Conservatives steering us wide off the mark
Times of economic upheaval are usually when governments ramp up their creativity and introduce innovative solutions to their most pressing problems. For example, in late 2008 the Director of the UN Environment Programme and the UN secretary-general called on all heads of state to sign the Global Green New Deal, which was designed to encourage […]
Significant, even transformational, adjustments lie ahead on cutting GHGs
Climate change and Canada’s response to it have profound economic implications for our nation’s future. There are risks but there are also opportunities. We need to position ourselves to compete and prosper in an increasingly carbon-constrained global economy. Ensuring Canada is well-prepared to adapt and prosper as part of this new reality is the focus […]
Canada’s no clean-energy superpower
The mandate of the federal minister of the environment is found in the Department of the Environment Act. The minister is granted powers, duties, and functions for all federal matters related to, among other matters, the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment; renewable resources, including migratory birds and other non-domestic flora […]
Still ‘room for improvement’ in Parliament Hill’s own green strategy
There is a house in Washington, D.C. with a kitchen garden out back, and solar panels on the roof. Its residents turn off the lights when they leave the room, and talk about “showing the American people it’s not that hard” to be environmentally friendly. U.S. President Barack Obama is aware of the White House’s […]
Government urged to strengthen endangered species protections
Environmentalists and opposition critics say the federal government has made some improvements, but has also failed to enforce legislative protections for endangered species, accusing the Tories of putting the interest of resource companies above those of scarce animals. The Species at Risk Act (SARA), is currently undergoing a mandatory review in the House Environment and […]
Social scientists, humanists helping Canada harness the power of technology
The great Canadian thinker, Marshall McLuhan, would have enjoyed the recent cover of The Economist that portrayed Steve Jobs as Moses coming down from Mount Sinai to deliver his new iPad to the world. McLuhan’s famous insight that ‘the medium is the message’ resonates more than ever as new digital technologies extend our ideas and […]
Clean technologies can give Canada competitive edge in global marketplace
Canada is fortunate to have extensive natural resources which underpin our economy. Whether it be energy, agriculture or forestry, we owe it to ourselves to maximize the value of these natural resources by increasing their utilization as well as efficiency of production. In an increasingly competitive world, with economies that have lower wage and cost […]
Canada could be a leader in digital economy, says Goodyear
Canada can and should be a leader in the digital economy, says Gary Goodyear, minister of state for Science and Technology, but it will only happen with governments, academia and business working together. The government has already publicly announced the need for a nationwide strategy for the digital economy, said Mr. Goodyear (Cambridge, Ont.), also […]
A sorry state of affairs: Canada gets failing grade in science and innovation
Let’s get down to brass tacks; Canada has no science policy. It is drifting and its competitors are overtaking it. What it has is a minister of state who says exactly the same thing every time he is questioned on the subject: “Canada is making record investments in science and technology.” This is not only […]
Research and innovation: vital to Canada’s new economy
There is a growing worldwide consensus that countries which invest strategically and competitively in education, research and innovation will emerge from the global recession in a better position to lead on economic and social development. World-class research at Canadian universities and research institutes and the talent we foster, are the lifeblood of global knowledge societies. […]
