News
Published by Observer Media Group
Parliamentarians on Emergencies Act committee must take secrecy oath
Members of a parliamentary committee set up to scrutinize the Emergencies Act will have to take an oath of secrecy, but will not be given access to highly classified material, says the government’s representative in the Senate.
B.C. sets aside billions for disaster relief, runs deficit
British Columbia has earmarked $2.1 billion to fund disaster recovery efforts and future response to the threats posed by wildfires, floods and heat waves in a budget that forecasts a $5.5−billion deficit.
Tories rejoin Parliament's national security committee
The federal Conservatives are ending their boycott of a special national security and intelligence committee made up of MPs and senators.
Biden attempts to counter China's electric battery dominance
President Joe Biden highlighted his efforts to counter China’s dominance of the electric battery market on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, as he touted domestic efforts to mine and process lithium and rare metals necessary to create the technology that powers cars, electronics, wind turbines and more.
Some universities choose to hang onto vaccine mandates, masks
Several Canadian universities are maintaining COVID−19 precautions such as vaccine mandates and masking for in−person classes even as governments roll back pandemic restrictions.
Climate activists attempt to block access to German airports with glue
Climate activists on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, blocked roads leading to Germany's three biggest airports, gluing themselves to the ground before police arrived.
Reasons why Albertans were at the heart of Ottawa anti-government protests
A criminal anthropologist suggests looking to the West to find the heart of protests and blockades that gripped the nation for more than a month.
Methane emissions far higher than countries claim
The Paris−based agency International Energy Agency said its analysis shows emissions are 70% higher than the official figure provided by governments worldwide.
Governments worldwide unprepared for deadly wildfires
A warming planet and changes to land use patterns mean more wildfires will scorch large parts of the globe in coming decades, causing spikes in unhealthy smoke pollution and other problems that governments are ill prepared to confront, according to a U.N. report being released on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.
Canada's airline industry doubles down on sustainable jet fuel growth
A new organization aims to spur Canadian development of sustainable aviation fuel, a technology advocates say is the airline industry’s best shot at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
Alaska’s warming tundra sees a beaver boom
Once nonexistent in northwest Alaska, beavers are both benefiting from and changing a warming tundra.
Toronto transit mechanic adapts to a greening world
Alex Cedrone helps keep the Toronto Transit Corporation’s growing fleet of hybrid and fully electric buses on the road. A graduate of a technical college’s truck and bus program, Cedrone is a case study of the shift in schooling and the workforce towards sustainability.
Buffer zones will surround lichen in Nova Scotia, but cutblock still allowed
In late January, a temporary halt was placed on logging in an area of Crown land in the Annapolis Valley after three types of lichen classified as “species at risk” were spotted and reported to the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables.
Trudeau accuses Russia of invading Eastern Ukraine and announces plans to send more troops to Eastern Europe
Putin on Monday signed a decree recognizing the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine’s eastern industrial land as independent republics. He then ordered Russian troops to cross the border into those areas, saying they were being deployed as “peacekeepers.”