A round up of recent relevant stories collected from CBC Radio in Canada.
Canada is not doing enough to combat climate change. That's one of the rather pointed messages from author George Monbiot. But perhaps Canadians can take solace that they're in good company. The outspoken British environmentalist believes the entire world needs to step up its efforts -- dramatically.
In his new book, "Heat: How to Stop the World from Burning", Mr. Monbiot calls for a 90 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and argues that such a massive reduction is achievable. The book's release in this country also includes a foreword specifically for Canadian readers.
Well, George Monbiot might think that the Canadian government is adrift when it comes to climate change. But this afternoon, our Minister of Fisheries and Oceans proved that with a warming wind in your sails, it's possible to tack in two directions at once. Loyola Hearn was speaking to reporters in Ottawa -- for the record.
The entire economy of Western Canada is on fire- not just the oil and gas sector. That's according to the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. He was speaking to the parliamentary committee which is looking into whether the rapid development of the oil sands is sustainable.
Scientists working in the north say Canada is falling far behind other circumpolar countries in its ability to support arctic research. They say there's no coherent Canadian policy for research in the north and there's a lack of infrastructure and resources. They say many researchers are finding it easier to work in places like Alaska, Greenland and even Antarctica because they've got the logistics, equipment and facilities.
From Bloomberg: "The Canadian government's plan to tax income trusts for the first time to stem declines in government revenue may spark a rush of takeovers in the energy industry by foreign buyers seeking cheap assets. A surge in foreign takeovers of income trusts would mean the government's attempt to stem a decline in tax revenue by taxing trusts may have the opposite affect, said Lee Goldman, a money manager at First Asset Funds Inc. in Toronto." CBC Radio covers the story:
