The Story of Stuff

Leonard, a self-described “systems thinker,” aims to debunk the entrenched “growth at all costs” model. She does so by discussing the materials economy and its underlying paradigm of economic growth, but opts to not lay the blame with individuals or inspire feelings of guilt. … Readers, however, should not be misled by her bubbly prose: Leonard gets to the heart of serious subjects and exposes the inter-connectedness of today’s consumption, environmental, social and economic crises.
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Around the Web

Deep Economy

For McKibben, there are three fundamental challenges to Western society’s fixation on growth, which taken together deal an absolute knockout blow to Adam Smith’s claim to fame. First, there is the political argument concerning the glaring economic inequalities that are inherent in capitalism’s dark side. Continue reading Deep Economy

Air and Climate, Community Stewardship and Living, New Brunswick

Governments Work Together to Address Climate Change

An $8.2-million adaptation program will help Canadians in the Atlantic provinces deal with the impacts of climate change on coastal erosion, flooding and ground water resources. Led by the Government of Canada and the governments of the four Atlantic provinces, the three-year Regional Adaptation Collaborative program is part of the federal government’s investment to help Canadians adapt to climate change. Continue reading Governments Work Together to Address Climate Change

Community Stewardship and Living, Energy, Law, Policy, and Standards, Water

Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America

Wood identifies two possible strategies to address our uncertain freshwater future. We can build more dams, reservoirs, river diversions, aqueducts, canals, pipelines, wells, recycling plants and desalination facilities. Alternately, “we can choose how we use what we have now.” The latter, an approach Wood advocates, involves changing the way we manage our watersheds; using ecologically sound appliances and irrigation techniques; and changing our markets, our bookkeeping, and the laws that undervalue this life- giving resource. Continue reading Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America