SUSTAINABLE LIFE

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Lifecycle Analysis Answers the Christmas Tree Debate: Real or Fake?

It’s a simple concept that is rarely utilized in Canada today: incorporating lifecycle analysis (LCA) into planning and design. Evaluating the full impacts of a project or product throughout construction, operational use and eventual decommissioning/disposal would go a long way to promoting sustainable development in Canada. Unfortunately, many planning decisions […]

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Shopping for a Lighter Foodprint

This spring, in a personal challenge to eat local and reduce my carbon footprint, I planted my first vegetable garden. I spent $50 on seeds and planted all my favourite vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, peas, radishes, carrots, beets, onions and spinach. I was quite excited, but since growing these vegetables […]

78 Days film review A\J AlternativesJournal.ca

78 Days

As its title suggests, this candid documentary is all about crunching numbers. The story focuses on 28 tree planters putting 9.6 million trees in the ground during a single season in High Level, Alberta, fuelled by 700 lbs. of bacon and driven by the promise of $540 per day.

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Checking Out the Toxic Manscape

  Andrew Reeves, A\J Current Events blogger and environmental journalist: The latest report from Environmental Defence outlining the myriad of toxic chemicals in men’s personal care products shouldn’t surprise anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of the chemical cocktails swimming around in women’s care products for the past five decades […]

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Students Stick a Fork in Hunger

Food is cultural, social, economic, political and environmental – it connects us all. That is the message of Meal Exchange, ayouth-driven registered charity that empowers students across Canada to learn and raise awareness about local hunger. I have been involved in Meal Exchange since I went back to university in […]

On the Menu

OUR OCEANS are in deep, deep trouble. Only ten percent of the large fish are left, food webs are in tatters and pollution and invasive species threaten marine ecosystems. Coastal communities are also in trouble. From Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, to Musgamagw Tsawataineuk, British Columbia, people struggle to make a living from […]