Indians—tolerant, but don’t marry my sister
A recent Pew Research survey of religious attitudes in India revealed some interesting insights into a society tolerant of, yet divided by, religion. First, Indians are a very religious people.…
Bill Longstaff
Ecocide—an international crime?
“We need to change the rules”—Greta Thunberg, 2019 In 1970, American biologist Arthur Galston coined the term “ecocide” to describe mass environmental destruction. Galston was a critic of the Vietnam…
On Canada Day and cognitive dissonance
F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability…
Alberta—boom or boon?
I opened the CBC website one morning this week to be confronted with the headline “High oil prices a potential boon for beleaguered Alberta.” I mistook “boon” for “boom” and…
How Dick Cheney’s daughter became a hero
The Prince of darkness. Thus was Dick Cheney, one of the most unpopular figures in the history of American politics, known when he was George W. Bush’s vice-president. Cheney oversaw…
Fair deal for Calgary?
The list of plebiscites Calgarians will be asked to vote on in the October municipal election is growing. The City will ask voters once again (this is a periodic exercise)…
Was Trump right about the WHO?
Former U.S. President Trump (how pleasing to say “former”) was not a fan of the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, he had withdrawn his country from the organization effective…
The U.S. jerks capitalism’s leash
The United States is the world’s leading free market nation and it has always seemed to me that they take its basic principles very seriously. While greatly encouraging capitalism, they…
You owe us an explanation, Mr. O’Toole
In a recent letter to the prime minister (which he gratuitously tweeted to the general public), Conservative leader Erin O’Toole had this to say about the proposed global tax agreement:…
Will Kenney’s woes help O’Toole?
How the mighty have fallen. Just two years ago, Jason Kenney, flush from a convincing election win over the NDP, was the Conservatives’ golden boy. Even the national leader had…
Leashing the corporations with the Biden tax
There was a period following WWII when we approached utopia. Well, OK, maybe that’s overstating it, but we had created probably the finest society, in terms of the economic welfare…
Big Oil’s bad week
As I have said elsewhere, I don’t do a lot of finger-pointing at oil companies when placing the blame for global warming. They produce the oil and gas because we…
Canmore rejects growth—a note of encouragement
Canmore is no Banff, but it is a charming and popular mountain town in its own right. Just outside of the famous park and just over an hour from Calgary,…
Here’s a surprise—relatives supportive of long-term care facilities
After all the horror stories to emerge from long-term care facilities during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, one might expect that relatives of those in care would be…
How races differ
Science has little use for the term “race.” Defining it is too problematic due to genetic variation among individuals and populations. To quote geneticist Kenneth Kidd, “Race is not biologically…
You, yes you, will pay for the tar sands cleanup
The general rule in regard to environmental damage is the polluter pays. In accordance with that rule as applied to mining, Alberta has in place the Mine Financial Security Program…
Alberta justice minister goes full paranoid
Alberta Justice Minister Kaycee Madu’s comment that a Covid disaster is “what the NDP, the media and the federal Liberals were looking for and want” is contemptible. Politics can be…
Premier Kenney encounters contrary constituents
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, dating back to his college days, has never been comfortable with people who hold divergent views. Perhaps chief among the views he despises the most are…
Rebooting Calgary’s downtown core
Calgary’s downtown core has long been a hive of commercial activity, a major energy centre in more ways than one. Not long ago the city had the second-highest number of…
Death of an elm
The idea that trees have personalities may be offensive to science, but sometimes they just do. Such is the massive elm that sits in the middle of a Calgary Stampede…