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seven voices in food systems and public health convened last week at walrus talks to discuss the quality of our future tied to the flourishing of animals.
following are speaker highlights. “imagine this: you’re in the atlantic forest of brazil on a family farm using traditional, locally-adapted farm practices passed down through generations. chickens and pigs forage and roam freely. the farm is diverse, the soil is rich, the water is clean.” the industrial food system is not doing what we expected it to. it’s causing 80% biodiversity loss, soil and water quality decline, and restricted food autonomy. the system can change by divesting from industrial food stocks, buying whole local food, and asking officials to support eco-farmers. —dr. alison blay-palmer, unesco chair on food, biodiversity, and sustainability studies “like most physician colleagues, i was not taught in training about the profound link between diet and disease. now i talk to all of my patients about food because the evidence is clear. one of the most powerful levers for change is on our plates.” non-communicable disease accounts for 3/4 of global deaths. a significant portion of which could be prevented by lifestyle behaviours. in canada, of ~$372 billion spent on healthcare in 2024 (~$9,054 per person), little was directed to prevention. —dr. zahra kassam, radiation oncologist, stronach regional cancer centre and assistant professor, university of toronto “the invention of antimicrobials was revolutionary. we would not be where we are without them. but antimicrobial resistance, this inevitable response, is counter-revolutionary.” antimicrobial resistance in food animals is estimated to cause loss equal to the needs of 750 million to 2 billion people by 2025. in canada, the cost is $1.4 billion+ a year. one way to reverse this is to reduce antibiotics to only when all other measures for improving health have been taken. —dr. scott weese, professor, ontario veterinary college, university of guelph “when a politician knocks on your door in the next election, ask them what they’re going to do to make sure environmental health, human health, and animal health are being dealt with together.” one health is a framework recognizing animals, humans, and environment as interconnected and unable to pull apart from each other or treat in isolation. this has informed policy planning around animal protection and attempts to operationalize the new food guide. —nathaniel erskine-smith, mp, beaches—east york “action doesn’t automatically change behaviour unless the environment supports it. this is where choice architecture comes in.” how choices are framed, like food on a menu, shapes decisions without limiting freedom. though plant-based support slowed under strong competitor influence, citizens can still influence restaurants, grocers, and officials to prioritize it, multiplying one choice into millions. —nital jethalal, executive director, institute for future food systems “even though animal farming is one of the biggest contributors of methane and nitrous oxide, we don’t see it mentioned in the news or on government agendas when the climate is discussed. but it’s starting to change.” people are saying no to factory farm expansion due to the harm it causes. conversely, on farms that let animals to roam freely and return to instinctual behaviours, the surrounding land and sky are naturally revitalizing. —tricia croasdell, ceo, world animal protection “the truth i’ve learned is that every animal has special powers. these powers have evolved through the pressures of life and death. every animal has its own niche.” wild animals remain connected to the web of life. they feed themselves, build shelter, stay warm or cool, find joy, and live with purpose. they do this by following the law of enough. to live by this law is to live within the web of life, held together by reciprocity. humans can do this again, too. —dr. joseph leblanc, assistant professor, indigenous health, nosm university; vice president, social accountability, association of faculties of medicine of canada references: https://youtu.be/xVZxnRwz7ts?si=Dg6Bgh1b-IlnCFrl https://thewalrus.ca/the-walrus-talks-the-power-of-animals/ recreation & leisure can get overlooked as an unserious line item in a city’s budget.
