This and that for a sunny Saturday. – Paul Wells discusses the clash shaping up between the Cons and the NDP: Some 57 per cent of respondents said they’re dissatisfied with the Harper government, compared to 36 per cent who like it. Last month’s federal budget drew more unsatisfied reaction
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Blast Furnace Canada Blog: Who’ll clean up Hamilton Airport now?
Just when we thought that it couldn’t get much worse for public health in Hamilton, indeed across the country — yup, it’s gotten worse. In December of last year, I was writing about how the leachate run-off from the fire training facility at Munro Airport (YHM) had high levels of
Continue readingThe Happy Wanderer: "Tory Spin" That Is An Understatement
The Conservatives government released a report that states they have emitted 692 megatonnes of CO2 in 2010. Which is by the way an increase of 2 megatonnes. The Conservative government should take no credit on the environment at all. Since they cut billions of dollars in Green jobs initiative and
Continue readingLeDaro: Saskatchewan has much bigger problems than ghosts
Saskatchewan’s environment minister is fuming about a report from the David Suzuki Foundation that says the province isn’t taking climate change seriously. (CP) From The Huffington Post. “REGINA – Saskatchewan’s environment minister is fuming about a report that says the province isn’t taking climate change seriously.Dustin Duncan said Thursday that
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Connecticut abolishes death penalty
This is easily the good news story of the day. Last night, the state legislature in Connecticut abolished the death penalty. The number of states that have done away with the practice is now seventeen (the first was Michigan in 1846), along with Washington DC and Puetro Rico. As well,
Continue readingThings Are Good: Windfarms do not Kill Birds
There have been allegations that wind turbines kill birds and thus are a negative power system overall. Science to the rescue! Ornithologists have completed a study about migratory birds and how well they fare around wind farms. The answer? Birds are fine. The study, which is published in the Journal
Continue readingThings Are Good: Fracking Banned in Quebec
People love putting oil in things so much that they’ll cause fracking earthquakes. Quebec has decided there’s no fracking way in their province as the hydraulic fracturing method to get oil out of hard to reach places is too dangerous. It’s really good to see at least one Canadian province
Continue readingPaulitical Satire: Road Trips and Canadian Identity – Movie Monday
It’s Monday, which can only mean that my good friend William Matthews and I have made you another great movie! It’s a quick one, because it’s so beautiful outside I didn’t want to keep you any longer than necessary. Thanks again to William Matthews, for his talent and awesome videos!
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Guest Post: New Progressive Narrative
Today, I’m please to allow fellow progressive Jared Milne write a guest post about how the progressive movement should change the course of the debate between progressives and the right to make moderate policies appealing to the masses in Canada once more. ***** In the last couple of years, various Canadian commentators have
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The World We Are Willfully Destroying
Last year, I wrote a post on the power of the documentary. In it, I discussed how a good nature documentary can very powerfully help us to see both the wonders of the world and how we are destroying that world. Last night I watched the show Nature on PBS.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Bamboo is Super!
Bamboo grows quickly and so to is the market for bamboo. The plant can be used for many different things from building to bicycles, but what’s so great about it today is that more construction sites are aware of how great bamboo is. Bamboo can be used to build stand-alone
Continue readingeaves.ca: Using BHAG’s to Change Organziations: A Management, Open Data & Government Mashup
I’m a big believer in the ancillary benefits of a single big goal. Set a goal that has one clear objective, but as a result a bunch of other things have to change as well. So one of my favourite Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) for an organization is to
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Living in the Age of Stupid
I know that many before me have felt that they live during times in which their fellow man’s limited intelligence rules the day, much to their chagrin. I can imagine how learned people felt in Europe during two thousand years of endless war and carnage, first in the name of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Gwynne Dyer on Our Future
I have been writing lately about environmental degradation and the bleak future that seems to await us. On that theme, (and because I have a busy morning ahead of me) I am providing a link to an article by Gwynne Dyer, who argues that because of our huge global population
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Conservative attacks on eco groups should give LPC an opportunity to reach out
A lot has been written about the attacks on environmental groups in the recent Conservative budget, most of it negative, such as this Globe and Mail editorial: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/budgets-new-rules-unfairly-target-environmental-groups/article2387590/ While the Conservatives are wasting your tax dollars to go after legitimate environmental groups (full disclosure: I am currently working part time
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Susan Delacourt notes that while the NDP’s leadership convention points out some of the risks of online voting, the real problem lies in the people working to block democracy through any available means: While those who use computers have become accustomed to the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your weekend. – Karl Nerenberg reported on Marc Mayrand’s Robocon testimony, featuring some much-needed discussion of what can be done to improve the Canada Elections Act to ensure fair elections rather than creating an incentive for electoral fraud: Mayrand fretted to the Committee that there are
Continue readingLeftist Jab: "If there was ever a Northern Alberta budget, this is it." Rona Ambrose
Symbolically, Parliament has already moved to Suncor’s plant in Fort McMurray. “The West wants in”! Substitute “West” by “Conservative Alberta” and this budget illustrates just how far “in” they are and how they’ve thrown everyone else out. As Rona Ambrose expresses quite clearly, there is very little relief for much
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Canada’s Scorched Earth Hour
8:30pm tonight is Earth hour, where towns and cities in more than 135 countries turn off their lights. For one hour. To save the planet from climate change. To be fair, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature conceived of Earth Hour as an awareness-raising tool, to get people engaged and
Continue readingArt Threat: Of Waves, Bears and Oil – Friday Film Pick: Tipping Barrels
Tipping Barrels (Ben Gulliver, 2012) is one part surfing movie, one part wildlife documentary, one part guy flick and one part political commentary. It’s for parts two and four that I include it as this week’s Friday Film Pick. The short doc, running at 18 minutes, gazes in on British
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