Under the Paris Climate Accords, the world’s rich nations have pledged to provide $100-billion US per year to help undeveloped nations adapt to climate change. As well they should. Rich countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan and much of western Europe, account for just 12 percent of the global
Continue readingTag: Scotland
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Charles In Charge
Well, it finally happened. The Queen of Canada died, at 96 years old. She passed a couple days ago at her Scotland estate, and I still haven’t heard a cause of death, but I doubt the COVID bout she had earlier this year helped her any. Prince Charles gets promoted
Continue readingThings Are Good: Time to get Wild in Scotland
We keep kicking wildlife out of their homes, and it’s time to reverse that process. We need to invite wild animals back into the places they used o live, this is known as rewilding. The most celebrated rewilding effort was done in Yellowstone when wolves were reintroduced into the park,
Continue readingThings Are Good: Scotland First in World to Provide Free Sanitary Products
Monthly periods can be expensive and stigmatizing for women and girls, particularly when they cannot afford to buy the proper sanitary supplies. The ongoing costs associated with periods can be too much for many who are young or in a vulnerable position; leading to what’s been called period poverty. Scotland
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Doug Ford’s Monstrous Environmental Vandalism
I always knew that the beast Doug Ford was going to be a destructive force, and sure enough he has been.He has bulldozed decency, teachers and children, and will no doubt soon start demolishing medicare.But this is beyond belief.Read more »
Continue readingThings Are Good: Scotland Banned Fraking, Rest of UK to Follow
Fraking is really bad for all of us, it’s the process of using water to force dirty oil out of the ground. This practice destabilizes the ground causing earthquakes and the end result is more wasteful oil ultimately being consumed, which in turn, produces waste that gets released into the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: What Yesterday Meant to Me
Since that first time I heard Greta Thunberg, I sensed that something wonderful might be about to happen. Eventually she inspired a resistance. The school children’s revolt and then Extinction Rebellion – children and adults saying there no longer could be, nor would be, tolerance of the status quo. As
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Trans Mountain Pipeline and the Great Distraction
I haven't written much about pipelines because quite frankly I got pipelined out during the Harper years.And also because I have always considered the fuss over the Trans Mountain pipeline to be just a distraction from the real war on climate change.But now that a court has halted that project.I
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Scotland, Canada, and the Con Trumpling Invasion
If the weather in the Scottish highlands hadn't been so perfect, I might have written something in the last three weeks. Especially since somebody once said that if you want to write an insightful piece about Canada you have to leave it. So I thought I might try to explain
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Remember when those confident British voters chose ‘hope over fear’ with Brexit? What Would Jason Tweet now?
While much of the world looked on in dismay as the results of the Brexit votes rolled in two years ago last month, Jason Kenney Tweeted his congratulations to the people of Britain for “choosing hope over fear by embracing a confident, sovereign future, open to the world.” How’s that
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Time To Take A Break From What Our Country Has Become
I've been trying to get away from the heat, and the crowds on the waterfront where I live, by heading out to the quietest and coolest part of the lake.But while that works relatively well, there is something else I can't get away from no matter how far I go, or
Continue readingThings Are Good: Floating Wind Farm in Scotland is a Success
Oil and gas companies have seen the writing on the wall about the future of energy: it’s all about renewables. The Norwegian state-owned company Statoil installed a massive wind farm off the coast of Scotland and it’s a roaring success. The wind turbines float in the water and are operating
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Go to Scotland, learn about Canada
Ms Soapbox and her eldest daughter “Missy” just returned from a 10 day trip to Scotland. We explored Edinburgh (refined and dignified), Glasgow (gritty and boisterous) and the Highlands (majestic and dangerous). Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness Along the way something magical happened. We learned about Scotland, but we learned even
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Scottish Independence and the Brexit Nightmare
In a few hours I'll be leaving the country and setting off for Edinburgh, to attend the wedding of one of my oldest friends.And since I'll be racing between that city, and my family home in the north of Scotland, I probably won't have time to blog until I return.Read
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Samantha Bee On The Original Trump Haters
Scotland is a small, peaceful country, but one with a proud history of resistance dating back about two thousand years.The people of that land have had to battle all kinds of invaders, from the Roman legions of the Emperor Hadrian, to in more modern times, the vulgar presence of the mad
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Justin Trudeau, Scotland, and the Values That Define Us
It was only a tweet, but it was like a flash of decency in a darkening world.It has been favourited more than 500,000 times already.And it did send a powerful message to the bigot demagogue Donald Trump.Read more »
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Donald Trump’s Insane War on Wind Turbines
Of all the horrible things Donald Trump is threatening to do, and there are so many, his promise to end the war against climate change is the worst.For there is no greater threat to the future of humanity, and his claim that climate change is a hoax is not just wrong, it's
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why the Independence of Scotland is More Necessary Than Ever
About four years ago I made three political wishes. The first one was that Stephen Harper and foul regime be totally destroyed.And that one was granted.My second wish was that the Republican Party suffer the same fate. And whoever wins the U.S. election that also seems likely to be granted.Which leaves
Continue readingThings Are Good: Portugal Joins Other Countries by Running Only on Renewable Energy
Portugal reached a very significant milestone on its path to being fully powered by renewables by consuming energy only from sustainable resources for four days. Other countries are on similar paths. In 2012 Germany got 50% of it’s power from renewable sources, Scotland powered itself exclusively on renewables for a
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Scottish Independence and Some Lessons For Alberta
Last Sunday was the second anniversary of Scotland’s independence referendum, which as you may know, was for me a day of great disappointment.
And one I’ll always remember.
But I haven’t dared even mention the anniversary when talking to my family in the Scottish highlands, because for them it’s a day best forgotten.
They don’t want to talk about it. It’s too traumatic.
And they all voted NO.
Read more »