• CA close
• English close
• VIUSpace close
• Energy Research close

This review was originally published as: Alexander, D. (1997). Anarchism and ecology before Bookchin [Review of the book Anarchism and ecology by G. Purchase]. New City Magazine, 17(4), 40-42. New City Magazine, previously known as City Magazine, was a Canadian periodical dealing with housing and urban planning topics. The magazine ceased publication in Summer 1997. Don Alexander reviews "Anarchism and ecology" by Graham Purchase (Montreal: Black Rose Books, 1997). https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/5499/Alexander.Review.pdf?sequence=3 Book Review

This is an electronic version of an article published as: Alexander, D. (1999). Planning as learning: Sustainability and the education of citizen activists. Environments, 27(2), 79-87. Environments is available online at: http://environmentsjournal.ca/. https://viuspace.viu.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/2724/Alexander.Planning.pdf?sequence=6

The purpose of this research was to describe oilfield workers in the Moose Mountain Provincial Park area in southeastern Saskatchewan views on climate change. This qualitative study, inspired by Grounded Theory, utilized fifteen, semi-structured interviews to analyze participants’ perspectives and experiences. For this research, climate change means, “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity and which is in addition to natural climate variability” (IPCC, 2014). This study has three main findings. First, participants have robust “sense of place” attachment that fosters environmental stewardship toward the Moose Mountain area. Second, participants hold conflicted understandings of climate change that alternate between the adoption of climate skepticism and acceptance of scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic climate change. Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of engaging in conversations with oil workers to facilitate a pluralistic narrative and navigate multiple worldviews to create understanding of a controversial topic in Saskatchewan.

Hotels are not just places where people sleep or eat; they can provide unique cultural opportunities and community experiences, and at the same time contribute to enhancing the local communities in which they are embedded. Hotels are also subject to prevailing social values and cultural shifts. Two such significant shifts now occurring are the growth of the leisure class and the demand from customers to provide greener alternatives. These shifts are challenging hoteliers to come up with ways to increase the sustainability of their operations and, ideally, as part of sustainable development, also contribute to the communities in which they are embedded. This research explores the role of sustainable hospitality and addresses the question: To what extent do hotel leaders integrate concepts of sustainability into their strategic planning process? A sustainable community development definition comprised of four conditions (scale, limits, place, and diversity) was used to guide the research and analyze findings. A multiple case-study approach was adopted. Research methods included semi-structured interviews and the use of visual explorer, a research tool where a set of images is used to support collaborative and creative conversations as well as background documentation. Three hotels in western Canada were studied. Due to the sensitive nature of the information disclosed by interviewees, hotel names, locations, and chain affiliation have been kept confidential. Research findings demonstrated that understandings of hotel sustainability were generally shallow as was the integration of sustainability initiatives into the case study strategic plans. A sustainable community development lens adapted from the scholarship of Dale, Ling, and Newman (2004 to 2015) was uniquely developed for hotel sustainability and a model subsequently derived from the case study data. This model, which integrates planning strategy imperatives with sustainability imperatives (ecological, social and economic) focuses on investment, innovation, sense of place, social capital, and leadership. Recommendations, both for practice and future applied research, include the development and implementation of a sustainability training and leadership development education program for hoteliers and the development of indicators based on the four conditions of sustainable community development (scale, limits, place, and diversity) to inform the greater understanding and implementation, as well as evaluate the sustainability of hotel organizations.

