The following is a guest post by Brendan Haley: Jim Stanford and I have written an assessment of the Ontario PC’s energy policy for Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives entitled Short Circuited. In particular, we look into the idea that cancelling renewable energy policies will lead to job creation. Here
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Things Are Good: Solar Roads Could Provide Electricity
There are six days left for the Indiegog campaign for Solar Roadways and they have already met their goal! The $1,000,000 goal has been reached and passed – which is quite impressive! The idea behind the successful campaign is to turn roads from heat-producing to energy-producing. A network of roads
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Poll: Albertans clearly support stronger rules for industrial greenhouse gas emissions
by: Pembina Institute | Press Release | May 23, 2014 EDMONTON — New poll results show that 76 per cent of Albertans support the Government of Alberta requiring stronger greenhouse gas performance regulations for industrial facilities. Federal and provincial greenhouse gas regulations for the oil and gas sector have long been in the
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Investors ask: Is the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline becoming the new Keystone?
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Investors are asking whether Kinder Morgan's Transmountain Pipeline could become the next Keystone, after Kinder Morgan’s statements about oil spills being good for the economy went viral. Increasingly it is becoming clear that this project is not inevitable, and the National Energy Board's review process is
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Report from an All Clans Gathering: Why Ignoring Indigenous Laws on the Enbridge Pipeline is Risky Business
Tuesday, May 20, 2014 On April 11, 2014, the Yinka Dene Alliance (“YDA”) held an All Clans Gathering in Nak’azdli (adjacent to Fort St. James) in order for their leaders and elders to issue reasons for the rejection of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline in a gathering according to their
Continue readingThings Are Good: Remote, Intelligent Air Conditioning Device and App
tado° is looking to get funded on Kickstarter is designed to make your home more efficient. If you use an AC unit to cool your house then you should consider backing this project as it can save you money and the environment. Every summer regions in North America suffer blackouts
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Denmark and Germany Show Us How Easy It Is
Seeking some climate justice and labour justice? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s how Denmark and Germany are showing us that it isn’t brain surgery. Why re-invent the wheel; just steal ideas from people who already get it. Simple! Denmark Someone once told me that Starbucks stores in Safeway
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Pondering a palatable pipeline…
I guest-hosted TWiE podcast episode 137 a few days ago, an episode devoted to the Alberta oil sands / tar sands. If you ask me (and I realize none of you have 🙂 ) it’s well worth a listen! The week’s guest was US energy analyst Robert Rapier, who had
Continue readingThings Are Good: Build Your Own Wind Turbine
Off the gird living just got a little easier thanks to inventor Daniel Connell who has put instructions on how to build a wind turbine for $30 online. It’s not the most efficient and powerful generator out there but anybody with basic knowledge of drills can build it. Creating something
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Don’t believe the (LNG) hype
Today we released a new report, Path to Prosperity? A Closer Look at British Columbia’s Natural Gas Royalties and Proposed LNG Income Tax, about liquefied natural gas (LNG ) development in BC, and the public revenues that might be expected. So far, LNG has lacked a real public debate. On one
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Let’s Play Cowboys and Indians
Why not? It seems to be working in Washington, DC. And you know what? They’ve got our backs. When ranchers are farmers and tribal communities realize that the tarsands and their toxic pipelines threaten us all, it’s pretty easy to figure out how working together gets things done. They’re even
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: What Yoko Ono Knows About Fracking
Today we are fresh off the tar soaked heels of Enbridge’s lie and spin machine in Kitimat, leading to a vote AGAINST their toxic future. In Kitimat, in a non-binding plebiscite, the people of Kitimat, but not the first peoples who live outside the town boundary, voted about 60-40 to
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Bill 24 – Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act: Undermining BC’s Food Security
Thursday, April 10, 2014 Following hot on the heels of the controversial Park Amendment Act (Bill 4), the BC government has introduced another bill that would open up some of the province’s most publicly valuable lands – in this case, its farmlands – to industrial development. Bill 24, the Agricultural Land
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Energy East pipeline is all risk and no reward for Thunder Bay residents
by: Council of Canadians | Press Release | April 9, 2014 There will be a public forum held tonight in Thunder Bay as part of the Energy East: Our Risk – Their Reward six community tour. The event, part of a series of forums and meetings along the Energy East pipeline route coordinated by the
Continue readingThings Are Good: Inflatable Wind Turbines For Remote Areas
This wind turbine which is designed to float in the air at a high altitude is meant to provide a small amount of power. The idea behind it is to bring sustainable power to remote areas or places where conventional wind turbines can’t be built. The BAT uses a helium-filled,
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The IMF and Progressive Economics in Canada
It is interesting to note that the most recent IMF staff report on Canadian economic issues echoes some key concerns of progressive economists. I have reported these for the Broadbent Institute. As noted in this summary, the IMF report that corporate Canada’s cash hoard is the biggest in the G7
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Stop Listening to the Big Oil Spin!
Do the math. Please. For a great long time, I’ve been talking about how we must dump the oil, gas, fracking, tankers, pipelines, coal…all the carbon-based energy systems because of climate breakdown [aka climate change, aka global warming, aka the greenhouse effect]. We need to transform our society to a
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Breakfast with Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Calgary last week to give the keynote address at a breakfast meeting of 2500 Calgarians who paid about $500 to hear her speak. Luckily my friend, the Zen Banker, invited me to attend as her guest. Hillary is like the Chloe Diamond—brilliant, mesmerizing, multifaceted and
Continue readingThings Are Good: The Amazing Impact Of Painting A Roof White
During summer heat air conditioners are used extensively and this can increased energy consumption can be crippling. Black outs occur in the summer thanks to people cooling their homes and workplaces – but these power issues can be avoided. By simply painting roofs white it can help cool buildings and
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Science + Good Policy = Averting Climate Breakdown: Go!
Can you do it? Can you be inspired by the strong possibility that we can move to a post-carbon energy infrastructure, like I wrote about yesterday? Can you not reject science like the tarsands-addicted bad employee of ours, Mr. Harper? Can you see that, as a species, we must choose
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