Change as Art website now up

As part of a research project that I've working at with the David O'Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, I've been tracking examples of art works that have led to measurable social and environmental change. We decided to put the database of projects that we assembled on-line so that other people interested in this area of research might have access to what we have assembled. We are also hoping that others might share their projects or the projects of others on the site as well.

For more information, please visit: http://changeasart.org/

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).

Learning from Dudes: the Lesbian Flowchart

Even flawed logic, is a kind of logic.

Chocolate Tofu Pie and Nut Crust Recipe. You're welcome.

When ever I am going to have dinner at someone's place and there appears to be some skepticism about the potential for supreme deliciousness in vegan cuisine, I bring pie - and, most frequently, chocolate pie. What makes this pie a factual miracle, other than its ability to convert vegan doubters at first sight, is that this pie is additionally both gluten free and really, really easy to make. 


Consider this my gift to you and your entire pot-luck community. I will even give you some little tricks to amplify the beauty and taste factor of this impossibly delicious dessert.  


It starts with an all nut crust. I think pecan or hazelnuts are your best bets, but that's your decision.


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups ground nuts (place them in the blender, put some earplugs on and let 'er rip until they are mostly powder-like)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons earth balance (the best margarine)


Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C)
• Stir together ground nuts and then cinnamon, and then mix in melted butter earth balance and maple syrup. Dump this mix into a 9" deep dish pie pan. I use a pampered chef stoneware pan, and think it's pretty spectacular.   
• Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan. If it sticks to your fingers, wet your fingers with some water. 
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. It's really easy to burn a nut crust, so err on the side of caution. Allow this to cool completely before filling.   

Chocolate filling.
Ingredients
600g of soft tofu (I use 2 boxes of sunrise brand soft tofu. I often use one dessert and one plain)
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
300g good quality dark chocolate
Fruit topping (raspberries and/or strawberries work exceptionally well).

Directions

• Start by preparing the fruit, you want it to be ready to go as soon as you pour the filling into the pie crust. Wash it, but make sure it's dry before placing it atop the pie.
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. While you are doing this, blend the tofu in a, well, blender. 
• Once the chocolate is melted, add it to the blended tofu, which I would imagine to still be in the blender. Blend the chocolate and tofu together until it's smooth, scrape the sides as needed. 
• Pour chocolate into cooled pie crust, top with fruit and possibly other pretty, yummy things like chocolate shavings and/or coconut flakes (as seen in the above photo).
• Chill in the fridge until serving.  

That's all you need to know. 

Knuckle Tattoos for Academics

Interdisciplinary: stuck in academic ghettos?

Oh hello Etsy!

Chocolate Lab Puppy (this one sold, but there is a new one posted)

I decided to post some of my small sketches on Etsy yesterday. I think a lot of hobby painters get to the point where they do more "warm-up" works than anything else, and I'm certainly no exception. My small apartment has one large room dedicated to my art equipment and it's over flowing with older, smaller works - so I figured I'd try putting them out there in the world. 


For example, last year, for one of my classes I painted 36 8" x 8" puppy paintings. This repetitive painting project was aimed at creating multiple similar, yet unique portraits of a number of the breeds most commonly found to be produced at puppy mills in N. America. 

Puppy Mill Project Installed

Each 8" x 8" painting is produced using a series of stencils and some freehand painting. Each painting is a unique combination of colours – so while they look remarkably similar to one another, they are each their own dog.


A number of these puppies are available on Esty for a tiny $19 - $5 of which will go to the Montreal SPCA, as I feel like those folks have to deal with a lot of unwanted dogs resulting from this kind of cruel, surplus breeding.

International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas

Next May, Montreal universities will host the first International Conference on Degrowth in the Americas. This conference presents an opportunity for students and the general public to interact with scholars, artists and professionals interested in reshaping society into one that is more just and sustainable.

"Twenty years after the Earth Summit in Rio, the linkage of sustainable development to economic growth requires profound rethinking. It has not offered a convincing solution to one of the most dramatic crises in history: how to avert ecological collapse while enhancing social justice and improving life’s prospects. In advance of Rio plus 20, our Conference seeks to challenge and move beyond the sustainable development agenda. A degrowth perspective will help us visualize and build towards a truly prosperous world." Read more...

There is an open call for proposals with the intent to "build a degrowth movement in the Americas with rigorous examination of issues, involving academia and social movements, arts and sciences, thought and living experiences. For this purpose it will be a "slow" one-week long conference to experience degrowth." Read more...

Propaganda Techniques Bingo!

As we enter the dark depths of winter, I would like to share with you a new take on an old game I've developed for those of you who are occasionally brave enough to watch news television. This is is a game that you can play alone or with the whole family, no matter your political persuasion - as persuasion seems to be the only thing cable news is up to these days. 


For your family entertainment pleasure: Propaganda Techniques Bingo!

