A system of laws that do not represent all members of a society and the natural world equally, serves neither. This dialogue on litigation and a bill of rights for nature will help Atlantic Canadians demand and benefit from a more holistic jurisprudence.

Building living buildings and living communities is rooted in a deep understanding of what it means to be inclusive. Adopting an ethic of place is a good point of beginning: An ethic of place respects equally the people of a region and the land, animals, vegetation, water, and air. It recognizes that people revere their physical surroundings and they need and deserve a stable, productive economy that is accessible to those with modest incomes.  

E.O. Wilson once remarked “the real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology.” If Wilson’s summary is close to correct (and there is a vast body of evidence to suggest he is); as climate breakdown continues to intensify (as science is able to demonstrate); as the number of climate refugees seeking safe haven increases (as an array of world bodies, including the United Nations, have now shown); what emotional, institutional and technological makeover is Atlantic Canada prepared to undergo if we make the conscious decision to be that safe haven for climate displaced persons? If any of us are going to find shelter from what Secretary General of the United Nations General António Guterres calls the ‘winds of madness’, then some place, some collective citizenry, must show the world the way. This dialogue hopes to plant seeds that may one day ripen into a common home for humanity, a sustainable place for all of life. This begins, as it must, with a collective emotional, institutional and technological expression of neighbourliness among Atlantic Canadians.

Since 1945 with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humanity has been facing the threat of nuclear war.  The cold war of the 1950’s and 1960’s saw […]

The onset of the effects of climate change has been faster and more profound than many of the climate scientists had predicted.  Tripping positive feedback loops, such as methane release […]

“May you live in interesting times.”  This ancient Chinese saying is certainly true for the youth of today.  How can students today learn about and deal with the realities of […]

An Open Dialogue on the Crises of our Age During the Thinkers Lodge Summit on Nuclear and Climate Crises, several Thinkers will present to the students assembled at Pugwash District […]