Category Archives: Nova Scotia

How to go about mining in Nova Scotia?

Nova Scotia must urgently develop a mining policy honouring widely accepted critical minerals and the Canadian Minerals and Metals plan. Without such a policy, the Province will continue to be up for grabs by profit-seeking mining companies only. Continue reading

Posted in climate change, critical minerals, mining, Nova Scotia, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Mining Association of Nova Scotia (MANS): Bullying, Propaganda, and a complete disregard for threatened natural habitats.

The Mining Association of Nova Scotia lacks the necessary depth to help navigate the public debate about critical minerals in a time of climate change and biodiversity collapse Continue reading

Posted in critical minerals, General geoscience, mining, Nova Scotia | 4 Comments

The rape of our lands / Save Owl’s Head

Second essay for Nova Scotia Premier @IainTRankin and Minister of Environment and Climate Change @KeithIrvingNS on the issue of the government’s theft and illegal sale of Owl’s Head Provincial Park I was stunned when Robert Devet asked me to republish … Continue reading

Posted in coastal systems, Geoheritage, Nova Scotia, Owl's Head | 1 Comment

Undo the theft. Give us back Owl’s Head

Updated October 13, 2021 I sent this Open Letter to premier Iain Rankin and my MLA Keith Irving on March 22, 2021. I will be demonstrating in front of the law courts on April 1 in defense of Owl’s Head. … Continue reading

Posted in Nova Scotia, Owl's Head, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New Banner picture! Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault at Cape Chignecto, Nova Scotia

Figure 1. The western extremity of the Cobequid Chedabucto Fault complex in Nova Scotia. The Cape in the distance is called Cape Chignecto It is a glorious view from the beach at Advocate Harbour. We look West towards Cape Chignecto. The … Continue reading

Posted in General geoscience, Geoheritage, Nova Scotia, outcrops | Tagged | Leave a comment

Extreme tides and Winter ice

Figure 1. Winter ice on the salt marshes of Minas Basin photographed from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, March 1, 2007. View to the North.  What is an estuary? An estuary is a bay with an open connection to the sea. Rivers … Continue reading

Posted in climate change, General geoscience, Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Nova Scotia’s own Great Unconformity

The Angular Unconformity (U) at Nova Scotia’s Rainy Cove, separating intensely folded and faulted early Carboniferous shales and sandstones of the Horton Group (labeled 1 below the unconformity) and gently inclined, undeformed sandstones and conglomerates of the Wolfville Formation (2) at … Continue reading

Posted in General geoscience, Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Granites, Glaciers and the Ocean: a hike

We hiked, the other day – a well-known coastal trail, but new to me. So much still to discover here and it’s not like we haven’t been trying. The trail is in Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park and takes the … Continue reading

Posted in General geoscience, Geoheritage, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Tidal power lagoon in Nova Scotia’s Scott’s Bay?

Nova Scotia is where I live – a 700-odd km long NE-SW peninsula that more or less parallels the edge of the continent. What (almost) separates us from that continent is the Bay of Fundy, the Canadian extent of the Gulf … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, General geoscience, Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A no-brainer for every earth scientist: time travel!

Because this is a WordPress blog, I receive the weekly WordPress writing challenges, which are all about encouraging and helping aspiring fiction writers, which I am not. However, this week’s challenge is irresistible – Time Travel! This is the challenge … Continue reading

Posted in General geoscience, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Blue Beach is not for sale

(Originally posted in March 2014. Updated a few times, last in May 2017)   Left: Google Earth image showing location of Blue Beach – Avonport Station coastline. Right: aerial photo of the cliff (in the shade) and beach at low … Continue reading

Posted in General geoscience, Geoheritage, Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Wrong Question: can fracking be done safely?

August 2021 A lot has changed in 8 years. My position on hydraulic fracturing has changed too. I could delete this post, but I’m not going to do that. A lot has changed: the climate crisis has deepened and the … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dear Mr. Carney

That must have been a lovely stay, a “short week” (I’m quoting the Globe and Mail) with your family near the small village of Cheverie on the shores of our beautiful Minas Basin. As a proud constituent of Mr. Brison, … Continue reading

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The tidal landscape banner photo: Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada

UPDATED December 29, 2014 This was my blog’s banner photo until January 1, 2015. What are you looking at? In a world of Google Earth where everyone has a GPS in their cell phone, I should start with the coordinates. … Continue reading

Posted in General geoscience, Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments