sae eom seine PE coi Bian Canadian economy rebounds By Trevor Doré, Opinions Editor ecent economic analyses show that R« Canadian economy is slowly oving out of a recession. Aided by increased consumer spending, the gross domestic product (GDP) grew by one per cent in the third quarter. This comes as good news for economists and capitalists who can’t wait to get back to the status quo of growth for the sake of growth and rampant consumer spending. . Good opportunity for a sustainable shift e Economy refers to economic capital. It is crucial to link local economies to national and global economies. Emphasis must be placed on “true cost pricing” and product labelling transparency in regards to fair trade, ocean wise and organic certification. Ina sustainable economy, a steady GDP instead of a GDP in a constant state of growth would be indicative of economic health. A shift in economic systems would “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” —Edward Abbey The economic downturn has been seen as an obstacle and a major inconvenience, and for many it has been just that. While it may be an obstacle, I think it is also an excellent opportunity—an opportunity to restructure our economy. A wise man by the name of Edward Abbey once pointed out, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” Perhaps, now is a good time to rethink our current economic system. What I am proposing is not a simple solution or a quick fix by any means. The idea of a sustainable economy has been proposed in the past. Some refer to it is a “green economy” or a “steady state” economy. The wonderful people at Ecotrust refer to it as a “conservation economy.” The idea centres on a triple bottom line: Equity, Ecology and Economy. e Equity refers to social capital. Emphasis is placed on the importance of ensuring fundamental individual needs such as food, shelter, health and education for all. The importance of community needs such as sense of place, security, diversity and social equality are also part of the picture. e Ecology refers to natural capital. Emphasis is placed on the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and responsible land use. Sustainable connections must be made between natural and built environments. ultimately see an increase in “green jobs.” Jobs that enable people to “do well while doing good.” In other words, do meaningful work. The shift is not something that is going to happen in a day or even over a year. It is a complex process that requires change on many dynamic and different levels. The main idea is that the environment needs to be taken into consideration and economic activity needs to subside within the “regenerative and absorptive capabilities” of the environment. While restructuring the entire economic system may seem far-fetched and unrealistic, the economic downturn has provide a good opportunity for individuals to re-think their way of life, and to potentially give a new way of living a chance—living with less. It comes down to a commitment to live a simpler life and is all about starting small. Initially, living with less may seem hard for some as it is essentially going against the grain that our traditional economic system has preached for so long. It comes down to asking the question, “What do I need, rather than what do I want?” We live in a culture caught up with consumption but in the end, there might be some truth to the old adage that “less is more.” As the economy starts to rebound, now is the time to change tracks and strive for a more sustainable, fulfilling economic system. I’m ready! Are you? Telus’ beef with Rogers irrelevant yet justified Kudos to Telus for identifying Rogers’ ad inaccuracy, but ultimately, it doesn’t really make a difference. ROGERS’ WIRELESS By Siavash Emamzadeh ith college students and other growing groups of telecom subscribers increasingly demanding better and more advanced cell phone service, it comes as no surprise that fierce competition between two telecom heavyweights has carried over to court. In essence, Telus is upset with Rogers’ advertising campaign. After just recently having had their network upgraded and unveiling a new high-speed phone, Vancouver-based Telus has taken issue with the assertion of Rogers’ ad that they run the “fastest” and “most reliable” network in Canada. The disgruntled Telus originally asked their Rogers to drop the false titles. The request was turned down. This prompted Telus to take their case to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Recent ruling resulted in Rogers dropping the “fastest” moniker. The court also released an order mobile phones to purchase, I was informed by one of the store’s salesmen that he’d give me a special offer if I bought a particular phone. He said he’d give me a Bluetooth headset, valued at $90, free of charge, just because he wanted to be nice. Two days later, when I had the phone happily in my possession, I realized that the free headset was part of a deal offered to everyone. Now, not only did Telus pinpoint Rogers’ lie, but they also prevented ad ploys from hitting a new low—at least for the time being. As a result of this Telus-Rogers dispute, businesses might be more wary of lying in ads altogether. Instead, they will have to be content with their routine claiming to be the best at something, while stating narrow conditions in their loophole-heavy disclaimers. Knowing that honesty is internally valued—albeit to a small extent—can be reassuring, even if the honesty is brought on by rivalry. banning While it is encouraging to see that Rogers the rivalry from “It’s refreshing to see big business being held »etween claiming = accountable. It’s easy for consumers to fee} Telus and ~~ discouraged due to the continual lying that’s so ice on common in the market.” Ser reliable positive network. effect on The order consumers, came into effect, stating that Rogers does not have the most call clarity or fewest dropped calls. It seems unlikely that Rogers will be able to convince the judge to change his ruling in an appeal. In any case, it’s refreshing to see big business being held accountable. It’s easy for consumers to feel discouraged due to the continual lying that’s so common in the market. Chances are that if you’ve bought a car, TV, cell phone or if you’ve subscribed to an Internet service, you can identify with this feeling of discouragement. Personally, one experience comes to mind that exemplifies consumers being lied to. When I was at a mall considering it does not have any immediate, major benefits. After all, who pays attention to vague ad claims like “most reliable” in the first place? Terms like these are used so casually that virtually every carrier claims to be the best. Of course, in the disclaimer they outline conditions of the claim, using broad definitions of words such as “reliable.” As a result, general ad declarations, I imagine, are rarely dealmakers or breakers. Telus’ awareness may have prevented adverse advertising precedence from being set, but don’t expect either Telus’ or Rogers’ number of subscribers to rise or fall dramatically. This situation is just not that big of a deal.