The surprising obstacle in Canada’s climate fight: land shortage

Our fragmented land-use approach hinders seizing a rare chance to fight climate change. Addressing this and better collaboration are vital for safeguarding the environment, achieving climate goals, and embracing the green economy.
Dear government: don’t be pressured by the hype from natural gas producers and pipeline owners

While the resource industries are naturally frustrated by the challenges of government impact assessment hearings, there is no evidence Canada is undermining the energy security of its allies or that making that fossil fuel industry a national priority is in Canada’s or the world’s best interests.
Wildfires growing this summer, writes Nelson, B.C., reader

While this isn’t intended as a book review, if you have ever wondered what it feels like when your urban environment is consumed by wildfire, John Vaillant’s Fire Weather provides a very clear description of the Fort McMurray, Alta., experience. If you have wondered about taking advantage of any local Fire Smart program, read Fire […]
Keep the heat on to address the climate crisis

This week international locales recorded some of the highest temperatures to ever be measured, providing yet another bat to the face of how important it is to make forward strikes against climate change. But here at home, despite the fact that British Columbia is struggling under the heat of almost 400 wildfires, there isn’t too […]
Heat waves are carrying us to the point of no return

‘It’s the first time in history that it’s more likely than not that we will exceed 1.5°C,’ said Adam Scaife at Britain’s Met Office Hadley Centre. That means we’re heading into territory where ‘tipping points’ may be lurking.
More funding for NGOs on disaster relief amid calls to ensure fire support goes beyond current ‘policy window’

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair announced an additional $82-million over three years to support the disaster response capacity of non-government organizations.
Trans Mountain pipeline will be Trudeau’s most ruinous legacy

The nearly-completed line is too big to fail and too buried in debt to make a profit before the climate catastrophe makes the conversation moot.
We need to live up to our climate commitments, now

Now is not the time to retreat. Or to think we can fully ‘adapt’ to the extreme ravages of climate change. Or to think that we don’t need to act urgently because we’re a small slice of the problem. This is it.
Our fossil-fuel industry is like the band playing as the Titanic sinks, writes Tom McElroy
Re: “Climate adaptation: act now or pay later,” (editorial, The Hill Times, July 10). What happened to polluter pays? The climate is changing disastrously. The scientific basis for this has been known for almost 200 years. It is largely to do with the release of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels. The health, economic, environmental, and social impacts are only […]
After 30 years of failed mitigation, we need to cut emissions by half globally by 2030; this is almost impossible, but must be done

GIBSONS, B.C.—About a decade ago, there was a flurry of news stories and columns in the Canadian media about carbon pricing. In the 1990s, I had been very pro-carbon pricing, but then-British Columbia premier Gordon Campbell’s ineffectual and pretend mitigation plan with its puny carbon tax was a wake-up call for me. Carbon pricing was […]