The Duel “... I’m abandoned and destitute, an absolute simpleton, this mind of mine so muddled and blank. Others are bright, clear. I’m dark, murky. Others are competent and effective: I’m pensive and withdrawn.”    -- Tao Te Ching, 20  [David Hinton translation] “Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is ...

By Chris Gusen 2020 was tough. But, as we look back on the past year, it also brings us a tremendous amount of hope. Seeing how the world mobilized to fight COVID-19 gave us a glimpse of what might be possible if our elected officials treated the climate emergency just as seriously. As we rest up and prepare to continue our...

By David Huntley; republished with permission from Watershed Sentinel The Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline is being built to transport Alberta’s diluted bitumen to tidewater and then by tanker to overseas markets. In 2011, the National Energy Board gave Trans Mountain priority access for 79,000 barrels of oil per day...

This is our last column for 2020. What a year it’s been! As if things weren’t bad enough on the environmental front — record-breaking global temperature increases, the U.S. backtracking on ecological protections and policies and pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, a worsening biodiversity crisis and more — the world...

In the middle of the pandemic’s second wave and with the holidays fast approaching, many Canadians are still struggling to figure out how they’ll get through these tough times. Last week we saw two examples of how the government’s priorities are hurting many low-income, self-employed Canadians while letting large corporations...

“Albatross – Contact” is a gripping science fiction novel of the warring-aliens variety.  It introduces a variety of well-developed characters, both human and alien, some of whom interact peacefully, and others whose attacks result in full-on, rip-roaring, seriously tech-enhanced battles.  The...

By Anna Augusto  Rodrigues, for  The Conversation If you missed the Netflix debut of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, there are reasons to watch it now that go beyond being inspired to keep up fashionable appearances through a winter in COVID-19 lockdown or dreaming about travelling to beautiful Icelandic...

In Canada, we’re quick to favourably compare ourselves to our southern neighbours. COVID-19 caseloads may be at an all-time high here, but the U.S. situation is even more dire. Canada hasn’t managed to curb carbon emissions, but the U.S. abandoned emission reduction targets when it pulled out of the Paris Agreement. We may ...

By Jacob Stegenga, in aeon magazine Numerous criticisms of medical science have been articulated in recent years. Some critics argue that spurious disease categories are being invented, and existing disease categories expanded, for the aim of profit. Others say that the benefits of most new drugs are minimal and typically...

Five tips to get you off the sofa – because sitting more during COVID-19 is hurting your health By Wuyou Sui, for The Conversation With the Canadian government continuing to recommend physical distancing measures, many people are finding themselves confined to their homes more than ever before. While some are citing the...