by Rob Riendeau

A Conversation with Mike Nickerson

We’ve all been exposed to the reactionary, hand-wringing media reports on the “economic downturn.” So it was a refreshing break to read Mike Nickerson’s latest article The Upside of an Economic Downturn when it showed up in my email inbox. Afterwards, I decided that it was high time to sit down and pick Mike’s brain on the topic of global economic issues and people’s ability to respond locally.

theHumm: When I first read Life, Money & Illusion it seemed that the ideas weren’t really in the mainstream. Talking to people about the themes in the book was difficult.

Mike Nickerson: They weren’t as interested then; now they want to know. That’s definitely a change.

Continue readingThe End of Illusion?" »

Posted on March 2, 2009 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview by Chandler Swain

In response to discovering that prospecting for uranium is being carried out across thousands of acres of land in a giant swath that extends from the Sharbot Lake area up through West Quebec, groups like the Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium are forming to try and stop it. Recently the Ottawa Citizen’s Coalition Against Mining Uranium brought Dr. Jim Harding to the area as part of his book tour. He has studied the nuclear issue for 30 years and is a renowned expert on the dangers of all aspects of uranium, from mining to its use as fuel. His book Canada’s Deadly Secret: Saskatchewan Uranium and the Global Nuclear System is shocking and important. To find out more about Jim’s work and what’s at stake go to the excellent Straight Goods website.

As the mainstream media has clearly decided not to follow this story, public awareness and advocacy has to be done by committed “regular people”. Dr. Harding says that there is proactive dismissal of the real facts about the dangers of mining uranium and the use of nuclear power by the industry, so it is vital that we find out the other side of the story. If the government is going to get the message that we are serious about a moratorium on the mining and prospecting of uranium, many of us are going to have to get busy. Please think of joining CCAMU and supporting the work that has been started. Check out the kNOw Uranium website for details.

I had the chance to interview Donna Dillman about her recent hunger strike. Her work is inspiring and has really kickstarted a strong citizen’s movement. Here is her story so far.

Chandler Swain: Why did you stop eating on Thanksgiving last year? What did you hope to accomplish?

Donna Dillman: The local Algonquin populations, with the help of many hundreds of non-Natives, had been successful in holding off the exploratory drills for 101 days at the point when I started my campaign against drilling for uranium. During the summer, I’d overheard one of the Chiefs comment that, “One can live a long time without food, but clean water is essential to all life,” and I realized the truth in that. Food and eating are symbolic of wellbeing and I hoped to help increase awareness around the risks inherent in uranium exploration. Supporting the call for a moratorium was also a goal.

Continue readingWorth Fighting For — A Conversation With Donna Dillman" »

Posted on February 13, 2008 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Rob Riendeau

Ed and Deb Weaver live in a ghost town. That’s not a metaphor — their house is in the middle of Herron Mills, which is not far from the village of Lanark on Highway 511. At one time, Herron Mills was a bustling community with a schoolhouse, post office and accommodations for the workers employed by the lumber mill, grist mill, woolen mill, shingle mill, tannery, and bake house. Today, all that’s left of this hub of industry and community are some dilapidated buildings, stone foundations, and piles of 19th century milling equipment. Oh, and the Weavers — with their dreams of restoring life to this ghost town through some ambitious and achievable ideas.

Continue readingA Green Dream for a Ghost Town" »

Posted on September 6, 2007 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Jackie Seaton

On the door of my fridge is a yellowing headline I clipped from a newspaper years ago: “I heard the news today, oh boy…” It greets me each morning, without a lot of information but still reminding me of the world out there.

My daily dilemma is this: do I shut the world out to better get on with my work as a studio potter, concentrating on producing beautiful objects to grace people’s domestic lives? Or do I embrace the world, lug some of its woes into my private work space and try to deal with them in some tangential way, one handful of clay at a time?
There is no right or wrong response. A few individuals who have mentored me during my career in clay over the last thirty years have lived lives devoted to artistic self-expression and the creation of form. We need people like that. They remind us that some things in this life are worth doing for their own sake and that a beautiful object, image or utensil can harmonize our responses to a discordant world. These artists and philosophers are among the greatest of teachers.

Continue readingEmpty Bowls: Pottery and Purpose" »

Posted on March 7, 2007 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Kris Riendeau

If you’re a fan of Law and Order, you might have some understanding of the machinations of the criminal justice system (albeit the U.S. version). If you’re not a big television watcher, you probably have a vague notion that if bad guys were to break into your home, steal your stuff and then get caught, they would eventually end up in court and ultimately be punished by society for their crime. But what about you? Would you go to bed at night feeling safe, secure in the knowledge that the offenders were remorsefully paying their debt to society and would emerge from the process reformed? If you doubt the power of our overworked courts to effect real change for either victims or offenders, and particularly for young offenders, you may be interested in what the Community Justice Program has to offer.

Continue readingA Different Path to Justice" »

Posted on November 13, 2006 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Rob Riendeau

How far would you go for a good meal?

There are a couple of ways to interpret that question. It could mean how far would you travel for a delicious dinner. Or it could mean, how much of a challenge would you be prepared to undertake for a healthy lunch. It’s this second interpretation that connects a couple of items I’d like to share this month.

The 100-Mile Diet

Recently, a Vancouver couple has been getting a lot of attention in foodie and green blogs on the internet for their particular take on this question. Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon decided that they would spend a year buying and gathering their food and drink within a 100-mile radius of their home and chronicle their efforts on the internet.

Continue readingLocal is the New Organic" »

Posted on October 27, 2006 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Bill Kemp

With each upward nudge of Ontario’s energy prices, people feel their respective pocket books squeal in protest; leaving homeowners, businesses and the agricultural sector feeling powerless to protect themselves.

I have been warning anyone who cares to listen that Canada, and Ontario in particular, is in dire straits when it comes to energy policy.

Continue readingCommunity Power" »

Posted on May 5, 2006 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)