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Obama Visit to Change Harper's Tune?
2009-02-23 03:50:00 US President Obama met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper late last week in Ottawa. Following their brief meeting the two North American leaders outlined three main priorities for their bilateral relationship ? working together to restore economic growth, a commitment to stabilize Afghanistan, and yes, a new initiative on environmental protection.Indeed, in the lead up to yesterday's face-to-face Harper's statements about the environment were almost urgent. The Globe and Mail reported that,"Mr. Harper said Mr. Obama's presidency is ushering in a new era of North American co-operation against climate change after George W. Bush's inaction held back Canada's ability to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions."Perhaps like yourself, the statement above did not quite line up with my memories of Harper's foot dragging and general denial of climate change. But I am open minded, and to that end I took a quick survey of past Conscious Earth posts related to Harper and the environment... More About: Change , Visit , Tune
Obama Gets Tough on Republicans
2009-02-07 01:49:00 With a vote on Obama 's stimulus package schedule for tonight, the President spoke with the same conviction and passion that had driven his campaign in calling for a stop to obstructionism and the status quo.Obama pointed to the early success in passing equal pay legislation and child health care legislation while coming down hard on Republicans who advocate "the same tired arguments and worn ideas that helped to create this crisis."See the highlights here:More coverage is availabe in the full clip of the President's address from yesterday. Well worth the watch:Embedded video from CNN Video More About: Tough
Greenpeace's F-U to Heathrow Expansion
2009-01-30 22:04:00 In one of the best PR stunts I have seen in some time, Greenpeace joined with actress Emma Thompson, comedian Alistair McGowan and conservative political hopeful Zac Goldsmith to buy a plot of land directly in the middle of the proposed site for Heathrow airport's third runway expansion.And while the current Labour government won a narrow and divisive vote on the issue, Greenpeace's hijinks did not end there. They invited as many supporters as legally allowable to co-own the property with them in the hope that any action taken by the UK government to obtain the land would require them to legally serve each owner in person - whether they live in London proper or the west coast of Bora Bora.I have offered my opinions on air travel previously, but here is a reiteration. Environmental responsibility is a global value requiring each person to not only act responsibly towards all other human beings, but also to extend that awareness beyond people to the broader world that we all rely on... More About: Expansion
Mercer Lays Out Harper
2008-12-03 18:48:00 I'm not one for a straight repost, but Rick Mercer 's summary of Harper 's antics is outstanding and provides a nice light side to my opinion from earlier this week:Okay we just might as well admit it and get it over with. Stephen Harper is a genius.Here we are faced with a global economic crisis. Nations all over the world are struggling to figure out how to protect their citizens -- who are terrified. We've seen unheard of cooperation between political rivals all over the industrialized world.But not in Canada. Not with Stephen Harper. Not on his watch. No my friends, he has one goal and one goal only and it has nothing to do with governing: how can he use this crisis to destroy the opposition?And wouldn't you know, he almost did it.Stephen Harper decided Canada doesn't need a stimulus package; all we needed to do was cancel the subsidy that political parties get.Which would have saved the government about $26-million. That's about the same amount Harper spends on bodyguards ... More About: Lays
Hypocrite Harper Spinning His Last Tune
2008-12-03 08:53:00 With no political recourse left to him, Stephen Harper is spinning in every direction possible in an effort to halt his own demise.Harper, ...told the House of Commons during Tuesday's fiery question period that Dion was about to make the "worst mistake the Liberal party has ever made in its history" by agreeing to support from the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois.Conveniently ignored in this statement is that Harper himself sought the support of the Bloc in a 2004 coalition against Paul Martin's minority Liberal Government.But the Liberals and NDP said those arguments were undercut by Mr. Harper's 2004 letter to then-governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, which requested that she turn to him if Paul Martin's newly elected government were defeated in the Commons."We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as co... More About: Spinning , Tune , Hypocrite
Power Grab Likely to Finish Harper
