Musical interlude

Shallou - Fading

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Benji Jones writes that the long-predicted mass death of coral reefs due to climate change is coming to pass even as the climate breakdown continues to escalate. Adam Bailey highlights the obscene amounts of money still being thrown at fossil fuels - and the opportunity cost of spending to lock ourselves into dirty energy rather than building a clean future. And Kevin Jiang asks why Canadian governments are ignoring readily-available plans to make indoor air healthy for children. 

- Matteo Cimellaro reports on the work being done by Indigenous leaders to call out the use of the Arctic region as a dumping ground for plastic waste and other dangerous substances. And Maria Paula Rubiano discusses new research showing that exposure to chemicals in plastics results in an increased risk of cancer (among other dangers to health). 

- Ed Zitron writes about the deliberate process which resulted in Google undermining the usefulness of its search engine in order to extract value from users and advertisers alike. And Stephen Moore is nostalgic for the sense of curiosity and excitement which has been ground down by the corporate takeover of online activity.  

- Luke LeBrun talks to economists about the typical false debate playing out over fair taxation - as overwrought Con attacks on feeble Lib plans ignore the reality that there's room to ensure the rich contribute far more to the sources of their wealth.  

- Finally, Arno Kopecky discusses how Pierre Poilievre is bent on seeing the next election fought over a false portrayal of carbon pricing - to the exclusion of any issues which could actually improve people's lives to any meaningful extent. And Christopher Holcroft writes about the risks of normalizing Poilievre's contempt for truth and democracy. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Umair Irfan discusses the possibility that carbon pollution may have reached its peak in 2023 - while recognizing that even if that proves true, there's still a long way to go in reducing the additional climate carnage being inflicted by continued emissions. Justin Nobel notes that the damage done by the fossil fuel sector includes exposing workers to waste which is more radioactive than Chernobyl. And Kathryn Willis et al. recognize that the oil industry's plan to ramp up plastic production will mean a gigantic increase in another harmful byproduct. 

- Meanwhile, Sharon Lerner reports on the EPA's plans to raise the amount of a toxic pesticide permitted on food based on testing limited to isolated cells rather than the people who stand to be affected. 

- Ian Welsh highlights how Canada's housing affordability crisis can be traced back to the expectation by existing property owners that they'll be handed consistent windfall increases in their property values. 

- Becky Robertson reports on Loblaws' continued shrinkflation and price gouging even as they and other oligopolists insist on having free rein to exploit consumers as they see fit. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga discusses Danielle Smith's choice to fund yet another anti-public-health diatribe with public money - this time paying a disgraced COVID denialist physician to launder conspiracy theories through a secret task force. And Joel Dryden reports that the UCP is fully aware of dozens of medical clinics advertising membership fees - but is looking for excuses to avoid bringing them into compliance with the law prohibiting charging for access to medically necessary services. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Sean Boynton reports on new research showing that the deadline 2021 heat dome was significantly exacerbated by the climate crisis. And William Boos discusses modeling showing a strong likelihood that we'll see another record-breaking summer for heat and humidity in the tropics. 

- Meanwhile, Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood notes that even as the Cons shriek about even the slightest policy aimed at alleviating the climate breakdown, the Libs' budget is pushing action down the road (and in some cases even reducing previously-planned funding over the next few years). 

- Amanda Chu and Jamie Smyth report on the predictable role of Exxon and other fossil fuel conglomerates in trying to stall progress on a global plastics treaty. And Craig Hodge, Christina Seidel & Natasha Tucker discuss the need to take a full life-cycle view in managing plastic pollution. 

- Luke Savage takes note of the push to boycott the Loblaws empire, while lamenting the futility of trying to withhold business from an oligopoly. 

- Finally, Martin Lukacs discusses how Pierre Poilievre is parroting big pharma's talking points in seeking to prevent Canadians from having access to needed medications. Luke LeBrun reports on Poilievre's latest meet-and-greet with Diagolon extremists and other rebranded arms of the Flu Trux Klan. And Steve Buist makes a valiant if futile appeal for Poilievre to stop trafficking in cynical fearmogering and general madness. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Primed cat. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Robin McKie warns that the next pandemic is likely to develop from a flu virus, while Augie Ray offers a reminder that we're still seeing waves of COVID-19 sweep through the population. And Alexander Quon and Zak Vescera report on warnings of the exponential spread of COVID which the Sask Party chose to deny and minimize with catastrophic results. 

- Samantha Harrington reports on new data showing that the death toll from the climate crisis is at least in the tens of thousands of people per year - and likely much higher. Jamey Keaten reports on the International Labour Organization's plea to recognize and counter the risks to workers from extreme heat and other environmental dangers. And Tim Palmer laments the lack of progress in developing high-resolution climate models to allow us both to better plan for climate changes, and to attribute responsibility. 

- Leah Borts-Kuperman exposes North Bay's collusion with a plastics manufacturer to squelch any discussion about "forever chemicals" in drinking water. 

- Luke LeBrun points out that Pierre Poilievre has a fan and kindred spirit in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. 

