If you are a climate change denier, better miss this BBC report. If you are not, feel sad for future generations…
‘Zombie fires’ burning at an alarming rate in British Columbia
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 for a 2011 article by Andrew Nikiforuk. With the letter writer’s permission, I will repeat it. But first, a little about Gwyn Morgan…
Climate concerns in 2024
Across Canada in 2023, wildfires burned 18.5 million hectares (45.7 million acres). That is eight times the 25-year average reported by Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. But fire and resulting air pollution are only part of the problems presented by climate change…
Everything else becomes moot
Climate scientists tell us to reduce and ultimately eliminate burning of fossil fuels, products that are the dominant cause of global warming. Worldwide, the oil and gas industry and its supporters in governments and elsewhere plan for us to burn more…
Nothing to see here!
A Berkely Earth email today reminds us that serious actions to address climate change should not be delayed. But like most Canadian political leaders, Detective Frank Drebin is indifferent…
Greenwashing
If greenwashing were an appropriate response, Canada would be a world leader in addressing climate change. One well-funded practitioner is Pathways Alliance, a consortium of big Canadian oil companies that Toronto Star says is preaching “industry knows best” when it comes to combating climate change…
Not governed by reasonable people
Given the ultimate consequences, reasonable people should be applying the precautionary principle on climate and environmental matters. I suppose that means our governments are not populated by reasonable people.
Solar geoengineering, yes or no?
Responding to a mention of climate scientist Michael Mann (U of Pennsylvania), reader Tim Smith linked to an article by independent researcher Robert Chris and Hugh Hunt (Cambridge). It is titled: The […]
Staggering. Unnerving. Mind-boggling. Absolutely gobsmackingly bananas.
I spent time recently listening to and reading Chris Turner, a Calgary based journalist and author of numerous books. Turner has become a climate change optimist. In contrast, I lean toward climate pessimism, the belief that causes will not be fully addressed, at least until catastrophe severely affects powerful groups who today value wealth more than human survival.
A captured government
An excerpt from a newsletter published by a international non-governmental organization is worth attention. Toronto Star reports the Danielle Smith convoy that travelled to the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference in Dubai actually involved 150 government and petroleum industry representatives.,,
Empty promises, unmet pledges, surreptitious acts
The 28th United Nations Climate Change conference begins this week in a middle east petrostate. UAE hired a team of lobbyists to “inoculate” COP28 and Sultan al-Jaber from “any potential criticism” and drum up support from “politically influential individuals.” COP28 president designate Jaber is managing director and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. BBC reports The United Arab Emirates plans to use its role as the host of UN climate talks as an opportunity to strike oil and gas deals. Canada is receptive because Canadian investors have put C$9 billion into UAE entities in the past two years…
The most dangerous expansion of fossil fuel in the world
In November 2023, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkeley, along with more than 60 congressional colleagues, asked the U.S. Department of Energy to reconsider liquified natural gas (LNG) policies because those do not “fully or accurately consider how these exports impact the climate, environmental justice, or domestic energy prices.”
Climate crisis failure
According to IEA, Canada’s per capita emissions of methane are almost three times the global average, more than half from the energy sector. Methane releases in Canada are worse than reported because the energy industry and government regulators have had little interest in publishing accurate measurements.
Emissions gap is really an emissions canyon
Progress in dealing with climate change is too slow to meet stated goals. The world is on course to see global temperatures rise as much as 2.9°C above preindustrial levels if current climate action commitments remain unchanged. Canada is headed for 5.7°C in 2100 according to Berkeley Earth.
Responsibility for the climate endgame
Evidence is overwhelming that human activities contribute to climate change. Food, water, housing, civil infrastructure and essential services are impacted. Health and long-term survival of living forms are threatened. Continued increases in troublesome emissions threaten an extreme catastrophe beyond adaptation…
Warnings issued and ignored years ago
Had they paid attention to science years ago, political and industrial leaders would have known the world was heading for a crisis. Climate change is widely recognized as an existential threat, but they paid no attention and did not care…
Deader than a doornail
According to the godfather of climate science, the 2015 Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, is “deader than a doornail.” Every person who cares about future generations should be sad and angry.
Earth cannot satisfy human greed
Revenues of Chevron Corporation in 2022 were one-third of a trillion Canadian dollars and the company’s comprehensive income was C$50 billion. Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth’s 2022 compensation was C$32 million. So it is not surprising that Chevron’s CEO recently defended his company, saying “We are not selling a product that is evil. We’re selling a product that’s good.”
Canada lags on renewable energy
In Canada, more than $100 billion is now being spent to expand fossil fuel production. Meanwhile, other nations are working to mitigate climate change and enable long-term human survival. For example, Airbus ordered new vessels to transport aircraft subassemblies across the Atlantic. The low-emission ships are powered by dual-fuel engines that can run on e-methanol produced from renewable sources. More importantly, propulsion is assisted by six Flettner rotors sails.
Canada is one of the world’s leaders
Canada a world leader? Sometimes that headline is good news. This time it is not…
in-sights.ca 
Blair Fix at _Economics from the Top Down_ also wrote two very good papers on the converion of housing into…