Ontario has more efficient options than nuclear

Atomic energy too costly, Ontario Clean Air Alliance argues

by John Spears, Toronto Star Business Reporter

Abandoning nuclear power in favour of imported electricity from Quebec and new, high-efficiency natural gas plants, would save Ontario billions, says the Ontario Clean Air Alliance.

The money saved could be spent on health, education or other provincial programs, the alliance argues in a new report.


The Liberal government’s long term energy plan calls for the province to continue getting half its power from nuclear until 2030.

Plans call for two new reactors at Darlington. Massive overhauls of Darlington’s four existing reactors, and four reactors at the Bruce B station are also part of the plan. Nuclear spending would total $33 billion over 20 years.

That’s a mistake, the alliance argues in a report released Tuesday.

Under the best-case outlook, new nuclear units would produce power at 8 cents a kilowatt hour, it says

But given the history of cost over-runs on nuclear projects an actual cost of 19 cents or higher is more likely, it argues. (Moody’s, the credit rating service, projects costs of 15 cents or higher, it notes.)

What’s the alternative? The alliance says other sources are much cheaper.

Imported hydro power:

Quebec signed a deal to sell electricity to Vermont for 5.8 cents a kilowatt hour, the report notes.

“Pursuant to the National Energy Board Act, Hydro Quebec must give Ontario an opportunity to purchase electricity on terms and conditions as favorable as its export sale,” it says.

Ontario, which now gets only 1.8 per cent of its power from Quebec, could boost that to 17 per cent without expanding transmission links, the report says.

Conservation and efficiency:

Ontario also has plenty of room to reduce its consumption, it argues: Ontario uses 27 per cent more power per capita than neighbouring New York.

And boosting efficiency is cheap. It costs about less than 5 cents a kilowatt hour to save power, which is cheaper than any form of new generation.

Ontario’s local utilities could drive down consumption by financing energy-saving home retrofits and the purchase of high-efficiency air conditioners, alliance chairman Jack Gibbons said in an interview.

They could also place more devices that switch off home air conditioners for short periods when peak demand is straining the system. About 10 per cent of home now have them; 50 per cent would be a better goal.

Combined heat and power plants:

These plants – which generally use waste heat to produce steam for industrial use – can also be expanded, the report argues. That costs about 6 cents a kilowatt hour.

The cost of filling half of Ontario’s energy needs through imported power from Quebec, plus combined heat and power plants and efficiency would be $3.7 billion a year, the report calculates.

Meanwhile, the annual cost of the same amount of power from nuclear units, even at 8 cents a kwh, would be $5.4 billion.

Gibbons argues that a non-nuclear strategy is also lower risk. The risks of mega-projects like nuclear stations going over budget are well known.

Long-term, fixed price contracts for imported power are very low risk, he said: “Hydro Quebec is a very reliable supplier.”

Pursuing a multitude of smaller scale generation and efficiency projects is also lower risk than nuclear mega-projects he said.

Ontario has another quick source of money, the report argues, which is shutting down last units of the Nanticoke and Lambton coal stations immediately. They’re due to shut down in 2014.

Ontario Power Generation has kept some units running at a loss, because they were needed for technical reasons to balance the grid. But the report argues that equipment put in place by Hydro One has now eliminated that need.

That would save a subsidy of $367 million a year that OPG is now receiving to keep coal units available.

Facebook page for Green Democratic Party of Canada

New Facebook website for the future Green Democratic Party of Canada, to be formed through the merger of the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Green Party of Canada.

When the right wing in Canada was split into a Reform camp and a PC core, the Western upstarts split the reactionary vote and allowed Jean Chretien a majority government. Chretien got his majorities when the right was divided between PCs and Reform, and now Harper got his because the left (NDP) and center-left (Greens) are divided. The combining of the right and far right entities was the first st...See More

Our goal is to stay focused on political parties and how best to translate the votes of Canadians into real progress for families and individuals across the country. We believe in democracy, and think that if we are able to merge the Greens and the NDP into the Green Democratic Party, then we will return Canada to the path Trudeau and Broadbent were on.


United Greens and NDP would sweep Quebec, BC and the GTA

It will be much easier for the NDP to move from Opposition to Government by uniting with the Green Party to form the Green Democratic Party of Canada. A combined NDP / Green Party would be an amazing political breakthrough ... the merger will be a modern equivalent to the union of the CCF and the Labour Congress that formed the New Democratic Party... Canadians CAN handle two ideas, social justice AND ecology.

