Murder hornet has become the popularized name for Vespa mandarinia, but the established common name is simply Asian giant hornet — a name that describes where the insect is from and what it looks like. While in this case of this species the colloquial and standardized common name are quite different, common names aren’t always as straightforward as Asian giant hornet. They can be just as cryptic as the name murder hornet. 

“Sometimes common names are very misleading or they are not very informative,” says Adam Brunke, Chair of the Common Names Committee for the Entomological Society of Canada (ESC). “It’s a communication issue.”

However, ease of communication is exactly what a common name is for. They’re used to bridge the divide between those who study a field of biology, such as the study of insects called entomology, and those who don’t. So when a name fails to add ease, has confusing descriptors, or uses derogatory language, there’s a problem. 

These issues are what the Better Common Names Project aims to address. Led by the Entomological Society of America (ESA) and a steering committee made up of many ESC members, the Better Common Names Project involves revisiting common insect names, proposing new ones, and approving a new standard common name for both the United States and Canada. 

The first renaming for the project was for Lymantria dispar where the official common name “gypsy moth” was changed to “spongy moth” due to the term gypsy being an ethnic slur for the Romani people. The new name “spongy” refers to the insect’s distinct sponge-like egg masses. It’s a characteristic that’s unique to the insect and easy to understand. 

Male spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) // Credit: S. McCann; Source: Entomological Society of Canada

“What happens is that we don’t actually propose any names ourselves. We get proposals from the entomological community and they do some background research and provide a rationale. They explain why any existing names are appropriate or not appropriate,” Brunke says. “Normally, there’s two or three names that are already out there, or maybe the name exists in French, but not English, or vice versa. So this is a bit of a special case where we had a pest insect with a very, very dominant name.”

It’s easy to look at this project or renaming happening in any field as only a means of creating a more inclusive and equitable society. And while that’s certainly not a bad thing to consider, the main goal is to enable clear communication and understanding. 

Though we often learn and accept terms for what they are and can adapt to a pre-existing language, it doesn’t mean the language is as effective as it could be. In fact, it’s possible people may get the wrong idea of what an insect is or does if a name is too ambiguous or nondescript.

Take the case of a newly introduced tick in Canada.

“It was starting to get a lot of media attention because it is a potential disease vector.” 

A disease vector is something that carries and spreads disease, like an insect, which is definitely information that the broader community should be aware of. But the way in which this information is communicated should be done carefully. It was important that this insect be given a name that’s more than just clickbait. No one needs a new case of “murder hornets”.

“We were trying to use something neutral and something descriptive before it could, you know, sort of get out of hand or go in a direction we’d rather it not,” Brunke says, emphasizing that a common name should help someone identify an insect. This is especially important for those monitoring for a specific pest that may be harmful or damaging to the environment.

Murder hornet news headline // Source: Saanich News

Identifying, suggesting, and standardizing common names is definitely not a one-person job. After all, there are an estimated 10 quintillion insects out there. The collaborative effort of the entomological societies and the great entomological community are key for identifying what names work and what don’t. 

Though there are many experts and enthusiasts out there, it doesn’t necessarily mean they always have the answers about why a common name exists as it does. Their origin may ultimately remain unknown because no one documented the rationale and it’s because of this that a common name may come into question.

“That’s the problem. We never get the reasons for things.”

If there isn’t a well-understood reason for something or if in hindsight a reason isn’t very well justified, then there’s room for change. Just like science itself, it’s a process of hypothesizing, researching, and concluding. And if you don’t agree with the outcome, or in this case, the name? Create a new hypothesis, test it, and come up with a more acceptable, well-founded standard.

The post They Call It Worm. They Call It Lame. That’s Not Its Name. appeared first on A\J.

Alternatives Journal (A\J) has been independently publishing intelligent, informed, and inspiring environmental journalism since 1971. Back then, we were founded with the purpose of and commitment to helping environmental literacy grow in Canada, and now we’re in 2021 – our 50th year. What better time than now to launch a new website and spruce up our online editorial platform to continue fuelling our fire for publishing stories, inspiring action, and engaging with millions of Canadians, each and every day.

Looking back through our 50 years, we have had many incredible achievements and partnerships, a few big changes, and countless amazing contributions. As Canada’s only national environmental media charity, we’ve always welcomed change and innovation with open arms through the decades. Back in the late 80s, when the typesetting printing process was transitioning to desktop publishing, our few staff members at the time were dedicated to evolving A/J with the changing times. Similarly, when digital publishing and online platforms became available, A/J was first in line to jump on the bandwagon of change. Yet, throughout all our growth and advancements, our core mission has remained – to provide reliable insight on environmental topics, to inspire and empower positive action, and to create new bonds and partnerships in the environmental community and enhance existing ones.

