EcoWest News, October 13, 2026

Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.

Biodiversity

From scuba-diving lizards to cliff-climbing goats, for billions of years, wild creatures have been inventing means to reach new depths and heights, striving beyond what was previously possible. [Atmos]

Sports

The inaugural Green Sports Month will engage the sports world, especially athletes, in rallying fans to take positive climate action through events, webinars, and podcasts. First step – a month-long global plog-a-thon. [EcoAthletes]

Arsenal’s 21-year-old goalkeeper believes football clubs should be “actively pushing what they’re doing in terms of being sustainable – that could be the way the kits are produced and where the materials are coming from, to sustainability campaigns”. [The Guardian]

Food

67% of food production in the US goes to feed animals raised for human consumption. Over a fifth of all marine life pulled from the sea is converted into fishmeal. Shifting to less meat-intensive diets would help reduce the impacts associated with harvesting plants and animals to manufacture feed. “If done correctly, aquaculture could provide sustenance for our growing planet as well as reduce overfishing … eating more bivalves – oysters, mussels, and clams – instead of fish, shrimps, and octopus.” [Inside Climate News]

Urban Infrastructure

Zaragoza, Spain, has been named the European Green Capital for 2028 due to its urban biodiversity, green areas, and sustainable land use. Benidorm, Spain, was recognized for "successfully managing mass tourism pressures" while maintaining environmental protections and sustainable development. Estarreja, Portugal, was recognized as a "compelling example" of green transformation, successfully moving beyond its industrial legacy. [EuroNews]

An Amazon contractor moved a fence, dumped waste, and drove heavy equipment through a Winnipeg tallgrass prairie preserve. Amazon says it will put funds towards its restoration. [The Narwhal]

Emissions from the site of a recently approved LNG expansion in Metro Vancouver are projected to exceed Canadian ambient air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide, a harmful pollutant, according to company reports. [The Tyee]

Making a Difference

Despite significant losses in global wildlife populations, there are some bright spots. Conservation efforts have paid off for green sea turtles, tigers, South African elephants, and bluefin tuna. [Inside Climate News]

Senator Rosa Galvez and collaborators have released A New North Star: Governing Canada for Long-Term Well-Being for All. The paper provides a roadmap to modernize governance so that public decisions consistently improve the long-term well-being of Canadians while respecting planetary limits. [Senator Rosa Galvez]

Industry and government are working together on a green transformation of South Korea’s steel sector that incorporates clean energy, technology, markets, and policy. [Big Go Finance]

DIY

Consumers are urged to boycott products made from Antarctic krill (pet food, feed for farm-raised salmon, Omega 3 supplements) as the growing fishing industry is putting the primary food of whales, penguins, seals, and seabirds at risk. [Inside Climate News]

Nature Alberta, Alberta Wilderness Association, and CPAWS Northern Alberta have prepared an engagement guide to help Albertans respond to the plans for how land and natural resources will be managed in the Red Earth, Caribou Mountains, and Berland sub-regions. The planning process was initiated to meet legal obligations to recover woodland caribou to self-sustaining levels across Alberta. Reply by Oct. 26 for Red Earth and Caribou Mountains and by Nov. 12 for Berland. [Nature Alberta]

Nature’s Wonders

Researchers have concluded that the spots and stripes found on many butterfly wings – combined with their dancing flight – scramble a predator’s sense of the insects’ speed and direction, protecting them from birds and other predators. [The Guardian]

There are lessons to be learnt from the problem-solving techniques of ants, bees, and caterpillars. [Cool Tools]

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/55563967828/

EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.