The 20-something NDP MPs in Parliament are mostly greener than your typical 50-ish Green Party supporter, as was Jack Layton... proving the two parties are not as far apart on policy as some claim.

We are proposing creating a sustainable, socially-just society, via the elimination of oil, coal and uranium as fuel sources. This has to begin in Canada, as we are the richest on Earth (resources per capita), and all of Earth looks to us for peaceful, humanitarian solutions.


New Facebook webpage for Green Democratic Party of Canada, to be formed through a merger of Green Party and NDP in Canada

Harper's swing to far right means NDP and Greens should UNITE

New legislation the work of paid lobbyists

As Canadians are clearly about 85% to 90% against the PCs new anti-pot and and anti-privacy bills, these must have been created by influential lobbyists representing the interests of mega corporations.

If ever there were a time for Canada's environmental movement (eg Green Party) and social justice block (NDP) to UNITE into one party for progressive Canadians, THIS is it!!!!!!!

If the New Democratic Party and the Green Party were to merge into the Green Democratic Party of Canada, it is suggested that the new entity would sweep Quebec, BC and the GTA, and likely earn a majority government. Discuss among yourselves, and in the Comments section below.

Canadian PM likes muzzling dissent, limiting free speech

Stephen Harper MUZZLING CABINET MINISTERS, MPs, JUDGES, ETC.

How Harper controls the spin:

Zeal to manage message sees journalists shunned, bureaucrats, cabinet ministers routinely muzzled. Public appearances by cabinet ministers – whether it's a speech or an interview – are carefully staged, starting with a "message event proposal" vetted by the Privy Council Office, the bureaucratic wing of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/429906

PM slaps muzzle on military brass
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2006/04/15/1535119-sun.html

Hillier, Sr.Officials Muzzled by PMO
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,42247.0.html

Mum’s the word: Harper tells MPs to keep mouths shut
http://www.carleton.ca/ctown/archiv/mar3106/Insite2.htm

Tories tighten muzzle on PS [Public Service] for campaign
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=93e98b5c-593a-4eac-b835-a4359e80babd

Former chief justice of Canada accuses PM of trying to "muzzle" the judiciary
http://www.anticorruption.ca/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4792&sid=44cad6d7756e9bd7010d182cb62e00da

'Muzzle' Placed On Federal Scientists
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=47bf0fba-b98f-43fb-89fb-58b6464a7b24&k=65248

Tories muzzle environmental scientist
http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=8942

Minister stops book talk by Environment Canada scientist
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/04/13/ambrose-climate.html

Mum's the word till message vetted
No federal cabinet minister speaks to a journalist, gives a speech or makes a policy announcement until a "message event proposal" has been vetted by a wing of the Prime Minister's Office.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/429903

Harper lawsuit smacks of authoritarian state: prof
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/08/07/harper-lawsuit.html

Holland shocked by Conservative comments on media
http://www.markholland.ca/news/2006/060331harpermedia.htm

Harper government whips Tories into line with secret handbook
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/columnists/story.html?id=b8122d51-95e8-4b29-b99b-34217406425d

Information Commissioner Robert Marleau told The Hill Times recently that the Harper government has been quietly drafting about 25 government policies that impact on the rights of officers of Parliament, and that it has been happening without their knowledge or input.
http://www.thehilltimes.ca/members/login.php?fail=2&destination=/html/cover_index.php?display=story&full_path=/2008/may/12/spindoctors/

Conservative headquarters scripting calls to radio shows
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080325.wtorytalk0325/BNStory/National/home

Feds keep lid on Atomic Energy Canada sale report
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Feds+keep+Atomic+Energy+Canada+sale+report/2121029/story.html

Huge loss expected in any AECL sale, MPs concede
http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Huge+loss+expected+AECL+sale+concede/2129653/story.html

Is he sitting on it?
Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan still has not tabled the 2008 report from the Commissioner of Firearms. Knowing the report will likely be favourable to the existing gun registry, many have questioned whether Van Loan is suppressing the report until after tonight's vote on scrapping the long gun registry.
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2009/11/is-he-sitting-on-it.html

Canada slips in 'press freedom' rankings
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/712978--canada-slips-in-press-freedom-rankings

Torture probe delayed; Tories deny gagging witness
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/704155

Lawyers seek to gag witnesses in Afghan prisoner inquiry
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090929/taliban_prisoners_090929/20090929?hub=Canada

