As we cope with extreme heat waves and unpredictable wildfires this summer, it is hard to deny that climate change is a reality. With record setting high temperatures in many places in the West, this stretch of hot weather is a searing reminder of how human actions are affecting our planet. If global warming continuesContinue reading “Climate change is a health crisis”
Category Archives: Community
Avoiding low-value healthcare: sometimes less is more
You can’t get enough of a good thing. Or can you? In Canada, we use public funds to pay for diagnostic tests, surgeries and many medical treatments so it is natural to assume that more medical care is better. The more you get tested, diagnosed and treated, the healthier and longer your life will be.Continue reading “Avoiding low-value healthcare: sometimes less is more”
Is our government working for Albertans?
This month marks a year since the United Conservative Party won the provincial elections under Danielle Smith. Affordability and health care were the top issues identified by Albertan voters in the lead-up to the election. Now a year later, Albertans continue to face high food prices, a lack of adequate and affordable housing and difficultyContinue reading “Is our government working for Albertans?”
Housing is a human right
With asylum seekers dying waiting for shelter space in Mississauga and single mothers denied rental housing in Halifax, Canada’s lack of affordable housing is becoming a frank violation of human rights. Housing, like the need for food and water, is a basic human need. International law recognizes the social right to housing in the UniversalContinue reading “Housing is a human right”
We are sick of sick notes
There is one thing doctors and patients can readily agree upon: we both hate sick notes. Patients loathe waiting long hours in overcrowded waiting rooms to request a note and doctors detest the added burden on the healthcare system in providing one. Sick note policies increase use of scarce healthcare resources as employees are forcedContinue reading “We are sick of sick notes”
We only have one planet
The contemporary environmental crises, driven by overconsumption, threaten the planet. The UN reports a threefold increase in resource consumption, with wealthier nations consuming excessively. Overconsumption fosters anxiety, depression, and climate change. To mitigate this, individuals can reduce travel, buy fewer items, and support policies that promote sustainable infrastructure and economic equality. Governments and businesses also play pivotal roles in addressing overconsumption and safeguarding the planet for future generations.
Destabilizing Alberta’s Healthcare System
The UCP government in Alberta has proposed major restructuring of the health care system causing concern for potential increase in fragmentation and expenses. Critics argue the changes could deplete quality patient care, destabilize the healthcare system, and politicize decisions. While some see potential improvements in attention to primary, continuing care, mental health, and addictions services, the overall impact of restructuring on the province’s health crisis remains questionable.
Why a living wage matters
With soaring food prices, unaffordable housing costs and rising energy bills, a living wage becomes ever more relevant for Albertans. Referring to the hourly wage a full-time worker needs to make to pay for basic expenses while maintaining a modest standard of living, a living wage is about ensuring dignity for all those who workContinue reading “Why a living wage matters”
Cleaning up our act in healthcare
The healthcare system is tasked with saving lives and improving the health of populations and individuals. But what if it is contributing to environmental degradation and global warming, and making us sicker in the process? The healthcare system is the fifth largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions globally and contributes 4.6% to all greenhouse gasContinue reading “Cleaning up our act in healthcare”
Overtourism is crushing us
There is an elephant in the room, and no one dares name it. Instead, in the Bow Valley we prefer to talk about traffic congestion, housing scarcity, labour shortages and environmental degradation, as if these are discrete, unrelated problems that each call for a different set of solutions. Our denial of the root cause ofContinue reading “Overtourism is crushing us”