2008-12-02 06:07:00 Stephen Harper is facing the end of his short lived term as Canadian Prime Minister thanks to his naked attack on the Canadian democratic system.Opposition leaders Stephane Dion (Liberals), Jack Layton (NDP) and Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois) signed an unprecedented agreement today to form a new coalition government and oust Harper's Conservative's from power in the wake of their move to strip political parties of federal subsidies.The proposed coalition emphasizes Harper's failure to address the current economic crisis as the prime reason for their actions, but the real catalyst in forming the coalition was Harper's move to consolodate his overhwelming financial edge over his rivals by stripping them of a key source of funds.The federal political subsidies are a balancing measure put in place to ensure that the narrow interests of any one party cannot unduly sway the direction of the country. If Harper could successfully remove this balancing measure, it would likely be the de... More About: Power , Grab , Finish
Obama Commits to Climate Talks
2008-11-24 08:15:00 Has a new era truly begun? The clarity of direction and concrete details being issued by President-Elect Obama would certainly indicate it.In a video address, Obama committed to putting the US back at the climate change negotiating table and to begin playing the role as leader that they always should have. He's promising a federal cap and trade system with targets to bring US emissions down to 1990 levels by 2020 and to reduce them a further 80% after that."Few challenges facing America, and the world, are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear. Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil, if left unaddressed, will continue to weaken our economy and threaten our national security."In the lead up to the announcement, 350.org created a global petition to urge Obama to join other countries and bring atmospheric CO2 down to 350 ppm - the level generally agreed to be sustainable and safe by world experts. Powered by Biro Cr...
A Visionary Win
2008-11-23 00:28:00 On November 15th, our Vancouver civic election came to a close with a landslide win for Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver party. Gregor won the mayor?s seat by a 14 point margin, while the party sent 15 of 16 candidates to City Council, School Board and Park Board. The NPA, the traditional ruling party of Vancouver politics, was handed a devastating defeat, electing only a single candidate elected to council.Like the presidential election, the theme of our campaign was change. However, the change we are seeing recently goes well beyond a simple swing in political leanings from left vs right or from one candidate to the next. The new change represents the leading edge of a new emergent consciousness. It is not coincidental that Barack Obama?s personage, and transparent, participative campaign emerged hand in hand with a massive global economic downturn, a sharpening environmental crisis, and wars of scarcity that have not been experienced in our generation. The traditional ... More About: Visionary
The Dark Side of Recycling
2008-11-14 00:46:00 The following is a disturbing profile of the state of the computer recycling business in the United States, and where the electronics end up.The town of Guiyo in southern China is now one of the most polluted places on earth, registering the highest levels of cancer causing dioxins anywhere recorded. Governments are guilty of turning a blind eye, as businesses in both the US and China profit from the poisonous conditions."The situation in Guiyu is actually pre-capitalist. It's mercantile. It reverts back to a time when people lived where they worked, lived at their shop. Open, uncontrolled burning of plastics. These are among the most toxic compounds known on earth.""We have a situation where we have 21st century toxics being managed in a 17th century environment."Watch CBS Videos Online More About: Recycling , Dark , The Dark , Side , The Dark Side
Loan Reveals Two Spins on Democracy
2008-11-11 20:08:00 Most political news in Vancouver has been swirling around the $100 million loan that is reportedly been authorized as a bailout cushion to either Millennium Development Corp (the company building the Olympic Village) or Fortress (the American lender funding the project).Despite the host of petty questions that have gained centre stage in the drama - who leaked the info, is this political grandstanding by Vision, is it a distraction from Gregor Robertson's $173 transit fine - the key question for the most voters is the one concerning democratic principle. There are two ways of looking at the situation. In broad terms they fall along two distinct philisophical lines:1. The corporate meritocracy: NPA argues that the details concerning the $100 million loan are part of ongoing negotiations with the developers and financial backers and that strict confidence is necessary to protect the city and to obtain the best outcome for tax payers. Implicit in this statement are two points, 1) th... More About: Loan , Democracy , Spins
The S#@! Hits the Fan for the NPA
