Federal silence on Wet’suwet’en tensions a ‘worrisome’ sign of faltering Liberal push on reconciliation, say advocates
As the new Wet’suwet’en blockade enters its fourth week, some advocates say the tensions are revealing gaps in the Liberal reconciliation effort, laying bare the need for new models of Indigenous self governance and respect for land rights. Rose LeMay, CEO of the Indigenous Reconciliation Group, says she’s been “cringing” as she watches the federal […]
Canada’s oil and gas sector can be part of the climate change solution, not the problem
TORONTO—In a stark new report that needs to be read in Canada, the International Energy Agency warns that the oil and gas industry has two choices as the world transitions to a low-carbon world: it can be part of the problem, or it can be part of the solution. The industry can be part of […]
Canadian politicians at all levels are juggling difficult goals this term
Canadian politicians at all levels are juggling difficult goals this term in order to get votes in upcoming elections. These are some of the issues facing Canada. The Trans Mountain Pipeline is a disaster for climate change in Canada, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believes that it would help Canadians with the services that they […]
Canada must act to help get everyone out of hot water
Venice is under water, while Filipinos flee the latest super-typhoon. The nightly news replaces images of an Amazon in flames, with those of Sydney shrouded in smoke from wildfires. Less visible, but no less alarming, the oceans are warming and changing in ways that we are only beginning to recognize. In a landmark report earlier […]
Frontier Mine emerges as the latest test of Trudeau’s climate credibility
CHELSEA, QUE.—Apparently under the erroneous impression that he won the recent federal election, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney marched through the salons and wood-panelled political offices of Ottawa last week brandishing his usual “demands” (sometimes framed as “proposals,” depending on his audience)—including a brand new one. This time—besides emergency federal funding to counteract sagging employment in […]
We shouldn’t just be insuring buildings, we need to insure our wetlands
In 2018, severe weather events cost Canada $1.9-billion in insured damage, according to the Catastrophe Indices and Quantification. Most people think that the greatest risks of weather events is to buildings and infrastructure. It’s not. The greatest risk is to our natural resources, and yet who is protecting these? Take the case of wetlands. The […]
For Canadian resource workers, a just transition is the best path forward
For a country as dependent on resource extraction as Canada, the global shift away from oil, gas, and coal toward renewable energy sources presents obvious challenges. In addition to accounting for nearly one-tenth of GDP, the fossil fuel industry employs more than 200,000 people across the country. What will become of these workers as governments […]
Are we having the right conversation about Canadian oil?
Would the displacement of foreign crude oil imports with Canadian crude result in the reduction of global carbon dioxide emissions and cost savings for refineries? Canada is the fifth-largest oil producer in the world, yet we continue to import oil. The majority of these imports come from the U.S. Other imports come from Saudi Arabia, […]
Canada’s opportunity for a sustainable development future
Governments, businesses, and consumers are trying to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limit the severe impacts of climate change. This is our chance to move toward a sustainable development future—an economic model that balances environmental protection, wealth creation, and a prosperous society. Canada’s natural resources sector has an important role to play in that […]
Premiers’ nuclear announcement a potential boon, but issues remain: experts
Canadian nuclear energy experts say the recent announcement by three provincial premiers of plans to develop small and modular nuclear reactor technology, which could provide large amounts of greenhouse gas-free electricity, but one environmental expert says serious issues with the technology remain. On Dec. 1, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and New […]
