Canada's Environmental Voice
AH, THE NEW YEAR. Time to change the wall calendar. By October, our household had already acquired Greenpeace’s latest offering, a Group of Seven issue, and one of those generic versions that hardware stores and real estate agents give out for free. All of them feature beautiful scenes of pristine […]
Energy: Can’t live with it; can’t live without it. In fact, over 80 per cent of our emissions causing climate change are energy-related. From the difficulties in getting Canadians to conserve to carbon trading with a conscience and concerns about nuclear options, this issue of Alternatives provides a fresh and […]
IN 2012 it seems easy to mudsling the truth until it’s a total mess. This weakness is not new – women, homosexuals and people of colour who lived just 50 years ago might argue that 21st century reality is far less distorted. What distinguishes our time is that we can access […]
IN ITS QUEST to dominate the planet’s agricultural biotechnology sector, Monsanto’s business model has produced significant collateral damage. Generations of farming families in South America, India and other robustly developing regions have been devastated by the US-based multinational’s product line, namely its flagship herbicide Roundup and the patented seeds that […]
SOME OF THE MOST important controversies we face today are those with a scientific underpinning – but a public consequence. Anthropogenic climate change, GMOs and nuclear power are among them. The curious feature of these so-called “scientific” controversies is that most members of the public take a stance, pro or […]
DAVID SCHINDLER is one of Canada’s most influential environmental scientists, both at home and abroad. Between 1968 and 1989, he directed the Experimental Lakes Area research facility in Ontario, leading experiments on freshwater ecosystems that advanced our understanding of the effects of nutrient enrichment, acid rain and climate change. An […]
DESPITE THE DIAGNOSES of spin doctors, an activist is not anti-government, anti-corporate, anti-Canadian or the antichrist. In fact, any citizen who tries to address important social and political issues is pro-democratic, patriotic and downright responsible. Get started with these tips:
THE LATEST FILM by Swiss-Canadian director Léa Pool argues that breast cancer is not just a disease but also a massive and extremely lucrative new industry. Drawing on interviews with social critics (including the brilliant Barbara Ehrenreich), survivors, doctors and funders, Pink Ribbons, Inc. finds searing answers about how much […]
From the magazine THE EFFORT TO HALT plans for a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan that could help power tar sands extraction is heating up. Public opposition has kept large reactors off the table in the uranium-rich province, but the provincial government signed a $10-million deal with Hitachi Ltd. in August […]
The Canadian environmental sector has been repeatedly attacked in 2012, and we’re calling bullsh!t on the flawed logic and soft science behind these allegations. In this issue we look at the impact of cuts to the environmental assessment processes and facilities like the Experimental Lakes Area, and we share the […]
