Alternatives Journal

The region of Tangail in north central Bangladesh is one of the poorest regions in the world, being continuously afflicted with food shortages. Three decades of Western aid has failed to produce a durable solution to the food security problems of...

Had it not been for the extraordinary efforts of concerned citizens and activists across Ontario, Toronto's garbage would likely be on its way to the Adams Mine Lake in northern Ontario and polluting a precious water source. What follows is one...

Low labour costs and weak environmental regulations have made Asia a high-tech dumping ground for the US. An estimated 20 million computers become obsolete each year in the US, and an estimated 200 tonnes of these computers end up in containers...

As many as 1200 Saskatchewan organic grain producers are taking legal action against Monsanto and Aventis -- two of the world's largest seed and agrochemical corporations -- for polluting their farms with genetically engineered pollen. Organic...

A Toronto-based company is preparing to open a uranium mine that may end up contaminating groundwater aquifers in the desert of South Australia. In late 2001, Southern Cross Resources obtained environmental and project approvals from state and federal...

Ten years ago, I began to ask before entering a forest. I first learned of this custom in a conversation with Wilf Peltier, an Odawa (Ottawa) elder, and his Cree friend Cliff Thomas. We were talking in the family den of two friends, Bob and Louise,...

There is a new surge of energy in the Bay of Fundy. It is more than just the incredible tides that we learn about in elementary school. It's the energy of people working together to find new ways of managing fisheries. In the last decade, numerous...

This issue of Alternatives explores how the built environment -- the physical structures making up our cities, towns and villages -- influences our relationships with nature and our fellow human beings. The basic insight expressed in the various...

Over the past 30 years or so, a rich new movement in scholarship and advocacy has explored how better design of the urban environment can affect human behaviour and improve well-being. Until the Industrial Revolution, most people had a sense of...

The winds of change are blowing fast over the world's oceans, and energy developers intend to harness them. The offshore wind industry is positioned for a huge boost in coming years, with several new project proposals for Europe and North America....