nationalobserver--2020-09-11--Canada's international reputation stained by UN Yemen war report

A United Nations report listing Canada as one of several countries who helped support the war in Yemen by supplying arms to Saudi Arabia will stain its reputation in the international community , according to a political analyst .
Anthony Fenton , a doctoral student at York University who tracks Canada ’ s relations with Gulf-Arab states said the latest UN report , which named Canada alongside countries like France , Iran , the United Kingdom and U.S. as perpetuating the brutal war in Yemen through arms deals , is sure to “ ruffle some feathers in Ottawa.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been published since the onset of the Yemen conflict which began in 2015 .
Each report has consistently concluded that all parties involved in the conflict have committed human rights violations .
The latest report , which was put together by a group of experts in the region including Canadian professor Ardi Imseis , was the first to name Canada as a perpetrator of war .
Saudi Arabia has consistently been supplied with arms from the Canadian government , since signing a $ 14 billion deal in 2014 .
In 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ship over light armored vehicles ( LAVs ) made by General Dynamics Land Systems , a London , Ont.-based manufacturer .
Fenton said there have been several contracts running concurrently that have either provided new LAVs to Saudi Arabia or to upgrade LAVs previously distributed to the state .
• End times for American democracy ?
An interview with Chris Hedges • Erin O ’ Toole says both John A. Macdonald and Louis Riel 'made good and bad choices ' “ We never know 100 per cent which orders have been fulfilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researching the political economy of Canada and the Gulf states for his dissertation .
“ We just know the bulk dollar amount of what ’ s been shipped by virtue of Statistics Canada.
” The most recent figures from the data agency show that as of July 2020 , Canada had exported another batch of LAVs worth $ 866-million to Saudi Arabia .
The Canadian government has been previously criticized for their arms deals with Saudi Arabia .
In 2019 , footage from Yemen showed what looked like Canadian LAVs being captured and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government reviewed their contracts with Saudi Arabia afterwards , but said in a memo for then Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland , that there was “ no credible evidence ” linking Canadian military exports to human rights violations committed by the Saudi government .
Fenton anticipates that Canadian officials might push this justification when it comes time to discuss the “ embarrassing ” findings of the report within the international community .
But he said that justification misses the mark .
For the first time , Canada was named a perpetrator in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi Arabia-backed coalition forces by the @ UN .
# cdnpoli “ The point is that on the whole these weapons , provided by foreign Western governments in particular , are fueling the war in Yemen , ” he said .
“ By no means should we be selling weapons to Saudi Arabia , not only because they may be used in Yemen , but they may also be used against Saudis.
” “ The longer the war goes on the worse it is for the people of Yemen , no doubt about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far Canada has fallen as peacekeepers & defenders of human rights around the world .
Under @ JustinTrudeau , Canadian shipments of military goods to Saudi Arabia hit a record high in 2019 , while Yemen men , women & children die as a result .
# cdnpoli https : //t.co/S6YpspE1L1 — Heather McPherson ( @ HMcPhersonMP ) September 10 , 2020 As the conflict has dragged on for four years , Yemen has been divided —- Houthi rebel forces , who oppose the rule of Yemini-president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi , have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country which encompasses the country ’ s capital Sanaa .
Hadi ’ s forces , which are backed by Saudi Arabia , where he currently resides , still holds control over most of the country .
UN reports on the conflict have always maintained that all parties involved in the conflict have shown “ no regard for international law or the lives , dignity , and rights of people in Yemen.
” The latest report cites instances of murder , torture , rape and inhuman treatment of Yemeni civilians as well as reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being recruited to fight .
The country has also been faced with an ongoing famine as a result of the war .
A UNICEF report estimated that 2.4 million Yemeni children could be severely malnourished by the end of the year .
“ Yemen remains a tortured land , with its people ravaged in ways that should shock the conscience of humanity , ” said Kamel Jendoubi , the head of the Group of Experts who penned the latest report .
In the past , when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been pressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said pulling out of the deal could cost Canada a penalty in the billions of dollars .
In 2018 , the federal government was once again pressured to pull out of the deal after the assasination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Saudi soil .
But in 2019 , instead of backing out of the deals , Canada announced in April 2020 that the contract had been renegotiated to include a more ” robust ” permit review process for the LAVs .
“ Under our law , Canadian goods can not be exported where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be used to commit or to facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law , international human rights law or serious acts of gender-based violence , ” said the statement from Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne .
Fenton said , in a way , Canada is economically locked into lending arms to Saudi Arabia , the world ’ s biggest oil exporter .
“ I even come across comments in archival records where it says explicitly -- if we want to access the broader Saudi market , we have to agree to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ ‘ If we want Saudi oil on a consistent basis , we got to sell them weapons.
’ ” Fenton says Canada , like most Western governments , are looking to get a cut of the Saudi oil market amongst other things .
On the federal government ’ s page outlining relations with Saudi Arabia , it states “ Canada is seeking to diversify its relations with the Saudi Kingdom.
” And so , Canada is in a position where arms deals might open the “ floodgates ” to the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can get our fair share of the hand-over-fist petrodollars that all Western governments want and have wanted for decades , ” he said .
The latest UN report , the first where Canada is explicitly named , could force the Canadian government to come to terms with the consequences of the arms deals or , Fenton said , they might push back with plausible deniability that Canadian products were not directly involved with in the atrocities of the Yemen war .
“ It 's a stain on their reputation because other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these things are discussed , ” said Fenton .
“ There are going to be some embarrassing conversations .
”

A United Nations report listing Canada as one of several countries who helped support the war in Yemen by supplying arms to Saudi Arabia will stain its reputation in the international community, according to a political analyst. Anthony Fenton, a doctoral student at York University who tracks Canada’s relations with Gulf-Arab states said the latest UN report, which named Canada alongside countries like France, Iran, the United Kingdom and U.S. as perpetuating the brutal war in Yemen through arms deals, is sure to “ruffle some feathers in Ottawa.” The UN report is one of three that have been published since the onset of the Yemen conflict which began in 2015. Each report has consistently concluded that all parties involved in the conflict have committed human rights violations. The latest report, which was put together by a group of experts in the region including Canadian professor Ardi Imseis, was the first to name Canada as a perpetrator of war. Saudi Arabia has consistently been supplied with arms from the Canadian government, since signing a $14 billion deal in 2014. In 2016, Trudeau’s government approved export permits to ship over light armored vehicles (LAVs) made by General Dynamics Land Systems, a London, Ont.-based manufacturer. Fenton said there have been several contracts running concurrently that have either provided new LAVs to Saudi Arabia or to upgrade LAVs previously distributed to the state.
“We never know 100 per cent which orders have been fulfilled,” said Fenton, who is researching the political economy of Canada and the Gulf states for his dissertation. “We just know the bulk dollar amount of what’s been shipped by virtue of Statistics Canada.” The most recent figures from the data agency show that as of July 2020, Canada had exported another batch of LAVs worth $866-million to Saudi Arabia. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Canadian government has been previously criticized for their arms deals with Saudi Arabia. In 2019, footage from Yemen showed what looked like Canadian LAVs being captured and destroyed by rebel forces.
For the first time, Canada was named a perpetrator in the Yemen war for providing arms to the Saudi Arabia-backed coalition forces by the @UN. #cdnpoli The federal government reviewed their contracts with Saudi Arabia afterwards, but said in a memo for then Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, that there was “no credible evidence” linking Canadian military exports to human rights violations committed by the Saudi government. Fenton anticipates that Canadian officials might push this justification when it comes time to discuss the “embarrassing” findings of the report within the international community. But he said that justification misses the mark. “The point is that on the whole these weapons, provided by foreign Western governments in particular, are fueling the war in Yemen,” he said. “By no means should we be selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, not only because they may be used in Yemen, but they may also be used against Saudis.” “The longer the war goes on the worse it is for the people of Yemen, no doubt about that,” he added.
How far Canada has fallen as peacekeepers & defenders of human rights around the world.
Under @JustinTrudeau, Canadian shipments of military goods to Saudi Arabia hit a record high in 2019, while Yemen men, women & children die as a result. #cdnpoli https://t.co/S6YpspE1L1 — Heather McPherson (@HMcPhersonMP) September 10, 2020 As the conflict has dragged on for four years, Yemen has been divided —- Houthi rebel forces, who oppose the rule of Yemini-president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, have taken control of the western side of the country which encompasses the country’s capital Sanaa. Hadi’s forces, which are backed by Saudi Arabia, where he currently resides, still hold control over most of the country. UN reports on the conflict have always maintained that all parties have shown “no regard for international law or the lives, dignity, and rights of people in Yemen.” The latest report cites instances of murder, torture, rape and inhuman treatment of Yemeni civilians as well as reports of children under the age of 15 being recruited to fight.