Has Canada entered a 'Bush-like vortex'?
Richard Colvin's torture allegations suggest civil servants aren't writing down what the government doesn't want recorded
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/has-canada-entered-a-bush-like-vortex/article1404311/

PMO issued instructions on denying abuse in '07
Former NATO official says response to reports was 'scripted' in Ottawa
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/729157--pmo-issued-instructions-on-denying-abuse-in-07

Tories attack credibility of diplomat who blew whistle on torture
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-attack-credibility-of-diplomat-who-blew-whistle-on-torture/article1369993/

Attack on senior diplomat signals demise of independent public service: experts
"If we don’t have a public service that speaks truth to power we might as well have everything run out of the Prime Minister’s Office.”
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Attack+Colvin+signals+demise+independent+public+service/2283460/story.html

Diplomats told to keep quiet on torture allegations, sources say
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/diplomats-told-to-keep-quiet-on-torture-allegations-sources-say/article1367390/

Former ambassadors condemn Ottawa's attack on diplomat
Response to Colvin's detainee testimony discourages honest reports, letter says
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/former-ambassadors-condemn-ottawas-attack-on-diplomat/article1392248/

Public service in crisis over Colvin
The Harper government's attack on a senior diplomat could be the final blow in the unravelling of Canada's once-sacred tradition of an independent, non-partisan public service, warn experts
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Public+service+crisis+over+Colvin/2285239/story.html

Afghan detainee watchdog warns of Tory ‘chilling effect'
Departing military commission chief's [BECAUSE HE WAS REFUSED REAPPOINTMENT BY THE TORIES] comments come as Harper government digs in its heels in face of parliamentary order to turn over confidential files
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/afghan-detainee-watchdog-warns-of-tory-chilling-effect/article1397570/

Detainee watchdog post remains unfilled
Military police commission set to meet in March, but Ottawa's delays in appointing new chairman could prompt delay
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/detainee-watchdog-post-remains-unfilled/article1428874/

Feds refuse legal funding to whistleblower diplomat
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091027/whistleblower_legal_091027/20091027?hub=Canada
Ottawa's stance on whistleblower's legal costs called 'unethical'
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/716489--ottawa-s-stance-on-whistleblower-s-legal-costs-called-unethical

Feds tried to order nuclear regulator to bend rules
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071218/reactor_order_071218/20071218?hub=Politics

Ottawa fires nuclear safety commission head [nuclear regulator]
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/2008/01/ottawa_fires_nuclear_safety_co.html

Ousted regulator just doing her job
http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/294886

Tories drop RCMP complaints commissioner
Paul Kennedy sparred with government over office's powers, budget
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/731775--tories-drop-rcmp-complaints-commissioner

Clement slams CMA doctors for supporting drug-injection site
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=732204

Scientific data backs Insite
http://www.straight.com/scientific-data-backs-insite

Budget officer [Kevin Page] questions projected federal surplus
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/Budget+officer+questions+projected+surplus/1054174/story.html

If the object of the exercise was “truth in budgeting”, that’s what Kevin’s office provided. But that realism, whether in regard to rosy but flawed government fiscal forecasts or the true cost of the war in Afghanistan, has been a bit too much truth for this government. Mr. [Kevin] Page’s office has had its budget cut by one million dollars.
http://informedvote.ca/2009/11/07/our-parliamentary-budget-officer-kevin-page-%E2%80%93-a-canadian-hero/

Conservatives stop funding for learning organization
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/conservatives-stop-funding-for-learning-organization/article1423912/

Ottawa is cutting off public input into climate-change policy
http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/Ottawa+cutting+public+input+into+climate+change+policy/2126254/story.html

Tory candidate dumped for frank TV comments: Mused riding wouldn't get infrastructure cash because it's Liberal-held
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/702396

Tory candidates avoiding debates [Election Campaign, 2008]
Campaign official says 'there's no policy' forbidding participation in certain all-candidates' meetings
http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/510147

Gov't program wants job applicants' views on Tory budget
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091104/interns_federal_091104/20091104?hub=QPeriod

Insults, discourtesy and disrespect mark Harper team's behaviour: Targets have included AIDS activists, Nobel Prize winners and Road to Avonlea star
http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=00145


More Stephen Harper attacks on democracy

Canada's proposed Bill C-10 violates civil liberties

Canadian Civil Liberties Association has broad concerns over flawed legislation

Six main points where CCLA is most concerned about the impact of this Bill:

1. Broad and vague amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act:

Amendments give a very broad mandate to deny any foreign national a work permit and do not specify what factors would be used to target an individual as ‘at risk’ of being exploited. It is also poor public policy to punish foreign individuals who are vulnerable to abuse as opposed to addressing the Canadian employers who exploit these populations.

