A revolution in Canada’s mission to planet Earth
Fifty-two years ago in 1969, humans first set foot upon the moon on the Apollo 11 mission. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface, they looked back at the Earth and saw a fragile blue marble against the darkness of space. This compelling perspective of our planet was hugely influential. It […]
Virtual lobbying during pandemic ‘not the same’ as in-person lobbying, despite major savings, say lobbyists
Lobbying organizations are looking forward to the day they can return to in-person lobbying events on Parliament Hill, despite having saved a bundle on transportation costs and venue rentals while meetings have been conducted virtually during the global pandemic. “It’s not the same. It just is not the same, especially when [meeting] with people you […]
Why Canadians need to develop a ‘national grid’ strategy
There is a simple truth to how the world will decarbonize and achieve ambitious climate change targets: fossil fuels will be replaced by other forms of energy, mostly electricity, with some hydrogen and biofuel in end-uses where electricity isn’t well-suited. Some Canadians appear to be resisting this idea, fearing that the change will be disruptive, […]
First Nation seeks apology from feds for displacement, hardships stemming from creation of Wood Buffalo National Park
The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation deserves a formal apology from the federal government for the forced removal of its people nearly a century ago during the establishment of Wood Buffalo National Park, says Chief Allan Adam following the release of a powerful report laying bare the troubled history of Canada’s largest national park. Following months […]
Homeless green voters are an election wild card
CHELSEA, QUE.—While forests burn, glaciers melt, droughts threaten, and no end of climate disruption feeds an undercurrent of concern across the country, green-motivated voters can be forgiven for feeling confused and adrift. Their obvious home, the Green Party, has been imploding. Its senior ranks have been squabbling over Israel and Palestine, while its besieged leader, […]
Our climate emergency should be the main issue in next election
GIBSONS, B.C.—It looks almost certain that there will be a federal election this fall. Climate change—the climate emergency—should be the main issue because we urgently need climate action. The heat dome-demolishing temperature records in Western North America and the wildfires and smoke combined with the ever-increasing weird weather globally have put climate change as the […]
The public health case for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty
As public and clinical health-care professionals who are deeply concerned about the risks that climate change presents to the livability of the planet, we were encouraged by Toronto City Council’s July 15th decision to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. This treaty calls upon countries to phase out fossil fuels—whose consumption serves as the single […]
Climate change conversation reaching an inflection point
LONDON, U.K.—Zeitgeist is a slippery word. At best it’s just a fancy German way of saying “the spirit of the times;” at worst it is only pretentious noise. So maybe we should say “inflection point” instead. I think we are passing through an inflection point. People who have taken climate change seriously for 10, or […]
McKenna set to dive into new, post-politics pool to combat climate change
The day after she announced her intention to not seek re-election, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna went for a morning swim at Ottawa’s Britannia Beach. Beyond the exercise and the break from the early summer heat, the post-dawn dip reconnected the two-term Member of Parliament to a high-school dream. “I wanted to be an […]
Will Canada take advantage of its wind resources to reach its climate goals?
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) recently reported that more wind energy capacity has been built in Canada over the last five years than any other form of electricity generation. With a current ranking of ninth in the world for total onshore installed wind capacity, Canada appears on track to maintain or improve its position, […]
