Sustainability
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Can Small-Scale Farming Feed the World?
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In the 1970s, environmentalists and politicians in the imperial core quivered in their seats at the prospect of a population explosion. Malthusian prophecies of total collapse and Thanos-esque proposals of racial extermination pervaded political thought. For many, it seemed the end of the world was at our door, and one of the main worries was…
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Are Vinyl Records Sustainable?
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There was a time when spinning records was the only way to listen to music of your choice at home. Subsequently, for a few decades, vinyl records had to compete with audio cassettes and CDs. And then came the tsunami of digital streaming that devastated all physical music formats. Miraculously, in the past 20 years,…
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10 Books That Offer Hope (and Solutions) for the Future
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It’s December 2020 and we’re in dire need of positivity and hope. With so many global crises unfolding, investigating solutions to both new and old problems should provide a welcome boost. With their charm, potential for depth, and centuries-old format, books are still the ideal medium for presenting, developing, and discussing solutions – hence this…
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8 Tips for a Non-Consumerist Festive Season
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How can a celebration that has nothing to do with buying things be returned to values of kindness and care? Can we reclaim not only Christmas but all holidays, both religious and secular, and make them less about ‘stuff’, nicely wrapped in marketing strategies? Surely we can show our love in other ways than just…
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The Real Problem with GMO Food
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On a crisp day in early August, 50 activists tore down a fence. They stormed through the barricade in the Bicol Region of the Philippines and ran towards the rice field beyond it. Then, to the shock of onlookers, the group began to tear out the rice plants by the handful. They did this not…
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Household Objects to Reuse or Upcycle Instead of Recycling or Throwing Away
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Upcycling is a common-sense act that’s finally been given its own name. It’s an act that counters our throwaway culture, and applies at those moments when we decide not to chuck away an object because we don’t need it anymore (like something that’s broken) or because it’s served its single-use purpose (like a jam jar).…
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Fighting for the Right to Repair Electronic Devices
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This fight shouldn’t be necessary. But the advent of fast electronics, the risk of prison terms for trying to extend computers’ lives, and the deterioration of sustainable practices over the last few decades has led to the inevitable: a global movement asking for the right to repair. In the 21st century, repairing your electronic device…
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The Global Water Crisis, Explained
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The Central Valley of California is one of the United States’ breadbaskets, or, more accurately, ‘produce’ baskets. For folks who live here, common-sense water conservation is second nature. Linda, an agricultural labourer, has lived here all her life, and she carefully teaches her children to be conscious of their water usage. They use shorter showers…
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Could This Be the Solution to Reaching 100% Renewable Energy?
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Tucked into a narrow valley straddling the border of Virginia and West Virginia lie two bodies of water: reservoirs carved from the earth of the Allegheny Mountains. One lies uphill of the other and a stream of water flows between the two. But if you look closely, that water seems to be defying gravity. Instead…