2. Hollow expansion for the rights of victims:

Both torture and terrorism are serious crimes of international concern. Numerous Canadian victims of torture have been unable to access meaningful justice in Canadian courts– and yet the government has chosen only to make these amendments available to victims of terrorism. Even victims of terrorism would have to have their cases ‘pre-approved’ by the government, which has the ability to decide which governments can and cannot be sued. Canada should not play politics with victims of torture and terrorism.

3. Unconstitutional use of mandatory minimums:

The use of mandatory minimums for broad and vague underlying offences may result in the imposition of unjust, grossly disproportionate sentences. The drug provisions include low-level drug offences – producing as little as six marihuana plants – and extremely broad aggravating factors which would target all those who rent or live in a house they do not own.

The child pornography provisions criminalize, and would impose mandatory minimum jail sentences, for the consensual, legal sexual activities of youth and young adults. There is little evidence that mandatory minimums provide any deterrent impact, enhance community safety or lower crime rates. There is also little evidence to suggest that they will significantly impact sentences for the most serious offenders – who are already being sentenced to significant amounts of jail time by the judiciary. Rather they will handcuff the judiciary, preventing them from responding to unique facts and exceptional personal circumstances.



4. Prison conditions and disparate impact of amendments on aboriginal peoples and persons requiring mental health care:

The proposed will amendments greatly increase the prison population, and are likely to have a disproportionate and devastating impact on already-marginalized communities – particularly Aboriginal peoples and those with mental health needs. These populations are already greatly over-represented in correctional institutions, and existing programs and services are already ineffective and insufficient to keep up with general demand. The elimination of conditional sentences for a range of offences is particularly concerning, as these flexible sentencing tools are used by the judiciary to allow single mothers to continue working while serving their sentence and preventing the breakup of families, or to ensure that those with underlying mental health needs get the community treatment that best ensures their recovery and rehabilitation.



5. Unconstitutional amendments to the International Transfer of Offenders Act:

The amendments attempt to give the Minister an unconstitutional level of discretion over when Canadian citizens, incarcerated abroad, can return to Canada. From a policy perspective, facilitating such transfers enhances public safety as rehabilitation and reintegration is enhanced when individuals are close to their families and have access to high-quality, culturally-appropriate programs. When offenders serve a portion of their sentence in Canada, it also allows the government to create records of their crimes and monitor their rehabilitation. Absent such transfers, offenders would simply return to Canada at the end of their sentence without any records or legal restrictions on their activities.


6. Increasing transparency and accountability:

The CCLA welcomes the required 5-year review of the mandatory minimum provisions set out in s. 42 of the Bill and the requirement that the National Parole Board submit an annual report that includes the number of applications for record suspensions and the number of record suspensions ordered. Similar reviews and public reports to parliament should be undertaken with respect to the changes to the other acts.


What is CCLA doing, and what can you do?

We are doing our best to convince the government to make specific amendments that will hopefully mitigate the most devastating consequences of the Bill – for example by eliminating some of the broadest mandatory minimum sentences and introducing some sentencing flexibility for marginalized communities that are already overrepresented in, and underserved by, our penitentiaries. We are writing op-eds, speaking to media, and sent written submissions to the Parliamentary Committee that considered the Bill. We will continue to advocate for changes to be introduced by the Senate We also need you to lend your voice – call your MP, write to the Senate, make your opinion known!

Three specific changes you can ask for:

Eliminate the mandatory minimum sentences

Introduce flexibility in the conditional sentencing exclusions to make sure that already-marginalized communities are not needlessly harmed by excessive and unnecessary jail time

Call for a five-year, independent report to Parliament that will evaluate the impact of any changes that are enacted!


Canada's Bill C-10 and Canadian Civil Liberties Association research

Origin of "tree hugger" phrase

The first tree huggers were 294 men and 69 women belonging to the Bishnois branch of Hinduism, who, in 1730, died while trying to protect the trees in their village from being turned into the raw material for building a palace. They literally clung to the trees, while being slaughtered by the foresters. But their action led to a royal decree prohibiting the cutting of trees in any Bishnoi village. And now those villages are virtual wooded oases amidst an otherwise desert landscape. Not only that, the Bishnois inspired the Chipko movement (which means “to cling”) that started in the 1970s, when a group of peasant women in Northeast India threw their arms around trees designated to be cut down. Within a few years, this tactic, also known as tree satyagraha, had spread across India, ultimately forcing reforms in forestry and a moratorium on tree felling in Himalayan regions.

