Recent interviews and articles

[Dominik]

Rising in defence of province’s soil
Page pairs up with MacPherson to oppose biosolid use
By LAURA FRASER Staff Reporter
Thu, Oct 28 - 7:20 AM

As the co-owner of the Wooden Monkey restaurant, Lil MacPherson has literally made good food her business. Her passion lies in providing fresh, locally grown fare.

Now, she finds herself evolving into a soil activist, a sentinel of Nova Scotia’s agricultural land.

"Food is the most beautiful thing in the world," she says. "It’s our community, it’s our heritage (and) it’s our culture. We have to protect it."

She has just returned from a slow-food conference in Torino, Italy, so she apologizes for her mental jet lag. But she warms right up to her subject, speaking more quickly with each sentence.

MacPherson and Halifax actress Ellen Page are mounting an impassioned defence of this province’s soil, each seeking to keep it free of treated sewage sludge. The pair began their unofficial campaign in August, when citizens in Halifax Regional Municipality learned that the city had begun spreading biosolids on public land on Dunbrack Street.

"I think we have a chance in Nova Scotia to be leaders in this country and the world and (biosolids) is not the way to do it," MacPherson said.

"We’ve lost two-thirds of the soil (due to development) and it’s very, very important (because) it sustains all life on this earth. Before we throw (biosolids) on there, before we destroy it, we have to have more testing."

The duo will host a public screening of Sludge Diet, a Quebec documentary about the effects of municipal biosolids on agriculture, at Park Lane in Halifax on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Nova Scotia currently allows municipal biosolids to be used as fertilizer on certain agricultural land. The sewage can contain small amounts of chemicals like arsenic, cobalt, lead and copper, but only in what the province deems acceptable levels.

Each of the provinces and territories has legislation regulating their use. The United States also uses treated waste on its agricultural lands.

But critics of the practice say there has been no extensive testing to establish whether there are long-term effects from eating food grown in the reclaimed waste.

MacPherson said it would be nearly impossible to test for all of the possible chemicals that could enter the municipal sewage system and then effectively be mixed with the soil and groundwater.

"Every sick person in the hospital, every sick, diseased person, everything they flush down that toilet goes into that system, every chemical, every hormone," she said.

"It’s impossible, absolutely impossible, to measure that. We’re just playing with fire and I don’t want to play with it. It’s too important."

The chairwoman for the Nova Scotia Biosolids Caucus citizens’ group opposes the use of biosolids on agricultural farmland. Marilyn Cameron agreed that other manure and pesticide products can also contain chemicals but said those face stricter regulations.

"We have really stringent rules for drug withdrawals before dairy cattle or beef cattle go to market," she said.

"We don’t use growth hormones here in Nova Scotia . . . so I think that’s a lot safer alternative for food than putting the big unknown on agricultural land."

Others worry about the smell.

Coun. Debbie Hum (Rockingham-Wentworth) was besieged by calls in August complaining about the stench coming from the Dunbrack Street area after biosolids were spread on public land.

Hum said she’s awaiting the report from municipal staff about the future use of the treated effluent but has her own reservations about the practice. She plans to attend the film screening and what she hopes will be a lively public debate.

"The feedback I got immediately following the (Dunbrack Street) incident was not only from local residents (but) also right across the province and, in fact, right across the country," she said.

"I raise the same concerns. I’m not quite convinced that its use is an appropriate one."

Source: thechronicleherald.ca

[daydreamnation]

podcast with Steve Agee

Steve Agee: Uhhh
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Steve welcomes Ellen Page...and they talk about Degrasso

http://web.me.com/steveagee/Site/Podcas ... de_36.html

[JimH]

podcast with Steve Agee

Steve Agee: Uhhh
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Steve welcomes Ellen Page...and they talk about Degrasso

http://web.me.com/steveagee/Site/Podcas ... de_36.html

Excellent find - lots of new background on Ellen Thanks

[daydreamnation]

ye I also really liked it

Its really a breath of fresh air to hear her talk about movies again and things other then the environment.

[HeartHer]

ye I also really liked it

Its really a breath of fresh air to hear her talk about movies again and things other then the environment.

Meh I'm an environmentalist too, so I love when she talks about that stuff, but it's cool to see her have a little friendly chat with Steve about Degrassi and a bunch of goofy stuff. Sounds like they have a great time hanging out. I wanna join in; I don't like going out either .

[Glee Plane]

I enjoyed listening to that podcast as well. I like how she confirmed that she uses her Facebook page. She talked about great Canadian films on the podcast and afterwards Ellen posted her favorite Canadian films on Facebook.

[AddisonTea]

Nice clip. I dare someone to count how many times Agee says LIKE. I didn't hear her mention FB at all. How far into it was the mention?

[HeartHer]

Nice clip. I dare someone to count how many times Agee says LIKE. I didn't hear her mention FB at all. How far into it was the mention?

Not quite sure but they talked for it for about a minute about how people never believe that it's her. Somewhere around 25-30 maybe? Just a guess.

