mining ← Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

Things Are Good: Blockchain Technology to Track Real Blocks

May

23

2017

Blockchain technology is changing the world of commerce and law, now it can be used to track real world blocks instead of just digital blocks. The technology got attention thanks to the rise of Bitcoin, which is still going strong, and has been improved since then. More recent takes on the technology like Ethereum have ...

Dead Wild Roses: El Salvador – Bans Mining!

Apr

3

2017

“Oxfam hailed today’s passing of a law banning metallic mining by the Salvadoran government. The law comes after years of violence and social tensions around mining in the country and strong opposition to mining from local communities, civil society organizations, the Catholic Church and more than 77% of the country’s population, according to a recent ...

Environmental Law Alert Blog: Sign the Mount Polley petition to demand accountability

Mar

9

2017

Thursday, March 9, 2017 MiningWatch needs your help to ensure accountability for the Mount Polley tailings pond disaster. In late 2016 the mining watchdog launched a private prosecution (with the help of our Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund), but the federal government is now trying to stay the charges. You can help by signing this petition ...

Environmental Law Alert Blog: Sign the Mount Polley petition to demand accountability

Mar

9

2017

Thursday, March 9, 2017 MiningWatch needs your help to ensure accountability for the Mount Polley tailings pond disaster. In late 2016 the mining watchdog launched a private prosecution (with the help of our Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund), but the federal government is now trying to stay the charges. You can help by signing this petition ...

Things Are Good: Why Mining Matters and Why You Should Care

Mar

7

2017

Despite our technological advances modern civilization relies on mineral resources just as much (if not more) than we did in the past. Our computers need rare earth material to work and other products need metals like aluminum. Recycling isn’t perfect and isn’t plentiful around the world. All of these factors contribute to our need for ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links

Mar

3

2017

Assorted content to end your week. – Lawrence Mishel and Heidi Shierholz write that we shouldn’t let governments and businesses off the hook for regressive policy choices by blaming technology. And Ben Tarnoff points out that any effects on the distribution of income and wealth can be dealt with through a fair tax system. – ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links

Mar

3

2017

Assorted content to end your week. – Lawrence Mishel and Heidi Shierholz write that we shouldn’t let governments and businesses off the hook for regressive policy choices by blaming technology. And Ben Tarnoff points out that any effects on the distribution of income and wealth can be dealt with through a fair tax system. – ...

Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links

Jan

25

2017

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Scott Sinclair offers his take on what we can expect Donald Trump to pursue in renegotiating NAFTA, and points out that while there are some options which might boost Canadian manufacturing and other sectors, it’s also possible that matters could get far worse for the citizens of all ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

Dec

26

2016

Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Jared Bernstein argues that the limited stimulus provided by tax cuts for the rich is far from worth the overall costs of exacerbating inequality and damaging public revenues: I’m encountering progressives who are compelled to be at least somewhat supportive of wasteful, regressive tax cuts, like those proposed ...

The Canadian Progressive: 119 indigenous Papua New Guinea women seek UN intervention against Barrick Gold abuses

Nov

18

2016

In a move that underscores the need for the Canadian government to act on complaints of human rights abuses committed by Canadian corporations operating overseas, 119 indigenous women who were sexually assaulted by security guards employed by Barrick Gold’s Porgera Joint Venture mine in Porgera, Papua New Guinea, are appealing for the United Nations’ intervention. ...

Accidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links

Nov

6

2016

This and that for your Sunday reading. – Andrew Jackson writes that the Libs’ fall economic statement represents a massive (and unjustified) shift away from promised infrastructure funding even while planning to privatize both existing operations and future developments. And Joie Warnock highlights why it would represent nothing short of scandalous mismanagement for the Wall ...

Environmental Law Alert Blog: Mount Polley Mine private prosecution: Stepping up to demand accountability

Oct

25

2016

Tuesday, October 25, 2016 In the face of a disaster like the Mount Polley mine disaster, swift action is essential to send a message to industry that breaking environmental laws will not be tolerated. In this case, when the government failed to act in a timely manner, MiningWatch Canada brought a private prosecution to enforce ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

Oct

17

2016

Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Vanessa Williamson writes that plenty of Americans want to see wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share of taxes – only to have that strong desire ignored by policymakers. And Joseph Stiglitz and Erika Siu discuss the glaring need for stronger tax enforcement around the globe. – ...

Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links

Aug

20

2016

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Danyaal Raza discusses how climate change is manifesting itself in immediate health problems. And John Vidal highlights the latest research on the rapid melting of Arctic ice – making it particularly appalling that Canada has abandoned its main Arctic port to rot. – Elizabeth McSheffrey notes that the ...

Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links

Aug

6

2016

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Rachel West charts how higher wages and improved social supports can reduce crime rates and their resulting costs. – Lana Payne comments on the glass ceiling still limiting the wages and opportunities available to women in the workplace. And Stephanie Langton highlights how a combination of student loan ...

Accidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links

Jul

10

2016

This and that for your Sunday reading. – J. David Hughes discusses the ultimate problem with new pipeline construction, as it’s incompatible with any reasonable effort to meet even Canada’s existing commitments to rein in greenhouse gas emissions: Under a scenario where Alberta’s oilsands emissions grow to its cap, and B.C.’s LNG industry is developed ...

Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links

Jul

2

2016

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Danny Dorling writes about the importance of empathy and kindness in establishing the basis for a more equal society: When you cannot empathise with another group, it is very hard to think kindly towards them. It is when you feel “all in it together” or at least “there ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

May

9

2016

Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Carolyn Ferns writes that a long-awaited child care program would represent the best possible Mother’s Day gift for Canadian families. – Danyaal Raza and Ritika Goel remind us how housing affects a wide range of health issues. And Matthew Yglesias looks into the positive effect of new low-income ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

Apr

21

2016

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Owen Jones argues that public policy and social activism are needed to rein in the excesses of a corporate class which sees it as its job to extract every possible dollar from the society around it: A financial elite plunged the country into calamity and effectively got ...

The Canadian Progressive: David Suzuki: B.C. must heed Mount Polley disaster’s lessons

Aug

14

2015

“We need stronger environmental assessments,” says award-winning Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki, reflecting on last year’s Mount Polley disaster in British Columbia. The post David Suzuki: B.C. must heed Mount Polley disaster’s lessons appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.

The Common Sense Canadian: “Captured” environmental regulator thinks of Kitimat smelter owner Rio Tinto as “client”

Jun

5

2015

Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kitimat smelter (Rio Tinto Alcan/Canada Newswire) Rweprinted with permission from DeSmog Canada. Move over Duffy diaries. There’s a new black book in town. That’s the detailed work journal of B.C. Ministry of Environment senior official Frazer McKenzie, which recounts conversations between ministry officials and Rio Tinto Alcan while the company was applying for ...

The Common Sense Canadian: Film tells real story behind Tahltan victory over Sacred Headwaters mines

May

6

2015

As the BC Liberal government toots its own horn following its buy-back of highly contentious coal mine licences throughout the Sacred Headwaters, Beyond Boarding excerpts portions of its documentary film Northern Grease to tell the real story of what happened. From Beyond Boarding’s Tamo Campos: In the summer of 2013, we spent over 6 weeks camping up ...

Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links

Mar

4

2015

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Edward Keenan is the latest to point out that any reasonable political decision-making process needs to include an adult conversation about taxes and why we need them: This week, when asked about the prospect of raising taxes beyond the rate of inflation in coming years, John Tory called ...

The Common Sense Canadian: Imperial Metals’ offices raided in Mount Polley investigation

Feb

4

2015

Tailings from Mount Polley Mine pouring into Quesnel Lake (Photo: Farhan Umedaly, Vovo Productions) Read this Feb. 4 Vancouver Sun story by Gordon Hoekstra on the surprise raid of Mount Polley Mine owner Imperial Metals’ offices. The company and its Engineer of Record may have gotten off lightly with a government-appointed panel’s recent report, but this joint investigation looks to be ...

The Common Sense Canadian: Mount Polley investigation: Whitewash follows tailings flood – culprits let off the hook

Feb

1

2015

Aerial image after Mount Polley mine tailings spill (Cariboo Regional District) The recently concluded “independent” investigation into the Mount Polley tailings pond rupture essentially exonerates the various culprits in what was likely the worst environmental catastrophe in BC history. The report can only be seen as a whitewashing of the world record 25 million cubic metres of mine tailings and other debris ...