There have been a number of important developments in the Ontario electricity sector since my last update when I summarized my arguments in front of the Ontario Legislature against the proposed Provincial Conservative legislation, now enacted, that eliminated the Provincial Liberal rate-based borrowing scheme to subsidize electricity prices and replace
Continue readingTag: carbon pricing
Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Michael Mechanic discusses how the promise of noblesse oblige represents nothing more than an excuse for a system designed to encourage the greedy accumulation of wealth and power. Laura Davison reports on the IRS’ estimate that the U.S. is losing a trillion dollars
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Inputs and outputs
There’s rightly been plenty of pushback against the Cons’ sad excuse for a climate change plan. But it’s worth highlighting that there’s one way in which the principle behind it could accomplish more than the Libs’ one-sided approach to carbon pricing. It would seem too obvious to bear mention that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Robyn Urback criticizes the Ford PCs’ habit (matched by other conservative governments) of responding to COVID-19 with continued cycles of procrastination followed by panic. And Rachel McLay highlights how political will has been the key factor in Atlantic Canada’s success in suppressing
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Emma Jackson highlights why we shouldn’t treat carbon pricing as anything more than a tiny piece of a plan to avert a climate breakdown. Hadrian Metrins-Kirkwood writes about the importance of passing an ambitious Just Transition Act into law at the federal leve.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Armine Yalnizyan highlights how our failure to put adequate resources into the caring sector stands in the way of both a COVID recovery and sustainable longer-term economic development. – Jessica Wildfire writes that our economy has been set up to be unaffordable
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – David Macdonald examines (PDF) the continued pay gap which sees CEOs rake in more money the morning of the first day of work than their employees will earn all year. Canadians for Tax Fairness highlights how that signals the need to eliminate
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Dan Guadagnolo calls out the spinmeisters trying to torque job availability numbers to portray workers receiving coronavirus relief as lazy rather than deserving. And Christian Favreau notes that in fact, the real danger is that any recovery plan will be used to further
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Michael Mann writes about Australia’s deadly lesson in the dangers of a climate breakdown. Ian Gill offers a reminder that we may soon be next – and that we have every reason for rage at the oil barons and politicians responsible. And Duane
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how the Libs’ throne speech continues their pattern of paying lip service to climate action while using public resources to make matters worse. For those interested in the calculations as to the climate impact of new pipelines, the numbers I’ve used are as follows. Brian Jean called here
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Suzanne Moore is encouraged that Greta Thunberg is challenging – and upsetting – a privileged male ruling class. Jennifer Ellen Good picks up on Thurberg’s theme that an obsession with growth at the expense of sustainability can only lead to disaster. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On mixed signals
Cam argues that the Libs’ latest messaging on carbon pricing is a mistake in the sense of a political gaffe. And watching only the headlines today, that take would appear to be borne out. But I’ll respond that while a posture of studied ambiguity about carbon pricing may represent an
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Not Nearly Enough
For those who take a measure of pride in the fact that Canada has put a price on carbon, one that is essentially painless, by the way, thanks to the federal rebate, here is some sobering news: Canada ranks among the worst countries in its efforts to combat climate change.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how right-wing provincial governments across Canada are deliberately denying benefits to their constituents solely to try to avoid any credit going to the federal level in advance of this fall’s election. For further reading…– Murray Mandryk, Sarath Peiris and plenty of letter writers have already pointed out the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – The Globe and Mail’s editorial board points out the gross dishonesty of Jason Kenney, Scott Moe and other spokesflacks for the oil sector who are looking to turn the slightest hint of consideration of the environment and Indigenous rights into grounds for a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Evening Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Jonathan Aldred calls out the combination of handouts to the rich, cultivated attitudes of self-reliance and antisocial assumptions which have exacerbated inequality over the past few decades: European countries have, on average, more redistributive tax systems and more welfare benefits for the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Peter Eavis points out how U.S. CEOs are only seeing their exorbitant pay soar even further due to Donald Trump’s tax giveaways. Kara Swisher interviews Anand Giridharadas about how “philanthropists” are bribing the public with small parts of the obscene concentrations money
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Jo Davies points out the widespread recognition that Canadian corporations need to pay their fair share for a functional society. And Eric Levitz notes that Donald Trump and other right-wing pseudo-populists are ensuring the opposite, as the IRS has stopped any meaningful
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Daniel Drenzer reviews Joseph Stiglitz’ People, Power and Profits, while noting the importance of pairing progressive policy ideas with a plan for implementation. And Laura Davison points out how Donald Trump’s massive tax losses which kept him from contributing to the U.S.’ public
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On definitive statements
Following up on this post, I’ll take a step back point out how Scott Moe’s insistence on attacking any carbon price through the courts is only enshrining in Canadian jurisprudence – in both the majority and dissenting decisions – some of the points he’s trying to soft-peddle for the climate
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