- Finally, David Macdonald highlights how the capital gains tax tweaks which have the corporate lobby streaming about supposed harm to the middle class in fact have no effect on anybody below the wealthiest  0.13 per cent of Canadians. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- The Climate Change Performance Update's latest update shows Canada tumbling to the bottom of the world's development countries in climate performance - even as right-wing petropoliticians demand that we make matters worse. Justin Ling discusses how we've ended up with that painful gap between any reasonable response to the climate crisis and what's seen as politically possible, while Colin Bruce Anthes makes the case for a sharp shift toward direct government intervention as a carbon tax put in place to appease free-market zealots faces imminent execution at the hands of Canada's corporate party. And Bill McKibben rightly opines that the business sector's antipathy toward protecting our living environment can only be seen as suicidal. 

- Meanwhile, Aliénor Rougeot and Anna McIntosh note that beyond their feeble climate policy, the Libs have also failed to address water pollution from the tar sands. And Rachel Uda reports on new research showing that the microplastics shed by the oil industry's backup plan to continue production can produce increased risks of heart attacks and stroke beyond their other harmful environmental effects. 

- George Monbiot laments the reality that we've allowed our politics and societies to be dominated by bullies. And John Harris discusses how a new political movement rooted in nature is beginning to build up strength in the UK. 

- Rosa Marchitelli and Jenn Blair report on the poisoning of multiple teenaged Co-op employees with carbon monoxide - and the Sask Party government's choice not to hold the employer responsible for repeatedly exposing young workers to severe risks.  

- Finally, Jason Markusoff discusses the UCP's plans to subject all university research in Alberta to alt-right ideological screening. 

Musical interlude

Iva Olo - Remnants

 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Emily Eaton, Andrew Stevens and Sean Tucker discuss how the corporate fossil fuel sector is blocking workers from pursuing sustainable jobs as part of a just transition. And Kate Yoder writes that there's an entirely plausible basis to hold big oil accountable for climate homicide. 

- Darrin Qualman writes that governments should focus on actual carbon emission reductions rather than treating agricultural "offsets" as a meaningful response to the climate crisis. And Julia-Simone Rutgers reports on Manitoba farmers who are taking wetland preservation into their own hands. 

- Dorothy Woodend reviews Food Inc. 2 - and concludes that the only problem with an updated look at the horrors of corporate food production is the apparent need to shoehorn in notes of optimism which seem wholly unwarranted. And Bill Marler discusses the gob-smacking revelation that children are suffering from lead poisoning due to a supplier's decision to add lead to cinnamon to increase the weight of its product. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow discusses the dangers of the concentration of wealth and power in corporations which are too big to care about actual competition. And Doc Burford offers a thorough review and critique of the anti-social management philosophy which is taken as gospel among our current corporate class. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Maanvi Singh reports on the corporate purchase of water rights in Arizona which signals the diversion of the necessities of life to the highest bidder once greed and mismanagement have undermined their availability. 

- Drew Anderson writes about the similar water crisis facing Alberta (and the rest of the prairie provinces who rely on the water which originates there). Michael Franklin reports on the new awareness of sulfolane contamination, as a chemical whose primary purpose is to "sweeten" fossil fuel operations risks making water resources unusable. And Margaret McGregor, Ulrike Meyer, Amira Aker and Élyse Caron-Beaudoin discuss the public health harms caused by fracking. 

- Jim Handy rightly argues that our current state of climate negligence will appear absolutely inexplicable from a historical perspective. But John Woodside reports on the swarm of dirty energy lobbyists who pushed to prioritize extraction and short-term returns over people's well-being in advance of the federal budget alone. And Fatima Syed reports on the Ford PCs' decision to make homeowners subsidize a continued flow of profits for Enbridge in the name of housing affordability. 

- Meanwhile, John Clarke discusses how we won't make any progress in making housing more available without making an effort to decommodify it. And Patrick Rail reports on Equifax' latest data showing that half of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque as corporate profiteers extract every possible nickel from consumers. 

- Finally, Trevor Tombe highlights why higher taxes on capital gains make sense even based on pure economic theory - which of course won't stop the Cons and the anti-tax brigade from pretending that preferential treatment for the wealthy few is somehow an issue of affordability for the general public. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jenna Wenkoff discusses how "ethical oil" is purely a (risible) marketing concept rather than any meaningful description of actual fossil fuel operations, while Chris Russell discusses how the tar sands' environmental disinformation is even worse than people assume. Ian Urquhart writes that the UCP's fervent ideological aversion to clean energy is resulting in it blocking viable development. And Jeremy Appel reveals the details of Danielle Smith's publicly-funded trip to undermine any climate progress in Dubai. 

- Bob Weber reports on the release of documents showing how the UCP conspired to push open-pit coal mining in the Rocky Mountains without any public scrutiny. And Gregory Beatty discusses how Scott Moe is bent on further endangering Saskatchewan's already-precarious water supply by planning to suck up massive amounts for industrial and irrigation use while undermining the natural wetlands which help protect water quality. 

