Call For Submissions
A Question of Scale
Due: May 28, 2008
Is small always beautiful? Small-scale industry is often functional and sustainable, but sometimes it seems to be limited to a peripheral role. Where and to what extent can it be dominant? When is small best, and when do we need to involve major players in order to achieve substantial change?
Alternatives Journal is looking for examples of successes and failures in artisanal mining, small-scale forestry, agriculture or other sectors in an attempt to discover whether, when and how small-scale and sustainable development are merry bedfellows.
Ideas include, but are not limited to:
- Should sustainable forestry certification programs, such as FSC, prefer small-scale logging operations?
- With the current push for local food, can there be sufficient sustainable supply from nearby farms?
- Is there a role for small scale mining operations in developing countries, and are they necessarily better for the environment and nearby communities?
- Can we achieve sustainability without engaging large scale industrial operators?
- To what extent do we need provincial, national or even global government or governance initiatives to support attractive small scale operations in the face of the advantages already won by global corporations?
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 in your submission.
Send submissions electronically to Nicola Ross, Executive Editor (editor @ alternativesjournal.ca) by May 28, 2008.
For submission procedures, please visit:
http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/content/view/368#procedure
