Ryan Jones

I’m looking to reroute my morning bike to work as it looks like the southside trail along the Wolastoq (St. John River) will soon be completely flooded. I have read reports that flood levels may approach the high waters of last year, which was previously a “once in a hundred year” type event. I’m thankful a reroute is likely all that I personally will have to deal with, hopefully those along the river are prepared.

A two day comparison between two pictures, and then a third picture from this morning. 

From Friday, no research but an intuitive observation that diversity of wildlife and birds is generally a good thing for environments, even at the local backyard scale. I intentionally pile brush, plant trees, and let grow-over parts of my yard to encourage activity. I’m anticipating the return of the same lineage of robins that have inhabited the alcove of my garage for 3-4 summers (nest pictured), and have had multiple broods of offspring. 

When you live in a city you have to appreciate the small pockets of nature you can see, but also the pockets you can hear - like birds. Or rather, the pockets where you don’t hear the city. On my bike there was a small portion of trail between Northside streets and construction near the walking bridge where all I could hear were birds. 

Two days in a row I have been unable to bike, which means a short, snowy walk to the stop, and then the bus transit system. Most mass transit systems have their controversies and debates, Fredericton is no exception, but we should be reminded of the simple financial incentive of taking the bus (in addition to all the environmental incentives). A Google search of recent years’ statistics provides a rough ballpark for automobile costs: the average Canadian lease payment and/or new car payment alone can range from approx. $470-570 per month (depending on the source). This is around 1/5th the average Canadian’s take-home pay and does not include gasoline or maintenance. As contrast, the monthly unlimited bus pass in Fredericton is around $80. Transit is a more environmental way to travel but also a cheaper way. 

I did not have a chance to post this Friday. Beautiful picture, but it doesn’t really show the blistering wind that froze my face while biking. My brain wasn’t completely frozen by the wind as I was able to think about how that very same force could be generating electricity. 

A visit to NB Power’s website confirmed what I suspected, there aren’t many wind energy projects in New Brunswick. Viability and geography are factors so its not as simple as saying “not enough wind turbines,” looking at a map of New Brunswick would reveal that we should be taking better advantage of tidal power. NB Power’s “system map” is a nice way of viewing all the sources of energy generation in the province, and where they are located. 

NB Power also works with their education partner The Gaia Project to create videos and educate the public, they have a good video on the Kent Hills Wind Farm. 

Ever wonder where the rock salt used on winter roads goes? Back into our environments. You can notice the large amounts of salt when shoveling the disproportionately wet and heavy snow at the end of driveways, or the white leftover dried residue on your boots or on tires (as pictured). After Fredericton’s April snowstorm yesterday there hasn’t been vast melting for my picture, but typically you get a sense of water run off when large piles of snow from parking lots melt into rivers like the Wolastoq (snow melt from right, draining left in picture). 

The Canadian Environment and Climate Change government website has some good information. Canada can use as much as 4,183,000 tonnes of rock salt a year (2008), consider that up to 50% of that can end up in ground water. Chloride levels from salts are increasing in surface waters (lakes, rivers, streams). Managing salt run off into surface waters has resulted in the Code of Practice for the Environmental Management of Road Salts, this includes salt storage and run off collection. 

Unfortunately, decades of rock salt use on roads has accumulated in ground water and continue to migrate up into surface waters. This also makes the evaluation of the effectiveness of best practices difficult. 

Climate change brings more events like freeze/thaw scenarios so road management is becoming more difficult. Some jurisdictions in the world have experimented with salt alternatives like beet juice leftovers, or cheese brine! 

Forestry is a big part of New Brunswick, and where my family lives it is a constant visual (I live beside a lumber mill). This never ending landscape, the wall of logs, signals seasonal cues as it grows and disappears.

I decided to look up some forestry statistics to continue the theme, there are lots of interesting things to find on the Natural Resources Canada government website... I thought this was eye opening: of the 2016 Canadian deforestation totals, about two thirds was due to agriculture and mining, oil, and gas (both approx. one third each). 

Great idea from our fearless leader to post environmental things I may encounter on my daily bike commute. Fortunately, I already am one to typically take cheesy nature pictures, or interesting ecological things I see. With climate change in mind, this morning I was wondering if people in my area are prepared for the potentially now routine major flooding of the Wolastoq (St. John River).