History of the phrase "tree huggers" explained

Occupy Canada: Q&A for NDP, Green Party

With Occupy Canada showing the way to Unity, here are questions that NDP and Green Party of Canada members may desire to ask themselves:

Do you believe that a merger of the NDP and the Green Party in Canada makes sense ideologically and politically?

Do you feel that a unified party could win the next federal election in Canada?

What do you think are the major obstacles to a union of Canada's two progressive parties?

Do you think a merger could be completed within the next four years (eg before next federal election)?

Is there a specific policy of the “other” progressive party that you disagree with and believe needs to be altered?

What do you believe are the keys to Canada's success as a livable nation?

What do you believe is Canada's greatest strength?

Do you believe in traditional parliamentary representation (first past the post...) or do you think Canada may benefit from some form of proportional representation?

How do you view Canada's relationship with the USA?

Would you consider transforming Canada into a bilingual, secular democratic republic, or would you prefer to retain the Monarchy?

What do you feel is the key factor promoting Canadian unity?

Occupy Canada music performances

Joe Keithley and DOA at Occupy Vancouver protest

Here's an awesome 35 minute video of DOA performing at Occupy Vancouver, including The Enemy, General Strike, Woke Up Screaming and more:






Activist and singer / writer Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine performs The Fabled City at Occupy Wall Street







Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel performing at Occupy Wall Street







Down By The Riverside at St. James Park, Occupy Toronto






Chanting and singing at Occupy Taipei, Taipei 101 financial center







Jam session with Violin, Banjo and Two Guitars at St. James Park, Occupy Toronto





St. James Park, Toronto; video montage set to a boppin tune

Occupy Together movement points way to NDP / Greens merger

Canadian progressives divided again

When the right wing in Canada was split into a Reform camp and a PC core, the Western upstarts split the reactionary vote and allowed Jean Chretien a majority government. The combining of the two entities was the first step in a long path that has led to Stephen Harper's new majority government. Though he was helped by the collapse of Liberal party leadership (neither Dion nor Ignatieff was electable as PM), the split of the progressive vote (NDP, Green Party of Canada) was also a factor in the PC majority. Now it is time for the left of center parties to unite!

In its thirty year existence, the CCF's membership ranged from 20,000 up to 40,000 except for a brief spurt to 90,000 in 1944, the height of the Second World War, and was generally under 30,000 after that. Tommy Douglas got us going, and Ed Broadbent and Pierre Trudeau got the people a new constitution and an amazing Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a document admired around the world and an example of a 21st Century style document appearing in the late 20th Century. Trudeau was a European social democrat in French Canadian, rather Liberal attire ...

When the CCF joined with the Canadian Labour Congress to form the New Democratic Party of Canada in 1961, it was the work of many citizens over three decades that allowed us to unite in the form of the NDP.

So let's say J.S. Woodsworth, M.J. Coldwell, Tommy Douglas, David Lewis, Ed Broadbent, and Jack Layton are Canadians in a tradition that would support the Occupy Together folks, and unions today are able to unite in a bigger voice through this vehicle.

People may ridicule the Occupy Together movement and United for #globalchange as a ragtag group of disgruntled youth and old hippie wanna-be's, but our urban occupations are part of activities going on in over 900 cities in more than eighty countries. I would also like to add that there are already more than thirty thousand of us in Canada, and if we can unite the NDP and the Green Party, then we'll be about two million strong, and getting more focused by the day.

Green Democratic Party of Canada call for logo designers

With the United for Global Change movement gathering momentum and set to demonstrate in over 850 cities and 70 plus countries this Saturday, October 15th, the timing for a Green Party / NDP merger in Canada could not be better.

If we are to unite the progressive elements in Canada into one social democratic, environmentally conscious political party, what will be our logo? Think Green Democratic Party of Canada, GDP Canada, GDPC, Green Democrats and other versions of the name that would work in media and on swag.

For now, please post any links to sketches or finished designs in the Comments section if you want to get a head start, otherwise Bookmark this page in your Favorites, as we hope to set up an email address for logos soon. Strictly pro bono, no fees, no royalties, as we do not want a merged NDP / Green Party of Canada to have unnecessary expenses.






