Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Sascha Pare reports on the growing recognition that methane emissions could trigger "termination" events which see tundra turn into tropical savannah. And Robson Fletcher reports on a drop in wheat production caused by drought which may make staple foods far more expensive. 

- Dharna Noor reports on Fossil Free Future's work to point out how the oil industry continues to push us toward civilizational catastrophe in the name of an insatiable addiction to short-term profit. But Simon Black, Ian Parry and Nate Verson chart how dirty energy subsidies are hitting record levels even as the consequences of a climate breakdown become increasingly clear. 

- Arya Rao and Shira Hornstein point out the related effects of climate change and poor housing on public health. Stephanie Swensrude reports on the City of Edmonton's recognition that suburban sprawl is worse for citizens from the standpoint of direct cost as well as health and community. And Michael Gorman reports on a review of Nova Scotia's housing situation which has flagged the need to enforce landlord compliance - which has apparently been buried for reaching that inconvenient conclusion. 

- April Short discusses how models based on free and shared goods are surviving and thriving, even as public policy is oriented solely at favouring conspicuous consumption and corporate profits. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga examines how social conservatives are pushing to take over Alberta's education system (which is of course mirrored across Canada). And Emma Brown and Peter Jamison report on the U.S.' experience with "parental rights" being used by socons to take over and destroy public education. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jessica Wong et al. study the risk of hospitalization and death from  the Omicron strain of COVID-19, and conclude (contrary to the spin of denialist governments) that it was just as severe as the original version. And Lindsey Wang et al. find (PDF) that prior COVID infection can be traced to more severe respiratory infections among children in 2022. 

- Meanwhile, Alexander Rabin and Lisa Patel point out how children are particularly susceptible to damage from wildfire smoke. And Carly Weeks examines how inadequate pediatric care can have long-term consequences for any child whose health isn't treated as worth prioritizing. 

- Lydia DePillis comments that contrary to the spin of fossil fuel shills and science denialists, a climate breakdown has severe consequences for Canada. David Shearman discusses the climate grief we can expect as the breakdown becomes more obvious and less avoidable. And Madeleine Cuff writes about the consecutive days of record-breaking global heat this week.  

- Carl Meyer reports that the tar sands operators who have been trying to put on a veneer of interest in climate solutions have in fact been lobbying to tear them down at every opportunity. 

- Finally, Emily Leedham exposes the connections between socon groups seeking to take both the U.S. and Canada back to the dark ages. And Susan Delacourt rightly points out that the real threat of foreign interference comes from the Cons' U.S. puppet-masters looking to impose bigotry and theocracy in Canada. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- John Dearing, Gregory Cooper and Simon Willcock discuss the doom loop which is seeing worse-than-predicted effects of the climate breakdown resulting in vicious cycles of ecosystem collapse. J. Besl writes about new research showing that coastal flooding may be faster and more severe than anticipated due to inaccurate measurements of coastlines. And Jan Olsen reports on the warning from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control that mosquito-borne diseases will become more prevalent as the planet warms. 

- Meanwhile, Inayat Singh reports on the Canada Energy Regulator's conclusion that fossil fuel expansion is incompatible with any effort to meet existing climate commitments. 

- Luke LeBrun and Mitchell Thompson expose how the Con-connected Civitas invited well-known bigots to attack trans people at a secret conference session. And Moira Donegan discusses how women in the U.S. are suffering as a result of social conservatives getting their way in stripping away reproductive rights. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow's York University commencement speech emphasized the need to reject the establishment admonition that there is no alternative, and instead work on building something better than what serves its entrenched interests. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Belen Fernandez discusses how the reckless normalization of masklessness even in particularly dangerous portions of a pandemic is leading to avoidable suffering and death. And Solarina Ho reports on new research showing the effects of prenatal COVID on babies, while Tzvi Joffre reports on the connection between long COVID and childhood hepatitis. 

- Meanwhile, Andre Picard writes that we should be outraged over the health care wait times that are endangering our most vulnerable neighbours, rather than accepting the right-wing focus on airport convenience. 

- Robert Reich examines the prospect that interest rate hikes may cause a recession while doing nothing to rein in the corporate profiteering which is actually driving prices higher. And Derek Thompson points out that one additional source of increasing expenses is the end of subsidies for apps which were previously underpriced in order to attract users. 

