“Attention-deficit-disorder Thunderdome”
As I decide whether to keep up this blog, I would like to hear from regular readers. What kind of content do you like to see on this website? What…
Norman Farrell
Average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence on governments
Economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
Solar energy and distributed generation
Clean electricity generated close to where you live — and increasingly owned by the people, businesses, and communities that use it. Solar experts and researchers from University of British Columbia…
Change is possible, but unlikely
Climate change is not a problem that can be solved within the current economic system without deep structural change.
Humans are capable of immense depravity
"The blunt reality is that when there are no consequences, we humans are capable of immense depravity toward those we are taught to scorn as subhuman."
Is your family worth C$1.15 million?
Norway offers a striking contrast to British Columbia. In 2026, the two jurisdictions have almost identical populations — about 5.6 million people — yet Norway has built a sovereign wealth…
The Financial Market Casino
Global financial markets are estimated to be worth $500 trillion, while global GDP is only estimated to be worth $100 trillion. This means that 80% of financial markets are not…
Norway treats fossil fuels as a public inheritance. British Columbia treats them as a giveaway.
At today’s exchange rate, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is worth roughly C$3.09 trillion — an extraordinary figure for a country with a population of about 5.6 million, very close to…
BC’s natural gas revenue disappearing while gas production soars
While the BC NDP talks publicly about a comprehensive plan focused on clean energy, the government has in fact been focused on increasing fossil fuel production. This policy may be…
Geothermal opportunities
Geothermal Opportunities is the third installment of the Canada West Forum Society’s series of online energy forums. The series began with Powering the Future, an overview of energy in British…
When men were men and women were women
One hindrance to cleaning up that which George Carlin called "God damn stuff" is that you find things that need your full and immediate attention. This relic from 1950 is…
Found online
It is 18 years since the greatest comedian ever died, but George Carlin's thoughts and words remain accurate and relevant.
Man was made to mourn
When I was an adolescent, my Irish grandfather would recite poetry taught to him by my Scottish grandmother. The poem was usually by Robbie Burns, the Ploughman poet. I was…
Belligerent and erratic
On March 21, Donald Trump threatened to obliterate parts of Iran if the Strait of Hormuz was not fully opened within 48 hours. Hours before that deadline, Trump delayed the…
A rupture to the world order
In January, Mark Carnie told the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, about a "rupture to the world order." I was aware of the Prime Minister's speech to the…
America’s greediest industrial workers wear suits and ties
In a June 2024 subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley questioned Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun on the company's safety failures and Calhoun's lack of accountability. The Missouri politician accused Boeing's…
BC Hydro doesn’t want quickly available, low-cost energy
If David Eby's government supported or acquired the Hecate Strait project planned by Oceanic Wind Energy Inc., power could be flowing to the area to be served by the $10…
Powering our future
Lew Edwardson prepared the following item after the webinar prepared by Canada West Forum. Lew is a keen observer of current events and always articulate and accurate when expressing his…
Hole in the global energy supply…
The idiot crew around Donald Trump may have been so focused on personal enrichment schemes that they didn't bother to examine the medium- to long-term effects of waging war on…
From whistle punk to witness
When I was in high school, I spent time working for my uncles at Mahood Logging Ltd. That experience took me deep into TFL 39, Block 1, to a camp…