With one of the colder springs on record, many British Columbians quite naturally yearn for a good stretch of warm, dry weather. But for many people in the province, prolonged periods of hotter and drier weather are often far from welcome. That’s because when things get hot and dry they…
Many Canadians have expressed fear about what our new national government, a majority elected by a 39% minority, will do now that it has four years of real power. For those concerned Canadians, British Columbia offers a lesson. BC’s government has discovered from an independent study that their HST is…
The Empire strikes back: Libya attacked by the U.S. and NATO No sooner had the popular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia overthrown corrupt and repressive U.S.-backed dictatorships than Washington and NATO (led by a Canadian general) attacked Libya on March 19 with jet fighters and hundreds of missiles and bombs.…
A story in today’s Vancouver Sun is disturbing, arguing that BC could make $1 billion from selling carbon offsets once the Western Climate Initiative gets underway. The projects are mostly in forest management and conservation, meaning less cutting and more sequestration of carbon in the forests themselves. The conservation part…
Does the provincial government have a coherent plan to address the exponentially deepening forest health crisis in our province? Evidently not, as outlined by two scientists in a sobering critique of provincial government forest policy (or the lack thereof) published in today’s Vancouver Sun. Penned by Suzanne Simard, a professor…
Uprisings a stunning blow to U.S. control of the Middle East “Fight like an Egyptian!” was the cry echoed by supporters of the Egyptian Revolution around the world when in 17 days the people of that country overthrew its 30-year-old dictatorship on February 11. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was forced…
A local citizens initiative aimed at highlighting the health threats posed by sour gas wells in B.C.’s energy-rich Peace River region appears to be gaining momentum, but whether or not it will result in a public inquiry remains to be seen. Last week, the Alaska Highway News reported that during…
When it comes to good urban planning, transportation and taking action on climate change, Europe has a lot to teach us. BC took important baby steps with its Climate Action Plan of 2008. Three years later, however, baby is still clinging to the coffee table. The centrepiece of BC’s plan…
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT OTTAWA—As Health Canada begins its final consultations on proposals to “modernize” standards on prescription drugs, a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) finds Health Canada’s harmonizing initiatives to date, part of the modernization initiative, have been putting private…
OTTAWA—A Canada-EU free trade deal would create a huge trade deficit for Canada, resulting in the loss of up to 150,000 Canadian jobs, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). The study, by economist and CCPA Research Associate Jim Stanford, models three scenarios to…
How BC’s third party election advertising rules missed the mark The idea that everyone should be able to speak freely and that citizens should have access to a broad range of viewpoints are two fundamental principles of a democracy — and never are they more important than during an election.…
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT OTTAWA—Given the fragile economic recovery and the weak job market, now is not the time for a sharp turn to spending cuts, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). “It would be a huge mistake to significantly…