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March-April 2010

How to build an eco-village in five easy steps

Kelly-Anne RiessWebsite

Ever wanted to live in a truly green town, full of energy-efficient homes and people working together for the environment? Then follow the lead of Craik, Sask., and start up an eco-village. Located halfway between Saskatoon and Regina, the town of Craik (population: 450) is reinventing itself and attracting new residents from as far away […] More »
March-April 2010

“Slow Steaming” cuts costs and carbon for global shipping

Allison MartellWebsite

It’s been a tough couple of years for the shipping industry. First there was the recession, which led to almost 12 percent of the world’s cargo ships spending last December empty and anchored. The industry has also come under fire by environmentalists for its contributions to climate change and air pollution. At December’s Copenhagen summit, […] More »
March-April 2010

From a Toronto basement, Citizen Lab fights tyranny online

Aaron BrovermanWebsite

As the internet becomes a global battlefield, a clutch of Canadian programmers are subverting oppressive regimes, aiding online dissidents, and mapping the murky new world of digital geopolitics The Dalai Lama is charged with watching over Buddhist tradition, but on March 29, 2009 The New York Times revealed a shadowy presence was secretly watching him, […] More »

Stop Everything #20: Gagged scientists leave media—and public—in the dark

darcy higgins

The climate issue is struggling to gain political traction in this country as of late. As much as media likes a hot story, they also appreciate access to good information, to local quotes and home-grown science. The Conservative government is continuing a war on science, not just because of their distrust of the method, but […] More »

Body Politic #9: The right to choose (to live-tweet your abortion)

lyndsie bourgon

In the Twitter-verse, news spreads fast, is debunked faster, and is retweeted before you can think of something better to say. Gordon Lightfoot can attest to this, I’m sure. So when a long story is slowly told through the 140-character limit, it tends to make people pay attention. That’s what happened when Angie Jackson decided […] More »

Watch Naomi Klein's inaugural David Lewis Lecture on "Climate Debt" right here

Graham F. Scott

Tonight’s inaugural David Lewis Lecture featuring internationally acclaimed author (and former This Magazine editor!) Naomi Klein is graciously being livestreamed by our friends at Rabble.ca. You can tune in on their website at RabbleTV, or on their Livestream channel. Or you can watch it right here starting at 8:45 PM EST: More »
November-December 2009

Review: Dr. Bonnie Henry’s Soap and Water & Common Sense

Andrea GrassiWebsite

As the world prepares for H1N1’s much-touted fall resurgence, Dr. Bonnie Henry’s approachable, non-technical guide to flu preparedness fails to deliver on its promise, offering neither protection nor peace of mind. Readers in search of preventative measures won’t find much insight beyond the obvious: wash your hands. True to her title, Dr. Henry, the director […] More »

"Bloom Box" promises cheap, clean energy. Too good to be true?

Graham F. Scott

60 Minutes aired this report last night on Bloom Energy, a California company officially launching this week that says it has perfected a fuel-cell technology that is capable of making the conventional energy grid obsolete and producing clean(er), cheap(er) power. I get the strong whiff of bullshit off this whole story, and yet there’s something […] More »

Body Politic #8: Big Pharma and public health insurance—too close for comfort

lyndsie bourgon

When was the last time you called Bayer or GlaxoSmithKline up for a chat about your prescription regime? Never, right? Doctors are our go-between, the ones who prescribe and manage our health, who pay attention to developments in pharmaceuticals, and we generally have to trust them to know what we need. While many provinces are […] More »
January-February 2010

Could farm-friendly ‘biochar’ suck up a fifth of the world’s carbon emissions?

Brad Badelt

The Claim Proponents believe that biochar—a fine charcoal produced when biomass is burned without oxygen—could dramatically cut our carbon emissions while improving soil productivity. The Investigation Here’s how it works: When organic matter decomposes, it releases carbon back into the atmosphere. This naturally occurring breakdown contributes a whopping 220 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide to the […] More »

Wednesday WTF: Swine-flu freakout's unintended consequence: hand-sanitizer addiction

meagan thibeault

First, mothers were warned to be watchful of their curious children around the potentially poisonous product; and now, store owners and homeless shelters are being urged to keep an eye out for clientele who may be abusing it. The culprit: common hand sanitizers, which have been saturating not only our hands, but also store shelves […] More »