In combatting climate change, the more ambition the better
On Earth Day on April 22, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new, steeper reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions for Canada: to reduce them by up to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. It raises the stakes of its previous target, set in Paris at the end of 2015, to reduce emissions […]
Zero fossil fuel dependence by 2050: Canada needs a national commission
WATERLOO, ONT.—Canada’s dependence on fossil fuels is a blessing and a curse: the oil and gas sector currently deliver massive economic benefits but with an environmental sting that will preclude its expansion as the global targets for greenhouse gas emissions tighten. The decision by Canada’s Supreme Court, confirming the federal government’s authority over the carbon […]
‘Choose your poison’ will be westerners’ election dilemma, it could be an opportunity for Maverick Party, say insiders
The next election will be a choice between Justin Trudeau and an “imperfect” Erin O’Toole for many western Canadians disappointed with the Conservative leader’s about-face on carbon pricing, which will create an opportunity for the upstart Maverick Party, say Conservative MPs, political insiders, and a leading pollster. “For those Conservatives who are disappointed with Erin […]
Liberals’ climate action formula, a recipe for failure, says new report
GIBSONS, B.C.—There is a super insightful new report on the Liberals’ climate policies by two veteran researchers that clearly shows the Libs are far more interested in protecting Canada’s extractive economy from needed climate change mitigation than in protecting Canadians and all of our futures from climate catastrophe. The Liberal Climate Action Formula: A Recipe […]
Finding hope for the planet in an old sweater
During the pandemic, many of us have spent several months at home. To pass the time, we have started tackling projects that have been on our to-do lists for months, even years. For me, that meant cleaning out our spare rooms, which led to unearthing a number of treasures, including a sweater I thought I’d […]
A just recovery from COVID-19 must include climate justice
Earth Day not only celebrates the life-giving planet that sustains us, but also focuses our attention on the science and impacts of a changing climate. While today highlights the need for urgent climate action we must remember that climate change can only be addressed through climate justice. Canada can and must take action on climate […]
Canada’s ‘fair share’: report calls for doubling emissions target as Trudeau preps for U.S. climate summit
Canada can afford to be far more aggressive in slashing emissions by doubling its previous target of 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, says a new report. In a report released Wednesday by a coalition of environmental groups that includes Environmental Defence and Équiterre, Canada’s “fair share” as one of the world’s largest […]
Cutting emissions still critical, but countries must now deal with much more dangerous warming
LONDON, U.K.—You can tuck your head between your knees and kiss your target of “not-more-than-1.5-degrees-Celsius-warming” goodbye. Trump is out and Biden is in, and you will hear a lot of talk about meeting that never exceed the 1.5 degrees C limit. The blather starts Thursday, when the U.S. president convenes his virtual Climate Leaders’ Summit, […]
O’Toole’s bold carbon pricing pitch shows he’s willing to take risks to win
OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole made a bold move last week. He became the first leader of the modern Conservative Party of Canada to acknowledge that consumers directly have some price to pay for carbon consumption. He announced this a few short weeks after a slim majority of party members at the Conservative policy convention refused to acknowledge that […]
If the plan is to turn Labrador or some other part of the country into a nuclear dump, the public should know why
HALIFAX—The world, and Canada with it, is inundated with emergencies. It is hard to know where to point the firehose. There is climate change, of course, where humanity has put itself at risk by discharging our pollution into the atmosphere. We have given the planet a potentially fatal fever, and fumbled most disgracefully with bringing […]
