Coast.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/n...
“Developing countries are buying green tech not because of morality, or even because of self-preservation (since whether they decarbonize or not has very little effect on global emissions) but because it’s cheaper than fossil fuel tech.” Noah Smith www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/o...
The energy poverty trap
Will more oil and gas production in Canada help alleviate energy poverty in the developing world? Of course not — but that hasn't prevented Danielle Smith and other industry champions from pretending ...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:08 PM
“Developing countries are buying green tech not because of morality, or even because of self-preservation (since whether they decarbonize or not has very little effect on global emissions) but because it’s cheaper than fossil fuel tech.” Noah Smith www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/o...
“False Creek Energy Centre, transfers sewer’s heat to outbound pipes. This works for cooling too. In Toronto, a network of pipes gather cold water from 280 feet below the surface of Lake Ontario and use that to cool over 100 downtown structures” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/n...
Dear Canada: meet district energy
The best emissions-reduction strategy you’ve never heard of is coming to a neighborhood near you.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:02 PM
“False Creek Energy Centre, transfers sewer’s heat to outbound pipes. This works for cooling too. In Toronto, a network of pipes gather cold water from 280 feet below the surface of Lake Ontario and use that to cool over 100 downtown structures” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/n...
The Pembina report warns Ontario is “making quite a risky bet” by leaning on natural gas in the short term and new nuclear in the long term, while missing low-cost opportunities in wind, solar and energy storage. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/a...
Ford's nuclear push could backfire with higher bills, US gas reliance: report
A new analysis from the Pembina Institute channels the province's plans to invest heavily in nuclear, backstopped by gas, rather than developing renewable energy that it says is cheaper and not relian...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The Pembina report warns Ontario is “making quite a risky bet” by leaning on natural gas in the short term and new nuclear in the long term, while missing low-cost opportunities in wind, solar and energy storage. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/25/a...
“Increasingly hot and dry climate has wiped out most of Kaou’s trees, local people say. Rolling sand dunes, pushed ever closer by stronger winds, now threaten to swamp what is left. “Without this wadi, we cannot live” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
How rolling sand dunes are creeping up on last remaining oases on edge of Sahara
In western Chad, villagers are desperately trying to hold back the sand as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on one of the hottest countries in the world
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:50 PM
“Increasingly hot and dry climate has wiped out most of Kaou’s trees, local people say. Rolling sand dunes, pushed ever closer by stronger winds, now threaten to swamp what is left. “Without this wadi, we cannot live” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
“15% of northern hemisphere is underlain by permafrost, yet these frozen soils contain 2x as much carbon now in atmosphere. By burning slowly and at lower temperature, they release vastly more particulate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than flaming fires” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Zombie fires: how Arctic wildfires that come back to life are ravaging forests
Blazes that smoulder in the permafrost, only to reignite, are extending fire season though winter, leaving vegetation struggling to recover
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:42 PM
“15% of northern hemisphere is underlain by permafrost, yet these frozen soils contain 2x as much carbon now in atmosphere. By burning slowly and at lower temperature, they release vastly more particulate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than flaming fires” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Global south must be equipped to survive a climate emergency they did not create ...cash to build flood defences, make agric systems resilient, protect coastlines and rebuild after disasters strike … Needs are rising faster than finance” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on UN climate talks: they reveal how little time is left | Editorial
Editorial: A fragile Cop30 consensus is a win. But only a real bargain between rich and poor nations can weather the climate shocks that are coming
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:35 PM
“Global south must be equipped to survive a climate emergency they did not create ...cash to build flood defences, make agric systems resilient, protect coastlines and rebuild after disasters strike … Needs are rising faster than finance” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
“Many of Amazon’s Mumbai centres have slipped under the radar because they are leased rather than owned by the company … Tata coal station contributes nearly a third of local PM2.5 pollution” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘It’s hell for us here’: Mumbai families suffer as datacentres keep the city hooked on coal
As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacenters, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plants
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:27 PM
“Many of Amazon’s Mumbai centres have slipped under the radar because they are leased rather than owned by the company … Tata coal station contributes nearly a third of local PM2.5 pollution” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
“When Climate Action Tracker (CAT) runs the numbers, it finds that if other countries aligned with Canada’s approach, global heating could reach over 3 degrees C and up to 4 C.” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/24/o...