We are so proud to be a living, breathing example of the continuing evolution of storytelling. As a leader in Canadian environmental journalism, we continue to be on the leading edge of digital strategies and we are committed to telling stories in the latest and greatest ways to reach as many people as we can. We continue to grow and evolve, build new relationships and foster old ones, and connect environmental conversations across Canada – all because we believe that environmental journalism and communication is needed at the centre of the environmental movement. We need environmental communication to bridge gaps, uplift voices, and empower people. 

In this day and age, our stories are becoming increasingly important to tell. We hope this new online editorial platform provides an enhancement of our storytelling capacities. As always, we will continue striving to present the stories and solutions because the solutions exist and we’re here to share them.

The post A Letter from the Chair appeared first on A\J.

Alternatives Journal (A\J) has been independently publishing intelligent, informed, and inspiring environmental journalism since 1971. Back then, we were founded with the purpose of and commitment to helping environmental literacy grow in Canada, and now we’re in 2021 – our 50th year. What better time than now to launch a new website and spruce up our online editorial platform to continue fuelling our fire for publishing stories, inspiring action, and engaging with millions of Canadians, each and every day.

Looking back through our 50 years, we have had many incredible achievements and partnerships, a few big changes, and countless amazing contributions. As Canada’s only national environmental media charity, we’ve always welcomed change and innovation with open arms through the decades. Back in the late 80s, when the typesetting printing process was transitioning to desktop publishing, our few staff members at the time were dedicated to evolving A/J with the changing times. Similarly, when digital publishing and online platforms became available, A/J was first in line to jump on the bandwagon of change. Yet, throughout all our growth and advancements, our core mission has remained – to provide reliable insight on environmental topics, to inspire and empower positive action, and to create new bonds and partnerships in the environmental community and enhance existing ones.

We are so proud to be a living, breathing example of the continuing evolution of storytelling. As a leader in Canadian environmental journalism, we continue to be on the leading edge of digital strategies and we are committed to telling stories in the latest and greatest ways to reach as many people as we can. We continue to grow and evolve, build new relationships and foster old ones, and connect environmental conversations across Canada – all because we believe that environmental journalism and communication is needed at the centre of the environmental movement. We need environmental communication to bridge gaps, uplift voices, and empower people. 

In this day and age, our stories are becoming increasingly important to tell. We hope this new online editorial platform provides an enhancement of our storytelling capacities. As always, we will continue striving to present the stories and solutions because the solutions exist and we’re here to share them.

The post A Letter from the Chair appeared first on A\J.

My first few days on the job were filled with uncertainties as I was just beginning to understand my role and didn’t know what to expect for the coming weeks. I was, in every sense of the word, a newbie. But it was not long before I dove head first into the sea of work and was carried off with the current, learning as I went. Bear with me as I further use this ocean metaphor.

Some days at A\J are choppy waves – full of energy, meetings, interviews, emails, busyness. Some days are calm waters, when I can float with careful planning, inspiration, and most importantly, writing. David (A\J publisher and my supervisor) always tells me to learn the ebbs and flows of my work, and that I am. For lack of a more unique pop culture reference, I feel very much like a young Jedi learning from the Obi Wan of A\J. David shares many of his pieces of advice and wisdom with me in the form of metaphors and catchphrases, and they are all valuable lessons that fuel my growth as a writer. I’ve learned how to “use the force” of environmental journalism – you need lots of input before you can produce the output. I am being filled to the brim with inspiration, having meaningful conversations with environmental leaders on the daily, and learning how to tithe to myself in the process in order to produce my best work.

I was recently tasked with writing an article on what I’ve learned so far at A\J in just 4 weeks, but if I included everything, it would be way too long for anyone to read (and for me to write!) So, I will do my best to sum up my key takeaways from this work experience so far.

The A\J Team

First and foremost, meeting the A\J team was a huge positive. It has been wonderful to work with a team of interesting people who are all different, yet share a common purpose. Everyone at A\J is driven to share environmental stories with others, to plant seeds and inspire them. We all work together with each other’s ebbs and flows, and I have observed how dedicated these people are to their work. I’ve experienced so much support, encouragement, and collaboration from the team that has kept me moving forward.

Skill Building

During the past month, I have enhanced my existing skills and established many new ones. I’ve built upon my interpersonal skills, and I don’t just mean “customer service” or people skills. I’m talking about the ability to sustain meaningful conversation and genuinely listen to others in order to gather and absorb important insights and stories from them. Along with that, I’ve greatly practiced and improved my existing communication skills through speaking (and listening), writing, emailing, interviewing, and the list goes on.