2008-11-07 22:44:00 A shaky looking Peter Ladner fielded some tough questions from Global TV this afternoon over city council's authorization for a loan of up to $100 million to bailout Vancouver's Olympic Village.During the interview, Ladner defended his refusal to divulge the details of the in-camera meeting that led to the potential loan. His spin may have carried the day had it not been for Global's damning follow up story.Quoting documents released through Freedom of Information requests, the Global story implicates the former president of Ladner's NPA party, Paul Barbeau, with Armeco, the group who owns the Millennium Development Corp - developers of the Olympic Village and a potential recipients of the city's $100 million loan.To quote:"Millennium is the development arm of the Armeco Group. The NPA council picked Armeco's Millennium for the massive (Olympic Village) deal, and Paul Barbeau was the President of the NPA and the President of Armeco Construction Limited in the years prior to t... More About: Hits
A $100 Million Olympic Hole in Vancouver
2008-11-07 04:12:00 A big story broke this morning in the Vancouver civic campaign via the Globe and Mail. Gary Mason reported that the city had agreed to provide loans of up to $100 million to the Millennium Development Corporation in order to shore up the floundering construction of the Olympic Village.The city's Director of Finance has apparently resigned over the issue, and NPA mayoral candidate (and the current chair of the city finance committee) Peter Ladner has been silent since being confronted with the story at this morning's mayoral debate.In addition to local media, the CBC, The Canadian Press, The Calgary Herald and The UK Guardian have all picked up the story, dealing a potentially a devastating blow to Ladner and the NPA with just 9 day's left in the campaign. It was the top story on the Global TV, and to be frank, the sight of Ladner publicly shocked when confronted with the news that the city's Director of Finance had resigned was not good for his cause.More from Vision here and ... More About: Hole , Million
A Winning Compilation for Obama
2008-11-06 01:01:00 The Boston Globe has an excellent photo compilation honouring the next President of the United States. Congratulations USA. More About: Obama , Compilation , Winning
US Election Day
2008-11-04 18:35:00 The United States is on the verge of history today and at the polls they are making it already. News reports from around the country are predicting the highest voter turnout in more than a century as 80% or more of all registered voters are lining up at the polls.People are not lazy. They?re not apathetic. And if there is a lesson to take away from today it has to do with the quality of the individual who chooses to run for office. People care about politics everywhere, and they?re waiting for the smallest sign of leadership, direction, and a vision of tomorrow that is better than what we have today.It?s the failure of our parties and representatives to offer that hope that keeps people from the polls, not a flaw in the voters themselves.Enjoy today?s moment in history, and work to bring a part of it to your country and your community. More About: Election
Unclogging Ted Steven's Tubes
2008-10-28 20:39:00 Everyone remember Ted Stevens?The Democrats may be able to chalk up another seat, as the "Internets" challenged Republican Senator from Alaska has been found guilty of seven counts of corruption and is now facing up to 35 years in prison.It looks like Ted may soon have a new use for his tubes.video source: crooks and liarshat tip: Rob Cottingham
Fighting for Truth in Political Debate
2008-10-25 02:03:00 The failure of the mainstream media to engage in even the most basic fact checking exercise is one of the biggest barriers for change across a host of issues.It's an issue well known to any advocate of action on the climate crisis. A three second Google search is more than enough to prove false the most sophisticated misinformation, so it takes a perverse level of intellectual blindness to continue to print so called balanced stories that feature facts on one side and outright lies on the other.That brings me to the events in Vancouver this week. Gregor Robertson and Peter Ladner squared off in the biggest debate of the election schedule on Wednesday night to take on the front line issues of homelessness and affordable housing.It fell to the campaign team to lay out the truth behind a blatant misrepresentation of facts by Mr. Ladner when he said that he had never voted against the city's Homeless Action Plan - a clarification that took no more work than checking the Council Meet... More About: Truth , Political , Debate , Fighting
The Vision Map Goes Live
2008-10-21 19:22:00 The municipal campaign is hitting high gear in Vancouver and online outreach a key part of the strategy to make Gregor Robertson the next Mayor of Vancouver.Today we launched The Vision Map, an interactive city map that gives every voter the chance to have their voice heard and to show their support for Gregor Robertson and a new era of change at Vancouver City Hall. More than a simply an online device, it is a front line call for change that lets visitors drop their name onto their local neighbourhood and send a strong message about the issues they care about the most. It's a clear message from the community to the Peter Ladner that business as usual is unacceptable and that the people of Vancouver want better.Stop by, have a look, and if you live in Vancouver sign on and tell a friend. More About: Live
