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By mauricetougas, on May 23, 2013, at 4:24 pm The price of gasoline has soared in Edmonton in the past week, beginning with the traditional holiday weekend gouging, and continuing with another outrageous 6-cent a litre hike on Wednesday. Gas in Edmonton is now at $1.29 a litre; one month ago, it was at $1.04. That means a 50-litre fill-up now costs an extra $12.50 today than it did just 30 days ago.
Why have gas prices gone up so dramatically in so little time? Why are gas prices in Edmonton approaching all-time record highs? What possible justification is there for gas prices to jump, in (Read more…)
By Stephen Elliott-Buckley, on April 23, 2013, at 12:00 pm Some years, Earth Day clicks for people in a profound way. I’ve spoken to a few who were distinctly non-plussed with how things didn’t come together for them and their dreams this year.
If you need some optimism for the rest of your week, check out this compendium. Pay attention to the ages of those in photos, and immediately scroll to the bottom to read what our dear Cascadian friends to the south got up to at U-Dub. What would that look like in your community?
Embrace peace, watch your footprint, look up for bald eagles, imagine the future you (Read more…)
By Guest Contributors, on March 27, 2013, at 12:00 pm The Role of The State in Gentrification, the Housing Crisis, and its Ability to Relieve or Maintain the Current Situation
by Rachel Goodine
Pidgin, a new fine-dining restaurant located on Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, moved in to the neighbourhood on February 1 of this year, prompting plenty of controversy. It’s located right off of East Hastings on Carrall Street, directly across from the notorious Pigeon Park. Many who do not live in the neighbourhood regard Pigeon Park as a drug haven, however for many residents the park is known as a gathering spot that hosts various festivals and street markets (Read more…)
By Adam, on March 7, 2013, at 10:17 am Often we hear that spending on experiences make for a happier life than buying into consumerism. In concept it sounds great, but many people think that it’s hard to rejig their life to be focused on doing things rather than consuming things. This TED talk is about breaking free of that passive normality and living life to its fullest.
By Amanda McCuaig, on January 29, 2013, at 10:57 am If Josh Keyes’ paintings don’t take a bit of your breath away, I suggest you visit an optometrist. Each one sits as a stand-alone diorama, a moment caught in a fictional time, with beautiful realistic paintings of animals in a world so strange that it is most likely caused by human error.
While his work is often shown along with other surrealist artists gaining notoriety in the west coast pop-surrealism art scene, they carry a completely different message. His peers often site old fashioned cartoons as their inspiration, where Josh has been moved by ecological plights. Ever since first seeing (Read more…)
By Mark Brooks, on January 17, 2013, at 11:13 pm
Download: earthgauge-podcast-jan17-2013.mp3
Earthgauge Radio returns this week with Keith Stewart of Greenpeace who will tell us about the December 2011 letter he obtained through an Access to Information request from oil companies to the Harper government. As it turns out, what the oil industry wants, the Harper government gives – in this case, they wanted drastic changes to Canada’s environmental laws. And with the omnibus Budget Bills of the last year, we saw that Canada’s Conservative government was more than happy to oblige.
We also talk to Alex Hebert of SwitchHop to learn how you can reduce energy consumption
. . . → Read More: Earthgauge Radio: Earthgauge Radio January 17: Keith Stewart of Greenpeace and Alex Hebert of SwitchHop.com
By Beth, on January 8, 2013, at 8:53 pm For the first blog post of the new year, I decided to keep things upbeat. Last year’s Favourites post was a big hit for some reason…maybe because we’re all secretly annoyed by Oprah. (Seriously, don’t give me the “happiness from within” speech on every show and then lavish your hysterical audience with mountains of your “favourite” consumer crap.) Ok fine, most of the stuff on my list is also stuff. But it’s good, quality-of-life-enhancing, environmentally responsible stuff. So here we go:
1. Birch Syrup: Oh sweet syrup of the birch tree…where have you been all my life? Ok, it’s
. . . → Read More: Boreal Citizen: Ten NEWER Favourites
By Stephen Elliott-Buckley, on January 1, 2013, at 12:00 pm December 2012′s Politics, Re-Spun panel on Co-op Radio included Julie McArthur, Alnoor Gova, Imtiaz Popat, Anna Davey, Kevin Harding and Stephen Elliott-Buckley discussing:
International Human Rights Day, experiencing “My Voice, My Right, My Voice Counts” Over-consumption, just consumption, Christmas consumption, sexism, quality of life, consumption as a proxy for enhancing our relationships and happiness. And we enjoyed thematically appropriate music by Dan Mangan and Tim Lawson,
Listen to the podcast here: itpc://dgivista.org/pod/Vista_Podcasts.xml
Or you can listen to the mp3 file here: http://www.dgivista.org/pod/2012.12.10.PRS.CoopRadio.mp3
By Mark Brooks, on December 21, 2012, at 3:45 pm
Download: earthgauge-podcast-dec20-2012.mp3
This week on Earthgauge Radio, I have a feature interview with Aiden Enns of BuyNothingChristmas.org. We discuss some ideas about how you can have a “greener” and less stressful holiday season. I also have an update from NDP MP Fin Donnelly on his private member’s Bill C-380 to ban the import of shark fins to Canada.