My work as an A\J intern has also given me a real experience of what journalism work is like. There are always several different projects on the go and multitasking is the way of life. I’ve had a lot of space to work on time management and self-regulation by prioritizing tasks, working with deadlines, and working around meeting times. There is no shortage of tasks, but it’s not draining, it’s actually empowering! I get to be actively involved in everything, and maybe it’s just me, but I really thrive when I have lots on the go and can be a part of everything all at once.

Creativity

I’ve also been given the opportunity to hone in on my creativity, which is something I didn’t have a lot of practice doing before this job. My writing and learning style has always been quite organized, academic, and structured. For me, the most conceptually difficult type of university assignment I’ve ever had to do (out of math, sciences, and the arts) is writing an English essay. In first year, I had to write an essay on a super short, abstract poem, and I had no idea what it was saying. It took so much original thought and effort to come up with a thesis and write a full, meaningful paper on just 14 lines of confusion. Of course, I’ve come a long way since then, but I find these assignments challenging because I have to generate fresh ideas. I have to be inspired. It is through these exercises that I improve my creative thinking. At A\J, I am challenged to think for myself in everything I do. Right from the get-go I was asked, “What do you want to write about?”, “What are your stories to tell?”, and “Who do you want to talk to?” I’m starting to answer those big questions, slowly tending and listening to that creative autonomy in my work. By doing so, I’m discovering lots about myself and know that I’ll continue to do so.

Conversations

In just four weeks at A\J, I’ve met many new people (virtually, of course), beyond just the A\J team. I’ve been able to have conversations with individuals who are highly experienced, accomplished, admired in environmental fields of work. I’ve been given opportunities to network and listen to these people’s stories. I already feel much more equipped with connections than I did before starting this job, but I’ve also realized how easy it can be to talk to people. You never know how much in common you might have with a university dean or sustainability leader until you have a conversation with them!
How to BE a writer

On top of improving my writing, I’m also learning how to be a writer. There is a difference, trust me. I think you can be very skilled at writing but not be a writer. Dipping my toe into the world of environmental journalism has taught me that…

1. The work doesn’t stop when you sign off for the day. Your work is on the news, on social media, in almost every conversation, and it is literally in your mind all the time. I’m starting to see everything as a potential story. When work aligns with your passion, it doesn’t fit into a 9 to 5 day because passion doesn’t turn off once the work day is done.
2. In order to be a writer, you have to understand yourself to a tee. Understanding the ebbs and flows of one’s own writing is so important – as David told me from day one. I’ve been befriending my inner muse, inner critic, and inner storyteller, and I’ve practiced wrangling them up and getting them all working at once. It’s not always easy, but when it happens, it’s a beautiful thing.
3. I need to find a healthy balance between the busy times full of meetings and emails, and sitting quietly with my thoughts. Sometimes in order to write, I need zero distractions, otherwise I’ll never produce anything valuable. But other times, those distractions are important to pay attention to because they might spark an idea (and they’re also part of my job). I’m learning how to balance this and how to capitalize on my opportunities to write. For example, if I have a free moment to write but have a mental block, taking a break to walk in nature does wonders.

Pathways uncovered

The most common question I receive as a young adult is “What do you want to do after you graduate?” and I’ve always struggled with pinning down an answer. I’ve never known what exactly I want to do, and I still don’t, but in many ways, working at A\J is allowing me to see that I don’t need to choose one specific pathway. I can merge my passions and do lots of things with my future career. This job has introduced me to many people and many pathways I never thought of considering before, so it has only added more options to my uncertainty of the future – in a good way! I feel driven, more than ever, to continue dipping my toes into as many places I can and keep writing and having conversations with people wherever I end up.

Published Accomplishments

Now, this article is not just a spotlight on my work, because ultimately, this is about my experience at A\J and how the team has facilitated this growth for me. But, I do want to highlight a few of my physical accomplishments on top of all the lessons I’ve learned. I’ve published 4 of my own articles and put together 4 WTF (Week This Friday) columns, and that’s just on the A\J website. I’m working on a lot of behind the scenes pieces that you’ll see in our next print issue, Playbook for Progress! This is all to say that being an A\J intern is not without its many opportunities to get your name out there and publish as much as you have to offer.

Going Forward

Clearly, I’ve experienced a whirlwind of growth and excitement in the past 4 weeks and I don’t expect it to stop now! I’ve still got 3 more months left – lots more to do, to learn, and to be a part of. I know that even once my work placement with A\J is over, the experience and lessons I’ve learned will stick with me and carry over into whatever comes next for me. Who knows – maybe I’ll find myself back here one day! I don’t know where I’ll be in a couple years from now, let alone 4 months from now, but I hope to stay connected to A\J in some capacity, and if I’ve learned anything from my time here, it’s the power of planting that first seed.