A tough climate summit for Canada
Labeled the "Fossil of the Day" at COP30, Canada faces accusations of pulling back climate policies while pushing forward fossil subsidies and projects. But the committee seemed particularly stung by ...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
“When Climate Action Tracker (CAT) runs the numbers, it finds that if other countries aligned with Canada’s approach, global heating could reach over 3 degrees C and up to 4 C.” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/24/o...
The province overturned Toronto's green roof bylaw, but TMU’s rooftop farms show exactly what the policy encouraged: cooler streets, less flooding and fresh, affordable food grown in the heart of the city. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/24/n...
Toronto’s rooftop farms show what’s at stake after Ford scraps green roof rule
Rooftop farms reveal the cooling, flood-reducing and food-growing power green roofs brought to Toronto.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The province overturned Toronto's green roof bylaw, but TMU’s rooftop farms show exactly what the policy encouraged: cooler streets, less flooding and fresh, affordable food grown in the heart of the city. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/24/n...
A single oil spill doesn’t just threaten First Nations communities, but could sink tourism, commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture and marine services — all of which depend on the healthy, pristine coast, said Coast Funds CEO Eddy Adra.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/n...
Coastal First Nations warn billions at risk if Ottawa sinks tanker ban
First Nations sustainable development has proved an economic engine for coastal communities — that prosperity is in peril if there’s an oil spill, says Coast Funds
www.nationalobserver.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A single oil spill doesn’t just threaten First Nations communities, but could sink tourism, commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture and marine services — all of which depend on the healthy, pristine coast, said Coast Funds CEO Eddy Adra.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/n...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/n...
“Drawing on generations of traditional ecological knowledge, Mizo people developed harvesting, processing and consuming stink bugs that not only provides high-protein nutrition but also helps control pest populations without harming the forest with pesticides” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘We’ve been eating it for more than 100 years’: how one community turns stink bug infestations into lunch
In India’s Mizoram state, people have an intricate system of harvesting and consuming the pungent and nutritious bugs
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:07 PM
“Drawing on generations of traditional ecological knowledge, Mizo people developed harvesting, processing and consuming stink bugs that not only provides high-protein nutrition but also helps control pest populations without harming the forest with pesticides” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Americans in the poorest 10th of the population draw about 1.8% of the nation’s income, about the same as poor Bolivians. In Nigeria, they reap 3%, in China 3.1%, in Bangladesh 3.7%” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
China has brought millions out of poverty. The US has not – by choice
Despite the US’s economic success, income inequality remains breathtaking. But this is no glitch – it’s the system
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“Americans in the poorest 10th of the population draw about 1.8% of the nation’s income, about the same as poor Bolivians. In Nigeria, they reap 3%, in China 3.1%, in Bangladesh 3.7%” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
“The current estimate of deaths from Trump’s cuts to USAID is 600,000 and rising, and this week a study predicted his fossil fuel policies would kill another 1.3 million ... we went from “the meek shall inherit the Earth” to “the meek shall die of cholera.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
They’re doing to America what they did to Christianity | Bill McKibben
Trump’s wrecking-ball approach to America has a precedent: the evangelical perversion of Jesus’s message of radical love to one of hate and aggression
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
“The current estimate of deaths from Trump’s cuts to USAID is 600,000 and rising, and this week a study predicted his fossil fuel policies would kill another 1.3 million ... we went from “the meek shall inherit the Earth” to “the meek shall die of cholera.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
“This may not be just wayward weather. It could be the leading edge of permanent climate change: Five years is a long time for a random deviation from the norm” www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
Iran: Drought, incompetence, and maybe revolution
If Pezeshkian sounds well-intentioned but hopeless and basically useless, that’s because he’s not really the government.
www.therecord.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
“This may not be just wayward weather. It could be the leading edge of permanent climate change: Five years is a long time for a random deviation from the norm” www.therecord.com/opinion/cont...
