‘Small but mighty’: New Democrats say they’re up to the task as MPs pile on critic jobs
The NDP’s lead critics say they’re feeling good about their “small but mighty” caucus, which they say can bring change in a minority government and attention to their “critical work” by hammering home the party’s “widely popular” priorities. At the Nov. 28 critic announcement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, B.C.) said he was proud […]
Quadruple carbon tax to meet 2030 targets or pay more to hide costs, Ecofiscal Commission report says
Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, an independent group of economists focused on aligning government policy with Canada’s emissions reduction goals, released its final report on Nov. 27, and is calling for dramatically increasing the carbon tax by 2030 to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets under the Paris Agreement. The report also said that, compared to regulations and […]
Policy primer: Liberals promise to address Impact Assessment law outrage without amendments
Government officials are polishing off “guidance” documents that experts say could be used by new Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to make good on his promise to address criticisms of his government’s Impact Assessment Act without changing the law. Alberta’s energy minister, Sonya Savage, is among those who have called for changes to the Impact Assessment […]
Indigenous participation in energy sector an exercise in Indigenous self-determination, economic development
Now that the dust has settled from the election, the newly re-elected Liberal government will have to take stock of this election campaign and what issues were missed. For Indigenous communities, much was lost or distorted. When a group called Climate Justice Edmonton attempted to hold a “climate strike” in Edmonton on the Friday before […]
LNG: local problem or global solution?
The LNG industry has barely launched in Canada, but it has already become the poster child for a dilemma: how to appropriately account for our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Is LNG—which will be produced more cleanly in Canada than anywhere else in the world—an “environmental saviour”? Or is it a “carbon bomb that will blow […]
So much for promises of ‘early and deep cuts’ to avoid catastrophic climate change
LONDON, U.K.—What a surprise! The annual emissions report by the United Nations is now out, and greenhouse gas emissions are still going up 30 years after we first realized there was a problem with the climate. In fact, they have gone up 15 per cent in the past 10 years. So much for the promises […]
Steeltown stays orange by electing Green
David Christopherson’s nearly 35-year run representing parts of Hamilton at every level of government came to an end after the Oct. 21 federal election, but Mr. Christopherson’s legacy will remain largely intact through his successor, and friend, rookie NDP MP Matthew Green. Mr. Green (Hamilton Centre, Ont.) was sworn in on the Hill on Tuesday, […]
New cabinet, old fears, what does it mean for Canadian research and science?
On Nov. 20, the Trudeau government announced its new cabinet and House leadership appointees. Surprising many in the research community, the minister of science was eliminated, with the science portfolio being absorbed by the renamed ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry. What could this mean for the next generation of Canadian scientists and for the […]
Claims of a clean, green energy future based on an electrified natural gas industry must not go unchallenged
VANCOUVER—In late August, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Vancouver to announce that the federal government had agreed to financially support a new hydroelectric transmission line project in British Columbia’s remote northeast region. In a memorandum of understanding signed with the provincial government, the federal government committed $83.6-million to the project, which will cover nearly […]
The ugly side of climate change denial may lead to violence
OTTAWA—Is it possible that some who are not convinced climate change is real could become extremists? They say all is fair in love and politics. And if recent elections in Canada are any indication, it sure is nasty out there. I am neither a political junkie nor a historian so I can’t tell whether it […]