[AddisonTea]

yeah I was the one who headed the FB league of disbelievers. I'm sure I was targeted.

[HeartHer]

yeah I was the one who headed the FB league of disbelievers. I'm sure I was targeted.

Really? For shame! I must've called you out at least once before on her page then I think I argued with everyone who said it wasn't her and posted her interview with The Collider at least 15 times.

[Vinay-01]

podcast with Steve Agee

Steve Agee: Uhhh
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Steve welcomes Ellen Page...and they talk about Degrasso

http://web.me.com/steveagee/Site/Podcas ... de_36.html

I seem to be having a problem when i click on the link to thewebsite, it doesnt allow me to listen to the podcast episode

Can anyone advise?

thanks

[JimH]

I seem to be having a problem when i click on the link to thewebsite, it doesnt allow me to listen to the podcast episode

Can anyone advise?

thanks

Hi Vinay-01, welcome to EPO. Here is the link again: http://web.me.com/steveagee/Site/Podcas ... de_36.html
When you get to the site click once on the play button - looks like the triangle next to the speaker symbol.
If that doesn't work you'll have to troubleshoot your setup - your security software or the QuickTime player plugin.

[HeartHer]

podcast with Steve Agee

Steve Agee: Uhhh
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Steve welcomes Ellen Page...and they talk about Degrasso

http://web.me.com/steveagee/Site/Podcas ... de_36.html

I seem to be having a problem when i click on the link to thewebsite, it doesnt allow me to listen to the podcast episode

Can anyone advise?

thanks

Welcome Vinay! Looks like Jim sorted your problem out, so I just thought I'd let you know about the new member intro thread in off-topic. We'd love to get to know you better, so please check it out .

[JimH]

Chris Nolan To Meet Actresses For Batman 3, Deadline Hollywood:http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/

Don't get excited, no mention of Ellen being considered for Batman 3

EXCLUSIVE: Chris Nolan is lining up actresses he'll meet for two female lead roles in The Dark Knight Rises, the third installment of the Batfranchise which Warner Bros has dated release on July 20, 2012. I'm told one of the roles is a love interest for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne, and the other is a villain. The actresses are: Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway and Keira Knightley.

[Dominik]

Don't get excited, no mention of Ellen being considered for Batman 3

In that case, I'm wondering why you post it here
It's actually no surprise to me since Ellen never expressed the wish to star in a Batman movie, although she liked Nolan's The Dark Knight. If it's my choice I would take Knightley as love interest and Weisz as villain

[GiveHimTheKick]

Whilst on the subject, I heard Vera Farmiga from Up in the Air was the main choice for the love interest and Charlize Theron (both actresses are linked to Ellen through Jason Reitman ) was up for the villain. The rumour-mills are confusing.

[JimH]

Don't get excited, no mention of Ellen being considered for Batman 3

In that case, I'm wondering why you post it here
It's actually no surprise to me since Ellen never expressed the wish to star in a Batman movie, although she liked Nolan's The Dark Knight. If it's my choice I would take Knightley as love interest and Weisz as villain

There had been some blog speculation around Ellen playing Harley Quinn - so you know, we live in hope!

[Glee Plane]

Well, Christopher Nolan does have a tendency to cast actors he has worked with before, so you never know. I would love to see Ellen in another Nolan film.

[HeartHer]

Don't get excited, no mention of Ellen being considered for Batman 3

In that case, I'm wondering why you post it here
It's actually no surprise to me since Ellen never expressed the wish to star in a Batman movie, although she liked Nolan's The Dark Knight. If it's my choice I would take Knightley as love interest and Weisz as villain

There had been some blog speculation around Ellen playing Harley Quinn - so you know, we live in hope!

Oh my God my life would be complete . It'd basically be Boltie in makeup and a different costume so I'm sure she'd do it well.

[Vinay-01]

Hi Vinay-01, welcome to EPO. Here is the link again: http://web.me.com/steveagee/Site/Podcas ... de_36.html
When you get to the site click once on the play button - looks like the triangle next to the speaker symbol.
If that doesn't work you'll have to troubleshoot your setup - your security software or the QuickTime player plugin.

_________________
There is nothing more powerful than an idea who's time has come. (Victor Hugo)

thanks.. installed Quickme:) works perfectly

I cant recall Ellen ever saying she doesnt want to be in a BAtman movie, i think if the role came up and Nolan wanted her, she would take it, after all who doesnt want to be in a Nolan movie?

Theres always talk about Ellen in a new movie, i recall news going around that Ellen was up for the role of Catwoman.. had a good laugh,
Although i have to admit Ellen does look good in leather .. (remember X-men 3)?

well, all specualtion, but i am really looking forward to her next movie "super" , movie reviews are raving about her psycho character and how she steals the show from Rainn Wilson, apparently quite a hilarious performance!
We may have to wait till Janaury though for the relese

How long is this podcast...? i only had in on about 5 minutes.. i didnt hear the interview even completed?