As many readers of this blog will know, back in February the CCPA (with the assistance of a number of our partners in the Climate Justice Project) published an Open Letter to the BC political parties calling on them to recommit to BC’s legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets, and to table plans for how to [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Climate change'
Comparing platforms with respect to climate action
May 9th, 2013 · Seth Klein · 2 Comments · Climate change, Environment, resources & sustainability
Tags: Climate change
More twists and turns in the dubious economics of LNGs
February 8th, 2013 · Seth Klein · Comments Off · Climate change, Economy, Environment, resources & sustainability, Taxes
This morning the newspapers bring news that the natural gas industry is seeking tax breaks for developing liquified natural gas (LNG) plants. Apparently the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is asking for increased capital cost allowances , which would cost the federal government as much as $2 billion over seven years in foregone revenues. The [...]
Tags: Climate change·LNG·tax cuts
A call for courageous leadership from BC parties in 2013
January 8th, 2013 · Seth Klein · 3 Comments · Climate change, Economy, Environment, resources & sustainability, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Taxes
As we head towards the May 2013 BC election, what I’d most love to hear from BC’s political leaders is evidence that they are ready to get serious about the defining issues of this era. In particular, I’m going to be looking for real leadership on the issues of climate change and inequality (what we [...]
Tags: campaign·Climate change·inequality·Liberals·NDP·poverty reduction
Marc’s Letter from 2040
December 14th, 2012 · Marc Lee · 4 Comments · Climate change, Environment, resources & sustainability
The following comes from a short talk on a vision for a zero-carbon BC that I gave at a couple events this Fall. Many have asked for the text so I’ve posted it here, and we may try and turn it into a video. That said, I have been reluctant to do so up to [...]
Will Frankenstorm put climate change back on the political radar?
October 30th, 2012 · Marc Lee · 4 Comments · Climate change, Energy, Environment, resources & sustainability
In recent years the world has experienced a sequence of climate-change-related disasters. Hurricane Sandy comes on top of massive drought through the summer that has led to 40% loss of American corn and other grain crops, raging wildfires in the southeast US, tornados and derechos, etc – and that is just the US. Check out this extreme weather [...]
Tags: Climate change
Bringing a vision of climate justice into focus
May 28th, 2012 · Seth Klein · 1 Comment · Climate change, Economy
One of the key barriers to change facing those of us working towards climate justice is the lack of a clear vision. By advocating for bold climate action, we are asking people to embrace dramatic change — yet the picture of their new life remains fuzzy and difficult to imagine. Compounding this challenge is the [...]
Tags: carbon tax·Climate change
Inequality undermines collective action on climate change
May 23rd, 2012 · Seth Klein · Comments Off · Climate change, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Much has been written of late about the costs of inequality — the social and health costs, the costs to democracy and social cohesion, and the costs to the economy and productivity. But here’s another cost to rising inequality that has received less consideration — the costs to our climate. As we seek to urge [...]
Reflections on the year past and the year to come: Inequality explodes into the public discourse
December 22nd, 2011 · Seth Klein · 2 Comments · Climate change, Poverty, inequality & welfare
If this past year – marked by the Arab Spring and the fall arrival of the Occupy movement — has taught us anything, it is that we never know when historic moments come. And when they do, that which seemed political impossible is suddenly in play. Many of us found the explosion of the Occupy [...]
From The Missing Issues File: Climate Change
April 14th, 2011 · Seth Klein · 1 Comment · Climate change, Environment, resources & sustainability
Did I miss something, or did the two-hour English election debate go by with only one passing reference to climate change, the most urgent issue of our time? There seems to be an inverse relationship at play between the severity of the crisis and its place on the political radar. The issue is receiving much [...]
Tags: Climate change·greenhouse gas
Gas prices and consumption: BC vs Pacific Northwest
July 12th, 2010 · Marc Lee · Comments Off · Climate change, Energy, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Taxes
On a weekend getaway to Washington state, I was alarmed at how much cheaper gas prices are south of the border. Typically, we paid $3 per gallon, whereas the price in Vancouver upon our return was $1.16 per litre, which is $4.39 per gallon (with the exchange rate roughly parity over the weekend). This is [...]
