Protesters in Calgary, Edmonton call for Bill 1 to be repealed:

Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees,
said Bill 1 impacts people’s ability to peacefully protest, picket and
take action to protect public service jobs.

“Bill 1 basically
criminalizes that action, and in a democratic society, we believe not
only is that completely wrong but it’s also unconstitutional. So we have
actually filed a legal challenge against Bill 1,” he said, noting that
there are no set court dates yet.

“We have to stand up to this legislation now, in the streets, worksites, and at demonstrations like this around the province.”

Protesters in Calgary, Edmonton call for Bill 1 to be repealed: Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees,
said Bill 1 impacts people’s ability to peacefully protest, picket and
take action to protect public service jobs.“Bill 1 basically
criminalizes that action, and in a democratic society, we believe not
only is that completely wrong but it’s also unconstitutional. So we have
actually filed a legal challenge against Bill 1,” he said, noting that
there are no set court dates yet.“We have to stand up to this legislation now, in the streets, worksites, and at demonstrations like this around the province.”Read More

England faces ‘serious risk of running out water’ within 20 years, MPs say:

It probably won’t bother the rich people. If we don’t stop global warming, to will happen here too. There will be a lot more climate refugees. This article doesn’t mention it, but we also lose a lot of farm land every year and some of what is left is too dry to raise crops.

MPs have issued a stinging rebuke to England’s water authorities, warning the country is at “serious risk” of running out of water within 20 years unless “urgent action” is taken to shore up supplies.

“It is very hard to imagine, in this country, turning the tap and not having enough clean, drinkable water come out – but that is exactly what we now face,” said Public Accounts Committee chair Meg Hillier.

“Empty words on climate commitments and unfunded public information campaigns will get us where we’ve got the last 20 years: nowhere,” Ms Hillier said. “Defra has failed to lead and water companies have failed to act: we look now to the Department to step up, make up for lost time and see we get action before it’s too late.”

England faces ‘serious risk of running out water’ within 20 years, MPs say: It probably won’t bother the rich people. If we don’t stop global warming, to will happen here too. There will be a lot more climate refugees. This article doesn’t mention it, but we also lose a lot of farm land every year and some of what is left is too dry to raise crops.MPs have issued a stinging rebuke to England’s water authorities, warning the country is at “serious risk” of running out of water within 20 years unless “urgent action” is taken to shore up supplies.“It is very hard to imagine, in this country, turning the tap and not having enough clean, drinkable water come out – but that is exactly what we now face,” said Public Accounts Committee chair Meg Hillier.“Empty words on climate commitments and unfunded public information campaigns will get us where we’ve got the last 20 years: nowhere,” Ms Hillier said. “Defra has failed to lead and water companies have failed to act: we look now to the Department to step up, make up for lost time and see we get action before it’s too late.”Read More

Alberta Pouring Billions into Keystone XL an ‘Idiotic Waste’: Financial Analyst | The Tyee:

Wagering huge sums of public money to expand the oilsands at a moment when the business case for oil could be entering terminal decline “is an absolutely idiotic waste of capital.

Bond is recent author of the report “Decline and Fall: The Size and Vulnerability of the Fossil Fuel System,” and argues that due to the economic wreckage of coronavirus we may have already passed global peak demand for oil, coal and gas. In an exclusive interview with The Tyee he explains why that is potentially very bad news for oil producers and the governments that support them.

Let me cut to the chase here. Our view would be that expanding the fossil fuel system at the end of the fossil fuels age is an absolutely idiotic waste of capital. That’s throwing good money after bad and it’s like building a canal in 1850 when the railway system is already up and running. It’s like connecting a new city to the gas lighting network in 1920 when someone has already invented electricity or it’s like trying to prop up Nokia after Steve Jobs has put out the iPhone.

