Tough on crime!
Pierre Poilievre and other conservatives promise to be tough on crime. "Jail, not bail," says the man who aspires to be Canada's next Prime Minister. The John Howard Society is…
Norman Farrell
A BC industry in decline
I have been reading about the history of British Columbia's forest industry. I lack thorough expertise, but I think it is fair to say that short-term thinking by self-interested industrialists…
Frozen Logger
As I stepped out one morning into a small cafeA 40 year old waitress to me these words did say…She said, “I see, sir, that you are a logger, and…
Helping hands
New research shows that the brain is more like a muscle – it changes and gets stronger when you use it. Scientists have been able to show how the brain…
Is the war against climate change already lost?
World Marks Full Year of Average Temperatures Above 1.5C Target
Collapse of Social Cohesion and Crisis of Trust and Truth
Frank Graves says we live in an era which sees a crisis of both trust and truth... Disinformation is polarizing our society in ways that we have never seen... But…
Evil corporate culture, tip of the iceberg?
Large enterprises often fail to respond effectively when facing challenges. Professional people find it difficult to say that they may have been wrong. Passing the buck is a primary defence…
Watch what the BC NDP does, not what they say
So BC taxpayers currently paying close to $3 billion a year in carbon tax must result in lower production of natural gas, right? Maybe not.
Not worried about climate change?
Environmental Defence Canada says climate change is one of the main reasons why food prices are increasing. There are other factors too, but some of the prices in 2024 are…
Megaproject, 10 years late and 8x original budget
The real need is for the province to appoint a royal commission with broad ability to investigate financial and engineering problems with all megaprojects. The inquiry should be able to…
“After all, we only did what we had said we would do…”
All senior public servant involved in the approval or management of megaprojects that consume vast sums should demonstrate detailed knowledge of Professor Flyvbjerg's work. Many works would not be approved…
Oil and gas industry is a rogue entity making its own rules
If the public interest is ever to be served, the power and influence of lobbyists must be reduced to near-zero and the ability to slip easily between the regulators and…
Climate dangers: larger and more imminent economic destruction
Some believe that wealth creation should be the paramount goal of a nation. In Canada, many of those people are political operatives opposing effective actions to mitigate climate change. A…
Over budget, over time, over and over again. Quelle surprise!
The United Kingdom's National Audit Office said about a nuclear energy megaproject that was to cost C$35 billion and now looks to be costing more than C$80 billion, years after…
Shaping the news
The reality is that media filters reality instead of reflecting it. In authoritarian regimes, control of communication has always been a primary consideration and news is shaped to further the…
The man in the hot air balloon
Much is wrong with Facebook, but occasionally, it circulates nuggets of gold…
Corus Entertainment update
Days ago, I commented on the share price of the company that owns Canada’s Global Television Network and numerous broadcasting outlets in Vancouver and elsewhere. Stock in Corus Entertainment Inc.…
If you fail, fail big
The law is equal before all of us; but we are not all equal before the law. Virtually there is one law for the rich and another for the poor,…
Poo in the water — ethical pension fund investments not a priority
Over 40 percent of Thames Water, a troubled utility company in the United Kingdom, is owned by OMERS and BCI. These are two of Canada’s biggest public pension fund managers.…
Who funds think tanks, and why?
An organization in the United Kingdom aims to identify funders of think tanks that work to influence public policy. While the group’s focus is on the UK, it is a…