Alternatives Journal articles from November 2008

Alternatives Journal archives from November 2008

Steal this idea.(Editorial)(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... THE FEDERAL election is kicking into high gear as this issue goes to press. It's too early to predict which party will form the next government, but regardless of who ends up living at 24 Sussex Drive, there is an abundance of environmental...

Talk and drill.(oil sand policy in Alberta)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... "The Alberta government has taken a 'talk and drill' approach to developing the oil sands," says Chris Severson-Baker, policy director for the Pembina Institute. In protest, his organization, along with the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and...

Green giant.(Yao Ming)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... One of the most "high-profile" athletes in the 2008 Olympic Games, China's 7-feet-6-inch-tall (2.29 metres) Yao Ming, has been named the United Nations Environment Programme's first-ever Environmental Champion. Yao, who plays for the National...

Wild rights.(rights of nature in Ecuador)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... In the Long Island Natural Pages, Stephanie Marohn writes, "Wild law recognizes the rights of rivers to flow unimpeded, the rights of mountains to remain intact instead of having their tops blown off for coal mining, the rights of old growth...

Gobsmacked.(In Brief)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... A British court's decision released in September gobsmacked UK environmentalists and coal executives alike. The jury cleared six Greenpeace protesters of all charges related to their scaling a chimney at the Kingsnorth power station and...

Eggplant to the rescue.(plant extract from eggplant maybe the cure to skin cancer)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... On his own time and using his own money, Dr. Bill E. Cham has developed a treatment for skin cancer that uses an extract from eggplants. Curaderm BEC5 Cream, according to Dr. Cham and others, successfully treats basal cell carcinoma cancer,...

No corn, no country.(In Brief)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... One of the key thinkers behind Mexico's Zapatista movement, Gustavo Esteva coordinates Sin Maiz, No Hay Pais (without corn, there is no country). The campaign calls for the Mexican government to remove corn from NAFTA. Corn is central to...

Mission impossible.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I read some of the articles in your issue on sustainability [34:4, 2008] and have further determined that sustainability is an impossibility. The word is fast losing all meaning and will continue to do so as long as people are unwilling to...

Remembering population.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Alternatives has become one of my favourite magazines. Every issue provides food for thought, with your environmental books issue leading me to some great new reads. In your latest publication [34:4, 2008], with its theme of...

Permafrost collapse.
November 1, 2008... IT'S a bright and stormy night. All June nights in Pangnirtung's famous fiord are bright, but on this particular evening in Nunavut, the winds of Auyuittuq come screaming across Baffin Island and down Akshayuk Pass. Wise souls hold on tight....

Greener on the other side: Seven environmental lessons from the European Union.
November 1, 2008... OVER THE PAST decade and a half, Europe has become something of an international environmental leader. Climate policy in the European Union (EU)--with a variety of programs and measures, including emissions trading--has been in advance of most...

No carbon copy: while Canada and the US dithered, the European Union built a carbon-emissions trading mechanism.
November 1, 2008... IN MARCH 2008, the Canadian government released the latest details of its proposed action plan for tackling climate change in Turning the Corner: Regulatory Framework for Industrial Greenhouse Gas Emissions. It doesn't include provisions to...

Slip sliding away: compared with Norway's bulging bank account, Alberta's Heritage Fund falls well short of its potential.
November 1, 2008... MOST CANADIANS assume that Alberta is getting filthy rich from its hydrocarbon resources. In comparison with Norway, however, Canada's wealthiest province is failing to live up to its potential. Both jurisdictions produce about the same amount...

Taarini Chopra & Tegan Renner.(Editorial)(universities and college's environmental initiatives)(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... School spirit is flying high this frosh week at the University of Waterloo. Cries of "E-S! E-S!" (Environmental Studies!) resound as orange-T-shirt-clad, first-year students wander by Alternatives office. Below the boisterous merriment that...

Acadia University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Wolfville, Nova Scotia ees.acadiau.ca Landmark green achievements by students Initially funded through grant applications drafted by students, Wolfville's Centre for Rural Sustainability now supports the development and...

Bishop's University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Sherbrooke, Quebec ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/esg Landmark green achievement by students Every three years since 1994, students have conducted interviews and site visits, made phone calls, sent emails and summarized their research in...

Brandon University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Brandon, Manitoba brandonu.ca/Academic/Science Landmark green achievement by students Students have mapped the habitat requirements of Manitoba's only native lizard, the endangered Northern Prairie skink. [ILLUSTRATION...

Brock University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... St. Catharines, Ontario brocku.ca/tren Most interesting research opportunities Students can delve into specialized research opportunities related to tourism, such as the "greening" of the tourism industry, and the theory and...

