Accelerating the Circular Economy
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected economies from the local to the global and we can rebuild our economy using old destructive methods or rebuild it in a way that…
consumption
Towards a Green Social Democratic Economy
Background/Context Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Characteristics central to capitalism include private property, capital accumulation,…
How to Remove Plastic From Your Life
We all know that plastics are bad for the earth and the oceans. Indeed, a study published last month found that plastic was found in the deepest ocean dwelling animals.…
Living a Zero-Waste Life is Getting Easier
Zero waste living seems like an impossibility given the amount of packaging everything is put in. Ordering a small item can lead to 10x the packaging of the item itself.…
Slavoj Zizeck on the Ethics of Consumption
Slavoj Zizeck is a modern thinker that has done a great job of critiquing the overarching assumptions in our society when it comes to power dynamics and the insidiousness of…
Buying Recycled Products is Good for Everything
Reduce, reuse, and recycle is a mantra heard time and time again. Yet, not everyone follows it (remember that they are in that order for a reason: reduce what you…
A review of Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything
I have another piece up at Ricochet: a review of Naomi Klein’s big book on climate change, This Changes Everything. It’s friendly but critical, looking at what the book’s themes…
Canada’s Luxury Index is through the roof
Numbers season is over but good inequality data is still missing. January sees us regularly bombarded with a whole range of economic statistics about the previous year. GDP growth: likely…
Using Behavioural Science to Lower Energy Consumption
Alex Laskey wants to lower people’s energy consumption by using tricks and practices from the world of behavioural science. It sounds great and would be great to see implemented, check…
Lower Your Energy Consumption in Easy Ways
With more technology around the home more energy is required to power the devices, and this adds up when millions of people plug things in. There are enough energy consumers…
How Many Gallons per Hour? – Water Portraits brings water usage closer to home
In the excitement at finally convincing his father to be the first subject of his water portraits, Peter Holmes poured cold water over his father’s head. A surprise to both…
Air Miles Starts Rewarding Eco-Conscious Purchases
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…
Earth Day With A Twist: Giving Our Credit Cards A Holy Pause
Last weekend, I had the privilege of participating in a unique Earth Day celebration in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On the sunny Earth Day Sunday, I joined dozens of other people streaming…
Propaganda and consumption – Friday Film Pick: Outfoxed & Wal-Town
Best Buy shoppers camp out before Black Friday, proving that certain kinds of occupations are indeed acceptable. This week’s Friday Film Pick is a double bill, commemorating two important moments.…
What We Truly Need
Every person has a different take on what one truly needs as opposed to what they want. Over time as a culture we collectively define our needs and those needs…
Pentagon Releases New Clean Energy Strategy
pentagon.jpg The U.S. Department of Defense has released a new strategy for how the U.S. military will address growing concerns over energy consumption. The military remains the single largest c...
Ottawa’s Green Bin Program – Time for City Council to Lead
An Open Letter to Ottawa City Council and Residents RE: Residential Solid Waste Service Level Review RecommendationsThis open letter is being posted on my blog, The Fifth Column ( http://the5thc.blogspot.com/…
The Big Picture Approach to Cities and Climate Change
It was former London Mayor Ken Livingstone who started the ball rolling in 2007 when he announced that “Urban areas are responsible for over 75 per cent of greenhouse gas…
Exploiting the BP Oil Spill to Sell Self Tan Bronzing Gel
The August edition of Vogue Italia features a fashion spread titled ‘Water and Oil.’ I believe that ‘Violence and Destruction’ better capture the content and mood of these photos. We…