Click the audio player above to stream the show or right click here to download.
Part 1 – Fin Donnelly on his efforts to ban the import of shark fins to Canada
One year ago Fin Donnelly, the NDP MP for
. . . → Read More: Earthgauge Radio: December 20, 2012: Buy Nothing Christmas and the shark fin import ban in Canada
By Mark Brooks, on December 20, 2012, at 10:34 pm
Download: earthgauge-podcast-dec20-2012.mp3
This week on Earthgauge Radio, I have a feature interview with Aiden Enns of BuyNothingChristmas.org and we discuss some ideas about how you can have a “greener” and less stressful holiday season. I also have an update from NDP MP Fin Donnelly on his private member’s Bill C-380 to ban the import of shark fins to Canada.
Click the audio player above to stream the show or right click here to download.
Part 1 – Fin Donnelly on his efforts to ban the import of shark fins to Canada
Download: fin-donnelly-c380-edited.mp3
One year ago Fin Donnelly,
. . . → Read More: Earthgauge Radio: December 20, 2012: Buy Nothing Christmas and the shark fin import ban in Canada
By Mark Brooks, on December 19, 2012, at 7:30 pm Tomorrow on Earthgauge Radio, it’s our second annual holiday special program. As you probably know, huge amounts of waste are produced during the holiday season – more than any other time of year. In addition, a lot of people find the holidays incredibly stressful. The pressure to buy gifts, social commitments, preparing meals and family expectations can make many people dread the holidays. So we’re going to talk with Aiden Enns tomorrow who is part of a national initiative called Buy Nothing Christmas, which is dedicated to reviving the original meaning of Christmas. These folks are saying no to overconsumption and they invite everyone with
. . . → Read More: Earthgauge Radio: Tomorrow on Earthgauge Radio: Canadian shark fin import ban and dreaming of a green Christmas
By Adam, on December 6, 2012, at 2:31 pm Consumerism takes a huge toll on our planet and out pocketbooks and one generation raised in a consumerist culture has opted out. Many in the generation following Gen-X have realized that doing activities is more fun than owning plates (or whatever people buy, I have no idea) and have decided to live a lifestyle conducive to an experience-over-material mindset.
“I don’t give material possessions. I prefer to give experiences — let’s see a concert together, or let’s watch a sunset together. If I do give something that is physical it will be consumable — like a bottle of wine.”
. . . → Read More: Things Are Good: A Minimalist Generational Movement
By Rob Maguire, on December 6, 2012, at 12:43 pm
Designing a toy catalog — or most any mass-market consumer catalog for that matter — is usually an exercise deeply rooted in the status quo. Top-Toy, the largest toy retailer in Northern European and licensee of the Toys “R” US chain in that region, is gently disrupting some of society’s norms with their new gender-neutral toy catalog for the Swedish market.
Featuring girls aiming their toys guns and boys walking tiny, synthetic dogs past a picket fence, some of the catalog imagery is certainly unlike what one is used to seeing from major toy retailers.
. . . → Read More: Art Threat: Girls with guns, boys with blow dryers – Is this gender-neutral toy catalog just a holiday publicity stunt?
By Guest Contributors, on November 27, 2012, at 3:25 pm [Here is what some of us have been wanting to say about Taylor Swift, but didn't because A. Lynn did it first, and perhaps best, reposted her with her kind permission. Thanks to Jarrah Hodge for pointing us to this piece of brilliance! Enjoy! - seb] I’ve been mentally composing this blog for forever and [...] . . . → Read More: Politics, Re-Spun: No, Taylor Swift. No.
By The Arbourist, on November 27, 2012, at 8:04 am This is what we get when people accept the idea that we are nation of consumers rather than a nation of individuals with rights and responsibilities to ourselves and others. This disgusts me on so many levels. I do not even know where to begin. Filed under: Rant Tagged: Black Friday Follies, Capitalism, Consumerism, [...] . . . → Read More: Dead Wild Roses: Fetid Consumer Society – Black Friday Feeding Frenzy
By Christine, on November 22, 2012, at 1:17 pm “Today, humanity faces a stark choice: save the planet and ditch capitalism, or save capitalism and ditch the planet.” – Fawzi Ibrahim Tomorrow is Black Friday in the U.S. (and apparently we Canucks are now following our neighbour’s bad exa… . . . → Read More: 350 or bust: Black Friday: Rise Above It
By Mark Brooks, on September 25, 2012, at 12:50 pm
Check out this video from thestoryofstuff.org. Worth a look. Here’s the synopsis…
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may
By Lorne, on July 26, 2012, at 2:51 pm Despite years of repeated denials, I think there are few who doubt that Walmart is anti-union. Stories abound of the pressure the giant corporation applies anytime someone within the employee ranks tries to start a move toward union certification, including termination of the troublesome individuals and even store closures.