This is a great opportunity for any young designer in the world to view and learn NDP and Green Party graphics, logos and symbols, and come up with seamless, iconic imagery that melds the two traditions, creating new branding exemplifying social justice and ecological awareness.


Need inspiration? Google or Bing "green party of canada logo" and "ndp canada logo" and click Images from the top bar choices. Open two browser windows so you can click back and forth between the two pages of images.

Create something that builds on these crucial Canadian pillars. Orange and green, anyone?

PCs extreme anti-pot law a challenge to NDP's leadership

Newly-named Bill S-10 an expensive, draconian nightmare

The Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act would guarantee minimum six-month mandatory sentences for anyone who grows more than five pot plants, with maximum sentencing now 14 years rather than the current 7 years. Traffickers of small amounts of marijuana will still be limited to 5 years in prison.




This anachronistic and ridiculously expensive legislation must be stopped in its tracks, and if the larger bill must go through, then the former Bill S-10 (now called Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act) must be held back until the marijuana sections are revised or removed. Growing pot is not like making a batch of meth or speed, so why treat it that way?

It is time for the NDP to join the Green Party of Canada and other progressive Canadian forces, and call for complete legalization of cannabis. This way the government can regulate production and tax distribution, so pot growing will help us balance our budget, rather than sink further into the red, as harper's PCs are proposing we do.


Fight Canada's proposed extreme anti-marijuana laws

Melting Arctic ice, high temperatures a concern

The following article appeared on HuffPost Green today, and it is definitely worthy of our readers' attention.


Missing Arctic Sea Ice: Wake-Up Call

by Dr. Reese Halter, Conservation Biologist

As a field biologist with more than a quarter of a century of experience, the unprecedented warming of our globe is disturbing to my very core. Having spent the first half of this year reading and writing for my upcoming book on the beleaguered state of our forests in western North America, the news on the wire over the weekend (September 10, 2011) by German researchers that the Arctic sea ice reached its lowest point since the start of satellite observations in 1972 is outright heartbreaking.

On September 8, 2011, the North Pole's ice cover shrank to 1.64 million square miles or about a half of a percent beneath the record low set in September 2007 according to the University of Bremen's Institute of Environmental Physics. Moreover, air temperatures were 2 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average (compared to 1981 to 2010) over the Arctic at 3,300 feet above the surface. The feeble argument that the melt is accounted for by natural variability is clearly erroneous because we have reached an all-time low cover, furthermore the volume or thickness of sea ice is continuing to mirror that of the diminishing sea ice cover.

The real question is what does the leadership in Washington, DC intend to do with the latest scientific information? Science has played a significant role shaping every facet of our world, as we know it today. As a profession, we are rigorously trained to be cautious and meticulous. We are curious by nature and our business is knowledge. Knowledge is power. And it empowers us to take action when necessary.

In 2008 Wall Street received almost a trillion dollars yet today we are faced with an unacceptable unemployment of more than 14 million people who live on Main Street.

The most powerful and watched media corporation in the U.S. chooses daily to denigrate climate science. Interestingly, the same people enjoy their smart phones, i-tablets and flat-screen televisions -- all courtesy of ingenious scientific innovations.

If those same people who sneer at climate science were faced with a sick child and they sought medical advice from 100 doctors, I predict they would follow the consensus of the experts. Particularly if 97 or 98 out of 100 doctors told them their child were deathly ill and the steps necessary to save its life. The opinions of the two contrarian medical scientists would be dismissed.

Let's examine this same scenario only substitute "medical" scientist with "climate" scientist. Ninety-seven to ninety-eight percent of the 1,372 scientists polled in 2010 by Stanford University agree that humans are forcing Earth's climate by burning fossil fuels, releasing heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

It appears that the most powerful media empire and special interest groups like oil; gas and coal are hiding behind the intellectual wall of informed denial and social irresponsibility with respect to global warming.

NOAA has predicted that a cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean has begun or the return of the La Nina. This is potentially disastrous for the southern half of the U.S. Texas is facing unparalleled drought damages estimated for 2011 in agriculture alone in excess of $7 billion. Thousands of buildings have burned and wildfire has scorched over 3.6 million acres in the past 12 months of record-breaking drought. The price of cotton, wheat and corn crops (to name just a few) are spiking. The cattle herd in the U.S. has been culled to a population now equal to that of the size of mid 1970s. Expect beef and all other commodities to continue to rise this fall and winter of 2012 at the supermarket.