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--Meet Marilyn James, a warrior and matriarch for the Sinixt Salish Peoples

And she ’ s also extinct .
At least that is what the Canadian government says .
Marilyn James is a Sinixt woman whose lands were stolen by Canada and the settlers living in the West Kootenays of British Columbia .
She occupies a protest camp in the small settlement of Vallican in the Slocan Valley , and calls it the “ longest peaceful occupation of Indigenous lands in Canada.
” Sinixt members are fighting to prove they hold Indigenous land rights in the West Kootenays and adjacent traditional territories .
“ What swept through here is what the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” explained James on a hot afternoon in late June .
She ’ s sitting on a lawn chair outside a small cabin built on a plot of land near where her ancestors are buried .
The “ great dying ” was the coming of the white man and the violence it brought to the tribal people here .
“ Five shipments of smallpox blankets and flu epidemics swept through in the late 1700s and 1800s .
Biological warfare , ” she explained .
It was epidemics like this and others that contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
James believes it was done purposely , to drive them out .
The Sinixt are a sovereign Salish peoples whose traditional territory extends north of Revelstoke , crosses international boundaries south to Kettle Falls , Wash. , to the Monashee Ridge in the west , and in the east all the way from the Rocky Mountain Ridge encompassing the entirety of the headwaters of the `` shwan-etk-qwa ” ( Columbia River ) .
For thousands of years , her ancestors roamed the vast mountainous area along the waters of this river .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and traded with bordering tribes .
They had intricate matriarchal governing systems .
And they thrived .
But then came the colonizers .
After that , the Sinixt were pushed further back by the gold rush .
“ We were used as live target practice .
There are stories about the people who were shot by early miners who came looking for lead for bullets .
They asked the Indians , ‘ Do you know where this is at ?
’ ( and ) showed them the bullets .
( Two Sinixt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead on the mountain ) and the miners shot them dead so they couldn ’ t tell no one else , ” said James .
In 1875 , the B.C .
government passed the Land Act , designed to open land for settlement and increase European immigration .
The federal government issued the 1875 Duty of Disallowance , striking down B.C .
's act because of the province ’ s failure to make treaties legally surrendering Native land .
In response , B.C .
threatened to withdraw from Canada .
The Indian Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assist in the assimilation of Indigenous people .
The act forced “ Indians ” to register themselves into “ bands ” and to relocate to “ reserve land.
” The colonial law also forced non-traditional ways of social organization on Indigenous people across the territory .
A similar system of apartheid was also used in South Africa by British colonialists .
What came after was more devastation in the form of residential schools , criminalization , enforced poverty and intergenerational effects .
The last legally recognized Sinxt person in Canada was Annie Joseph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1956 , the Canadian government officially declared the Sinixt “ extinct , ” even though many of its members were still alive .
The decision left remaining members living in B.C .
and in the U.S. without recognition under the Indian Act .
Today , there are just a few hundred Sinixt survivors in Canada and the United States .

She is a matriarch.
And she’s also extinct. At least that is what the Canadian government says.
Marilyn James is a Sinixt woman whose lands were stolen by Canada and the settlers living in the West Kootenays of British Columbia.
She occupies a protest camp in the small settlement of Vallican in the Slocan Valley, and calls it the “longest peaceful occupation of Indigenous lands in Canada.”
Sinixt members are fighting to prove they hold Indigenous land rights in the West Kootenays and adjacent traditional territories.
“What swept through here is what the old gals called 'the great dying,'” explained James on a hot afternoon in late June. She’s sitting on a lawn chair outside a small cabin built on a plot of land near where her ancestors are buried. The “great dying” was the coming of the white man and the violence it brought to the tribal people here.
“Five shipments of smallpox blankets and flu epidemics swept through in the late 1700s and 1800s. Biological warfare,” she explained.
It was epidemics like this and others that contributed to the dwindling down of the Sinixt. James believes it was done purposely, to drive them out.
The Sinixt are a sovereign Salish peoples whose traditional territory extends north of Revelstoke, crosses international boundaries south to Kettle Falls, Wash., to the Monashee Ridge in the west, and in the east all the way from the Rocky Mountain Ridge encompassing the entirety of the headwaters of the "shwan-etk-qwa” (Columbia River).
For thousands of years, her ancestors roamed the vast mountainous area along the waters of this river. They hunted, gathered food and medicines, and traded with bordering tribes. They had intricate matriarchal governing systems. And they thrived.
But then came the colonizers. After that, the Sinixt were pushed further back by the gold rush.
“We were used as live target practice. There are stories about the people who were shot by early miners who came looking for lead for bullets. They asked the Indians, ‘Do you know where this is at?’ (and) showed them the bullets. (Two Sinixt men) took them there (the lead on the mountain) and the miners shot them dead so they couldn’t tell no one else,” said James.
In 1875, the B.C. government passed the Land Act, designed to open land for settlement and increase European immigration. The federal government issued the 1875 Duty of Disallowance, striking down B.C.'s act because of the province’s failure to make treaties legally surrendering Native land. In response, B.C. threatened to withdraw from Canada.
The Indian Act was enacted across Canada in 1876 to assist in the assimilation of Indigenous people. The act forced “Indians” to register themselves into “bands” and to relocate to “reserve land.” The colonial law also forced non-traditional ways of social organization on Indigenous people across the territory. A similar system of apartheid was also used in South Africa by British colonialists.
A timeline of the Sinixt Nation
What came after was more devastation in the form of residential schools, criminalization, enforced poverty and intergenerational effects.
The last legally recognized Sinxt person in Canada was Annie Joseph, who died in the 1950s.
In 1956, the Canadian government officially declared the Sinixt “extinct,” even though many of its members were still alive. The decision left remaining members living in B.C. and in the U.S. without recognition under the Indian Act.
Today, there are just a few hundred Sinixt survivors in Canada and the United States.


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--Global clean tech opportunities abound, just not in Canada

Global developments suggest a Canadian migration to a green economy is critical to competitiveness .
However , if one tries to find Canadian clean tech manufacturing/innovation companies listed on a stock market , one will likely come up with nearly zero , while the number of Canadian-based oil and gas firms offering stocks is seemingly infinite .
In the second quarter of 2020 , Shell , BP and Total wrote down $ 45 billion US from the combined values of their oil and gas assets .
ExxonMobil has indicated it may write off 20 per cent of its reserves by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for the first time in 92 years , ExxonMobil was dropped from the Dow Jones Industrial Average index .
In the 1980s , the oil and gas sectors accounted for 28 per cent of the Standard and Poor Index , but in 2020 , these sectors represent 2.6 per cent of the index .
Rystad Energy of Norway evaluated that 12.5B barrels of oil equivalent in recoverable reserves are now stranded .
This global oil glut is exacerbated by Saudi Arabia flooding the market with low-priced oil to eliminate non-conventional oil competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shale oil .
This will have lasting effects since it is difficult to regain market share once it is lost .
U.S. shale oil production has contributed to the glut , rendering the U.S. a net exporter of oil .
This , despite the fact the entire U.S. shale sector depends on debt financing .
The current global oil glut is not going to go away any time soon .
BP , likewise , sees the writing on the wall .
In August , BP indicated it would cut its oil and gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or one million barrels a day , compared to 2019 production levels .
This strategy comprises the selling of $ 25 billion US in assets in the next five years and a 10-fold increase in investments in the low carbon economy , projected to reach $ 5B US a year by 2030 .
This follows the cancellation in February of Teck Resources ' Frontier project , a $ 1.13-billion write-off .
This past July , French oil giant Total wrote off $ 9.5 billion of tar sands assets because it foresees no market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fossil fuel sector in a migration to a green economy , Total withdrew its membership in the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers because of a “ misalignment ” with Total ’ s climate goals .
The massive divestments of assets in tar sands are going from bad to worse .
Trans Mountain is a white elephant .
The latest estimate of the public bill for financing the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline is $ 12.6 billion .
Keystone XL is a white elephant , too .
In July , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to block construction of Keystone XL until a proper environmental review is completed .
If U.S. polling trends are an indication , Joe Biden will rescind approval for Keystone XL .
Transportation accounts for two-thirds of petroleum consumption , of which 89 per cent is associated with road transportation .
That puts road transportation at 60 per cent of oil consumption .
The next shoe to drop for the petroleum industry stems from the radical vehicle legislative initiatives in the European Union and China , requiring a massive rapid transition to zero-emission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as low-emission vehicles .
In plain language , this is predominantly about a shift to electric vehicles ( EVs ) .
Accordingly , European corporate and government investments in EV production and batteries reached $ 70 billion US in 2019 .
For many European automakers , China represents a large portion of their global sales .
The BloombergNEF Electric Vehicle Outlook 2020 predicts there will be at least 500 electric vehicle models on global markets by 2022 .
Wanting to ensure the U.S.-based vehicle industry does not bite the dust in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopeful Biden has been making strong statements about American-made EVs .
The electrification of transport revolution will contribute to peak oil arriving around 2023 .
In 2019 , 75 per cent of new electrical power capacity installed was associated with renewables , with solar and wind energy together representing 67 per cent .
In 2021 , renewables investments , for the first time in history , will be greater than investments in the oil and gas sectors combined .
These are historic milestones .
Contributing factors include renewables being less expensive than new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world .
During the last decade , the cost of solar projects has declined 80 per cent , while onshore and offshore wind power declined 39 per cent and 29 per cent , respectively .
Natural gas stakeholders , the majors , plus shale gas small- and medium-size independents alike are losing money .
Rating agencies have graded shale debts at junk levels making borrowing difficult .
Hence , LNG Canada and the Coastal GasLink in B.C.
, and the GNL Québec and Gazoduc projects ( LNG facility and pipeline projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chevron has devalued its assets in LNG Canada and GNL Québec and Gazoduc are experiencing difficulties in getting financing while having laid off employees .
Possibilities to invest in Canadian clean tech manufacturing/innovation : Nearly zilch There are many Canadian clean tech manufacturing and innovation firms , but they have not got the government support they need to achieve stock market status , nor have they acquired private financing of the order of magnitude potential witnessed elsewhere .
The contrast is striking .
U.S. clean tech startups such as the Nikola electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle enterprise are now offering stocks , though neither has started production .
The Rivian electric truck and SUV company has so far raised $ 6 billion US in private financing and hopes to launch the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV in the second half of 2021 .
China ’ s Xpeng , an EV manufacturer , hopes to raise $ 1.1 billion US for its initial public offering ( IPO ) on the New York Stock Exchange .
Here in Canada , Lion Electric , a global leader in developing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recently introduced its Lion 8 electric truck with up to 400 kilometres of autonomy .
Lion has 300 of its electric school buses on the roads .
In 2021 , the company hopes to produce 500 to 750 school buses .
Regarding trucks , Lion has developed many specialty trucks with its seven partners , the only electric trucks of these kinds to integrate all specialty functions with the electric vehicle technology .
In late summer 2020 , the first big order for Lion 8 trucks was made by Canadian National ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ autonomy of 250 kilometres and a capacity 110,000 pounds for intermodal last mile use including urban delivery , container shuttle service , and port operations .
Since CN has 1,300 trucks and another 1,200 owned by an affiliate company , this is an important major coup for Lion .
And the first two Lion 8 waste management trucks , developed in partnership with Boivin Evolution with fully automated side load bodies , were sold to Waste Connections , a major North American solid waste collection firm , for delivery at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the stock market , nor is it in the league of Rivian for private financing .
In Quebec , the provincial government invested $ 7.9 million for the development of Lion heavy-duty trucks and the company acquired $ 7 million from XPND Capital .
As well , the provincial government offers a rebate for electric school buses , $ 120,000 and $ 100,000 for large and small versions , respectively .
No shortage of options to support Canada ’ s clean tech sectors German public bank KfW is one of the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The program , “ Green Bonds — Made by KfW , ” , helps support KfW clean tech investments .
Imagine if the Business Development Bank of Canada played an equivalent role and offered the Canadian public possibilities to invest in Canadian clean tech by issuing green bonds .
Positioning Canadian clean tech firms to enter into the stock exchange could , in turn , multiply the possibilities for these enterprises to expand and break into international markets .
Consider that the EV stocks of Tesla and China ’ s NIO and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if Canada were to adopt vehicle legislation with objectives similar to those of the European Union and China , it would provide an incentive for global automakers massively investing in EVs in compliance with the legislation of these two jurisdictions , to offer significant lineups of EVs in Canada .
In doing so , some could view Canada as the ideal jurisdiction to set up their first manufacturing and innovation facilities to serve the North American market .
And with some of the major oil and gas firms actively seeking to diversify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ripe for converting subsidies into conditional funding for partnerships on Canadian clean tech .
Canada has plenty of wiggle room .
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic , the Energy Policy Tracker estimate of Canadian spending on fossil fuel subsidies stood at C $ 16B .
Indeed , since Canada has so much clean-tech catching up to do with other developed nations , there are no shortage of paradigms/ideas that can be adapted for Canada .
What is missing is political will .