“The $120bn a year promised by 2035 must also be compared with the $360bn they are projected to need. That makes a huge difference to countries with overstretched budgets that are already spending on climate defence instead of health and education” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Cop30’s watered-down agreements will do little for an ecosystem at tipping point
Delegates made minimal headway on timetable for replacing oil and gas or on firm commitments to reducing carbon emissions
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:55 AM
“The $120bn a year promised by 2035 must also be compared with the $360bn they are projected to need. That makes a huge difference to countries with overstretched budgets that are already spending on climate defence instead of health and education” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Johan Rockström, said “Truth is that our only chance of keeping to 1.5C is to bend the global curve of emissions downward in 2026 and then reduce emissions by at least 5%/yr. Need roadmaps to phase-out of fossil fuels and protection of nature. We got neither.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Cop30’s watered-down agreements will do little for an ecosystem at tipping point
Delegates made minimal headway on timetable for replacing oil and gas or on firm commitments to reducing carbon emissions
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Johan Rockström, said “Truth is that our only chance of keeping to 1.5C is to bend the global curve of emissions downward in 2026 and then reduce emissions by at least 5%/yr. Need roadmaps to phase-out of fossil fuels and protection of nature. We got neither.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
“Lawsuit states that, by 2011, DND knew PFAS levels in groundwater around airport exceeded federal guidelines. The following year, an environmental consultant informed DND that PFAS concentrations in the area may have be been under-reported by up to 90 times” www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
North Bay residents file lawsuit alleging ‘forever chemicals’ contaminated wells
Class-action against city, Department of Defence seeks damages after PFAS leached into local water sources from federal properties
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:48 AM
“Lawsuit states that, by 2011, DND knew PFAS levels in groundwater around airport exceeded federal guidelines. The following year, an environmental consultant informed DND that PFAS concentrations in the area may have be been under-reported by up to 90 times” www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
“Canada used to extract the same amount of fossil CO2 per capita as the Americans. Not anymore. Canadian CO2 extraction has surged to twice the American rate and six times the global average” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/a...
COPs vs CO2
On the most important climate scoreboard — the atmosphere — our kids are losing spectacularly.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:58 PM
“Canada used to extract the same amount of fossil CO2 per capita as the Americans. Not anymore. Canadian CO2 extraction has surged to twice the American rate and six times the global average” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/a...
“The land and ocean CO₂ sink are 25 per cent and 7 per cent smaller, respectively, than they would have been without the effects of climate change and climate variability, on average for the 2015-2024 period.” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/a...
COPs vs CO2
On the most important climate scoreboard — the atmosphere — our kids are losing spectacularly.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:58 PM
“The land and ocean CO₂ sink are 25 per cent and 7 per cent smaller, respectively, than they would have been without the effects of climate change and climate variability, on average for the 2015-2024 period.” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/a...
The legislation is intended to tackle rising urban wildfire risk — from Toronto’s ravines to fast-growing suburbs. Researchers warn even small fires can spread “like dominoes” through communities. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/n...
Growing urban wildfire risk spurs Ontario NDP bill
On Thursday, the party introduced legislation to address the rising threat of fires that could jump from nearby natural areas into metropolitan centres.
www.nationalobserver.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:33 PM
The legislation is intended to tackle rising urban wildfire risk — from Toronto’s ravines to fast-growing suburbs. Researchers warn even small fires can spread “like dominoes” through communities. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/n...
“Some believe that this is the best that can be salvaged from current circumstances, given Mr Trump’s presidency … For Palestinians, “what looked like a forever war may be metamorphizing into forever misery” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on devastation in Gaza: the world wants to move on, but Palestinians can’t | Editorial
Editorial: Drenched by floods and abandoned amid the ruins, people in Gaza can draw no comfort from US plans
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:10 AM
“Some believe that this is the best that can be salvaged from current circumstances, given Mr Trump’s presidency … For Palestinians, “what looked like a forever war may be metamorphizing into forever misery” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...