The climate crisis has us questioning where people live, work, and how they get between the two. We’ve known for decades that low density sub-urban living is horrible for the environment (and people’s mental health) because it detaches people from each other due to car-based transportation. Many have argued that
Continue readingAuthor: Adam Clare
Things Are Good: The Future of Food is Algae
In the coming years we’ll be eating more algae if we’re lucky. Amazing algae already accounts for biofuel production and can be used to make bioplastics too, so why not keep looking for other ways to use it? At Cornell, that’s exactly what some researchers did. They discovered that coastal
Continue readingThings Are Good: Living Wage Canada Releases New Rates, Annual Calculations
It’s one thing to have a job, it’s another thing to have a job that pays you enough to participate in society. Canada’s minimum wage, like most places, doesn’t match the reality of what a person needs to earn to make a living (thus people say minimum wage deserves minimum
Continue readingThings Are Good: Global South Database of Climate Experts
Looking for a climate expert? Here’s the only database you need. The Global South Database is a vetted list of scientists, researchers, and practitioners around the climate the crisis. The database was created to help journalists find voices from Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. It can help you
Continue readingThings Are Good: France: Parking Lots Must Have Solar Panels
Drivers know all too well that parking lots are hot, uncomfortable, and are never the right size. In France larger parking lots will now require shading in the form of solar panels, making the large swaths of asphalt a little more comfortable. The solar panels are projected to provide the
Continue readingThings Are Good: Protests Work: Ontario to Repeal Anti-Worker Legislation
Last week the Conservative Ontario government did what was previously unthinkable in Canada: take away charter rights from people who work. This unprecedented act was met with widespread opposition from unions coast to coast as the Conservatives made it clear that collective bargaining (like NHL and MLB players have) will
Continue readingThings Are Good: Unionized Workers Earn $1.3 Million More
Unions improve the working conditions across the board for any industry they are in, plus when unions work together they can inspire mass change. Anti unionists argue against unions because members have to contribute dues which, they argue, lowers total earnings. This is a flat-out lie. Researchers at Cornell University
Continue readingThings Are Good: Strikes Work for Everybody: How We Got Maternity Leave
Presently in Ontario the Conservative governemnt has used “the nuclear option” to take away rights from workers. Not going to lie: it’s really bad, like Canadian Charter of Rights are no longer relveant bad. The union the government is picking on is primarily made up of women and many of
Continue readingThings Are Good: The Ultimate Happiness Guide
Happiness isn’t the goal of life, but it sure is important. If you’re not feeling happy it isn’t because you don’t have enough stuff or not watching enough TV. According to experts you should join a club (doesn’t matter what it is just that you’re with others), walk outside in
Continue readingThings Are Good: Kids Love Living in Cities
Urban places are already good places since they are more environmentally friendly than sub-urban places and have fantastic access to culture. Research in Toronto has revealed that children love cities too. In North America there’s a myth that suburban developments are better for children (despite the reliance on automobiles to
Continue readingThings Are Good: NASA Starts Spotting Super Methane Emitters
Natural gas, AKA methane, is really bad for the planet, and since it occurs some places “naturally” we need to find these new sources to stop them emitting. A classic example of “natural” methane production is a garbage dump in which the organic compounds mix together and release natural gas,
Continue readingThings Are Good: Only a Small Number of People Need to Change to Avert Climate Destruction
You’re not the problem! The problem is the 1%. Our global carbon footprint has risen dramatically since 1990, but only a few people are to blame for the worst of it. The wealthy have been increasing their carbon output without regard for anybody on the planet (or future generations). Reducing
Continue readingThings Are Good: Toronto: Go Vote Today
In fact, if you live in Ontario then you should get out and vote in your local municipal election. The municipal level is where people feel the impact of government the most since it literally impacts our day to day existence. Want more transportation choices than just a car? Vote
Continue readingThings Are Good: Leaf Blowers Getting Blown Away
Leave your leaves alone! Leaf blowers, like lawn mowers, are counterproductive to a productive piece of land. If you want a better, healthier, garden next year then you should let leaves lie over winter instead of blowing them away (the same is true for lawns, but you probably don’t have
Continue readingThings Are Good: Artists Show the Real Toronto
Another impressive piece by the artist @JohnTory. #AusterityTO pic.twitter.com/9ZwvXUDIDz — Yash Keough (@conradsleight) October 5, 2022 Hopefully next week Toronto will have a new mayor (vote Gil Penalosa!) and oust the mediocre John Tory. Mayor Tory is infamous for not leading not making any real decisions except for helping car
Continue readingThings Are Good: E-Bikes Replacing Cars at Increasing Rate
It’s clear to anyone who has to buy a car because they live in low-density suburban communities that cars are expensive and kill the environment (and people). This awareness of the dangers of the automobile is growing and people are turning to e-bikes. Anecdotally we see places which have encouraged
Continue readingThings Are Good: Saving Scholars From Scary Situations
Academics face persecution in parts of the world where authoritarian governments rule, which makes the exploration of knowledge very difficult and can even lead to safety concerns for the academics. Thankfully there’s an organization, Scholars at Risk, who’s sole goal is to provide a safe haven for researchers. This organization
Continue readingThings Are Good: Farm Fields of Solar Produce Bonuses
In the UK the average person wants to get off fossil fuels, but the Conservatives in power want the opposite. Obviously this is not good, and it gets worse: the new PM Liz Truss wants to ban solar panels on farms, Conservatives clearly don’t understand how the world works. The
Continue readingThings Are Good: Renewable Energy Unscathed by Hurricane
Surviving ever-worsening climate change enhanced storms is a clear benefit of renewable energy, and people in Florida are taking note. Hurricane Ian just swept through the state leaving thousands with electricity. A town in the hardest hit area of the state was still running fine though, thanks to solar panels.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Flooding a Slovakian Forest to Improve it
The good folks at Mossy Earth are flooding a forest in Slovakia, and it’s to protect the environment. You might think that flooding a forest would be a bad thing since we need forests to store carbon and clean the air; however, wetlands are far better at storing carbon than
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