that assumption is shifting. reports on play increasingly point to play for not just improving physical health, but also for sparking creativity, building conflict-resolution skills, and strengthening neighbourhoods. plus, it’s fun. now, as cities respond to changes in socializing and free time, and their impact on health, city halls are pulling out their recreation & leisure strategies and asking: what does it take to create more play? to answer this question, doors open toronto convened playground designers, landscape architects, and culture planners to create a public conversation about play as a pillar of healthy civic life. following are speaker highlights. ~ enriching playgrounds for expanded play. beneficial risk, or non-hazardous decision moments like jumps and puzzles, teaches children about strategic thinking, which keeps them active for longer and encourages other ages to participate. discovery opportunities, like atypical designs and climbing levels with clear sight lines, inspire a sense of wonder. when we don’t know what to expect from a playground, we are driven to play by a desire to explore. non-prescriptive play, like wave structures abstract enough for sitting, climbing, or becoming an imagined ship or mountain, lets the same place be whatever the players wish to imagine. alex waffle, landscape architect, earthscape play ~ building skateparks for social cohesion. once considered an outlaw activity, skateboarding has become a social fixture across identities, ages, and skill levels, with low barriers to entry as an affordable, self-directed activity. much of this growth started by families seeking energetic outlets close to home, which led cities to start including skateparks in their master plans and recreation strategies. now, the once fringe movement has grown into a city-sanctioned sport with professionally-designed terrain surrounded by seating, shade, lighting, and pathways that connect to the neighbourhood. bill gurney, landscape architect and project lead, new line skateparks ~ activating scenes for unexpected connection. the best-case scenario of social infrastructure is when it compels both friends and strangers to gather and engage in a unique way. these tools help: familiarity prompts (you see a swing, you know how to use it), colour (if a structure stands out, it signals attention and use), and sustainability (repurposing materials that model education and intentional use). then there’s the magic ingredient: people using the space in ways you didn’t expect, and embracing it all the more because of it. coryn kempster and julia jamrozik, artists and designers ~ designing play into public works. not all play happens on the playground. when public works are equipped with play prompts, it stimulates interaction in otherwise barren spaces. less restricted by safety rules as non-formal play areas, parking lots become concert venues, plazas become exhibition spaces, and stormwater ponds become natural swimming pools for public enjoyment. configuring civic infrastructure in this way challenges where play belongs and makes the most of the public space that surrounds us. elise shelley, director of landscape, gh3* ~ transforming voids into public treasures. underpasses and other overlooked infrastructure can feel off-limits, but with the right design cues become places where people want to spend time. invitations are key: public washrooms, comfortable shelter, organized programming, regular promotion, and clear signage all welcome people in (or under). transforming forgotten spaces into welcoming ones is an affordable, high-impact strategy for cities where every square metre counts. ilana altman co-executive director, the bentway resources: + torontosocietyofarchitects.ca/events/doors-open-toronto-2025-architects-talk-spaces-for-play/ + vimeo.com/1088561128/fd992416b0 leaders in agriculture, housing, economics, and policy convened in toronto this spring to discuss advancing policies that benefit the environment and economy.
following are panel highlights. farming connectivity as climate policy as significant weather events test the resilience of food systems and farming infrastructure, the agriculture sector is growing its appreciation for cybersecurity. the challenge is, a knowledge gap in ag-iot (using technology in farming to monitor and manage crops and livestock) and a reluctance to trust farm-level data with the government, make the path to digital connectivity complicated. still, the technology exists and canadian farmers remain in competition with global peers who are often held to lower standards in supply and distribution. key to digital connectivity, say the speakers, includes: the agri-food sector aligning on principles for sharing data to accurately and publicly disclose quality standards, telcos expanding satellite reach to provide competitive connectivity options, technologists engaging farmers before building products to improve usability; and governments ensuring licensing criteria target last-mile connectivity, ag-iot investment incentives are strong, and climate impact assessments are conducted to support longevity. speakers: - anna kanduth, canadian climate institute - sangeeta lalli, telus agriculture and consumer goods - matthew mendelsohn, social capital partners - scott ross, canadian federation of agriculture indigenous economics as climate policy as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, the materials needed to build renewable energy systems, like copper and lithium, will come from indigenous land. the challenge is, a duty to consult viewed as a “check the box” problem, combined with few equipped to navigate regional sensitivities with knowledge and clarity, slows down the ability to work together. still, a profound intergenerational call to care for their members and protect the environment means there is great wisdom in understanding the distinctions within first nations, métis, inuit communities. key to indigenous economic development, say the speakers, includes: bringing diverse community views