- Antonio Guterres discusses the need to transition immediately away from reliance on fossil fuels. Marieke Walsh reports on the federal government's analysis showing that its own 2030 emission targets  are completely non-viable based on the policies currently on the table. And Sahan Habib Ghazi writes about life in Jacobobad, where heat and humidity have risen above the levels the human body is equipped to survive. 

- Finally, Mitchell Thompson reports on participation of Con MPs and other well-connected conservatives in a Civitas conference promoting residential school denialism and other regressive subjects of choice.

#Elxn44 Roundup

Noteworthy news and opinions from Canada's federal election campaign.

- Kiavash Najafi discusses how the Libs are struggling for lack of any reasonable explanation as to why they've precipitated an unnecessary election in the first place. And Jen Gerson wonders whether anybody in the Lib camp thought to question whether the election was a good idea. 

- Stewart Prest notes that this election is looking very much like 2015, only with the roles reversed between a Lib campaign attempting to brand itself with experience and moderation versus an NDP reaching out to younger and more aspirational voters with an appealing leader offering the promise of something better. 

- Innovative Research releases (PDF) poll results showing strong support for a government that takes better care of its citizens, including through a basic income and improved public services. 

- Finally, Justin Ling calls out Erin O'Toole's slippery posturing on "conscience rights" as an excuse to deny basic health care including abortion and services to trans people. And Andrew Jackson notes that the Cons' supposed promise of income benefits for working seniors (itself a problematic enough place to be intervening in the economy) would in fact be clawed back for many recipients. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Michael Atkinson and Haizhen Mou discuss their new polling showing that Canadians are particularly concerned with climate change and good jobs as part of our recovery from the pandemic - making a Green New Deal an obvious win-win. And Seth Klein writes about both the opportunity for the Alberta NDP and other parties to offer a clear path toward a just transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, and the risks in both political outcomes and policy results if they fail to do so.

- Peter Hotez writes about the damage being done to people's lives by the anti-science movement and its right-wing adherents and enablers around the globe. And PressProgress reports on the social conservative takeover of the Cons' national council as a vivid example of organized ignorance translating into substantial power. 

- Marc Lee writes about some of the ancillary policy changes which may help public and non-profit housing developments to succeed. And Kate Bezanson, Andrew Bevan and Monica Lysack note that when it comes to child care, funding is the primary hurdle standing in the way of a national system.

- The New York Times' editorial board points out how third-party verification of business income could go a long way toward ensuring that corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share of taxes. 

- Finally, Andrew Jackson reviews Mark Carney's new book - and highlights how it only confirms the strict limits of neoliberal politics in which the role of elected governments is merely to shape the distribution of private capital:

It is refreshing to see recognition of the limits of private ownership and markets by such a prominent establishment figure, especially when it comes to dealing with financial excess, the climate crisis and rising economic inequality. However, Carney, while recognizing the need for government regulation and a non market sphere, emphasizes most the need to shift to stakeholder capitalism and socially responsible investment. Indeed he does so to the point of naivete.

...

Realists will doubt with good reason that stakeholder capitalism and social investment amount to much more than corporate PR. One can readily point to manifestly predatory corporate behaviour when it comes to price gouging monopolies, speculative finance, corporations undermining health and safety standards and promoting dangerous goods and practices (as in the opioid crisis), or profiting from intellectual property ownership of medically necessary vaccines and drugs, denial of labour rights and standards and resistance to unions, wilful denial of climate change by large energy companies over many years, pervasive corporate tax evasion, systemic discrimination in employment, and so on.

In fairness, Carney does not deny the need for government supervision and regulation to balance corporate capitalism with broader social goals. But his faith in socially responsible capitalism is excessive.

Friday Evening Links

 Assorted content to end your week.

- Alex Hemingway examines how a wealth tax could raise substantially more money than assumed by the PBO. And Caterina Lindman writes about the benefits of a basic income guarantee funded by progressive taxes.

- Stefan Nikola discusses how shortened work weeks are at long last - if still gradually - becoming more common. And Kaitlyn Matulewicz and Iglika Ivanova highlight how paid sick leave can help to close the gender gap (among other important benefits).

- Simon Enoch weighs in on the Saskatchewan Party's belated recognition that obsessing over balanced budgets is foolhardy in the midst of a health crisis. And Trish Hennessy offers a few reasons for hope as a path out of the coronavirus pandemic comes into sight.

