99 Ways to Leverage our Humanity – Part 2
[Editor’s note: I must start by saying that what unfolds below is a team effort – thanks to everyone who has contributed to this list! So, for better or worse, many parts of the world have been recently occupied –…
99 Ways to Leverage Our Humanity
For better or worse, many parts of the world have been recently occupied – and in some places, like Vancouver, these occupations may be coming to an end. Many elements of the Occupy Movement have issued demands. Personally, I see…
October – the best month of them all
Ok. I admit it. I’m biased. I happen to have a birthday that falls right at the beginning of the month. But that’s not why I like – no scratch that – love October. Let’s start with the season itself…
English Bay’s Bulk Carriers Revealed
Ever notice that Vancouver’s English Bay skyline is constantly littered with those, squat, red-hulled ships? Or maybe not. They’re such an omnipresent feature of our surroundings, that we pay them little heed despite their importance. Each of these modern-day merchant…
The Cost of Poverty
Poverty accounts for huge costs on our society. And not just the ones incurred by the massive losses suffered by our human capital because of all our wasted talent. There are financial costs, too. Big ones. The Canadian Centre for…
Sustainable Shipping: the Wave of the Future
“Sustainability”, “low emissions”, “saving fuel” – these are the buzz words in global shipping circles these days. With jacked up oil prices and pressure on ports to “Green” their operations, ship owners are frantically casting about for new technologies to…
Awesome Community Business Projects
Last year, Sauder launched the Community Business Project, an experiential and service learning course that is part of the curriculum for the Masters of Management program. I know all about it because I collaborated with some very awesome faculty members,…
Urban Densification and the Death of the House Party
On many an occasion, friends in Vancouver have crammed upwards of 30 people into their 692 square foot apartments. And a few times since moving to Vancity in 2008, I’ve seen many of those same 30 people party in a fairly spacious household setting, where – throughout the course of the evening – components of the party will actually take on identities all their own: the kitchen might turn into a cauldron of political debate, a guitar-playing sing-along might erupt in the livingroom, a game of croquet might take place on the lawn, and people might check out wedding photos on the computer in the den.
20-Minute Neighbourhoods
So, I just finished my UBC Continuing Studies class in Sustainability and Transformational Leadership. Last week, teammates Heidi, Roger and I created a consulting firm – 20:15 (we present the concept of “20-Minute Neighbourhoods” in 15 minutes) – and delivered…
Port Metro Vancouver: More than Meets the Eye
Everyday more than a dozen 180 metre-long freighters sit at anchor around the corner in English Bay, waiting for their turn to pick up a a 50,000 ton-load and steam it in under 3 weeks across the Pacific to disgorge at Shanghai and Huangpo before chugging back for more.