People have hunted since the start of humankind. In many cases, over-hunting causes the depletion/extinction of certain species vital to their ecosystems. In other cases, hunting regulations have been used to the advantage of ecosystems and communities (possibly to control an invasive species). Each individual case has lots of nuances to it, but it is inaccurate to say that hunting is automatically bad from a conservation standpoint. However, it must be done responsibly. Take hunting sharks, the massive shark finning industry is extremely destructive and unnecessary whereas communities who rely on shark meat for protein are not causing considerable damage. (What's wrong shark finning? Read here!) Note that hunting is not necessarily the problem as much as POACHING (illegal hunting), check out some ways to fight poaching in GTN 1.

Tropical rainforests used to be referred to as jungles, though they are distinct ecosystems. Regardless, this section will be looking at both. Jungles/Rainforests cover only ~7% of the world's land area, however they are integral to the Earth's health. Deforestation is one of the largest threats to jungles/rainforests (whether that be for agriculture or what have you), but that subject has already been touched on in this newsletter. Other threats include mining, drought, oil extraction, wildfires, poaching, etc. So many of the world's most incredible creatures only live in certain jungles or rainforests, yet these ecosystems are disappearing at alarming rates.

• Supporting the Indigenous communities that live in jungles & rainforests is often one of the best ways to conserve them. (https://amazonwatch.org/donate).
• Protecting orangutangs (https://www.orangutans-sos.org/take-action/)
• Watch how this Costa Rican farmer is sustainably farming in the jungle!
• Meet the rainforest protectors of Sri Lanka!
• Rainforest teaching material
• Protect an acre
• Are you planning on visiting one of the world's many incredible jungles or rainforests? Make sure the resort/company/hotel you are staying at is sustainable! Ask yourself; Are they working with local communities or imposing? Are they using nature for tourists to explore or are they abusing nature for tourists to exploit? More information on making educated travel decisions is a topic we would love to dive into in a future newsletter.

Currently, the standard method of logging involves cutting down a large area of trees and then replanting them. The two problems with this way of getting wood are that cutting down an entire region (clear cutting) is very bad for the local ecosystem because it destroys everything and doesn’t leave any way for the natural environment to recover. Further, the trees that are replanted are all the same, known as a monoculture. This form of ecosystem doesn’t encourage all the species that used to live in that forest, and so they have to find a new home.

Newts, Frogs and Toads - Though many of us haven't yet felt first hand the devastating effects of climate change, our favourite amphibians are already feeling it. Amphibians like frogs, newts and toads are very sensitive to changes in their ecosystems. They need very specific environments to survive, whether it be the need for a certain type of plant to grow in their habitat or a specific temperature for their eggs to hatch. In the last two decades, over 168 known species of amphibians have gone extinct, and 2 468 (43% of the species of amphibians left on earth) are threatened by this climatic crisis.

How to help your favourite amphibians...

• Though it is great to explore nature, remember not to disturb the creatures. So when you flip that log and find a newt, appreciate him, but leave him be! (And maybe put that log back, he's probably hibernating).
• If you spot them on the road, help them safely cross the street! (In some places guide walls are put in place so creatures can cross the street).
• Pollutants and pesticides can harm amphibians such as newts if it gets into the water (it can even cause deformations). Try avoiding foods grown with pesticides, refrain from using harsh chemicals in your own garden, and get involved with your community (are they using pesticides in parks?, etc.). (Signez ce pétition: https://stop-pesticide.org/)

The five Rs are five things we can do to make sure that we are using the least resources possible. They are:

1. Refuse (as in, refuse what you don’t need),

2. Reduce (as in, don’t keep everything that you don’t need, and reduce your consumption),

3. Reuse/Re-home (as in, accept hand-me-downs and things that have already been used so you don’t have to buy more),

4. Repurpose (as in, when something really is at the end of its life, unable to fulfill its purpose, give it a new one),

5. Recycle/Rot (as in, recycle & compost what cannot be Refused, Reduced, Reused, or Repurposed)

By following these steps, we can stop waste before it reaches the landfill.

Vegan/Vegetarian options at restaurants are always a good pick because there's no meat in them. Besides the ethical issues many people have with killing innocent animals, livestock takes countless resources to raise and is associated with issues such as deforestation, water waste, etc. Over 200 million animals are killed for food around the world every day, (and that's just on land!). This is a huge problem, so much so that corporations have started mass-breeding these animals and mistreating them just so we can have a steak or chicken breast on our plate for dinner. And the truth is, so many delicious things have neither meat nor animal products in them. Basically, we can stop this from happening by simply stopping, or at least eating less meat. (If you're unsure about changing your diet, talk to your doctor!). So next time you’re at the grocery store, wondering what to make for supper, or at a restaurant wondering what to order, maybe consider the vegan/vegetarian option, that will taste just as good and will be positive for our planet.

Veggie Atlas || Take a Pledge to Eat Less Meat

Xerophilous pertains to when an animal or plant grows or adapts in a dry and hot region. If we can’t improve the way we treat the environment, then some of us might have to become Xerophilous. This is a warning.

What is Desertification? (Learn more here and here)

Zero waste is an impossible goal. We will never reach a point when it is possible to have absolutely no wasted material—well, maybe we will in the future—but we can use ‘zero waste’ as an imaginary goal for decreasing our waste output. We can’t entirely stop creating waste, so let’s minimize it and work that into the rest of our plans for the environment. Read our Zero Waste newsletter here. Check out a Canadian low-waste business directory.

An interesting aspect to sustainable living are the many Zero-Waste blogs found on the internet. Though in some cases these videos/posts are great, many criticize this content for being unrealistic and elitist. Let us know (greenteam@stgeorges.qc.ca) if you would like us to explore more accessible/universal/affordable ways of reducing waste in future newsletters or in New Stuff For You. (A good example would be thrift shopping instead of buying clothes first-hand).