Category Archives: Canadian Politics

Why political demands we radically speed up decarbonization represent wishful thinking

Posted on July 24, 2019 by

This blog post started as a potential Twitter thread that got out of hand. It grew out of recent demands by major political organizations that Canada increase its pace of decarbonization. First it was the Canadian pact for a Green … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Climate Change, Climate Change Politics, Leap Manifesto, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Why Confounding Variables Matter – On that UVic study attributing the 2017 Extreme Fire Season to Climate Change

Posted on July 7, 2019 by

One of the downsides of my investigation of evidence-based environmental decision-making being a hobby, is my real life often gets in the way. This means I am not always able to comment on every interesting paper when it comes out. … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Climate Change, Risk, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Another look at the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project from the lens of a pragmatic environmentalist

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

This week the Federal cabinet will decide whether to proceed with the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project (TMX). In response, opponents of the TMX have been out in force making ridiculous claims about the project. This has caused me to … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Pipelines, Trans Mountain | 5 Comments

On the Energy Innumeracy of the supporters of Canada’s Green New Deal

Posted on May 7, 2019 by

In the last week a group of Canadian activists have decided to mimic their American cousins by trying to advance a Canadian pact for a Green New Deal (GND Can hereafter). This is not the American Green New Deal you … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Change Politics, Leap Manifesto, Uncategorized | 14 Comments

How the CCPA completely misses the target on the root cause of our elevated gasoline prices in the Lower Mainland

Posted on April 29, 2019 by

This morning while getting ready for work, I heard Marc Lee from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on the radio with Stephen Quinn talking about the price of gas in the BC Lower Mainland. I understand he also spoke … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Pipelines, Trans Mountain | 20 Comments

On the Achilles Heel of these Climate Damages Lawsuits: Municipal Zoning Bylaws

Posted on March 8, 2019 by

By now everyone has heard about West Coast Environmental Law’s (WCEL’s) Climate Accountability Letters campaign. This is the campaign where a group of enterprising lawyers are: asking your municipality (or regional district) to send “Climate Accountability Letters” to 20 of … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Climate Change, Climate Change Politics, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Debunking more activist talking points about BC LNG: on “illegal dams”, electrification, and LNG as a bridge fuel

Posted on March 5, 2019 by

The thing I really don’t understand about the activist class in BC is their intellectual incoherence. They argue that climate change is an existential threat to our planet; but that we should only fight climate change using a small suite … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Environmentalism and Ecomodernism, Site C, Uncategorized | 2 Comments