The demand for more local control has frequently been stimulated by communities suddenly facing the imposition of a toxic waster dump close by, or more clearcut logging in their watersheds, for example. Characterized as NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard - reactions, such responses are fully justified, but they often go little beyond the immediate concern. Consequently, communities remain divided in their calls for more local power and no long-term, integrated movement is created. The author believes that these isolated community actions could, if linked by more general theory, constitute a broader and more effective movement for putting more power in local places. This is an electronic version of a book chapter which was originally published as: Alexander, D. (1992). From roadblocks to building blocks: Developing a theory for putting power in its place. In C. Plant & J. Plant (Eds.), "Putting power in its place: Create community control!" (pp. 38-46). Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society. https://viuspace.viu.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/2894/Alexander.Roadblocks.pdf?sequence=3

Young people’s futures are largely affected by society’s capacity and willingness to take action on climate change, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to a different climate reality. Young people are necessary collaborators and partners in solution design and decision-making, and should not be relegated to the margins. It is equally important that they are supported in enacting climate initiatives that educate, engage and encourage other young people – as well as adults – to become agents of change. Under the guise of “transformative climate change action,” this study explores motivations among young people to move from concerned observer to informed actor, and provides insight into the mechanisms and processes that contribute to the shift. These initiatives are meant to foster innovations and behavioral shifts, as well as challenge existing systems and demonstrate what transformative climate action is, conceptually and practically, on a local level in the specific context of Southern Alberta, Canada.

Sandra Postel launched the conference with her overview of "Water in the World." She reminds us of water's essential "quality" (unlike that of oil) as being basic to life on earth, necessarily conferring a dimension of ecological ethics to every decision we make about it. This article was assembled by Ian Wight from transcripts of Sandra Postel's conference presentation. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/6356/Postel.pdf?sequence=3 Keynote plenary of the 2000 CIP conference.

Drought is one of the more devastating climate-driven hazards across the world. Its impacts have long term impacts and can lead to degradation of access to sufficient water, food and other necessities for human life. British Columbia experiences drought on a regular basis and given the increasing impacts of global climate change on the province, it is crucial to understand how small municipalities are prepared for this hazard in the present, as well as how they intend to address the hazard in the future. This project is a multiple-case study applied methods examination of current drought preparedness and adaptation planning in the BC communities of Tofino, Merritt and Dawson Creek. Findings show that there are significant gaps in disaster and emergency plans to currently address this hazard at the municipal government level, with minimal adaptation plans for the future. Case study sites rely heavily on water restriction adherence by residents and commercial users to reduce demand in drought season. There is a universal expectation and reliance on the Provincial government to ‘save the day’ in the event of any major drought event, despite the Emergency Program Act which states that it is the responsibility of municipalities to identify and address their own hazards.

Hope is often credited as an inspiration for action and, in difficult circumstances, a protection against despair. But ill-considered hope can be an unreliable helper. If people choose only to hope for a happy outcome, rather than acting in their own interest, they risk losing the opportunity to improve their situation. Putting faith in hope alone, they may also find that, after crossing a critical marker, hope’s protection evaporates, suddenly and at great emotional cost. In that context and in the face of the gathering threat of climate change, this thesis records the search for a strategy that is better than hope – more active, robust and resilient. The search, including interviews with five high-profile and highly accomplished exemplars, suggests there might be value in simply recognizing the full extent of the threat and then embracing action in pursuit of a goal that is worthy, irrespective of a hoped-for result.

Waywayseecappo First Nation in the Greater Riding Mountain Area of Manitoba is faced with challenges to manage natural resources while balancing contemporary and traditional ways of knowing. How do Anishinabe from Waywayseecappo First Nation engage and protect Indigenous Knowledge for the purpose of sustainable resource management of ungulates in Wagiiwing? This research used qualitative methods to develop a case study of the use of Indigenous Knowledge in Wagiiwing using semi-structured interviews and participant observation. This project investigated perceptions of how Indigenous Knowledge is used in decision-making for natural resource management in Anishinabe territory and explored the role of Indigenous Knowledge in promoting sustainable resource management. Analysis of ways in which, Indigenous Knowledge is used in subsistence harvest of ungulates by Waywayseecappo First Nation illustrated its importance and in addition, ways in which Anishinabe are presently connect with the land and manage resources. I make recommendations to strengthen and reconnect Anishinabe peoples to Indigenous Knowledge and guide future study into sustainable resource management in Wagiiwing.