Canada's Environmental Voice
In his brief career, Phil Ochs wrote over 100 songs – many of them about civil rights and other caring social/environmental observations. “When I’m Gone” was just one of his many anthems pointing toward a better world. From a songwriting standpoint, Elephant Revival does not appear to be influenced by Ochs’ music, […]
Why does Canada hate Indigenous rights? Or, more properly, why has the government campaigned so hard to subdue the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), even when it’s now enshrined in a UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)? The specific right to FPIC, as it […]
Not getting new shoes until the old ones wore out, darning the toe hole in the end of a sock, patching a favourite pair of jeans for the third time; these practices are no longer a reality for most of today’s youth. Maybe, if we are lucky, our moms can […]
The world of eyewear is rife with mass-produced, label-driven brands, but if you search beyond the nearest chain or big-box store, you will likely find some truly remarkable glasses. As the buyer for Insight Eye Care, an independent optometry and optical boutique in Waterloo, Ontario, I have had the opportunity […]
When I start a new semester of teaching, I don a t-shirt that has one word on the front: “unlearn.” The word is printed from right to left, so that it only becomes clear when you look in the mirror. On the back of the shirt it says (also in […]
Despite hoping to present itself as a monolithic entity in order to force change, the environmental movement is nevertheless divided on two key battlegrounds: intensification and nuclear power. These internal debates tend to take place with hushed voices and behind closed doors, as if demonstration of the slightest bit of […]
The Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health is the world’s first privately endowed research institute dedicated to the health of Indigenous Peoples. Created last June with a $10-million gift from Michael and Amira Dan, the institute was unveiled on March 23 of this year at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana […]
Picture a towering garden overflowing with native wildflowers. Add a Hobbit hole, an Ewok village, an airplane and a pirate ship all made from recycled and repurposed materials. Weave it all together with a network of winding trails and hidden treasures, and what do you get? The most fabulous natural […]
A few centuries ago humans ignited a fossil fire, liberating stocks of carbon long-buried in the Earth’s crust. Since then this fire has powered civilization, enabling the extraction of all other minerals. But it is now flickering, its fuel almost exhausted, even as the waste it produced threatens the biosphere. […]
An estimated 400,000 people showed their solidarity and support for climate action in New York City at what is now known as the largest climate march in history – and that doesn’t include the 2,646 solidarity events held in over 160 countries around the world.
