Ah yes, comes with the commonwealth. We took our british reserve and distributed it across the... oh, wait, that's not what you mean, is it?
As I recall the tar sands, aside from the obvious mentioned in the link, are pretty low-return oil sources- compared to pumping the stuff out the ground I think the number of barrels in to number of barrels out ratio is pretty weak.
As a Canadian who lives in Ontario, I'm days away from the tar/oil sands. There is a very healthy environmental activist community in Canada, and we have known for quite some time that our current PM is not behind the Green Agenda. Most Canadians (at least the ones I know) agree that we have a personal and political responsibility to get behind the green agenda here in Canada. The PM does not have a majority government (see here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/), and in the last election the Green Party of Canada (http://www.greenparty.ca/) participated in the National debate (check that out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOkUA9xsflM&feature=related) - wait that's not it - that's actually a pretty good summary...
Here's one I think does a good job of explaining why Canadian's are not behind Harper (our PM). We're still working on a way to get rid of him...sadly he's got most of the prairie provinces, the maritimes, Western Ontario, and Nunavut (weird, that). The liberals really messed up their campaign, and the NDPs did alot better (at the sacrifice of the liberals, not the conservatives). No one expected Green Party to win majorities in any province/territory, and it came as no surprise to find that the Bloc had Quebec. Sure, we have to deal with the conservatives, and they have been ignoring what the majority of Canadians want. But, there are opportunities for Canadians to participate in environmental action, and here are just a few ways we do:
That article seems to suggest that the actions of our government are Canadian-approved, and I hope that I've begun to show that this is not the case on this topic.
Yes, we have reserves. I served in the regular armed forces for 5 years, and sailed many a sea on a Her Royal Majesty's Canadian Ship Vancouver. I served with great pride, and it horrifies me to see our national leadership making such a tawdry effort on such an important issue.
The conservatives are the bullies in Canadian politics, so I can't say that I'm surprised by their behaviour. That doesn't mean that Canadians are shutting up and putting up with it. Science has not lost - David Suzuki is just one example (high profile to be sure) of the kind of buzz going on here. Dr. Suzuki (a biologist/geneticist) is also recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology. He is the recipient of UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for Science, the United Nations Environment Program Medal, UNEPs Global 500 and in 2009 won the Right Livelihood Award that is considered the alternate Nobel. He's a good guy, and he's fighting the good fight in Canada.
This is not the first time some of foretold the return to the dark ages. I just finished reading an article on military armament during the Cold Way, and apparently that period just reeked of this kind of anxiety.
We can't stand by and allow the environment to continue to decay. Activists and consciencious politicians worked hard to resolve the Cold War - and it will likely be the same group who will need to work together to steer our global community to a more environmentally friendly path. However, more of us can take a stand in our homes, and in our workplaces.
Historically global politics (England included) have not had a green agenda. The forging of metals was a key turning point in the creation of significant air pollution levels. Core samples of glaciers in Greenland indicate increases in air pollution associated with Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production. Skipping ahead, we have the Industrial Revolution - Industrialization has resulted in pollution of water, air and soil. Harmful waste has increased astronomically. All of these problems pose significant threats to both the environment and to human life.
Historians write that the IR started in England in the 18th Century (thank you Dickins for your depictions of this glorious moment in time). Populations in industrialized countries moved from rural areas to urban areas. This exacerbated the effects of rising pollution. The concentrated population and a higher standard of living also produced larger amounts of waste.
What I suggest here is that pollution, and the culminated effects of hundreds of years of pollution will not be resolved overnight. Currently, Canadian politics are focused on 'quick wins' (*shudder*) and not on long-term sustainability. Don't ask me, I don't know why. As a public servant on Ontario, I take great pains to ensure that I work with integrity.
I would just ask you to consider that one politician (of a minority goverment) may not represent the attitude of the entire country. Harper certainly doesn't represent my interests in environmental concerns.
