The Durban Climate Conference hasn’t even begun yet and already Canada is getting flack for it’s poor reputation on the environment. What do you expect though from an environment minister who didn’t even know what Ozone was up until a week ago (let’s be fair, he’s only been on the job since
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Progressive Proselytizing: Ottawa NDP Leadership Debate Thoughts
The debate was good. Exciting even. After several months of being forced to sate my political appetite on the Republican leadership contest, the NDP leadership debate in Ottawa provided a refreshing Canadian contrast. Overall there was far more homogeneity between positions than there was difference. The tone of the debate
Continue readingLeDaro: Harper government gets another “Fossil of the year award”
What can one say? Shame, shame! Our environment minister, Peter Kent, is a joke. Harper should move him to Senate like Mike Duffy. They will make a great pair. Read the story here.
Continue readingThe Happy Wanderer: Canada Moving Years Back!
With The Kyoto deadline at the end of the month Canada is in no way going to reach it’s target of 6% below 1990 levels. In fact in 2008 the only provinces who actually reduced their emissions below 1990 levels is Quebec and PEI. All the other provinces increased. I
Continue reading350 or bust: Tar Nation: Haunting Photos Reveal Rape of Canada’s Boreal Forest
Garth Lenz has spent the last 20 years photographing wilderness and indigenous peoples, focusing particularly on environmental issues, throughout Canada, the U.S., Chile, Ecuador, Borneo, and China. His photos have been published in numerous books, newspapers, and magazines including Time Magazine, B.B.C. Wildlife Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Times
Continue readingeaves.ca: Using Open Data to Map Vancouver’s Trees
This week, in preparation for the International Open Data Hackathon on Saturday, the Vancouver Parks Board shared one neighborhood of its tree inventory database (that I’ve uploaded to Buzzdata) so that we could at least see how it might be leveraged by citizens. What’s interesting is how valuable this data
Continue readingExcited Delirium: You Can’t Nationalize Carbon Costs
It’s stupid to think that a carbon tax would have any benefit for our economy or change habits.
Continue readingImpolitical: Canadians support carbon tax
That’s what a new Environics poll finds, well-timed as a backdrop for the Durban climate change conference: “Support for climate action still strong in Canada, poll finds.” See near the end, 57% of British Columbians support the carbon tax, where they actually have one, which is important. The poll finds
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: On climate, Canada is a rogue state
On Sunday, CTV leaked Canada’s intentions to pull out of the Kyoto treaty process on climate change. What is significant about Kyoto is that it is a legally binding international treaty, and one that puts the onus of emission reductions on the countries that have done the most to cause the
Continue readingGreening Economy Isn’t Just For Us, It’s For All
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in a statement made by Director-General Kandeh K. Yumkella today at the agencies biennial conference in Vienna, said something that I’m sure most right wingers will write off as just another attempt to poison business. Mr Yumkella pointed pointed out that talking about the green economy as
Continue readingDo We Need More Proof That Harper Doubts Global Warming?
First we had the cuts to ozone monitoring that saw the shuttering of 17 ozone monitoring stations across Canada. The reason? Ozone apparently wasn’t a concern anymore (see Canada’s newest Ozone hole here). Then we had the sudden (and somewhat expected) cut of 700 jobs from environment Canada (which included Meteorologists, scientists, chemists and
Continue readingThings Are Good: Organic Farming Better Than Factory Farming
There are still a lot of people who think that congenital factory farming is the most efficient way to produce crops, well those people get proven wrong – a lot! The good news is that organic farming is good for the crops, the planet, and the farmer’s profitability. Check it
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Pizza May Contain Veggies, Boards Contain Nuts
Once upon a time, Saskboy made a pizza. It was not according to the design of the requester, instead it had nutritious onions on it. Saskboy got the cold shoulder when he delivered it. This short story was brought to you by the makers of pizza. It’s a vegetable on
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Monsanto And Why You’ll Care
I was surprised when talking with some fellow Occupiers the other day that they were unaware of what Monsanto corporation makes, and why it’s a threat to human and plant life. I explained it this way: WARNING: The following is suitable for small children and mature audiences. Some people may
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Barrie McKenna thoroughly debunks the claim that “financial literacy” alone is enough to put ordinary citizens on a level playing field with the financial industry: Looking to financial literacy to fill the void is like asking ordinary Canadians to be their own brain
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Who’s protecting YOUR water?
This should really make us all wake up: Someone from Russia (it could have been the government or a private interest, we don’t know yet) was able to remotely shut off then back on a second later a pump in Springfield, the capital of the state of Illinois — and
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: A reply to my tar sands entries
In response to some of my recent posts about the tar sands, I got an e-mail the other day in reply that was quite compelling enough that I asked the writer if I could use it here. He agreed provided I not use his last name. I am okay with
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Support sending Young Liberals to the COP-17 UN Climate Change Conference!
https://www.liberal.ca/ylc-durban/?typecode=300011936 I was lucky enough to be a part of the COP-15 YLC delegation, and I’m really pleased the party is doing a lot more to help promote fundraising for youth delegates. Please donate and help support the Young Liberals of Canada.
Continue readingRusty Idols: Alison Redford owes me an apology
Me and the millions of other Canadians and Albertans who care about the environment for suggesting that she has the right to go to Washington and lobby for the Keystone Pipeline but those who oppose the project shouldn’t have the same right. OTTAWA — Premier Alison Redford found herself Thursday
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