The post Opening Paragraphs appeared first on A\J.

There’s nothing funny in the above paragraph. Which is ironic given that no one here at Alternatives Journal (A\J) who had the pleasure of working with (or even just meeting with) Wayne went away without smiling. The subject matters that interested Wayne most were also important and very serious matters, yet our team members first recall the witty headline suggestions and the self-deprecating asides. Don’t get us wrong; the deep ponderings and unique perspectives that Wayne shared with our readers in A\J issues throughout the years were always a feast of food-for-thoughts. You don’t become an ’eminence gris’ without earning the accolades, which Wayne did as individual Canadians, government officials, leading corporations and impactful charitable organizations came to appreciate Wayne’s persistent advocacy for more secure food systems to benefit all Canadians.

We all – all Canadians – have benefited from Wayne’s insights and ideas as they’ve shaped policy and planted the seeds for more meaningful actions to ensure that access to affordable and healthy food choices are available to each and everyone of us.

“When someone in Toronto goes to a farmers’ market or they harvest from a community garden or they see that their local grocery store has more local food in it — Wayne played a vital role in making that happen,” Mike Schreiner, Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario leader said.

“He is the godfather of good food policy for Canada for the things that he contributed to food policy in Toronto and Canada at large,” mentioned Anan Lololi, executive director of Afri-Can FoodBasket.

And, as mentioned, we were fortunate to have Wayne share his wisdom and witticisms with our readers on a frequent basis, starting in the mid-00s. His frequent collaborator on our side is long-timer A\Jer and our Publisher Emerita, Marcia Ruby. Marcia shared her thoughts with as as she reflected on Wayne’s involvment and impact our our own work – and the legendary legacy he leaves for others to follow.

In early 2000s, Wayne reached out to A/J to ensconce the idea of food sovereignty in food conversation and policy (29:4, 2003). Food issues have been one of the most popular issue themes here at Alternatives, performing the best on newsstands, and referred to by researchers and activists.

Three years later, for the same reason, Wayne led the editorial charge to scale up on Canada’s food security measures. (32:3)

had many conversations with Wayne apart from his issues and articles. He was generous in contributing advice and strategy for Alternatives, quite separate from editorial. He was a connector– sometimes he’d refer writers working on cutting edge research to me and I’d often refer budding food activist students to Wayne. Not many months would pass without an email exchange or two.

Wayne would always add a special splash to any line of copy, including this, the last line in the editorial for Food Securtiy:

Welcome to food sovereignty: crisp and eager, with a note of the commons, an undertone of nature, a good nose and a sharp finish.

We were very fortunate in 2007 when Wayne agreed to join the A\J’s editorial board, the roundtable of luminaries who help shape issue themes and story ideas. Not a Food issue went by that Wayne did not contribute to. One of the memorable articles was “Eat This Recession” (35:6, 2009) where Wayne crunched a bunch of numbers to show the virtuous results of several approaches including green roofs and a four-day work week. It was so thick with numbers that our editor, Nicola Ross, was compelled to send it to several referees. She had so many opposing views that she wrote a little intro, shared these views and invited others to offer theirs. And I summarized these scenarios by working with an artist to create diagrams of each. One of the higher maintenance but rewarding things I’ve done at A\J. It was a lot to chew and pretty popular.

I sent him this note this past Sunday.

Hi Wayne

You are one inspiring man, Mr. Roberts! Thank you for the years of guidance and for all of your contributions to the food movement – in Alternatives and the ocean of other initiatives and thinking that you have created over the years. So much of your generous and sage advice came my way (always delivered in good humor and your infectious giggle, hence, whenever I think of you, I see your face and your great big grin).

Wayne, I’ve got to say, you get the prize for most innovative and entertaining writing on food in Alternatives! “Digest This!” “Eat This Recession” and “Eating Insects: Waiter, There’s no Fly in My Soup” to name but a few.

Love you lots Wayne.

Marcia

Wayne’s contribution, Eat This Recession, in a 2009 issue of Alternatives Journal (A\J)

Nicola Ross, A\J editor from the mid-00s to 2011, also remembers Wayne fondly:

Wayne had the best laugh and the most positive outlook. So smart and he came up with what I think was the best article title during my tenure. On his article about eating insects, the title was “Waiter, there’s no Fly in my Soup.”

