Since Justin Trudeau’s blackface photos emerged I’ve seen a lot of people debating how they’re going to vote but, whatever baggage Trudeau may be carrying, the Liberals are the only option if people want to return to the Harper years. The NDP isn’t an option, they are dying. They do not have enough support to…
In 2018, conservatives love deficits
Once upon a time, liberals (small l) supported social progress and conservatives (small c) supported fiscal responsibility. In 2018, it is the left that supports both of these things, while the right represents short term economic benefits for the few, at the expense of long term deficits for everyone. This is most pronounced in the…
Earth’s population may be maxing out at last
Many of our global social and environmental problems are all tied back to the same root problem: There are simply too many of us for the available space and our consumption of resources is pushing the world toward the breaking point. However, the assumption that the global population will continue to grow exponentially consuming ever…
What the Future Holds Part II: Climate, Food and Migration
Back to Part 1 or jump to Part 3 While technological change could well change what it means to be human over the next several generations, environmental changes will be just as disruptive and are far more certain. Even if the nations of the world achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Accords, the impacts…
How climate change may impact human behavior
The climate is warming and a great deal of attention has been paid to how this may impact weather patters, storm systems, sea levels and biodiversity. However, how humans themselves react to warmer temperatures has received little attention. We know, for example, that people are less productive and more prone to stress and anger when…
Roundup: What people are saying about Trump’s executive order on climate
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that rolls back many of Barack Obama’s climate policies, including those aimed at meeting the targets of the Paris climate agreement. The full text of the order is available at PBS, the full text annotated by an expert in environmental law is available at Vox.…
Watch ‘the Paranoid Optimist’ – Charlie Jane Anders talk on optimism in the face of disaster
In this TEDx talk at Harvard College, Charlie Jane Anders (Science Fiction author and co-founder of io9) discusses something near and dear to my heart – how a person manages to be optimistic about the future of mankind while, simultaneously, acknowledging that there are some catastrophes on the horizon. There are a few points where…
What if greenhouse gasses could be turned into a valuable commodity?
Photo via Señor Codo Economists have been saying for years that the best way to reduce greenhouse gasses and prevent catastrophic climate change is to use a carbon tax to put a price on pollution. The logic is pretty self evident: If producing carbon emissions costs money, businesses will look for ways to reduce those…
A simple browser, designed by a 16 year old, that tells you where (US) politicians get their funding
The Greenhouse browser plug-in is a simple and fairly brilliant idea. Once it is active the names of US politicians and candidates are hi-lighted (sort of like a link). When you scroll over the name a box pops up that shows you where the politician in question gets their donations. The data, provided by OpenSecrets.org…
Despite Republican obstructions, President Obama had a spectacular 2014
2014 was one of the most remarkable years in recent memory from an American President. Republicans in the United States like to call Obama a ‘dictator’ but, to the extent that’s true, it’s because the ‘people’s representatives’ in the U.S. congress failed to show up. Only a last minute burst of activity prevented the 113th…