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 […]

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 […]

Buy this issue in print or digital format to read the rest: Editorial:Take It Down to Zero Hope in Wasteland – Helen SpiegelmanA radical but reachable departure from current practice will put product waste back in the hands of producers, and allow cities to follow their zero-waste dreams.

Informed participation in open, accountable and effective governance: that’s a pretty good working definition of development. Governments have been using foreign aid for many purposes over the decades, and their first purpose is not always development or alleviation of poverty, as Ian Smillie points out in this issue of Alternatives. […]

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: Fixing the Economy Raising Funds – Shannon StaplesSalt Spring Island gives national currency a run for its money.Other Canadian Alternative Currencies Revolving Funds – Gabriella Kalapos and Philip JessupMunicipalities can turn their energy costs into gold.

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.