Alberta Pouring Billions into Keystone XL an ‘Idiotic Waste’: Financial Analyst | The Tyee: Wagering huge sums of public money to expand the oilsands at a moment when the business case for oil could be entering terminal decline “is an absolutely idiotic waste of capital.Bond is recent author of the report “Decline and Fall: The Size and Vulnerability of the Fossil Fuel System,” and argues that due to the economic wreckage of coronavirus we may have already passed global peak demand for oil, coal and gas. In an exclusive interview with The Tyee he explains why that is potentially very bad news for oil producers and the governments that support them. Let me cut to the chase here. Our view would be that expanding the fossil fuel system at the end of the fossil fuels age is an absolutely idiotic waste of capital. That’s throwing good money after bad and it’s like building a canal in 1850 when the railway system is already up and running. It’s like connecting a new city to the gas lighting network in 1920 when someone has already invented electricity or it’s like trying to prop up Nokia after Steve Jobs has put out the iPhone.Read More

Canada Musn’t Allow Vista Coal Mine Expansion Without Environmental Assessment – The Energy Mix:

The Vista mine is located in Treaty 6 territory near Hinton, Alberta. To my knowledge, it’s the first thermal coal mine ever built in Canada for the sole purpose of supplying overseas coal plants.

Almost immediately after the mine opened in 2019, Coalspur Mines Ltd. applied for a massive new expansion. Right now, it’s approved to extract about six million tonnes of coal per year. But the company told the regulator it plans to increase that to upwards of 15 million tonnes, and in one recent publication, Coalspur announced its intention to push that as high as 20 million tonnes in the future.

So this is a massive mine, on a scale that is almost unprecedented—it would be one of the largest if not the largest coal mine in Canadian history. When that 15 million tonnes of thermal coal is burned, it will lead to about 33 megatonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the same as seven million passenger vehicles on the road. For comparison, the largest point source of carbon in Canada right now is a coal plant in Alberta that emits 12.7 megatonnes per year, so this would far surpass it.

Canada Musn’t Allow Vista Coal Mine Expansion Without Environmental Assessment – The Energy Mix: The Vista mine is located in Treaty 6 territory near Hinton, Alberta. To my knowledge, it’s the first thermal coal mine ever built in Canada for the sole purpose of supplying overseas coal plants.Almost immediately after the mine opened in 2019, Coalspur Mines Ltd. applied for a massive new expansion. Right now, it’s approved to extract about six million tonnes of coal per year. But the company told the regulator it plans to increase that to upwards of 15 million tonnes, and in one recent publication, Coalspur announced its intention to push that as high as 20 million tonnes in the future.So this is a massive mine, on a scale that is almost unprecedented—it would be one of the largest if not the largest coal mine in Canadian history. When that 15 million tonnes of thermal coal is burned, it will lead to about 33 megatonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the same as seven million passenger vehicles on the road. For comparison, the largest point source of carbon in Canada right now is a coal plant in Alberta that emits 12.7 megatonnes per year, so this would far surpass it.Read More

Ontario’s Talk of Housing Near Transit a ‘Trojan Horse’ for Rolling Back Environmental Protection – The Energy Mix:

Recent announcements on transit-oriented development, affordable housing, air conditioning in long-term care homes, and even education policy are shaping up as a screen for the Ontario government’s latest attempt to scale back environmental protections and clear the way for unrestrained, decidedly unsustainable development, critics say.

In contrast to the just, green recovery demanded by a wide cross-section of civil society, “it’s about fast-tracking development proposals and reverting back to the same playlist this government has been working from since Day 1.”

Ontario’s Talk of Housing Near Transit a ‘Trojan Horse’ for Rolling Back Environmental Protection – The Energy Mix: Recent announcements on transit-oriented development, affordable housing, air conditioning in long-term care homes, and even education policy are shaping up as a screen for the Ontario government’s latest attempt to scale back environmental protections and clear the way for unrestrained, decidedly unsustainable development, critics say.In contrast to the just, green recovery demanded by a wide cross-section of civil society, “it’s about fast-tracking development proposals and reverting back to the same playlist this government has been working from since Day 1.”Read More