Climate change & energy policy

Opening the floodgates

Jun 1, 2022
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More than climate crisis behind last November’s rising waters, death and destruction; experts urge province to make course correction   First of Two Parts When Premier John Horgan declared a provincial state of emergency in the wake of last November’s horrific floods, landslides and deaths, he was quick to name the culprit.  The “never seen before”… View Article

A deadly wake-up call

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In aftermath of a landslide that killed five, experts say government must act now to avoid more “preventable” deaths Second of Two Parts (read the first) As 2021 drew to a close, Premier John Horgan said many British Columbians would remember it “as the year that climate change arrived on our doorsteps.”  Whether it was… View Article

Jobs and forests up in smoke: Coalition calls for investigation into wood pellet juggernaut Drax

Mar 14, 2022
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At 944,000 square kilometres in area, British Columbia is nearly four times larger than the United Kingdom.  But what the latter lacks in size it compensates for in reach, a reach that extends deep into the old-growth forests of Canada’s westernmost province.  To appreciate that reach it helps to consider  the tremendous loss of forests… View Article

BC budget moves in the right direction but too slowly to address pressing challenges like housing, climate, toxic drug supply and poverty

Feb 24, 2022
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With COVID centre stage for the past two years, Budget 2022 marked a shift back to normal. Yes, the budget earmarks $2 billion in contingencies for potential COVID needs, but this took up a mere half page of the main budget document. The budget narrative instead is framed around child care, climate change and investments… View Article

Why increasing government spending makes economic sense

Feb 14, 2022
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Author’s note: The latest BC government throne speech promised “to help solve big challenges – like inequality and climate change – with growth that is inclusive and sustainable.” CCPA-BC will closely analyze the upcoming BC Budget to determine whether the government’s intention is backed by the increased levels of public investment needed to meet the… View Article

BC should look to zero waste solutions to reduce GHG emissions and create jobs

Jan 24, 2022
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British Columbia is ahead of most North American jurisdictions in implementing composting and recycling programs. Yet, we are systemically burdened by endless amounts of packaging, especially the mass proliferation of plastic, which is an environmental tragedy of our times. BC shares the core problem with other jurisdictions: a culture of consumption and an extraction-oriented economic… View Article

The future of university divestment campaigns: Reflections from inside the movement

Jan 7, 2022
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To an outsider, university divestment campaigns might look like a hopeful but impractical social movement led by naive cadres of sign-waving students. The truth, however, is that divestment is more successful and has more transformative potential than what first appears. Largely hidden but tightly woven connections between universities, finance and fossil fuels have provided ongoing… View Article