Category: Resources & Environment
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Feral
These days I wake up at cat o’clock. Puss meows to escape, the birds twitter and fuss, a din moments before first light appears on the horizon. Little cat’s seasonal wildness begins mid-April or so, while mine lies dormant for another month. By mid-May we are in cahoots while the house sleeps on. There are… Read more
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Now I’m a Licensed Prospector, Too
Some things in life are surprisingly simple. For a fee of $25.50, presentation of photo i.d., and the completion of a form that required little more than my name, address, telephone number and birthdate, I became a licensed prospector in the province of Ontario. I am now permitted to stake mineral claims anywhere in the… Read more
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A Carpenter’s Life: As Told By Houses
I was encouraged by my elders to “follow my heart.”…Would not our world be a better place if we all followed what our hearts tell us to do? People with heart won’t fight senseless wars, they won’t strip-mine a beautiful mountain, commit genocide, pollute our land with toxic waste and chemical fertilizers, foul the air… Read more
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The Consequences of Living With Animals
I don’t know how to say this delicately so I’m just going to say it: my kid has pinworms. Read more
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Mr. Toilet’s Big Squat
A funny, bold short film about Mr. Toilet, a social entrepreneur who, as his nickname suggests, has issues with poop. Jack Sim most specifically has a problem with 40% of the world’s population not having access to toilets in their homes and communities. No toilets = contaminated drinking water = unnecessary death and suffering. His… Read more
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Creative Houses From Recycled Materials
He builds new homes using 70 to 80% recycled materials. As he describes it “I feature blemish. I feature organic process.” Read more
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Hiking the Legend of Grey Owl
I remember a friend saying that kids are special when they’re little, but that every age holds the promise of something new. My eldest son, D, now twelve years old, and I headed out for a seventeen kilometre roundtrip hike to Grey Owl’s cabin in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, something he wasn’t ready for… Read more
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Your Personal Stash of Grass
Extended dry spells? Annoying water restrictions? Foreclosed house on the market? Living in a desert? It has become more difficult than ever to keep up with the Jones’. But you need never worry about maintaining a lush, green lawn with fussy fertilizers and overseeding when you can spray paint it and be the envy of… Read more
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Positioning Solar
I was, literally, in the middle of writing an entry on John Abrams’ book Companies We Keep, when his latest RSS feed popped into my basket. Since my dedicated blog entry will be choc-a-bloc full of interesting bits I’m sending this link out with no introduction. In the New York Times I also came across… Read more
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Finding the Best Use For Our Time and Talents (In Light of the World Going to Hell in a Handbasket)
I just can’t seem to visualize my role in the big picture while I’m blinded by the pursuit of The American (sic) Dream. Or exhausted from cleaning up after it. Read more