By David Suzuki
In 1988, hundreds of scientists and policy-makers met in Toronto for a major international conference on climate change. They were sufficiently alarmed by the accumulated evidence for human-caused global warming that they issued a release stating, “Humanity is conducting an unintended, uncontrolled, globally pervasive experiment whose ultimate consequences could be second only to a global nuclear war.”
by Jody Dallaire
A recent shopping excursion to buy a new car revealed a new car that Honda is marketing in Japan, especially for women, called the Honda Fit She’s. The She’s comes in popular eye shadow colors: pink, white and brown. It features a windshield that offers wrinkle protection and its air-conditioning will rejuvenate your skin as you drive.
Stop laughing. I kid you not! I guess that Honda figures that its product will resonate with Japanese women. Time will tell if the Honda Fit She’s will survive in a competitive automobile market.
by Geoffrey Stevens
It’s a hoary tradition. At New Year’s, pundits are supposed to look ahead and tell readers what to expect – or not – in the year to come. A wise reader won’t buy any of it. No one knows what is going to happen next week let alone 10 or 12 months from now.
by Geoffrey Stevens
Let me start this Christmas Eve with a confession. I am, and always have been, a firm believer in gun control. This began long before the senseless massacres at Sandy Hook Elementary School this month, at Virginia Tech in 2007 or at the Ecole Polytechnique in 1989, among other atrocities.
I have never understood why a supposedly civilized society, one that is truly concerned with the safety of its citizens, permits some of them to walk around with weapons with which they can kill children, students, teachers, co-workers and other fellow citizens (or kill themselves).
by Jody Dallaire
The New Brunswick government recently took a bold stand, reversing restrictions on novice (read: teen-agers) drivers — and then had to back pedal a scant week later. As the parent of a newly-licensed teen-aged driver, I found the government’s change of direction confusing. So I did my own research — as the government should have done in the first place.
by Geoffrey Stevens
Now that the Harper government has “hit the reset button,” as they say, on the acquisition of new jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force, what happens next?
That’s not at all clear — transparency not being a hallmark of the Conservative regime. What we do know, because the government told us this much, is that an “independent” panel will review the evaluation process to replace the aging CF-18s. How independent the panel will actually be is also hard to tell, although some of the experts named to the panel seem to be free from entanglements with the military establishment or the warplane industry.
by David Suzuki
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if world leaders resolved to look at life in a different light this New Year? They could follow the example of Bhutan. In 1971, the small country, nestled in the Himalayas between China and India, rejected the idea of gross domestic product as the measure of progress. Instead, leaders focused on gross national happiness.
The idea is finally gaining traction around the world, and I’m humbled and pleased to be involved with a global initiative to promote it.
by David Suzuki
Global trade has advantages. For starters, it allows those of us who live through winter to eat fresh produce year-round. And it provides economic benefits to farmers who grow that food. That could change as oil, the world’s main transport fuel, becomes increasingly scarce, hard to obtain and costly, but we’ll be trading with other nations for the foreseeable future.
Because countries often have differing political and economic systems, agreements are needed to protect those invested in trade.
by Jody Dallaire
Last week, the New Brunswick Government’s Speech from the Throne mentioned women, girls and gendered policy. Here are a couple of extracts from the speech: “Your government will continue to work toward an equal and inclusive society where all women, men, girls and boys are able to reach their full potential and thereby contribute to our province’s growth and prosperity… An equal and inclusive society also means a safe society. Violence against women and girls continues to be a priority of your government.”
by Geoffrey Stevens
There was a time, not so long ago, when this country punched above its weight in the world. Canada was only a middle power in a world dominated by Cold War super-powers. Yet Canadian leaders and diplomats moved in the same league as the big hitters. Our friendship was valued, our support solicited and our advice considered (if not always heeded).
