Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and US President Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s. Photo by AP. Much deserved praise has been heaped on Brian Mulroney’s legacy, but the universal lauding of NAFTA misses the mark. Mulroney made major contributions by pushing Washington to cut acid rain wafting across the border,
Continue readingAuthor: Gordon Laxer
Canadian Dimension: Public inquiry into foreign interference in elections should target Big Oil
Oil refinery in Fort Fort McMurray, Alberta. Photo by Kris Krüg/Flickr. Canada’s apex oil and gas lobby group may rue the day it made foreign-funded political meddling a public issue. For good reason, China’s election interference has sparked outrage in Canada. But China’s ability to sway a broad spectrum of
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Investigation needed into foreign election meddling
Hundreds came out to the “Rally 4 Resources” event in support of the Trans Mountain pipeline at the McDougal Centre in Calgary on Tuesday April 10, 2018. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia. We need an independent, non-partisan public inquiry into foreign election meddling that goes beyond China. Powerful, non-government foreign entities,
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: A contingency plan for the death of American democracy
Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a “Save America” rally at Country Thunder Arizona in Florence, Arizona. Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr. If democracy falters in the US, where would that leave Canada? Can democracy thrive here if the US becomes an autocracy, or falls
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: It’s Big Oil, not environmentalists, who are foreign-funded
Did it not dawn on CAPP that crusading against a pittance of foreign funding of environmentalists trying to block the transportation and carbon pollution of oilsands oil would blow back and reveal just how foreign funded CAPP and Big Oil in Canada are? Photo by Chris Kolaczan/Shutterstock. The Canadian Association
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Trudeau should cut his losses on the Trans Mountain pipeline
Justin Trudeau is in over a barrel. In 2015, he made a deal with Alberta. He would get an oil pipeline built to a coast if the province joined his pan-Canadian climate plan. After his election this past April, Conservative Alberta Premier Jason Kenney ripped up Alberta’s side of the
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: After the Sands: Energy and Ecological Security for Canadians
Photo by taylorandayumi
The Paris climate accords were strong on aspirations to keep the world below 2C temperature rise but very weak on delivery. Despite Trudeau’s claims that Canada is back, Ottaw…
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Canada shouldn’t export its oil
Photo by Jason Woodhead
It’s good to see Montreal-area mayors oppose the Energy East oil pipeline, because environmental risks such as spills that threaten drinking water are too great and the economic ben…
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Premiers blowing hot air on climate change
Photo by Loozrboy Canada’s premiers agreed to a master energy and climate change plan July 17. It’s specific on fast-tracking pipelines, but “aspirational” on climate action. No wonder. Building more pipelines to export Sands oil will gut any serious plans to cut greenhouse gases. Alison Redford was Progressive Conservative premier
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Plan for a low-carbon Alberta
Photo by Don Coltman • Turner Valley “Buy Alberta Oil” billboard As Alberta’s economic engine falters, now is a good time to rethink the province putting all its eggs in bitumen’s basket. When its crops failed, Alberta’s farmers had the pluck to persevere. There’s always next year. That resilience in
Continue reading