I think science has lost on the world stage rather than in one particular place. It's too complicated, normal people don't understand it and the price that we get to pay is, so far as I can tell, another P-T event or something quite similar.
Once the avalanche has started it is too late for the pebbles to vote. We got unlucky this time round. Maybe we get to survive as a species and do better next time up. Maybe we can geoengineer our way out of it, all or partially. Whatever happens I'm all out of hope on that front.
Ok, you sound very grumpy, and Stu just told me that you don't have any heat in your house. Why are you getting so little sleep? Can you go for a visit to your horse for abit? Would that help?
I think I've been staring down cold hard facts on this one and just seen one too many "speek ur branes" type posts from denial industry shills and the whole topic has left me filled with fury and despair. I don't blame Canada for this, honest, I was just surprised and disappointed because it used to be one of those kind of countries that seemed like they were pretty cool and civilised and just generally pleasant in international terms, although that could just have been ignorance on my part. Now there's only, what, Sweden? The civilised world is starting to look pretty small.
But it probably doesn't help that we're in the middle of refitting a wood stove and that I'm short on sleep because we're down to one car at the moment and all the rest, those things probably help to break down the self delusion that we use to ignore the things we know to be true.
Having just watched Ray Mears' gorgeous series about Canada, and how in-tune with nature some of the native peoples are, reading this is very depressing. :(
The whole thing is pretty distressing, and grumpiness, nay, outright fury, is actually a reasonable response. When the elected representatives of a country with as good a rep as Canada start to fuck things up so horribly, well, what more can you do apart from moving somewhere uphill, and laying down the sandbags?
That stat of a 26% increase in emissions since 1990 is atrocious, especially given the environmental concern that so many Canadian citizens have. My perception of Canada in the time I spent there was that there was more awareness, recycling was more normalized within the home, that kind of thing. Clearly, public opinion, and individual action seems not to carry that much weight.
It's the same all across the board, though- individuals want something to be done, but their governments aren't doing it. You end up feeling powerless, and as if there isn't an alternative to the life you lead. I haven't examined the actions of Gordon Brown and David Milliband in the UK much, to be honest, so I don't know how tokenistic they're being, but at least they are pushing in the right direction.
I should read up on Milliband, actually- if David Cameron's Tories win the next election, it may well be him who leads Labour's fightback, and has the last best chance to actually put some good science-backed policy in place. I think, in a lot of ways, the greens are going to have my vote ongoing. The actual difference between all the mainstream parties in Britain is so miniscule as to be cosmetic.
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no subject
Date: 2 Dec 2009 22:49 (UTC)Canada does have an awfully massive reserve. I'll have to dig out numbers but I studied this in Geohistory last year.
no subject
Date: 2 Dec 2009 22:53 (UTC)As I recall the tar sands, aside from the obvious mentioned in the link, are pretty low-return oil sources- compared to pumping the stuff out the ground I think the number of barrels in to number of barrels out ratio is pretty weak.
no subject
Date: 3 Dec 2009 00:30 (UTC)Here's one I think does a good job of explaining why Canadian's are not behind Harper (our PM). We're still working on a way to get rid of him...sadly he's got most of the prairie provinces, the maritimes, Western Ontario, and Nunavut (weird, that). The liberals really messed up their campaign, and the NDPs did alot better (at the sacrifice of the liberals, not the conservatives). No one expected Green Party to win majorities in any province/territory, and it came as no surprise to find that the Bloc had Quebec. Sure, we have to deal with the conservatives, and they have been ignoring what the majority of Canadians want. But, there are opportunities for Canadians to participate in environmental action, and here are just a few ways we do:
http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/activist.html
http://www.goodworkcanada.ca/
http://www.planetfriendly.net/ecoportal.html
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2009/02/c5228.html
http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/activism
Specifically in regards to the Oil Sands, we have this (based in Ontario):
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=4584107d-a0e4-4427-a966-3ea8f2465a5b
One of our Canadian heroes of the environment is David Suzuki. Please take the time and look at his website: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
And his video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8TSICBFSTY&feature=player_embedded#
That article seems to suggest that the actions of our government are Canadian-approved, and I hope that I've begun to show that this is not the case on this topic.
