Occasionally, I leave aside the misery of politics, poverty, patrimonialism, and provisos that make life difficult. Tonight was one of those times. Gwen and I spent the evening at North Vancouver’s Presentation House Theatre, enjoying a joyful production of Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon by the North Shore Light Opera Society, a group in its 78th year.
As I decide whether to keep up this blog, I would like to hear from regular readers. What kind of content do you like to see on this website? What do you want to see less of? Should I maintain the more than 3,000 posts on this site, even if the majority of them are out of date, or would it matter if I completely shut it down?
Economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
Clean electricity generated close to where you live — and increasingly owned by the people, businesses, and communities that use it. Solar experts and researchers from University of British Columbia Okanagan know how distributed energy systems and next-generation solar materials could transform Canada’s energy future, strengthen energy independence, and create opportunities for Canadian manufacturing and innovation.
Climate change is not a problem that can be solved within the current economic system without deep structural change.
“The blunt reality is that when there are no consequences, we humans are capable of immense depravity toward those we are taught to scorn as subhuman.”
Norway offers a striking contrast to British Columbia. In 2026, the two jurisdictions have almost identical populations — about 5.6 million people — yet Norway has built a sovereign wealth fund valued at roughly C$3.1 trillion.
Global financial markets are estimated to be worth $500 trillion, while global GDP is only estimated to be worth $100 trillion. This means that 80% of financial markets are not involved in producing the goods and services our society relies on to function properly.
At today’s exchange rate, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is worth roughly C$3.09 trillion — an extraordinary figure for a country with a population of about 5.6 million, very close to the population of British Columbia. That works out to approximately C$546,000 per person.
While the BC NDP talks publicly about a comprehensive plan focused on clean energy, the government has in fact been focused on increasing fossil fuel production. This policy may be good for the mostly foreign-owned producers and processors of natural gas, but it is another step toward a climate disaster.
Geothermal Opportunities is the third installment of the Canada West Forum Society’s series of online energy forums. The series began with Powering the Future, an overview of energy in British Columbia, and continued with Harnessing Wind Energy.
George Carlin warned us about “God damn stuff.” What he failed to mention is that the stuff fights back by capturing your attention and diverting you from watching TV or reading social media. Buried in my stuff was a 1950 manual dedicated to teaching young women their divine purpose on Earth. It taught the weaker sex about things like…
It is 18 years since the greatest comedian ever died, but George Carlin’s thoughts and words remain accurate and relevant.
When I was an adolescent, my Irish grandfather would recite poetry taught to him by my Scottish grandmother. The poem was usually by Robbie Burns, the Ploughman poet. I was always disinterested.
On March 21, Donald Trump threatened to obliterate parts of Iran if the Strait of Hormuz was not fully opened within 48 hours. Hours before that deadline, Trump delayed the bombing threat by three days because ‘productive’ talks were ongoing with Iran. He later extended the deadline to April 6, saying negotiations were going very well. On April 5, Trump made a profane announcement, threatening massive bombing on April 7 if the strait remained closed. The American president promised a ‘whole civilization will die.’ However, cooler heads in the USA and mediative efforts by Pakistan led Trump to postpone the bombing once again, this time for two weeks.
In January, Mark Carnie told the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, about a “rupture to the world order.” I was aware of the Prime Minister’s speech to the WEF, but George Froehlich caused me to refocus on Carney’s words.
In a June 2024 subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley questioned Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun on the company’s safety failures and Calhoun’s lack of accountability. The Missouri politician accused Boeing’s CEO of being focused on cutting corners, eliminating safety procedures, and squeezing its skilled employees closer to poverty.
If David Eby’s government supported or acquired the Hecate Strait project planned by Oceanic Wind Energy Inc., power could be flowing to the area to be served by the $10 billion North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL) by 2030, not 2034 or later, as predicted by BC Hydro…
Lew Edwardson prepared the following item after the webinar prepared by Canada West Forum. Lew is a keen observer of current events and always articulate and accurate when expressing his views.
The idiot crew around Donald Trump may have been so focused on personal enrichment schemes that they didn’t bother to examine the medium- to long-term effects of waging war on Iran. Patrick Boyle makes a key point when he talks about “…the hole in the global energy supply that no amount of diplomatic pressure can fill…”
Hi Norm, You have that right. The angle we can use at the local level effectively has changed from directly…
[…] A friend of mine is deeply engaged with his local government. He is, by his own admission, a royal…
That alone should be investigated Why not one generator ata time and time it to rain season
Thanks for the summary Norm. This is the first year that Williston Reservoir has reached full pool for many years.…
in-sights.ca 
God luck in the election. Your platform resonates with me, and we are thinking of returning to PR for our…