Canada needs to transition to a net-zero economy, now
TORONTO—For those hoping that Jean Charest would lead the Conservative Party away from its ostrich-like policy on climate change to a more responsible and credible policy, he is a huge disappointment. While Charest created high expectations with his declaration that “having a credible plan on the environment is the table stakes for any national 2022 […]
How to stop sea level rise
LONDON, U.K.—“Ninety per cent of ice flowing to the sea from the Antarctic ice sheet, and about half of that lost from Greenland, travels in narrow, fast ice streams measuring tens of kilometres or less across. Stemming the largest flows would allow the ice sheets to thicken, slowing or even reversing their contribution to sea-level […]
Climate change is increasing the strain on Canadian Armed Forces for emergency response
VANCOUVER ISLAND—The following is the testimony of Wilfrid Greaves, an assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Victoria, who spoke to the House National Defence committee on May 9. Good afternoon, and thank you for having me. I am honoured to be here, and I thank you for hosting this […]
The elephant in all rooms
I was invited by the Governor General of Canada to attend a reception to mark the 2022 Royal Tour of Canada of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. I was intrigued. I had read that the themes of the tour were Indigenous reconciliation and climate change. While my invitation stemmed from my […]
Can we set aside ‘Group Think’ long enough to fix environmental assessment in Canada?
I have often wondered when we stopped thinking. In 2016, when Liberals approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I looked in vain for any cost-benefit analysis. As an intervenor in the National Energy Board pipeline hearings, I knew that the NEB had refused to look at any evidence on jobs and the economy. The only evidence […]
Environmental lobbying leads for third month in April, including discussions about Senate environment bills
Environmental discussions topped federal advocacy for the third consecutive month in April, with one of the most active organizations targeting climate change policy and Senate bills related to the environment. “I think with a newly re-elected government in the fall there’s a pretty busy agenda, in terms of things that they’d like to get done […]
Alberta court decision a chance to fix flawed environmental impact assessment regime, says Green MP May
The Trudeau government says it will go to the Supreme Court of Canada to defend the 2019 environmental impact assessment law, but Green MP Elizabeth May says the Liberals should instead use the opportunity to fix the legislation by incorporating the expert advice Ottawa solicited, and then ignored, the first time around. May (Saanich-Gulf Islands, […]
Groups return to ‘invaluable’ in-person advocacy on the Hill after years lobbying behind screens
The return of in-person lobby days in Ottawa continued in May, with representatives of organizations glad to be back on Parliament Hill to pursue dialogue with MPs face-to-face for the first time in years. Among those organizations was the Direct Sellers Association of Canada (DSA), a trade association representing companies that market and distribute products […]
Carbon capture an important strategy for cement sector
Like many conversations in Canada, the debate over the future of fossil fuels has created a false narrative about the critical role that carbon dioxide removal technologies like carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) play in decarbonizing our economy and securing a net-zero future. Look no further than the dismissal of the tax credit for […]
A prescription from health professionals: strengthen Canada’s toxics law
As physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals, we are alarmed about increasing fractures in the foundations of health and well-being, and the all too real impacts on people’s health in Canada and across the globe. To practise good medicine, we must be proactive in this moment of intersecting health harms and we must draw […]