Cape Breton University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Sydney, Nova Scotia cbu.ca Most active on-campus environmental group The Atlantic Coastal Action Program Cape Breton brings science and monitoring-based research together with the education and awareness projects needed to create...

Carleton University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Ottawa, Ontario carleton.ca/geography carleton.ca/envirosci Most active on-campus environmental group There are many ways to get involved with the Carleton Sustainable Campus Network, a group of students, faculty and staff...

Concordia University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Montreal, Quebec gpe.concordia.ca Landmark green achievement by students Created in 2007, the 1% Sustainability Action Fund came about after students voted for a 25-cent-per-credit student levy. Raising $150,000 a year, the fund...

Concordia university college of Alberta.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Edmonton, Alberta concordia.ab.ca Most popular environmental course The second-year course "Environmental Science: Problems and Solutions" surveys major environmental problems in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and then...

Dalhousie University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Halifax, Nova Scotia ess.dal.ca sres.management.dal.ca Most interesting research opportunities Several exciting topics, ranging from Canada's shifting tree line and the life-cycle impacts of Nova Scotia's lobster fishery, to...

First Nations University of Canada--University of Regina.(green initiative and projects)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Regina, Saskatchewan firstnationsuniversity.ca Latest green initiative by administration Student associations work alongside university administration, community members and youth groups in the campus' community garden project....

The King's University College.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Edmonton, Alberta Kingsu.ca Landmark green achievement by students "My Climate, Your Climate, Our Change" was the theme for the day-long interdisciplinary dialogue on climate change organized by the Environmental Studies 2008...

Lakehead University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Thunder Bay, Ontario facscien. lakeheadu.ca outdoorrec.lakeheadu.ca Most interesting research opportunities A graduate student project in the Northwest Territories with Parks Canada and the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation laid...

Laurentian University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Sudbury, Ontario enes.laurentian.ca Most popular environmental course The "Winter Ecology" course dispels the myth that field trips only take place during the summer. The labs all occur in the field, and include the frost-pockets...

McGill University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Montreal, Quebec www.mcgill.ca/mse Most active on-campus environmental groups McGill University's Organic Campus, a non-profit student organization, is dedicated to bringing low-cost, local, organic fruits and vegetables to the...

McMaster University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Hamilton, Ontario science.mcmaster.ca/~geo Eco-events that everyone marks on their calendars Every spring and fall, the student-run group MacGreen organizes a Cootes Clean-Up to rid Cootes Paradise, a nature sanctuary just north of...

Memorial University Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador swgc.mun.ca/envstudy swgc.mun.ca/resource Most popular environmental course The third-year religious studies course "Spirituality and the Earth" examines how various religions view the...

Mount Allison University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Sackville, New Brunswick mta.ca/faculty/socsci/geograph/index.htm Landmark green achievement by students Accompanied by a bright red, veggie-oil-fuelled bus, Mount Allison students and others cycled from Tofino to Halifax as part...

Nipissing University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... North Bay, Ontario nipissingu.ca Landmark green achievement by students A group of six students is living with low-flow showerheads, compact-fluorescent light bulbs, a programmable thermostat, and meters for gas, hydro and water...

Queen's University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Kingston, Ontario queensu.ca/ensc Most popular environmental course "Global Food Security, Agriculture and Environment" reviews national and global projected food supplies, and examines different scenarios for meeting food needs...

Redeemer University College.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Ancaster, Ontario redeemer.ca Landmark green achievements by students Thanks to the Green Team, student dorms are now outfitted with composting facilities. Students also organize an annual cleanup of neighbourhood streets. ...

Royal Roads University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Victoria, British Columbia royalroads.ca/ses Latest green initiative by administration Royal Roads' first "living building," the Robert Bateman Art and Environmental Education Centre, is set to open its doors in 2010. Its living...

Ryerson University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Toronto, Ontario ryerson.ca/graduate/programs/ensciman Most interesting research opportunities Students work in a variety of research areas, including, but not limited to air contaminant modelling, biological indicators for...

St. Francis Xavier University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Antigonish, Nova Scotia stfx.ca/academic/aquatic_resources Most interesting research opportunities From turtle location and tagging to comparative reviews of provincial potable-water policies, the opportunities for fascinating...

St. Mary's University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Halifax, Nova Scotia smu.ca/academic/science/envstud/welcome.html Most active on-campus environmental group St. Mary's University Environmental Society (SMUES) works to bring about a healthier environment and more sustainable...

