Global warming followers may be flummoxed by party positions on climate change action plans
OTTAWA—Global warming followers may be flummoxed by the differences in party positions on climate change action plans. Andrew Scheer’s announcement last week was long on photos and short on specifics. He characterized his plan as the most anticipated policy announcement of an opposition leader in the history of the country. Scheer framed his work in […]
Potential for disruption tragedy is high, but climate change fight not hopeless
As Canada increasingly faces climate disruption, the potential for tragedy is high, but the situation is not hopeless. We have time to change course. This week, news emerged that Britain is ramping down coal and expanding renewable energy at an enviable rate. In fact, the head of the country’s electricity operator said, “We believe that by 2025, we will […]
Politicians should keep their promises to fight climate change, or face lawsuits
HALIFAX—A few weeks ago, David Suzuki made what to me was a stunning statement. “Environmentalists can’t save the environment.” After all, if they couldn’t, who could? There were a lot of reasons for Suzuki’s conclusion, but at its heart it came down to this. A much bigger tent was needed to build support for enacting […]
Climate crisis requires strong leadership and action, Trudeau’s not offering that
“Society could collapse by 2050 under the strain of climate change and conflict, paper warns,” was a headline on June 4 on Global News. The alarming news story was based on a 12-page Australian policy paper, written by David Spratt and Ian Dunlop through the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration, an independent think tank […]
Canadian MPs respond to Australian report on ‘existential risk to civilization’ from climate change
Canadian politicians and environmental experts say an Australian report warning of the “existential risk to civilization” posed by climate change if more action isn’t taken in the next decade should cause the threat to be seen as a national security issue, and motivate a more serious policy response. The 12-page report, released by the National […]
Oil and gas, environmentalism have to stop being at loggerheads
The recent outpouring of national pride when the Raptors won the NBA was a touching illustration of what Canadians have in common. What unites us is bigger than what divides us. But when we are divided in points of view, and that is healthy discussion, it is vital to start from the facts. The oil […]
Federal Conservatives say green technology, not taxes key to meeting Paris targets
The Conservatives say Canada’s path to achieving the Paris targets will hinge in large part on the development of green technology, not taxes. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) unveiled the plan in Chelsea, Que., a small municipality just 10 kilometres north of Ottawa. In the face of criticism from the Liberals that his party […]
Trudeau lays out case for re-election in Trans Mountain speech
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted the importance of middle class jobs, catalogued his record on the environment, took shots at his Conservative opponents, and evoked the spectre of U.S. President Donald Trump in a campaign-style speech defending his government’s approval of the Trans-Mountain Pipeline Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Trudeau’s lengthy speech, flanked by five cabinet ministers, […]
How Indigenous peoples are reclaiming control over academics’ research agenda
In Canada, the resource-based industry contributes a significant portion of the gross national product. There has been increasing tension, however, between developers and Indigenous peoples, especially when the proposed project affects Indigenous lands. Legacy projects such as the Giant Mine in the Northwest Territories or the chloro-alkali plant upstream of Grassy Narrows in Ontario […]
We know what the oil patch and its powerful friends want, but what about the rest of us?
CHELSEA, QUE.—If you’ve been following coverage of two important federal environmental bills, you can be forgiven for assuming that absolutely no one supports them. Six oil-friendly provincial and territorial leaders have recently suggested the measures could be a threat to national unity. Oil lobbyists claim the bills will deliver a fatal one-two punch to their […]
