Eye in the sky
MethaneSAT is equipped with advanced sensing technology that allows it to precisely identify methane emissions at oil and gas sites across the globe. The satellite was launched on March 4…
Norman Farrell
Renewables are the key to low emissions, but…
Proponents of hydroelectric dams love to talk about these as low-impact, clean energy. But many of the proponents expect to gain financially from construction of these megaprojects. To them, self-interest…
Debunking LNG as a climate solution
It is worth considering a 2023 report authored for the David Suzuki Foundation by Daniel Horen Greenford, a postdoctoral researcher at Concordia University. It is titled ‘Debunking LNG as a…
Greenwashing hinders climate solutions
Greenwashing promotes false solutions to the climate crisis that distract from and delay concrete and credible action…
Pension fund investments lack transparency
Pensions are something that young people spend little time thinking about, while for seniors, it is an important subject. Individuals young and old have little knowledge of how pension funds…
Editorial cartoons
Starting as a young adult, I paid regular attention to the brilliant Len Norris and other cartoonists featured in newspapers and magazines. Ten years ago, Ian Holliday wrote an article…
A caterpillar turning into a butterfly?
I write often about climate change and tend toward pessimism about humankind’s efforts to avoid disaster. But there are good stories that show progress. Will they be enough? Only if…
An error by Global TV News or part of a pattern? (2010 article repeated in 2024)
I spend much time on the internet reading reliable sources. (Well, mostly reliable.) My subscription list for mainstream media is lengthy, although I consciously avoid Postmedia. While the company employs…
Things that matter, or things that don’t
Sometimes, we become focused on things that matter to us, but matter little or nothing to others. I might be accused of that when I write at IN-SIGHTS. But I…
How to measure prosperity
A 1953 speech by W.E.B. Du Bois discussed the fundamental injustices and shortcomings of the American economy. It includes one of his most famous quotes:
Wind vs nuclear energy
It must dishearten nuclear proponents when wind energy is shown to be a low-cost, quickly installed source of electricity.
Truth and science versus lies and greed
Owners of social media platforms profit from tidal waves of hate and disinformation. Boy, do they profit. According to Forbes, Facebook’s Zuckerberg is worth C$230 billion, while co-founders Saverin and…
Zombie fires, part 2
The people of British Columbia will soon pay $3 billion a year in carbon tax. Yet actions of governments, fossil fuel producers, financiers, and people holding extreme wealth ensure that…
Have they ever lied to us before? Yes, and they’re lying now
In the 2024 Throne Speech, the government of David Eby claimed that “greenhouse gas emissions are down 5 per cent from six years ago.” The claim is simply untrue. It…
‘Zombie fires’ burning at an alarming rate in British Columbia
If you are a climate change denier, better miss this BBC report. If you are not, feel sad for future generations…
Bendelormøkonomi, the tapeworm economy
Star columnist Armine Yalnizyan wrote about the tapeworm economy that emerges when governments finance private corporations to deliver services to the public. She says it “like introducing a parasite that…
Responding to a super-rich plutocrat
Regular IN-SIGHTS reader Ken Holowanky wrote a letter to the Times Colonist in response to a diatribe by Gwyn Morgan, a man called “Shale Gas Baron” in The Tyee’s headline…
Private power’s golden egg cracked in Manitoba
In late January, Manitoba Hydro CEO Jay Grewal said the utility would need new sources of electricity within five or six years. She reiterated a plan to meet new demand…
Energy politics in BC
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reported that wind and solar accounted for 71 percent of U.S. electric-power capacity additions in 2022. 8.5 GW of wind power capacity was added…
Capitalism works, but needs effective regulation
While walking through a North Vancouver grocery store owned by Jim Pattison, one of Canada’s richest billionaires, I was astounded by price changes imposed in the last few years. To…