Bill Rees says it best, “If you want sustainable cities, folks, they depend on sustainable countryside.” Yet the agricultural and natural lands that surround our urban centres are being systematically paved over and dug up to make way for housing, highways and industrial development.

It’s not that we don’t know how to determine if a project is sustainable. More often it’s that we fail to apply the tests that exist. This issue of Alternatives describes the many ways that we can test the sustainability of a project, a product or a service. It features […]

Number 5 – Education for the Planet (Special pullout!) This year’s environmental education directory is bigger and better than ever — 50 universities, 150 programs and lots more inspiring student-driven initiatives and ideas worth stealing. Check out what universities fit your educational goals and what creative student initiatives are worth […]

Please note, the print copy you receive of this issue may be a black and white reprint. Counting money is easy – but how do we place a value on a healthy body, a vibrant neighbourhood or a flourishing environment? Measuring Progress goes beyond the GDP to explore ways of […]

Editorial: Reversing the Flow This issue of Alternatives focuses on water soft paths. For most people this statement invites the question: What are water soft paths? Though noun and adjective have been reversed, water soft paths share a common heritage with the soft energy paths developed in the 1970s by […]

Dragon boat racers, soccer teams and choirs have it. The People’s Food Commission and its report, The Land of Milk and Money, had it too. Team members often display a go-for-it passion that is rooted in a powerful tradition: to believe in tomorrow, we must appreciate yesterday. To become a […]

Buy this issue in print or digital format to read the rest: Editorial: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Launching street festivals. Planting watermelon. Doling out fake traffic tickets. If you’re wondering what these have in common, read on. They’re ingenious ways of handling issues, prying open the box.

Editorial: Strategies for Success The Ragged Edge of Success – Stephen BockingEnvironmental progress must be measured vigilantly and handled with care. Wired for Action – Laura D’AmelioCyberactivists are furiously typing their message and showing that the mouse can be a mighty weapon.

Editorial The Nature of Health The Last Word – Stephen BockingNeil Arya interviews legendary epidemiologist John Last. Ecosystem Health – John HowardPrescribing a new vision for the future of medicine. An Ounce of Prevention – Sarah WakefieldSince the Industrial Revolution, public health has fostered healthy environments to prevent disease.

Editorial: Climate for Change National Inspire – R. Peters, N. Shariff and J. Whitmore The Canadian Environmental Network’s latest green energy paper tells Canadians how to step up efforts to curb climate change. Time for an Oil Change – Nicola Ross Alberta should tap its much-lauded entrepreneurial spirit to lead the way […]