By Walter Sinnot-Armstrong, for Aeon Many of my best friends think that some of my deeply held beliefs about important issues are obviously false or even nonsense. Sometimes, they tell me so to my face. How can we still be friends? Part of the answer is that these friends and I are philosophers, and philosophers learn how to...

From ECOJUSTICE; by Charles Hatt and Alan Andrews As heatwaves and forest fires broke out across Canada last summer, Ecojustice analyzed the “climate state of play.” Now, we’re back with an update. In the months since Ecojustice’s last analysis of the ‘climate state of play’ in Canada, the...

Cannabis was legalized in Canada this October, but unfortunately the federal government didn’t include one important piece in that legislation:  expungement of the records of a half million Canadians with criminal records for simple possession of cannabis.  These people are saddled with a criminal record for doing something...

When faced with conclusive evidence of a major threat to citizens, a true leader would do everything possible to confront it. So, what was the U.S. president’s reaction to a U.S. scientific report compiled by more than 300 scientists and endorsed by a dozen different agencies, including NASA, NOAA and the defence department,...

By Anna Johnston, Staff Lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law There has been a rash of complaints lately about efforts to strengthen and streamline federal decision-making on projects that affect the environment through Bill C-69. They originate from a small but organized group based in Alberta, primarily connected to the...

I have occasionally been critical of the way we do politics. The recent leaders’ debate on electoral reform provides me with material to explain. The Opposition prefers electoral reform to be studied by a citizens’ assembly, as in 2003, over the Government’s process. It is a reasonable proposal. The members of the 2003 Citizens’...

Nearly 180 scientists say impending legislation leaves the task of collecting evidence for major project reviews to proponents — without adequate independence, transparency or scientific rigour. By Sarah Cox for The Narwhal Simon Fraser University scientist Michael Price was in his office on Saturday, putting the finishing ...

Local MLA Katrine Conroy is reminding everyone in the West Kootenays that the deadline to register and vote in the referendum on electoral reform is fast approaching. “People in the West Kootenays are excited for a new way of voting that works for all of us,” said Conroy. “With the end of this referendum period […]

By Marc Lee, for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, from Policy Note It is well established that we need targets and timelines for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are causing climate change. BC’s latest targets include a 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 80% by 2050. And...

Can an entire society be mistaken in its values and habits?  Can the economic basis of a society lead to the destruction of our way of life and all that supports it?  Judging by what our global society is undergoing right now, the answer is yes.  Can we change our erroneous ways, and if we can change them, can we change them...