Canadian Wind Energy

A longer winded opinion:

As most journalists, in Canada, failed to recognize the absurdity in Stephen Harper Government wind safety study, our new evidence-based Government may start to make serious changes that will help our country, and our citizens. Journalists are not well suited to science journalism. Excellent science journalists seem even more rare than investigative journalists. Publications like Nature and Scientific American have some great ones, but in reality, how many newspapers in Canada could, or would, afford such folks? 

How many knew that both Nature and Scientific American both reported on Harper Government's contempt of science? Nature even wrote about Canada's new chance to restore reality in our Great White North.

It's quite draining having to watch important science stories get fumbled, or completely missed, by the Canadian media. Canada has the highest scientific literacy in the world, but our journalism is certainly lacking. Even the journalism at CBC didn't see the blip on their "science radar".

The anti-wind groups in Canada still publish, and purport, debunked claims, and the Canadian media eats it up and publishes it. What's most wind-damaging is delaying the transition to green energy and the real consequences of ignoring the reality of both climate change and air pollution. With some predicting that 100 million people will die by 2030 from climate impacts, it seems CBC's radar needs an upgrade. 

Stephen Harper's wind study actually accepted anecdotes as scientific evidence, there were no scientific measurements taken on health impacts. They actually used stories as evidence. Wow. So, no science, no science journalism, no worries ?!?!

Our new Government will need to quickly eliminate these agnotology-based delusions and get wind energy in Canada sailing again, to help build our green future and make it healthier.

Canada's new Science Minister, Kirsty Duncan, and Safety Minister, Ralph Goodale, will need to clear these dumb-ALEC roadblocks fast. With Germany investing over US ~$66 billion in offshore wind, we see they are installing energy cheaper than nuclear, with less vertical cost. By 2020, the global offshore wind market will be worth US $40 billion. Canada needs to be part of delivering it, as well. Seems like we need to figure out What's Safe.

Canada has plenty of space for offshore wind. Ontario is still “studying” offshore wind? Seems a quick schooling from Germany should show which way the winds are blowing.

Breath deep, exhale, and enjoy!

What's Safe?

Opinion: Safety in Canada needs to be restored.

In my past few blogs: Greening Canada, Freedom of Research, and Protect Our Waters, I've been sharing some basic ideas on what Canada needs to do to restore Government, and our economy, after our Stephen Harper Government. One of the biggest targets that Stephen aimed at was science. Canada was a world leader, before it was quietly muzzled and broken. By oppressing reality, one can enable ideology. 

If we don't have the metrics to determine if something is “bad”, it must be “good”? Was that Stephens thinking? When Stephen Harper ignorantly eliminated the long form census, it wasn't to brand future libertarians on “small government” and privacy, it was to hide the truth, and nothing but the truth, from Canada.

As evidenced by Canada's blind faith in safety, and the magical self-regulating free market, there are many examples of risks our Government should not take with our future. It's troubling to see the results of this contempt of duty to protect Canada. We have unsafe infrastructure, unsafe oil trains, unsafe pipelines, unsafe mining operations, unsafe food supplements that are untested, unsafe & untested designer synthetic drugs delivered by untested e-cigarettes, unreliable population data critical to national security, etc. It's a mess. If we need safer streets, we need better science-based road designs.

Canada needs to control which companies can operate here, and which products are safe to sell. Today, I noticed a hashtag trending on twitter, #GreenEconomyON. Some corporations, touting green solutions for Ontario. The irony is that one actually polluted our Great Lakes with untested products. They themselves stopped producing the product, which is positive, but only after years of public activism. Shouldn't corporations and products be proved safe before we can let them operate or sell products? Shouldn't the Board be responsible? Shouldn't they take ownership of their activities?

Without a higher standard, and quality science to measure safety, Canada will continue to play this dangerous, sometimes deadly, sometimes toxic, game with our future. If we want a safer Canada, we need to use a scientific approach.

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!

Canadian Water: In Harper You Trust?

Is water important to you? If you are Canadian, you might be swimming in it, but, like it or not private business wants your pool and charge you to swim in it.

The conservatives put nothing into the 2011 budget with regards to water, one of lifes most important commodities. It is interesting that water gets so little attention, or is that the plan?

Do Canadians think that a Harper government is protecting our environment? Do Canadians think that a Harper government is protecting our public water systems or water resources? Do I need to ask these silly questions?

I read recently that ~73% of Canadians want clean water and sanitation to be a human right. In the past few years, the story of water, has always been in the “top 10” of most under-reported stories. In business, it is best not to arouse suspicion when dealing with critical resources, best to keep it under the radar. After the deals are inked, then all issues are resolved in the courts.

Canadians are flush with water, I can see why most are not concerned about this natural resource. I guess if any Canadian went to a place with no access to clean drinking water, their opinions would be instantly rebranded to this topic. Canadians are so resource rich, seems we rarely reflect and protect our Canadian natural bounty. Seems that our “resource spoiled” attitude clouds our perception of the current business interests in Canada: water and oil. Apathy is a given when we assume that our government is looking after our best interests. Seems the conservatives' best interest is selling anything that is not nailed down.

If we look at the bottled water deals, made in Canada, we can see the ethics involved: "unlimited" water for corporations. Studies show that water tables are falling fast: when you do the math, how could they not? I wrote a blog about water in January, since, this story has grown. I talked about my negotiations training, so, what kind of deals will our “leaders” cut for us? Another silly question.

Well, that time is upon us, and quietly, we see the stories start to emerge. Winnipeg's secret 30 year deal with French company, Veolia, for private operation of its water. The NAFTA agreement opens the door to private water interests. The proposed CETA agreement opens the door to private water systems.

Some people would argue, but, the results are best illustrated in other cities' experience. The company I mentioned above, Veolia, is currently being trounced from many cities in Europe. Paris, France, embarked on the Veolia "ride", years ago, and now free, after going through the expensive process of getting a public water system back.

What are the lessons of privatized systems: eventually the costs are raised and any changes, or complaints, to services requires expensive court time. It is also worth noting that opportunities for innovation are lost, since there is no incentive for the business to do so. Any innovations are paid by the customer and savings kept by the business. Surprise, thats business. Did your designer jeans drop in cost when they started making them in China?

If we look at most cities, especially Toronto, we see governments that have not properly funded and maintained water infrastructure. The long term plan for any crooked group is to let things fall into disrepair and sell it to your “friends” in business. If you are in big business, this is a huge opportunity to force cities to give up their public water systems. Of course private systems are inherently more expensive, but a shifty leadership and greedy water company can sell it to the people. Its business, big business. Look at the water costs of some US cities, what will seniors do in Canada?

With so many examples of cities privatizing services, only to fight for them to be reverted back to public systems, Canadians need to become aware that when you add it all up, the public system is the cheapest solution, not a cheap solution. Just like the "magic mortgages" in the US, the sticker price looks good, but, in due time, the true cost is revealed. The inital savings pale in comparison to the repair bill.

Politicians help sell these deals with promises. Look at the total mess with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the water scandal with regards to his criminal former top aide, Bruce Carson. The pamphlet may look glossy, but, the business is always the same: unethical with no intent to help, just profit at any cost: yours.

Enjoy!





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