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It was a terrible summer for wildfires in many parts of Canada. Anyone who was within a few hundred kilometres of a major blaze likely saw their towns filled with smoke. But even when the fire is out and the smoke clears, the impacts of wildfires can still be felt. Today in The Conversation Canada, Edward Struzik of Queen’s University tells us about a river in Alberta that flowed black with soot-filled water – the result of ash and debris from a fire that had burned out a year earlier. It’s just another reason why we need a national wildlife strategy.
Ports play an important role in Canada’s economy. Mary Brooks of Dalhousie University explains why the government has launched a review to modernize the country’s port authority system.
And finally…the New York Times reported this week that the Trump administration was considering a new policy that would deny recognition and civil rights protection to transgender Americans. Sky Gilbert of the University of Guelph says that policy is wrong on many fronts, but also suggests that those who say there should be no gender labels are living in a utopian dream.
Regards,
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Black water cascaded down Cameron Falls in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta after a 2018 wildfire denuded the landscape.
(Kaleigh Watson)
Edward Struzik, Queen's University, Ontario
Much of the country depends on water stored and filtered in forests. Fire-scarred watersheds highlight our need for a national wildfire strategy.
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Shipping containers are stacked at the Fairview Cove Container Terminal at the Halifax port on Oct. 19, 2018.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Mary R Brooks, Dalhousie University
Canada's ongoing Port Modernization Review should lead to greater clarity of port purpose, less political control through board appointments and better reporting standards.
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‘No labels: Portrait of a Child’ by Sharon McCutcheon. U.S. President Trump has considered launching an attack on transgender rights. We must fight against this discrimination but it is time to let go of the idea of a genderless world.
Sharon McCutcheon / Unsplash
Sky Gilbert, University of Guelph
Now that the U.S. government is threatening to define sex as either male or female, we need to fight more than ever for trans rights. But let's give up the utopian ideal of a label-free future.
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Culture + Society
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Daniel Hammett, University of Sheffield
Political and editorial cartoons are a key indicator of the democratic health of a country - but they can also be regressive.
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Education
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John Nagle, University of Aberdeen
The recent arrest of Durham PhD student, Matthew Hedges has exposed the UAE’s limits on academic freedom.
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Health + Medicine
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Yogi H. Hendlin, University of California, San Francisco
E-cigarettes are hotly debated because of the uncertainty of whether they are a gateway to cigarette smoking for teens, or an aid to smoking cessation. One thing is clear: They are not biodegradable.
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