Columnists

Paving local-grown paradise

Feb 202013

Urban sprawl threatens crucial agricultural land.

by David Suzuki

Despite its huge area, Canada has relatively little dependable farmland. After all, a lot of our country is rock, or buried under ice and snow. Fertile soil and a friendly climate are hard to find.

So it might seem like good news that on a clear day you can see about half the best agricultural land in Canada from the top of Toronto’s CN Tower. To feed our growing urban populations and sustain local food security, it’s critical to have productive land close to where people live.

Analyzing pay equity

Feb 142013

Equality time

Feminist coalition calls on New Brunswick to do better.

by Jody Dallaire

The New Brunswick government recently went through a pay equity exercise, comparing the requirements and the wages of child care, home care and transition house workers on one hand, with two male-dominated jobs, maintenance workers and foremen on the other, to see if the “care” workers were being paid fairly or whether the pay for traditional women’s jobs is still discounted. As usual, the way they asked the question affected the answer they found.

Putting the environment on the agenda

Feb 142013

Science matters

Government must heed environment commissioner’s warnings.

by David Suzuki

When the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in 2010, killing 11 people and spewing massive amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, it cost more than $40 billion to mop up the mess. In Canada, an oil company would only be liable for only $30 million, leaving taxpayers on the hook for the rest.

An uphill road to Senate reform

Feb 102013

Insight

Stephen Harper's Senate plans seem to have gone astray.

by Geoffrey Stevens

A case can be made that the prime minister of Canada, when armed with a majority, is more powerful politically than the president of the United States. As long as he keeps his caucus on side, he can do pretty much anything he wants.

“Galentine’s Day” transforms February 14

Feb 072013

Equality time

V-Day celebrations, Galentine Day parties and cards, change focus from romance to equality.

by Jody Dallaire

For the second year in a row, the Moncton YWCA’s Young Women’s Collective is inviting Moncton women to celebrate Galentine’s day on February 14. No, that’s not a typo. I said, “Galentine’s Day” and not “Valentine’s Day”.

Science isn’t just for scientists

Feb 062013

Science matters

Citizen scientists advance our world knowledge.

by David Suzuki

A 14-year-old boy in Donetsk, Ukraine, recently made a fascinating discovery halfway around the world and 894 metres under the sea. Kirill Dudko was watching Neptune Canada’s live-stream footage of the ocean floor near Vancouver Island on his computer when he saw a creature with a “nose and moustache” eat a hagfish. It seemed unusual, so he contacted Neptune scientists, who checked the footage and identified an elephant seal.

“Interesting times” at Queen’s Park

Feb 042013

Insight

Nothing is predictable beyond Kathleen Wynne being sworn in as Premier.

by Geoffrey Stevens

Surely everyone has heard of the ancient Chinese curse that translated loosely says “May you live in interesting times.” In fact, the curse may actually be of English, not Chinese, origin and it may have started out as a proverb rather than a curse. But no matter.

Everyone has heard of it — certainly, everyone at Queen’s Park these days. Ontario politics have a reputation for being somewhat predictable. Some might describe them as an especially boring shade of grey. But no longer.

Sexual assault statistics alarming

Jan 312013

Equality time

When rape is part of the culture, we have to change the culture.

By Jody Dallaire

According to Maclean’s magazine, Belleville, Ontario, has the unhappy distinction of having the highest rate of reported sexual assaults per capita, with almost 137 sexual assaults per 100,000 population. But two of the three Canadian cities with the highest sexual assault rates are in New Brunswick: Fredericton and Saint John.

The baffling response to Arctic climate change

Jan 312013

Science matters

Rush to drill in Arctic flouts realization of climate change's catastrophic consequences.

by David Suzuki

The Arctic may seem like a distant place, just as the most extreme consequences of our wasteful use of fossil fuels may appear to be in some distant future. Both are closer than most of us realize.

The Arctic is a focal point for some of the most profound impacts of climate change. One of the world’s top ice experts, Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University, calls the situation a “global disaster,” suggesting ice is disappearing faster than predicted and could be gone within as few as four years.

Kathleen Wynne: class, conviction and courage

Jan 282013

Insight

New Liberal leader looks to wheel and deal with the NDP for survival.

by Geoffrey Stevens

There’s an old saying in politics that new leaders are never stronger than on the day they take over. If they are going to make changes, they should make them quickly, while the goodwill lasts and before their opponents get dug in.

Kathleen Wynne understands. Fresh from her victory at the Ontario Liberal leadership convention, she announced she will recall the Legislature, prorogued since last fall, on February 19. Between now and then, she will appoint a cabinet, prepare a throne speech and meet with the opposition party leaders in the hope of winning their cooperation to avoid an election this spring.

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