Author: The Mound of Sound

A sobering op-ed from The Globe’s Gary Mason on why hopes that Canada will take “meaningful climate action” are wishful thinking. It’s not so much that he’s saying something shocking. It’s more that he’s just saying it – out loud. Once, this country led the global conversation that helped save

I have access to the Globe & Mail as part of a family membership (not mine). Personally I don’t find enough in it to justify the cost of a separate subscription. I did find something a bit curious today. The Globe seems to have found a niche in the cannabis

Chris Hedges, quite predictably, looks at the impeachment drama underway in Washington with a “pox on both their houses” attitude. When it comes to corruption he considers Democrats and Republicans of a piece. That sentiment, however, isn’t the interesting part of his latest essay. The intriguing bit is Hedges’ assessment

Canadian scientists may have come up with a solution to the perils of the Tar Sands – turn that hazmat sludge, a.k.a. bitumen, into hydrogen, on site. Hydrogen, even if a bit volatile, is a terrific transport fuel. It’s full of energy and, when burned, produces only heat and water

I’ve spoken with several people who wish “none of the above” was an option on this year’s ballot. They know that, come October 24th, Canada will be in the hands of some guy completely unfit to lead the country. The Tory faithful and the Liberal faithful won’t like to hear

Yep, nailed it.

That was quick. Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, has quit. His departure came just days after Mr. Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine’s president to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and other Democrats came to light and triggered a full-blown House impeachment inquiry. House leaders announced on

His wife, Valerie Plame, recently announced her bid for a seat in the Senate. Sadly, Joe Wilson won’t be around to see how that turns out. Joseph C. Wilson, the long-serving American diplomat whose clash with the administration of President George W. Bush in 2003 led to the unmasking of his

Our friend, Warren, never seems to pass up an opportunity to extol Jean Chretien as one of Canada’s greatest prime ministers (he wasn’t) or to remind us that way back in that bygone era he worked in Chretien’s war room. He tells us that they’re fast friends, nearly joined at

I count about 14 impeachment-related stories/op-eds in today’s New York Times. Not much doubt that the Gray Lady wants el Bloato gone, PDQ. Today’s NYT editorial explains why the impeachment inquiry is the only option. There’s a story about how Trump aides, gathered in the ‘listening room,’ heard Trump’s call

Everybody has to adapt to the times, I suppose. Those who study climate change denialism report that the movement to thwart efforts to not destroy Earth’s biosphere has shifted. John Cook at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University recently completed a study tracking climate misinformation in

On this, Canada’s day to lead the global climate strike protests, a look at what’s at stake if we remain a petro-state. If you support either of the main parties you likely imagine “they’ll think of something.” That’s top-drawer, first-grade “magical thinking.” It’s nonsense. Why? Because even if we do

Not a grapevine, exactly. My Amazon Echo Dot to be honest. I said the magic words “Alexa, play the latest episode of NPR News Now” and out it came. A PBS/NPR poll found American attitudes on impeachment are shifting. Americans are typically averse to the notion of impeaching a president.

Sure it’s just gossip, but… I know a bit about Vancouver-Granville. I used to live there. I still have several friends there in that decidedly toney riding, almost all of them longtime Liberals. What they’re telling me is that JWR appears to be on a roll. Her lawn signs, they

While Greta Thunberg and others rallied at the UN this week to demand that nations finally get serious about climate change, another group calling itself the Southern State Energy Board was gathering to defend fossil fuels, including coal, while Trump was still in the White House busy undoing every environmental

Business Insider reports that the whistleblower who turned Trump in over the Ukraine shakedown is a CIA officer who once worked in Trump’s White House. But wait, there’s more. The whistleblower’s complaint is based on information funneled to him by current White House insiders. Donald Trump is weathering the biggest

How do we shake our political leadership out of the delusion of perpetual, exponential growth? Three per cent doesn’t sound like much. That’s what most Western leaders strive for, a seemingly modest annual growth of three per cent. If it’s modest it must be okay, right? No, it’s dangerous. It’s

Those Whom the Gods Would Destroy They First Make Mad Imagine sweeping up Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and Bill Barr in one web of corruption. Upwards of a dozen spooks were listening in as Donald Trump asked Ukranian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, for a favour – dig up dirt on Joe

Tom Friedman thinks the way to drive Trump out of the Oval Office is to go all environmental on his ass next year. I know, it’s Tom Friedman but he has an interesting idea. Just as Kennedy inspired Americans with the space race the Dems should proclaim an Earth Race