Tesla Model 3 at March 2016 unveiling (Steve Jurvetson/Flickr) In my previous March 2016 article “Pipelines to Nowhere“, I made the point that the proposed Canadian pipelines are about increasing the international supply of petroleum when all the signs are that demand fossil fuels are levelling off over the longer
Continue readingMonth: August 2016
The Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: How it became offensive for women to wear too much clothing
Photo: Flickr CC Licence / Flood G Yes, yes, yes, I know, Mr. Editor, we’re in the last stretch before the last stretch just before a big, real last stretch going into next May’s election and I should be thinking wall-to-wall BC politics. Well, sir, I’m not going to do that
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: CVRD Must Stand Up For Lake Cowichan-Youbou-Honeymoon Bay Residents Facing BC Hydro Ripoff Rate Hikes
The BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) is charged with independently examining issues connected with BC Hydro and making their views and rulings on behalf of the public interest. At least that is what they used Read more…
Continue readingCanadian Taxpayers Fork Out $3.3 Billion Every Year to Super Profitable Oil Companies
Some of the largest, most profitable companies in Canada are collectively receiving an estimated $3.3 billion in subsidies every year from Canadian taxpayers, according to a new analysis.
The report, released today by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a Canadian-based think tank, outlines how billions in federal and provincial tax breaks and corporate incentives benefit companies in the oil and gas sector like Imperial Oil, whose earnings in 2015 were CDN$1.1 billion.
The new analysis comes as Trudeau is in China for the G20 Summit. In 2009 G20 leaders committed to a complete phase out of all fossil fuel subsidies over the medium term and Justin Trudeau, while on the campaign trail, made an election promise to fulfill that commitment.
“Fossil fuel subsidies work against Canada’s commendable progress in putting a price on carbon — they give money and tax breaks to the sources of carbon pollution that we’re trying to scale back,” Amin Asadollahi, North American Lead on Climate Change Mitigation at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, said.
Canadian Taxpayers Fork Out $3.3 Billion Every Year to Super Profitable Oil Companies
Some of the largest, most profitable companies in Canada are collectively receiving an estimated $3.3 billion in subsidies every year from Canadian taxpayers, according to a new analysis.
The report, released today by the International Institute …
Continue readingLife...A Small Spark Between Two Eternities: Trudeau fiddles, Canada burns
Justin,put down the selfie stick and governTrudeau fiddles, Canada burns
Continue readingLife...A Small Spark Between Two Eternities: Trudeau fiddles, Canada burns
Justin,put down the selfie stick and governTrudeau fiddles, Canada burns
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Remembering Walkerton
The Walkerton tragedy is revisited in the environmental section of today’s Guardian. Hard to imagine it was sixteen years ago that negligence by the Ontario town’s utilities manager, Stan Koebel, and his brother Frank, the water foreman, resulted in the lethal contamination of the town’s well with, well, cattle poop. Before it was over five were dead and fully half of the town’s 5,000 population fell seriously ill.
This is World Water Week and the article reminds us that, around the world, water quality and supply are in serious decline.
Walkerton was one of Canada’s worst-ever pollution incidents but there are hundreds of similar incidents every year around the world, albeit mostly less serious, says Prof [Joan] Rose, who is laboratory director in water research at Michigan State University.
Most come from people drinking water contaminated with sewage, she says. “In the US there are 12-18m cases of human water-borne diseases a year. In developing countries it is possible that one in three hospital cases may be due to contamination of water. We do not know exactly how bad it is but 1.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sewage treatment.”
“We have started to decrease mortality for waterborne diseases but the big problem now is morbidity [disease-related]. People are getting more sick. We are now more polluted than we have ever been”.
“There are 7 billion people and most of their waste is going into water. The water quality of lakes, rivers and coastal shorelines around the world is degrading at an alarming rate. There has been a great acceleration since the 1950s of human and animal populations, water withdrawals, pesticide and fertiliser use. But at the same time there has been a deceleration, or shrinkage, in wetlands,” says Rose.
“We are changing our lands. Land is the source of contamination, but climate is the driver [of contamination]. We know that the intensity of rainfall, storms and droughts is changing. More than 50% of community waterborne illness events in the US each year are associated with extreme rain.”
When it rains heavily or floods, pathogens like Leptospira, hepatitis, norovirus and cryptosporidium are all significant, she says. “There is a direct link between water pollution, certain food-borne disease outbreaks and warmer oceans. Temperature, precipitation, humidity and flooding are all factors in contamination of water and food systems by pathogens. Many developing nations suffer terribly from illnesses caused by lack of sewage treatment facilities which are exasperated by climate.”
Meanwhile, sewage contains well over 100 different viruses. Newly emerging viruses such as Cycloviruses, which are causing neurological problems in children in Asia, are also emerging in sewage and are spreading.
“Pollution is spreading to every part of the world. Everywhere is now under huge new attack from viruses and pathogens,” she says.
The Disaffected Lib: Remembering Walkerton
The Walkerton tragedy is revisited in the environmental section of today’s Guardian. Hard to imagine it was sixteen years ago that negligence by the Ontario town’s utilities manager, Stan Koebel, and his brother Frank, the water foreman, resulted in th…
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Next Gen Men? – Enter teh Wolf Pack?
An organization for men to deal with men’s problems? How bad could it be? Let’s take a look at their manifesto: “Wolf Pack aims to tackle the challenges of social isolation amongst adult men by helping foster social connection and new friendships through vulnerable and supportive conversations around topics of depth. Our Wolf Pack groups […]
Continue readingLeft Over: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics (with apologies and an acknowledgement to Mark Twain..)
ttps://www.facebook.com/BCLiberalCaucus/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2016/08/23/Critical-Services-Suffering-in-BC/?utm_source=weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=290816 In their latest propaganda piece the BC Libs are attempting, lamely, to counter research that shows that BC has one of the lowest education budgets per student in the country..not much of … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Just Sayin
Lest we forget – if we haven’t already.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Just Sayin
Lest we forget – if we haven’t already.
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: BC’s Climate Plan shows why real leadership requires accountability
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and her staff are in th…
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: BC’s Climate Plan shows why real leadership requires accountability
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and her staff are in th…
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Socialism for today’s NDP, and today’s Canada
Photo by Matt Jiggins
While not a topic without coverage, the question of socialism within the New Democratic Party — and Canada more generally — tends to come in waves. One recent example has come from Toro…
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Why Trudeau is no friend of labour
Photo by Juandedeboca
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was given a standing ovation at the 2nd Unifor convention in Ottawa yesterday. But not all Unifor members were cheering on the love-in between the Prime Minist…
Continue readingeaves.ca: Improvising a Digital Curriculum at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Since arriving as a Lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to integrate digital into the curriculum. I have a course on Digital Government and will be teaching modules next term on what we’ve lea…
Continue readingWise Law Blog: LawFact of the Day: Family Law
Here is your daily LawFact from Wise Law for Wednesday August 31, 2016. Today we are talking about Family Law.A video posted by Wise Law Office (@wiselaw) on Aug 31, 2016 at 6:19am PDTMarriage contracts, also known as pre-nuptial agreements, enable spo…
Continue readingWise Law Blog: LawFact of the Day: Family Law
Here is your daily LawFact from Wise Law for Wednesday August 31, 2016. Today we are talking about Family Law.A video posted by Wise Law Office (@wiselaw) on Aug 31, 2016 at 6:19am PDTMarriage contracts, also known as pre-nuptial agreements, enable spo…
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