Stop Everything
Stop Everything #22: "Transition Towns" find peak oil's silver lining
With any legitimate climate work being continually ignored by government, Canadians are growing weary. In tandem with our American friends, we’ve for years been witnessing the leadership void at the federal level being filled by some provincial, state and municipal governments, universities and businesses. With Earth Hour showing that widespread participation in environmental initiatives is… More »
Stop Everything #21: Health care for America, now how about for the planet?
After over a year of battling it out for a universal healthcare system, President Obama has secured the (diluted) vision he intended for his country. What, you might ask, does that have to do with Canada and climate change? Many are speculating that this victory has made it that much more probable that the President… More »
Stop Everything #20: Gagged scientists leave media—and public—in the dark
The climate issue is struggling to gain political traction in this country as of late. As much as media likes a hot story, they also appreciate access to good information, to local quotes and home-grown science. The Conservative government is continuing a war on science, not just because of their distrust of the method, but… More »
Stop Everything #19: Three ways Ignatieff could green the Harper budget
Holy déjà vu, Iggy. Is it just me, or is this whole post-prorogue budget announcement that the NDP and Bloc aren’t supporting feeling eerily familiar? Rewind to November 2008. Stephen Harper prorogued the government to avoid a non-confidence motion brought on by the New Democrats and Liberals. This move bought him a little time, and… More »
Stop Everything #18: Maxime Bernier's climate-denialism is a political warning
All the papers last week were abuzz about an op-ed written by now-backbench Conservative MP Maxime Bernier. Writing how climate change is an unsure thing indeed, he said his party was on the right track by playing it cool in Copenhagen. He was roundly criticized by Canadian media and bloggers. Globe contributor Robert Silver called… More »
Stop Everything #17: Weapons of mass distraction create a climate of silence
Well played, Mr. Harper, well played. While you’re probably sitting comfortably at 24 Sussex, sipping Chianti and learning how to play “Hey Jude” for Laureen’s next fundraiser, I’m sitting in bed at 11pm Monday night trying to rack my brain for what to say this week about the state of climate change in Canada. How… More »
Stop Everything #16: Industry seldom changes itself. It's up to us.
We’re not getting the job done with the Harper government, so where do we go next? Rebecca’s option of industry leadership in last week’s column may have raised some eyebrows for those of us working on policy like pricing carbon or regulation to get industries to do the right thing. And also for those who… More »
Stop Everything #15: If government won't cut carbon, will industry?
Welcome to the new age of the environmental movement. We don’t chain ourselves to trees and sing protest songs—we use blackberries to notify the press about the latest report findings. With the exception of a few spirited protestors who scaled the parliament building or occupied a minister’s office, most of the effort from organizations in… More »
Stop Everything #14: Renewing our own energy after Copenhagen
We’ve marched, oh how we have marched. The “get back to work” signs now find their place in the closet where dust has begun to flirt with the climate-themed “350” signs of October and December. The proroguing of Parliament has left the country with no ability to act on any sort of climate legislation (though… More »
Stop Everything #13: Beyond Copenhagen: It's the institutions, stupid
A lot of stock has been put into the current International Climate Change Conference. Not only a stake in our future, and the world as we know it continuing to exist, but our national identity—how we deal with international conflict, how we assist other countries needing a hand, and when we choose to exert a… More »
