by David Suzuki
BC appears to be pinning its economic hopes on natural gas — much of it obtained by fracking. While the world should be turning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy and conservation, we’re poised to dig ourselves deeper into the climate-altering carbon hole.
by Geoffrey Stevens
Confession, they say, is good for the soul. With that in mind, I will make a confession: I am a media lickspittle. A lickspittle, according to the dictionary, is not a nice thing to be; it means “a contemptible, fawning person; a servile flatterer or toady.”
Let me hasten to add, I am not the only toady in these parts. Thanks to Senator Marjory LeBreton, Stephen Harper’s leader in the upper house, we now know that the capital, and indeed the country, are infested by lickspittles.
by Beth Lyons
Over the past few weeks, the Walt Disney Company has faced on online uproar over their makeover of Merida, the protagonist of the film Brave. The makeover was in preparation for Merida’s induction to the Magic Kingdom’s Princess Hall of Fame and involved sexualizing the youthful character by making her older, more polished, and giving her a classic come-hither countenance (that kind of looks like a facelift, if I’m being perfectly honest).
by David Suzuki
In the early 1970s, a significant shift occurred in the relationship between North Americans and the world we live in. People started to recognize that nature’s bounty isn’t bottomless and that human activities often strain the Earth’s limits. Across Canada and the US, faced with society’s perpetual penchant for economic growth as an end unto itself, many people started to advocate for protecting nature lest it be irreparably broken by our actions.
by Geoffrey Stevens
“I don't know whether to laugh or cry”
– retired House of Commons law clerk Rob Walsh, on the Mike Duffy/Nigel Wright Senate expenses uproar, CBC-TV, May 17.
Politicians don’t like it when people get really mad at them. Anger creates political damage. But they like it far less when people start laughing at them. Humour can destroy politicians and their careers. Witness former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, an honourable man who never recovered after Stephen Harper (with significant help from Mike Duffy, then a broadcaster) got the country laughing at him in the 2008 election.
Today, it seems to me, the Harper government is in peril of being dragged across that line between anger and laughter.
by Jody Dallaire
The theme of this year’s International Day Against Homophobia is Fighting the Homophobia Web Virus. Cyber bullying has become all too common, even though it's been linked with teen suicide. Of course, online harassment is just one form of the bullying that many gay teens endure.
by David Suzuki
Scientists often come up with new discoveries, technologies or theories. But sometimes they rediscover what our ancestors already knew. A couple of recent findings show we have a lot to learn from our forebears — and nature — about bugs.
by Geoffrey Stevens
Watching parliamentary democracy at work can be harrowing. During an election, party leaders and their confederates present competing visions (or, more prosaically, platforms) for the electorate to consider. But once the election is over, smart winners don’t simply impose their visions. They have to negotiate with the Opposition.
Smart leaders remember that elections are not decided by partisans (Tim Hudak take note). Core supporters are important, but elections are won or lost on the votes of “loose fish” – uncommitted or lightly affiliated voters – who swim around at election time. More important, smart winners understand that they have not been elected solely to cater to their core; they understand that people who did not (and might never) vote for them are entitled to the same consideration from the government as its partisans.
by Jody Dallaire
As the province and the nation count down to elections in a year or two, women’s organizations are encouraging and helping women prepare to seek public office. One such project that I've participated in is Setting the Stage for Girls and Young Women to Succeed, an initiative of the well-respected organization Support to Single Parents.
by David Suzuki
My parents lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s and were profoundly affected by it. They taught us to work hard to earn a living, live within our means, save for tomorrow, share and not be greedy and help our neighbours because one day we might need their help. Those homilies and teachings seem quaint in today’s world of credit cards, hyper-consumption and massive debt.
