BY: PHILIPPE DE JOCAS Springtime arrives once more to banish the icy hand of winter from our frosty cities, and again the Earth renews itself in preparation for another long and bountiful summer. For you and I, springtime probably means…
Global Stage
Duo is driving from Mexico to Canada to explore how the local food movement ties us together
The local food movement is blooming across North America. The simple approach of sourcing food closer to home has united environmentalists, health advocates, chefs and farmers alike, all under a common banner to revolutionize our food system. The momentum of…
Theresa May wants to bring back Fox hunting
BY: SYDNEY KEEFE Fox hunting is the traditional sport that consists of tracking and chasing the red fox with the use of foxhounds followed by a group of unarmed followers known as “master of foxhounds”. A title that seems to…
How a group of women are increasing access to education in Nicaragua
BY: ADAM THRUSH A new social initiative has launched in Nicaragua that focuses on the organization of communal spaces for the purpose of hosting makeshift libraries in rural Nicaraguan villages. ‘Barriotecas’ (literally translated to ‘neighbourhood libraries’) simply aims to provide…
This bike shop will let you trade in your old car for a new electric bike
BY: PHILIPPE DE JOCAS We love our cars. From the day that the first Model T’s rolled off the assembly line, the Western world has developed a long love affair with the four-wheeled chariot of the people. Our love of…
Bread and circuses: Or how world leaders keep the masses distracted
BY: DUSTIN BATTY Though many different factors contributed to the fall of Rome, one main ingredient was the political complacency of the general population. As the Roman poet and satirist Juvenal pointed out a couple centuries before the empire fell,…
Zero-waste grocery stores are finally making their way to the U.S. and Canada
The average American creates 4.3 pounds of trash per day. That’s 1,569 pounds a year. With numbers like this, it’s no wonder our landfills are overflowing and our planet is suffering. One of the major pitfalls of living in a…
How to go cruelty-free and avoid animal testing
BY RHIANN MOORE Going cruelty-free, particularly with cosmetics, can seem like a daunting task at first. Walking through the local drug store people typically look for the sales, without giving much of a thought to the bunnies and mice trapped…
Global capitalism and unethical outsourcing have caused millions of deaths
BY: DUSTIN BATTY There are many benefits to global trade, such as boosted economies, cheaper products, and availability of more goods—like fruits and vegetables that are out of season. However, despite these benefits, the cons of global trade seem to…
This food contributes to global warming more than any other
BY: PHILIPPE DE JOCAS Next time you decide to fix yourself a sandwich, take a good long look at your loaf of bread. Do you like whole grain or white? Rye or pumpernickel? As it turns out, that loaf of…
Zaha Hadid Architects reveals plans for stunning Eco Park and football stadium
BY: SHAWTAE HARRIS Gloucestershire, England will have a new Eco Park that features a technology hub connected to a stadium. Zaha Hadid Architects is planning to build a glasshouse-like structure and bridge that will connect to the world’s first wooden football…
OxyGen project brings a stunning nature oasis to Paris’ business district
BY: SHAWNTAE HARRIS A bridge that once sprawled over top the Seine River is transforming into a romantic 19th-century green space, complete with gardens and restaurants. A flower garden will weave between the tables set up for a peaceful meal. Stephane…
Hunting for sport is animal abuse: how is it still legal?
BY RHIANN MOORE It seems like a natural assumption that shooting a wild animal for no good reason is not a cool thing to do anymore. Tragically, however, it is still not only legal, but encouraged as a way to…
Our code of ethics needs to grow as new technologies change our definition of ‘life’
BY: DUSTIN BATTY What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be alive? These are questions that may seem silly or redundant right now, but will need answers in the near future. As technology continues to…
Faux fur being sold in UK stores is actually from animals
BY: SHAWNTAE HARRIS Purchasing faux fur is an ethical alternative to looking fashionable and chic without harming any animals. However, some stores in the UK have been selling real fur and passing it off as faux. The fibers of cats,…
The SPARCC initiative plans to reverse urban inequality
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT The mainstream discussion surrounding health care tends to centre around the very obvious related issues: emergency room wait times, access to health insurance, wait lists for life-saving procedures, and so on. There’s no doubt that these are…
A sailboat captain has teamed up with an organic chemist to combat plastic pollution
BY: DUSTIN BATTY By now, most people are aware that we humans have been polluting the oceans with literally tons of plastic waste, and that this waste has had a devastating effect on the animals that call it home. Fuelled…
This small Scottish Island runs entirely on renewable energy
BY: SHAWNTAE HARRIS The Island of Eigg is the first community in the world to create clean electricity for the whole island all day long. Eigg creates energy from three different sources: the sun, the wind, and waves. In 2008,…
Singapore aims to have more than 80 per cent of its buildings green by 2030
BY: PHILIPPE DE JOCAS The Pacific Rim has long since been one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. Inhabited by humans for thousands of years, different cultures have found different ways to maximize the potential of soggy…
Stem cells can now be gathered from urine samples
BY: DUSTIN BATTY Stem cell research is a controversial topic that is often vilified in the minds of the general public. This is in part because of the vast mainstream media coverage of the debates surrounding the use of embryonic…