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Using data during election campaigns is nothing new. But as the Canadian federal election approaches, authorities must be diligent that data tracking doesn’t become surveillance. (Shutterstock)

Data-driven elections and the key questions about voter surveillance

Data analytics have played a role in elections for years. But today’s massive voter relationship management platforms use digital campaigning practices to take it to another level.
Whooping cranes, a critically endangered species, breed in one location, a wetland in Wood Buffalo National Park. Yet a federal-provincial review panel has approved an oilsands mine that could kill some of the birds. (Shutterstock)

Energy development wins when it’s pitted against endangered species

Are our brains wired to favour growth over environmentally rational decisions?
The relationship between guns and masculinity was once sanctioned by governments and businesses, making it entrenched and difficult to challenge. Kyle Johnson/Unsplash

Canada once sold the idea that guns turned boys into men

The relationship between guns and masculinity was once sanctioned by governments and businesses, making it entrenched and difficult to challenge.
Occasional voters don’t respond well to guilt trips when organizations try to encourage them to cast ballots. Research suggests other methods are more successful. Unsplash

How to encourage the occasional voter to cast a ballot

Encouraging people to vote involves changing the discourse. Guilt trips are ineffective.
Zara says it will only use sustainable textiles in the future to do its part in the climate crisis. This image is from a Zara shop in Singapore, 2019. Shutterstock

Fast fashion lies: Will they really change their ways in a climate crisis?

Zara, a fast-fashion clothing company, recently pledged to produce its line using only sustainable textiles. But it is not enough to curb the company’s significant impact on climate change.
Reading and books are more important than ever for contemporary society. Here an image of The Rose Main Reading Room at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (also known as New York Public Library Main Branch) – an elegant study hall in the heart of Manhattan. Patrick Robert Doyle /Unsplash

Libraries can have 3-D printers but they are still about books

Today’s libraries build communities and provide space for learning new technologies but it is critical that they continue to be about books and reading too.
Data collected by governments is a treasure trove of useful information for researchers. Shutterstock

Data collected by governments can be useful to researchers, but only when accessed carefully

A recent public deliberation in British Columbia identified that access to government data should be managed carefully and efficiently.
The proposed Quayside neighbourhood in Toronto will collect data from individuals in public spaces, but getting consent is a tricky issue. Picture Plane for Heatherwick Studio for Sidewalk Labs

Sidewalk Toronto’s master plan raises urgent concerns about data and privacy

A report based on public consultations conducted by Sidewalk Labs has still not answered many pressing concerns about privacy and consent in Toronto’s Quayside development.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources fire rangers wade through floodwaters as they deploy pumps in Pembroke, Ont., in May 2019. Too many authorities involved in fighting flood risks can often paralyze flood management efforts. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Why Canada’s political system makes it difficult to fight floods

Canadian history and international relations theory gives us perspective on why co-ordinating flood management has proven so difficult in Canada and what can be done about it.
Vegan activists have historically been vocal in their ‘meat is murder’ campaigns. With a plant-based protein revolution upon us, it’s time vegans rethought their tactics. (Shutterstock)

Why vegan activists should switch gears

If pro-veganism campaigns are in bad taste, veganism has a lot to lose, as we all do. The market needs vegan activists who are rational and present their ideas thoughtfully, with the intent to educate.
In this June 2019 photo, Central American migrants wait for the departure of a northbound freight train in Palenque, Mexico. The Mexican crackdown on migrants prompted by pressure from the Trump administration has pushed Central American migrants to seek new ways to try to reach the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Canada must not be complicit in the U.S. assault on Central American refugees

Canada should stand up for international law by condemning the American assault on Central American migrants.
In May 2019, the measure of a kilogram was changed. This has implications for how we measure wealth. Shutterstock

Redefining the kilogram means redefining how we measure wealth

Measurement and standards are at the heart of how we trade commodities and measure wealth. So what happens now that the planet’s most critical standard has been completely overhauled?
Measles is contagious three or four days before a rash appears on the skin, making it highly communicable. (Shutterstock)

Why parents should fear measles, not the vaccine

Seven to 10 days in bed with a high fever and rash is the best outcome you can expect if your child catches measles. Brain damage or death is the worst.