- Meanwhile, Nature offers a warning that fossil fuel lobbyists are undermining any effort at developing a treaty to account for the dangers of plastics pollution. 

- Adele Peters discusses how thoughtful lawmaking can make a massive difference, as Oregon's right-to-repair law is forcing Apple and other manufacturers to start making part replacement an option rather than pushing people to discard their products and buy new. 

- Finally, Bob McDonald interviews Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly about the latest studies showing COVID-19's long-term impacts on the brain. And Nhung Trinh et al. find that a large set of data from Norway supports the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the prevalence and severity of long COVID.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Centrepiece cat.

 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Emilia Belliveau makes the case for the fossil fuel sector to start paying for the harm it causes through carbon pollution, rather than being subsidized to lock us into dirty energy for decades to come. And Glenn Scherer reports on Johan Rockström's work to have planetary boundaries treated as the viral security issues that they are - though as Natasha Walter notes, the powers that be are more interested in using the power of the state to silence anybody who dares to mention the climate crisis. 

- Max Fawcett writes that many Albertans stand to pay the price for Danielle Smith's choice to focus primarily on stopping absolutely anything the federal government does, rather than allowing for anybody to work toward the well-being of citizens. 

- Jim Stanford discusses the drain on productivity in the gig economy where workers are regularly paid nothing to do nothing. 

- Finally, Andre Picard points out the absurdity of trying to blame a myriad of social woes (most with far more obvious policy-related sources) on the single issue of drug decriminalization. And Kenyon Wallace reports on an immense death toll among young Canadians as one of the harms caused by both drug toxicity and unpredictability of dosages where people are forced to seek out illicit supplies. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Amy Westervelt and Kyle Pope call out five of the most insidious fossil fuel propaganda messages. Fiona Harvey reports on Todd Stern's rightful observation that the continued pushing of fossil fuels in the name of "grownup" decision-making in fact represents a catastrophic failure of leadership. And Johannes Stangl points out that a concerted focus on removing the lowest-value carbon pollution could slash emissions by 20% with minimal economic impact. 

- Meanwhile, in case anybody wanted to pretend that the carbon-fueled status quo was somehow defensible as a means of improving the lot of developing countries, Andrea Shalai reports on the World Bank's warning that inequality between the richest and poorest countries is worsening as development stagnates at the lower end of the spectrum. 

- Jimmy Thomson discusses how Yellowknife, Fort McMurray and other communities hit with calamitous wildfires are bracing for their next emergencies. Crawford Kilian writes about the RCMP's concealed recognition of the stormy future in store for Canada. And Eric Shragge and Jason Prince write that municipalities could be the engines to tackle the most important crises we face - though of course right-wing provincial governments are doing everything in their power to prevent anybody else from filling their own leadership vacuums.  

- Finally, Andre Mayer writes that one of the main obstacles to housing affordability is the choice to financialize real estate. And John Dorman points out that nobody is well served by a situation in which some people feel obliged to stay in larger houses than they need for want of practical alternatives, while others are unable to find houses of exactly that size for their families. 

Musical interlude

Deadmau5 - Wish You Were There (Ratchet Remix)

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Graham Lawton writes that continued (or worse yet growing) inequality represents an intractable obstacle to ameliorating the climate crisis. Laurence Tubiana discusses the importance of taxing polluters, while Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin expose how big oil is trying to bribe its way out of any accountability for the damage it's caused. And the Economist points out that even as the industry at the centre of the climate crisis tries to buy its way out of any responsibility, there's no obvious answer to the question of who will pay for the homes and infrastructure being destroyed by a climate breakdown. 

- Tom Perkins discusses the EPA's tentative steps toward regulating a few "forever chemicals" in drinking water, but notes that there's far more to be done both in cleaning up existing contamination and expanding the range of carcinogens covered. 

- Mike Crawley reports on the grocery oligopolists who are lobbying Doug Ford's government to have somebody else pay for the mess they create with excessive waste. And Milca Meconnen, Tasmin Adel and Kari Guo discuss the dangerous combination of worsening poverty and escalating costs of essentials including food and housing. 

- Finally, Richmond and Richmond note that Britons who narrowly voted for Brexit based on a steaming pile of disinformation have come to deeply regret that decision. And Lisa Young writes that there's every reason to be similarly concerned about Danielle Smith's plans to sever Alberta from any federal plans or funding which don't pass the UCP's ideological vetting process. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Joan Westenberg discusses how to fight back in the war against knowledge, while Julia Doubleday calls out the lengths to which the New York Times and other outlets are going in avoiding any acknowledgment of the continuing effects of COVID-19. And in case there were any doubt as to the costs of know-nothingism and contrived skepticism, Beth Mole reports on the CDC's warning that the U.S. is in imminent danger of seeing measles become endemic again after having been eradicated. 

- Meanwhile, Blake Murdoch points out that a concerted effort to clean indoor air can help protect against a myriad of diseases, while Joey Fox notes that improved ventilation helps to lessen short-range spread as well as long-range transmission. 