Global developments suggest a Canadian migration to a green economy is critical to competitiveness. However, if one tries to find Canadian clean tech manufacturing/innovation companies listed on a stock market, one will likely come up with nearly zero, while the number of Canadian-based oil and gas firms offering stocks is seemingly infinite.
In the second quarter of 2020, Shell, BP and Total wrote down $45 billion US from the combined values of their oil and gas assets.
ExxonMobil has indicated it may write off 20 per cent of its reserves by the end of 2020.
Last month, for the first time in 92 years, ExxonMobil was dropped from the Dow Jones Industrial Average index. In the 1980s, the oil and gas sectors accounted for 28 per cent of the Standard and Poor Index , but in 2020, these sectors represent 2.6 per cent of the index.
This global oil glut is exacerbated by Saudi Arabia flooding the market with low-priced oil to eliminate non-conventional oil competition, such as the tar sands and shale oil. This will have lasting effects since it is difficult to regain market share once it is lost.
U.S. shale oil production has contributed to the glut, rendering the U.S. a net exporter of oil. This, despite the fact the entire U.S. shale sector depends on debt financing .
The current global oil glut is not going to go away any time soon.
BP, likewise, sees the writing on the wall. In August, BP indicated it would cut its oil and gas production by 40 per cent by 2030 or one million barrels a day, compared to 2019 production levels. This strategy comprises the selling of $25 billion US in assets in the next five years and a 10-fold increase in investments in the low carbon economy, projected to reach $5B US a year by 2030.
Rystad Energy of Norway evaluated that 12.5B barrels of oil equivalent in recoverable reserves are now stranded.
Tar sands white elephants
The massive divestments of assets in tar sands are going from bad to worse.
This past July, French oil giant Total wrote off $9.5 billion of tar sands assets because it foresees no market for them. Reflecting the growing interest of the fossil fuel sector in a migration to a green economy, Total withdrew its membership in the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers because of a “misalignment” with Total’s climate goals.
This follows the cancellation in February of Teck Resources' Frontier project, a $1.13-billion write-off.
Trans Mountain is a white elephant. The latest estimate of the public bill for financing the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline is $12.6 billion.
Keystone XL is a white elephant, too. In July, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision to block construction of Keystone XL until a proper environmental review is completed.
If U.S. polling trends are an indication, Joe Biden will rescind approval for Keystone XL.
Permanent decline of oil demand: Transportation electrification
Transportation accounts for two-thirds of petroleum consumption, of which 89 per cent is associated with road transportation. That puts road transportation at 60 per cent of oil consumption.
The next shoe to drop for the petroleum industry stems from the radical vehicle legislative initiatives in the European Union and China, requiring a massive rapid transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), as well as low-emission vehicles. In plain language, this is predominantly about a shift to electric vehicles (EVs).
Accordingly, European corporate and government investments in EV production and batteries reached $70 billion US in 2019. For many European automakers, China represents a large portion of their global sales.
The BloombergNEF Electric Vehicle Outlook 2020 predicts there will be at least 500 electric vehicle models on global markets by 2022.
Wanting to ensure the U.S.-based vehicle industry does not bite the dust in the face of EVs from foreign manufacturers, presidential hopeful Biden has been making strong statements about American-made EVs.
The electrification of transport revolution will contribute to peak oil arriving around 2023.
Natural gas, shale and liquefied natural gas (LNG): Going bust
In 2019, 75 per cent of new electrical power capacity installed was associated with renewables, with solar and wind energy together representing 67 per cent. In 2021, renewables investments, for the first time in history, will be greater than investments in the oil and gas sectors combined. These are historic milestones.
Contributing factors include renewables being less expensive than new coal- or gas-fired electricity facilities for most of the world. During the last decade, the cost of solar projects has declined 80 per cent, while onshore and offshore wind power declined 39 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively.
Natural gas stakeholders, the majors, plus shale gas small- and medium-size independents alike are losing money. Rating agencies have graded shale debts at junk levels making borrowing difficult.
In response to the plummeting of the global LNG sector, in Canada 1) Chevron has sold its 50% stake in the Kitimat LNG project - northeastern BC gas lands, a 471-kilometre Pacific Trail Pipeline and an LNG facility near Kitimat , and 2) GNL Québec and Gazoduc are experiencing difficulties in getting financing while having laid off employees.
Possibilities to invest in Canadian clean tech manufacturing/innovation: Nearly zilch
There are many Canadian clean tech manufacturing and innovation firms, but they have not got the government support they need to achieve stock market status, nor have they acquired private financing of the order of magnitude potential witnessed elsewhere. The contrast is striking.
U.S. clean tech startups such as the Nikola electric truck company and the Lucid electric passenger vehicle enterprise are now offering stocks, though neither has started production. The Rivian electric truck and SUV company has so far raised $6 billion US in private financing and hopes to launch the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV in the second half of 2021. China’s Xpeng, an EV manufacturer, hopes to raise$1.1 billion US for its initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange.
Here in Canada, Lion Electric, a global leader in developing an electric school bus from the ground up, recently introduced its Lion 8 electric truck with up to 400 kilometres of autonomy.
Lion has 300 of its electric school buses on the roads. In 2021, the company hopes to produce 500 to 750 school buses.
Regarding trucks, Lion has developed many specialty trucks with its seven partners, the only electric trucks of these kinds to integrate all specialty functions with the electric vehicle technology.
In late summer 2020, the first big order for Lion 8 trucks was made by Canadian National (CN) for 50 trucks with an autonomy of 250 kilometres and a capacity 110,000 pounds for intermodal last mile use including urban delivery, container shuttle service, and port operations. Since CN has 1,300 trucks and another 1,200 owned by an affiliate company, this is an important major coup for Lion.
And the first two Lion 8 waste management trucks, developed in partnership with Boivin Evolution with fully automated side load bodies, were sold to Waste Connections, a major North American solid waste collection firm, for delivery at the end of the year.
But Lion is not on the stock market, nor is it in the league of Rivian for private financing.
In Quebec, the provincial government invested $7.9 million for the development of Lion heavy-duty trucks and the company acquired $7 million from XPND Capital. As well, the provincial government offers a rebate for electric school buses,$120,000 and $100,000 for large and small versions, respectively.
No shortage of options to support Canada’s clean tech sectors
German public bank KfW is one of the world’s largest investors in clean technologies. The program, “Green Bonds — Made by KfW,”, helps support KfW clean tech investments.
Imagine if the Business Development Bank of Canada played an equivalent role and offered the Canadian public possibilities to invest in Canadian clean tech by issuing green bonds.
Positioning Canadian clean tech firms to enter into the stock exchange could, in turn, multiply the possibilities for these enterprises to expand and break into international markets. Consider that the EV stocks of Tesla and China’s NIO and Xpeng are hot.
Further on EVs, if Canada were to adopt vehicle legislation with objectives similar to those of the European Union and China, it would provide an incentive for global automakers massively investing in EVs in compliance with the legislation of these two jurisdictions, to offer significant lineups of EVs in Canada. In doing so, some could view Canada as the ideal jurisdiction to set up their first manufacturing and innovation facilities to serve the North American market.
And with some of the major oil and gas firms actively seeking to diversify towards low carbon investments, the time is ripe for converting subsidies into conditional funding for partnerships on Canadian clean tech. Canada has plenty of wiggle room. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Energy Policy Tracker estimate of Canadian spending on fossil fuel subsidies stood at C$16B.
Indeed, since Canada has so much clean-tech catching up to do with other developed nations, there are no shortage of paradigms/ideas that can be adapted for Canada.
What is missing is political will.
Editor's note: This op-ed was corrected to indicate Chevron has sold its 50% stake in the Kitimat LNG project.


