From disease-spreading fish farms to bitumen supertankers, Ottawa has done the west coast no favours. There is some good news. These damned fish farms are under attack – by sea lions. Dozens of thieving sea lions in western Canada have spent the last few weeks gorging on fish after brazenly
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The Disaffected Lib Mk. II: Now More Than Ever? Covid Unmasked.
The UK reports that, at the end of March, one in thirteen Brits had active Covid infections. One in 13 down with Covid. At the same time, a new strain of the Omicron variant is spreading. Yet governments insist on scrapping even the most basic precautions, particularly masking. George Monbiot
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Tim Requarth writes about the U.S.’ appalling number of COVID orphans who have lost caregivers due to failures in public health policy – and the fact that they’re now being left without alternative social supports as well. And the Decent Work &
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #SKNDPLDR22 – The Race is On
I’ve previously noted the danger that the Saskatchewan NDP’s leadership campaign – however unnecessary it should have been to begin with – might be particularly damaging to the party if it failed to produce some meaningful challenge to Carla Beck as the first entrant and front-runner. From that standpoint, it’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Rohan Smith reports on new research showing how little of the coronavirus needs to be passed from one person to another to result in infection, while CBC News reports on Quebec’s belated but needed decision to hold off on lifting mask mandates. And
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: California Dreaming or "Looking Down the Barrel of a Loaded Gun."
California’s ongoing drought portends another miserable wildfire season across the West. UC Berkley prof, Andrew Schwartz, writes that California is going from bad to worse. Schwartz has just concluded the study of the state’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. The 2022 results confirmed what those of us monitoring the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: Sound Familiar? The Dirty Marriage of Politics and Oil.
There’s no way out of this unless we break the fossil fuelers grip on our politicians. The fossil fuel industry and its influence over policy was the major elephant in the room looming over the release of the third and final report, out this week, from the Intergovernmental Panel
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Andrew Nikiforuk discusses how the pandemic denial of Boris Johnson, Jason Kenney, Scott Moe and others is only ensuring that more people suffer avoidable illness and death. And Merlyna Lim and Brandon Rigato examine how Canada’s far right has become a fertile breeding
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: Falling Behind Faster and Faster – IPCC
The latest chapter in the IPCC’s third major report says that we have a very narrow chance of averting 1.5 degree warming. But, if we make the big sacrifices and are really diligent about it, we might get back within that threshold in 80 years. Make no mistake, 1.5C
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: The Flight from Reality – Nikiforuk
The Tyee’s Andrew Nikiforuk writes that we’re being left to our fates as province by province lifts Covid-19 restrictions. Like most modern politicians, [Boris] Johnson couldn’t be bothered with dealing with the complications of an evolving virus that comes in controllable waves. So he lifted all protections including masks
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Michael Marshall offers a reminder that even where it hasn’t been able to achieve its ideal goal, a zero-COVID strategy has produced far better outcomes for people. The Ottawa Citizen’s editorial board is rightly scathing in responding to Doug Ford’s abandonment of his province. Emma
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Ezra Cheung reports on research showing the increasing severity of the Omicron BA.2 variant for children in Hong Kong, while David Axe discusses the similar pattern observed in Europe. And Jesse Feith points out the connection between long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – The Star’s editorial board weighs in on the reality that wishful thinking isn’t a substitute for responsible public health measures as another COVID wave builds up, while the Globe and Mail rightly criticizes the politicians acting like the pandemic is over as the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Musical interlude
Kavinsky feat. Kareen Lomax – Cameo
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Nicola Davis writes about the large number of people getting reinfected with COVID in the UK, while Andrew Gregory reports on new research showing that vaccines offer protection to people who have had COVID before. Zak Vescera reports on the rising rate of
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: Ottawa’s Splendid Greenwash
The devil, as usual, is in the details. There was plenty of bombast today in Ottawa as the Trudeau government announced bold targets to cut Canadian CO2 emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. Canada has a rich history of emissions targets that never seem to be met. Canada
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Phil Tank writes that the Saskatchewan Party has only reluctantly held off on eliminating even what little information it still provided the public about ongoing COVID-19 infections in the midst of a new wave, while Laura Sciarpelletti reports the Moe government is ignoring
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: Dirty Oil, Dirty Money
Canada’s chartered banks love fossil fuels. Despite all the dire warnings of climate catastrophe, our banks, like our federal government, are big on bitumen. Canada’s five biggest banks increased their fossil fuel financing by 70 per cent, or around $61 billion, last year, according to the annual Banking on
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib Mk. II: So It’s the F-35 After All
And the winner is the stealth bomb truck from Lockheed Martin. Canada wants to buy 88 F-35s for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with courting America’s favour. If you think we’re getting the latest and greatest, think again. Every airplane is a million compromises bolted together.
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