Matthew Bramley — Mar 16, 2010
A new report from Climate Action Network Canada reaches some troubling conclusions about the federal government's approach to climate science research in Canada. On Monday, Canwest reporter Mike de Souza and La Presse journalist François Cardinal reported that leaked Environment Canada documents obtained in CAN's research show the federal department's new media relations policy, adoped in 2007, reduced the news media's coverage of Environment Canada climate scientists by 80%, leaving some of Canada's top climate experts "extremely frustrated" and feeling "muzzled". But that's just part of the story.
PJ Partington — Feb 26, 2010
Conservative MP Maxime Bernier (Beauce) raised a lot of eyebrows this week by declaring himself a climate change skeptic in a letter to the Montreal newspaper La Presse (the full English version is here). In doing so, he also applauded the government's go-slow approach to reducing emissions.
Marlo Raynolds — Feb 18, 2010
If you have lived in Alberta and worked on environmental issues as long as I have, you get pretty used to being asked, "Man-made climate change is not real — how can you still believe in it?" Because that myth seems to be getting so much traction lately — and because of what's at stake if those who spread misinformation about climate change convince our governments that inaction and indifference are acceptable — I want to share how I approach such conversations.
Julia Kilpatrick — Feb 12, 2010
Canada's performance at the recent UN climate conference in Copenhagen came under scrutiny again this week, after an internal Chinese government report was leaked to British newspaper The Guardian. The report said Canada played a "conniving" role in trying to convince other countries that its level of ambition on climate change would be adequate, and claimed the US-led "umbrella group" of nations - of which Canada is a member - adopted a "position of inaction" at the international climate negotiations. As Mike de Souza reports for Canwest, federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice rejected those allegations, stating, "We were not conniving," and pointing at China's reluctance to allow international monitoring of its own progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
But the Chinese government isn't alone in thinking less of Canada in the wake of the U.N. climate summit.
Matthew Bramley — Feb 10, 2010
As a longstanding advocate for stronger Canadian greenhouse gas reduction policies, it's frustrating to see so much misleading journalism being published on the science of climate change.
Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente's contributions are unfortunately a case in point, notably her discussion on the Globe website yesterday.
Dan Woynillowicz — Feb 09, 2010
Olympic organizers announced California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, singer Michael Buble and famous dad Walter Gretzky will all serve as Olympic torch bearers when the flame arrives in Vancouver. As a kid growing up in Calgary, I got to experience the 1988 Winter Olympics firsthand and I'm amazed at all the glitz and glamour now associated with the games. Within the context of the big show I can understand Buble and Gretzky's participation given their national reputation, but the inclusion of "the Governator" left me scratching my head... at first.
Matt Horne — Feb 08, 2010
Imagine making a New Year's resolution to lose ten pounds and then heading to the store to stock up on chips and chocolate bars. Sound nonsensical? That's because it is — and the B.C. government's approval on Jan. 28 of EnCana's Cabin Gas processing plant in the province's northeast corner isn't much better.
Julia Kilpatrick — Feb 04, 2010
The top climate story this week started with a speech Environment Minister Jim Prentice delivered in Calgary on Monday. In it, he presents a bundle of mixed messages - identifying the oil sands as a public relations problem while calling on the oil industry to clean up its act, and labelling Quebec's new regulations on vehicle emissions standards "one of the most glaring examples of the folly of attempting to go it alone," while ignoring similar measures already adopted or under consideration in many other regions. (Ironically, as Mike de Souza points out, draft legislation indicates that the federal government is planning to implement similar vehicle emissions standards by summer.)
Matthew Bramley — Feb 03, 2010
When Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced that Canada's last greenhouse gas emissions target would match the U.S. target of 17 per cent below the 2005 level by 2020 (equivalent to a two per cent increase over the 1990 level) he stated that "Canada and the United States have the same level of ambition and that we will be moving forward in concert with an identical base year and an identical target."
I can think of no other area of policy where Canada's official position is "do whatever the Americans do." So why on climate change?
Julia Kilpatrick — Jan 29, 2010
This week's top climate stories focus on what the next steps should be as Canada and the world move forward to address climate change.
Speaking in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper laid out a
G8 and G20 agenda for this summer's summits that places little emphasis on climate
change. At a round-table discussion later in the day, other world leaders
criticized Harper for comments that justified delaying action on
climate change for economic reasons, the CBC reports.