Two Views of Leadership
2008-10-20 21:11:00 While the Federal Liberals took a step further into the leadership void today, political junkies can fall back on some good news south of the border. The big news out of the US this weekend was the unequivocable endorsement of the Obama campaign by Gen. Colin Powell. In the words of the former Secretary of State, Barack Obama is "a 'transformational figure' who has reached out to all Americans with an inclusive campaign and displayed 'a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity' and 'a depth of knowledge' in his approach to the nation's problems." The Guardian has a great video compilation, audio clip and coverage of the announcement. Or you can watch Powell's complete endorsement via YouTube here: More About: Views , Leadership
Overcoming the Aftermath of October 14th
2008-10-20 02:31:00 Well, here we go again. Despite the overwhelmingly progressive values of Canadians, and the general unpopularity of the Conservative Party, Stephen Harper is back in the saddle for another minority term as "our" PM. Opposition leadership has never looked shakier with Stephane Dion heading out the door tomorrow, Elizabeth May failing lead her party to Ottawa despite a modestly bigger share of the popular vote, and Jack Layton failing to make greater gains in seats because he doesn't realize that attacking the Conservatives, not the Liberals, is the NDP's ticket to success.In offering some solutions I'd like to go back to a post I wrote back in August of 2006 - Why the Green Party Loses - as it's even more relevant now than it was then. Specifically the following passage:The number one priority of every Green Party in Canada, both provincial and national, is to ensure that the upcoming referendum on electoral reform is passed in BC. The referendum date is set for the next provin... More About: October
Want More? Join My Networks
2008-10-14 03:36:00 For those wanting to follow along through other channels, you can now join me on Facebook, Twitter or my professional network on LinkedIn. See the links below or the Join My Networks section along the sidebar.
Gregor Changes Vancouver, Ladner Goes on Vacation
2008-10-10 09:06:00 I believe in a genuine free market where consumers are offered choices and business needs to compete in order to deliver the best product. Most of us embrace this vision in one form or another, but in the hands of many right wing parties the idea often become bastardized. It's another form of the rights vs responsibility argument I laid out some weeks ago. The idea that the market will solve all problems by the simple force of our own self interest is an alluring fairy tale because it allows us to ignore one entire half of the moral imperative - responsibility - and dwell solely in what our own individual rights are, a simple and sometimes more appealing view because its easier than concerning ourselves with the consequences of our actions that extend beyond ourselves. One form of that is a certain apathy that evolves in some political parties. Harper has been badly caught out in this trap over the past days as the world's economy continues to recieve bad news and he continues ... More About: Vancouver , Vacation , Gregor
Help Stop Harper
2008-10-07 08:25:00 The Canadian Federal election is an admittedly frustrating affair that is puncuated by poor leadership on one side, and leadership in entirely the wrong direction on the other. Despite the chaos, there's one thing we all can readily agree on - a Harper majority would bode poorly for everyone outside of the oil sands. I recommend Avaaz.org. They're the leading online activist organization in the world and over the past number of weeks they have set their sights squarely on mobilizing action against Stephen Harper and the Canadian Conservatives. Their current project is to bring in funds to help fund ads in key ridings throughout the country. Over 10,000 have signed on towards their goal of 25,000 signatures. If you believe strongly in the effort, as I do, give a few dollars to the campaign after you add your name. If you can't right now, tell a few friends. We don't have to be stuck with a Harper majority on October 14th. More About: Stop
Campaigning for Change
2008-10-06 06:05:00 With most of the world's people facing the catastrophic fallout of the worst US presidency in history and the now undeniable threats facing the Earth's environment, there's seems to be an almost universally shared sense of flux, change and uncertainty. As unpleasant as that might feel, it's also a needed and necessary good that can clear the way towards real change and a new way of looking at the shared problems that, together, we desperately need to solve. So, following the themes of responsibility and action that I've outlined over the past several months, I hope you'll follow me on my next path. Vancouver is coming up to a municipal election on November 15th, and I'm happy to announce that I'll be running the online campaign for mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver party. For those unfamiliar with the local business and political scene, Gregor Robertson is a progressive Vancouver businessman who first rose to prominence by creating an immensely s... More About: Change , Campaigning