Wayne most recently wrote for us in 2017, contributing Radical Food Resistance to our, you guessed it, FOOD issue that year. You can read it yourself – actually, you really should – as he started the article as follows:

I feel totally torn about what I’m going to write here. I’ve been working mostly from the right side of my brain since I became a food enthusiast 20 years ago, but now I feel my left brain calling me to pay more attention to logic and analysis. My right brain tells me we have chalked up a string of successes over the past two decades, and should continue building on that momentum.

Indeed, few social movements can claim as impressive a list of accomplishments as food movements, advances made almost entirely through the efforts of young volunteers, poorly paid employees of grassroots groups and mindful shoppers.

As an organization dedicated to crafting and delivering entertaining and enlightening environmental storytelling, we always knew we could count on Wayne to lift our spirits and expand our mental horizons. We were so very fortunate to have shared those stories with you, our readers, as it gave us an opportunity to meet the man himself. And, as you can read from the above anecdotes and special notes, we are so profoundly grateful for that opportunity.

Please enjoy Wayne Robert’s writing in A\J.

The post Reflections on Wayne Roberts appeared first on A\J.

After living through one heck of an eventful year in 2020, I have reflected a lot on what social media activism really means, and the recurring question I ponder is whether social media activism is actually effective or if it can be counterproductive to its objectives of advancing social and environmental sustainability.

What is Social Media Activism?

Social media activism is a form of advocacy that can include protesting, campaigning, or raising awareness through the use of social media platforms. By using hashtags, online movements can rapidly spread through the world of media, and gain momentum and attention by “trending”, which means becoming one of the top concerns on social media at a given time. But social media activism can often come across as lazy and fake when it is not followed by genuine action, so critics coined a new term for this online facade: “slacktivism”. How do we differentiate between genuine activism on social media platforms and slacktivism?

SOURCE: The Nib

A trend I see amongst my fellow young people on social media is that we each have an “image” that we’ve created of ourselves on our profiles. We are concerned with our aesthetic – what our online presence says about us – and those things are driven by what we post and share on social media. That even applies to people who don’t post anything at all. The silence, unwillingness, or lack of interest in sharing and posting content still upholds a certain image.

I’ll be honest with you, I am completely guilty of slacktivism myself.

What we share and post contributes to and upholds our online reputations by showing what we care about; however, it is all too often that I see people sharing posts that contribute to their identity as an activist, yet it seems that no real action or growth have followed. And isn’t change the main goal of activism? Raising awareness only goes so far before the sharing and posting needs to turn into demonstrating and changing.

I’ll be honest with you, I am completely guilty of slacktivism myself. I have shared plenty of posts on Instagram, adding my own comments encouraging or challenging people to “wake up” to those issues because I support the cause and want to share it, yet sometimes that’s as far as my activism goes. Sometimes I even find myself doing the opposite of what I have shared and advocated for online. I’m sure there have been times when I’ve shared a bunch of posts about the importance of buying local, seasonal produce, and then gone to the store and bought a bag of oranges from Spain. Or perhaps there was a post about a crisis in a developing country that had been circulating through my social media feed and I shared it without actually doing any of the work, like signing the petitions, donating, or educating myself further on the issue at hand.

I was in school this past summer in 2020 and took a literature course that required me to buy 5 novels for the class. Although I tend to be quick to post and share things about boycotting unsustainable corporations, screwing capitalism, and the like, I still somehow ended up ordering all the books I needed on Amazon, which probably came from all over the world and simply put more money in Jeff Bezos’ pocket. I don’t even recall looking at local alternatives beforehand or even asking friends if they had those books that I could borrow. My brain defaulted to searching the books on Amazon and clicking “buy”. Sharing posts on my social media didn’t result in a genuine change in me.

Obviously, no one is perfect and we should all just do what we can. It is not terrible to buy oranges or occasionally buy products on Amazon, as long as you’re doing your best with the resources and capacity that you have. But my point is that my social media image and the environmental and social activist posts that I shared were not followed with genuine change on my part, even though I could easily make those changes. I was not practicing what I preached.

So, can the progress of movements actually be stalled if people are just sharing the content but no one is taking action or actively trying to change? This is how the rise of social media activism can be counterproductive to genuine activism. The act of retweeting a post on Twitter may allow people to feel as though they have done their part and satisfied their “activist duty”, even when no action or transformation has really taken place (me being anti-Amazon online, then buying books on Amazon offline). Maybe my social media activity gave me a sense of fulfillment that allowed me to mentally check off the “activism” box in my mind, giving me more space to make less sustainable choices, given that I had “already done my good for the day”.

Source: Diginews

We have been living in an online world for a while now, and the global pandemic has only accelerated the extent of online life. As young activists, it may seem harder than ever to do anything beyond the online work. But even during the pandemic, we can take part in both social media activism and activism in our offline lives as well. Online activism needs to be followed by real action that supports those ideas.

