Category Archives: Agriculture (Urban)
Let every roof bloom
(November 6, 2004) Sod atop a building shields it from cold in winter, from heat in summer, and from sound year round. It makes buildings more hospitable for those who live or work within them. Roof vegetation also makes cities more hospitable for the general population: It cleans air of dust and rainwater of heavy metals, reduces smog, ground-level ozone and other pollutants, and moderates the "heat island effect" that raises city temperatures above that of the surrounding countryside. Continue reading
NAFTA greens us up
(December 11, 2002) It’s NAFTA’s 10th anniversary and what a great decade for the environment it’s been. Sulphur dioxide emissions are down, ground level ozone levels are down, inhalable airborne particle levels are down and energy efficiency is up. Our air is clearer, our water is cleaner and, as a by-product, we’re healthier, too. Continue reading
National Defence – recruitment and retention of military personnel
(April 1, 2002) Despite efforts, the Canadian Forces’ current push to recruit has not attracted enough new regular force members to meet its target of 7,000 new recruits per year Continue reading
2) Big farms harvest subsidies
(April 6, 2001) Here is the reality of modern agriculture. For every $1 of profit a Canadian farmer makes, taxpayers provide $3.55 in subsidies. In the case of Ontario farmers, taxpayers kick in $6.20 in subsidies. That "very nice living for the farmer" that the George Morris Centre touts for the large-scale farmer is not an honest living. The only reliable economy of size in modern agriculture comes from harvesting subsidies. Continue reading
1) The small-scale family farm is an urban myth
(April 6, 2001) Lawrence Solomon should buy 25 acres and become a vegetable tycoon. When he does, he may learn a few things. Continue reading
Urban Renaissance Institute 