Lovelock at 100
LONDON, U.K.—Forty years ago, James Lovelock published his book Gaia: a New Look at Life on Earth, setting forth his hypothesis that all life on Earth is part of a co-evolved system that maintains the planet as an environment hospitable to abundant life. Today, his approach is known as Earth System Science, and is central […]
Partisanship and the oil industry are failing us on climate change, says reader
Re: “Oil industry and intensifying partisanship two big barriers to effective climate action in Canada,” (July 15, p. 1). Thank you for publishing the piece indicating how partisanship and the oil industry are failing us on climate change. Parliament clearly needs a new framework for being held accountable, and for that we can look to the U.K. In […]
Conservative premiers on campaign trail give Scheer little boost, say pollsters
Campaigning conservative premiers pose little gain for federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and his party in preparation for the October election, pollsters say. A group of five conservative-minded premiers, who met two weeks ago ahead of the Council of the Federation —a biannual meeting of the 13 premiers of Canada’s provinces and territories—to present themselves […]
Alberta inquiry into ‘foreign-funded’ anti-energy industry groups latest chapter in ‘misdirected attacks,’ says charity
Alberta’s inquiry into what its premier calls a “well-funded foreign campaign” against its energy industry is an attempt to put a “chill” on activism that could spill over into this fall’s federal election, say academics. Premier Jason Kenney announced the launch of the $2.5-million public inquiry on July 4, to look into “foreign special interests […]
Premiers’ meeting sheds light on the real dimensions of Canada’s energy politics
OTTAWA—With Doug Ford going on about how the increasingly conservative lineup of provincial leaders is a driver of concerted Canada-wide action, a reporter at a premiers’ press conference asked the Ontario premier if British Columbia fits that mould. “We look forward to meeting with Premier Hogirth…” replied Ford. Nearby, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney prompted: “Horgan.” […]
Who wins next election depends on how much Canadians are willing to nurture the health of our ailing planet
OTTAWA—Timing is everything in politics. And the lifespan of a political trajectory is about six months. Bluntly put, if the cabinet exit by Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott had occurred this month, the Liberal election goose would have been cooked. The government would have had too little time to turn around negative public reaction to […]
Oil industry, intensifying partisanship two big barriers to effective climate action in Canada
TORONTO—If voters want a clear choice in the upcoming federal election, differences on climate change policy between the Liberals and Conservatives provide just that, with carbon pricing the clearest but not only dividing line. Yet the reality is that Canada is projected to fall short of meeting its 2030 emissions reduction pledge under either party. […]
There’s no sunny middle way out of a climate emergency
VANCOUVER—The Ontario Court of Appeal recently handed a win to the federal government—and dealt a blow to Doug Ford and other premiers bent on derailing the national carbon price—when it found the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act constitutional. The ruling went further than an earlier decision out of Saskatchewan, defining the purpose of the act as […]
Politicians fiddle while Rome burns
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declared there’s a climate emergency, but also approved the Trans Mountain pipeline. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, who is promising green technology, and not taxes, to bring down greenhouse gas emissions, is against clean fuel standards and the carbon tax. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who launched a constitutional challenge last month of […]
Liberals, Conservatives offer clear policy differences on climate change
TORONTO—If voters want a clear choice in the upcoming federal election, differences on climate change policy between the Liberals and Conservatives provide just that, with carbon pricing the clearest but not the only dividing line. Yet the reality is that Canada is projected to fall short of meeting its 2030 emissions reduction pledge under either […]