Despite all the toxic traits of the social media world, there are still plenty of positive aspects of social media activism.

I wanted to dive deeper into this concern because it’s clear that there are issues with slacktivism, but I know social media activism isn’t all bad – like anything, there are pros and cons. So, how can we embrace the advantages and be wary of the problems?

Cons

First, a few of the cons…

• Misinformation

Activism on social media can lead to a variety of issues regarding the legitimacy of information that is shared. Not all information online is reliable. Social media is notorious for spreading misinformation because people tend to believe what they want to believe and don’t always fact check the sources.

• Confirmation bias

Social media also drives strong oppositions of “sides” by upholding worldviews. There are issues with confirmation bias, which is just a fancy term explaining how people only see information online that they support and that confirms their beliefs.

• Systemic issues with algorithms

On social media there are also behind-the-scenes mechanisms at work called algorithms, which are programs that learn what you like and support from your information, like the accounts you follow, content you like and share, and so on. But algorithms are not unbiased in the slightest. Algorithms ensure that the content you see and hear is content that supports your worldview, and this is dangerous because how can you ever learn the full story when you only ever see your perspective of it? No change can come from this. The walls that separate us from the stuff we don’t want to hear need to be broken down in order for transformation and dialogue to happen.

Speaking of algorithm bias, Instagram and Facebook have been accused of having racist algorithms. And they likely do. Algorithms are programs that are created and controlled by programmers. Take the programmers of Instagram, for example. Those people are working for someone, so who is instructing their work? Who is the head honcho directing orders? The head of Instagram is Adam Mosseri, an American, white man. And prior to him, Instagram was founded by two other American, white men. So… it might be safe to say that some systemic issues are likely embedded in our social media, and they may present issues of oppression by burying and uplifting certain voices in the algorithms.

• The mute button and “cancel culture”

The mute button is also alive and well on social media. If posts are circling around that you don’t agree with, you have the choice to simply click one of many buttons to make it all go away – mute, unfollow, report, block. Conflict can easily be avoided, at least by the people who are privileged enough to experience those issues only second hand through media. It’s too easy to shut yourself off from conflicts that you could take part in solving. And this past year, people on social media were muting these issues in a new way through “cancel culture”, where a group of people publicly shamed and ostracized individuals and brands, essentially “cancelling” them from society. But cancelling something is not very productive. We can’t resort to voting people off the island just because we don’t like them. Cancel culture does not allow the necessary space to have conversations and begin transformation.

• Lack of real action

And of course, likes and hashtags do not always result in change, actions do. Posts and hashtag movements and sharing can be a wonderful way to spark the flame, but they won’t fuel the wildfire.

Pros

Despite all the toxic traits of the social media world, there are still plenty of positive aspects of social media activism.

• Messages to movements!

Social media is a strong vessel for raising awareness, and spreading news and messages. Within seconds, ideas can spread across the globe and movements can be started.

• Educating and inspiring

Social media platforms have also transformed into spaces where people can learn from one another by listening to each other’s stories. As long as you’re learning from reliable information, there are plenty of online resources to educate ourselves on certain topics. Social media can be a wonderful place to spark ideas and gain inspiration!

• Global connections

Online, people can network, establish meaningful relationships, and join together in solidarity across the world with others who believe in a common purpose.

• Gaining support

Fundraising or gaining support on petitions for causes have never been easier. Think about how much change and awakening have come from the Black Lives Matter movement across all media platforms. Or Greta Thunberg’s social media activism with her weekly photos of her climate strike.

SOURCE: Hypebae

Overall, social media activism is not a bad thing, but it can potentially be counterproductive to activist movements and present barriers to change if it turns into slacktivism, when the online work is not followed with offline work.

Conducting Genuine Online Activism 

My reflection and research on this topic have allowed me to compile a list of simple actions that I believe we can do to avoid slacktivism and make sure our activism efforts are genuine and productive. And going forward, I aim to follow all of these pieces of advice to improve my own activism and make it meaningful.

