Climate Denier Grabs Earth Day Headline in Vancouver Sun
It is always difficult to know what to publish on Earth Day. It’s been around for 34 years, which means that much of what’s worth writing about has already been…
Jeff Gailus
A Short History of Joe Oliver, Canada’s New Finance Minister
Joe Oliver, Canada’s new federal Minister of Finance, made quite a name for himself during his tenure as Minister of Natural Resources. In his former position Oliver proved himself a…
A Short History of Joe Oliver, Canada’s New Finance Minister
Joe Oliver, Canada’s new federal Minister of Finance, made quite a name for himself during his tenure as former Minister of Natural Resources. In his former position Oliver proved himself…
Greenwashing the Tar Sands, Part 3: Wherein money trumps fact every time
This is last installment of a three-part series on greenwashing and the tar sands. Be sure to read Part 1, A Short History of Greenwashing the Tar Sands, and Part…
Greenwashing the Tar Sands, Part 2: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Last week, I wrote a short history of the greenwashing campaign being waged by tar sands promoters, including (and especially) the Canadian and Alberta governments. It’s clear that as the…
A Short History of Greenwashing the Tar Sands, Part 1
This is Part One of a three-part series on the political greenwashing of the tar sands in Canada. When I hatched the idea to write a book about the use…
Parsing Redford’s Little Black Lies, Part 3
This is the third post in a three-part series. For Part 1 of Parsing Redford’s Little Black Lies, click here. For Part 2, How Redford Can Walk the Walk, click…
How Redford Can Walk the Walk, Part 2
This is the second post in a three-part series. For Part 1, Parsing Redford’s Little Black Lies, click here. As Alberta Premier Alison Redford tries her best to hoodwink American…
Parsing Redford’s Little Black Lies, Part 1
Within weeks of becoming Alberta’s first female premier in October 2011, Alison Redford realized that the tired old propaganda about jobs and Canada’s reputation as a safe and friendly supplier…
When War is Peace and Dirty, Clean
Every communications expert knows that truth is rarely self-evident. Indeed, no matter how hare-brained or incredulous an idea is, if it serves the interests of a particular group of people…
The Biggest Little Black Lie of 2012
In a culture awash in bullshit, it’s no easy task to identify the Little Black Lie of the Year. It’s like choosing the most beautiful butterfly or the most violent…
Little Black Lies: Manufacturing Irony
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ll know that the Alberta government is suing the tobacco industry for $10 billion. What may be less clear is how ironic…
Little Black Lie: Canada is “Doing Its Part”
It’s difficult to know where to start when asked to write a regular column on the little black lies that plague the debate over energy and climate policy in Canada,…