Former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan Moral Hazard, Part 1: The Cost of Risk and Reward One of the factors compromising our prospects for a stable and secure environmental future is outlined by Bryne Purchase in the subject of moral hazard — a hazard he emphasizes simply by changing
Continue readingTag: Economics
Politics, Re-Spun: Got PTSD?
September 12, 2013 PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is thankfully becoming less stigmatized due to increased awareness, but like most mental health issues, there stigma that prevents open discussion about mental health is profound. But I recall 2-3 decades ago it was far worse. There are a few PTSD events
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Massive power bill increases due to Liberals’ failed IPP scheme
BC Energy Minister Bill Bennett (photo: CP) I told you so! My colleague Damien Gillis told you so! Independent economist Erik Andersen told you so! The Campbell/Clark government has taken the jewel of our diadem, BC Hydro, and forced it into what would be, for any company in the private
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: ‘Massive’ rate increase coming for BC Hydro customers, leaked documents show
Read this Sept. 11 story from The Vancouver Sun, confirming what The Common Sense Canadian has been predicting for years: massive rate hikes for BC Hydro customers due to the failed BC Liberal energy policy. Homeowners, small businesses and industrial users are facing a staggering 26.4-per-cent electricity rate increase from 2014 to 2016, according
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: With all this Oil and ‘Energy Security’, where’s the Money?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, discussing trade on a visit to China (Sean Kilpatrick/CP) Ask yourself this: why, if Canada has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world, is our country in such massive debt? Why do post-secondary education prices continue to soar for our youth? Why is our health care
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Untangling the Temporary Foreign Worker Knot
Banks as predators? Surely, no! Temporary foreign workers have become a lightning-rod topic in Canadian labour in recent months with the high-profile news of the Royal Bank of Canada replacing staff with TFWs. But the issue is not about RBC, which is merely the latest flashpoint. The temporary foreign worker
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Why does BC Hydro get their demand forecasts so wrong?
BC Hydro’s $8 Billion proposed Site C Dam – artist’s rendering Energy Minister Bill Bennett has invited citizens to review and presumably submit thoughts about the recently released BC Hydro draft “Integrated Resource Plan” (IRP), which includes some “bullish” projections of demand. Hydro chronically wrong This BC Hydro forecast for
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fraser Institute rakes in foreign funding
Read this Aug. 30 story from The Vancouver Observer on the $4.3 million in foreign funding accepted since 2000 by BC’s right-wing think tank, The Fraser Institute. Unlike environmental groups, who have been attacked for accepting US donations, the Fraser Institute has been immune to such scrutiny. The Fraser Institute, Canada’s leading right-wing
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Chemical Weapons in Syria? Merely a Pretext [Iran, Shhh.]
” It’s the Economy, Stupid.” [Or oil, or gas, or energy…] If you think you know why Syria is happening [and happening NOW], you’re probably missing a number of the elements at play. Don’t expect western governments or the corporate media to enumerate these. Sure, chemical weapons are horrible, but
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Wheels coming off Liberal energy policy as contracts cancelled
BC Energy Minister Bill Bennett Folks, the wheels are coming off the BC Government’s 2002 Energy policy, which forbade BC Hydro from creating new power (Site C Dam being exempted). Energy Minister Bill Bennett has cancelled 10 Independent Power Projects (IPPs), with plans to defer delivery on up to another
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: You Aren’t Sufficiently Critical of the #Media
You need to trust the media less. Almost a year ago, and before the last US presidential election, Gallup determined that there has been a stunning decline in citizens’ mistrust of the media [see below]. It crossed over from mostly trust to not so much trust around 2004-2005. If you
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: The ecology of wealth
Saudi Prince Alwaleed with his wife, Princess Amira al-Taweel (AFP/Getty) What is a man to do with a “main palace” of 420 rooms, a customized Boeing 747 jumbo jet for his exclusive use, a private zoo and amusement park, and a stash of $700 million in jewels? This is the
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Fukushima Keeps Staying The Worst
It’s always been /worse/. And it just keeps staying tragically the same. It’s remained a global crisis with hemispheric deadly consequences. Japan could still wind up largely uninhabitable (if it isn’t already). Canada could suffer directly a great deal. Steam and non-water vapour has been off-gassed since the beginning. The
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Wake Up America
From a study that reveals increased risk of death for young coffee drinkers who have 4 cups a day or more, to a man who woke up America to the deadly automobile industry’s greed, we’ve got a full morning of reading for you, here at Abandoned Stuff. Or that’s what
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Renewable Energy Predictions Way Off
They were vastly underestimated. .@theturner And yet @SaskPower as recently as 2013 was highlighting a #solarpower study from 2000 to guide their grid planning. #skpoli— John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) August 14, 2013 Here’s info about that out of date solar power study that SaskPower was touting. @JohnKleinRegina Maybe mention to @SaskPower
Continue reading350 or bust: TED Talk Tuesday
As the world faces recession, climate change, inequity and more, economist Tim Jackson delivers a piercing challenge to established economic principles, explaining how we might stop feeding the crises and start investing in our future.
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Are You Just Too Tired? We’ve Known Why for Decades
You actually do deserve a break today. What ails us? A large proportion of the total produce goes to a small minority of the population, many of whom do no work at all. Owing to the absence of any central control over production, we produce hosts of things that are
Continue readingThe HB-Log : What on earth does "fiscally conservative" mean?
Based on current political discourse in Canada, the best I can come up with is “Not the NDP.” Liberals, along with other purported moderates, love the political ideology of “socially progressive and fiscally conservative.” It (seemingly) epitomizes the balance they strive for. When first volunteering on political campaigns in high school, I
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Check-Mate #ClimateChange
What’s utterly frustrating when discussing Climate Change with Deniers, is they don’t plan the big picture logically. More specifically, their plans can be shown to place civilization into extreme danger of ending [GAME OVER]. Perhaps because I grew up playing Chess, I’m familiar with the concept that no matter how
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Corporate Responsibility
Do corporations kill? Unfortunately, yes, they can. A corporation is a person in our crazy legal system. How do we best punish a corporate person, for killing people? Burkhardt had drawn criticism for forwarding the responsibility for the explosion on to others. He told the Toronto Star earlier in the
Continue reading