iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

“Independent Planning Commission says climate change impacts from Hunter Valley project will be ‘outweighed’ by economic benefits”

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

If you love Alberta and you love democracy, read Jared’s entire thread, but especially this and the next two installments. #ABPoli

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

As wildfires rage around us, Trisha McOrmond's points are so important: let's not just focus on the recovery of our physical infrastructure and pretend everything will be alright. Community-oriented social recovery is just as important to get right.

open.substack.com

Why Emergency Management Needs a Community Social Recovery Model

and Your Municipality Does too ...

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

This week: #Calgary city council fights against a more compact, less car-centric city. #Alberta provincial govt works to dismantle the bike lanes it considers woke and harmful to society. And our federal government is hard at work to boost oil and gas sales as the only way to save the country.

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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Simple message, really. Thanks for the bluntness, @nondriver.bsky.social. #UrbanTruth

“3/4 of disabled people don’t drive. Stop using us as an excuse for car dependency.“ Via Anna Zivarts. The tagline at the bottom says “mobility freedom comes from mobility choices.“ Via the Urban Truth Collective in collaboration with Anna Zivarts.

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Jed O. Kaplan @jedokaplan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

There has been a lot of news lately about smoke from wildfires in Ontario and other parts of the Canadian boreal forest causing poor air quality in parts of the U.S. But smoke knows no borders, and here in southeastern British Columbia we are suffering from smoke originating in Washington state.

Air quality warning from Environment Canada noting that smoke from fires in the U.S. are impacting air quality in Canada.

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

"Rents are coming down and landlords are offering incentives. [...], the RS Zone continues to quietly deliver more homes in mature, transit-accessible neighbourhoods every quarter." This stuff works! @jacobdawang.com crunched Edmonton's numbers so we don't have to. #Calgary, please pay attention!

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cm 🍁 @cmcalgary.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

If you're eligible to vote in the upcoming Alberta referendum, you can request a special mail-in ballot with your answers, rather than needing to stand in line to vote. You are not required to provide a reason why, it just asks for your contact info. specialballot.elections.ab.ca #abpoli #Alberta

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Not a fan of more cameras. Big fan of internalizing the many externalities of online shopping.

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Dagomar Degroot @dagomardegroot.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

My take on #America250. Both trends and anomalies in weather have shaped the history of the United States. And if we don't restore efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions, #ClimateChange could make for a grim 300th. sciencepolitics.org/2026/07/13/h... #ClimateChange #America250

sciencepolitics.org

How Climate Change and Weather Shaped 250 Years of U.S. History - Science Politics

Cold, rain, drought, and warming have both helped and harmed Americans' efforts at pivotal moments.

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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 12/07/2026

Scan your local news today. How many stories are about something climate change is making worse...without saying so? I counted 8 of those in my feed today, vs just 1 that named climate change directly. Why does this matter? Research shows that making this connection changes how people see it.

Nine screenshots of my google news page today, each describing issues that are directly impacted by climate change, from more dangerous wildfire to changing flood policies.

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Am I alone in hoping that the public, genuine tears among US players yesterday and Colombians today creates some shift in how men are generally expected to manage their emotions? #worldcup

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Joel Chan @kjoules.org · 29/06/2026

Undergrad, the HKU student publication, announced that it would cease publication, ending its 74-year run • The HKUSU, which was forced to sever ties with the university in 2021, said it failed to recruit enough members to form an editorial board www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...

scmp.com

HKU student publication Undergrad shuts down after 74 years amid recruitment woes

Editorial committee says failure to recruit new members forces closure, ending one of Hong Kong’s longest-running campus publications.

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Where’s #Alberta ‘s Dunkirk (challenges and all—read the entire thread and reactions)? No doubt @shastingssimon.bsky.social and @blakeshaffer.bsky.social over at the Electricity Centre have thoughts?

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Great to see when so many privately-owned tools get barely used beyond the weekend of their purchase. The #CircularEconomy hard at work!

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Is it too early to put in a request for rail cars oriented towards children? #AB #transit #Banff #2031/2/3/?

Child playing in train car equipped to accommodate families

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

I was going to have a quick peek and then save it for future use in my classes but just watched the whole thing anyway. So inspiring for the #CircularEconomy in #WesternCanada!

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Since we created this graphic for our 2015 Growth Within report, I’ve continued to use it in my classes and talks. Esp. our land use stats at the bottom bring home the point of system-wide waste that we’ve baked into our infrastructure and now find exceedingly hard to back out of. #CircularEconomy

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Are you a parent that cares? You can still sign up if you want to learn how to turn your concerns into a roadmap for a sustainable school community. Tonight (Tue) at 4pm ET/ 5pm MT, join @forourkidscanada.bsky.social for actionable insights on Navigating School Leadership for Climate Impact.

forourkids.ca

Climate at School: Who to Talk To & What to Say

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Alberta Environmental Network @albertaen.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Oil and gas companies are raking in record profit, but they are not paying up for the mess they made. The Alberta government is planning to let them walk away and leave us with the bill. We can still stop it. Join us on May 12 to find out how ➡️ albertatalks.ca/stopmas-calg...

