Stephen Harper is today’s éminence grise behind the Conservative Party of Canada. Since leaving the University of Calgary in 1985, Harper has been a resolute right-wing activist. After Justin Trudeau defeated Harper in 2015, the former Prime Minister has worked internationally to further right-wing objectives and promote authoritarianism…
The emphasis of individual liberty has always been entangled with white supremacy, settler colonialism, climate destruction, economic exploitation, and patriarchy. These “ugly freedoms” legitimate the right to exploit and subjugate others.
Some who favour right wing politics believe in protecting the unborn, but vehemently oppose protection of children already born. This is largely an American problem, where guns overtook car crashes to become the leading cause of death for US children and teenagers in 2020. But this is something that Poilievre’s Conservatives would bring to Canada if given the opportunity.
Wildfires are clearly a major problem for Canadians in 2023. Primary causes are known but solutions conflict with policies of governments. Canadian politicians prefer to promote fossil fuel production and eliminate forest diversity without regard for long-term costs to the planet. Failure to change forest management practices and moderate greenhouse gas emissions will result in greater fire disasters in the future.
Mike Hanafin, “Brilliant doesn’t do this justice. @thejuicemedia usually skewers Australian (Australien!) govts/politicians for kissing up to Big Oil, Fossil Fuel extractors, & monopolist billionaires. But they noticed it was happening here too. Great cameos from Galen Weston, Jimmy Pattison, and John Horgan.
When BC Hydro said that growing demand required asset additions worth billions of dollars and contractual commitments of $50+ billion owed to independent power producers, should we have believed what they said? The record clearly states the answer was NO.
Lew Edwardson wrote the following as a comment on the post Lack of transparency at BC Hydro may conceal massive fraud. It deserves to be repeated in this separate post. WARNING: this will not build confidence in elected officials and senior public servants.
BC’s government seems determined to continue the present model for private power in the intended 2024 call for additional electricity. The difference in 2024 will be that large contracts for wind power will be issued. Government knows that citizens would not, and should not, tolerate privatization of the public utility. The arrangements with Independent Power Producers, which are largely owned outside of British Columbia, amount to privatization by stealth.
Site C was conceived when output per MW of capacity was higher than it has been in recent years. BC Hydro has regularly claimed that 1,100 MW capacity at Site C will annually produce 5,100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity. That would be 4.64 GWh per MW of capacity, almost a quarter more output than BC Hydro’s dams have collectively produced in the five fiscal years.
Boston University economist Dr. Jetson Leder-Luis studies fraud in public spending. He estimates that fraud in large projects may divert five percent of spending. On the Site C power project, that suggests fraud could amount to hundred of millions of dollars. BC Hydro’s lack of transparency encourages corruption.
An examination of revenue the Province of British Columbia has taken in from production of fossil methane gas in the fiscal years 2000 to 2023.
A key element of Canada’s future climate policy is carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The federal government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to advance the commercial viability of CCUS technologies. Despite what critics say about CCUS, it is working as intended for fossil fuel producers. CCUS is not a solution, it is a distraction. The aim is to justify ‘continued production of carbon rich energy.
BC’s NDP government promised, “On May 19, 2022, the Province introduced a new oil and gas royalty system that puts the interests of British Columbians first and eliminates outdated and inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies.” More than fifteen months later, we learn from the province’s just released audited financial statements that subsidies by way of royalty credits taken in one year by producers increased by $154 million to $1.7 billion. In addition, another $2.3 is available for producers to reduce or eliminate future royalty payments.
Eliminating methane emissions offers huge potential for quick, affordable climate action. Modern technology makes identification of leakage relatively simple, but industry and governments are dedicated to increased fossil fuel production. As a result, methane leakage is consciously underreported and methane abatement actions are not taken.
As a change from the usual subjects at In-Sights, here are photographs taken by Lorne Simpson of Victoria, a friend of 50 years or so. Lorne is a keen observer and a multitalented artist. To record scenes, he might use a paint brush or his phone, but he might also use a 4″ X 5″ large format camera. I think these photos might interest readers of In-Sights.
After 28 years as a key contributor at the Georgia Straight, Charlie Smith moved to Pancouver, a new arts and culture media outlet that aims to “shed light on how this history has shaped artistic creation in Vancouver.” Charlie Smith occasionally writes at Substack and recently he asked if it was “time for Canada’s older political journalists to call it quits?”
Strategic interventions to cut methane emissions in the natural gas supply chain are relatively simple and cost-effective compared to the complexity and expense of decarbonizing the global economy. Prohibiting venting and routine flaring and incorporating routine equipment fixes and upgrades into maintenance plans can significantly cut methane emissions from production sites.
Proponents tell us that fossil methane gas emits fewer greenhouse gases when burned than coal. “Natural Gas” has long been sold to us as a reliable, environmentally friendly, even classy energy source. But end-use combustion is only part of the story. Total GHG life-cycle emissions from extraction, processing and transport of this fuel reveal this mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons ia a prime cause of global warming and a problematic source of pollution within our homes…
Premier David Eby and Ministers of British Columbia spent much time in August 18 news conferences. They talked about dealing with wildfires and assisting the tens of thousands of people affected by the province’s hottest ever time for burning. Politicians spent little time talking about factors that contributed to the current State of Emergency…
The UK’s Royal Meteorological Society wrote about the deadly heatwave that affected western North America in 2021. An underlying message was to prepare for more disasters like the destruction of Lytton, BC. This might happen even if governments get truly serious about climate change, an unlikely scenario even as death and destruction mounts.
Milestones usually provoke self reflection, and the closer we get to the ultimate milestone, the more there is to reflect…
Regular reader of insights here. I seldom comment but will try to do that more in the future. I'm glad…
Thanks, I appreciate this follow-up.
Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't show a link to the study initially because it was on a site that…
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I very much appreciate your writing with IN SIGHTS Norm. I get too much to read on my computer and…