How many vitamins and supplements will you take this morning? Before you start your daily vitamin routine, I would encourage you to read a piece today in The Conversation Canada by Saverio Stranges, the chair of epidemiology at Western University. He tells us about the latest scientific evidence, which suggests some high-dose nutritional supplements (such as beta carotene, vitamin E and vitamin A) do little to prevent chronic disease and that the research suggests these supplements “might actually do more harm than good.”

Everyone is worried that an iconic species like the polar bear could disappear in Canada. But where’s the concern for the yellow scarab hunter wasp? Arne Mooers and John Reynolds of Simon Fraser University both sit on the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and explain that all species under threat should be considered equally, even when they don’t have the same intrinsic value as other species.

Donald Trump’s use of language is the subject of nightly newscasts. But he’s not the only one whose words can negatively influence public debates on important topics like the environment. Jessica Blythe, Christine Daigle and Julia Baird of Brock University tell us how terms like “beautiful clean coal” influence the way we understand environmental problems.

And finally…have you tried the “Beyond Meat” burger at A&W? I have and it’s pretty good. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University would call me a “flexitarian” – part of a growing number of Canadians who are trying to reduce the amount of meat in their diets.

Regards,