Monday, December 12, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Canada's "Law and Order" Prime Minister (Letter to the Editor)
If you like my blog, please consider a donation. Thanks! Larry
Dear Editor,
If Stephen Harper is so keen on becoming a "law and order" Prime Minister, why does he seem to have so little regard for the law, himself? Since coming to power about six years ago, his government has been riddled with a litany of dirty tricks, domestic and international crimes.
The most recent is his scandalous decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Accord, a legally binding, international agreement to limit human emissions of greenhouse gases, which are causing catastrophic climate change. (Have you noticed Manitoba's tragic and terrible flooding lately?)
Even China put Canada to shame at the recent climate talks in Durban, showing a willingness to "step up" and show some environmental leadership while Harper showed none. His "operative" at the talks, Peter Kent (who I now refer to as our "Minister of Environmental Destruction"), once again proved, neither of them really works for you, me, our children or our planet, for that matter. Make no mistake, they are, quite simply, the handmaidens of the likes of Syncrude, Suncor, and other big, rich, powerful players in the Alberta tar sands, earth's largest energy project and quite likely its dirtiest.
His administration has been muzzling climate scientists since day one, threatening them with dismissal if they speak out about the gravity of the situation.
On top of this, there were the concerted efforts by Conservatives to subvert the Committee system in the Commons, as well as serious election fraud. (Remember the crafty "in and out" scheme to fund elections?) While some of the "dirty tricks" may not strictly speaking, be "crimes," it is the leader of a party and a government who sets the tone and creates the "culture" for what happens down the line.
It is against this backdrop that Harper is committing billions of our tax dollars to new prisons, fighter planes and warships, as if he has the moral authority to act as policeman to the world, let alone enforce tougher laws on we ordinary Canadians.
And we wonder why there's an "Occupy Movement!"
Perhaps some space needs to be reserved in Harper's shiny new "slammers" for himself and his accomplices, er, I mean, cabinet ministers, for all the crimes they are committing against us!
Larry Powell
Roblin, MB
Dear Editor,
If Stephen Harper is so keen on becoming a "law and order" Prime Minister, why does he seem to have so little regard for the law, himself? Since coming to power about six years ago, his government has been riddled with a litany of dirty tricks, domestic and international crimes.
The most recent is his scandalous decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Accord, a legally binding, international agreement to limit human emissions of greenhouse gases, which are causing catastrophic climate change. (Have you noticed Manitoba's tragic and terrible flooding lately?)
Even China put Canada to shame at the recent climate talks in Durban, showing a willingness to "step up" and show some environmental leadership while Harper showed none. His "operative" at the talks, Peter Kent (who I now refer to as our "Minister of Environmental Destruction"), once again proved, neither of them really works for you, me, our children or our planet, for that matter. Make no mistake, they are, quite simply, the handmaidens of the likes of Syncrude, Suncor, and other big, rich, powerful players in the Alberta tar sands, earth's largest energy project and quite likely its dirtiest. His administration has been muzzling climate scientists since day one, threatening them with dismissal if they speak out about the gravity of the situation.
Then there was the court ruling which declared that the Harper government had broken the law in the way it is clumsily proceeding with the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board. It was just the most recent in a string of court decisions that ruled against the government on this matter. Rather than pausing to consider compromise or co-operation in the face of all of this, the Prime Minister is ruthlessly pressing ahead with a court appeal and a clamp down on democratic debate with heavy-handed measures like closure.
On top of this, there were the concerted efforts by Conservatives to subvert the Committee system in the Commons, as well as serious election fraud. (Remember the crafty "in and out" scheme to fund elections?) While some of the "dirty tricks" may not strictly speaking, be "crimes," it is the leader of a party and a government who sets the tone and creates the "culture" for what happens down the line.
It is against this backdrop that Harper is committing billions of our tax dollars to new prisons, fighter planes and warships, as if he has the moral authority to act as policeman to the world, let alone enforce tougher laws on we ordinary Canadians.