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--The youth of Pivot 2020 are charting the future of cities

For some 1,200 young people in 27 cities across Canada , Pivot 2020 offers at least eight weeks of income and a stepping stone towards a possible career path .
For cities and companies and anyone else who wants to make use of the reams of open source data the group plans to produce , it ’ s a rapid guide to the economic recovery planning that would best serve young people .
“ They ’ ve got a lot of things on their mind right now , ” Robert Barnard , co-founder of Youthful Cities and executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ municipalities and other bodies struggling to respond to the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ This is very much solution-based and information-based , ” he said of the data and recommendations the project plans to collect , collate and make available by early December .
“ Both of those are good for cities right now , so we ’ re setting it up to be a real gift to cities.
” • End times for American democracy ?
An interview with Chris Hedges • Erin O ’ Toole says both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good and bad choices ' Rania Ahmed is excited to know she and others involved in the project can speak up about how they want cities to serve them in the future .
She has already been hired as one of 14 city co-ordinators who will oversee around 130 team leaders and more than 1,000 team members across the country , and is eager to help raise the collective voice of youth to advocate for change in Mississauga and Brampton .
“ I ’ d like to see Mississauga offer more growth opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have so much to offer and our potential isn ’ t being tapped in a way that can benefit the city.
” Co-ordinators like Ahmed have been hired for five months of work that started in late August , while team leaders will have three months of work starting later this month .
The 1,040 team members that will join in October wrap up soon after the Dec. 3 launch of Pivot 2020 ’ s open-source dataset , and with an option to stay on for an “ animation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next year , could end up with about 20 weeks of work .
The federal government-backed project is a collaboration between Youthful Cities , Simon Fraser University ’ s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue , and the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity ( CCYP ) .
Teams of youth guided by @ youthfulcities , @ SFUDialogue and @ ccyp_ccpj will spread out across the country as part of @ pivot_canada 's effort to help cities design economic recovery that will best serve young people Some 160 co-op positions were set aside specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay the young people to tackle a “ deep urban exploration , ” according to the project ’ s website , using online surveys , virtual interviews , and sifting of existing data .
Gladys Okine , the executive lead for CCYP , said the project was first conceived in March as a direct response to the loss of youth earnings due to the pandemic , and is an opportunity to train and support at-risk youth who might not have otherwise pursued research and analytical work .
“ We 're really conveying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to learn , to pursue something new , and really see if there is a good fit and a skill set for you in the area of research and analysis , ” she said .
“ And the response to that has been quite positive and encouraging.
” Okine said they are in the last stage of recruitment for team members now , with extra efforts to boost applications from Quebec and Yellowknife .
Barnard from Youthful Cities said they are aiming to collect 10,000 responses to 200 indicators nationally , including 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ gives weight to the youth voice ” on their city ’ s safety , transportation , green spaces , sports and recreation , jobs and entrepreneurship , as well as other topics .
The urban researchers will be doing their fieldwork remotely , which Barnard argues adds to the pertinence of the work .
“ That 's the most responsible thing to do , it 's also the future of work , ” he said .
“ We want to prepare the next generation for work , and the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context is actually a skill .
It 's hard to do for those people who have had to adapt to it .
”

It’s both job training and city building. For some 1,200 young people in 27 cities across Canada, Pivot 2020 offers at least eight weeks of income and a stepping stone towards a possible career path. For cities and companies and anyone else who wants to make use of the reams of open source data the group plans to produce, it’s a rapid guide to the economic recovery planning that would best serve young people. “They’ve got a lot of things on their mind right now,” Robert Barnard, co-founder of Youthful Cities and executive director of the Pivot 2020 project, said of municipalities and other bodies struggling to respond to the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is very much solution-based and information-based,” he said of the data and recommendations the project plans to collect, collate and make available by early December. “Both of those are good for cities right now, so we’re setting it up to be a real gift to cities.”
Rania Ahmed is excited to know she and others involved in the project can speak up about how they want cities to serve them in the future. She has already been hired as one of 14 city co-ordinators who will oversee around 130 team leaders and more than 1,000 team members across the country, and is eager to help raise the collective voice of youth to advocate for change in Mississauga and Brampton. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “I’d like to see Mississauga offer more growth opportunities for young people,” she said. “We have so much to offer and our potential isn’t being tapped in a way that can benefit the city.”
Co-ordinators like Ahmed have been hired for five months of work that started in late August, while team leaders will have three months of work starting later this month. Teams of youth guided by @youthfulcities, @SFUDialogue and @ccyp_ccpj will spread out across the country as part of @pivot_canada's effort to help cities design economic recovery that will best serve young people The 1,040 team members that will join in October wrap up soon after the Dec. 3 launch of Pivot 2020’s open-source dataset, and with an option to stay on for an “animation and dissemination” period from January to March next year, could end up with about 20 weeks of work. The federal government-backed project is a collaboration between Youthful Cities, Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, and the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity (CCYP). Some 160 co-op positions were set aside specifically for SFU students.
The project will pay the young people to tackle a “deep urban exploration,” according to the project’s website, using online surveys, virtual interviews, and sifting of existing data. Gladys Okine, the executive lead for CCYP, said the project was first conceived in March as a direct response to the loss of youth earnings due to the pandemic, and is an opportunity to train and support at-risk youth who might not have otherwise pursued research and analytical work. “We're really conveying to them, here’s an opportunity to learn, to pursue something new, and really see if there is a good fit and a skill set for you in the area of research and analysis,” she said. “And the response to that has been quite positive and encouraging.”


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--B.C. housing groups struggle with long, tedious applications for federal funding

While the housing crisis in British Columbia has grown into an emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic , some of the province 's housing groups struggle to get funding for urgent projects through a federal application process they call arduous .
Last week , MP Jenny Kwan published data she received from the federal government that shows in two years , B.C .
has only had 0.5 per cent of funding applications finalized through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund , which offers funding for new construction as part of the federal government ’ s National Housing Strategy .
Kwan asked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the success stories she heard from her Liberal counterparts during parliamentary sessions and what she was seeing on the ground .
The process for national funding asks for expensive requirements like zoning , that is having a plot of land already designated to the project .
Duzita said in some cases , the non-profit has to go through the process of rezoning land with the municipality , which could cost “ hundreds of thousands of dollars.
” “ And we don ’ t actually have a commitment that we are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Duzita .
“ We are completely exposed , working with our own capital that might be limited.
” The process may be out of reach for smaller non-profits , which may not have the resources to get projects up to par with federal requirements for funding , Duzita added .
Accessing federal funding to address an urgent housing crisis in B.C .
is proving to be a long , expensive process .
@ BCNPHA # BCpoli The numbers are shocking but not surprising .
“ This is consistent w/what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have gone through the application process ” @ jfatkey says .
“ The feds are failing to understand the severity of the crisis in BC .
https : //t.co/cDdZPUUInD # bcpoli @ fumano — BCNPHA ( @ BCNPHA ) September 4 , 2020 Just getting through the checklist before an application can be put forward can take up to a year or longer , said Duzita .
Besides issues like zoning , it can get more expensive when non-profits have to hire consultants to guide them through intensive municipal processes .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the processing time for the application can add another year to the process .
Data obtained by Kwan found the average number of days it took for B.C .
applications to be finalized for funding was 440 .
Kwan previously said that everyone but the federal government is at the table when it comes to the housing crisis in B.C.
, a sentiment echoed by Duzita .
“ With B.C .
Housing , we have a provincial authority that is much more at the table with us from the very initial stages ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the success of the project , ” she said .
By comparison , Duzita said working with the federal government feels like an investment only comes through when the project has essentially crossed the finish line .
“ I use this sports analogy , ” said Duzita , “ they ’ re standing on the one-yard line and waiting for us to carry the ball across the goal line.
” While non-profits tackle the application process to get their hands on any funding they can , more B.C .
residents face homelessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exacerbated by the pandemic .
The association said by its own count , in 2016 , there were about 250,000 B.C .
renters who couldn ’ t afford their rent , with half of those people spending more than 50 per cent of their pre-tax income on it .
In 2020 , the association said 3,634 people in Metro Vancouver were homeless in the middle of the pandemic .
“ The crisis has grown into an emergency , and we worry that as federal support payments come to an end , and eviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to worsen , ” said Jill Atkey , the association 's CEO .
“ Municipalities and the province can not address this alone , that ’ s why the failure to launch the full suite of National Housing Strategy programs here in B.C .
has such dire consequences.
” Duzita said the federal application could be reworked in several ways to help speed the process .
The priority , she said , is that groups need to receive a funding commitment much early on , something she hopes could be achieved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stages instead of having it in its current “ all-or-nothing ” state .
“ We have no actual clarity in regard to whether or not those applications will more forward or not , ” she said .
Because of the long process , Duzita said the federal funding is seen more as a bonus that a group 's project may get if they ’ re lucky , rather than the accessible , urgently needed funds it ’ s advertised to be by the federal government .