- Georgina Rannard reports on the finding of the European Court of Human Rights that a failure to comply with climate commitments constitutes a human rights violation. And Steve Lorteau highlights how the right-wing fixation on carbon pricing serves only to distract from the real distortion and harm caused by ongoing subsidies for dirty energy. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk discusses how human activity is rapidly draining crucial fresh water resources. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga writes that the UCP is putting ideology over evidence and care in its puritanical drug policy. And Dave Cournoyer notes that Danielle Smith has decided she isn't satisfied with refusing to do anything to help meet public needs, resulting in her now using the power of the province to stifle any attempts by the federal government and municipalities to do anything of the sort. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Alex Tanzi reports on new research showing how COVID-19 has radically changed the main causes of death globally. And Michael Peluso et al. study how COVID can persist and do damage to the body long after an initial infection. 

- Benjamin Wehrmann reports on new research showing that the pattern of grossly underestimated methane pollution extends to lignite coal mining in Germany. 

- John Timmer reports that the EPA is just now getting around to requiring the monitoring and containment of carcinogenic chemicals emitted by petrochemical production. Ben Collison notes that Canada's insufficient penalties for industrial pollution serve only to encourage severe environmental damage as a publicly-subsidized cost of doing business. And Duncan Kinney discusses how Alberta workers are dying as a result of the UCP's lack of interest in enforcing workplace health and safety rules.  

- David Climenhaga writes that while western separatists are both loud on their own and heavily promoted by right-wing media and politicians for their own purposes, they're entirely out of touch with the vast majority of the people they claim to speak for. And Max Fawcett notes that while the Flu Trux Klan has rebranded to fit into the Cons' hyperfixation on carbon pricing, it doesn't seem to have learned anything else about the system of government it's still seeking to overthrow. But Thomas Zimmer points out that supposedly "respectable conservatives" are ushering in fascism in the U.S. by painting the slightest advocacy for inclusion and equality as a greater threat than violent repression and insurrection - a strategy which is being replicated in Canada. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow points out the one key upside of the development of immense global monopolies - as it should in theory be easier to coordinate wide-scale, international efforts to counter corporate power when citizens everywhere have a common adversary. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Tabled cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Cory Doctorow discusses the inherent impossibility of trying to build any public good on an economic system centered on selfishness:

This is the problem at the core of "mechanism design" grounded in "rational self-interest." If you try to create a system where people do the right thing because they're selfish assholes, you normalize being a selfish asshole. Eventually, the selfish assholes form a cozy little League of Selfish Assholes and turn on the rest of us.   

Appeals to morality don't work on unethical people, but appeals to immorality crowds out ethics.

- Meanwhile, Andrew Jackson points out that Canada's real productivity problem is its embrace of neoliberalism. 

- Adam King discusses how pay transparency produces better results for workers. Francesca Fionda notes that corporate mining operators are having difficulty finding workers due to the public's recognition of the industry's track record of abuse. And Zak Vescera reports on Simon Fraser University's use of public money to hire a fossil fuel-connected firm to spy on striking teaching assistants. 

- Clayton Page Aldern writes that the effects of a climate breakdown will foreseeably include a more violent world as well as a hotter and more parched one. Doug Cuthand highlights how Canada's shouting match over carbon pricing is keeping us from even talking about the scope of policy needed to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And Chris Hatch reports on polling showing that the Cons have fostered a culture of denialism which renders them unwilling to even acknowledge the reality of climate change. And Darryl Greer reports that terminal operators are claiming the entitlement to hide their carbon pollution as a "trade secret". 

- Finally, Joel Dryden and Carla Turner report on the dwindling water resources in southern Alberta - which would represent a problem for any reality-based Saskatchewan government, particularly one planning to throw billions at an irrigation scheme which relies on water that's either disappearing or becoming polluted. And Fatima Syed points out that Ontario is rapidly burning through its available landfill space (due mostly to businesses and institutional dumpers). 

Musical interlude

Lastlings - Let You In

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Thomas Neuberger (via Ian Welsh) discusses the imminent reality that insurers will refuse to cover massive swaths of property due to the climate crisis - even as the public money which could provide a social insurance alternative continues to be spent exacerbating the problem through fossil fuel subsidies. And Joan Westenberg notes that many people will own less assets to insure in the first place, as a default model of temporary access to everyday needs at extortionary prices replaces any expectation that people will have personal property of their own. 

- Jonathan Watts reports on a new analysis showing how 80% of all carbon pollution can be sourced to just a few dozen oil, gas, coal and cement producers. And Carl Meyer reports on new research showing how Canada's tar sands operators are lying to the public about "net-zero plans" which in fact serve as nothing but excuses for continued (or even increased) emissions. 

- Michael Harris examines how the right's general war on democracy is playing out in Canada. And David Moscrop is duly appalled that the concept of ensuring that hungry children have food to eat is being shot down by the Cons and their provincial cousins.  

