Climate of Paris

Opinion: An atmosphere of positive change for Canada at COP21.

First, a climate poem. 

Seeing our new Government of Canada act on climate is an impressive start. Justin Trudeau has turned the lights back on in Parliament and is showing the world that his team means business in Paris. I'm impressed with the choices for Cabinet and think they could do very well. Time will tell. Justin Trudeau has also engaged the Premiers and bonded with Elizabeth May.

Will Canada win The Fossil Fuel Awards again? Perhaps, changing government doesn't change the dirty businesses creating the problems. I'm impressed with Justin's leadership and the world is starting to notice. I see many Canadians excited to see our democracy begin healing. In many ways, this moment reminds me of post-Bush. Can Justin help Canada's dirty ways?

Watching the leadership of Barack Obama continuing to advance the conversation on climate and policy is also impressive. What Barack did, Justin now faces. The good news is that rebuilding can bring new opportunity for Canada. If Justin can boost research and development for our future green economy, Canada can begin to heal and grow again. Barack enjoyed many consecutive months of positive jobs growth and higher innovation and green manufacturing economic activity.

Should Canada continue to subsidize fossil fuels with over $34 billion per year? Who will buy this dirty energy? How can fossil fuels compete when green energy is 10 times cheaper?

Well, spoilers, until nanotechnology can extract oilsands energy with very high efficiency, and no pollution, the World Bank is correct, oilsands are stranded assets. The free market will do more for Canada than Justin Trudeau can. It's called evolution, watch and learn.

Enjoy!

Protect Our Waters

Opinion: Canada needs to restore and enhance protection of our waters.

Yesterday, in my blog Freedom of Research, I spoke to an important step in fixing Canada after our Stephen Harper Government. While the inner workings of how science is done, to benefit society, more critical facets need immediate attention. A top priority is water protection.

We must restore and enhance protections for our waters, and habitats, of lakes, rivers, wetlands and oceans. Clean water is critical to so many aspects of a healthy environment and public. With pending stresses from climate change and extreme weather events, Canada needs to plan for future requirements that will help protect our waters.

We need to also focus on clean drinking water and drinking water safety. The human impacts on water sources can't be ignored. Canada needs to enter a new era in water treatment. New innovations in generating green energy from waste, new innovations for eliminating toxics and human-drug byproduct pollution.

Water nourishes us. We have the tools to make our waters clean in the future. We will need new tools to help eliminate plastic. Our Great Lakes are more polluted by plastic than our oceans. This needs to change. Microplastic may enhance toxic algae blooms. More research is required.

Climate change will also have many impacts, especially droughts and lowered water quality. I would like to welcome Catherine McKenna as Canada's new Minister of Climate. She has quite the challenge. Good luck at COP21, Catherine!

Moving forwards, Canada must also respect our Treaties with First Nations. Clean water is a right, so let's make it right.

Enjoy!

Freedom of Research

Opinion: Canada needs freedom in science research

Yesterday, in my blog Greening Canada, I talked a little about our nation moving past our Stephen Harper Government and fast tracking repairs to make Canada competitive again, with respect to green culture. How do we fix Canada? How can we optimize that repair? If we take smart first steps, our recovery will be stronger.

With all the environmental issues I outlined in my blog, of primary importance is fixing the damage that Stephen Harper did to our proud science history and core competence. Of most importance is freedom of pure science research. As we see, some research takes decades to become “amazing” when the Nobel Prizes are awarded. What I find amazing are the incredible minds that came up with these ideas, designed an experiment, picked the winning method, decades earlier. Asking why is a powerful tool. It can also power our economy.

Basic science research delivers tiny discoveries. In doing such basic work, new ideas or even other discoveries are often a result; inventing X that fails, but makes Y a winner and makes billion. It's complex, what seems like a useless idea my help unlock something bigger. More importantly, research pushes our understanding of critical questions.

Canada has a proud science history, even the highest scientific literacy rates in the world. Smart countries will evolve and adapt and improve. Science finds a way, when scientists are free to ask “why?”. Growing our knowledge benefits everyone, it can also make incredible improvements for everyone.

Our National Research Council & Health Sciences Research needs to be audited and restored to give Canada the tools we need to drive a smarter, less risk averse, and more profitable economy. Investing in dead horses won't win this race.

Enjoy!

Greening Canada

Opinion: 

On November 4^th, Canada will end a dark story starring Stephen Harper, and start a new one with Justin Trudeau. It's no surprise that Stephen Harper has damaged not only the basic functionality of Government, but he also damaged our global “green reputation”. Various scientific bodies even wrote about the “politics” of Stephen Harper, unprecedented obstructionism with respect to anything having to do with the environment or the science that helps us understand it.

Many may feel that the battle is over, Stephen Harper is gone, that Canada is free to be great again, but the reality is Canada needs to be fixed. It needs to be retooled to complete in a modern economy. This is a chance for Canada to modernize its processes, to make them more green. We need programs that are focused on sustainable methods and programs that are focused on Canada's green security and prosperity.

Canada has many challenges to face, and we should approach them in a green way. Now is time for Canada to grow, but, let's make sure it starts correctly. Canada must plan for climate change, innovate green energy, start to address dangerous pollution issues, and safety issues, that can result in environmental disaster in the present and a future toxic legacy.

Many disasters happened under the Stephen Harper Government. The horrible disaster at Lac-Mégantic, Mount Polley, the Obed Mountain coal slurry spill, the Nexen pipeline spill, pollution from oilsands operations, the Toronto propane explosion, oil train fires, Banff National Park river spill, polluting an Alberta aquifer from fracking, and the list continues. The cost to humans, infrastructure, rivers, lakes and the environment can last decades.

Studies show that pollution from Exxon Valdez is still present and polluting the environment. The long term costs of these disasters are too big. It costs too much to pollute the Great Lakes with Dilbit. When will spending an extra million, to spare thirty billion, make economic sense to Government and insurance companies? 

The total cost of failure isn't an option. Dirty energy just isn't worth it. Will Justin Trudeau rebuild Canada smart, the green way, or the same old way? 

Now that Canada's “Green Lobby” is salivating for projects, will they be focused on the green future of Canada, or the present green in their pockets?

Enjoy!