Discussion Papers

The discussion papers are presented for your cogitation.  If you disagree with something I have compiled, or if you see a grievous error I have made, or if there is something you wish to add, please feel free to write a discussion paper and submit it to me.  I will provide editing services free-of-charge (I won’t change your writing except to ensure that here is a civil tone and there is nothing libelous or slanderous in the content!).  The only proviso is that the privilege of submitting a discussion paper is open only to members of the Institute.

If there is a specific topic you wish to address in a discussion paper, please submit the topic to me via e-mail to ensure that no one else has indicated interest in that the same topic.  Again, the only proviso is that the privilege of submitting a discussion paper is open only to members of the Institute. 

Daniel Lousier, PhD

List of Discussion Papers:  (click on underlined titles to download each in pdf format)

December 2010

  1. Recommendations for British Columbia's proposed cap-and-trade regulations, Matt Horne©, The Pembina institute, December 2010
  2. Western civilization and classical economics: The immorality of austerity, John Kozy©, Global Research, December 12, 2010
  3. Pipeline to nowhere? Uncertainty and unanswered questions about the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. Nathan Lemphers©, Pembina Institute©, December 2010
  4. Genetically modified mosquitoes, Brandon Turberville©, Global Research, December 13, 2010
  5. The social basis of America's imperial politics: Rethinking imperialist theory, James Petras©, Global Research, December 22, 2010
  6. Central banking 101: What the FED can do as "lender of last resort," Ellen Brown©, Global Research, December 17, 2010
  7. Doomsday for the US dollar: Post mortem for the world's "reserve currency," Mike Whitney©, Global Research, December 14, 2010
  8. Farmers' markets and local food systems, Alexandra Link and Chris Ling©, Community Research Connections

 

November 2010

Sustainability

  1. Sustainable Economy II:  Sustainability models, J. Daniel Lousier, Social Ecology BC,  November 29, 2010

Water

  1. Advice for water warriors, Maude Barlow©, Yes! Magazine, November 08, 2010

Economics/Finance/Business

  1. Ruling on behalf of Wall Street’s “Super Rich:”  The financial end time has arrived, Michael Hudson©, Global Research, November 16, 2010
  2. What’s really behind Quantitative Easing QE2?  The looming threat of a crippling debt service, Ellen Brown©, global Research, November 20, 2010

Food - GMOs

  1. Why GM has no place in a world in transition, Rob Hopkins©, Transition Culture, March 10, 2010

Food – farming

  1. Small farms as a planetary ecological asset:  Five key reasons why we should support the revitalization of small farms in the global south, Miguel A. Altieri©, Sociedad Cientifica LatinoAmericana de Agroecologia (SOCLA) Tuesday, June 9, 2009
  2. Urban farms are popular, but can they be profitable? Sena Christian©, Raw Earth Living, June 30, 2010
  3. How an agricultural revolution could save the world’s biodiversity, an interview with Ivette Perfecto, Jeremy Hance©, mongabay.com, May 04, 2010
  4. Measuring agricultural stewardship:  Risks and rewards.  Joseph McIntyre©, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, Volume 1, Issue 1, August 19, 2010
  5. What is sustainable agriculture?  Gail Feenstra©, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program

Community

  1. Identity and social relations in new rural communities, Carlo Petrini©, Slow Food, July 18, 2010

Human Health & Safety

  1. Why did the Russians ban an appliance found in 90% of American homes?  Dr. Mercola©, Mercola.com, May 18, 2010

Climate Change

  1. The carbon ranch:  Fighting climate change one acre at a time, Courtney White©, Green Fire Times, November 26, 2010
  2. The tar sands’ long shadow:  Canada’s campaign to kill climate policies outside our borders. Climate Action Network Canada©, 2010
  3. Organic farmers and rural development, Jennifer Sumner©, Adult Education and Community Development Program, University of Toronto, 2005

October 2010

Economics/Finance/Business

  1. Predatory finance:  The new mode of global warfare.  Michael Hudson©, Global Research, October 12, 2010.
  2. A permanent economic emergency:  What is the left to do?  Slavoj Žižek, New Left Review©, Weekend Edition, October 15 - 17, 2010.
  3. From global depression to global governance:  The role of the corporate elites’ secretive global think tanks, Andrew Gavin Marshall, Global Research, October 19, 2010

Ecology

  1. Rethinking global biodiversity strategies:  Exploring structural changes in production and consumption to reduce biodiversity loss.  B. ten Brink; S. van der Esch; T. Kram; M. van Oorschot; R. Alkemade; R. Ahrens; M. Bakkenes; J. Bakkes; M. van den Berg; V. Christensen; J. Janse; M. Jeuken; P. Lucas; T. Manders; H. van Meijl; E. Stehfest; A. Tabeau; D. van Vuuren; H. Wilting.  PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency©, Report no. 500197001, October 05, 2010.
  2. Terrestrial ecosystem management for climate change mitigation.  Michael Obersteiner, Hannes Böttcher and Yoshiki Yamagata©, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 2 (1):  271-276. October 2010

