Humans are such complicated creatures. We are wreaking havoc on a global scale because of big-is-better, greed-is-good mentality that dominates most nations and corporations (combined with an “it’s too hard to change” attitude on the part of much of the populace). Yet we are also capable of great compassion, and
Continue readingTag: climate change
350 or bust: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
It’s a warm July 4th morning here in northern Ontario, but looking at the news these days makes me think that this is one of the best places in North America to be right now. Our electricity works, there’s no flooding or wildfires near by, and when the humidex index
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Welcome to the New Planet Earth
A lot of Americans will be spending this 4th of July indoors, at home. At least those who still have electricity and air conditioning perhaps. Reuters reports that scorching heat and extreme dry conditions are causing plenty of cities and towns across the U.S. to cancel 4th of July fireworks
Continue reading350 or bust: Extreme Weather Blasts U.S.: “The Sun Felt Like Fire On Our Skin”
In North America, we are starting to experience the global climate disruption that results from dumping more heat-trapping carbon dioxide molecules into the earth’s atmosphere; and it ain’t fun. The folks in the Eastern U.S. are reeling from the effects of a”derecho” storm, that has left millions without power from
Continue readingImpolitical: While Colorado burns
Pointed, killer column in the Guardian by Bill McKibben: Global warming is underway. Are we waiting for someone to hold up a sign that says “Here’s climate change”? Because, this week, we got everything but that… And then goes on to enumerate a list of the record setting weather events
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Exxon’s Tillerson: Could We Really Have Expected a Tiger to Change its Stripes?
exxon.jpg By Cindy Baxter, originally published at PolluterWatch.org. When Greenpeace first began focussing on ExxonMobil's funding of climate denial, its CEO and Chairman was arch denier Lee Raymond. Raymond had spent years – and millions – on denying the science of climate change, both in funding right wing think tanks
Continue reading350 or bust: ExxonMobil Response to Extreme Weather Events Linked To Climate Change: Adapt
* Compare Tillerson’s response to what super-scientists Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan have to say about a destabilized climate from unchecked fossil fuel emissions: “The ‘hell’ of Venus an important warning to take increasing greenhouse effect on Earth seriously”
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Derrick O’Keefe calls for a mass movement to stop the Harper Cons in their tracks now, rather than waiting for 2015: Thoughts of ousting Harper in 2015 are well and good, but not nearly sufficient at this perilous moment for democracy and social
Continue reading350 or bust: Colorado’s Burning, Sicamous is Flooding: Connect The Climate Change Dots
* The flooding in Minnesota and British Columbia, the out-of-control fires in Colorado, the intensifying drought in the U.S. Midwest, are just a few of the indications that our climate has gone awry, part of the hidden costs we pay for burning fossil fuels. Things will only get worse unless
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Nature Is Now On Her Own. World Governments Throw In the Towel On Climate Change.
Rio + 20 was, according to U.N. Gen-Sec Ban Moon, too important to fail yet that’s exactly what it did and that’s all it did – fail. Guardian enviro-scribe, George Monbiot, calls it, “the greatest failure of collective leadership since the first world war.“ “The Earth’s living systems are
Continue reading350 or bust: Enbridge’s Slick New Ad Campaign Flounders
I spent last week taking an intensive course in citizen advocacy at the Canadian School of Peacebuilding in Winnipeg. It was a great week – I learned a lot and met some wonderful people. I’m home now, but brought home a souvenir that I’d rather do without – a very
Continue reading350 or bust: Health Warning Attached To Rio+20 Text: If You Care For The Future Of This Planet, This Document Will Make You Sick
Here in Canada, it’s hard to tell that there is even an Earth Summit happening in Rio De Janeiro at all. A quick scan of the major papers, from one coast to the other, and there is hardly a mention that most world leaders, minus our own prime minister and
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Dutch disease actually Canadian disease
Resources(\”staples\”) trap is Canadian Disease
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Clean electricity, conservation and a zero-carbon future
Today we released a new Climate Justice Project report, Clean Electricity, Conservation and Climate Justice in BC: Meeting our energy needs in a zero-carbon future, co-authored by John Calvert and myself. The report is central to the vision we have been developing of a zero-carbon BC, with a focus on
Continue reading350 or bust: Summer Solstice And Other Miracles
I’m busy attending an intensive course on citizen advocacy at the Canadian School of Peacebuilding this week, which doesn’t leave much time for blogging. So, have a happy summer solstice, everyone – summer officially begins at in North America at 7:09 P.M. EDT ! Here’s a picture from the NASA
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Senator John Kerry Speaks the Scary, Ugly Truth on Climate Change
Screen shot 2012-06-19 at 4.37.47 PM.png There are precious few voices in the U.S. capital these days that are speaking the truth about climate change. Which is what makes Senator John Kerry's speech on the Senate floor today so powerful, and so necessary. In his speech, which clocked in at nearly
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Breaking: Leaked Rio+20 Earth Summit Final Agreed Text – Utterly Inadequate Response to Global Crises
Rio+20.png DeSmogBlog has obtained the final negotiating text that will emerge from the Rio+20 Earth Summit and it is an utter disappointment to anyone who hoped that world leaders would pull together a meaningful global agreement on ending fossil fuel subsidies or other needed steps to protect future generations from
Continue reading350 or bust: Earth May Reach Tipping Point
* More links: Scientists Uncover Evidence Of Impending Tipping Point For Earth Carbon Targets Need Strong New Measures, Panel Argues
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Dirty Energy Industry Sues EPA Over Clean Air Initiatives
smoke-stack1.jpg In a blatant insult to the millions of Americans who would breathe easier under the EPA’s air pollution controls, the dirty energy industry, along with other groups, has sued the EPA to stop regulating toxic industrial air pollution. The Center for American Progress has the story: Two essential Environmental
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