Introduction This post is a “work in progress”. It is not a scholarly article, insofar as it does not quote other scholarly articles. Mostly it is a dump of thoughts I have on the subject of resilience. It is intended only to stimulate conversation on the subject. Questions to be addressed Resilience: what is it? […]
Tag: Social values
City of Ottawa Solid Waste Management Plan (2021)
The City of Ottawa is embarking on a consultation process on changes to its solid waste management plan. This is a good thing, but only if the implementation options are right for the community. In my opinion any solid waste manangement plan must encorporate and respect the following principles: Waste must be handled as close […]
The same old energy mix — The Japan Times editorial
The same old energy mix — The Japan Times editorial. I follow the folks that write Japan Safety: Nuclear Energy Updates and they just posted an article from the Japan Times where they look at the current government’s plans for energy sustainability over the next few decades. The picture is disturbing in light of the […]
Canada 150 … what are YOU going to do?
Canada is about to turn 150. Imagine that! I am old enough to remember the excitement and anticipation of Canada’s 100th birthday. Bobby Gimby, the Pied Piper of Canada, penned the wonderful anthem for our 100th birthday “Canada“. They designed an amazing symbolic maple leaf as a logo that taught me more about geometry than […]
Please pass a strengthened Reform Act (and similar changes in every province)
Letter from Elizabeth May in response to Democracy Watch letter on Strengthening Parliamentary Institutions
JD Power – Builder Satisfaction Survey – Methodology concerns
Here is an e-mail I sent to the “ask-us” link from the JD Power web site about their survey methodology for “New-Home Builder’s Customer Satisfaction Survey”. I haven’t heard anything back from JDPA, but I will update this post if I do. Be careful how you interpret the results of this survey as it is […]
Why we shouldn’t trust markets with our civic life (by Michael Sandel)
“In the past three decades, says Michael Sandel, the US has drifted from a market economy to a market society; it’s fair to say that an American’s experience of shared civic life depends on how much money they have.” TED.com Another great TED Talk by Michael Sandel that highlights once again that thinking in the […]
Bell is at it again…
If there is one thing Bell is good at, it is creating an unfair playing field, always tilted in its own corporate favour. Whether it is about unilaterally changing user agreements after you sign up for them or collecting your usage information without your consent, Bell behaves as if it was immune from the social […]
Foldscope paper microscope can diagnose malaria, costs 50 cents – Technology & Science – CBC News
I am always amazed at how imaginative people can be. The TED.com blog is full of stories and videos of interesting people with amazing things to say; and so are universities. You will find a number of entries on my blog site that are based on something amazing that has been developed for the third […]
Making investment practices more sustainable – Another great TED talk
I have thought a lot about the vocabulary we use when we speak about issues. Much of the language we use comes to us courtesy of Economists. We speak of consumers or clients rather than citizens. We speak of economic debt and deficit to the exclusion of the discussion of social, cultural, environmental or infrastructure […]
TED talk on affects of wealth on personality
TED talk on effects of wealth on personality This excellent TED talk describes how wealth can change the way we look at the world. The first few minutes are devoted to the type of tests that the researchers used to tease out the differences in perception between rich and poor but the real meat was […]
Are you annoyed enough at Bell Canada to want to switch?
If you are annoyed enough by the planned #BellDataGrab to want to switch, you may find it harder than you imagine. If, for example, you have a contract with Bell for one or more of their services, it may not be easy to get out of the contract. Don’t lose hope. CRTC required the telecommunications […]
How to submit a privacy complaint with the Privacy Commissioner
If you feel that your privacy has been, or is being, violated by someone or some organization, you can file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner for Canada. If your complaint is with a federal government department or agency, you can file the complaint under the Privacy Act. If it with the private sector, you have to file the complaint under PIPEDA (the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act).