into broader societal debates; boosting community investing with loan guarantees and other capacity building supports; fostering support through distinctions-based dialogue; and providing equitable ownership, control, and participation in supply chain and project development processes. speakers: - kayli avveduti, confederacy of treaty six - marissa nobauer, telus reconciliation and community relations - jesse mccormick, first nations major projects coalition - matthew foss, canadian council for aboriginal business housing affordability as climate policy as the government sets a target of 3.5 million housing units by 2030, solving the housing puzzle calls for an “all-sectors-on-deck” approach. the challenge is, builders are struggling to meet the demand for affordable, sustainable, and climate-resilient homes. at the same time, rising energy prices and unpredictable weather continue to transform what our future housing needs to be. still, the tools and ideas to build and update our homes and neighbourhoods, resourcefully and at scale, exist. key to sustainable housing, say the speakers, includes building and updating homes for ‘lasting affordability.’ this means helping builders facilitate mutually-beneficial contracts with utility and mortgage providers, making flood maps publicly available to identify where to build, and including transportation, infrastructure, and energy costs in the calculations of a home’s value. speakers: - mike moffatt, place centre - steve mennill, independent consultant - phillip santana, mattamy homes - rachel samson, institute for research on public policy reference: thewalrus.ca/unexpected-climate-connections youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbi4iNa8MkNICsRqg22IqTnN2LU3vhsQP scientists, artists, cyberpunks, professors, and architects from the hague, sheffield, new york, denver, toronto, montreal, and singapore met virtually to discuss the complexities of dematerialization.
in a two-part series by designto, dematerialized discusses the process of breaking down our relationship with matter and converting physical experiences into virtual realms—and visa versa. following are symposium highlights. meandering on neo-futurist walks. long walks that begin with a route and end in a chat. neo-futurist walkers drift through cities to study the glitches, gather historic and scientific data, develop the sixth sense, and create new stories. they believe in wild nature’s right to thrive, stimulating collective imagination, and the urgent call to form new habits. “walking is our closest immaterial form of architecture.” —spatial designers aušra česnauskytė and goda verikaitė storing data to propagate wildlife. design interventions that turn parasitic situations into mutualistic ones. by integrating cloud computing (gaming, media, transactions, servers) into earth’s natural patterns, like taking excess heat to desalinate water, green deserts, and protect animals, co-existence in the technological anthropocene possible. “instead of attacking relationships, create new ones.” —multidisciplinary designer justin park defining the self through telco’s past. collective and evolutionary phone identities. redefinition design, a speculative research method, suggests our devices are more traditional than we think. drawing on lessons from the historic, telco-disrupting carterfone, what if our devices reflected our uniqueness, connectedness, and stages through life? “can we step beyond the system of the international mobile subscriber identity (ismi)?” —interdisciplinary research professor austin houldsworth seeding the sky with poetry. a return to cloud-seeding experiments to geoengineer climate mitigation—and maybe rethink our interactions with the sky. put on hold after military use intensified geopolitical risks, renewing exploration of cloud-making bacteria and technology could look like embedding its DNA, and our skies, with literature and music. “the most valiant motivation of science and art is that of discovery.” —ecologist and research professor joel ong pixelating the five (plus) senses. sensations capable of 0 and 1 translation. while digitization offers an infinite number of outputs like the analog world, we can’t yet broadcast all a pixel can do—or pixelate all we can sense. because few senses are measurable with quantifiable data, the sensory experience remains exclusively analog, for now. “our worlds are made up of what we can sense.” —artist and research professor lynne heller getting serious about archiving. archives in the era of ‘mnemophagy,’ or of devouring memory. the walls of the web are mutable, with (often shock) interface changes, purgeable content, and changing terms of service. with platforms a repository of artifacts for 21st century life, a loss of the era’s lore would mean a future based on pre-digital history. “forget what you’ve lost and save what you can.” —cyberethnographer and professor ruby thélot reading the particulate signals. material representation based on inherent logic, not outward appearance. by ‘rehearsing’ with materials and zooming on the behaviour of substance, we can understand how it’s held up, manipulated, and formed. computation allows us to think through time, gravity, energy, and geometry to understand our activities. “how do we draw and represent the immaterial?” —architect and practice owner alex yueyan actualizing what’s imagined in cyberspace. ‘machinima’ or making movies in virtual realms to tell stories and conceive futures. with customizability to make avatars, live in improbable spaces, and time travel to historic events, immaterial places are a medium to explore our heritage, experiment with our imagination, and practice bringing new ideas into the physical. “making them in real life is realizing the imaginary.” —cyberpunk and multimedia artist skawennati reference: designto.org/event/designto-talks-dematerialized danish builders and other european participants in emerging tech convened in copenhagen to discuss the future of decentralized web and distributed ledgers.