It is very apparent that elevated temperatures are creating climate disruption. For example, Hurricane Irene caused $7.4 billion in damages and Tropical Storm Lee, seven days later, inflicted another couple billion in damages.

What exactly do the lawmakers intend on doing about future climate disruption? The people on Main Street want to work. So why not begin to plan for future climate disruption by creating millions of jobs that will protect our nation, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate to the world that the U.S. is taking a leadership role in fighting climate change. Incidentally, Australia has recently brought in a carbon tax and China is trialing a greenhouse gas reduction for six of its cities and 250 million people.

There are at least four areas where both white and blue collar jobs could be created:

Professor Steven Chu, Energy Secretary and Nobel Prize-winning physicist, is a proponent of mimicking the missing sea and land ice on Earth by making all roofs and pavement white (or at least light colored) to help reduce global warming by both conserving energy and reflecting the sunlight back into space. At least two million jobs could be created coast to coast from this endeavor. If every country followed America's lead it would be the equivalent of taking all the cars in the world off the road for 11 years.

The current drought in the South is causing at least 700 watermain breaks a day in Houston; and an antiquated water system throughout the U.S. that was initiated in the late 1800s, the 1920s and post WW II is leaking at least 7 billion gallons of water, daily. The American Society of Civil Engineers has graded the U.S. water infrastructure D- stating that the water mains are well beyond the designed span of 65 to 90 years.

Given that every climate model I've seen (over two dozen and counting) predicts more severe drought for the ensuing years and decades ahead it is incumbent that the lawmakers plan for a drier future and protect the citizens of our nation.

Stopping leaking water is no longer an option; it's a necessity. Furthermore, the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.

There are at least two models that the lawmakers can immediately examine:

Las Vegas - strict water conservation has helped water consumption drop even as the population has ballooned, as the city has tough rules promoting water reuse.

New York - Mayor Bloomberg has spent $252 million on wireless meters that detect leaks four times a day, promoting green rooftops and other ground-breaking green infrastructure to capture rain water, reduce sewer overflows and save the city $2 billion over 20 years.

At least 4 million jobs to redo the aging water systems, protecting towns and cities across the United States could be created.

There are at least four million homeowners across the West who straddle the urban/wildland Ponderosa pine interface. This year alone Arizona and New Mexico have both recorded their largest single fires (Wallow and Las Conchas, respectively) since the inception of record keeping. Climate change has enable bark beetles to kill at least a billion trees across 40 million acres in the West (combination of drought which has weakened the trees and warmer winter temperatures enabling beetles to successfully overwinter and breed at historic levels).

A Smokey Bear fire policy has prevented wildfires for almost 100 years. This has allowed forests to create a huge food supply for the beetles, which otherwise would not be available, thus preventing them from reaching an epidemic.

One hundred and eighty million acres of Ponderosa pines spreading across America are overstocked due to fire suppression. Removing dead beetle-killed trees and restoring the Ponderosa pine forests by thinning them to a healthy stocking level of 100 years ago could easily create one million jobs. Our forests are the life force of the nation, providing fresh air and clean water - priceless ecosystem services.

According to the EPA ever day in the U.S. we dump approximately 690,000 tons of material into landfills. These landfills bleed toxicity in the form of heavy metals into underground water and release heat-trapping greenhouse gases like methane (23 times stronger at retaining heat than CO2) into the atmosphere.

Building thermal conversion landfills could create three million jobs coast to coast. These facilities are lined and sealed so no toxicity pollutes the ground water, and they are capped and slowly cooked using high pressure and temperature to break down toxic long-chained molecules. Moreover, by siphoning the methane from the process it is used to power the entire system. The thermal conversion process converts plastics, hospital wastes, diseased cattle, feedlot manure, bleached paper, yard waste, agricultural waste, forestry waste, cardboard, used tires, municipal solid waste, trash, sewage sludge and even anthrax into oil and non-toxic useful products including biogas. This process safeguards the environment for our children.

America excels in science, technology and engineering; it's time to roll up our sleeves and put Main Street back to work; show the rest of the world that the United States values the environment and is committed to reducing greenhouse gases, now!

Dr Reese Halter is an award-winning science communicator: voice for ecology and distinguished conservation biologist at California Lutheran University. His latest book is The Insatiable Bark Beetle. He can be contacted through Dr.Reese.com

Elizabeth May outlines potential risks of cellphones, Wi-Fi

During May 2011, in response to a firestorm of flames over Elizabeth May's Twitter comments, she released this well-researched and presented argument that the issue does indeed require serious attention.


