Latest from Andre Mayer
Are you buying a flood-prone home? It's hard to find out
Someone who owns a home knows its weaknesses when it rains. But those shopping for a place to live largely don't have that information and may unwittingly move into flood-prone areas.
Analysis
The planet is warming at a record pace. So why are many companies retreating from their climate targets?
After more than 190 countries signed the Paris Accord in 2015 — codifying an international push to keep global temperatures well below 2 C warming from pre-industrial levels — many companies made bold climate pledges. But meeting them is a tougher proposition.
Analysis
AI has a lot of fans in business. But does it actually make money?
While AI's inevitability has been a recurring refrain in much of the business media, there has been a small chorus of skeptics demanding proof of its ability to do what corporations need most: make money.
Analysis
The dirty secret of the housing crisis? Homeowners like high prices
Paul Kershaw, a public policy professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of the affordability advocacy group Generation Squeeze, says the emphasis on increasing housing supply obscures our collective addiction to ever-rising home prices.
Could this community be a model of sustainability for the rest of Canada?
A small neighbourhood in Toronto has built a program to help residents reduce their household emissions. Their hope now is to adapt that grassroots approach so that other communities can achieve similar success.
From chocolate to home insurance, climate change is making life more expensive
Extreme weather events such as droughts or wildfires are not only causing localized damage but are affecting crop yields, supply chains and the durability of housing, all of which is making life more expensive.
From luxury bunkers to tactical vehicles, the ultra-rich are preparing for the Big One
Companies that build multimillion-dollar fortified homes and bomb shelters say that while work has been steady for a while, they have seen a significant uptick in recent years. And when the ultra-rich invest in a bunker, they inevitably do it in style.
Worried about their grandkids' future, more seniors are taking up the climate fight
Inspired by the passion and reach of young activists like Greta Thunberg, Canadian groups like Seniors for Climate Action Now!, Climate Legacy and Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP) are becoming increasingly visible and vocal.
Analysis
We love to fly. Is that sustainable on a warming planet?
We all know the benefits of travel — but a substantial increase in flying seems unsustainable at a time when aviation’s share of emissions is set to rise and most of the world has pledged to keep global warming at 1.5 C.
Analysis
Oil has long been used as a geopolitical weapon. Could electrified transport change that?
If we want to slow the pace of global warming, one crucial step is moving from a transportation system run on fossil fuels to one powered by electricity. It’s possible that doing so might neutralize other toxic aspects of the petroleum industry, such as volatile prices and armed conflict.