I've Been Hacked! - Authentication Message Problem
2008-09-28 04:27:00 Hi everyone. This is just a quick status update regarding the "Authentication Required" message that is appearing when you load the page. Please simply click "cancel" and continue to visit. I'm consulting some tech friends to figure out how to solve this. More About: Message , Problem , Hacked
8 Months of Photo Highlights
2008-09-18 09:25:00 Thanks to all my readers for hanging in while I get my feet back on the ground here at home. Many new developments are coming soon, but in the mean time, please enjoy these photo highlights of 8 months of travel.Thanks to everyone for following along. More About: Photo , Highlights , Months
My Rights, Your Responsibility
2008-09-09 23:41:00 I?m home now in Vancouver, with the daunting task of summing up and integrating a journey that covered four continents and more than eight months of my life. It can leave a person wondering how to bring that much home, or what home even means.That said, there are a few common themes that became clear over the course of the journey. A major one concerns the views and assumptions that tend to guide the actions of our culture with the rest of the world, the damage of which becomes obvious when viewing there effects on some of the most impoverished nations on Earth.In the case of Rwanda, we have been told that there horrific genocide was the culmination of tribal conflicts that stretched back centuries. After a mere days in that country, the truth became quickly and overwhelmingly obvious ? that the division between Hutus and Tutsis was a colonial weapon established by the Belgians, and exploited by the French, in order to gain greater control over the population and later to profit ... More About: Rights
An Accidental Trip to Thailand
2008-07-21 20:49:00 It was meant to be a side trip to the Philippines where a good friend is doing anthropological research in a traditional Kalinga Valley village. Unfortunately, I let myself get bluffed out by the weather and never made it. My arrival date earlier this month in Manila ended up being the day after a second of two typhoons rolled through the country. Conditions on the newsreel looked pretty tenuous and I opted to disembark at our stop-over in Bangkok rather than risk being stranded in Manila for two weeks. As it turns out, the route north to the village was fine, much to my disappointment.Sooooo, I tried to go to the Philippines and all I got were these stunning photos of Thailand .... More About: Trip
Ladakh - The Last of India
2008-06-27 12:31:00 The past few weeks have definitely been a different flavour. Heading steadily to the north of India , the people and country side have both shifted towards mountainous and Buddhist, culminating in Ladakh which is called the closest thing to Tibet on the subcontinent. It was far and away one of my favorite places in the country.The main city of Leh is almost indescribably beautiful. The town is a fertile strip of green nestled between the desert hills of brown and a back drop of Himalayan peaks. Set against crystal clear skies the view is an every changing Crayola box of greens, blues, whites and brown.The culture is also an interesting departure. The area only opened to tourists in 1974 and until then a remarkably self sufficient society had braved the high desert and -50C winters for centuries, key to which was a strong sense of environmental values and strict population control. In addition to a large population of Buddhist monks and nuns, the area is one of a handful of cult...
Canada Sued for Climate Change Failures
More articles from this author:2008-06-19 11:20:00 I've been substantially away from the home front news for quite awhile, but this is worth mentioning on both a national and personal note. On June 18, Canada became the first country ever to be brought to court for failing to comply with its legal commitments to combat global warming, specifically its failure to meet (and perhaps more to the point, their failure to do anything about) their mandatory legal obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.The lawsuit itself is being argued by a coalition of groups - most notably my former workplace, Ecojustice Canada - and seeks a declaration from the Court that the government has not complied with the law, and an order requiring it to do so. A decision is likely to occur in the coming months.For readers unfamiliar with Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund), I strongly recommend them as a worthy organization to support (I do so myself). For my American readers, think Earthjustice. More About: Climate Change , Climate , Change , Sued 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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