  
The rules are simple: 

1. Learn a little bit about Propaganda Techniques.
2. Turn on, say Fox news, or even CBC's The Lang and O'Leary Exchange.
3. Prepare bingo card, use loose change as tokens
4. Pay less attention to the content of the program, but rather the methods of communication employed by guests and/or "journalists."
5. place a token on appropriate square when the inevitable technique to used. First one with a complete line wins. Note: you can even play alone - if there is a winning card, journalism automatically loses.

Note: The above graphic is designed using a free ecofont. Saves toner.

The Clinton Global Initiative for Universities

Again from a recent email I received, this may be of interest to some folks out there: 


"The Clinton Global Initiative for Universities is an initiative created by ex-President Clinton to engage the youth of the world to commit to social justice and concrete action that could help people in their community, and in their world.

The main activity of the Clinton Global Initiative for Universities is to raise awareness about the CGI U general meeting. In 2011, the meeting assembled thousands of student leaders, dignitaries, and national youth organizations together to discuss issues of global importance. The speakers included Mandy Moore, Sean Penn, and Bill Clinton himself.

Students can apply to this meeting by committing themselves to solving a social issue. This can be in conjunction with efforts that they are already putting in to solving either problems at the local, national, or international level. CGI U aims to foster these commitments, and then help support them with any resources available at our disposal.

While applications and commitments are on hold for CGI U 2012 as the final meeting date and place are being set, interested applicants can apply for the campus representative team at http://www.cgiu.org/about/campus_representatives.asp."

Course in Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Canada and the Global South

Montreal's Social Justice Committee is coordinating a new Certificate course on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Canada and the Global South.


From an email I received today:

The SJC invites you to take part in a new certificate course: 
Economic, social and cultural rights in Canada and the Global South 



What are economic, social and cultural rights? What are the agreements in place to protect them? What are groups doing in Canada to defend these rights at home and abroad? 

This five-week popular education course will serve an introduction to economic, social and cultural rights. Participants will learn from guest speakers, share their knowledge, and work together to develop strategies for social change.

September 20 - October 18, 2011, Tuesday evenings at 6:00pm
Cost: $35 (Contact us if a sliding scale is needed)
Location: Centre St-Pierre, 1212 Rue Panet, Montreal (Metro Beaudry)
Wheelchair accessible. Childcare available upon request. Food and drink provided. 
To register, and  for more information on participating speakers, visit www.sjc-cjs.org.
 Course schedule:
Each week guest speakers will explore specific issues related to economic, social and cultural rights, and discuss their work defending these rights in Canada and the Global South.

Week One: Introduction to economic, social and cultural rights with a focus on the right to an adequate standard of living•    Equitas on the history of economic, social and cultural rights
•    Project Genesis on anti-poverty activism in Montreal
•    Social Justice Committee on how debt and international trade affect global poverty

Week Two: The right to work and labour rights•    PINAY on the rights of migrant Filipino women workers in Quebec
•    Children’s Care International on child trafficking and international child labour

Week Three: The right to health and social security•    Head & Hands on young people's access to sexual health care and education in Quebec
•    Handicap International on anti-landmine agreements and the rights of the disabled globally

Week Four: The right to family life•    LGBT Family Coalition on the legal and social recognition of LGBT families in Quebec
•    Canadian Crossroads International on women’s rights and gender-based violence in Africa

Week Five: Self-determination and the rights of indigenous people•    Chief Ghislain Picard on Plan Nord and the self-determination of First Nations in Quebec
•    Father Ernie Schibli on Canadian mining and the rights of indigenous people in Latin America

This project is made possible by generous donations from the Human Rights Program, Canadian Heritage and L'Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI).

Materials Analysis Tool Animation

I've been keeping busy working on a project with McGill's University Services to develop a tool to help their designers and consultants make more sustainable building and maintenance product choices. The tool is called MAT, short for Materials Analysis Tool.

We are just in the testing stages right now and are hoping to launch mid-to-late September. In the meantime, I'm working on a short promotional video to for McGill's Sustainability Projects Fund, the organization that funded the project.

Here is a little teaser - this short animation introduces the criteria that are used in the framework of analysis for  MAT.

What to do with your old helmet.

an old roller derby helmet makes an excellent hanging basket for spring flowers

(for those of you who didn't get the #7734 before, I hope it's obvious now)

In any sport where hitting your head is such a risk that wearing a helmet is either a rule or generally advisable, you occasionally have to replace them. Any time you take a major blow to your helmet, it becomes is compromised in that area and may merit replacement (learn more about single v. multiple impact helmets here). As a result of several years playing derby, I have amassed a few of these and I just can't throw them out, as I feel there is too much useful material still intact. 

This year I have decided to make a few hanging flower baskets out of them - as demonstrated in the above photo. I lined them with an old plastic bag and then poked some holes in the bag through the helmet vent to allow for drainage - filled them with dirt and seeds and that's it.