Canada's Environmental Voice
There are many ways you can go about living a more sustainable lifestyle. Around the world, we’re seeing companies making commitments to lower their carbon footprint. On the other hands, more homes are switching to solar power (just like we previously discussed on Alternatives Journal). While these steps certainly go a […]
Educational Video Companion: Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Housing Security Environatives Training Initiative
By: Dr. Shelagh McCartney, Jeffrey Herskovits & Kathryn Trnavsky HOUSING ISSUES in Canada’s Indigenous communities have been well documented for decades without any positive changes. As populations grow rapidly, housing demand continues to increase and the existing shortfall becomes exacerbated. Housing need creates not only a lack of suitable shelter but […]
Imagination is key to innovation. After 18 years of constructing and racing solar-powered cars the Queen’s Solar Design Team, situated at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario, plunged head first into building sustainable and energy efficient homes. They ended up placing first at the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in […]
Almost 70 years ago, the United Nations declared adequate housing to be a fundamental human right, yet over a billion people lack this right across the globe. Canada’s status as a high-ranking country on global human development and liveability indices should imply that adequate housing for all has long been achieved […]
“Because it’s 2015” is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s catch phrase and answer to why ethnic and gender diversity matter. The statement made headlines across Canada and beyond. A “mic drop” by Trudeau would have been the icing on the cake for social justice advocates everywhere. After all, the moment symbolized […]
A 2007 study by the Nebraska Energy Office demonstrated that when a 2500-square-foot home is constructed, on average 3.6 metric tonnes of waste is produced, all of which is shipped to landfills. Attributed to hotter than average summers, air conditioners, large emitters of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants, are also quickly becoming the norm […]
Over the past century or so, the housing problem has ceased to be one of poor living conditions and instead become one of affordability. This is a bit of a simplification, though.
Housing represents the single largest store of wealth among Canadian individuals and families, and is the largest expense in most household budgets. Housing epitomizes the concept of “use value” where the worth of something comes from how it is used, and not its resale price. Historically, as land was passed down through generations […]
Just when people are applauding the comeback of our cities and urban areas, a new set of challenges has set in. People are flocking to large cities like New York, San Francisco, London, Toronto and Vancouver for the jobs, economic opportunities, density and vibrant lifestyles they offer. Yet, the influx […]