While the housing crisis in British Columbia has grown into an emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the province's housing groups struggle to get funding for urgent projects through a federal application process they call arduous. Last week, MP Jenny Kwan published data she received from the federal government that shows in two years, B.C. has only had 0.5 per cent of funding applications finalized through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, which offers funding for new construction as part of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy. Kwan asked for the numbers when she found a disconnect between the success stories she heard from her Liberal counterparts during parliamentary sessions and what she was seeing on the ground. B.C. received just 0.5% of grant money given out through the NHCF even without the pandemic. This is the largest component of the National Housing Strategy. Quebec and Alberta have received none of it.#CdnPoli @HonAhmedHussen #EndHomelessness #BuildHomeshttps://t.co/hRT5MRmq2T — Jenny Kwan (@JennyKwanBC) September 4, 2020 The B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association, a provincial group that has been tackling the housing crisis for 30 years, told Kwan and the National Observer that the federal government’s long, tedious and often expensive funding application process has been getting in the way of easing the province’s desperate housing needs.
Tiffany Duzita, an executive at Community Land Trust, another B.C.-based non-profit housing group, said that while the application process can provide some clarity on what types of housing projects the government is looking for, it can be quite “onerous.” Duzita said the process involves an extensive checklist with more than 100 questions and a workbook that needs to be filled out. She’s worked with the association to get 10 projects put forward. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “Our biggest challenge with the program is that we don’t get a commitment from the federal government early on in the process,” said Duzita. “As a non-profit, it takes a lot of time, resources, including money, to advance projects to a stage where we can satisfy this checklist.”
The process for national funding asks for expensive requirements like zoning, that is having a plot of land already designated to the project. Duzita said in some cases, the non-profit has to go through the process of rezoning land with the municipality, which could cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Accessing federal funding to address an urgent housing crisis in B.C. is proving to be a long, expensive process. @BCNPHA #BCpoli “And we don’t actually have a commitment that we are going to get funding at the end of it,” said Duzita. “We are completely exposed, working with our own capital that might be limited.” The process may be out of reach for smaller non-profits, which may not have the resources to get projects up to par with federal requirements for funding, Duzita added. The numbers are shocking but not surprising. “This is consistent w/what we’ve been hearing from #nonprofits who have gone through the application process” @jfatkey says. “The feds are failing to understand the severity of the crisis in BC. https://t.co/cDdZPUUInD #bcpoli @fumano — BCNPHA (@BCNPHA) September 4, 2020 Just getting through the checklist before an application can be put forward can take up to a year or longer, said Duzita. Besides issues like zoning, it can get more expensive when non-profits have to hire consultants to guide them through intensive municipal processes.
And at the end of it all, the processing time for the application can add another year to the process. Data obtained by Kwan found the average number of days it took for B.C. applications to be finalized for funding was 440. Kwan previously said that everyone but the federal government is at the table when it comes to the housing crisis in B.C., a sentiment echoed by Duzita. “With B.C. Housing, we have a provincial authority that is much more at the table with us from the very initial stages ... and they’re working with us for the success of the project,” she said.


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--Online schooling? Don't forget to practise good cyber hygiene

For most post-secondary students this fall , electronic devices won ’ t be connecting to campus Wi-Fi .
Instead , they will be connecting from home as classes move to digital delivery because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
And that comes with some new risks .
From virtual lectures and online exam proctoring , to digital thesis defences , students are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats while doing their academic work at home , or exclusively on personal devices .
With all the talk about washing hands , students need to also think about how to practise good cyber hygiene using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ password management .
“ Inviting tech companies into the classroom without thinking about risks and corresponding mitigation strategies is problematic and needs to be treated extremely sensitively , ” said Privacy International , a U.K.-based non-profit , in a statement this spring .
It called recent digital privacy risks a “ COVID-19 power grab.
” • End times for American democracy ?
An interview with Chris Hedges • Erin O ’ Toole says both John A. Macdonald and Louis Riel 'made good and bad choices ' The organization also criticized Google 's possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three months of free internet access at 100,000 locations in California , and giving out thousands of Chromebooks to students .
While tech giants donating their own hardware is a clearer data security weakness to spot , the issue becomes more complex when students are ordered by their colleges or universities to download software as part of their coursework .
“ If educational institutions are going to suggest that they have proctored exams online , anything that allows you to take over somebody else 's machine is often a really significant security risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer and director of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Law LLM program at Osgoode Hall Law School .
Software that takes over a device can expose the user to spyware , malware or data exfiltration that can compromise health and personal information , or academic research and intellectual property in a competitive field .
Bradley Limpert , a lawyer and director at Osgoode Hall Law School 's Privacy and Cybersecurity Law program .
Photo via limpertlaw.com “ The good news is that the chances of any particular student being a worthwhile target are relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target , ” Limpert said .
“ An attacker … would have to go after each individual.
” The risk might be low but it happened to Dennis Johnson , a doctoral student from Long Beach , Calif. , as he was defending his thesis on Zoom this spring , according to the CBC .
An attacker displayed pornographic images and racist slurs on his screen as Johnson was presenting his dissertation on the plight of African Americans in California ’ s education system , he told the outlet in April .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any particular student being a worthwhile target are relatively low because that 's a very fragmented target , ” said tech lawyer Bradley Limpert .
“ An attacker…would have to go after each individual.
” @ OsgoodeNews Video-teleconferencing platform Zoom made headlines in the early weeks of the global pandemic due to security and privacy issues , prompting New York ’ s Department of Education to ban its use as a digital classroom .
Hijacking control of Zoom calls , also called “ Zoom-bombing , ” led the FBI 's Boston division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported incidents such as the use of violent or pornographic imagery to disrupt calls .
The pandemic era is creating an apparent gold mine for cyber spies , according to an April report co-authored by researchers Bill Marczak and John Scott-Railton , based at The Citizen Lab research centre at the University of Toronto .
The researchers found vulnerabilities with Zoom ’ s encryption and “ waiting room ” feature , which it raised with the company .
Screengrab of Zoom encryption in The Citizen Lab 's April report about the platform 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents of privacy breaches saw an uptick of three to five times in April compared to March , and that rate has held steady since , said Imran Ahmad , a Toronto lawyer and partner at Blake , Cassels & Graydon LLP , in a June podcast with Canadian Security Magazine .
“ Hackers are trying to take advantage of the IT networks ’ inherent vulnerabilities when people are working remotely , ” Ahmad said .
Another Canadian law firm , Osler , Hoskin & Harcourt LLP , also saw more information requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
“ To comply with obligations under Canadian privacy statutes , and contractual and other legal confidentiality obligations , it remains critical for organizations to consider the physical , technical and administrative controls necessary to appropriately protect their data assets , ” members of the firm wrote in a March article .
They recommend security strategies such as additional training for employees , assisting with the installation of malware or anti-virus protections , and securing virtual private networks , or VPNs , with two-factor authentication .
`` Universities tend to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and putting up fairly sophisticated access controls , '' Limpert said , as a result of university servers being under constant attack .
`` The universities do n't advertise that , but that 's just a fact . ''

For most post-secondary students this fall, electronic devices won’t be connecting to campus Wi-Fi. Instead, they will be connecting from home as classes move to digital delivery because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And that comes with some new risks. From virtual lectures and online exam proctoring, to digital thesis defences, students are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats while doing their academic work at home, or exclusively on personal devices. With all the talk about washing hands, students need to also think about how to practise good cyber hygiene using encryption, VPNs, software updates and password management. “Inviting tech companies into the classroom without thinking about risks and corresponding mitigation strategies is problematic and needs to be treated extremely sensitively,” said Privacy International, a U.K.-based non-profit, in a statement this spring. It called recent digital privacy risks a “COVID-19 power grab.”
The organization also criticized Google's possible data collection following its decision to offer three months of free internet access at 100,000 locations in California, and giving out thousands of Chromebooks to students. While tech giants donating their own hardware is a clearer data security weakness to spot, the issue becomes more complex when students are ordered by their colleges or universities to download software as part of their coursework. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “If educational institutions are going to suggest that they have proctored exams online, anything that allows you to take over somebody else's machine is often a really significant security risk,” said Bradley Limpert, a lawyer and director of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Law LLM program at Osgoode Hall Law School. Software that takes over a device can expose the user to spyware, malware or data exfiltration that can compromise health and personal information, or academic research and intellectual property in a competitive field.
Bradley Limpert, a lawyer and director at Osgoode Hall Law School's Privacy and Cybersecurity Law program. Photo via limpertlaw.com “The good news is that the chances of any particular student being a worthwhile target are relatively low because that's a very fragmented target,” Limpert said. “An attacker … would have to go after each individual.” “The good news is that the chances of any particular student being a worthwhile target are relatively low because that's a very fragmented target,” said tech lawyer Bradley Limpert. “An attacker…would have to go after each individual.” @OsgoodeNews The risk might be low but it happened to Dennis Johnson, a doctoral student from Long Beach, Calif., as he was defending his thesis on Zoom this spring, according to the CBC. An attacker displayed pornographic images and racist slurs on his screen as Johnson was presenting his dissertation on the plight of African Americans in California’s education system, he told the outlet in April. Video-teleconferencing platform Zoom made headlines in the early weeks of the global pandemic due to security and privacy issues, prompting New York’s Department of Education to ban its use as a digital classroom. Hijacking control of Zoom calls, also called “Zoom-bombing,” led the FBI's Boston division to issue a statement in March about reported incidents such as the use of violent or pornographic imagery to disrupt calls.
The pandemic era is creating an apparent gold mine for cyber spies, according to an April report co-authored by researchers Bill Marczak and John Scott-Railton, based at The Citizen Lab research centre at the University of Toronto. The researchers found vulnerabilities with Zoom’s encryption and “waiting room” feature, which it raised with the company. Screengrab of Zoom encryption in The Citizen Lab's April report about the platform's security features. Photo via citizenlab.ca Reportable incidents of privacy breaches saw an uptick of three to five times in April compared to March, and that rate has held steady since, said Imran Ahmad, a Toronto lawyer and partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, in a June podcast with Canadian Security Magazine.


