I thought that I would never see…my neighbour hacking at my (our?) tree
THUNDER BAY, ON - November 15, 2009 - Considering how important trees are to our physical and mental health, it's a scandal and a shame that the law does so little to protect them.
We blogged (at http://envirolaw.com) that neighbours can cut tree branches that overhang onto their property, but cannot enter their neighbour's property to do so without permission. (This got lots of reaction from readers.) This may be a pretty straightforward application of property law, but it doesn't make a lot of sense in the real world. Trees are living beings, not artificial structures, and may not survive if one neighbour whacks branches and roots of the tree, from his/her side of the property boundary. Even if the tree survives, in the short run, it may become lopsided and dangerous, especially in the increasingly intense storms that climate change brings. Once the tree has been made dangerous, either property owner (or the municipality) may be able to demand that the tree be cut down. read more...>
Smog, smog alerts and human health
THUNDER BAY, ON - July 15, 2009 - How big a health issue is smog? Green Ontario claims that smog kills 1800 Ontarians each year.1 Health Canada analysed air pollution in relation to deaths in eight Canadian cities, and, (considering both short- and long-term effects), concluded that air pollution causes 5,900 deaths each year in these cities alone.2 On smoggy days, emergency room visits, hospital admissions and medication use all go up. As usual, the most vulnerable are children, the elderly, and those with underlying lung and heart problems. Pets, with their relatively fast respiration and small body size, suffer too. read more...>