Alternatives Journal articles from January 2005

Alternatives Journal archives from January 2005

Fixing the economy.(Editorial)(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... EARLY IN Jean Cocteau's movie, Beauty and the Beast, Beauty's father hears that merchants in some city are short of guilders. He quickly loads up his carriage with guilders from his strongbox and physically carries them to the city where they...

Double savings.(CANADIAN NEWS)(funding initiatives for energy efficiency)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is encouraging energy efficiency through two new funding initiatives. The first gives homeowners who buy or build energy efficient homes, or who make renovations that increase energy savings, a ten...

Slow learner.(CANADIAN NEWS)(convictions for Fisheries Act violations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... In December 2004, Irving Pulp and Paper Ltd. was fined $30,000 after pleading guilty to a violation of Canada's Fisheries Act. On December 3, 2004 the company dumped untreated paper mill effluent into the Little River in Saint John, NB,...

Three big stinkers.(CANADIAN NEWS)(air pollutants from Canadian industries)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... In Shattering the Myth of Pollution Progress in Canada, Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association report that Canadian industry is responsible for almost four billion kilograms of harmful air pollutants each year. The...

Fueling improvement.(CANADIAN NEWS)(gasoline regulatory measures)(Clean Air Agenda)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The federal government is entering the second phase of new gasoline regulatory measures. In 2002, the permissible level of sulphur in gasoline was limited to 150 parts per million and, as of January 1, 2005, this level was reduced to between 30...

Fishy happiness.(Off the Beat)(antidepressants in fish)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... FEELING depressed lately? Eat more fish! New studies imply that eating more fish may help you combat depression because they have been eating, drinking and breathing human sewage. And our sewage contains antidepressants. Which the fish can...

Pah ... wind ...(Off the Beat)(windmill farms)
January 1, 2005... IT'S HUMAN psychology--whether it's the result of an unfortunately placed banana peel or from some tragic flaw, we just love to see a hero fall. Which has now happened on the environmental front. Wind power--the green goodie-two-shoes of energy...

Death benefits.(Off the Beat)(environmental legacy)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... EVERY WINTER a whole new rash of will talk comes up. Maybe it's the snowbound days with nothing to do but sit down and write up a will. Or maybe after the seasonal family visits, there are a few more relatives to scratch off the list. Not a bad...

Pure fumes.(Science Desk)(synthetic fragrances)
January 1, 2005... PERFUMES DO MORE than just turn heads--they may actually overwhelm your body's natural defenses. A new study by researchers from Stanford University focuses on synthetic fragrances used in personal care products (like perfumes, detergents and...

The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund.(Hot Green Websites)
January 1, 2005... The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund was founded in 1996 to help working to protect and restore habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Individuals and groups can apply for funding, access information and communicate with others working...

Monkey see, monkey new.(Science Desk)(species in Madidi National Park)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... ATTENTION FAME seekers! You need only have access to the internet and an undertermined amount of cash--here is your chance for instant notoriety. Dr. Robert Wallace and his team of research biologists with the Wildlife Conservation Service have...

If it lives, barcode it.(Science Desk)(Barcode of Life project)
January 1, 2005... IF CARL LINNAEUS, the father of modern taxonomy, had one dream this might be it--a widely accessible catalogue of all life on Earth. At the first meeting of the Consortium for the Barcode of Life in February 2005, 200 scientists from 25...

Tower of power.(Science Desk)(solar)(EnviroMission Limited)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... LARGE-SCALE, CLEAN, GREEN, renewable energy: many think it's a pipe dream, but EnviroMission Limited, a Melbourne-based company, hopes to turn the dream into reality with plans to build an ambitious thermal power station called the solar tower....

Bribes, lies and GM cotton.(GLOBAL NEWS)(genetically modified)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The giant agrochemical company Monsanto has admitted to bribing high-ranking Indonesian officials in order to avoid environmental impact studies of its genetically modified cotton. In a case recently settled before the US Department of Justice...

Land of sea and smog.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... In 2004, smog severely reduced visibility in Hong Kong for 65 days--almost a fifth of the year. Vehicle emissions and severe pollution emanating from China's Pearl River Delta were largely responsible for the smog, which has been worsening year...

Unfair McLibel.(GLOBAL NEWS)(The European Court of Human Rights in case of two activists vs McDonald's Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the British government should have given two activists convicted of defaming McDonald's in 1997 legal aid to defend themselves against the food giant. The court found that the pair were denied...

Farmed and dangerous.(CAMPAIGNS)(Campaign against farmed salmon, risk factors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... As part of their campaign against farmed salmon, the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform is urging consumers to lobby Safeway and Whole Food stores across North America. Recent studies have shown that consuming more that one serving of...

Saving seed.(CAMPAIGNS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The National Farmer's Union (NFU) is asking Canadians to support a campaign to ensure that farmers' rights to save, reuse, select, exchange and sell their own seeds remains intact. The NFU hopes to petition the Canadian government to maintain...

Cutting the longline.(CAMPAIGNS)(moratorium on longline fishing to save sea turtles)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... 705 prominent scientists from 83 countries are urging the United Nations to implement a moratorium on longline fishing in the Pacific Ocean to prevent the extinction of the endangered leatherback sea turtle. An estimated 4.4 million sharks,...

240-Million Tonne Challenge.(CAMPAIGNS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Greenpeace wants Canadians to ask Members of Parliament to take the 240-Million Tonne Challenge--the amount by which greenhouse gas emissions will have to be reduced if Canada is to meet its Kyoto targets by the year 2010. The campaign is in...