- Finally, Samia Madwar asks whether work is inherently toxic - while also pointing out many of the factors which make it far more so than necessary. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Rachel Fairbank discusses how a patient-led research collaborative is filling in the gaps in long COVID research and treatment. 

- Re.Climate examines (PDF) the state of Canadian public opinion on the climate crisis - which sadly features a stark and growing gap between recognition of the need for action, and support for meaningful policy. David Stanway reports on a new study showing that renewable energy deployment is lagging far behind what's needed to allow for a clean energy transition. Anand Ram and Benjamin Shingler report that Canada's wildfires more than counterbalanced any gains made in global tree cover in 2023. And Max Fawcett notes that the Cons' current excuse for a climate plan is an unfunny joke, while Doug Cuthand points out that the Saskatchewan Party and UCP are determined to make matters worse. 

- The Basic Income Earth Network and other signatories discuss how the security provided by a basic income is necessary to achieve climate justice. 

- Rupert Neate reports on new research showing that not a single one of the world's young billionaires obtained that status other than through gigantic inheritances. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga offers a warning about the UCP's plans to turn massive amounts of health care funding over to the cause of drug harm exacerbation. And Armine Yalnizyan points out that the Ford PCs are going out of their way to throw money at the same corporate care operators who caused mass illness and suffering at the start of the COVID pandemic. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Festive cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Tinker Ready discusses how the decision to let COVID-19 spread unabated in the name of "business as usual" has lead to an entirely foreseeable spike in cases of long COVID. Accesswire notes that the carnage from COVID includes an increase in thyroid disorders. And new research from USC sheds some light on how delayed inflammation following infection can prove dangerous or even deadly, while Emma Partiot et al. study some of the molecular effects of COVID on the brain. 

- Brian Kateman argues that the ultimate effects of a climate breakdown are best depicted as involving massive suffering rather than a dead planet - though our experience with COVID should surely disabuse us of the notion that we'll be particularly motivated to avert that outcome. Steve Lorteau points out that the Canadian public is paying far more in subsidies to fossil fuel companies than in carbon taxes. And Natasha Bulowski looks at new polling confirming that the Canadian public is well aware of the need for a just transition to a clean economy - even as we're presented with a relentless stream of propaganda from petropoliticians and media outlets alike in the service of continued carbon pollution. 

- Liam O'Connor reports on Eric Cline's call for Saskatchewan to work on getting fair value for its potash, rather than windfall profits for multinational mining conglomerates as the highest and best use of natural resources. (And it's particularly remarkable to see even Jack Mintz recognize that corporate operators are set to take more than their fair share of the returns.) 

- Finally, John Hall's analysis of the false choice between corporatist parties in the UK has plenty of application to Canada's political scene as well. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Aaron Wherry discusses the deadly-serious consequences of climate denialism which is driven by frivolous rhetoric. And Andre Mayer points out the numerous ways in which the climate breakdown is actually responsible for the increased cost of living which is being used as an excuse to stall what little action has been planned to try to combat change. 

- Sachi Mulkey reports on new research showing that methane from landfills represents just one more area in which we're spewing more carbon pollution than previously documented (or taken into account in climate change plans). And Ben Webster reports on a carbon capture project which ExxonMobil isn't bothering to complete after trumpeting it as an excuse for fossil fuel expansion.  

- Hugo Daniel reports on the misinformation and denialism from a major asbestos supplier which has continued to pollute information flows long after the dangers of asbestos use were widely known. And Maureen Tkacik discusses how Boeing purged its organization of people who knew how to build safe airplanes in order to maximize short-term profits. 

- Candice Odgers reviews Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation - and in the process points out that anybody genuinely concerned about children's well-being should be working primarily on alleviating real-world stressors, rather than focusing solely and conveniently on social media. And Emine Saner discusses how Estonia's focus on fostering a supportive environment for children and teachers alike has resulted in better educational performance. 

- Finally, Katya Schwenk reports on how large corporates are funneling dark money into buying extreme firepower for police forces - making them both more likely to pursue extreme violence, and biased to direct it against people without the same level of wealth or power. And Doug Cuthand highlights how prisons have replaced residential schools as the main institution used to impose control on Indigenous people. 

Musical interlude

The Beaches - Blame Brett

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Rumtin Sepasspour and Courtney Tee write that it's impossible for governments to prevent and prepare for catastrophic risks when they're deliberately operating in denial that such risks even exist. And Crawford Kilian points out how the fact that we're still in the midst of a global pandemic doesn't mean we've developed mechanisms capable of responding to another one. 

- Meanwhile, Jamie Ducharme writes about the utter abandonment of anybody trying to maintain some level of COVID-19 precautions. And Erin Clack discusses the continuing stream of research showing the negative effects of COVID on the brain, while Lauren Pelley highlights how updated vaccines remain important even as their availability is becoming less and less certain. 