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--The strongest movie yet about social media, a Canadian whistleblower, and a good rom-com

It ’ s festival time again .
Toronto ’ s is now on and getting lots of newspaper attention .
Vancouver ’ s is still two weeks away , but issuing frequent updates on its films .
Most of them will be streaming and available at a good price : just $ 9 each .
Or you can watch an unlimited number if you buy what they call a “ subscription ” for $ 60 ( $ 30 for students ) .
That ’ s a good deal .
There are more details , including descriptions of every film , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much smaller Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival starts today .
It 's showing eight films that reflect the culture of that nation .
One dates back to 1961 ; another is new , about an aspiring actress ; a third is about sound effects technicians .
I haven ’ t been able to track down the rest .
You can try at http : //www.twff.ca/2020/ THE SOCIAL DILEMMA : We ’ ve seen critiques of social media before .
Not as strong as this one , though .
Facebook , Twitter , Goggle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they ’ re designed to be that way .
We ’ re all lab rats to them .
Zombies lured to look at more ads .
Those are not words from some wild-eyed nutbars , but from people who worked in the industry .
The man who invented Facebook ’ s “ like ” button is here .
People who were in charge of “ growth ” and “ monetization ” at various companies .
They talk about how the industry was doing good when it started and then built a parallel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” they call it , “ by the richest companies in the history of humanity.
” Scary stuff because by collecting data and watching everything we do online , they know more about us than we do , and they can predict what we ’ re going to do .
People are addicted to social media and their smartphones .
Many are susceptible to depression because of it , as shown in recent studies that the film cites .
It goes much further : conspiracy theories , fake news ( including about COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flourishing .
One commentator sees a potential for civil war .
That ’ s one of the more alarmist comments .
Most are reasoned and logical from those who left the industry or watch it as academics and authors .
The main voice , Tristan Harris , ex-Google now head of the Center for Humane Technology , makes a good case for worrying .
( Telus should listen , too .
It 's moving all its e-mail customers over to Google . )
There are animated and dramatized scenes to illustrate some points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ algorithms behind the screen .
It ’ s a gimmick , but does show that they ’ re not at all neutral and objective .
What can we do ?
The film has suggestions , but not until the very end , beside the closing credits .
Worth watching ?
Absolutely .
( Netflix ) 4 out of 5 THE WALRUS AND THE WHISTLEBLOWER : Just like the ex-Silicon Valley types who turned against their industry , Phil Demers blew the whistle on whales and other mammals being held in captivity .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he said animals were being mistreated ( there are grainy clips of sad-looking creatures ) .
Even at the best of times , he says , there ’ s just one technique that ’ s used to train them : food deprivation .
He quit his job there as a trainer and became a campaigner against such places .
Eventually , he helped get the Senate to pass a law that bans holding whales and dolphins and such in captivity .
The Vancouver Aquarium would have been affected , too , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was passed .
The film follows the troubles Demers went through along the way .
While he was still at Marineland , a baby walrus “ imprinted ” on him , in effect thinking he was its mother .
After he left , Demers wanted to save the animal and demanded it be given to him .
What would he do with a walrus ?
The film doesn ’ t question that .
The park responded by accusing him of trying to steal it .
Lawsuits flew and went on for years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely through his own perception and with no apparent challenge from filmmaker Nathalie Bibeau , who has known him since childhood .
The cause is good , though , and the film gives the facts and the commitment .
( Rio Theatre on Friday and Monday evening . )
3 out of 5 THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY : It ’ s partially Canadian and that qualifies it for a shelf of rarities .
A Canadian romantic comedy that ’ s actually entertaining .
Yes , there are a lot of Americans in it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the producers , but it was filmed in Toronto , with Telefilm Canada chipping in money , and that ’ s Sheila McCarthy in a brief role .
But the star ( and sure to be widely heralded ) is Geraldine Viswanathan , Australian born , previously declared a break-out star in the film Blockers and quite a revelation again here .
She ’ s witty and endearing , which is exactly how I hear the dialogue in this movie .
But it is a rom-com , so you have to forgive the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scribe Natalie Krinsky .
She imagines a woman so unable to move beyond failed relationships in her past that she has a collection of trinkets from each .
A tie or a pin or something .
A pair of roommates call her a hoarder and generally act like a Greek chorus throughout the film with wry comments that add to a bouncy feel along the way .
The way involves a bumbling speech at the art gallery where she works and a crying escape in an Uber car , which isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private one driven by a nice guy ( Dacre Montgomery ) , who gives her a ride anyway .
They meet again , wouldn ’ t you know .
He ’ s renovating a small hotel ; she convinces him to turn one wall into a gallery of broken heart trinkets like she collects .
It gets noticed and takes off .
So does their relationship until … well , complications .
Like all rom-coms .
This one is sunny and sparkles in both its writing and acting .
( Scotiabank , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other suburban theatres ) 3 out of 5 Note : There ’ s another new romance out there in several theatres , but After We Collided was not made available for review .
That ’ s never a good sign .
CUTIES : Netflix almost killed this film with a bad advertising move that brought accusations that it sexualizes young girls .
Not so .
It is a sensitive , but rambunctious , view of growing up today , as experienced by an 11-year-old in Paris .
Amy ( full name : Aminata @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the confines of her immigrant family from Senegal .
Her aunt and mom are pious and strict and dad is off and expected back soon with a second wife .
( Filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré is of that ethnicity herself , so presumably this is credible .
She won an award at Sundance for directing it ) .
Amy is trying to get in with the cool kids at school .
Through her friendship with a girl in the neighbourhood , she joins a quartette of girls trying to win a dance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sexualization charge arises .
The girls , calling their group “ the cuties , ” twerk their performance , obviously mimicking what they ’ ve seen in videos and such .
The film is trying to show how easily they pick up that behaviour without really understanding it .
The director thinks young women lose their childhood far too early and gives us several scenes that show how they behave as innocents .
Also , how even at that age they already claim to know a lot but how much of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s an authentic depiction of young girls of that age and features a superbly natural performance by Fathia Youssouf as Amy .
It ’ s a bit too realistic though to show to girls her age .
( Netflix ) 3½ out of 5 I AM WOMAN : Helen Reddy was no one-hit wonder , though it sometimes seems so .
One year , she had three No .
1 songs , but most of us only remember I Am Woman .
It was anthemic , a crowd rouser and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the women ’ s movement of the 1970s .
Maybe for some .
Other women who were involved at the time dispute that .
Nevertheless , this biography of the Australian singer is worth your attention for the information it passes on .
And for a shining performance by Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Reddy .
Other than that , this is a standard bio-pic with the same story arc most of them have .
Reddy comes from Australia to New York , meets and marries a man ( Evan Peters ) who becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his help , but has a falling out because of his drug use and trying to claim credit for her success .
The best parts show the resistance of record company executives who thought her song sounded “ too angry ” contrasted with the enthusiasm of women who found it resonated with their own lives .
A parallel thread of Reddy not wanting to be limited to a life as a housewife felt too much like pontificating .
The final scene , at a women ’ s march , is emotional and moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now available digitally and on demand ) 3 out of 5 THE TAX COLLECTOR : There are artistic flourishes to dress it up , but at heart , this is just another display of threat , intimidation and then violence .
There ’ s lots of that .
They even throw in the bathroom sink .
If that ’ s what you ’ re in the mood for right now , come on in .
There ’ s an edgy , jittery ambience and a pretty good story , though at times it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is David Ayer , who wrote about this segment of society before in films like Training Day .
It ’ s set in the Latino community in Los Angeles .
Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto play a pair of hoods who work for a boss called The Wizard collecting what they call taxes from criminal gangs .
Really it ’ s protection money , that racket we ’ ve seen in gangland films for decades .
Shia threatens a guy with a power drill and explains he ’ s a product of evolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s what I ’ m good at , ” he says .
The script likes grand statements like that .
The story amps up when an old rival of The Wizard returns to town and tries to take over with tactics that are even more brutal .
The film adds in flashback memories , scenes of family life and declarations of noble intentions , even a speech about God and the universe .
But we know what it really is .
( Video on demand ) 2 out of 5

