Canada's Environmental Voice
ECO-RENOVATING YOUR HOUSE on a budget is like one of those kids’ Choose Your Own Adventure books: Each decision delivers a unique set of challenges and consequences. Since most of us have limited funds, building an environmentally sound dream home means every choice must be weighed carefully for its expense […]
WHEN WE CAME UP with “The Greening of Politics” as the theme for this issue of Alternatives, little did we know we’d be competing with headline stories in the mainstream media. At the time, Elizabeth May hadn’t declared her Green Party candidacy and Stéphane Dion’s chances of becoming Liberal leader […]
Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art,
Question of Trust The public trust doctrine holds hope for protecting Canada’s ecosystems. “By the law of nature these things are common to all mankind; the air, running water, the sea, and consequently the shores of the sea.”– Institutes of Justinian (sixth century AD)
THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT of Earth Day Canada’s Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award, Bruce Cockburn is a singer/songwriter and activist. An Officer of the Order of Canada and the honorary chair of Friends of the Earth, Cockburn has used his music to oppose degradation of the environment – from destructive […]
20 books in review, 11 teasers, 2 excerpts, 3 essays, 13 staff favourites and 20 bestsellers. Featuring a whopping total of 77 new releases and timeless classics, our 2nd annual issue on environmental books is the ultimate guide to green reading.
This issue of Alternatives takes readers into a realm where the actions of government, corporations, citizens and middle institutions such as schools converge to transform society as we know it. It’s a place where the environment receives its due respect. Where, as peace activist Ursula Franklin suggested in a 1994 […]
Editorial: Green at Home LEEDing the Way – Guy DaunceyThe “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” rating system will inevitably foster greener buildings and more sustainable communities.Canada’s First LEED Gold – G.D. Greenville – Robert PaehlkeApplying green principles to buildings and urban planning is a sound long-term investment of public dollars.
Myths of Diversity – Andil GosineCanadian environmentalists don’t want to talk about racism — but too often that means the uncritical acceptance of popular diversity myths.Inset: Les Verts Reinvent Égalité Ghosts of Africville – Denise Izzard AllenFormer residents of Africville are still fighting municipal planning decisions in Nova Scotia.
Good Work, Less Toil – ANDERS HAYDEN The job-spend treadmill exhausts us and the planet. It’s time to jump off. Inset: One Step Forward, One Step Back Working for Change – FIONA HEATH The Working Centre helps people become more self-reliant and less dependent on wages.