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

@drsimevans.carbonbrief.org summarized the IEA global energy review 2026 for our convenience and erudition.

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GregGinYYC @gregginyyc.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

"Last night, City Council: -Made it harder to build homes -Added red tape -Removed a way for donut communities to grow the tax base -Encouraged sprawl -Told new arrivals to bring a car. Or 2. 3 maybe? -REPEALED a bylaw but REPLACED it with nothing, reneging on campaign promises. ONWARD!" #yyccc

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

#Calgary's city council needs to make the right decision. A lot of #HAF money is at risk here. 861 million in total at risk, more if you include not yet announced, but anticipated long term transit funding, say housing advocates.

cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Update on the Housing Accelerator Fund Agreements for Charlottetown, Markham and Miramichi

Decisions were made for three cities following the annual review of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Plenty of methane leaking here in Canada, too. We need to keep up the pressure on federal and provincial governments to hold industry accountable and help them address this waste of their own money and society’s wellbeing. #CanLeg #ABLeg

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Are you keen on penetrating the wall of disinformation propped up by massive corporate and government PR budgets? Check out @forourkidscanada.bsky.social on 25 March and learn how to craft effective videos and reels. Your kids are worth it!

forourkids.ca

Workshop: Video & Reels 101 for Climate Organizers

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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 12/03/2026

There’s so much interesting research and innovation in Europe around sustainable materials. But unfortunately since US and Canadian codes don’t reference (essentially, trust!) the Eurocodes or other international standards, everything has to be retested at great expense for the North American market

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Lots to borrow from for my classes, in terms of both principles and format.

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Hong Kong Free Press HKFP @hongkongfp.com · 02/03/2026

A HK woman was given a suspended jail sentence for sharing online posts calling for a boycott of December’s “patriots only” legislative elections. 🔗 buff.ly/Mwxgd0l

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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

I’ll be interviewed tomorrow morning around 7:30am PST/8:30am MST by Sarah Crosbie on QR 770 Radio in Calgary, about my blunt post below. Should be interesting. Tune in, Calgary.

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

"The illegal shipments intercepted included materials such as e-waste, used batteries, waste oil, hazardous scrap metal, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), plastic waste, contaminated scrap paper, and other environmentally hazardous materials." Textiles, too! #BaselConvention #YouWasteItYouOwnIt

canada.ca

Canada prevents illegal export of over one million kilograms of waste - Canada.ca

During the fall of 2025, Canada intercepted more than one million kilograms of hazardous waste before it was exported, as part of Operation Demeter XI. Operation Demeter is an annual global enforcemen...

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Good on Waitrose. Lots of other fisheries are on the brink of disappearing and could use some tough loving by retailers and consumers.

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Erik Schlenker-Goodrich @riogranderift.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Attacks on NEPA—often disguised as progressive 'Abundance' rhetoric—have quietly served fossil fuel companies, Big Tech, and others that profit from exploiting people and land. These assaults, which accelerated under Trump, have gutted the foundational environmental protections Americans depend on.

doi.gov

Trump Administration Delivers Historic NEPA Reform, Unleashing Resources on America’s Public Lands | U.S. Department of the Interior

Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the Department of the Interior today announced final sweeping reforms to its National Environmental Policy Act procedures, cutting red tape, accelera...

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PEFC International @pefc.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

♻️ Circular materials are transforming forest & tree-based value chains. We are launching a Circular Materials Task Force & invite experts in sourcing, manufacturing, certification, or standards to join 👉 treee.es/CircMatTF 📅 Deadline: 18 March 2026 #CircularEconomy #PEFC #Sustainability

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Hong Kong Free Press HKFP @hongkongfp.com · 09/02/2026

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Monday following his conviction on foreign collusion and sedition charges. Full story: buff.ly/6MkP1zn

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me." --Homan in February "Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely." -- Tom Homan in March "I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room" -- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

On #InternationalHolocaustRememberanceDay, such an important read. It is key that we illustrate and protect human values and principles, and the threats they face. This does not need to diminish the specifically Jewish experience nor tarnish the remembrance it deserves.

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Clear language on why the US Senate should ratify this landmark #HighSeasTreaty (hint: it serves US interests well). But then again, maybe they will just go in and grab what they want, come hell or high water (see what I did there) #BBNJ

thehill.com

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

"We need to ask ourselves, on both sides of the Atlantic, if we want to live in a world where democracy is recast as weakness, truth as opinion and justice as an option." — Alain Berset, secretary general of the Council of Europe (NYT 19 January 2026)

nytimes.com

Opinion | I’m the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. This Is Something I Thought I’d Never Have to Write.

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Helga Vanthournout @wealthofflows.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Scandalous situation* cleverly captured by @kjoules.org *the persistent poor safety record in the construction industry, not SCMP’s growing insignificance

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Jon @jonkatora.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Looking through their publications, it's a shame they're ignored. Seems like a goldmine for city planners.

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