Organized, well-funded groups condemning farming practices on social media are winning the consumer trust battle The public uses social media every day to express concerns about farming practices. And it’s getting worse. Farmers are criticized for a variety of reasons – for example their environmental stewardship and their ethical behaviour in how they treat livestock. In survey after survey,
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Environment
Can Starbucks Save The Planet?
on January 29th, 2020
Starbucks is going dairy free, among other measures, to cut its carbon footprint in half by 2030. It’s a bold move and accountability will be key Starbucks’ plan to reduce its carbon emissions is undoubtedly ambitious. It wants to halve its food waste, water use and gas emissions by 2030. Their commitment to becoming a
Canada Missing Out On Shale Revolution
on November 13th, 2019
Shale-gas policy changes, followed by investments across the country, would turn Canada into an international leader in the transition towards clean energy “It takes real skill to derail an industry where Canada has so many competitive advantages,” writes Rick Rule regarding energy markets. The chief executive of Sprott US Holdings, a natural-resource brokerage, says the barrier is
Fishing For Seafood Fraud Report of Questionable Value
on October 24th, 2019
The methodology used by non-profit Oceana for its report lacks scientific rigour Oceana – a non-profit ocean conservation organization – Is known for its splashy reports on fish and seafood fraud. Their cumulative assessment across several Canadian cities showed that 44 per cent of the fish samples assessed were falsely identified. After Halifax, Toronto, Victoria, Ottawa, and
Canada Federal Election Has Ignited Widespread Fury In Alberta
on October 23rd, 2019
It’s imperative that the federal government take the economic woes and resentment felt by the West very seriously. Here’s what can be done Monday’s federal election has ignited widespread fury in Alberta. Some Albertans are even talking of reviving the separatist movement, which is as dumb as a bag of hammers. We should remember that almost
Is Canada Falling Behind in The Economic Policy Debate?
on September 22nd, 2019
American politics has become a tinderbox of extreme inequality and nationalism, but its continuing political crises are sparking major progressive economic policy proposals in response. Much the same is happening in Britain and in both countries the centre ground of economic thinking is shifting rapidly. As Canada heads towards a federal election, we ought to
Climate Change Places Older Adults at Greater Risk
on July 11th, 2019
We need to plan better to protect vulnerable seniors from the impact of climate change An elderly man in Ottawa spent most of last winter snowed in, unable to leave his home, surviving on canned food. Last summer, 54 people died as a result of a heat wave in Quebec, many of them older adults. Seniors’ communities were quickly
How Canada Can Tax Carbon Efficiently
on July 6th, 2019
Carbon tax should replace other, less efficient policies with the same objective and be offset by cuts in other taxes Economists generally agree that imposing a price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is the most efficient way to reduce them while minimizing the drawbacks associated with intervention. The devil, however, is in the details. And
Single-Use Plastic Ban Won’t Solve Waste Problem
on July 2nd, 2019
Economic reasoning and basic statistics show that such bans are largely symbolic gestures that come with real downsides Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently proposed a federal ban on certain single-use plastics, in an effort to protect marine life and the beauty of Canadian shores. But the proposal fails to get to the root of the problem. Trudeau
Fight Climate Extremists Before They Upend Society
Start learning the deep details of the science and economics instead of letting extremists dictate what you’re allowed to think or say Last year was the year the climate issue took a sharp turn towards extremism. Let’s hope 2020 is the year sanity makes a comeback. There have long been three groups occupying the climate