organized by the nordic blockchain association, the two-day event was backdropped by the immaculate urban planning of copenhagen, raising the question: is the nordics in the best position to showcase the transformative power of “new internet” to the world? following are conference highlights. owning internet europe lost the web2 battle (social media, online shopping) due to lack of investment. it did not build and then became a secondary market to american builders. unlike web1, which was read only, and web2, which was read and write, web3 is about reading, writing, and owning. this makes europe well-suited to lead an ownership-focused internet because of intrinsic value alignment: prioritizing governance and protecting individual freedom. comments by armin zadakbar, president of the european web3 organization governing paradox challenges in emerging tech are not technical issues but governance issues. from sourcing materials and delivering healthcare to managing refugees, processing payments, and powering energy grids, the concept of “digital privacy for the sake of social good” is contentious and debated. jurisdictions around the world hold deep and divergent beliefs around how to manage personal information. mediating these differences is key to unleashing their full potential. comments by andreas holbak espersen, brian christensen, simon ousager engaging fans giving governance control to fans via blockchain infrastructure has drawbacks. fans have emotional connections to athletes and entertainers and may not bring a context certain situations require. involving fans in some decisions but focusing on using the tech to create intimate fan experiences is more sustainable. comments by juan fuentes fernández, luis ferreira, michael jeppesen, lars-erik ravn, elgin kim. negotiating innovation few european startups go global, typically. with the lines of crypto governance blurred in the us while mena regulation merges with eu practices, this may change with emerging technologies. notably, while us-led negotiations are typically driven by contracts, the common negotiating practice in the eu and mena is conversation. comments by yulin liu, samuel arvidsson, andreas baand larsen, bugge holm hansen evolving crypto crypto adoption is highest in africa because there’s an immediate need for simplified transactions, where the amount of choice and level of confusion in western countries is slowing down adoption. at the same time, if no one were to challenge or provoke regulators, the industry wouldn’t progress or be clarified. comments by caner sevinc, tony evans, marius smith, adrian larsen, erina penkovsky powering lifestyle a shared challenge in the nordic startup ecosystem is the gap between those with funds and those with ideas focused on leveraging emerging technology to maintain a lifestyle as the primary incentive. this is in opposition to the conventional view of building tech infrastructure, products, and services for generating wealth as the primary incentive. comments by morten rongaard issuing identification an evolution of the non-fungible token (nft), a soul-bound token (sbt) cannot be transferred. with this protocol, the entity or individual issuing the document, the issuer, holds the key. this concept is said to be the future of identification and recognition for critical documents such as for degrees, certificates, licences, subscriptions, finances, and travel. the question is: who should be the issuer? should it be the government, banks, tech, or teco? the easy answer is government. most likely, it has to be everything. comments by nizzar ben chekroune, sander gansen, hanne shapiro, jake hirsch-allen, raido saar, armin zadakbar, frank poncelet reference: https://www.nordicblockchain.com/ on september 23, legal advisors and corporate directors convened virtually to discuss new standards and best practices in climate-related oversight.
