According to GWU professor Dr. Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, raising concern about climate change requires that we talk less about fossil fuels and more about food. Because everyone is affected immediately by the availability and the cost of food. Dr. Colón-Ramo notes that extreme weather in 2023 was the main disrupter of
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Views from the Beltline: The UCP’s war on renewables
Alberta, with excellent sun and wind resources, and the only deregulated electricity market in the country, is Canada’s renewable energy powerhouse. In 2023, 92 percent of the country’s growth in solar and wind energy and energy-storage capacity was built in this province. Because the deregulated market allows private developers to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Andrew Phillips offers a reminder that Canada will pay the price for a climate breakdown whether or not it partially prices emissions in the moment – though it’s worth noting that even the existing combination of taxes and regulations falls far short of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Kate Irwin reports on new research showing that dozens of the U.S.’ largest corporations are doling out more money to their five top executives than they paid in total federal income tax. And Robert Renger makes the case that windfall gains in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Melissa Lem and Samantha Green write about the push from the health care community to ensure that fossil fuel companies can’t keep deceiving the public about the harm caused by their operations. And John Woodside reports on the majority popular support for a windfall
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Brishti Basu reports on the ill effects of WorkSafeBC’s decision to push people back to work while they continue to suffer from long COVID. And Alex Skopic calls out the CDC’s choice to direct people back to work while they’re still infected
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Bill McGuire discusses why anybody with an understanding of climate science is terrified of a living environment that’s careening out of control. Carbon Brief notes that there’s plenty of public support for meaningful climate action. But Andre Mayer observes that while the wealthiest and most
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Pass the Sustainable Jobs Act—now!
A critical part of transitioning to a sustainable future is ensuring workers are prepared and jobs are available in the new economy. A strong job action plan is required. This was included in the Supply and Confidence Agreement between the Liberals and the NDP. The answer was Bill C-50, the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Oshan Jarow discusses Sapien Labs’ work measuring mental health levels around the globe – and the resulting conclusion that “conveniences” including smartphones and ultra-processed foods may contribute to a lower level of mental wellness. And Michelle Gamage writes about the plummeting life expectancy of
Continue readingIN-SIGHTS: Eye in the sky
MethaneSAT is equipped with advanced sensing technology that allows it to precisely identify methane emissions at oil and gas sites across the globe. The satellite was launched on March 4 and its data will be available to the public free of charge later in 2024…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Julia Doubleday highlights how the continued unmitigated spread of COVID-19 is collapsing hospital systems around the globe. Priyanjana Primanik examines how the coronavirus leads to long-lasting cognitive deficits, while Isabella Cueto discusses new research confirming a connection between COVID and autoimmune disease (which
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Alan Urban writes about the reality that establishment institutions are working on normalizing civilizational collapse – as well as the need to fight back against that process. And Cory Doctorow discusses the appalling results of the juxtaposition of predatory private equity and health
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: No Going Back
Conflict, climate, and covid are showing us the worst of ourselves, but it might be what we need to find our collective humanity. Tiberius wrote: “The old world is no longer dying, it is dead. There is no going back to how things were after this genocide has been live-streamed
Continue readingIN-SIGHTS: Debunking LNG as a climate solution
It is worth considering a 2023 report authored for the David Suzuki Foundation by Daniel Horen Greenford, a postdoctoral researcher at Concordia University. It is titled ‘Debunking LNG as a Climate Solution.’ Unfortunately, it contains a great deal of bad news for people who care about future generations…
Continue readingIN-SIGHTS: Greenwashing hinders climate solutions
Greenwashing promotes false solutions to the climate crisis that distract from and delay concrete and credible action…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Susan Riley points out the glaring gap between the urgency of the climate crisis, and the Canadian political response which (Charlie Angus aside) ranges from mealy-mouthed corporatism to outright sabotage. And Gillian Steward calls out the UCP’s continued climate denial which is preventing
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Andre Picard highlights the dangers of treating the return of measles (and other threats to health exacerbated by anti-science zealotry) as something to be mocked rather than taken seriously. And John Paul Tasker discusses the widespread frustration Canadians are experiencing trying to
Continue readingIN-SIGHTS: A caterpillar turning into a butterfly?
I write often about climate change and tend toward pessimism about humankind’s efforts to avoid disaster. But there are good stories that show progress. Will they be enough? Only if we have the will to go against powerful vested interests and implement 21st century technologies…
Continue readingIN-SIGHTS: Truth and science versus lies and greed
Owners of social media platforms profit from tidal waves of hate and disinformation. Boy, do they profit. According to Forbes, Facebook’s Zuckerberg is worth C$230 billion, while co-founders Saverin and Moskovitz share C$50 billion. Twitter’s Elon Musk is said to be worth C$275 billion, while Google founders Page and Brin
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: Climate Misery and Hope
Despair limits future actions, but knowledge is power. We must know and act in order to stave off despair. A depressing thread followed by an uplifting video today: Writer Matthew Todd wrote, “Sooner or later we’re going to have to face the reality that conservatism and capitalism are killing us. It’s not
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