Are you a perfectionist? Today in The Conversation Canada, Simon Sherry of Dalhousie University and Martin Smith of York St John University in the U.K. write about how they have conducted one of the largest-ever research studies on perfectionism. They explain why there are more perfectionists now than there were a generation ago and that the condition is affecting young people more than ever. “We are greatly troubled by what we see,” they write.

You may have noticed that more companies are using gay and lesbian couples in their advertisements – including big brands like Coke, Tide and Nordstrom. How have those ads been received by the public? Mohammed El Hazzouri of Mount Royal University, Kelley Main of the University of Manitoba and Lisa Sinclair of the University of Winnipeg tell us there is still a negative reaction by some people, but they also offer an interesting perspective on how companies could avoid any backlash for promoting LGBTQ acceptance.

Despite the move by many cities to have “green buildings,” Meg Holden and Rebecca Holt of Simon Fraser University report that buildings are sill responsible for 40 per cent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. It’s time for cities to bring in mandatory regulations to make buildings more energy efficient, they argue.

And finally… the crisis in Venezuela is more than just a political struggle – it’s having a very real and harmful impact on the citizens of the country. Rhoda Howard-Hassmann of Wilfrid Laurier University gives us insight into the ongoing humanitarian crisis based on research she’s done about the country’s chronic food shortages. “Venezuela’s food shortages are a consequence of state-induced hunger, not of any natural events,” she writes.

Regards,