One foot after the other.(Letter from Halifax)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... IT'S BEEN OVER ten years since my first foray into environmental education. Back then, I never thought reducing our impact on the earth would involve teaching about traffic safety and physical activity. That's exactly what I do--yet it's still...

Swan death lake.(RESEARCH FINDINGS)(Judson Lake becomes the grave for thousands of trumpeter swans)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Judson Lake, which straddles British Columbia and Washington State, has become the grave for thousands of trumpeter swans. Since 1999, approximately 1500 swans have died in the area from lead poisoning. The Canadian Wildlife Service, American...

Caribbean dumping.(RESEARCH FINDINGS)(Contamionations; marine pollution)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Marine pollution is a major threat to the small island developing states of the Caribbean, according to a series of reports by the United Nations Environment Programme. The region receives the most maritime traffic in the world--almost 50,000...

Asthma, allergies and antibiotics.(RESEARCH FINDINGS)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Researchers at the University of Michigan have made a connection between widespread use of antibiotics and an increase in asthma and allergy rates in Western industrialized countries over the past 40 years. In the January 2005 issue of...

Raising funds: Salt Spring Island gives national currency a run for its money.(currency stabilization)
January 1, 2005... A NUMBER of communities around the world are taking control of their local economies by creating their own currencies. These currencies focus on local control, helping revitalize communities by circulating money within the community rather than...

Revolving funds: municipalities can turn their energy costs into gold.
January 1, 2005... OUR PRESENT SYSTEM of electricity production costs everyone. Power shortages and severe electricity price hikes place obvious financial burdens on consumers. If we include the costs (monetary and otherwise) that our heavy reliance on fossil...

Corporate gains: corporate social responsibility can be the strategic engine for long-term corporate profits and responsible social development.
January 1, 2005... ASK ENVIRONMENTALISTS or social activists what they think of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and they will likely respond with a reflexive rolling of their eyes. Pose the same question to a hard-nosed business person and do not be...

Peak performance: Mountain Equipment Co-op has a better way of climbing.
January 1, 2005... THERE IS LITTLE doubt that many corporations engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) only to enhance their public image. But Canada's own Mountain Equipment Co-op proves that CSR can be more than just a public relations scheme. By...

Taking on the corporation: Joel Bakan speaks on the fight for social change.(Interview)
January 1, 2005... AN AWARD-WINNING teacher, former Rhodes Scholar, and graduate of Oxford, Dalhousie and Harvard law schools, Joel Bakan is well known for his work on landmark legal cases and government policy. Bakan has been a professor at the University of...

Where the buck stops: the responsibility for corporate behaviour lies squarely on the shoulders of shareholders.
January 1, 2005... ENVIRONMENTALISTS and other progressive activists attribute many of the ills of society to corporate capitalism as a matter of conventional wisdom. This is not a novel criticism. So, it is not surprising that, in their documentary, The...

Responsible riches: social investors put their money to work in communities and help to change the marketplace.
January 1, 2005... CONNECTING the dots between our investments and social change is a big stretch for most of us. So-called ethical investments haven't always lived up to their claims to be purer than non-ethical investments. And the connection between investment...

Arts and science: the Creative Arts Ensemble takes a playful yet serious approach to biotechnology, but not everyone is amused.(Political Science)
January 1, 2005... WHAT'S an activist to do with an issue like genetic engineering? One might choose to master its complexities and present earnest critiques of corporate science at public hearings. Another might skip the detailed homework and march on Monsanto's...

Smart electricity options: the renewable energy market has potential, but only if the right policies are in place.
January 1, 2005... ONTARIO IS AT AN ENERGY crossroads. The province's decision-makers are in the process of choosing how Ontario will produce and use electricity in the coming decades. Their decisions will either take the province down the same road of boosting...

Making movement.(An Action a Day: Keeps Global Capitalism Away)(Book Review)
January 1, 2005... An Action a Day: Keeps Global Capitalism Away, Mike Hudema, Toronto: Between the Lines Press, 2004. Social change requires discomfort. Activism should take you beyond your comfort zone on occasion, especially if your activism usually...

Latin EcoAction.(Trouble in Paradise: Globalization and Environmental Crises in Latin America)(Book Review)
January 1, 2005... Trouble in Paradise: Globalization and Environmental Crises in Latin America, J. Timmins Roberts and Nikki Demetria Thanos, New York: Routledge, 2003. This book is the fruit of truly interdisciplinary and multifaceted research. Written by...

Reinvent it or lose it.(The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror)(Book Review)
January 1, 2005... The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror, David W. Orr, Washington: Island Press, 2004. As almost everyone has realized, more than the trade center was toppled on September 11, 2001. Amidst the wreckage...

Questioning quarrying.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... I read the latest issue [30:5 Green Buildings] cover to cover, and found it fascinating. Urban design and architecture are areas that urgently need greening, and it was nice to read some success stories. One article jumped out at me for...

Branding the ecovillage.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... As a subscriber I want to say how much I thoroughly enjoy Alternatives. I read every issue cover to cover and as a result often expand my knowledge on topics that are very dear to me. I am compelled to point out, however, that Avril...

Gorilla art.(Brain Mulch)(Environmental movment in Doug Fishbone's installation)
January 1, 2005... ON THE MORNING of October 5, 2004, conceptual artist Doug Fishbone installed an artistic creation of 30,000 bananas on the North Terrace of London's Trafalgar Square. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ripe, sweet aromatic fruit sculpture was...