Julia Kilpatrick — Jan 22, 2010
The spotlight was on the U.S. in this week's climate news, with the surprise election of Republican Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts on Tuesday. Brown's win stripped the Democrats of the 60-seat "super majority" in the Senate, and sparked widespread speculation about how the power shift could affect the success or failure of climate legislation in the U.S. - and, ultimately, here in Canada.
Business leaders in the U.S. responded to those concerns with a call to action. On Thursday, the CEOs of more than 80 prominent American companies - including Exelon, Virgin America, NRG Energy, eBay and PG&E - released an open letter calling on President Obama and members of Congress to "move quickly to enact comprehensive climate and energy legislation that will create jobs and enhance U.S. competitiveness."
PJ Partington — Jan 21, 2010
There's been a lot of speculation about what this week's election of Republican Scott Brown (Mass.) to the U.S. Senate might mean for congressional action on climate change in 2010. Should we be worried now that the Democrats have lost the 60-seat supermajority required to prevent a planet-scorching filibuster?
I would say no. At least, not more than usual.
Julia Kilpatrick — Jan 15, 2010
The dust has settled now in the streets of Copenhagen, and the news media's focus has turned to more immediate concerns, such as the crisis in Haiti and the prorogation of Parliament.
Yet while the headlines point to these dramatic examples of the need for leadership at home and cooperation abroad, the discussion of how to effectively address climate change continues.
Each week, we'll bring you a roundup of the top climate stories and most compelling commentary. Think we missed something? Share links to other stories, and weigh in with your perspective in our comments section.
Clare Demerse — Jan 08, 2010
Nearly half of Canadians surveyed in a new poll by Angus Reid say they are "dissatisfied" with Prime Minister Harper's performance at the Copenhagen climate talks. (A further 25% of respondents chose "not sure," and just 9% pronounced themselves "very satisfied," while 19% are "moderately satisfied".)
Luckily for the Prime Minister, the work towards a strong global climate deal is far from over - Copenhagen was a beginning, not an ending.
Clare Demerse — Dec 19, 2009
It's past 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon in Copenhagen, and a summit that was scheduled to end nearly 24 hours ago has just ended. The result is a weak deal that needs fixing up as soon as possible, and a diminished reputation on the world stage for Canada.
The
just-signed Copenhagen Accord falls short of the fair, ambitious and
binding deal that observers at the climate summit had hoped for.
The good news is that we can fix the deal, and Canada can get its act together on climate change in 2010.
The very short "Copenhagen Accord" written here last night does not have the support of all countries. Because it falls so far short of what the science requires, a handful of nations refused to agree to its provisions. Many other countries, including the United States, noted that the deal is very far from perfect. (Canada's Prime Minister, on the other hand, called it "a good agreement that achieves Canada's objectives.")
Marlo Raynolds — Dec 18, 2009
Looking back on his year as Environment Minister, Jim Prentice must feel like he was sent on Mission Impossible 3, just like the last two Environment Ministers appointed by Prime Minister Harper. I say this because if your boss does not give you license to deliver, it is impossible to succeed.
PJ Partington — Dec 18, 2009
A sobering new projection of sea-level rise published last week in the prestigious American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reminds us yet again of what world leaders need to accomplish today in Copenhagen, and why.
PJ Partington — Dec 18, 2009
In working on Pembina's recent Facing the Climate Challenge fact sheet on climate science, I had a chance to wade into the literature on sea level rise (no pun intended). It's a rapidly-evolving area of research as scientists' understanding of how ice sheets melt and move ("ice sheet dynamics") is growing every day.
PJ Partington — Dec 17, 2009
Yesterday I turned 24 at the Bella Centre. While somewhat unconventional as far as birthday celebrations go, I can't think of a more meaningful way to spend the day than fighting for a fair, ambitious and legally binding global climate deal.
Clare Demerse — Dec 17, 2009
I'm writing this at 6:30pm Copenhagen time on Thursday, December 17. If the talks end on schedule — not a very likely prospect — then we will know the outcome by this time tomorrow.
An observer inside the Bella Centre in Copenhagen takes a quiet moment away from the tension at the UN summit. It's been a tense, and intense,
last few days. The negotiations have been happening around the clock, and over
100 world leaders are now converging on Copenhagen for the finale of this
summit.
I've been to G8 meetings before, and sometimes it looks like leaders arrive there with a deal all-but-finished before the official talks even start. Copenhagen is exactly the opposite. None of the presidents and prime ministers can show up here merely for a photo op, because as of right now, there is no deal to sign. These are very volatile talks, and I truly believe that any outcome — from a deal that lays the foundation for success to a total collapse — is still possible.
