Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Larry Elliott writes that continuing inequality looms as an obstacle to meaningful climate action. But David Love offers a reminder that climate apartheid is the likely end result of failing to rein in carbon pollution. – Christopher Smart outlines the OECD’s plans to
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Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Olivia Bowden reports on new research showing that the harmful health effects of air pollution are even worse than previously known. – But in case anybody was under the illusion that we’d expect polluters to pay for the cost of their damage, Chris
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On choice giveaways
There’s been plenty worth criticizing about Scott Moe’s combination of laughable demands of the federal government and refusal to take responsibility for anything his government is doing at home. But let’s take note of yet another example of the Saskatchewan Party’s fanatical focus on freebies for resource exploiters with no
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – The Globe and Mail’s editorial board writes that Canada needs to do its part to avert as much of the impending climate breakdown as can be avoided. – Chris Kennedy rightly points out that Canada’s responsibility includes the fossil fuels we’re subsidizing
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your weekend reading. – David Jones writes about the important benefits enjoyed by workers as the result of the efforts of the labour movement. And Arindrajit Dube studies the international effects of minimum wage increases, finding that they consistently improve lower-end wages while having little effect on
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – The New York Times’ editorial board highlights how many of the people looking to defend a habitable planet from environmental destruction are being met with state-assisted violence in response. And Oxfam examines how Australian mining companies are exploiting west Africa to the tune
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Angela Rayner writes about the distinction between limited social mobility and genuine social justice, while highlighting UK Labour’s commitment to the latter: (T)he role of our education system is not just about helping a lucky, talented few rise to the top, but
Continue readingThings Are Good: Australia Won’t let a Coal Mine Open due to Climate Change
Open-cut coal mining and Australia have a long history that is all about resource extraction in the hopes of short-term gain. The nation’s long history of reckless destruction seems to be coming to an end since a court recently ruled that a mining operation will not be allowed to open.
Continue readingIn-Sights: Premier Horgan, where were you on Mount Polley?
Compare the passage of 4 years without a charge against Mount Polley operators to the quick response when a rude 19-year-old released an adult-sized blow-up doll over West Vancouver’s Ambleside beach. He was arrested within two weeks and faces a charge of mischief under Canada’s Criminal Code.
Continue readingThings Are Good: Diamonds Suck; De Beers Gives Up
Back in 2006 Josh Kaufman got married and during that process he discover the sham of modern diamonds – they aren’t that valuable. Kaufman created the website Diamonds Suck to raise awareness of a diamond alternative: maisonette. It was known then that blood diamonds were a problem and still today
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Canada backs foreign investor rights to shield mining industry: Book
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria during a bi-lateral meeting in Paris (OECD/Flickr CC Licence) Canada’s controversial mining sector may be the driving force behind the country’s insistence on protecting foreign investors’ rights over laws that guard its own citizens and environmental values. Prime Minister Justin
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Thomas Walkom discusses Canada’s likely NAFTA decision between an even worse deal than exists now, and no deal at all – though it’s worth recognizing that the latter choice shouldn’t be seen as a problem. And Alex Panetta points out the Libs’ total
Continue readingThings Are Good: EU Launches Urban Mining Project
The European Union’s newest mining project focuses on urban areas throughout the continent. Their ProSUM project built a database of metals, chemicals, and materials brought into the EU market over the last ten plus years; the idea is that the produced goods can be “mined” again. It’s a really novel
Continue readingThings Are Good: Canada to Monitor Behaviour of Corporations Aboard
Canada announced yesterday that, like other nations, the country will be monitoring how Canadian corporations behave beyond its borders. Over the years there have been too many accounts of corporations based in Canada getting into conflicts and abusing communities of people internationally. Obviously this sort of behaviour is bad for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Tom Parkin duly slams the Libs for a “middle class” tax message being used to sell a giveaway to the rich: Here’s the blunt facts: the tax cut by Finance Minister Bill Morneau gives $0 to anyone earning under about $45,000. Then
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Ashifa Kassam writes about the elements of Canada’s health care system which call for ambitious improvement rather than imitation: “I think privatisation is a major threat to public health care in Canada,” said Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition. Earlier this
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Yves Engler discusses how Justin Trudeau is now the face of the exploitation of poor countries and workers by the Canadian mining industry. And Penny Collenette writes that governments and business should both bear responsibility for human rights – though it’s worth
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – The Economist examines the latest research showing the amount of money stashed in tax havens is even higher than previously estimated. And the Guardian calls for action on the IMF’s conclusion that we’ll all end up better off if the wealthy pay
Continue readingEarthgauge News: Earthgauge News – Oct. 15, 2017
Edition #2 of the new podcast Earthgauge News for the week of Oct. 15, 2017. A weekly Canadian environmental news podcast featuring the top environmental stories from across Canada and around the world. Join us here every week or subscribe in iTunes or your favourite podcast catcher.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Ed Finn discusses how corporate giants exert far more influence than we generally know – or should be willing to accept. And Joseph Schwartz and Bhaskar Sunkara comment on the difficulty in achieving durable social-democratic policies while economic power is concentrated in
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