Stuck inside due to the coronavirus? Why not learn to garden so when the good weather comes you can socially isolate yourself while also feeding yourself? Rob Greenfield was nervous and hesitant gardner when he started and wants you to know that it’s ok to be intimidated by growing your
Continue readingTag: Direct Action
Things Are Good: Play Games and use Your Computer to Fight COVID-19
Without a doubt these are exceptional times; I cannot think of another moment in history in which capitalist democracies basically put their economies on hold to protect people. COVID-19 is causing great harm and we have a chance to do all our parts to fight it. The most important thing
Continue readingThings Are Good: Teck Halts Work on Tarsands Proposal
Canada is waking up to the reality of the climate crisis, those ringing the alarms includes a diverse group from the Wet’suwet’en Nation to Greenpeace. Now a large fossil fuel company, Teck Resources Ltd., has decided to not move ahead with an environment-destroying tarsands project partly due to the fact
Continue readingThings Are Good: A Map to find Organizations Fighting Climate Change
Climatescape is a new web-based database to help you find organizations around that world that are trying to save the planet from environmental destruction. It can be hard to find groups on the other side of the world to partner with, or just to find a local organization that is
Continue readingThings Are Good: Amazon Workers Protest How Amazon Treats the Amazon
Amazon’s growth has been surprising to many, and their reach into markets seems endless. This expansion means they can greatly influence markets and the global environment. Companies like IKEA are trying to make their systems more efficient so they harm the environment less, and this eco-strategy is gaining popularity amongst
Continue readingThings Are Good: How One Person Exposed Republican Attacks Against American Democracy
As a Republican President in the states is undergoing an impeachment trial the Republican Party is also going under many trials. For the last few decades the Republican Party has engaged in gerrymandering to ensure that their party wins instead for the Democrats (or independents). This modification of electoral maps
Continue readingThings Are Good: In Ontario, People Support Education
vote Educators in Ontario are currently on rolling strikes because the provincial Conservative government has chosen to weak havoc on the education system. Since they’ve been elected they’ve sliced and diced all that matters to ensure Ontario has a functioning education system (they’ve even cited chronically-underperforming Alabama as an educational
Continue readingThings Are Good: Tips for Remaining Anonymous in the Surveillance Age
Surveillance capitalism benefits companies who have large datasets about what people do and where they are – without the consent of those being monitored. The pervasive modern surveillance which is around us everyday from our phones to private cameras can be connected to large corporations or governments for nefarious purposes.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Don’t Give Gifts this Year
If you care about people and want to demonstrate that care through the acquisition of material wealth: stop. This holiday season you should try something different by not buying material gifts for those you love and get them something else instead, like tickets to a play. The spirit of gift
Continue readingThings Are Good: It’s Time to Topple the Voting System
Modern democracy is under a lot of scrutiny this century as we’ve seen increased corruption by established political parties and a manipulation of bureaucratic processes to benefit the elite. The rise populism is a reaction to a perception that the electoral system isn’t reflecting the people, the system isn’t actually
Continue readingThings Are Good: Hactivist Offers 100k to Hack Evil Corporations
The infamous (and very talented) hacker Phineas Fisher has offered $100,000 to people who hack into oil companies, banks, and other companies. There’s a catch: the hacks better be used to help fight the climate crisis or inequality. Since hackers like to remain anonymous Fisher will pay bounties for the
Continue readingThings Are Good: Good Coffee for Good Causes
A coffee chain in Cambodia is more than just another place to get an espresso. Feel Good Coffee is a social enterprise that runs cafes and sells coffee wholesale to improve the lives of the average Cambodian. One of the really neat things they do is train their staff to
Continue readingThings Are Good: Canadians: Go Vote!
vote! People in Hong Kong are currently in the streets fighting for a small amount of democracy, and similar struggles exist around the world. In too many places the concept of democracy is under attack and if you live in a country in which democracy is strong it still requires
Continue readingThings Are Good: Simple Trick to Prevent Birds from Flying into Windows
The video above has a simple tip to prevent birds from flying into windows at home or at work. To save you 1.5 minutes of watching: use an appropriate marker to draw lines on the window. This is not as ugly (or damaging) as you might think since it’s a
Continue readingThings Are Good: Global Climate Strike – TODAY
The Global Climate Strike is today! People who care about the world are out on the streets today to send a message to politicians and those who don’t care that we need to ACT NOW to stop catastrophic climate change. You can participate! Get out on the streets Make some
Continue readingThings Are Good: Participate in the Climate Strike to Meet Others who Care
Earlier this year Kate Black (not the person in the picture) wrote an article in Masionneuve about what’s it like to feel alone against the world. For years people have been showing up to rallies, writing letters, signing campaigns, and more, but nothing seems to change. That’s how climate activists
Continue readingThings Are Good: Global Climate Strike Starts Strong
Archie Graham, 15, and his mates were supposed to be in school today: “What’s the point in going to school if we can’t use that knowledge in future because there won’t be a future for us?” pic.twitter.com/iydpMOSL19 — Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) September 20, 2019 The climate crisis has gotten out
Continue readingThings Are Good: Butterflies are Back Thanks to Small Gardens
If you planted native species in your garden then you deserve a pat on the shoulder. Your efforts have helped the butterflies return from dangerously low population levels. In Toronto we’ve seen the mass return of butterflies and it’s thanks to efforts by people and educational groups ensuring that pollinators
Continue readingThings Are Good: Autonomous Objects
The sharing economy should be about sharing more than profits. At least that’s what the thinkers behind the sharing economy called for in the early days of the term; however we’ve seen it evolve into a profit-driven notion like rental cars and the ever-questionable AirBnB. Frustrated by this greedy turn
Continue readingThings Are Good: Ethiopia Planted 350 Million Trees in One Day
Earlier this year a group of scientists released a report that planting 1 trillion trees will essentially undo a decade of human carbon output. Ethiopia is doing its part by planting 350 million trees in just one year. The country is experiencing direct harms from the climate crisis (from deforestation
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