Meanwhile, the much smaller Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival starts today. It's showing eight films that reflect the culture of that nation. One dates back to 1961; another is new, about an aspiring actress; a third is about sound effects technicians. I haven’t been able to track down the rest. You can try at http://www.twff.ca/2020/
It’s festival time again. Toronto’s is now on and getting lots of newspaper attention. Vancouver’s is still two weeks away, but issuing frequent updates on its films. Most of them will be streaming and available at a good price: just $9 each. Or you can watch an unlimited number if you buy what they call a “subscription” for $60 ($30 for students). That’s a good deal.
THE SOCIAL DILEMMA : We’ve seen critiques of social media before. Not as strong as this one, though. Facebook, Twitter, Goggle, YouTube, et al., are addictive because they’re designed to be that way. We’re all lab rats to them. Zombies lured to look at more ads. Those are not words from some wild-eyed nutbars, but from people who worked in the industry. The man who invented Facebook’s “like” button is here. People who were in charge of “growth” and “monetization” at various companies. They talk about how the industry was doing good when it started and then built a parallel money machine. “Surveillance capitalism,” they call it, “by the richest companies in the history of humanity.” Scary stuff because by collecting data and watching everything we do online, they know more about us than we do, and they can predict what we’re going to do.
THE WALRUS AND THE WHISTLEBLOWER : Just like the ex-Silicon Valley types who turned against their industry, Phil Demers blew the whistle on whales and other mammals being held in captivity. His target was Marineland in Niagara Falls, where he said animals were being mistreated (there are grainy clips of sad-looking creatures). Even at the best of times, he says, there’s just one technique that’s used to train them: food deprivation. He quit his job there as a trainer and became a campaigner against such places. Eventually, he helped get the Senate to pass a law that bans holding whales and dolphins and such in captivity. The Vancouver Aquarium would have been affected, too, but voluntarily stopped the activity before the law was passed.
People are addicted to social media and their smartphones. Many are susceptible to depression because of it, as shown in recent studies that the film cites. It goes much further: conspiracy theories, fake news (including about COVID-19), vicious personal attacks are all flourishing. One commentator sees a potential for civil war. That’s one of the more alarmist comments. Most are reasoned and logical from those who left the industry or watch it as academics and authors. The main voice, Tristan Harris, ex-Google now head of the Center for Humane Technology, makes a good case for worrying. (Telus should listen, too. It's moving all its e-mail customers over to Google.) There are animated and dramatized scenes to illustrate some points, including actor Vincent Kartheiser playing the algorithms behind the screen. It’s a gimmick, but does show that they’re not at all neutral and objective. What can we do? The film has suggestions, but not until the very end, beside the closing credits. Worth watching? Absolutely. (Netflix) 4 out of 5
The film follows the troubles Demers went through along the way. While he was still at Marineland, a baby walrus “imprinted” on him, in effect thinking he was its mother. After he left, Demers wanted to save the animal and demanded it be given to him. What would he do with a walrus? The film doesn’t question that. The park responded by accusing him of trying to steal it. Lawsuits flew and went on for years. It’s a fascinating story told largely through his own perception and with no apparent challenge from filmmaker Nathalie Bibeau, who has known him since childhood. The cause is good, though, and the film gives the facts and the commitment. (Rio Theatre on Friday and Monday evening.) 3 out of 5
THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY: It’s partially Canadian and that qualifies it for a shelf of rarities. A Canadian romantic comedy that’s actually entertaining. Yes, there are a lot of Americans in it, and Selena Gomez is one of the producers, but it was filmed in Toronto, with Telefilm Canada chipping in money, and that’s Sheila McCarthy in a brief role. But the star (and sure to be widely heralded) is Geraldine Viswanathan, Australian born, previously declared a break-out star in the film Blockers and quite a revelation again here. She’s witty and endearing, which is exactly how I hear the dialogue in this movie.
Courtesy Elevation Pictures
But it is a rom-com, so you have to forgive the premise written and directed by American TV scribe Natalie Krinsky. She imagines a woman so unable to move beyond failed relationships in her past that she has a collection of trinkets from each. A tie or a pin or something. A pair of roommates call her a hoarder and generally act like a Greek chorus throughout the film with wry comments that add to a bouncy feel along the way. The way involves a bumbling speech at the art gallery where she works and a crying escape in an Uber car, which isn’t one at all. It’s a private one driven by a nice guy (Dacre Montgomery), who gives her a ride anyway. They meet again, wouldn’t you know. He’s renovating a small hotel; she convinces him to turn one wall into a gallery of broken heart trinkets like she collects. It gets noticed and takes off. So does their relationship until … well, complications. Like all rom-coms. This one is sunny and sparkles in both its writing and acting. (Scotiabank, Marine Gateway, Park Royal and nine other suburban theatres) 3 out of 5
Note: There’s another new romance out there in several theatres, but After We Collided was not made available for review. That’s never a good sign.
CUTIES: Netflix almost killed this film with a bad advertising move that brought accusations that it sexualizes young girls. Not so. It is a sensitive, but rambunctious, view of growing up today, as experienced by an 11-year-old in Paris. Amy (full name: Aminata) is trying to find her way out of the confines of her immigrant family from Senegal. Her aunt and mom are pious and strict and dad is off and expected back soon with a second wife. (Filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré is of that ethnicity herself, so presumably this is credible. She won an award at Sundance for directing it).
Courtesy Netflix
Amy is trying to get in with the cool kids at school. Through her friendship with a girl in the neighbourhood, she joins a quartette of girls trying to win a dance competition. It’s there that the sexualization charge arises. The girls, calling their group “the cuties,” twerk their performance, obviously mimicking what they’ve seen in videos and such. The film is trying to show how easily they pick up that behaviour without really understanding it. The director thinks young women lose their childhood far too early and gives us several scenes that show how they behave as innocents. Also, how even at that age they already claim to know a lot but how much of it, particularly about sex, is misinformed. It’s an authentic depiction of young girls of that age and features a superbly natural performance by Fathia Youssouf as Amy. It’s a bit too realistic though to show to girls her age. (Netflix) 3½ out of 5
I AM WOMAN: Helen Reddy was no one-hit wonder, though it sometimes seems so. One year, she had three No. 1 songs, but most of us only remember I Am Woman. It was anthemic, a crowd rouser and is often cited as a rallying cry in the women’s movement of the 1970s. Maybe for some. Other women who were involved at the time dispute that. Nevertheless, this biography of the Australian singer is worth your attention for the information it passes on. And for a shining performance by Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Reddy.
Courtesy Quiver Distribution
Other than that, this is a standard bio-pic with the same story arc most of them have. Reddy comes from Australia to New York, meets and marries a man (Evan Peters) who becomes her agent, gets a career with his help, but has a falling out because of his drug use and trying to claim credit for her success. The best parts show the resistance of record company executives who thought her song sounded “too angry” contrasted with the enthusiasm of women who found it resonated with their own lives. A parallel thread of Reddy not wanting to be limited to a life as a housewife felt too much like pontificating. The final scene, at a women’s march, is emotional and moving, but also not unexpected. (Now available digitally and on demand) 3 out of 5
THE TAX COLLECTOR: There are artistic flourishes to dress it up, but at heart, this is just another display of threat, intimidation and then violence. There’s lots of that. They even throw in the bathroom sink. If that’s what you’re in the mood for right now, come on in. There’s an edgy, jittery ambience and a pretty good story, though at times it’s confusingly told. The director is David Ayer, who wrote about this segment of society before in films like Training Day.
Courtesy VVS Films
It’s set in the Latino community in Los Angeles. Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto play a pair of hoods who work for a boss called The Wizard collecting what they call taxes from criminal gangs. Really it’s protection money, that racket we’ve seen in gangland films for decades. Shia threatens a guy with a power drill and explains he’s a product of evolution. “I terrorize the herd. That’s what I’m good at,” he says. The script likes grand statements like that. The story amps up when an old rival of The Wizard returns to town and tries to take over with tactics that are even more brutal. The film adds in flashback memories, scenes of family life and declarations of noble intentions, even a speech about God and the universe. But we know what it really is. (Video on demand) 2 out of 5


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--Food — from farm to fork and beyond — may be key to Paris emission goals, UN says

