July 2016

Permaculture, food-forests, and a globally emerging paradigm-shift in agricultural design, inspired at Envision Festival 2016 Costa Rica What is it about the experience of Transformational Music Festivals held in epic nature-centered spaces that puts us so much more in touch with that highest expression of the human spirit, of our soul, our dreams and indeed...

July 2016

A journey of 300 editions by Bruce Mason Words and pictures of a shared past, present and future, from founders, friends and fellow travellers To page through the first few issues of Common Ground magazine (beginning in winter, 1982) is to pry open a time capsule and be astonished and awakened by the contents. And to hold – first in your hands, then in your...

July 2016

  Common Ground magazine and I have been friends for 34 years! I was present at its 1982 birth and launch party in a Vancouver back yard. I like long-term friendships and this has been a good one. The articles throughout the magazine are lively and thought provoking. Common Ground has long been a leader regarding environmental concerns and health and human...

July 2016

Doctors need to “show more spine” DRUG BUST by Alan Cassels   • The disease-creation machine continues to creep forward, threatening to consume even more of us healthy people. Consider these recent news items: – Americans, we are told, are facing an epidemic of heart disease. New cholesterol guidelines suggest that virtually the entire...

July 2016

GMO labelling Bill 764 full of loopholes • On July 6, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a bill mandating labelling for genetically engineered (GE) foods, but the legislation has been denounced by critics as inadequate and riddled with loopholes. Senate Bill 764 now moves to the House of Representatives for a debate and vote. If passed in the House and signed by...

July 2016

Adding activity to your routine is a key contributor to health and happiness. With your summer workout routine in mind, we have a few tips to help you improve power, enhance performance and optimize hydration. Boosting power When looking to boost your power or strength at the gym, you want to stimulate new muscle growth through resistance and endurance...

July 2016

by Dr. W. Gifford-Jones • What would it be like living in a world without antibiotics, where a simple infection could kill you? It could happen, as increasing numbers of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. But there are ways to bypass antibiotics so this frightening scenario doesn’t occur. One herbal remedy, recently imported from Europe, can help to end...

July 2016

by Elizabeth Murphy     • The Vancouver housing affordability crisis is being addressed by a rush to zone, on the false premise that unaffordability is being caused by a lack of zoning supply. This is like the former Bush administration’s rush to war with Iraq, based on false information about Iraq’s “weapons of mass destruction.”...

July 2016

by Alan Sanderson   • Over the Labour Day weekend (September 1-4) the multi-award-winning male choir, Côr Meibion Colwyn from North Wales, will be the featured choir at the North American Festival of Wales, held in Calgary this year. Music director Tudur Eames conducts Colwyn in the Saturday Concert and also the Cymanfa Ganu (congregational hymn...

July 2016

But will the CRTC listen? INDEPENDENT MEDIA by David Christopher   • “You have used 100% of your monthly data allocation. Additional charges will apply.” There’s probably not an Internet user out there who hasn’t grimaced upon receiving a message like this from their telecom provider. Sadly, mean-spirited data caps, accompanied by extortionate...

July 2016

A Tale of Two Books READ IT by Bruce Mason • I just finished reading a couple of current, timely, best-selling BC books back to back – make that back and forth – that speak volumes about our worrisome future. They also cry out for comparison. The first book focuses on the life and times of our premier, the second, on the result of a five-year global...

July 2016

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • I’ve always had a soft spot for Adelaide in South Australia, a city built more on a human scale where downtown can be easily navigated on bike, foot or tram. For me, Adelaide’s greatest attraction is a huge market right in the city’s centre. When I first visited Adelaide in 1993, I met Mike Rann, a young, charismatic...

July 2016

NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina MS, RD • The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has named 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Pulses are edible seeds that grow in pods – peas, beans, lentils. They are also known as legumes. Pulses are packed with nutrients, especially B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and folate) and minerals (iron,...