St. Thomas University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Fredericton, New Brunswick stu.ca Most active on-campus environmental group Along with co-ordinating sustainability awareness campaigns and activities, Students for Sustainability also runs an organic garden near campus. ...

Simon Fraser University.
November 1, 2008... Burnaby, British Columbia rem.sfu.ca Most active on-campus environmental group Thanks to the efforts of Sustainable SFU, a student-, staff-and alumni-run organization, the university now has a Sustainability Advisory Committee, a...

Thompson rivers university.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Kamloops, British Columbia tru.ca/science Landmark green achievements by students The student-driven Green's Club spearheaded the initiation of the university's recycling program and also established a community-allotment garden...

Trent University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Peterborough, Ontario trentu.ca/ers Sustainable food options for those hungry moments in between classes The Seasoned Spoon's fare of soups, sandwiches, baked goods, and fair trade coffees and teas is prepared fresh daily, from...

Trinity Western University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Langley, British Columbia twu.ca/academics/interdisciplinary/environment Coolest field course Imagine studying plant and marine ecology for a month of Salt Spring Island--with days full of mountain hikes, beach surveys, and...

Universite de Quebec a Montreal.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Montreal, Quebec ise.uqam.ca Landmark green achievement by students Thanks to a collaborative research effort on green-roof feasibility led by a grad student, the university now has two green roofs. On-campus groups that were...

Universite de Sherbrooke.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Sherbrooke, Quebec usherbrooke.ca/environnement Eco-event that everyone marks on their calendars The annual environmental conference organized by the Association de la maitrise en environnement de l'Universite de Sherbrooke for the...

University of Alberta.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Edmonton and Camrose, Alberta ales.ualberta.ca csj.ualberta.ca augustana.ca Most scenic natural areas to escape those lecture-hall blues The main Edmonton campus is a short walk away from the North Saskatchewan River...

University of British Columbia.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Vancouver, British Columbia ubc.ca Latest green initiatives by administration Approximately 125 tonnes are diverted from landfill every year thanks to UBC Food Services' and Waste Management's joint in-vessel composting program....

University of Calgary.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Calgary, alberta ucalgary.ca/ensc ucalgary.ca/evds Latest green initiative by administration UofC's campus is home to North America's largest Cold Weather LEED Platinum building. Moreover, the Child Development Centre will be...

University of Guelph.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Guelph, Ontario envsci.uoguelph.ca oac.uoguelph.ca csahs.uoguelph.ca/envgov Landmark green achievements by students Entering its fourth year of being wind-powered by Bullfrog Power, the Bullring just keeps getting...

University of Lethbridge.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Lethbridge, Alberta uleth.ca/fas/enviro Eco-event that everyone marks on their calendars Community members and students come together to clean up the city's beautiful coulees (deep ravines) during the city's annual Coulee...

University of Manitoba.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Winnipeg, Manitoba umanitoba.ca/environment umanitoba.ca/institutes/natural-resources Latest green initiative by administration UofM's administration has decided to do something about all the methane being released by the...

University of New Brunswick.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Fredericton, New Brunswick unbf.ca/forestry Landmark green achievement by students A group of upper-year undergraduate students completed a Campus Sustainability Plan as a class project, which they then presented to the University...

University of Northern British Columbia.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Prince George, British Columbia unbc.ca Most popular environmental course "Environmental Citizenship," a new course that started in September 2008, provides an introduction to the concept of an "environmental citizen" and explores...

University of Ottawa.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Ottawa, Ontario www.environment.uottawa.ca www.environmental.uottawa.ca Most active on-campus environmental groups A working group of UofO's Public Interest Research Group, Campus Vert/Green Campus is striving to make its club...

University of Prince Edward Island.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Charlottown, Prince Edward Island upei.ca/environment Most scenic natural areas to escape those lecture-hall blues UPEI's island environment means that a variety of natural areas are close and available to students for escape...

University of Toronto.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Toronto, Ontario www.environment.utoronto.ca Eco-events that everyone marks on their calendars Every March, the Centre for Environment's Career Day gives hundreds of students a chance to visit with organizations that offer...

University of Toronto Mississauga.
November 1, 2008... Mississauga, Ontario env.utm.utoronto.ca Landmark green achievements by students Hoping to drive public transit further (and get a "free" ride too), undergraduate students voted for an annual $89 transit pass. Students have also...

University of Victoria.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Victoria, British Columbia web.uvic.ca/enweb/index.html Landmark green achievements by students UVic students have successfully established two environmental groups on campus. The UVic Sustainability Project organizes various...