First Nations/Aboriginal

  1. Aboriginal peoples and forest certification:  A review of the Canadian situation.  Anna V. Tikina, John L. Innes, Ronald L. Trosper and Bruce C. Larson, Ecology and Society© 15(3): 33.
  2. Native environmentalism and the Alberta oil boom, Chris Wood, Miller-McCune, October 27, 2010

Sustainability

  1. Resiliency and vulnerability:  Complementary or conflicting concepts?  Fiona Miller, Henny Osbahr, Emily Boyd, Frank Thomalla, Sukaina Bharwani, Gina Ziervogel, Brian Walker, Jörn Birkmann, Sander van der Leeuw, Johan Rockström, Jochen Hinkel, Tom Downing, Carl Folke and Donald Nelson.  ©Ecology and Society 15(3): 11.
  2. The concept of “living well” – a Bolivian viewpoint, Bolivian Delegation at the UN, Energy Bulletin, Post Carbon Institute, Arpil 20, 2010
  3. Industrial agriculture and human survival:  The road beyond 10/10/10, Ronnie Cummins, Straight to the Source, Organic Consumers Association, October 7, 2010

Carbon

  1. Ocean carbon sequestration:  The world’s best bad idea, Peter Friederici, Miller-McCune, October 11, 2010

September 2010

Economies

  1. Basel III:  The global banks at the edge of the precipice.  Trillions of ‘toxic waste’ in the global banking system, Matthias Chang©, Global Research, September 20, 2010
  2. The economics of estuary:  Should nature have a price? Ginger Strand©. Orion Magazine, September/October 2010 issue

Food

  1. Can we afford to eat ethically?  Siobhan Phillips, Pinched – Tales From An Economic Downturn, April 26, 2009.  Copyright ©2010 Salon Media Group
  2. Anonymous.  2010.  What is organic food and why should I care?  Organic Ecology Research and Outreach Program, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, Lamberton, MN

Population

  1. Population:  The last taboo, Julia Whitty©, Mother Jones , May/June 2010

Climate Change

  1. Atmospheric geoengineering:  Weather manipulation, contrails and chemtrails – A review of the “Case Orange” report, Rady Ananda©, Global Research, July 30, 2010
  2. C. Kousky, O. Rostapshova, M. Toman and R. Zeckhauser.  2009.  Responding to Threats of Climate Change Mega-Catastrophes. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) Unit of the World Bank.  
  3. M.-E. Carr, R.F. Anderson and K. Brash.  2010.  Climate change:  Addressing the major skeptic arguments.  DB Climate Change Advisors, Deutsche Bank Group.  Germany.
  4. B.R. Newell and A.J. Pitman.  The Psychology of Global Warming:  Improving the Fit between the Science and the Message.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 91 (8):  1003–1014.
  5. F. Clairmont.  BP:  The unfinished crimes and plunder of Anglo-American imperialism.  Global Research, September 20, 2010. URL: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=21112

 

Pre-September 2010

  1. Our Economy:  Too Many Dollars and Not Enough Sense
  2. Defining Sustainability
  3. Handling the Impacts of Climate Change, Peak Oil and environmental Degradation – Dealing With Human Nature
  4. Sustainable Economy I:  Definition and First Principles
  5. Sustainable Economy II:  Sustainability Models
  6. Sustainable Economy III:  Sustainable Living 1:  Challenges, Issues and Choices
  7. Sustainable Economy III:  Sustainable Living 2 :  Dealing With Change
  8. Sustainable Economy III:  Sustainable Living 3:  Want Naught, Waste Naught
  9. Sustainable Economy III:  Sustainable Living 4:  Cap-and-Trade or Carbon Tax?
  10. Sustainable Economy IV:  1. Is Capitalism Working?
  11. Sustainable Economy IV:  2. Is Industrial Ecology an Answer?
  12. Sustainable Economy IV:  3. Is the Circular Economy an Answer?
  13. Sustainable Economy IV:  4. Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture
  14. Sustainable Economy IV:  5. The Functional or Service Economy
  15. Sustainable Economy V:  1. Economies of Sustainability
  16. Sustainable Economy V:  2. Knowledge-Based Economy – the Answer?
  17. Sustainable Economy V:  3.  From Wall Street to Main Street
  18. Sustainable Economy V:  4. What is a Social Contract?
  19. Sustainable Economy VI:  Summary
  20. Agenda for a New Sustainable Economy:  1.  Background
  21. Agenda for a New Sustainable Economy:  2.  Strategy for Action
  22. Agenda for a New Sustainable Economy:  3.  The Culture of Stewardship
  23. Building the New Sustainable Economy:  Two Articles by David Korten
  24. Making Money Work:  How can We Reconnect Capital With Community?
  25. Slow Money:  Bringing Money Down to Earth
  26. Small Banks, Radical Vision
  27. The Work-Sharing Boom:  Exit Ramp to a New Economy?
  28. Thirty-one Ways to Jump Start the Local Economy
  29. Uncovering the true cost of what we buy:  Part 1.  Corporations and governments
  30. Uncovering the true cost of what we buy:  Part 2.  The commons and commoners