May 21 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — Official Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer talked energy policy with the boss of Imperial Oil over roasted caribou and merlot during a posh literary gala in Ottawa last week, after the two found themselves side-by-side thanks to a change in seating arrangements. The Conservative Party leader said he didn’t know he would be seated with Rich […]
May 16 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — The shift to a low-carbon economy is “underway” and sectors like oil and gas, as well as the banks that loan money to them, are exposed to risks from climate change that could spill over into destabilizing “fire sales,” the Bank of Canada said Thursday. The central bank listed climate change as one of six […]
May 13 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — A parliamentary watchdog is warning lobbyists to be careful about participating in partisan activities such as fundraising events and expressing personal political views in public, to avoid placing themselves in a conflict of interest. Federal Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger delivered the warning in updated guidelines for lobbyists, posted online on April 2, a few days […]
May 10 2019 — Carl Meyer — The Canadian Press — Paul Manly said Friday that he was once an “orange diaper baby,” but now feels like the NDP has “abandoned a lot of their principles.” The newest Green MP spoke to media for the first time on Parliament Hill on May 10 alongside Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, after winning a by-election on Monday in […]
May 7 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — The historic election on Monday of a second federal Green Party MP shows that Canadians are taking the issue of climate change seriously and are looking outside traditional parties for solutions, say the leader of the federal Greens and the head of a public opinion institute.
May 6 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — Catherine McKenna says the world needs “a Paris Agreement moment for nature,” after a major report was released showing how humans have been responsible for hundreds of species dying off, with a million more at risk of extinction. Canada’s environment and climate change minister was in Metz, France on Monday where she has met with […]
May 1 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — Two Loblaws lobbyists, one of which helped steer the company towards a controversial $12-million federal grant to reduce the energy consumption of their refrigerators, also donated frequently to the Liberal Party and attended a partisan fundraising event with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Apr 29 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — A prominent Ontario think tank that reports on immigration, Indigenous education and other key issues says it will soon be going out of business after the provincial government cut its funding. The 10-year-old Mowat Centre, a research organization at the University of Toronto, has recently examined issues such as the “uneven success” of the province’s […]
Apr 23 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Green New Deal is music to the ears of Quebec Premier François Legault. Under de Blasio’s plan to tackle climate change, unveiled Monday, all city operations would run on 100 per cent “zero-emission Canadian hydropower” within five years. Negotiations would begin “right away” with the aim of signing […]
Apr 17 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — Prominent Canadian environmental leaders say they hope to focus on priorities such as fighting climate change as they brace for the impact of government-led attacks and investigations promised on Tuesday night by the incoming premier of oil-rich Alberta. The comments came in response to a blistering victory speech delivered by Alberta United Conservative Party Leader […]
Apr 15 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — At this museum, you can visit an exhibit showing what will happen when the Earth’s temperature rises by one degree Celsius. You can also learn how scientists predict future temperatures, why global warming doesn’t make the planet warm everywhere all at once, and how climate change hurts human health. The exhibit, called Plus one degree […]
Apr 11 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — The head of a new national climate change institute says she is “perturbed” by a recent partisan attack from the office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford. The new institute, called the Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration, is meant to hold Ottawa to account on its policies to reduce carbon pollution. The eligibility requirements for the competitive process […]
Apr 9 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — Are you skeptical that the Trudeau government’s price on carbon pollution is the best way to lower emissions? Blair Feltmate has a solution for you. The head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo is chairing an arm of a new independent watchdog that will hold Ottawa to account on […]
Apr 5 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — There was a short but damning observation delivered to Canada’s environment minister in 2014, as then prime minister Stephen Harper prepared to enter the final year of his majority mandate. The government was due to put out an annual report on reducing carbon pollution, but there had been no new federal or provincial policy measures […]
Apr 3 2019 — Carl Meyer — National Observer — The Conservative Party of Canada’s forthcoming plan to tackle climate change will be revealed “well before the election” set for October, says its environment critic. Still, with six months until Canadians go to the polls, Conservative MP Ed Fast won’t reveal much about how Leader Andrew Scheer’s party plans to bring pollution down to “near-zero” […]