University of Waterloo.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Waterloo, Ontario env.uwaterloo.ca On-campus spot with the best coffee and conversation The Environmental Studies Coffee Shop's garden view, cozy couches, piano and well-stocked bookshelf create a relaxed atmosphere for chatting...

University of Windsor.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Windsor, Ontario uwindsor.ca/envstudies uwindsor.ca/earth Landmark green achievements by students Though their program is only five years old, Environmental Studies students are already filling the campus with green groups and...

University of Winnipeg.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Winnipeg, Manitoba envstudies.uwinnipeg.ca Latest green initiatives by administration Featuring a green roof planted with native-prairie vegetation, renewable construction materials and innovative heating and cooling technologies,...

Wilfrid Laurier University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Waterloo, Ontario wlu.ca/homepage.php?grp_id=149 Most active on-campus environmental group The EcoHawks is a student-run club that raises environmental awareness and funds environmental projects through the Green Fee, a student...

Vancouver Island University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Nanaimo, British Columbia viu.ca Latest green initiative by administration To help fund green initiatives on campus, VIU has raised fees for parking. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Student opportunities that give a taste of the...

York University.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Toronto, Ontario yorku.ca/fes Eco-event that everyone marks on their calendars Inspiring public dialogue and celebrating diverse forms of creative expression is what the Eco Art and Media Festival does best. Centered on a specific...

Spotlight on PhD programs.
November 1, 2008... MIRRORING the burgeoning concern about environmental issues in Canada and around the world, universities are offering a steadily growing range of environmental programs. As the pages of the education directory in this issue demonstrate,...

Students say ...
November 1, 2008... ... Get Involved On Campus "Friends who didn't get involved realized they didn't get as much out of university," shares fourth-year McMaster University philosophy student Katie Stiel. Both Jessica Baas, a fourth-year environmental science...

Worldly education: almost halfway through the Decade of Education for sustainable development, the move towards green learning is gathering steam.
November 1, 2008... IN DECEMBER 2002, the United Nations declared the period from 2005 to 2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). As with any global endeavour, eloquent proclamations about the initiative are easy to find. Just take a look...

Your food: in your hands.
November 1, 2008... Young Reporters for the Environment is a network of students from around the world who publish stories and photos about environmental issues in their communities. Environmental Defence co-ordinates Young Reporters for the Environment in Canada,...

Shaping our urban future; We can't do much about historic evolution, but we can change our policies to drive urban areas into a less car-dependent state.
November 1, 2008... ALTHOUGH MANY ARGUE that cities around the world are moving towards automobile-dominant, low-density sprawl, comparing Canadian cities with others of similar size in the US and Europe shows a variety of metropolitan development patterns. ...

A fine act to follow; When it comes to renewable energy, Germany is the undisputed leader.
November 1, 2008... ENACTED IN 2000, Germany's Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) is proving to be the world's most effective and efficient instrument for stimulating the renewable energy market and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, renewable energy...

Battling gridlock: congestion fees are working in Europe and Asia, but it's questionable if they will succeed in car-crazy North America.(Burn calories, save cash, get there on time.)
November 1, 2008... WITH TRAFFIC gridlock causing enormous monetary losses, cities around the world are choosing to use economic instruments to ease congestion. Congestion fees, as they have come to be known, involve assigning a price to a road based on the demand...

Viva La Revolucion Energetica: in two short years, energy-smart Cuba has bolted past every country on the planet.
November 1, 2008... WHAT NATION is the most sustainable in the world? If you guessed Sweden, Denmark or maybe Norway, you would be wrong. Instead, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has declared Cuba to be the only country on the planet that is approaching sustainable...

Green Do Gooder; Part lawyer, part activist and part kid who refuses to grow up, David Donnelly is Earth Day Canada's 2008 Hometown Hero.
November 1, 2008... "It was a bad year," David Donnelly, Earth Day Canada's Hometown Hero for 2008, tells me. We're sitting at a long table beside the open-concept kitchen in the common room at 215 Spadina Avenue in downtown Toronto. It's the official hangout for...

Getting beyond the Bomb; Paul Ehrlich's Classic turns 40.(The Population Bomb)(Book review)
November 1, 2008... The Population Bomb, Paul Ehrlich, New York: Ballantine Books, 1968, rev 1986, 223 pages. GROWING UP as the fifth of six kids, I never saw any special virtue in small families. Back then, at the tail end of the baby boom, apparently no one...

In search of connections.(Francis Hutcheson )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Hutcheson's Moral Senses THE 18 th CENTURY Scottish theologian and philosopher, Francis Hutcheson, believed that there was an intimate connection between the perception of beauty and increased morality. The more we see beautiful things,...