• Be mindful. Try not to share posts blindly. Read and understand what you’re sharing before you do so. Make sure you ask yourself whether you’re sharing that post for the greater purpose of progressing the cause or simply upholding your image.
• Follow with action and show the world. Do more than the act of sharing and posting – take actions and make changes in your own life to reflect that you genuinely support the causes you share. And show those actions on your social media! That is the beauty of social media activism – you can inspire others with your own personal experiences and contributions!
• Take advice from more experienced activists. Talk to an activist that made change before the age of social media. You may learn some valuable lessons from them.
• Have conversations. Talk to your friends and family and others who don’t agree with you. Try to have those difficult conversations in order to plant seeds in their mind and inspire them.
• Educate yourself. If you don’t have the capacity to take action in your life, then take time to educate yourself. Mental changes are just as important as physical ones. Learn about all perspectives, read other people’s stories, do research. Reflect, journal, and ponder. These are all exercises and activities that will support your activism and make it meaningful.
• Ask questions. Pause and ask yourself questions while undertaking social media activism – does this align with my moral compass and internal purpose? How can I advocate for change in those areas on social media and in my own life?
• Be authentic and be honest. Remember – no one is the perfect activist ; there is no one right way to do activism. Find what works for you and roll with it. Do the work, but remember to take care of yourself too. We all still need time to rest and recharge when fighting for a better world.

What do you think? Is social media activism an effective tool for making positive change, or is it a barrier? I don’t think there is a simple answer. Activism on social media is definitely a catalyst for change and a first step towards transformation, but we, as online activists, need to be aware of slacktivism and the systemic issues within social media. At the end of the day, the goal is to be a better version of you and to keep doing good in the world on screen and off screen. So, what are you doing off screen to support your activism that your followers might not see?

The post THE REALITIES OF SLACKTIVISM appeared first on A\J.

The selected candidate will assist the A/J Editorial Team with magazine layout, creation, and accompanying graphics of our next issue, 80 pages plus cover and back. The ideal candidate should have an interest in environmental issues as well as a high proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and working in a Mac-centric environment.

Interested candidates are encouraged to send their resume, cover letter and a sample of their work (this can include a link to an online gallery) to siobhan.mullally@alternativesjournal.ca

We’re looking to fill this position immediately and this posting will remain open until filled.

Alternatives Journal is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically seeks to employ individuals from a variety of backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

The post Call for Designer! appeared first on A\J.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2020

My neighbourhood 7-Eleven convenience first supplied me with hot fried foods to snack on during the movie, and then I made the 1-kilometer walk, on un-shovelled sidewalk, sprayed by icy slush while the snow found its way underneath my scarf onto my neck, to the bus stop. The bus was understandably 25 minutes late and brought me to the theatre at warp speed with no regard for human life. I arrived just in time to order a quality genmaicha tea and get my ticket to Fantastic Fungi, the only movie playing on the one screen in the quaint, independent Hyland Cinema.

In 2009, the BBC released their Jungles episode of Planet Earth in which parasitic cordyceps infiltrate insects’ bodies and brains, causing them to exhibit strange behaviours. Suddenly, cordycep fruiting bodies erupt from their heads, releasing deadly spores into the air capable of infecting and killing insects in the vicinity! “How cool”, I thought–invisible spores able to bring down a colony of millions of ants in a matter of weeks. So began my amateur mycophilia, or love of mushrooms.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2019

If anything, hundreds of millions of ants living in organized, hierarchal underground colonies deserve a worthy predator. Like ants, fungi also live underground; extending their mycelia networks trillions of miles all over the planet. But they also live within us, in the deepest oceanic trenches, within Antarctic rocks, and maybe on Mars. Fantastic Fungi presents the magical, mysterious, and sometimes mystical world of mushrooms through stunning visuals. Using CGI, time-lapse, and mesmerizing fractal animation, Brie Larson occasionally narrates from the point of view of the collective Fungi kingdom.

As you may recall, according to botanist Carl Linnaeus’s hierarchy of biological classification, the fungi kingdom is the most populous and diverse. With an estimated 2.2 million to 3.8 million species, ranging from unicellular organisms to bioluminescent mushrooms, Fantastic Fungi illuminates how little is actually known about this beautiful kingdom.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2019

The mysterious nature of fungi leads to fear in some cases. Fungi are primarily associated with death and decay; imagine a decomposing mouse or moldy cheese. But different species of fungi return that mouse slime to the soil in the form of beneficial nutrients, and others work together with bacteria to produce the veiny, intentional mold in blue cheese. Fantastic Fungi seeks to shift the fungi narrative from one of death and decay to one where fungi represent rebirth, rejuvenation, and regeneration. While plants and animals die every day, fungi, working as the digestive tract of the planet, feast on this death and enable rebirth. Without fungi, there wouldn’t have been space on the Earth for humans to evolve alongside the epic piles of dead plant and animal matter.

