Danita Catherine Burke, University of Southern Denmark. The Arctic is many things to many people. In Canada, this malleability has made the region an incredibly valuable vehicle for nation-building and identity construction. As a Newfoundland-born international politics scholar and author who researches Canada’s relationship with the Arctic, I believe that very
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The Massey Bridge: A Boondoggle Bought by Big Money?
By Arie Ross for Dogwood. Why did the BC Liberals prioritize a project that could harm local communities, the Fraser River and farmland? On the 601 bus to my hometown of Tsawwassen, I watch as bulldozers uproot the evergreens adjacent to the farmland along Highway 99, making way for a costly
Continue readingEmbattled Taskeo Mine Permits Show Why B.C. Needs an Environmental Assessment Overhaul
By Gavin Smith, staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law Association. This piece first appeared in the Vancouver Sun. B.C.’s new government is already seeing proof that it made the right move when it committed to reform environmental assessment and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Continue readingEclipse of Reason: Why Do People Disbelieve Scientists?
By Bryan Gaensler If you’ve been paying attention, you know that on Aug. 21, we’re in for a special cosmic treat: the Great American Eclipse of 2017. The moon’s shadow will track a 4,000-kilometre course across the continental United States from coast to coast, beginning with Depoe Bay, Ore., and end after
Continue readingClean Energy Transition Could Create 4 Million Canadian Construction Jobs: Report
By Christopher Cheung for The Tyee. The construction industry has a big role to play as Canada aims to meet to its commitment to the Paris climate agreement and transition to a greener economy, according to a new report. “We need that construction workforce to get us to net zero,” said
Continue readingWhy B.C. Needs a Corruption Inquiry
This is a guest post by Lisa Sammartino, the democracy campaigner for B.C.’s largest democracy group Dogwood. It originally ran on The Tyee. Christy Clark rounded out her final days in office with a parting gift — not to British Columbians but to a loyal BC Liberal donor, Taseko Mines. The
Continue readingBigger, Hotter, Faster: Canada’s Wildfires are Changing and We’re Not Ready
By Ed Struzik for The Tyee. While doing research for a book I was writing on wildfire, I posed two questions to a number of experts: “Do you think there will be another Fort McMurray-like fire in the future? If so, where do you think it will happen?” Everyone agreed on
Continue readingChristy Clark Worried Mount Polley Spill Would Harm New Mine Construction, New Docs Show
By Jeremy J.Nuttall for The Tyee. In the hours after the 2014 Mount Polley mine disaster, authorities were already concerned laws had been broken and the premier’s office was worried fallout from the tailing pond breach would “get in the way” of other planned mines, documents provided to The Tyee reveal.
Continue readingRallying Cry: Youth Must Stand Up to Defend Democracy
Henry Giroux, McMaster University via The Conversation Canada. According to famed anthropologist Arjun Appadurai, the central question of our times is whether we’re witnessing the worldwide rejection of liberal democracy and its replacement by some sort of populist authoritarianism. There’s no doubt that democracy is under siege in several countries, including the
Continue readingWater Usage in B.C.’s Northeast Requires Indigenous Consent
By Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Ben Parfitt One of the most important things that all Green and New Democratic Party MLAs agreed to in reaching their historic agreement to cooperate in governing together is their “foundational” support of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration is absolutely
Continue readingIs Christy Clark Ramping Up for Another B.C. Election?
By Matt Price for iPolitics. Don’t think for a second that it’s Christy Clark’s nature to go quietly into the night. In response, the B.C. NDP and Greens may have no choice other than to forge a pact to work together in a snap election. During the press conference in which Christy
Continue readingScientists Map Full Scale of B.C. Wave Energy Potential For First Time
This article originally appeared on The Climate Examiner. British Columbia now has sufficient detailed information about the height, frequency and direction of its coastal waves to start developing and testing wave energy converters in the ocean, according to a new report. Quantifying the amount of energy contained in waves as they
Continue readingSix Troubling Subsidies That Support B.C.’s LNG Industry
By Maximilian Kniewasser, Pembina Institute. Four years ago, the government of British Columbia bet big on the prospect of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports creating overseas markets for the province’s shale and tight gas resources. LNG development would deliver 100,000 jobs, a $100-billion Prosperity Fund, and over $1 trillion in economic activity,
Continue readingThree Ways to Improve Alberta’s Toothless Energy Regulator
By Barry Robinson, Ecojustice. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is Alberta’s one-stop regulatory body for the oil and gas industry. When it was created in 2013 by the merging of the former Energy Resources Conservation Board and parts of Alberta Environment and Parks, the AER made bold claims about transparency, enforcement
Continue readingFour Decades and Counting: A Brief History of the Site C Dam
This is a guest post by Ray Eagle. Many British Columbians may not realize that the $9 billion Site C dam, currently under construction on the Peace River, has a 46-year back-story. B.C. Hydro began engineering studies for Site C back in 1971. In the early 1980s B.C. Hydro went before the
Continue readingFour Things You Need to Know About How Coal Affects Human Health
By Benjamin Israël for the Pembina Institute. In November 2016, the Government of Canada announced its intention to phase out coal as a source of power. Since then, many voices have misrepresented or questioned the impact that coal emissions have on Canadians’ health and our environment. In order to clear the air, we’ve answered
Continue readingCanada’s New Climate Plan Could Shift Billions from Highway Expansion to Public Transit
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Clark and most of Canada’s premiers recently signed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. ‘Framework’ is a good title for this agreement — it is barely a start on what is needed. But it contains a policy shift that could dramatically reduce climate
Continue readingB.C. Government Pulls LNG Television Ad After Complaint
By Andrew MacLeod for The Tyee. The British Columbia government has pulled a television ad that claimed $20 billion has already been invested in the LNG industry in the province, but denies the decision was due to a citizen’s complaint to the industry body that self-regulates advertising in Canada. Blogger Merv
Continue readingYes, the Arctic’s Freakishly Warm Winter is Due to Humans’ Climate Influence
By Andrew King, University of Melbourne For the Arctic, like the globe as a whole, 2016 has been exceptionally warm. For much of the year, Arctic temperatures have been much higher than normal, and sea ice concentrations have been at record low levels. The Arctic’s seasonal cycle means that the lowest sea
Continue readingArctic Drilling Ban Reveals Crucial Difference Between Obama and Trudeau on Climate
By Adam Scott for Oil Change International. he historic announcement by President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau that both countries would ban oil & gas development in Arctic and Atlantic waters was a major victory to protect our oceans and the people who depend on them, and a real victory for our climate.
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