If, for example, you are concerned that Bell Canada (and now Virgin Mobile) are going to be collecting massive amounts of information about your surfing habits, your television habits, your calling habits or your texting habits, you may wish to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Continue reading “How to submit a privacy complaint with the Privacy Commissioner”
Bell being investigated by Privacy Commissioner
Did you know that Bell Canada (and their daughter company Virgin Mobile Canada) plans to collect massive amounts of information about you and about your surfing habits? Well they are, and it isn’t clear that they should be able to. Here is an interesting article by CBC in Montreal that you should definitely read and […]
Some links to interesting environmental sites
One of my colleagues at work sent me this list of ten interesting environmentally-related web-pages. He recommended them to me and suggested I take a look at them. You may wish to take a look at them too. Thanks Phil!
http://www.marine-conservation.org/
Marine Conservation Institute is a leader in the global movement to protect and recover the integrity of vast ocean areas.
We use the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world, and then advocate for their protection, for us and future generations.
For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature.
The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature Continue reading “Some links to interesting environmental sites”
Conservation International – A blog to make a difference
One of my colleagues showed me this site today and it looks really good. This is a link to their blog page. This group has some pretty high priced help on their roster. From Harrison Ford to Hillary Clinton, they seem to have the bases covered. One of the environmental movement needs more of is […]
Do Canadian companies represent you well abroad?
rabble.ca has published this very short, interesting article by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union president, Dave Coles. In the article he tells of how Canadian companies extractive practices in Columbia trample on the rights of indigenous peoples and give Canada a bad name abroad. It is entitled “Not in our name…A Canadian energy giant […]
Stuff
Originally posted on poem storm:
we are living in a daze caught in our own material haze, we always want, but do not need, heart and soul, filled with greed, -Storm
Being green can sometimes be as simple as following the frog
It may be an advertising pitch, but there is some truth to it. The Rainforest Alliance has put together a cute pitch that TED.COM has nominated as one of the 10 best ads of the year. The ad shows you what you don’t want to do to be green, and then goes on to show […]
Aggressive Driving – Some observations from the peanut gallery
I often hear pundits decrying the aggressiveness of drivers. It is hard to disagree with the premise that aggressive driving is bad, but the picture isn’t as simple as the pundits would have you believe.
For one thing, not all aggressive driving is “actively aggressive”. The pundits rarely discuss the passively aggressive drivers, like the folks that drive in passing lanes. They also often fail to look for root causes for the driving aggression.
I have been thinking about this issue for a long time and think I have a few suggestions on how to reduce aggressive driving. My suggestions are in the form of tips and I have organized these suggestions around four possibly overlapping groups of people … 1) the aggressive drivers themselves, 2) traffic planners, 3) other drivers and 4) law makers. There probably isn’t much new here, and I hope it doesn’t appear to be condescending, but aggressive driving is an issue that has been bugging me for years so I wanted to add my two cents to the conversation. Continue reading “Aggressive Driving – Some observations from the peanut gallery”
The Story of Change : a new video from the makers of the “Story of Stuff”
This video is all about empowerment. It is all about acting on our commitments…to the environment, to social justice, to each other. It is about supporting our government’s initiatives for becoming a “World Class Regulator“. As with other “stuff” video, this one makes its point in the same clear logical fashion, taking us from being […]
Reducing herbicide use – Amazon hires goats for Japanese office landscaping – Your Community
Here is an unusual article from CBC about how Amazon.com is making use of Japanese goats to get rid of problem weeds on the company’s Japanese office grounds. Companies don’t always get it right, but when they do, they should get kudos from the rest of us. Amazon hires goats for Japanese office landscaping – […]
The real price of market values: Michael Sandel at TEDGlobal 2013
My Comments: This is another great TED talk about a subject of real importance…how market forces change our society and the cost of those changes. The comment about hollowing-out of discourse is most apt. Everything these days seems to be about the sound-bite, about quick fixes for complex social problems. We seem incapable of communicating […]
Uncovering corruption: Charmian Gooch at TEDGlobal 2013
My Comments: Once again, TED has published a very timely piece on an issue that is becoming huge in the west these days…corruption and its societal costs. Corruption has always been around, but until recently in the west, it was associated with shame and scandal. Now it seems to be so commonplace that we barely […]
Gourken's Brain Dump (more of a trickle actually) 