Power alternatives

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?

Note to readers

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

A safer future for life on earth

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.

Food supplies threatened by water shortages

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 downside of wind power

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.

A bias for inaction

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…

Punishing personal distress

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…

Ominous warnings: emissions increasing, not decreasing

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…

So we don’t all lose

GUEST POST — If you read the climate science, climate breakdown is clearly a civilization if not humanity threatening emergency requiring urgent mitigation action. Reducing GHG emissions by at least half globally by 2030 is an imperative and halting new fossil infrastructure and initiating a managed decline of existing production is absolutely essential. This means coal and gas in BC and also ending forest industry destruction of BC forests, a major global carbon sink. 

Disqualified candidate’s response to BC NDP leadership

Beyond matters of NDP policies that could easily be those of the BC Liberal party, Appadurai unloaded on Elizabeth Cull and NDP insiders for bias, hostility, unfairness, and back-dating of rules. A few days ago, I wrote The fix was in and Appadurai confirms it. Elizabeth Cull may have been conducting the fix, but the goal was established by the NDP’s Provincial Executive that appointed her.

The fix was in

Cull said the David Eby Campaign filed a complaint regarding violations of applicable law. Cull also wrote that Appadurai had obligations under British Columbia’s Election Act. The objective was to convince people that Ms. Appadurai was a scofflaw unworthy of holding a senior political position. Except the Election Act did not apply.