Trudeau brands himself as Canada’s Climate Change Churchill
OAKVILLE, ONT.—“We shall fight climate change at our gas stations, we shall fight it with our furnaces, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength with windmills and solar panels, we shall defend our planet’s environment, whatever the cost may be.” Okay, that’s not a real quote, but it’s the kind of Churchillian-style fighting […]
How much nature can address climate change depends on us
On Dec. 11, the Government of Canada released its renewed climate plan. As a young person who has been working in national and international climate action and conservation for the past four years, I was excited to see nature—more specifically, “nature-based climate solutions”—recognized as a necessary part of climate action. But the plan has some […]
Canada’s Arctic ‘a serious border we must master and manage,’ says leading security expert, as accelerating climate change dramatically alters the North
As accelerating climate change continues to radically alter this country’s vast, disparately populated, and resource-rich Arctic landscape, Canadians, politicians and policy-makers should no longer view the region as a “distant tundra,” according to security expert Irvin Studin, who argues that Canada should be regarded as a “major Arctic country” with a “serious border that we must […]
National unity is key for climate in 2021
It’s almost time to turn the page on 2020. As vaccines signal some hopeful “light at the end of the tunnel” for that public health emergency, for many, the focus shifts to humanity’s other public health emergency: climate disruption. Some have the impression that nature has had time to breathe during COVID-19, that carbon pollution […]
Why 2020 may just have been Canada’s most important year for nature conservation
A year ago, there was much anticipation in the conservation community that 2020 would perhaps be the most important year ever for nature. Canada’s Nature Fund promised to accelerate the conservation of our wild spaces and species. There was a buzz about the new global initiatives to be shared at the International Union for Conservation […]
Canada needs to deliver to stem climate change
Darius Elias remembers childhood summers spent out on the land in Old Crow Flats, northern Yukon wetlands, where members of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation spent months harvesting food each year. But few travel to Old Crow Flats these days, as climate change has transformed the land. Today, dramatic permafrost thaw and drained lakes make […]
Reducing plastic waste: is banning plastics the solution?
OTTAWA—Canadian manufacturers have been working for years to reduce plastic waste. We acknowledge the impact plastic can have on the environment when waste is not well-managed and have taken action to recycle and reduce plastic usage in our facilities, and financially supported recycling efforts. We all know that when plastics are not well-managed in our […]
We cannot afford to be naive about climate change—renewables and nuclear must work together
The issue of climate change is so colossal, and the emission reduction goals are so enormous. The stark reality is we must leverage a vast array of complementary solutions to navigate the pathway to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050. This includes the right, dynamic energy mix of existing and developing technologies. There is no […]
Women community leaders urge Trudeau cabinet ministers to stop funding new nuclear reactors
Women community leaders across the country sent an open letter to several federal cabinet ministers last week urging them to stop funding new nuclear reactors and saying it’s a serious mistake “that blocks swift action on climate change.” “Canada is a member of an international nuclear waste treaty and has a legal obligation to minimize […]
Path to Canada’s green future hinges on pragmatism, transparency
The fall economic statement reaffirmed the federal government’s ambitious goal to tackle climate change. Transparency and accountability will be crucial in this fight, and Ottawa must demonstrate these attributes not just in setting targets, but also in the even more vital task of determining how we’ll meet them. In the meantime, natural resource exporters, including […]
