December 2014

by Elizabeth May • Since 2006, we have had a prime minister who has shut down Parliament to avoid political embarrassment (something virtually unheard of throughout the Commonwealth nations) and twice done so illegitimately; a prime minister who has placed his executive powers above the law by refusing to accept the supremacy of Parliament. He has ignored...

December 2014

Dear Avaazers: Lately, we’re not just winning; we’re winning big. These are not small time victories, but the biggest stuff, the save the world stuff – on climate change, Monsanto, our oceans, the Internet, democracy and more. There’s a lot that’s depressing in the world today, but scroll down and see what our future could look like if we just stick...

December 2014

by Yarrow Willard • We live in an age where environmental pollutants and synthetic chemicals surround us and innumerable websites and documentaries document the severity of the trajectory and ramifications of our current actions. Toxicity of the planet is by far the major issue of our time, eclipsing that of economic downturns and other such issues, all of...

December 2014

by Stéphane Dion • The Honourable Stéphane Dion has been a Member of Canada’s Parliament, representing the Montreal riding of Saint-Laurent – Cartierville since 1996. During that period, he held various Cabinet portfolios. From 2004 to 2005, he was Minister of the Environment and as such, was instrumental in securing one of the greenest budgets in the...

December 2014

DRUG BUST by Alan Cassels • The people’s briefing note on prescription drugs One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine. – Dr. William Osler You may have heard about Stanley Milgram, the American psychologist who carried out some of the most infamous research on obedience back in the 1960s, but have you heard of...

December 2014

Move Canada forward by Jolan Bailey, Leadnow Vancouver organizer • Leadnow (www.leadnow.ca) is an independent advocacy organization that runs campaigns on the major issues of our time, engages people in participatory decision-making and organizes in communities across Canada. The organization envisions a country where people work together to build an open...

December 2014

by Geoff Olson • Big data is a buzz-term that has softened into a tabloid cliché in a remarkably short time. It refers to the massive quantities of publicly and privately archived information that can be digitally analyzed to identify subtle patterns and trends. Interested parties range from marketers to policy makers to students to hackers. “Big data is...

December 2014

photo by Zack Embree www.zackembree.com view larger size photo» • Consider this question: why did citizens hike up Burnaby Mountain each day to be arrested if Kinder Morgan is simply conducting technical feasibility studies for a pipeline? Why are First Nations and municipalities spending precious resources fighting the National Energy Board in the...

December 2014

READ IT by Bruce Mason • Thanks mostly to its enviably spectacular, natural setting, Vancouver proudly and perennially tops myriad lists of the most beautiful, livable, expensive, under-and-over-rated – etc., etc. – cities. A new book strives to capture it through a heartfelt collection of gallery quality panoramas, created with a veteran photographer’s...

Panama fines GM fish company • The Government of Panama has fined the company AquaBounty for breaching numerous national environmental laws during its ongoing research and development of a genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon. The GM fish eggs were shipped from Canada, provoking fears of environmental contamination in both countries. “This is an...

December 2014

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • The idea of a right to a healthy environment is getting traction at Canada’s highest political levels. Federal Opposition MP Linda Duncan recently introduced “An Act to Establish a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights” in Parliament. If it’s passed, our federal government will have a legal duty to protect...

December 2014

FILMS WORTH WATCHING by Robert Alstead • Director Mike Leigh is a British institution, producing subtle, sensitive films that run deep, such as the 1996 Palme d’Or winner Secrets & Lies and his earlier Life Is Sweet. His latest work to hit these shores – opening on Christmas Day – is a biopic about the last 25 years of the great English...

December 2014

UNIVERSE WITHIN by Gwen Randall-Young • Find the love you seek by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home. – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar I often work with individuals who have a history of not being respected or who were even treated badly in relationships. And not just in couples’...