Because of these strongarm tactics, a group entitled Our Walmart is trying a different approach by pressing Walmart to accept a declaration of workers’ rights which, in many ways sounds like a contract. Its worker groups hope to gain at least a measure of bargaining power by joining together to
. . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: How Much Is The Lowest Price Guarantee Worth?
By Tia Everitt, on July 23, 2012, at 12:49 am Chattel.
That’s all you are, women.
The personal property of men.
If you dare to turn your attention to something as trivial as…a newborn baby?
YOU ARE LETTING YOUR KEEPER DOWN.
Your breasts are ALL his. All.
Stick some plastic in that kid’s cry-hole, STAT! Then get back to doing what you do best: being a walking pair of tits, for titillation.
Men, if she dares to try to use her breasts for functional purposes, stop her. RECLAIM her. Those are your jugs. You shouldn’t have to share your property with a screaming, red, angry sausage.
*Ahem*
If you
. . . → Read More: Politics, Re-Spun: Gentleman! Step Up and Reclaim Your Wife! Pesky Newborns Be Damned!
By Adam, on May 2, 2012, at 11:28 am Starting today, consumer tracking program Air Miles will begin rewarding people with points when they make environmentally friendly purchases.
But whereas previous initiatives were intended to inspire a single socially conscious decision, “these [programs] have a permanent effect,” Souvaliotis said.
“If you find a way to create a trickle of reward for the consumer, then you’re actually supporting a change in behaviour,” he said. “Not only will these [programs] start to bring a lot more people to this type of behaviour, but they will stick to this behaviour.”
Souvaliotis, an occasional blogger for The Huffington Post, is not shy
By T. A. Everitt, on April 4, 2012, at 3:42 pm Not so long ago, my friend Becca was shopping at her local Loblaws store (Real Canadian Superstore, for those of us who live in the West.)
Like many people I know, Becca approves of their Joe Fresh clothing line, which offers Canadians the opportunity to buy stylish and seasonal clothing at reasonable prices. Always colourful, fairly hip, and relatively well made, Joe Fresh offers people of all ages and genders opportunity to dress in a manner that would usually cost much more at other retail establishments.
That day, Becca was perusing the children’s section, looking for something for her
. . . → Read More: Politics, Re-Spun: Joe Fresh & Loblaws: Perpetuating the Early Marginalization of Women
By Greg Fingas, on January 30, 2012, at 9:19 pm Friday, November 25 saw the House of Commons debate two NDP ideas: one to allow for meaningful debate and consideration of legislation in Parliament, the other to give effect to a principle the Cons are looking to punt to a committee in the apparent hope that it’ll never surface again. And not surprisingly, the combination gave rise to some rather jaw-dropping contradictions.
The Big Issue
Just guess which MP had this to say at one point in the day’s proceedings: Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed to hear the (member opposite) talk about wasting time. Taking a close look at an
. . . → Read More: Accidental Deliberations: Parliament in Review: November 25, 2011
By bazie, on January 28, 2012, at 6:17 pm
My 96 year old grandmother, after selling the old family farm late in her life, doesn’t need to worry about money. Yet, she worries about it constantly going to great lengths to save every possible penny. She is a child of the depression – which she speaks of whenever she explains her penny pinching – and this experience has inculcated in her a deep sense of the need to save and the need for frugality. Over the stretches of her long life she personally, and the economy in general, have gone through many ups and downs. But the experience of . . . → Read More: Progressive Proselytizing: A changing psychology of economics
By The Mound of Sound, on January 9, 2012, at 1:43 pm Spain, like Italy, and especially Greece and Ireland, is in the throes of an austerity purge. Some 64% of working Spaniards now take home about a thousand Euros per month. For a country that was riding high for the past two decades, that’s a big hit.
Spanish consumers have responded by embracing what’s called “low-cost shopping.” And some observers claim that, if and when Spain’s economy bounces back (don’t count on it), the lessons being learned today will live on.
“Compulsive and disproportionate shopping is a pathological condition that we frequently encounter. On the other hand,
. . . → Read More: The Disaffected Lib: Spain Pushes the Consumer "Reset" Button
By Stephen Elliott-Buckley, on January 8, 2012, at 9:00 pm Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons January 6-8, 2012 Vancouver/Burnaby
All panelist biographies are here. Below are some lessons learned and observations from the sessions.
Friday:
The opening panel is recorded in the Twitter storify here.
Saturday:
My notes are here.
Sunday:
Opening Panel
Radical Squares: Reflections on the Global Indignant Moment
Nefertiti Altán, George Caffentzis
Nefertiti Altán
Crisis in the economy:
Greed leads to assaults on living wages, off-shoring, migrant workers, slashing pensions. US unemployment is 9.7% or 14.9 million people, 16% for African-Americans and 42% for African American youth. The number is higher when . . . → Read More: Politics, Re-Spun: Day Three of Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons
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