Art in Action, QPIRQ Concordia

Just a short note to mention an up-coming art show that I'm participating in, "ART IN ACTION: Creative student and community contributions related to social and environmental justice." The show runs from Novembers 11-15, 2012 (10am to 8pm) and is located 1455 de Maisonneuve West, 7th floor (métro Guy-Concordia) Montreal.  The vernissage is Sunday, November 11, 5pm-7pm, and if you follow the above link, you can learn all about the various activities running in conjunction with this event over the course of the show.

My contribution to the show is a modest collection of lino-cut prints that I did for a summer drawing class, which I've called "Oh, Canada..."

What if growth is not the solution?

I was just revising a presentation for one of my classes on the topic of economic growth, in the presentation I present a few alternative approaches to assessing "success" on the national and international level. Proponents of steady state economics and the degrowth movements suggest that in "(over)developed" economies there is no longer a strong correlation between  economic growth and the well-being of that society. Much like choice and wealth - going from having nothing to something is certainly a good thing, but the relationship is not always a linear one. In biology, growth is good to a certain point, and then it's not a good thing... people are starting to understand that the same is likely true with economic growth.

That being said, I pulled up all references to economic growth  in the recent US Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates, as I believe it drives home the point just how deeply ingrained the idea of growth as THE path to wellness is in North America - and how challenging it will be to challenge this underlying assumption at the policy level.

 

Eco-feedback website is up!

An important part of my PhD research has to do with the  study of eco-feedback tools, so I started a website, www.ecofeedback.ca, to share some of the neat projects that I've come across. Some of them are market-based solutions, but many of them are design based research which include prototype tools, such as Wn-Wn. It's neat to see all the interesting solutions people have developed to address issues around resource conservation. I can't see to see which ones become more common in the coming years. It's also one of the reasons that I'll likely be slowing down with this here blog for the next little while.

Wn Wn: an eco-feedback tool for the office

Here is a rough video on my final project, which was part of the Concordia University Year end Design Exhibition.

Concordia University Year end Design Exhibition

Formation poster (click to get details)

I'm going to be participating the year end design exhibition with a number of other graduate students. Some of the projects are pretty darn cool, I suggest you stop by this weekend and check it out. 

Friday April 20-Sun 10am-6pm 1515 Ste. Catherine St. on the 6th & 7th floors of the EV building. 

Vernissage is 6pm-10pm on Thursday, April 19th. 

International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas
WHERE: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
WHEN: May 13-19, 2012
SPEAKERS INCLUDE: David Suzuki, William Rees, Mary Evelyn-Tucker, John Fullerton, Alain Gras, Joan Martinez-Alier, Serge Mongeau, Elizabeth Peredo Beltrán, Juliet Schor, Peter Victor, François Schneider

WANT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE?
MONTREAL CONFERENCE TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO GROWTH

Sustaining our future means rethinking the relationship of economic growth to human well-being and environmental integrity.  The International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas meets this May in Montreal to explore the possibilities of a post-growth world.

From May 13-19, 2012, Montreal will host academics, activists, artists, environmentalists and indigenous peoples for the International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas.  A fixation on economic growth is at the root of our environmental issues and social inequalities. Degrowth challenges traditional economic paradigms that fail to account for environmental and social costs and are obsessively driven by GDP and other flawed measures of well-being. Degrowth aims to achieve human happiness and well-being with less material consumption.  Family, music, art, culture, community, and meaningful employment are some values that drive more qualitative increases in well-being.

These issues are a priority for many people around the world, as demonstrated most recently by the Occupy Movement.  A new way forward that increases both environmental and social justice is essential.

Building on degrowth conferences in Paris in 2008 and Barcelona in 2010, the conference will place the décroissance movement that began in Europe in the context of the Americas.  The Conference will be hosted jointly by Concordia University, HEC, Université de Montréal, McGill University, and UQAM. Registration is now open at http://montreal.degrowth.org

For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Bob Thomson at montreal(at)degrowth.net

Punishing participation: the rise of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and Academic freedom

Thought I'd post this invitation to a public lecture, as it might be of some interest...

The Special Individualized Programs of the School of Graduate Studies and

the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment are pleased to present:

Punishing participation: The “reputation” of Canadian mining companies, the rise of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and Academic freedom

A talk by Dr. Alain Deneault (Department of Political Science. Université de Montréal)

Wednesday, April 3, 2012, 1:30-2:30 PM

Sir George Williams Campus, Hall Building, Room H 1269

Corporations increasingly use litigation to suppress criticism by citizens.  Known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), these lawsuits also target scholars.  Drawing on the legal sociologies literature and the case of Canadian mining companies, this talk will examine the disciplining effect of SLAPPs on academic freedom and on democracy more broadly. 

McGill's Material Analysis Tool

Here's a project I've been working on with the Design Department of University Services of McGill University. 

"The Materials Analysis Tool (MAT) is a free online ranking system that distills manufacturer information to assist you in the selection of building products that are more cost effective, healthy and environmentally responsible.

MAT was developed at McGill University as a short cut through the mountains of information provided by manufacturers to designers about their products. MAT isn’t a certification for products, but is rather a database of manufacturer information seen through the lens of sustainability and a way for McGill University staff and contractors to choose products that best reflect the values of the University."

Currently manufacturers are adding their products to the database, and we are hoping that in the next few months the project will become fully functional and used by University Services of McGill University as well as the other institutions in the Montreal area.

You can visit the website and check it out for yourself here: http://www.materialanalysis.ca/

Elementary Math: Alberta Oil Sands

I would like someone to explain this for me. From the above fact sheet we learn on the one hand that "almost 136,000 Albertans are employed in Alberta's mining and oil and gas extraction sector."

On the other hand we learn that "about 1,700 First Nations were employed by oil sands explorations - about 10% of the oil sands workforce."

Granted I'm not a mathematician, but based on my calculations 1,700 is 10% of 17,000 and 10% of 136,000 is 13,600.

So which is it - are there only 17,000 people working in this sector - or do First Nations people represent something more like 1.25% of the workforce in this industry?

My rough calculation  of the numbers around First Nations and Metis populations in Alberta suggest that they make up around 10% of the population. Thus, a 10% employment rate in this sector would seem "fair" (despite the fact that the impacts of these projects are arguably disproportionally felt by those living in the relatively remote areas in northern Alberta, frequently First Nations people), so I can see why a 10% employment rate would be a positive number to put forth as say, a goal. But a goal does not a fact make.

Update: I received this link via twitter, on the Labour Market Workforce Stats:  http://woodbuffalo.net/November%202009/upstream-production-oil-san.jpg - it appears that the number of 136,000 posted on the Alberta Oilsands Factsheet may a bit deceiving, as these people might not all be counted as participating in the Oil Sands Workforce, but rather in the entire gas and mining sector (p.s. that's not what the fact sheet is about).