ConCalls: Giving In
At what point can Canadians no longer claim to be a democratic people? We widely recognize when other countries were running sham elections, but our closeness to our own has…
Economics
Passion
Why is there such passionate debate over climate change? It’s not like many global problems tend to inflame heated debate all too often at a local level, but climate change…
Earthgauge Radio October 18 2012: James Kunstler (part 2) and The Climate Reality Project
Download: earthgauge-podcast-oct-18-2012.mp3 On Earthgauge Radio this week, we continue our discussion on the limitations of technology in solving environmental problems and we learn about Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. I…
‘Hipster’ is not a real job. Neither is not having a job.
Last week, the CCPA released a report (authored by yours truly) about youth un- and underemployment in Canada. It showed that, while youth unemployment in Canada is not insubstantial –…
Embedded with a West London Eco-village – Friday Film Pick: Grasp the Nettle
Filmmaker Dean Puckett is following up from his fantastic documentary The Crisis of Civilization with another doc from the front lines of the war on want. This time Puckett’s lens…
David Suzuki & Jeff Rubin Address Our Economy’s Disconnect With Reality
I had the good fortune this week to be in the audience during Dr. David Suzuki and Jeff Rubin’s Eco Tour stop in Winnipeg, part of a cross-country book tour.…
Earthgauge Radio October 4 2012: James Kunstler, Fast for Climate Justice and the new “Passive House” in Wakefield
Download: earthgauge-podcast-oct4-2012.mp3 On Earthgauge Radio this week, we ‘re talking about techno-optimism, fasting for climate justice and energy efficient buildings. I have 3 interviews for you on today’s show: Novelist…
Maybe the LHIN CEO was referring to Grease, the musical
Bill MacLeod told an Insight conference last week that the deficit was Ontario’s burning platform, that the province was “this close” to being Greece. Generally speaking, it’s a bit more…
Climate Change Deaths Could Total 100 Million By 2030 If World Fails To Act
More than 100 million people will die and global economic growth will be cut by 3.2 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030 if the world fails to tackle…
Total Energy warns against oil drilling in Arctic
The Financial Post is reporting that the chief executive of Total SA, Christophe de Margerie, has said energy companies should not drill for crude in Arctic waters, marking the first…
Commodity In the Real World
Now @JephMaystruck is reppin' the book Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom – solid read #SYPElunch— Jackson Middleton (@KiltedBroker) September 19, 2012 Everything in our world is a commodity – everything is…
Chris Hedges Promotes Book at UofR
I attended Hedges lecture at the UofR on Thursday night, and I think most of the crowd was impressed as was I. He did get a standing ovation when done.…
So Did YOU Get a 3% Raise Last Year?
So, did you get a 3% raise last year? The average Canadian did. See the first chart below. If not, you’re behind the average Canadian. And even with a small…
Tax cuts and economic growth
A new study in the U.S. is the latest to say that tax cuts do not positively relate to economic growth. David Leonhardt of the New York Times excerpts its…
Fair Weather Friends: Western Reaction(s) to the Middle East Protests
The ongoing protests in the parts of the Middle East and North Africa, ostensibly in the wake of a Z-list anti-Islam film produced in the US, have elicited the same…
Immigration
Working on campus: allowed. Work a shitty job at Walmart for two weeks, and declare the income: deportation. It’s the reality that international students face in Canada. Those students placing…
Imagine if the Olympics Really Benefited the People of the Host City
The London Olympics games closed with the words of “Imagine” by John Lennon and “Freedom” by George Michael. John Lennon sang “Imagine all the people living life in peace.” And…
Let’s Watch Where Quebec Leads Us All
Less than 12 after being elected to a minority government in Quebec, the PQ has announced it will cancel the socially and economically regressive tuition fee hikes and repeal the…
Bravery in a Time of Struggle
I was but wee when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It must have been quite trying: a feat of technological innovation, cooperative efforts by thousands of mostly anonymous people…