Let’s show international solidarity for flood victims
For the past several days, many of our fellow citizens have been going through situations of angst with the floods that have hit the eastern part of Canada. This horrible occurrence should at least open us a bit to the fate of countries of the South. In India, the country is dealing with a violent cyclone, and in Mozambique, floods just appear […]
Focus on feds’ carbon-pricing scheme hurting debate on climate change, environmentalists say
Canada’s raging debate on climate change has been reduced to a single policy, environmentalists say, but more solutions are needed to engage the public and to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid catastrophic consequences expected in 11 years. Ottawa’s carbon-pricing scheme has dominated the national conversation on climate change, with the federal Conservatives […]
Bill C-48 divides Canadians and betrays the promise of Confederation
As a member of the Canadian Senate, we’ve heard from thousands of Canadians for and against Bill C-69, an act that promises the modernization of the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency—that’s a good thing. But an eerie silence prevails around Bill C-48. That’s odd because Bill C-48 is far more dangerous. […]
Indigenous conservation offers model for international leadership
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L.—Indigenous leaders have an important message of hope to share at an international summit being hosted by Environment Minister Catherine McKenna this week in Montreal. From coast to coast to coast, a movement is growing on the land that is establishing Indigenous leadership on conservation. We see it in the scores of […]
Don’t try to change impact assessment bill based on false premises
Re: “Public works require public input, but can’t be hamstrung by it,” (The Hill Times, April 10, p. 25). Senator Paula Simons writes that “the public interest section in C-69 makes no mention of the economic, social, or health effects of any project” and that the bill’s public interest test “as written, focuses almost exclusively […]
Growing global population: burden or boon to the environment?
Historical overview As the chemist and geographer Daniel B. Luten observed on the eve of the famous 1980 Julian Simon-Paul Ehrlich wager, since the late 18th century “the question of limits to growth and optimism and pessimism regarding the human prospect [has been] debated without consensus” while interest in the issue has “waxed and waned […]
Public works require public input, but can’t be hamstrung by it
The Oxford English Dictionary defines infrastructure as “the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.” You’d think pretty much everyone would be in favour of building the structures needed to operate our society. But before I became a Senator, I spent 30 years as a journalist, […]
When making transport policy, don’t forget how it affects company vehicles
From changing environmental and transportation policies to the intense NAFTA renegotiation, the past few years have been a roller-coaster ride for the auto industry and fleet managers. The federal government is in the process of developing some very important policies for the ever-evolving transportation sector. Last year, Transport Canada released its Transportation 2030 strategy, which […]
On infrastructure, Kermit’s right: it’s not easy being green
Those who grew up with Sesame Street know this song by Kermit the Frog lamenting being green. Kermit sang long before green referred to the environment and well before being green was cool. Now, the word “green” is everywhere, from green energy to green growth to green infrastructure. But has it become easy to be […]
Northern MPs call climate change report an ‘eye opener,’ say it should ‘sound the alarm’ for change
Northern MPs say a “chilling” report helps show southern Canadians the degree their constituents are feeling the effects of climate change and its threat to food security, movement, and ways of life. The Environment and Climate Change Canada report found Canada is warming at twice the global rate. Like many MPs representing regions disproportionately affected […]
