Gwen and I raised three adult children in North Vancouver. Each lives in this community, as do our seven grandchildren. Before retirement, I worked in accounting and small business management. Since 2009, I have published commentary about public issues at IN-SIGHTS.CA.
Following are excerpts from The Symbolic and Substantive Politics of Climate Change, an article by Dr. Steven Cohen, Senior Vice Dean of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies.
In Bill Henderson’s guest post, he drew attention to a commentary by University of New Brunswick’s Jason MacLean. Published in April 2022, Dr. MacLean’s article should be reviewed. Excerpts follow…
Denial is fast becoming an addict’s tantrum, and nobody can be quite as clueless and ignorant about existential climate dangers like those in the oil patch and the journalists, think tanks, academics, and politicians who profit by assisting climate change denial.
British Columbia’s NDP government issued a press release in May 2022 that promised an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Politicians were concerned that consumers troubled by rising energy prices might also be disturbed to know royalty credit subsidies to natural gas producers soared from $654 million in FY 2021 to $1,517 million in FY 2022. Changes promoted by the NDP government are more smoke and mirrors than a real attempt at reform.
It seems like a no-brainer that in protecting nature, we are protecting ourselves and working to ensure human survival. Yet the ruling classes believe they can insulate themselves from consequences of environmental destruction and ruling politicians are unwilling to slow or end the pursuit of wealth. So far, powerful forces refuse to acknowledge seriously the existential risks facing our physical world.
Democracy is a system of government not immune to challenges and threats. In recent years, there have been concerns about the health of democracy in a number of countries, as well as the rise of populist movements and strongman leaders who challenge democratic institutions and norms. Additionally, issues such as disinformation and foreign interference in elections have raised concerns about the integrity of democratic processes.
For years, informed commentators without a partisan interest or a financial stake in construction of Site C argued for alternative energy projects. BC New Democrats and BC Hydro were disinterested in lower cost production of electricity generated close to where it is consumed. Many of us are certain we know why.
Public utility BC Hydro is now admitting that significant rate increases are coming because of Site C. Whatever happened to the “40 percent growth over 20 years” that BC Hydro had promised throughout a decade and a half of flat demand?
My experience leads me to strongly recommend Shingrix to anyone 50 years and older and to all adults with weakened immune systems. Anyone who does experience the symptoms of shingles should see a doctor immediately so antiviral medicine can be started. These are most effective in the earliest stage.hea
Along with Greta Thunberg and Naomi Klein, The Guardian presented on video three other panelists, Prof. Saleem Huq, Prof. Kate Raworth and Ayisha Siddiqa. The panelists did a great job of presenting how the intersecting crisis’s of climate change, climate justice, loss & damages and capitalist biodiversity destruction are all interconnected.
The NDP government of British Columbia says the province’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 “is one the strongest climate plans on the continent.” If that is true, the continent is in more trouble than most of us know.
With food production threatened in southwest USA, British Columbia should pay more attention to the value and potential of its agricultural resources. The present NDP government is in thrall to producers of non-renewable extractive resources. Perhaps the ghost of Dave Barrett could visit the new Dave and remind him that the BC NDP once cared about agriculture, a renewable resource.
The BC Government promised transformative change to Indigenous people. What First Nations are getting is transformative change to traditional territories altered for hydropower, coal, oil and gas.
Unlike Site C in British Columbia, wind projects have relatively low budgets and short construction timelines. Those factors impede privatization of public wealth. While good for consumers of electricity, low-cost generating facilities offer only short-term benefits to those who build them.
In the hugely successful business book In Search of Excellence, co-authors Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman listed eight attributes of excellent, innovative management. Number one proposed a “bias for action.” Leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations prefer the opposite…
I invite readers to look beyond a comparison of the noted energy projects to consider the long term objectives of two publicly owned energy companies. BC Hydro is focused on doing what it has done since the 1960s. Sweden’s Vattenfall is an innovator, creating permanent jobs and pursuing solutions to address the climate crisis…
The unarmed victim was seeking help, apparently suffering a personal crisis. CBC News reported the Ojibway man “was in distress from a bear mace attack and was attempting to relieve the burning sensation by removing his clothes and dousing himself in milk.” Chris Amyotte needed medical assistance. He was punished with lethal violence instead…
The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come…
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an intergovernmental organization with 193 member states and territories, issued an ominous climate change warning on October 26, 2022. The cold reality is that G20 nations — responsible for around 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions — have promised to reduce dangerous emissions but allowed releases of greenhouse gases to increase…
If reason is that reliable, why do we produce so much thoroughly reasoned nonsense?
It was a bizarre speech but really little different from many of the things Donald Trump has said recently. His…
Millions of US, Americans support Trump! He is not an aberration! When Trump is gone there are many more to…
[…] I generally avoid spending money on American publications, but The Atlantic remains indispensable. Today, staff writer David A. Graham…
Osmatic Power? https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/this-invention-may-change-the-world-of-renewable-energy/vi-AA1R2wm8?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=6957ce9d73ef405c981ba17669f2cae5&ei=32 Ocean solar? https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/this-invention-may-change-the-world-of-renewable-energy/vi-AA1R2wm8?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=6957ce9d73ef405c981ba17669f2cae5&ei=32 Why Australia opted for a multi-purpose wave energy solution. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/this-invention-may-change-the-world-of-renewable-energy/vi-AA1R2wm8?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=6957ce9d73ef405c981ba17669f2cae5&ei=32 Energy megaprojects https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/this-invention-may-change-the-world-of-renewable-energy/vi-AA1R2wm8?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=6957ce9d73ef405c981ba17669f2cae5&ei=32 The…
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Unfortunately, about 130 million Americans support Trump according to major polling organizations. That's particularly scary and reminds us of a…