Trump talks big, but coal is dead
LONDON, U.K.—“My administration is putting an end to the war on coal,” said Donald Trump, surrounded by the usual gaggle of officials and (in this case) coal miners, as he put his super-size signature on the Energy Independence Executive Order. But coal is dying as a major energy source in the United States for reasons far beyond the reach […]
Time for more action, less talk, on climate change
TORONTO—You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand there is something seriously wrong with the environment. At the same time, you don’t have to be a political scientist to understand that politics is the major obstacle to the solution of the problem. This is because in politics you are not judged by what […]
Time to fully cut fossil fuel subsidies
How can Canadians pretend to be addressing their responsibility around global warming (in other words, the destruction of our only planet) while the government continues to subsidize the fossil fuel industry? This is unacceptable. It’s time to put an end to fossil fuel subsidies completely. I understand that this industry now supports certain Canadian communities. […]
Is Wood Buffalo National Park’s world heritage status in jeopardy?
After years of governments ignoring their concerns about mounting changes to Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) and its ecological centerpiece, the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), the Mikisew Cree First Nation took their concerns to the United Nations’ World Heritage Committee in 2014. This precipitated a 10-day UNESCO Reactive Monitoring Mission to WBNP, which took place in […]
Welcome to the Great Disruption
TORONTO—It is correct to call the times in which we live the Great Disruption. It is hard to think of many periods in human history where such a combination of disruptive trends has threatened the very foundations of society and the global order. This is not only a time when governments at home are faced […]
Use of carbon tax revenues hold key to ensuring new price doesn’t hinder growth: Economist
The success of the Liberal government’s promised national carbon price largely rests on how the funds gleaned from the program are recycled back into the Canadian economy, though it remains possible to implement the fee without hindering growth, says economist Craig Alexander. “We can put a price on carbon and still have the Canadian economy […]
Thermometer rising: climate change and Canada’s economic future
The following is a reprint of a speech by Bank of Canada deputy governor Timothy Lane, which he delivered to the Finance and Sustainability Initiative in Montreal on March 2. The speech has been edited for length. MONTREAL—The connection between climate change and the Bank of Canada’s responsibilities for the stability of prices and the […]
Climate change is still happening, the atmosphere has no borders
Generally speaking, when you ask Canadians if they support policies to reduce Canada’s carbon footprint, most will answer in the affirmative. Support drops considerably when they are reminded that they will have to absorb the cost of transitioning to a lower-carbon economy. This bares the following question: are Canadians truly committed to reducing their carbon […]
Are pipelines a political pipe dream?
GATINEAU, QUE.—It is odd the way Canadian politicians—notably Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley—continue to promote oil pipelines as a key to economic prosperity. It’s odd, because that isn’t the way the market appears to be going, not now and possibly not in the future, either. At a key energy conference in […]
Federal budget expected to include key elements for clean technology
For those working in the clean-tech sector, all eyes are on this week’s federal budget. Some want to see a dedication of dollars to further research and development, while others predict the government will merge its interest in green technology with its desire to move more Canadians into the middle class. “The green economy isn’t […]
