Harper’s War on Science
If Canadians knew the full extent of the Harper government’s war on science, they would be clamouring for the reinstatement and full funding of dozens of federal scientific programs and…
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Spinning out of control?
It can hardly come as a surprise to anyone that governments – like corporations – employ spin to portray their actions in the best possible light (and to cast their…
Bean Leaves, Bedbugs and Biomimicry
Scientists often come up with new discoveries, technologies or theories. But sometimes they rediscover what our ancestors already knew. A couple of recent findings show we have a lot to…
Polls Apart: Making Sense of Surprise BC Election Outcome
Premier Christy Clark was right when she told the Canadian Press it’s, “the people of British Columbia that choose the government.”…Politicians have known for a long time that the news…
Can Political Polls be Trusted?
Following a polling debacle in last year’s Alberta election and troubling signs in BC as voters prepare to cast their ballots, John King questions the motives and methods of pollsters…
Damien Gillis Talks BC Election on SFU Radio
Listen to this half-hour interview by CJSF 90.1 FM’s Sylvia Richardson of The Common Sense Canadian’s Damien Gillis on the eve of the provincial election. The two compare the Liberals’…
Piscine Reovirus Pt.1: New Salmon Disease Sweeping the Coast?
Piscine reovirus (PRV), known to cause heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), is a disease that so weakens wild salmon that they may be unable swim the oceans or migrate…
New Report: Canada-EU Trade Agreement Threatens Fracking Bans
The Council of Canadians, along with the Transnational Institute and Corporate Europe Observatory, released a report this week examining the threat that a proposed Canada-EU free trade deal would have…
To Tiny Bhutan, “Progress” Means Happiness, Not GDP
At a 1972 international conference in India, a reporter asked Bhutan’s king about his country’s gross national product – a measure of economic activity. His response was semi-facetious: He said…
Bait and Switch: Red Chris Mine, ‘Green’ Funding and the Northwest Transmission Line
The Northwest Transmission line is a 344 km, $600 million taxpayer-subsidized hydroelectric corridor. Despite receiving $130 million in federal “green infrastructure” funding and over $300 million from BC Hydro so…
Stressed at Work? Add a Daily Dose of Green
The modern workday pose – fingers on keyboard, slight slouch, glassy eyes fixed on glowing screen, bathed in unnatural light – can drain vitality, happiness and creativity. Designed to maximize…
Audio: Rafe Mair talks WATER + POWER Tour on CBC Kamloops
Common Sense Canadian co-founder Rafe Mair appeared on CBC Kamloops Tuesday morning to discuss his upcoming tour, titled “WATER + POWER: The Future of BC’s Energy, Environment and Democracy.” A…
BC Liberal Legacy: A Huge Debt Burden
As we head into a provincial election on May 14, in which economic policy and fiscal acumen will be a central focus, independent economist Erik Andersen and Dr. Sandra Hoffman…
WATER + POWER: Upcoming Presentations by Rafe Mair and Damien Gillis
In the lead-up to the BC election, Common Sense Canadian co-founders Rafe Mair and Damien Gillis are travelling to four BC communities – Kamloops, Merritt, Williams Lake and Prince George…
Big-picture Thinking Needed to Protect Nature
Few places on Earth have been untouched by humans, according to a study in the journal Science. Satellite images taken from hundreds of kilometres above the planet reveal a world…
Big-picture Thinking Needed to Protect Nature
Few places on Earth have been untouched by humans, according to a study in the journal Science. Satellite images taken from hundreds of kilometres above the planet reveal a world…
Fractured Land Subject Caleb Behn in Vancouver to Discuss Indigenous Law, Resources
Caleb Behn, a young, Indigenous law student from northeast BC and the subject of the forthcoming documentary film Fractured Land, will be at the Vancouver Public Library this Thursday evening…
Audio: Damien Gillis Talks Private River Power, Fracking, LNG, BC Election
The Common Sense Canadian’s Damien Gillis and Vancouver Co-op Radio’s Imtiaz Popat discuss a range of topics relating to water and energy in advance of BC’s provincial election, scheduled for…
MP John Weston, Rafe Mair Debate Pipeline Risks, Environmental ‘Process’
MP John Weston’s office responds to Rafe Mair’s recent column on the Harper Government’s sham environmental “process”. “Regrettably, has adopted an extremist position, rejecting a Northern Pipeline in principle, no…
Are ‘Frankenfish’ Swimming Your Way? FDA Debates GM Salmon
The seemingly straightforward question, “What are we having for dinner?” may get trickier to answer, due to a revolution in science. Many people call it “frankenfood” when the answer to…