Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The grand net-zero vision is fading as financial giants withdraw from global climate alliances In recent years, governments and Financial institutions worldwide have committed to the goal of “net zero”—cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible by 2050. One of the most prominent initiatives, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), sought to mobilize trillions of dollars by shifting investment away from fossil fuels and toward green energy projects. fossil fuels, green energy, The idea was simple in principle: make climate action a core part of financial decision-making worldwide. The vision of a net-zero future, once championed as an inevitable path to global prosperity and environmental sustainability, is faltering. What began as an ambitious effort to embed climate goals into the flow of international capital is now encountering hard economic and political realities ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

It’s no surprise to learn Teck’s decision to back-burner its $20-billion Frontier oilsands mine was preceded by secret thumbs-down signals from some federal cabinet ministers As disclosed by The Globe and Mail , “ Several Liberal ministers worked behind the scenes earlier this year against Teck Resources Ltd.’s proposed oil sands mine in Alberta, according to Liberal and government sources .” The newspaper added: “ During a cabinet meeting in February, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau directly called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to listen to the majority of his MPs and ministers who opposed Teck’s project, instead of the minority who supported it, the sources said .” Also named: Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, Seniors Minister Deb Schulte, and Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault. This back-room politicking and campaigning adds to the uncertainties and fears troubling natural-resource developers: What will Ottawa do with n...

This is it ... #20 ... the final day in our series of ’20 for 2020’ . And it's the fifth, which I indicated at the beginning, would be coming from the BC Conservative Party.  It’s a rather bold statement, and one I questioned ... " We will reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in BC by more than 30% without, a Carbon Tax " ~~ Trevor Bolin, leader of the BC Conservative Party British Columbia is at a pivotal turning point in our environmental and economical future. We have vowed to Scrap the Carbon Tax, vowed to build a sustainable resource industry, and now, we can also be a provincial leader in making our economy and environment benefit all British Columbians. When Trevor Bolin spoke of dramatically reducing Greenhouse gases, he said to me; “ It’s not about a carbon tax, it’s about changes that should have happened in BC a long time ago. We must partner with business, municipalities and Regional Districts to eliminate land fi...

Today is day 16 in “20 for 2020” – are you having a snow day? BC continues to be under a blanket of snow, with those in the lower mainland ... Vancouver Island ... and the Fraser Valley being told to stay the heck off the roads.   Seeing the mayhem on the TV news, it’s no wonder. On top of the mounds of snow, there are also record, and near record, frigid temperatures occurring. So, is all of this due to global warming?   Well that’s a loaded question and one that climate alarmists are likely trying to figure out an answer too. Greenhouse gas level continue to rise world-wide, however some of the highest levels being created are due to countries thousands of kilometres away. Does this mean that we don’t have a roll to play?     Far from it – however we should not be penalizing our businesses and resource companies in Canada right out of business. As Trevor Bolin of the BC Conservative Party stated back last Apri...

Last week in Question Period I asked the Honourable Doug Donaldson about the impact of the growing risks of climate change on our forests in British Columbia. Public attention is focusing in recent months on the forest industry that is controlled by multi-national corporations shuttering operations, cutting jobs and putting into question of the future of rural and remote communities in our province. People in those communities are concerned about whose interests those companies are looking out for. There is a growing concern that it is not the local interests. The aspect that I dug into this week is not often discussed. What role do our forests play in a changing climate? How does a changing climate impact our forests? What is our government innovate the forestry sector? These are incredibly important questions we will continue ask. FOREST MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION Adam Olsen: Yesterday my colleague drew the con...

Canada is increasingly a country of energy pessimists and energy optimists, where the nation’s economic foundation of oil and gas has become the ideological battleground for much bigger issues. Those who believe that energy supplied by Canada is a beneficial contribution to the global economy are pitted against others carrying out a moral crusade, ostensibly in the name of climate, that necessitates the harassment of corporate sinners through demarketing, delegitimizing and divesting. Monday’s election showed pretty clearly where most westerners stand on this. We are energy optimists. I would even say energy realists, in contrast to the energy fantasists who will do just about anything (short of paying more for their flights) to stop the oil & gas business that symbolizes and contributes to climate emissions. The Trans Mountain pipeline project has until now provided a handy barometer of how we are, as a country, reconciling economic and environmental interests...

Yesterday, Tim McMillan, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers stated, " Canada's oil and natural gas industry has always supported climate policy that manages greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining a competitive business environment " Despite this, the Government of Canada intends to increase costs to Canadian families and households with the introduction of the Clean Fuels Standard (CFS) – new regulations that will impact consumers at home and at the pump, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). The federal government is proposing CFS regulations that would hike the cost of living for Canadians in all provinces paying for basic needs: heating their homes, getting to work, or buying their groceries. As a result of this poorly constructed regulation, everyday Canadians will end up paying up to 11 cents per litre at the gas pump and $1.88 per gigajoule, based on a study by the Ca...

Last Thursday (July 18 th ) the NDP government of Premier John Horgan took the time to advise us (as if we didn’t already know), that British Columbians need efficient and affordable public transit to get them to work or school on time and back home safely at the end of the day. More than that however, the provincial government went on to tell us that they were ... investing in public transit fights climate change, reduces commute times and builds stronger and more sustainable communities . The wheels on the bus go round and round, Round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, All through the town. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier John Horgan, along with Erinn Pinkerton, president and chief executive officer for BC Transit, announced more than $79 million in joint funding to purchase 118 new buses for use in Victoria and communities throughout British Columbia. The media release stated that that; 1. ...