EKOS Communications, Inc.

Consider these numbers. The average North American wood-frame home consumes about 0.4 hectares (1 acre) of forest to construct. The building process generates about 3.5 tonnes (8000 pounds) of waste, of which all usually goes to the dump.

On Feb. 20th, American author, Richard Louv gave a public lecture at the University of Victoria based on his best-selling book: “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.” This vitally-important lecture is presented in its entirety.

Louv’s presentation began with a challenge to Canadians: to move more quickly than the United States in re-uniting children with nature. Following his lecture, a group of approximately 60 educators and activists gathered for a two day workshop at Royal Roads University to brainstorm a response to this challenge.

What does Canada’s number one outdoor recreation retailer have in common with one of the country’s largest forest companies? A commitment to seeing the great boreal forest region protected and conserved to the highest degree possible, that’s what.

How is this possible? At Globe 2006, Starr Munro and Rick Searle sat down with representatives from Mountain Equipment Coop, Domtar Inc., World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Forest Stewardship Council Canada to find out.

Imagine a world where children come together in harmony and song, standing tall, smiles bright, faces shining like the colors of the rainbow. Together they raise their voices and unite as one, in celebration of life, in celebration of nature. Imagine a world where children teach their elders about caring for the planet, about recycling, sustainable forestry, biodiversity and composting. Imagine a world where adults listen to children, and everyone works in unison to protect and preserve the planet’s natural resources.

Vegetable oil…whoever thought you could fry it and drive it? The pursuit for a cleaner- burning, non-toxic, biodegradable, renewable fuel source to power our vehicles has lead to an innovative development known as biodiesel.

Made from animal fat or vegetable oil, biodiesel is created by separating out glycerin from oil to create “methyl esters” (bio-fuel) which can then be blended at any level with petroleum diesel. Unmodified diesel engines in cars, buses, trucks, tractors and boats can all benefit from biodiesel. Not only does the fuel burn cleaner than conventional diesel, but it elongates engine life as a result of the built-in lubricant.

The combination of years of low mortgage rates, healthy labour markets and steady income growth in Canada, has resulted in a residential development boom that is seriously changing the face of communities across the nation.

It’s a simple question: Do you know where your shoes come from? But the answer can be a challenging one. In today’s global economy most people understand that their shoes come from the store, and that the store bought them from a corporation, but that is often where the thought process ends. In reality very few of our western products, come from western countries.

Canada’s first hybrid buses now operate in Kelowna and Victoria, British Columbia. This new technology for heavy duty vehicles sets the bar higher for fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly bus fleets in the country.

BC Transit, the agency responsible for providing public transportation throughout most of the province, purchased six of these innovative buses at a price tag of about $800,000CAD each.

The Canadian documentary “The Corporation” would have the viewer believe that telling good companies from bad is as simple as separating good apples from bad ones. Steven Lewis challenges this idea. In a speech presented to the Social Investment Organization’s conference in June, he raises difficult ethical questions about assessing corporate behaviour.