And we wonder why there's an "Occupy Movement!"
Perhaps some space needs to be reserved in Harper's shiny new "slammers" for himself and his accomplices, er, I mean, cabinet ministers, for all the crimes they are committing against us!
Larry Powell
Roblin, MB
Ancient Climate Record Points Toward Potential Rapid Climate Changes
PLT: Dr. Hansen is one of those rare birds - a scientist/activist! Here, he is shown being arrested at demonstrations at the White House, protesting against the Keystone XL pipeline. We need more like him!
Climate Conference Approves Landmark Deal
By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press
DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — A U.N. climate conference reached a hard-fought agreement Sunday on a complex and far-reaching program meant to set a new course for the global fight against climate change for the coming decades. Details here.
======
PLT: Canada continues playing its role as a dinosaur, leading us further into world isolation as a climate criminal. Even China has showed more leadership there than we did! Shame!
DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — A U.N. climate conference reached a hard-fought agreement Sunday on a complex and far-reaching program meant to set a new course for the global fight against climate change for the coming decades. Details here.
======
PLT: Canada continues playing its role as a dinosaur, leading us further into world isolation as a climate criminal. Even China has showed more leadership there than we did! Shame!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Break Growth Records
CBC News Dec. 5 - '11
Emissions rebound fast from global financial crisis, driven by developing world. Details here.
Hotter, Drier, Meaner: Trends Point to a Planet Increasingly Hostile to Agriculture
By Douglas Fischer - De. 5'11 The Daily Climate
A host of data – from sediment cores to ongoing drought in East Africa to computer models – point to one conclusion: Our increasingly hotter, drier planet is going to be a tough place to farm. Details here.
On Climate, Canada is a Rogue State
Nov 29th, 2011 Marc Lee · Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
On Sunday, CTV leaked Canada’s intentions to pull out of the Kyoto treaty process on climate change. What is significant about Kyoto is that it is a legally binding...Details here.
Is Canada's Environment Minister Bullying Poor Countries at the Climate Talks?
Mike De Souza, Postmedia News December 3, 2011
DURBAN, South Africa — Signs of progress emerged Saturday at international climate change negotiations as thousands took to the streets urging global leaders to step up their efforts. Details here.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Three Quarters of Climate Change is Man-Made
Independent study
quantifies human influence on global warming. Details here.
Lk. Manitoba PLT photo
Friday, December 2, 2011
Once Again, The National "Afflicts the Afflicted and Comforts the Comfortable!" (Letter)
If you like my blog, please consider a donation.Thanks!Larry
I think the CBC should change its name from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to the Canadian Business Corporation. Boy, has Big Oil ever found a friend in important branches of our national broadcaster!
While there are, mercifully, some notable exceptions (such as "The Current" and "Quirks & Quarks," - radio programs who actually tell the truth about climate change), The National still lags far behind, with its pro-industry bias still out there for all to see.
Lately, the Corporation has found a new "darling" in the likes of David Wilkins, a former US Ambassador to Canada. Wilkins now gets his paycheques from the Canadian oil industry!
David Wilkins, (l.) "ambassdor-for-hire"
But The National didn't see fit to mention that when he led the newscast the other night, spouting his pro-oil, anti-science propaganda.
Ironically, the Radio program, The House, committed an almosty identical sin with another former Ambassador last summer but issued an apology after I complained to the CBC Ombudsman.
Sadly, CBC Manitoba is similarly failing to inform its listeners/viewers of the reality and seriousness of our climate crisis.
On the contrary, it recently provided air time to Michael Hlinka, a conservative commentator, singing the praises of the proposed, misguided Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta tar sands into the southern 'States, while condemning President Obama for being "political" for delaying it. Odd, isn't it, how such individuals can overlook the fact that it is the forces arrayed against this project who have science on their side - not him!