- Steven Trask reports on the latest revelation of a "carbon credit" project which has turned out to be an utter failure - which is worth keeping in mind in particular as the federal government's climate change consultation includes a predictable push to accept foreign credits as a substitute for emission reductions. And Natasha White examines how banks are recognizing the dangers of funding the fossil fuel sector - but how the financial sector is responding by shunting dirty loans into separate private entities. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow writes about the realities of trying to operate in systems which people can't fully understand under circumstances where the corporations with direct control and the governments who are supposed to serve the public interest have both proven utter failures in protecting our interests. And Sam Biddle exposes how any posturing by Elon Musk and X about the evils of government surveillance is entirely selective given that they've turned the sale of their own surveillance data into a profit centre. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Anthony Newall et al. study the effects of the influenza vaccine - finding that each percentage point in vaccine uptake saves over a thousand U.S. lives which would otherwise have been lost to the flu and pneumonia. And Kit O'Connell discusses how people suffering from long COVID are advocating for a healthier living environment for everybody.

- Chris Hatch writes that the narrow focus on carbon taxes which dominates Canada's climate change policy discussion misses the far more important realities of a global crisis in progress. And Benjamin Shingler reports on Environmental Defence's latest study showing how the federal government continues to subsidize dirty energy, while Kendall Latimer notes that the official policy of the Saskatchewan Party remains one of strict climate denialism. 

- Daniel Otis takes note of an internal RCMP report showing that we're trending toward disaster on multiple fronts (though of course in ways that the Cons only want to exacerbate). Peter Walker writes that the U.K. Cons along with other right-wing parties are eagerly copying the Trump playbook of constant disinformation and bullying. And Abby Ferber discusses how the U.S.' bigoted right has set back racial progress by decades with a concerted attack ideas as basic as diversity and inclusion. 

- Angus Deaton writes about the lessons he's learned about the failings and frailties of capitalist orthodoxy. 

- Finally, Ian Welsh discusses the converse of the key principle that anything we can do, we can afford: when crisis hits, we can't afford anything which we've abandoned the capacity to accomplish. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Collapsed cat.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brian Klaas writes about the death of substantive policy discussion as both media and political actors focus primarily on horse-race messaging rather than identifying and solving problems. And Kohei Saito highlights the limiting effects of an underlying assumption that our society and economy must serve the cause of perpetual growth while ignoring a worsening polycrisis. 

- John Woodside discusses how Pierre Poilievre and the Cons are fully devoted to misinformation about carbon pricing, while Gillian Steward notes that the purpose and effect of a grossly simplistic and misleading slogan is to escape any willingness to even acknowledge - let alone propose action to address - the ongoing climate crisis. 

- Meanwhile, Carl Meyer reports on Irving Oil's lobbying efforts to do even less to answer for a business model built on carbon pollution. And Tim Rauf writes about Danielle Smith's double standard which mouths environmental principles in order to stall the development of clean energy, but allows for fossil fuel interests to spew carbon pollution and toxic chemicals without limit in a direct public subsidy to dirty energy operations. 

- Meanwhile, David Climenhaga discusses the UCP's decision to treat offloading patients into unequipped motels as a complete substitute for providing health care. 

- Finally, Glen Pyle writes about the latest research showing that COVID vaccinations help to prevent cardiovascular risks and other harmful outcomes. 

Musical interlude

Texas King - Whatever You Break

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Maximilian Kotz et al. study the foreseeable effect of the climate crisis on the cost of food, and find that increased global warming will result in systemic inflation in food prices. And Matthew Taylor reports on research showing that the carbon pollution from major oil and gas companies alone may cause millions of heat deaths by 2100.

- But in case anybody thought the fossil fuel sector had any scruples about the destruction it plans to wreak on the rest of the world, Oliver Milman reports on a gathering of CEOs insisting that the success of its past denialism and obstructionism means we should abandon any effort to transition to cleaner energy. And Elizabeth May writes that there's no lack of resources preventing Canada from making a just transition as long as we don't consider ourselves bound to serve oil executives more than the rest of the planet. 

- Adam Thorn and Sarah Butson examine the disproportionate harm caused by heavy diesel vehicles. And David Moscrop discusses how cars generally are turning into surveillance devices. 

- Finally, Stephen Magusiak reports that the extremist organization running the UCP is continuing to thumb its nose at the law, this time by both refusing to cooperate with an investigation into Take Back Alberta and warning that "the powerful" (i.e. large secret donors) will punish anybody who dares to try to apply the law to it.  

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett discuss why the world can't afford the rich. And Cory Doctorow points out that class-based advocacy for better material conditions tends to be a political winner even in the U.S. - but that it's not generally presented as an option by Democrats determined to present themselves as compliant to the wishes of the corporate class.  

- Gavin Schmidt discusses how the climate breakdown is happening faster and more severely than previously projected. Matthew Rozsa reports on new research identifying the human "fingerprints" associated with rising sea surface temperatures. And Chloe Lucas et al. highlight how children are immersed in the reality of a climate catastrophe in progress which our political class is devoted to denying or minimizing. 