Yes, we have reserves. I served in the regular armed forces for 5 years, and sailed many a sea on a Her Royal Majesty's Canadian Ship Vancouver. I served with great pride, and it horrifies me to see our national leadership making such a tawdry effort on such an important issue.
no subject
Date: 3 Dec 2009 14:06 (UTC)Either way, science has lost. I for one welcome our new irrationalist return-to-the-dark-age masters.
no subject
Date: 3 Dec 2009 15:29 (UTC)This is not the first time some of foretold the return to the dark ages. I just finished reading an article on military armament during the Cold Way, and apparently that period just reeked of this kind of anxiety.
We can't stand by and allow the environment to continue to decay. Activists and consciencious politicians worked hard to resolve the Cold War - and it will likely be the same group who will need to work together to steer our global community to a more environmentally friendly path. However, more of us can take a stand in our homes, and in our workplaces.
Historically global politics (England included) have not had a green agenda. The forging of metals was a key turning point in the creation of significant air pollution levels. Core samples of glaciers in Greenland indicate increases in air pollution associated with Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production. Skipping ahead, we have the Industrial Revolution - Industrialization has resulted in pollution of water, air and soil. Harmful waste has increased astronomically. All of these problems pose significant threats to both the environment and to human life.
Historians write that the IR started in England in the 18th Century (thank you Dickins for your depictions of this glorious moment in time). Populations in industrialized countries moved from rural areas to urban areas. This exacerbated the effects of rising pollution. The concentrated population and a higher standard of living also produced larger amounts of waste.
What I suggest here is that pollution, and the culminated effects of hundreds of years of pollution will not be resolved overnight. Currently, Canadian politics are focused on 'quick wins' (*shudder*) and not on long-term sustainability. Don't ask me, I don't know why. As a public servant on Ontario, I take great pains to ensure that I work with integrity.
I would just ask you to consider that one politician (of a minority goverment) may not represent the attitude of the entire country. Harper certainly doesn't represent my interests in environmental concerns.
no subject
Date: 3 Dec 2009 16:16 (UTC)Once the avalanche has started it is too late for the pebbles to vote. We got unlucky this time round. Maybe we get to survive as a species and do better next time up. Maybe we can geoengineer our way out of it, all or partially. Whatever happens I'm all out of hope on that front.
no subject
Date: 3 Dec 2009 18:49 (UTC)If there's anything we can do, just ask.
no subject
Date: 3 Dec 2009 23:20 (UTC)But it probably doesn't help that we're in the middle of refitting a wood stove and that I'm short on sleep because we're down to one car at the moment and all the rest, those things probably help to break down the self delusion that we use to ignore the things we know to be true.
no subject
Date: 4 Dec 2009 09:30 (UTC)no subject
Date: 5 Dec 2009 18:08 (UTC)That stat of a 26% increase in emissions since 1990 is atrocious, especially given the environmental concern that so many Canadian citizens have. My perception of Canada in the time I spent there was that there was more awareness, recycling was more normalized within the home, that kind of thing. Clearly, public opinion, and individual action seems not to carry that much weight.
It's the same all across the board, though- individuals want something to be done, but their governments aren't doing it. You end up feeling powerless, and as if there isn't an alternative to the life you lead. I haven't examined the actions of Gordon Brown and David Milliband in the UK much, to be honest, so I don't know how tokenistic they're being, but at least they are pushing in the right direction.
I should read up on Milliband, actually- if David Cameron's Tories win the next election, it may well be him who leads Labour's fightback, and has the last best chance to actually put some good science-backed policy in place. I think, in a lot of ways, the greens are going to have my vote ongoing. The actual difference between all the mainstream parties in Britain is so miniscule as to be cosmetic.