Food is cheap .
So cheap , it ’ s hurting the planet .
Food systems — the paths meals take from farm to fork and beyond — are among the largest anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases ( GHGs ) .
They don ’ t need to be : A report published last week found changing how we grow , use , and dispose of food could significantly reduce emissions .
And that reducing food waste and changing diets — both relatively cheap yet essential tactics — were overlooked by more than 90 per cent of countries .
Yet food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t part of most countries ’ emission reduction plans under the 2015 Paris Agreement , according to the UN Environment Program report , which was co-authored with three other environmental NGOs .
Taken as a whole , reform to the global food system could contribute up to 20 per cent of the GHG emissions cuts needed by 2030 to stay within the Paris Agreement 's 1.5 C limit .
However , achieving these reductions will require cutting emissions throughout the cycle , not only in the agricultural sector .
Graph by Schulte et @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatory countries to track , cap and then reduce their emissions and submit a plan — dubbed nationally determined contributions , or NDCs — to the UN outlining how they expect to achieve these goals through domestic legislation .
Without significant changes , # foodsystems are singlehandedly expected to blow through humans ’ global # carbonemission budget — pushing # planetarywarming above # 1.5°C # cdnpoli # bcpoli # foodwaste # ParisAgreement @ foodresilience @ PaulTaylorTO About 89 per cent of these national plans , including Canada ’ s , have developed policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes .
Very few have a specific plan to deal with food loss and waste .
“ Opportunities to reduce global emissions of the food systems sector remains largely untapped , ” the report notes .
“ Overall , only a handful of NDCs refer to the food system approach , but these mostly remain focused on the stage of food production and not the later stages where large emissions from food loss and waste and diets and consumption occur.
” In the country ’ s last submission to the UNFCCC — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — funding to reduce emissions from the agricultural sector dominated , with minimal policy proposals to reduce food waste and encourage diet changes .
That might be changing .
Last year , the federal government launched the Food Policy for Canada , a “ roadmap for a healthier and more sustainable food system ” Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada wrote in an email .
The plan includes $ 134.4 million in funding over the next four years .
About 19 per cent of this money is slated to help reduce food waste .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the countries with low emissions from our food system ; still , this map only shows part of the picture .
About 64 per cent of Canada 's food supply was produced domestically in 2016 .
The remainder was imported , primarily from the U.S. , the EU , and China .
Graph by Schulte et al./WWF Food Practice “ Waste is a symptom of a problem elsewhere in the system , ” Murphy , the food systems expert , said .
Canada ’ s food system is wasteful by design and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from consumers — are offloaded onto farmers , farm workers , food banks , and the environment .
“ Go back to farming and ask who is making money , ” Murphy said .
For the past several decades , the cost of food production has far exceeded farmers ’ gross incomes because high land , fertilizer , and other inputs costs have consumed roughly 95 per cent of that income .
Canadian farm debt now sits around $ 106 billion — almost double the rate in 2000 .
Meanwhile , the prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively stable , even if prices have increased for consumers .
The excess has resulted in profits for grocery chains , processors , and other middlemen or it has been lost through inefficiencies in the system — including about $ 50 billion annually worth of wasted food .
That waste is built into Canada ’ s food system .
“ Corporations should be forced to figure out what to do with their food waste , ” Paul Taylor , the executive director of FoodShare Toronto , said .
Relying on charities and food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reducing overall waste and working towards a more equitable society , wo n't do much for people or the climate in the long term .
Photo by Daniel Neuhaus “ Corporations aren ’ t concerned with getting us all the food we need , ” Paul Taylor , the executive director of FoodShare Toronto , said in an interview last month .
“ They ’ re concerned with making the most amount of money — and that ’ s what leads to much of the food waste that we see.
” Charities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excess to distribute to the one in seven Canadians who go hungry , but it ’ s not a long-term solution .
Creating more equitable and socially and ecologically resilient local food systems is a more effective approach , Taylor explained .
Those kinds of food systems transformations will also impact GHG emissions and are among the approaches recommended in the UNEP report .
Suggested policy solutions range from promoting agroecological farming practices to facilitating access to healthy and sustainable food .
“ There are many ways to produce food , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
The question is which ones Canada will choose .

Food is cheap. So cheap, it’s hurting the planet. Food systems — the paths meals take from farm to fork and beyond — are among the largest anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs). They don’t need to be: A report published last week found changing how we grow, use, and dispose of food could significantly reduce emissions. And that reducing food waste and changing diets — both relatively cheap yet essential tactics — were overlooked by more than 90 per cent of countries. “There are many aspects of the food system that are exacerbating climate change,” Sophia Murphy, a food systems and international economy expert with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, said. “But it’s the sector that’s been one of the first to be hit by climate change, and it’s also where we can do something to reduce emissions.”
Food currently accounts for up to 37 per cent of global GHG emissions, which is driving biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion, and pollution on land and in aquatic environments. Without significant changes, they’re single handedly expected to blow through humans’ global carbon emission budget — pushing planetary warming 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, with irreversible ecological and social consequences. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions In Canada alone, households produce 767 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalents, of which roughly 20 per cent is linked to food or cooking. Agriculture is the country’s sixth-largest emitter of GHGs and food waste — about 20 per cent of all food produced in Canada is lost or wasted — and accounts for roughly 56.5 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalents.
Yet food — particularly food waste — isn’t part of most countries’ emission reduction plans under the 2015 Paris Agreement, according to the UN Environment Program report, which was co-authored with three other environmental NGOs. Without significant changes, #foodsystems are singlehandedly expected to blow through humans’ global #carbonemission budget — pushing #planetarywarming above #1.5°C #cdnpoli #bcpoli #foodwaste #ParisAgreement @foodresilience @PaulTaylorTO Taken as a whole, reform to the global food system could contribute up to 20 per cent of the GHG emissions cuts needed by 2030 to stay within the Paris Agreement's 1.5 C limit. However, achieving these reductions will require cutting emissions throughout the cycle, not only in the agricultural sector. Graph by Schulte et al./WWF Food Practice The Paris pact requires signatory countries to track, cap and then reduce their emissions and submit a plan — dubbed nationally determined contributions, or NDCs — to the UN outlining how they expect to achieve these goals through domestic legislation. About 89 per cent of these national plans, including Canada’s, have developed policies to support regenerative agricultural and other land-use changes. Very few have a specific plan to deal with food loss and waste. “Opportunities to reduce global emissions of the food systems sector remains largely untapped,” the report notes.
“Overall, only a handful of NDCs refer to the food system approach, but these mostly remain focused on the stage of food production and not the later stages where large emissions from food loss and waste and diets and consumption occur.” Canada is no exception. In the country’s last submission to the UNFCCC — the UN body that manages the Paris Agreement — funding to reduce emissions from the agricultural sector dominated, with minimal policy proposals to reduce food waste and encourage diet changes.


nationalobserver--2020-09-11--Feds applaud B.C. Supreme Court decision against private health care

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says a B.C .
Supreme Court decision that ruled against a doctor calling for the right to pay for private health care validates Canada ’ s universal health care system .
In a landmark ruling that ’ s been a decade in the making , the court decided that private health care is not a constitutional right even if wait times are too long .
The case was launched by Dr. Brian Day , a surgeon who heads Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver , which is described as the only “ free-standing private hospital ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day ’ s clinic isn ’ t illegal , he violated B.C.
’ s Medicare Act by allowing patients to spend their own money to skip ahead and get procedures done faster , a 2012 audit found .
Day brought his case to the court in 2009 , to challenge the sections of B.C.
’ s Medicare Protection Act that prohibit doctors from charging the government for work they do within the public health care system if they are simultaneously making money through private-sector clinics .
It also stops private clinics from enacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for necessary medical procedures .
Day attempted to argue that long wait times within the public system violated charter rights , and that patients who are willing and able should be able to pay for private care when wait times are too long .
The orthopedic surgeon has argued for a hybrid type of health-care system , where the current system stands along with a second-tier that allows patients to pay and skip the waitlist for necessary medical procedures .
• End times for American democracy ?
An interview with Chris Hedges • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A. Macdonald and Louis Riel 'made good and bad choices ' In an 800-page ruling , B.C .
Supreme Court Justice John J. Steeves said that the claims Day made concerning waiting times “ do not deprive the right to life or liberty of the patient plaintiffs or similarly situated individuals.
” He added that the plaintiffs Day had on stand to testify on behalf of his claims did not prove that their constitutional rights were violated .
Minister Hajdu celebrated the ruling in a statement released on Friday .
“ Access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all , based on need rather than ability or willingness to pay , ” she said .
“ Patient charges — whether they take the form of charges at the point of service or payment for private insurance — undermine equity.
” Hajdu said the ruling was especially important in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and that Canadian governments would continue to defend universally accessible health care .
Today public health care won !
This is a victory for everyone in Canada .
Even though the attack was launched in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very heart of the Canada Health Act .
This decision protects our ability to endure crises and care for each other into the future .
pic.twitter.com/zlIyNfz5Qt — BC Health Coalition ( @ BCHC ) September 10 , 2020 Her statement was echoed by the B.C .
Health Coalition , a group that advocates for improvements to the health-care system , whose members also intervened in the case .
`` This decision validates Canada 's single-payer public health care system '' : Minister of Health @ PattyHajdu commended the B.C .
Supreme Court 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a victory for everyone who uses health care in Canada , ” said Edith MacHattie , a co-chair at the coalition .
“ Even though the attack had been launched in B.C.
, it took aim at the very heart of the Canada Health Act and every provincial health care insurance plan.
” Day is expected to appeal the decision .
The Canadian Constitution Foundation , a private registered charity that defends “ the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians in the courts of law and public opinion , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement on Thursday they are supporting the plaintiffs in Day ’ s case with going forward with an appeal .

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says a B.C. Supreme Court decision that ruled against a doctor calling for the right to pay for private health care validates Canada’s universal health care system.
In a landmark ruling that’s been a decade in the making, the court decided that private health care is not a constitutional right even if wait times are too long.
The case was launched by Dr. Brian Day, a surgeon who heads Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver, which is described as the only “free-standing private hospital” providing surgical care in Canada. While Day’s clinic isn’t illegal, he violated B.C.’s Medicare Act by allowing patients to spend their own money to skip ahead and get procedures done faster, a 2012 audit found.
Day brought his case to the court in 2009, to challenge the sections of B.C.’s Medicare Protection Act that prohibit doctors from charging the government for work they do within the public health care system if they are simultaneously making money through private-sector clinics. It also stops private clinics from enacting extra patient charges and taking private insurance for necessary medical procedures.
Day attempted to argue that long wait times within the public system violated charter rights, and that patients who are willing and able should be able to pay for private care when wait times are too long. The orthopedic surgeon has argued for a hybrid type of health-care system, where the current system stands along with a second-tier that allows patients to pay and skip the waitlist for necessary medical procedures.