focused on disclosing exposure to risks and opportunities in the capital markets, lessons are useful to entities establishing best practices. issb standards come into effect on january 1, 2024 for the 2025 reporting period. notably, reporting is voluntary, and there is no expanded legislation currently, but case law is rising. entities subject to climate-related litigation risks include:
following are highlights from the institute of corporate directors and chapter zero canada’s seminar navigating climate governance: legal update for directors: standards: the international sustainability standards board (issb)'s inaugural standards were issued june 2023 and come into effect january 2024 for the 2025 reporting period. choose standards based on principles and values (to be debated and established between board and management) and set systems in place now. liability: boards can mitigate risk of director liability by aiming for a transparent, authentic sustainability reporting strategy and being esg literate. litigation risk, class actions, shareholder activism are increasing and boards must be prepared. oversight: map out climate oversight responsibilities for board and committees: who is responsible for what, how is it being evaluated, how much time is being allocated to understand and substantiate climate risks and opportunities? standards are evolving and duty of care is expanding: are oversight processes evolving and expanding too? reporting: identify and explain the factors that will get you there and the factors that will not. ensure esg reporting is fact-based and avoids unattainable future performance or targets to avoid litigation risk. in capital markets, reporting on value creation is as important as reporting on risk mitigation. communications: discern what to share and what not to share, and why, to level set stakeholder expectations. If the organization’s journey is not publicly documented, it's a missed marketing opportunity. communication needs to be consistent and updated continuously. offsets: there is a lot of conflicting advice on carbon offsets, with standards frequently established and updated. generally, most companies are reducing carbon emissions as much as possible and using offsets only for those that they cannot reduce. insurance: review and understand insurance cover related to weather events. do not make any assumptions. companies should be talking to energy distributors to understand what plans they have in place: understand their disaster management plans to develop your own disaster management plan. seminar participants: andrew mclaughlin (major drilling group international); joan hertz (atb financial); patricia koval (transmountain corp), and sharon singh (bennett jones) reference: https://www.ifrs.org/content/dam/ifrs/project/general-sustainability-related-disclosures/project-summary.pdf on march 7, industrial designers, professors, architects, and startup founders met virtually to share use cases on designing for alternative economies.
in a two-part series by designto, sustainable futures reviews contemporary issues, research, and creation from the perspectives of 'do it yourself' and 'circular systems' to achieve the above at scale. following are participant highlights. conducting speculative design, a practice of forming an image around a future scenario, is a means of questioning prevailing agendas in commerce and stimulating debate with the help of a visible reference point. —industrial designer and public artist, khalil jamal bringing people together to teach and learn lost skills, like mending and repairing, is a way of performing quiet activism in opposition to rampant consumption while building self-agency. —textile designer and lecturer, anna schlimm taking material creations into public spaces and letting others add to it can activate others to get involved in an issue because art has a way of visualizing what's intangible to most people. —multidisciplinary artist and gardener, melanie billark partnering with spacious, high-traffic spaces like malls make it possible to gather frequently discarded materials and create products to sell to the public. designing on-site can drive awareness to passersby and local residents to get involved. —industrial designer and founder, renee lee adapting construction waste like metal and glass and preserving organic material like stone and wood from demolition projects to furnish public spaces. creating a network of shipping operators, recycling facilities, material makers, and governments can scale this practice beyond one community. —architect and creative director, anna horváth solving the plastic waste situation may not be as simple as not using the material. plastic is durable, long lasting, low cost, and easy to produce. instead, we can eliminate the use of non-recyclable plastic, minimize the practice of single use, and view end-of-use plastic as a resource. —industrial design researcher, tnachon benjapipatkul reference: https://designto.org/event/sustainable-futures-part-1-diy/ https://designto.org/event/sustainable-futures-part-2- circular-systems/ from january 25 to 27, builders, investors, and advisors in web 3 met in miami to discuss sector developments and next steps for bridging blockchain infrastructure to mainstream industries.