- Meanwhile, Peter Dietsch calls out the fanatical opposition to even restricting fossil fuel advertising as the truly extreme position on climate policy. And Les Whittington highlights how the constant carbon tax bleating from the Cons and their provincial proxies is based entirely on misinformation - though we shouldn't fall into Whittington's trap of treating a modest, small-c conservative pricing scheme as the essence of progressive policy. 

- Drew Anderson contrasts Danielle Smith's fervent insistence on pushing the extreme environmental harm caused by dirty resource extraction and pollution against her choice to ban renewable energy in the name of "pristine viewscapes". And David Barrett and Kelly Black point out how much of the population of western Canada stands to suffer from the UCP's willingness to destroy watersheds in southern Alberta. 

- Finally, Darren Cotton writes about the development of repair cafes as a means to give effect to the right to repair and the principle of reducing waste. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jess Davis reports on the World Meteorological Organization's conclusion that 2023 saw the worst-ever level of climate breakdown under every key indicator. And Brett Christophers rightly argues that we'll never make progress in combating the climate crisis as long as we're operating under the short-sighted, greed-based capitalist system that precipitated it (and whose main actors are systematically breaching even their own selective promises).  

- Bob Yirka reports on research showing that food packaging is replete with dozens of "forever chemicals" - the vast majority of which are banned from exactly that use. And Dylan Baddour discusses the massive handouts being shoveled into petrochemicals and plastics manufacturing which cause immense environmental harm at both the individual and community levels.  

- Meanwhile, Aki Ito reports on research showing that recessions may actually be producing longer lifespans, as the positive effects of reduced traffic and pollution outweigh any effects of reduced income. 

- Erica Ifill writes that the Libs' attempt to solve a shortage of housing with handouts to rich developers is doing nothing but to strengthen the position of the Cons as they seek to make matters even worse. 

- Finally, Mordecai Kurz discusses how capitalism is directly opposed to the pursuit of democracy.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Folded cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- The World Meteorological Organization's State of the Climate report highlights how higher temperatures and devastating consequences have become the norm around the globe. Anand Ram reports on a new study showing that the effects included a jarring new development, as air quality in Canadian cities was worse than that in the U.S. for the first time ever. And Liza Gross reports on research into the harm caused by petrochemicals beyond the destruction of our environmental habitat. 

- But Jessica Corbett notes that even in the midst of a year of obvious climate breakdown, the corporate media provided less coverage of the climate crisis. And David Suzuki calls out Danielle Smith and the UCP for being determined to make matters worse even as Alberta faces wildfires, droughts and other calamitous climate effects. 

- Francesca Fionda and Ainslie Cruickshank report on a new study showing that the estimated cleanup costs from Teck's Elk Valley coal mine are three times what the company has set aside - meaning that the public figures to be on the hook for billions of dollars once the fossil fuel profits have been extracted. 

- Joan Westenberg opines that we shouldn't get caught up in the cult of productivity. Cory Doctorow discusses how "wellness surveillance" in fact increases stress for workers subjected to increased control by exploitative employers. Janine Jackson interviews Alfredo Lopez about the U.S. corporate sector's complete devaluation of elders (and anybody else who isn't readily exploited). And Lisa Kwon reports on the multiple Republican states who are slashing child labour protections so kids can be turned into profit centres sooner. 

- Meanwhile, Martin Lukacs, Katia Lo Innes and Xavier Richer Vis expose how the Cons' fund-raising apparatus is based on providing corporate lobbyists with a system of cash for access. 

- Finally, Adam King discusses the effect of British Columbia's card-check certification as a positive example of what happens when governments choose to empower workers rather than catering solely to profiteers. 

Musical interlude

Elderbrook & Tourist - Howl

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Andrew Phillips offers a reminder that Canada will pay the price for a climate breakdown whether or not it partially prices emissions in the moment - though it's worth noting that even the existing combination of taxes and regulations falls far short of the investments we should be making in transitioning to a clean society (especially when compared to the massive subsidies incentivizing increased fossil fuel extraction). And Aaron Wherry notes that thanks in part to the know-nothingism of the Cons and their oil industry backers, there's very little public awareness of the rebate side of the federal carbon pricing system. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk points out that Danielle Smith is adopting some of the most laughable coal baron talking points on the planet in an attempt to excuse pushing further extraction with no regard for the climate crisis or the need for potable water. 

- David Climenhaga writes about the UCP's plans to assemble a provincial police force under their political control. And Jim Bronskill reports that the bigoted Flu Trux Klan was given primacy over any interest in police safety, as officers weren't warned of active threats to harm police.   

- David Moscrop writes about the immense power accumulated by Loblaws as a provider of everything, and corporate tech giants as the largest monopolists on the planet. And Erica Johnson et al. report on the continued pressure banks are putting on their employees to push financial products which consumers don't want or need. 

- Finally, Susan Riley writes that the prescription drug plan being developed at the federal level represents only a few baby steps toward a full pharmacare program - and wonders whether we'll ever see that latter goal reached. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Kate Irwin reports on new research showing that dozens of the U.S.' largest corporations are doling out more money to their five top executives than they paid in total federal income tax. And Robert Renger makes the case that windfall gains in British Columbia property values should be taxed to ensure the benefits aren't limited to those already wealthy enough to own land.  

