Alberta Tar Sands operation near Fort McMurray (photo: Kris Krûg) by Carol Linnitt – republished from Desmog Canada In its latest report the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gave global greenhouse gas emissions a worldwide limit, know as the global ‘carbon budget.’ In order to prevent temperatures from rising
Continue readingAuthor: Common Sense Canadian
The Common Sense Canadian: Ex-Japanese PM calls for end to nuclear power following Fukushima
Naoto Kan testifying at a Japanese hearing to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (2010-2011) addresses the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis which happened on his watch. While his decision to continue propping up the grossly negligent Tokyo Electric Power Company is disappointing, his bold vision for an
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Police team up with Apple, social media to quash free speech, protests
Social media and smart phones played a key role in organizing the “Arab Spring” protests in Egypt’s Tahrir Square Read this story from RT.com on discussions between various police departments and tech companies like facebook and Apple to block users from posting “criminal” content and organizing protests. A partnership between police departments
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Pipeline incidents on the rise: Over 1,000 since year 2000
2011 Rainbow Pipeline leak in Alberta (Rogu Collecti/Greenpeace) Read this new report from CBC.ca based on Access to Information documents, detailing a sharp rise in pipeline incidents over the past decade. Pipelines regulated by the federal government — which include some of the longest lines in the country — have
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Burnaby residents complain of fumes from Kinder Morgan oil terminal
Some Burnaby residents are noticing intense fumes emanating from Kinder Morgan’s oil terminal Read this Oct. 22 story from the Burnaby Now, profiling several residents of the city’s Westridge neighbourhood who have been affected by intense fumes coming from the nearby Kinder Morgan oil terminal. Westridge residents are sounding the alarm after
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Will new Water Act rein in groundwater use for fracking, LNG?
Frack water pit in BC’s Horn River Basin (photo: Damien Gillis) By Anna Novacek – republished from Energy Law BC As the only province in Canada that does not regulate groundwater use, BC has been referred to as the “wild west” of groundwater. Groundwater has and will continue to be relied on
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Shell predicts end of oil in 2070
Read this Oct. 18 piece from MNN.com on an interesting new report from one of the world’s largest oil companies, envisioning the end of oil and future of renewable energy. Has Shell become a shill for Tesla Motors? That’s the shocking conclusion of the market analysts Motley Fool, looking at the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Genetically Engineered Foods and Human Health (GMO) – Osoyoos, BC
Dr. Thierry Vrain is a former soil biologist and genetic scientist who worked for Agriculture Canada for 30 years. He was the designated spokesperson to assure the public of the safety of GMO crops. Since retiring 10 years ago, after taking into account scientific evidence ignored by most of the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Home Energy Management – Green Business Opportunity
The home energy management (HEM) market continues to attract attention, especially with the increasing presence of newer stakeholders like broadband service providers (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast) and security companies (e.g., ADT and Vivint). However, the products and services that constitute the HEM market continue to struggle for more traction.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Colorado fracking flood raises deeper issues – like extreme energy, endless growth
The aftermath of Colorado’s recent flood in heavily fracked Weld County (David Lavallee) by David Lavallee I first heard about the flood that left the Colorado fracking industry underwater by way of a story on The Common Sense Canadian. I happened to be in neighboring Utah on a shoot for
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Risks to Democracy from Harper’s Pipeline Agenda (Vancouver – Oct.22)
Townhall Meeting: Risks to Democracy from Harper’s Pipeline Agenda ForestEthics Advocacy is hosting a forum in Vancouver tonight (7 PM – Marpole Place Neighborhood House) to discuss what Tar Sands Campaign Director Ben West refers to as Stephen Harper’s “systematic attack on environmental regulations and public participation in consultation processes, and …undermining if
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fracking’s impacts on Alberta farming families: Lost hair, dead cows
Photo: Damien Gillis Read this Oct. 21 feature from TheTyee.ca, examining the real world impacts of shale oil fracking on farming families in Alberta. Nielle and Howard Hawkwood do not welcome the west wind at their 40-year-old cattle ranch just north of Cochrane in the foothills of the Rockies anymore.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kinder Morgan president: Harper’s heavy-handed tactics hampering pipelines
Kinder Morgan Canada President Ian Anderson at a Vancouver Board of Trade talk (photo: Kinder Morgan) Read this Oct. 17 story from The Vancouver Observer on comments made by Kinder Morgan Canada President Ian Anderson to a business crowd in Calagary, criticizing the Harper government’s ham-fisted intervention in pipeline politics. Ian Anderson, speaking in
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fracking protestors clash with police in New Bruswick
Two vehicles burn near a fracking protest in Rexton, N.B. (Courtesy of Gilles Boudreau) Read this breaking news story from CBC.ca on today’s clash between fracking protestors and police in New Brunswick. Shale gas protesters and RCMP trying to enforce an injunction are clashing in Rexton, N.B., with the violence including two police
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Harper’s Keystone XL lobbying trip funded by $65,000 in tax dollars
by Carol Linnitt – Originally posted on DeSmog Canada The hotel rental for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s September visit to New York City cost Canadian taxpayers a total of $56,582.91, according to documents recently released by CTV News. “Canada and the U.S. are making important progress on enhancing trade, travel and
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: North Dakota fracked oil spill one of nation’s largest ever
photo: Neal Lauron/Greenpeace Read this Oct. 10 story from DeSmogBlog.com on a North Dakota fracked oil spill of close to a million gallons, exacerbated by the ongoing US Government shutdown. Over 20,600 barrels of oil fracked from the Bakken Shale has spilled from aTesoro Logistics pipeline in Tioga, North Dakota in one of the biggest
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Frackez-vous: French court passes ultimate fracking ban
Image: Damien Gillis/Fractured Land Read this story from Climate Progress on the fracking ban upheld by France’s constitutional court – perhaps the strongest yet in the world. France’s ban on fracking was finally completed Friday, as its constitutional court upheld a 2011 law prohibiting the practice and canceling all exploration permits. The decision
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: NAFTA challenge to Quebec fracking law puts profits ahead of water
Fracking protest in New Brunswick (photo: Colin McPhail) by Emma Lui Communities everywhere are calling for a stop to fracking – from Elsipogtog First Nation’s highway blockade in New Brunswick to Californians, New Yorkers and other Americans urging for a frackign ban on public lands to farmers occupying fields in
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Enbridge Line 9 concern heating up as hearings begin
Watch this informative video from OperationMaple.ca, describing Enbridge’s plan to ship 300,000 barrels/day of Alberta bitumen east by reversing the flow of a 37-year old line from Montreal to Sarnia, Ontario – to be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 of the reversal, Line 9A, was approved by the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Troubled Waters: New video investigates northeast BC fracking
Watch this new 5-min video documenting some of the impacts of shale gas fracking in northeast BC. Chief Roland Wilson of West Moberly First Nations describes his community’s concerns regarding water impacts. The industry uses and contaminates billions of litres of fresh water every year, pulled out of local rivers and
Continue reading