Food insecurity demands attention in a hungry, unstable world
The latest data from the United Nations are staggering. In 2019, 821 million people around the world were chronically under nourished, up 10 million from the year before. This means that an astounding 11 per cent of the world’s population does not get enough food to eat. Equally concerning is that around two billion of […]
Charging gray rhinos
GIBSONS, B.C.—The coronavirus is forcing us to learn valuable lessons. Sometimes governments have to act, and quickly, in protecting their citizens. Sometimes governments have to force a closure of business-as-usual, no matter what the cost, in order to protect all of our futures. Sometimes governments have to have a plan to do things not previously […]
Canada is at a crossroads with existential consequences
It is not hyperbole to suggest that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government find themselves today at a truly historic junction—and Canada’s economic and political future are very much dependent on which policy direction he chooses to pursue. There is no middle ground. He either takes the direction suggested by Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old […]
Canada needs an inclusive approach to climate action
As the consequences of a warming climate become clear in Canada—from wildfires and heat waves to floods and extreme snowfalls—so, too, do the consequences of inadequate planning for how we will adapt to these changes. Of course, we must work to curb carbon dioxide emissions, but there’s an urgent need to also invest in actions […]
Policymakers should worry less about energy self-sufficiency and more about decarbonization
Suppose that Canada were energy self-sufficient. Would life improve for the average Canadian? In times of instability, self-sufficiency seems like a balm to soothe jangled nerves and wary politicians. But more careful investigation demonstrates that energy self-sufficiency is a red herring. Policymakers should be much more worried about climate change and how to decarbonize the […]
The race to net-zero: grounded in reality or wishful thinking?
Just a few months ago, Spanish oil company Repsol made a splash in global headlines by announcing that it would get to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This announcement triggered a cascade of similar pledges from other oil and gas giants in Canada and around the world, including CNRL, MEG Energy, Teck Resources, Cenovus, and […]
Improving the policy environment in Canada to capitalize on the global energy transformation
Energy use is the main source of rising greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere, which is linked to climate change’s widespread disruptive effects. Transforming the energy system—i.e., all the ways we produce, process, transport, and use energy—lies at the centre of a global transition to a sustainable future. As a trade-dependent and energy exporting […]
Low carbon resilience is Canada’s safe green path in a changing climate
As providers of traditional and new energy resources and residents of a large country with complex energy and infrastructure needs, Canadians face unique pressure to plan strategically for the coming decades as we work to reduce emissions in a changing climate. Canada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world and will […]
Resolving the oilsands conundrum
An answer to the conundrum of oil sands development lies right beneath the feet. By turning the innovative capacity of Alberta’s oil and gas sector on its head—extraction of heat from the ground rather than carbon—geothermal energy is a cost-effective option ready for advancement on a large scale. It is an abundant resource, widely available […]
O’Regan putting nuclear ‘front and centre’ raises eyebrows, industry hopes
Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan’s recent declaration that the federal government is “placing nuclear energy front and centre” came as a surprise, according to some nuclear experts and industry stakeholders, but has left some excited about the prospect of more federal support. “I’m surprised at that language,” said NDP MP Richard Cannings (South Okanagan–West Kootenay, […]
