Category Archives: environment

Science and society – Vancouver Change Camp 2013

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I have a new post up at Occam’s Corner on the Guardian website today, about how non-scientists can (try to) influence the course of scientific research. As I mentioned over there, the ideas in the post originated and evolved from … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, communication, conferences, education, environment, personal, politics, science, Vancouver | 7 Comments

Fight the Future

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Last Saturday was my second time at Vancouver Change Camp and, just like the first time, it was a day full of very thought-provoking sessions about how ordinary people can change their world for the better. The last event took … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, communication, current affairs, education, environment, personal, politics, Vancouver | 3 Comments

Bucket List and 2012 Resolutions

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Bucket List The plan is to add at least one new item every time I tick one off! Write at least one book (and get it published) Run for political office (and preferably win) Own a boat large enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in apes, Canada, career, Climate change, environment, freelancing, furry friends, kayaking, nature, personal, politics, publishing, snow, sport, travel, UK | 24 Comments

Scrutiny on the count, eh?

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

(Long post alert! Sorry!) Regular readers will know all about my passion for politics, a passion that was dampened only slightly by seven years of voteless pre-citizenship residence in Canada and that has ramped up again recently thanks to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, current affairs, environment, personal, politics, technology, Uncategorized, Vancouver | 19 Comments

This.

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

(“Federal scientist unfairly silenced, union says” – CBC News) I wonder how long this whole social media experiment of direct communication with The People will last… (My favourite comment on the cat photo album: “Please don’t eat this one, Prime … Continue reading →

Posted in bad people, Canada, communication, current affairs, environment, furry friends, politics, science | 13 Comments

Lunchtime Linkfest

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Cath@VWXYNot?

A quick round-up of what I’ve been reading and listening to! There’s a great article in Current Biology (my all-time favourite journal) this week, titled “Why should biomedical scientists care about biodiversity?”. The authors argue that working on the standard … Continue reading →

Posted in current affairs, cycling, environment, music, nature, science, silliness, technology | 6 Comments

RBO Cycling

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’ve commuted by bicycle almost every day since I started my PhD in 1998. That’s a lot of kilometres, a lot of near accidents, a lot of hills, and a LOT of rain (we’re talking Glasgow and Vancouver here, two … Continue reading →

Posted in cycling, drunkenness, education, environment, exercise, fund raising, personal, politics, rants, Vancouver, whining | 14 Comments

Environmentalist loonies

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I recently came across an environmental campaign that is so unique, so creative, and so effective, that it blew me away. This is a Canadian one dollar coin, aka loonie*, featuring an image of a common loon, and also Gavia … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, Canada, current affairs, environment, nature, photos, politics | 13 Comments

Catho the Sane visits Canadian Tire

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

In So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish, the fourth of five books in the Hitchhiker trilogy by Douglas Adams, our hero Arthur Dent travels to California to meet a man called Wonko the Sane. Wonko’s house is inside-out, … Continue reading →

Posted in camping, environment, freakishness, photos, rants, shopping, silliness | 39 Comments

Pro-democracy, anti-rogue.

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Imagine a leader with George W Bush’s politics, and Tony Blair’s tactical brain. Scary, right? Meet Stephen Harper. Quite possibly the most right-wing Western leader still standing, after the US and Australia saw sense Responsible for Canada being awarded several … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, bad people, Canada, current affairs, environment, politics, rants | 8 Comments