following are highlights from quantum miami on-site panels and off-site meetups. space and web 3 are the most promising, if polarizing, sectors of our time. together, they can incentivize the exploring of new frontiers because web 3 tools have the capacity to validate and monetize original research, to the benefit of contributors. notably, this includes the protection and cultivation of water, food, energy, and healthy habitats. proponents include: sean graham, dionna bailey, ryan blowers, scot bryson, jim thomas crosschain interactions—the communication between blockchain databases—are challenging to build and currently risky. but, they are also the future for achieving interoperability (reliable data exchange between networks) and decentralization (data ownership by users vs a central governing force) together. community moderation and regulatory frameworks can mitigate abuse and misuse, but the "how-to" remains up for debate. builders include: polygon labs, sushi, thor chain, ledgerama, giddy, edge, fantom foundation, tacen women in (technical) leadership make companies more productive. the gap between them and technical teams remains wide. talent exists, but it's being cultivated outside traditional learning, such as through self-teaching, mentorship, and independent courses. bridgers include: justyna osowska, erin gee, petal walker, cleve mesidor giving digital asset ownership to users, the big nft idea, is a power-to-the-people creative utility. this is why brands who have been testing it as an advertising tool aren't seeing value. in web 3, community uplifts the brand and what gets uplifted is radical authenticity. participants include: lauren halstead, jessica ragzy, evan luthra, samuel verreault, scarlett arana. securing capital as a founder means translating code into utility by pitching ideas without buzzwords. Investors look for calmness in a founder, their treatment of others, their hiring of staff and advisor expertise, and the way headquarters is talked about, where it is located, and why. investors include: nine realms, elaine kunda, maja vujinovic getting practical use cases into the public domain seems to be the consensus for what's next. mainstream adoption may not look like retrofitting products into fortune 500 infrastructure, however. instead, builders of web 3 would like to let market participants (users and investors) decide what’s valuable, and how to use it, in order to achieve utility and scale web 3 organically. explainers include: blockbytes, cointelegraph, growic, the block on december 7, governance advisors and corporate directors met virtually to discuss disclosure and practice trends for canadian boards in 2023.
following are seminar highlights.
—elaine roper, partner at executive recruitment firm odgers berndtson, head of board + chro practices.
—dexter john, chief executive of shareholder-advising firm morrow sodali
—michael melanson, partner at corporate law firm bennet jones, focused on mining and capital markets.
—emma purdy, senior partner at human-capital management firm global governance advisors, focused on risk, tax, and sustainability. david milstead, a business journalist focused on institutional investing, accounting, compensation, governance, and head of the globe & mail's board games annual report on evaluating the performance of canadian boards, provided an update on changes to this year's evaluation metrics:
reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phmiW3a645o from june 20 to 23, technologists, investors, business leaders, and policy makers met in toronto to discuss the future of technology in finance, infrastructure, agriculture, public policy, science, and creativity.
following are speaker highlights. creativity equals imagination plus technique. If technique is the soil, imagination is the seed. —hovhannes avoyan, picsart the nft market is shifting from a point of hype to a moment of delivering its promise. this shift happens with every technology. lots of excitement, and then who will go the distance? —roham gharegozlou, dapper labs users of [web 3] networks have an alignment of incentives to participate in those networks by being economically compensated for sharing their data. this is a huge foundational change in the business operating model of internet-based platforms. —nicolas cary, blockchain.com it’s easy to become timid in downturns, but that’s the worst time for it because there are always opportunities. be absolutely courageous in the face of it. —sairah ashman, wolff olins supersonic flight has a bad reputation for sustainability. a new generation of aviation fuel called power-to-liquid based on carbon capture will allow us to fly cleaner and further than the old fossil stuff. —blake scholl, boom supersonic what needs to be invented to reach ai’s potential while managing threats are new models for time, memory, and decision understanding. the key scarcity right now are systems with built-in learning. —eric schmidt, google and schmidt futures ai is a marketing term, and as a field is over 70 years old. targeted advertising and licensing models to third parties made it relevant again. the only way to do cutting-edge ai research is by having access to resources that are centralized and controlled. —meredith whittaker, federal trade commission cash is much more expensive than it used to be. founders hear things like, grow quicker and spend more, but what will drive the coming years is a plan for expenses and revenue that we believe in. —eynat guez, papaya global we’ve got the knowledge and we’ve got all kinds of amazing new technology. it’s the willpower we're missing at the political level. and we're gunna need the luck. we have to go from scaring the kids to scaring the politicians. —margaret atwood we should never have to change to fit into society. the world around us should adapt to embrace our uniqueness. —chief r. stacey laforme, mississaugas of the new credit first nation reference: https://www.youtube.com/c/collisionhq/ |