- Seth Borenstein reports on yet another month of record-high temperatures, while Thor Benson notes that the fossil fuel sector's claim to be limiting methane emissions is proving as disingenuous as its other climate messaging. 

- Phillip Meintzer and Alienor Rougeot point out that if the UCP were actually interested in limiting the environmental impact of energy production, it would be focusing on the tar sands rather than selectively undermining renewables, while Jordan Kanygin reports on the lack of any return on massive public giveaways to major oil companies to clean up their own industry's messes. Bob Weber reports on the Alberta Energy Regulator's findings that there's no air of reality to Danielle Smith's attempt to paint renewables as a threat to agriculture or the environment. And Norm Farrell highlights how British Columbia is belatedly recognizing the value of investing in distributed clean energy rather than falling for the promises surrounding megaprojects. 

- Finally, Joel Lexchin highlights the dangers of an opaque financial relationship between big pharma and the health-care providers who can be induced to push its products. And Nicole Brockbank, Angelina King and Lori Ward report on the growing pile of documentation refuting Shoppers Drug Mart's claim not to have a plan to exploit public funding for medication reviews. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Melissa Lem and Samantha Green write about the push from the health care community to ensure that fossil fuel companies can't keep deceiving the public about the harm caused by their operations. And John Woodside reports on the majority popular support for a windfall tax on oil companies - even in the provinces where they've entirely captured the political class. 

- Meanwhile, Max Kozlov discusses new research showing that the oil industry's pivot to plastics stands to create a whole new set of harms to people's health. 

- Peter Walker reports on a new study showing that policies supporting low vehicle traffic produce immense fiscal and health benefits. And for anybody needing an additional push away from car culture, Kashmir Hill exposes how auto manufacturers are tracking and sharing details about drivers' activity with data brokers.  

- Ricardo Tranjan writes about the effectiveness of rent controls in reducing housing costs - while refuting the myth that they do anything to limit the supply of homes. 

- Finally, Kate Schneider reports on the private parties being held in millionaires' mansions to facilitate  Pierre Poilievre's pay-for-access fund-raisers. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Sprawled cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brishti Basu reports on the ill effects of WorkSafeBC's decision to push people back to work while they continue to suffer from long COVID. And Alex Skopic calls out the CDC's choice to direct people back to work while they're still infected with COVID-19, while Reina Sultan talks to experts who point out the obvious and avoidable risks to others including workers and customers arising from that guideline. 

- Anita Hofschneider writes about the looming prospect that the effects of a climate breakdown will include the exposure of nuclear waste. And Mari Yamaguchi reports that 13 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, authorities still have little idea of the condition of the damaged reactors or the status of the fuel waiting inside. 

- Meanwhile, Joseph Winters reports on the push to ban detergent pods due to their propensity to release microplastics into the environment - as well as the reality that the problem with microplastics generated by clothing goes far deeper. 

- Mouhamad Rachini discusses how teachers across Canada are barely getting by (while administrators have put more and more unqualified babysitters in charge of children as a substitute for providing adequate education resources). And Megan Ogilvie highlights how Ontario has been driving family doctors out of the profession while funneling money toward impersonal corporate substitutes. 

- Finally, Paul Willcocks rightly questions why a supposedly austerian Vancouver mayor and council are funneling tens of millions of dollars to a single private school. Jennifer Lee reports on the $97 million price tag to reverse the effects of the UCP's ideological decision to push lab services into the corporate sector. And Adam King points out the much higher cost of Doug Ford's attempt to suppress public-sector wages. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Bill McGuire discusses why anybody with an understanding of climate science is terrified of a living environment that's careening out of control. Carbon Brief notes that there's plenty of public support for meaningful climate action. But Andre Mayer observes that while the wealthiest and most powerful people are using their outsized influence to make matters worse, they're also spending large amount of money trying to insulate themselves from the consequences of a disastrous future.  

- Ajit Niranjan reports on new research showing how the oil industry has been systematically undermining clean energy for over a half a century. And Aaron Regunberg and David Arkush write that there's a compelling case to prosecute fossil fuel companies for homicide as a result. 

- Meanwhile, Elizabeth Chuck reports on new research showing widespread harm caused by exposure to leaded gasoline. And Drew Anderson points out how fracking is a major contributor to Alberta's looming water crisis. 

- Gleb Tsipursky discusses how return-to-office mandates are all about employer control (with no consideration for anybody's well-being or even productivity). And Ashlie Stevens highlights how Kellogg's and other corporate food producers are rightly getting called out for greedflation to line their own pockets while consumers' expenses spiral out of control. 

- Taylor Noakes writes that Brian Mulroney's death should serve as reason to remember how he imposed corporate control at every turn - not to paper over the damage. And Michael Sainato reports on the growing push by U.S.' corporate overlords to outlaw any labour organizing and collective action which might create a check on their power.  

- Finally, David Moscrop discusses the growing movement for a global weath tax on billionaires.