Lichens of South Georgian Bay
In recent months, I have developed an interest in lichens: wondering what species live in our area, how and where they grow, which plants are their competitors or companions, why…
2021
Justin Trudeau’s Amazing Carbon Tax Victory
Just over two years ago the Con fluffer Paul Wells promoted this ghastly gang of Con carbon tax deniers, calling them The Resistance. And claiming they were "Justin Trudeau's worst…
Obeisance to privilege
Instead of $60 million, Teck Resources should be paying a fine closer to $1 billion. What Teck has been penalized won’t make a dent in their cash resources. Nor does…
When Science Needs Time to Grieve
One of the back stories to the climate crisis is the rate of burnout experienced by climate scientists. Some have migrated into other fields. Some have found teaching jobs in…
On fossilized assumptions
The comparative cost of different power options in the real world: The world’s best solar power schemes now offer the “cheapest…electricity in history” with the technology cheaper than coal and…
Land grabs for rare earth metals continue outside the South American Lithium Triangle
Mongolia has long been one of Canada’s closest partners in Asia as a source of strategic metals and minerals, while occupying a fulcrum point between Southeast Asia, Russia and the…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – John Smith discusses the importance of recognizing and repairing the weaknesses in our social fabric which have been laid bare by the coronavirus…
A Pox On All Their Houses
In the life of any Parliament, there are high points and low points of varying degrees. There are times when a party will take one position and then when they…
A Fluid Situation
In what can only be described initially as a fluid situation, assuming he wandered in from a nearby water body, a beaver, proceeded to a Toronto subway station, presumably to…
Council Just Waves Its Hands
Council waving its hands. Making ineffective flapping gestures. It sounds like it should be some sort of metaphorical phrase. Something from the Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra episode of Star…
The Carbon Tax
The Supreme court has ruled on the carbon tax. Dianne Saxe writes that yesterday was a good day: When pollution is “free” we get more of it; when polluters pay…
Billions to nowhere.
It seems strange to have a provincial budget that spends close to $200 billion in the coming year and ignores the most vulnerable among us. It is a budget that…
Supreme Court settles the carbon pricing matter in Ottawa’s favour – and maybe a lot more than that
Canadians worried about the survival of the country had cause for relief yesterday morning with news the Supreme Court of Canada had ruled 6-3 the federal government is entitled to…
Dear Scott
Check out this letter to Scott Moe, Saskatchewan’s worst Premier. https://wp.me/p6xKTx-14i
“U.S. democracy is in urgent need of repair”—Freedom House
“After experiencing a gradual decline in respect for political rights and civil liberties over the past decade, the United States is now facing an acute crisis for democracy.” So says…
Stoicism and Slave Mentality
Stoicism is a sordid philosophy of grim forbearance in the face of a rigidly deterministic fatalism devoid of all agency or hope. People who have no hope gravitate to it,…
New Name – the "Circular Economy"
Yesterday I received an invitation to register for a seminar course being hosted by the Judge School of Business, Cambridge. With a registration fee of 2,000 pounds I’ll give it…
Michael Harris Sees America Headed for Civil War. He’s Almost Certainly Wrong.
The Tyee’s Michael Harris sees a second civil war on the horizon for the United States. Unresolved issues from the Civil War, the civil rights battles of the 1960s, and…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Armine Yalnizyan highlights how our failure to put adequate resources into the caring sector stands in the way of both a COVID…
No Surprises. Supreme Court Upholds the Carbon Tax.
In a 6-3 split decision the Supreme Court of Canada, as expected, has upheld the Trudeau government’s carbon tax. Some will use the 3 justices dissent to attack the judgment…