And then, of course, there's Rex Murphy, (r.) the pompous, opinionated commentator on both CBC Radio & TV. His latest rant was against Nobel Prize-winning, human rights activist Bishop Tutu who has taken a public stand against Canada's "Mordor," the tar sands.
At the same time, Rex managed to badmouth sincere environmentalsts everywhere while praising the Harper government for its plans to withdraw form the Kyoto Accord. He was practically salivating at the likelihood that the Durban environmental summit will fail to reach an agreement on the limiting of greenhouse gases.
Murphy cleverly manages to give plenty of air time to Big Oil on his other program, "Cross-Country Checkup" (where he is supposed to be somewhat neutral), while avoiding any meaningful discussion on our climate crisis. In other media, like the National Post, he was still lamenting just this summer over "Climate-gate," (which he and other climate-deniers jumped all over, claiming it was a scandal which proved that human-caused global warming was a fraud). His column came about a year or more after no less than six major, independent investigations had shown that this was simply not true!
Sadly, many CBC listeners/viewers can no longer be faulted if they mistakenly believe that we can continue to wallow in a future almost totally dependent on fossil fuels without suffering serious consequences. They are, at best, being seriously and shamelessly under-informed or misinformed.
But it's OK, Rex, there'll be a job waiting for you in Big Oil, the PM's office or even as a trained seal in the Senate if you ever leave the CBC!
Larry Powell
Roblin, MB
I think the CBC should change its name from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to the Canadian Business Corporation. Boy, has Big Oil ever found a friend in important branches of our national broadcaster!
While there are, mercifully, some notable exceptions (such as "The Current" and "Quirks & Quarks," - radio programs who actually tell the truth about climate change), The National still lags far behind, with its pro-industry bias still out there for all to see.
Lately, the Corporation has found a new "darling" in the likes of David Wilkins, a former US Ambassador to Canada. Wilkins now gets his paycheques from the Canadian oil industry! David Wilkins, (l.) "ambassdor-for-hire"
But The National didn't see fit to mention that when he led the newscast the other night, spouting his pro-oil, anti-science propaganda.
Ironically, the Radio program, The House, committed an almosty identical sin with another former Ambassador last summer but issued an apology after I complained to the CBC Ombudsman.
Sadly, CBC Manitoba is similarly failing to inform its listeners/viewers of the reality and seriousness of our climate crisis.
On the contrary, it recently provided air time to Michael Hlinka, a conservative commentator, singing the praises of the proposed, misguided Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta tar sands into the southern 'States, while condemning President Obama for being "political" for delaying it. Odd, isn't it, how such individuals can overlook the fact that it is the forces arrayed against this project who have science on their side - not him!
At the same time, Rex managed to badmouth sincere environmentalsts everywhere while praising the Harper government for its plans to withdraw form the Kyoto Accord. He was practically salivating at the likelihood that the Durban environmental summit will fail to reach an agreement on the limiting of greenhouse gases.
Murphy cleverly manages to give plenty of air time to Big Oil on his other program, "Cross-Country Checkup" (where he is supposed to be somewhat neutral), while avoiding any meaningful discussion on our climate crisis. In other media, like the National Post, he was still lamenting just this summer over "Climate-gate," (which he and other climate-deniers jumped all over, claiming it was a scandal which proved that human-caused global warming was a fraud). His column came about a year or more after no less than six major, independent investigations had shown that this was simply not true!
Sadly, many CBC listeners/viewers can no longer be faulted if they mistakenly believe that we can continue to wallow in a future almost totally dependent on fossil fuels without suffering serious consequences. They are, at best, being seriously and shamelessly under-informed or misinformed.
But it's OK, Rex, there'll be a job waiting for you in Big Oil, the PM's office or even as a trained seal in the Senate if you ever leave the CBC!
Larry Powell
Roblin, MB
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Larry Powell Powell is a veteran, award-winning journalist based in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada. He specialize in stories about agriculture...