Good morning,
There was a moment, as I entered adulthood in the early 2000s, when the zeitgeist among people concerned over the climate crisis went something like this: the world may not support drastic action on climate change yet because we don’t understand the danger we’re facing — but when disasters start rolling in, we’ll unite under a common cause and fix this thing.
Well, the disasters keep rolling in. Since the start of the century, the 10 deadliest climate-related disasters alone have killed more than half a million people worldwide. Climate change has cost us $2.8 trillion over that same period. As Natasha Bulowski reported this week, climate disaster survivors are trying to raise the alarm and show us — physically show us — what happens when extreme weather comes for our homes and communities. But, at least among the most powerful, the response is often the opposite of unity. Instead, we get blame, division, paranoia and lies.
Take for instance the bickering between Alberta and Ottawa. Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta — a place that lost one of its most iconic parks to fire over the summer and half the province is still grappling with drought — is facing a leadership review this week. So, Smith went back to the metaphorical well (which isn't running dry) and picked yet another fight with Ottawa over the carbon tax. It’s a tried-and-tested technique for firing up the base. In this case, Smith’s base are the rural Albertans whose fields are dry and homes vulnerable to fire; Canadians most in need of immediate climate action. Instead, they get tossed some red meat.
In Ontario, Doug Ford is pandering to suburban commuters by pledging to rip out bike lanes, throwing out a modest yet effective climate solution in the hopes of riling up the drivers of Etobicoke and Brampton enough that they’ll reward him with his third majority government. Forget that bike lanes have been shown to benefit drivers as well as cyclists — not to mention boosting business traffic and sales — it’s never been about data. It’s about anger, and anger sells.
The climate-skeptic games extend outside the public realm and into industry spaces, too. John Woodside reported this week that the head of the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) called the energy transition “cult-like” in a rage-baiting eight-minute speech to a far-right think tank audience. The association and its members, it appears, would rather people direct their skepticism to the bare possibility of averting climate disaster by transitioning off their products, than have them think too hard about how, for instance, exporting LNG has recently been found to be even worse for the climate than burning coal. It’s a smart strategy, especially when you consider that CGA member FortisBC is working hard behind the scenes to reverse Vancouver’s gas ban for new builds — there’s no reason FortisBC shouldn’t lose out on any of its customer base when the energy transition is just a cult, right?
South of the border, this kind of rhetorical whataboutism, finger-pointing, misdirection, pandering and rage could be about to get so much worse. Another Trump victory, following a campaign fuelled in part by climate conspiracy theories, would effectively kill American involvement in the green transition. Worse, a second administration led by a famously climate-denying Trump would double down on oil and gas, throw out environmental regulations, and kneecap the growth of the green energy industry.
I’m reflecting on all of this, not because it’s therapeutic (although maybe it is a little bit), but because based on what we’re seeing today, it doesn’t look like humanity is going to organically coalesce around solutions anytime soon. If that’s the case, we must find a way to demand those solutions from our leaders, no matter how deeply flawed and cynical the leadership class may be. We’ll have to fight disinformation with all the tools we have at our disposal, from inoculation to counter-messaging. First, let’s hold liars accountable.
If you’re reading this newsletter, you understand the position we’re in. That’s a start.
—Jimmy, managing editor
TOP STORY
The Canadian Gas Association thinks the energy transition is “cult-like,” which could help explain the lobby group’s behaviour. The head of the association travelled to Budapest to speak to a far-right summit, and ended up blasting efforts to switch off fossil fuels and on to renewables as “deeply ideological.” The association spends much of its time lobbying against environmental policies and in favour of including gas producers in things like the budding hydrogen system, as well as trying to shape public opinion using front groups like Voices for Energy.
John Woodside reports.
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📉 B.C.’s liquefied natural gas projects could be headed for a dive. A new report by U.K.-based Carbon Tracker is predicting a glut of LNG by the end of the next decade. That’s terrible timing for a fossil fuel industry that B.C. is heavily invested in and is expected to ramp up at that time. The report concludes the province would have been better off putting its weight fully behind clean energy: “Large-scale investment in LNG carries an opportunity cost versus investing in a clean energy system which would generate long-economic growth as the energy transition accelerates.”
John Woodside reports
🗳️Call this what it is — a pre-election bribe. Those $200 cheques being sent from Ontario’s provincial government to all voters are another clear sign that Premier Doug Ford is about to send voters to the polls. The so-called rebates, which are designed to help offset the high cost of food and housing, are going out to everyone, even billionaires who clearly don’t need extra cash. This self-serving move will cost the government $3 billion, money that could have been spent on programs that help people truly in need, or public projects like transit with long-lasting benefits.
David Moscrop writes
🌩️Lightning strikes are on the rise in Canada’s North, upping the risk of forest fires and damage to homes and electronics from direct hits. No one is exactly sure why this is happening, but scientists are examining possible links to climate change and global warming. Regardless of the cause, there are steps you can take to prevent your house from catching fire from a strike and protect your electronics from frying in a storm.
Evert Lindquist reports
✊🏽Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is once again on the attack against her favourite target, the federal government’s carbon-pricing system. Smith announced this week that Alberta will take the feds to court for unfairly applying the tax, pointing to the exemption given to Atlantic Canada for home heating last year. The timing of the suit, just days before Smith faces her party for a leadership review, is suspect, says Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. He claims Smith is pandering to her oil- and gas-boosting base.
John Woodside reports