Alternatives Journal is looking for articles that define the boundaries and test the soundness of sustainability in the 21st Century.

It’s been 20 years since Gro Harlem Brundtland coined the phrase “sustainable development.” Since then, the term has had amazing staying power. Although it has been co-opted to serve divergent interests and has taken on myriad meanings over the years, it is now part of our vernacular.

Skeptics believe the term has become a convenient instrument for industry and government to promote the status quo. But a number of recent project decisions may herald a new trend in how we measure the sustainability of a project or activity.

Canada has reached a pivotal point with initiatives in BC, Nova Scotia and the North West Territories (including Voisey’s Bay, Screech Lake, Kemess North, White’s Point Quarry and the Mackenzie Valley Natural Gas Project) being either rejected outright or approved with major conditions. Regulatory agencies found that these initiatives were not sustainable, and in some cases questioned how the proponents dealt with aboriginal interests.

We invite you to submit article ideas that will help environmental planners, corporate environmental officers, government reviewers and the Canadian public better understand the current trends in sustainability. Proposals may include ideas that:

• Get to the truth by describing how we can tell when sustainability reporting is real or just greenwash.
• Describe projects in Canada or internationally that illustrate this trend toward a new focus on sustainability
• Describe what a contemporary sustainable economy would look like
• Consider whether a sustainable energy project (e.g. wind, solar) is, by definition, sustainable
• Discuss what sustainable development means today and in the future
• Investigate why and how these trends are emerging.

Alternatives combines the learned rigour of an academic journal with the breezy style of a magazine. We aim to publish the best environmental writing in the country – writing that is engaging, thought-provoking and insightful.

Before responding to this call for submissions, please read several back issues of the magazine so that you understand the nature of our publication. We also suggest you go through the detailed submission procedures to understand the types and lengths of articles we accept.
 

Queries should explain, in less than 300 words, the content and scope of your article, and should convey your intended approach, tone and style. Please include a list of people you will interview, potential images or sources for images and the number of words you propose to write. We would also like to receive a very short bio. And if you have not written for Alternatives before, please include other examples of your writing. Articles range from about 500 to 2000 words in length.

Keep in mind that our lead time is several months. Articles should not be so time-bound that they will seem dated once published.
 

Alternatives has a limited budget of about 10 cents per word for several articles. This stipend is available to professional and amateur writers and students only. Please indicate your interest in this funding and email your submission to editor@alternativesjournal.ca, by February 4, 2008.