- But lest there be any doubt about the consequences of relaxing public health measures too soon, Kate Kelland reports on research showing that the B.1.1.7 variant is more deadly as well as more susceptible to transmission - which makes it alarming that Regina is seeing that variant become the dominant strain of COVID-19, with dozens of cases confirmed and even more presumed. And James Keller and Ivan Semeniuk report on Jason Kenney's preposterous plan to prioritize social conservatives' vaccine choice over effective distribution to as many people as possible.

- Finally, Yvonne Hii and Henny Yeung discuss how COVID-19 has only confirmed the importance ensuring parents have access to child care.

Burning question

Stephen Harper considers the fact that one of his cabinet ministers is pro-choice to be a problem (on par with her being a poor communicator) when it comes to defending his party's principles on maternal health. So what does that say about what litmus tests Harper might plan to apply for cabinet assignments in the future?

(Edit: fixed wording.)

On exclusion

Shorter Harper Cons:

Surely it's best to only fund tourist events that unite even the most bigoted Canadians, rather than having a divisive debate over whether gays are people too.

The reviews are in

Murray Mandryk:

But what perhaps was most revealing in Wednesday's throne speech was the nine paragraphs (compared to six paragraphs on agriculture) dedicated to limiting the amount of needles being handed out to intravenous drug-users to stop the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C -- and Wall's personal commitment to this issue.

Saskatchewan Health already accepted a report this spring saying the needle exchange program, though publicly unpopular, is preventing the spread of these deadly diseases. Those now working in the field call the new policy a pending disaster.

Yet Wall, certainly a social conservative himself, seems eager to dispense with expert assessment in favour of pandering to those social conservatives and others who, for whatever reason, seem intent on stirring the admittedly legitimate concern of needles discarded in public places into near hysteria.

For good or bad, this is how the Saskatchewan government is working.

Hyperwinguttization

I remember well the justified outcry when the Cons decreed that "equality" was no longer part of Status of Women Canada's mandate. But did we miss when they snuck in "subjugation and repression" instead?

Hypothetically speaking

Dr. Dawg points out that the list of Con MPs piping up about Henry Morgentaler's appointment to the Order of Canada includes Ken Epp. But it's worth noting just what Epp had to say:

However, Tory MP Ken Epp (Edmonton-Sherwood Park) said the pro-choice supporters have "gone too far."

"As far as I'm concerned it is indeed controversial," said Epp, who has a private member's bill before the House of Commons that would allow criminal charges to be laid in the death or injury of an unborn child when the child's mother is the victim of a crime.

Epp also questioned the objectivity of Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin as head of the Order of Canada advisory council. "Is she now totally out of impartiality because of the fact she has weighed into this? I am concerned about all of those things," he said.

Now, from my perspective Epp's argument raises a couple of fairly significant questions - which essentially need to be directed at Harper in light of his well-known message control.

First, is Epp really claiming that the mere fact that an Order of Canada appointee is associated with an issue renders the Chief Justice of Canada too biased to deal with that issue? If that interpretation is correct, then the full list of appointees would seemingly result in McLachlin C.J.C. being unable to rule on anything more significant than a parking ticket.

Of course, it doesn't stand to reason that Morgentaler's appointment affects judicial impartiality any more than Buzz Hargrove's appointment disqualifies McLachlin from hearing labour law cases. But even if one grants Epp the charitable interpretation that he knows he's wrong, it's still noteworthy that the Cons' message is once again centred on inflammatory and patently ridiculous arguments against the fairness and impartiality of independent bodies.

Second, and more significantly, there's the question of just when Epp anticipates a case which raises abortion issues coming before the Supreme Court of Canada.

I'll note in that respect that Dr. Dawg focuses in on how Epp's new message casts ever more doubt on his honesty in claiming that his C-484 has nothing to do with abortion. But let's take the analysis a step further and grant Epp his own claim for now.

After all, since there's currently no outstanding legal conflict involving abortion, the only way it figures to find its way in front of the Supreme Court of Canada is if new legislation is passed in the meantime. If Epp is right in claiming that C-484 doesn't actually involve abortion, then what do he and the Cons know about other plans for legislation that would bring the issue back before the courts?