Make climate change front and centre in election with a special leaders’ debate
Living in Ottawa, I am beginning to worry that tornadoes are going to become the new norm each year. That every spring we will see more and more residences and buildings damaged by flooding, which will need to be compensated, and tornado alerts serving to caution against the dangers of funnel clouds touching down in […]
AI, climate crises converging
LONDON, U.K.—Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. Maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity. But can we do both at the same time? We […]
When it comes to climate campaign advice, Elections Canada has it wrong
The adage that you’re “better safe than sorry” can be used as cover for many a potential gaffe—especially in politics. And as the tip of the spear for our democratic process, Elections Canada has a lot to be cautious about. However, there’s being safe, and then there’s being swaddled in bubble wrap and hidden under […]
Media struggles to separate politics from climate story, hurting coverage, say experts
Many reporters are struggling to disentangle politics from the facts around climate change in their coverage, compromising their ability to serve in the public interest, say veteran journalists. The politicization of climate change is “making journalists hesitant to cover this issue as aggressively as they should,” said Sean Holman, journalism professor at Mount Royal University […]
As eco-fascism takes hold, Canada’s leaders have yet to prove they’re up to the fight
OTTAWA—Many have been ringing the alarm about the terrifying connections between climate change, economic anxiety, and white nationalism movements and ideology. Eco-fascism, as it is otherwise known, is no longer a theory that resides in the depths of seedy internet forums. It is a fatal threat that must be challenged in the open. The El […]
‘Every half degree matters, every action matters’: IPCC report tackles role of land use in climate change
Canada has a unique opportunity to play a leadership role in nature-based solutions to climate change, say environmental experts, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a special report last week on why land use must be considered a vital tool in the battle against climate change. The IPCC, the United Nations body tasked […]
Climate change, existential risk should be at the centre of political debate in Canada
TORONTO—Climate change is creeping up on us, year by year. We are now living in the fifth consecutive year of what will be the hottest five-year period humans have ever recorded, with July the hottest month ever recorded. And we can expect even higher temperatures in the future. According to some studies, the concentration of […]
Indigenous leaders flag climate change, language, justice issues as priorities heading into election
Some Indigenous leaders say climate change is one of the most important issues, if not the top issue, in the upcoming 2019 federal election. Status concerns, language rights, restorative justice, changing the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples, and other top public policy issues were also flagged as key election issues for the Indigenous […]
Five ways NDP seeks to differentiate itself from Trudeau government
An NDP government under Jagmeet Singh may be a long shot, given the party’s performance in the polls, which have had the Conservatives and the Liberals running neck and neck for months at a time. Still, the party is hoping to pry some progressive votes away from the Liberals in part by calling for a universal […]
‘We’ve entered the era of consequences,’ as rapid Arctic warming continues, Greens, NDP pan feds’ climate change measures
A senior government climatologist says the amount of change he’s seen in Canada’s Arctic climate “doesn’t surprise me—it shocks me,” with both the Green Party and the NDP calling some major Liberal government efforts in combatting climate change “disappointing.” David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said he thinks “everything seems out […]