No discussion on mushrooms is complete without mention of the psychedelic variety. This is another quality of mushrooms that has been largely ignored by the scientific community due to government controlled substance acts. However, certain advocates hypothesize that early human’s contact with psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in ‘magic mushrooms’, caused the rapid evolution of cognitive abilities. This so-called ‘Stoned Ape Hypothesis’ may offer an explanation for the unusually rapid doubling of the human brain somewhere between 2 million and 100,000 years ago. Certainly any modern human with experience with psilocybin can attest to its consciousness-altering effects. In fact, Fantastic Fungi’s human hero, passionate mycologist and mushroom entrepreneur Paul Stamets, unlearned his childhood stutter after a somewhat misguided (read: dangerously high) dose of psilocybin.

Fantastic Fungi is a mesmerizing, brief foray into the fungi kingdom of unrealized potential. Considering humans would be much more vulnerable to disease without the various antibiotics derived from fungi, one might be curious to learn more about them.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2019

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Sources

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/thames-river-floods-after-nearly-70-mm-of-rain-1.5424630

https://globalnews.ca/news/6433339/snow-storm-squall-london/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0038s7y

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/fungi-in-space/

https://www.inverse.com/article/34186-stoned-ape-hypothesis

The post Mesmerizing Mushrooms appeared first on A\J.

‘I don’t want to keep your environmental awards; I want you to keep your promises.’ This phrase basically sums up how Greta Thunberg feels about the praise from the climate work she has been doing. From declining awards such as the Nordic Council’s Environment Award 2019,  to telling world leaders ‘you are failing us’. The 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist has become the leader of the present-day climate movement. However, the climate movement has been around for some time. It is considered to have begun in the early 1990s, starting with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The framework was signed by 154 nations, including Canada, whereby these nations committed to reducing anthropogenic influenced greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, for many nations signing the framework did not cause any drastic changes to be made. After Canada signed the framework, the Canadian government continues to handout billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies. This begs the question, why has the climate movement not been taken seriously in the past?

Inaction on climate change has caused the youth to strike and fight back for their future. The Global Climate Strike from September 20th-27th had a record turnout of around 7.6 million people! That’s about half of all Ontarians coming out to support climate change, which is the biggest climate mobilisation in history. Youth led climate strikes have created a spark around the globe and have become the foundation for climate action for the future. However, is this enough to encourage governments and policymakers to adopt more radical action to curb climate change? Without government support much of the awareness generated from climate strikes could have minimal effect.    

The climate strikes that occurred around the globe have evidently increased public awareness regarding climate change. This evokes people demanding change to protect the future of our planet for our children and grandchildren. We are now starting to hold our global leaders accountable for the climate action needed. In 2017, Canada put forward a Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF) published in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. The LCEF aims to generate clean growth, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help Canada meet Paris Agreement commitments. And this all sounds impressive and dandy for Canada…Yet, hundreds of thousands of Canadians still came together to strike for our climate during The Global Climate Strike. Why are Canadians, like many others around the globe, suddenly more concerned about climate change? 

The reason why Canadians may be so concerned about the current state of the climate could simply come down to one word – urgency. The sense of urgency for climate action, however, needs to continue increasing. Even after implementing the LCEF, a 2 billion dollar plan, we are still one of the largest emitters of CO2equivalent per capita. The mitigation strategies in place are not designed to create change fast enough. What is being done is not enough, and that is why millions of people around the globe came together to fight for our planet. The climate strikes, led by Thunberg, have brought the sense of urgency required to provoke governments and policymakers into creating rapid change for the wellbeing of the planet. 

After attending one of the climate strikes in London, Ontario, I understood the power that a strike can have. One of the chants that resonated with me was “SYSTEM CHANGE, NOT CLIMATE CHANGE”. This chant was by far the most said, and it exemplified how people want policy reform. The climate strikes have acted as a catalyst for radical change, and they have begun to take the stigma away from the term “climate change”. Since the climate strikes, people are more determined than ever to focus on the environment. And the people who are interested in saving the planet are no longer just environmentalists; they are mainstream individuals who simply care about the fate of our world. 

 The climate movement is more dominant than ever, and much of the increase in attention is a direct result of Greta Thunberg. Thunberg has drastically changed the way the public perceives climate change. The public wants climate action! And they want it NOW.

The post Greta Thunberg and the Climate Movement appeared first on A\J.

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Follow up:

Sources: News this week

The Recap is part of our Student Summer Takeover series which aims to amplify the voices of young people in environmental media. New episodes will be released at the beginning of every week, don’t miss out!

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Follow up:

Sources: News this week

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/greta-thunberg-four-days-into-atlantic-crossing https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/21/amazonian-rainforest-is-ablaze-turning-day-into-night-brazils-capital-city/?noredirect=on https://www.livescience.com/46319-oil-drilling-contaminated-amazon.html https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article234161407.html

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