By Elizabeth May on 28 July 2011 - 12:01am

It has been an interesting day. While doing my work on constituency matters, I tried to keep at bay a growing furor over why I had tweeted about the safety of electromagnetic radiation and Wi-Fi. I haven’t been attacked with such nastiness in ages. (I used to be used to it. It was almost refreshing.) The easiest thing to do on twitter, would, I suppose, be to wave a white flag and say “just kidding.” Instead, I think the controversy has created a good teaching moment.

When I was first attacked and lambasted for expressing concern about various forms of pollution and human health, I was young and the attackers were brutal. I was worried about things like Agent Orange. Health Canada wasn’t. I was concerned about lead in gas, but it was hard to get the government to act. I worked to get certain pesticides banned, but they were “safe” right up to the day they were banned.

So, for friends and foes alike on Twitter, I think a fuller explanation for my views than can fit in a tweet is required.

First, a few clear caveats to keep the issue in proportion:

The health risks of electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, cell phone towers and Wi-Fi have not become the Green Party’s top priority.
For those who tweeted that other issues are more important, no argument.
Poverty is a more important determinant of health.
Active lifestyle and nutrition are also more important.
The pharmaceutical industry and our lax testing is more important.
Climate change is a more important priority for all of us.
Nevertheless, I was not speaking without a careful review of the background on this issue which I would like to share (please forgive the length of this blog as I will be posting links to important documents.)

The Green Party has passed the following members-based resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE GREEN PARTY OF CANADA DEMAND THAT HEALTH CANADA CREATE ENFORCEABLE, BIOLOGICALLY- BASED REGULATIONS, THAT WOULD LIMIT HUMAN EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY RADIATION TO A PRECAUTIONARY LIMIT OF 0.1 uW/cm2 (or 0.614 V/m ) FOR CUMULATIVE OUTDOOR EXPOSURE, AS RECOMMENDED IN THE “BIOINITIATIVE REPORT” OF 2007. (www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm)

This is not to say the science is essentially “settled,” as it is on climate change. There is no scientific consensus on EMF and health. But, it is equally not possible to make the claims many of Twitter have made today that Wi-Fi and cell phones are all proven “safe.”

There are studies on both sides of the issue. They fall into two general categories – epidemiological studies on humans and animal studies.

Epidemiological studies (studying the human population exposed to a substance or activity and then working to assess whether a health impact is linked to that substance or behaviour) are inherently fraught with difficulties in proof. There are always issues of bias (not the same as suggesting researchers are biased, but that the patient’s recall may be flawed), and there are confounding factors (such as other things in the subjects’ environment that could have caused the health problem). Causal links come slowly and over decades in some cases to build up a weight of evidence. One study, either way is never conclusive.

Animal studies have their own limitations. Rats and humans are different. Exposure rates used in animal studies will exceed (often substantially) an approximation of what humans may be exposed to.

I have been paying close attention to the issue since the first peer-reviewed medical study of Dr. Lennart Hardell in Sweden. He found an association between cell phone use and brain cancer. I paid attention because I knew Dr. Hardell’s name, his reputation and his work. He was one of the first researchers to find an association between phenoxy herbicides (Agent Orange) and cancer.

I paid attention to an editorial in The Lancet, the Journal of the British Medical Society, over ten years ago (which I cannot now find on Google, but which I have hard copy in files back in Ottawa). It warned that, under the precautionary principle, children and adolescents should not be exposed to cell phones and that exposure to EMF should be kept to a minimum. It said young people were more vulnerable -- not only to cancer but to mental confusion after being exposed to EMF.

In 2008, the European Parliament took action to bring in stricter limits for cell phone and Wi-Fi use for children. The following is from The Independent (Geoffrey Lean, “Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold',” September 21, 2008.):

“Last week the European Parliament voted by 522 to 16 to urge ministers across Europe to bring in stricter limits for exposure to radiation from mobile and cordless phones, Wi-fi and other devices, partly because children are especially vulnerable to them. They are more at risk because their brains and nervous systems are still developing and because – since their heads are smaller and their skulls are thinner – the radiation penetrates deeper into their brains.

David Carpenter, dean of the School of Public Health at the State University of NewYork – who also attended the conference – said: "Children are spending significant time on mobile phones. We may be facing a public health crisis in an epidemic of brain cancers as a result of mobile phone use."


In 2000 and 2005, two official inquiries under Sir William Stewart, a former government chief scientist, recommended the use of mobile phones by children should be "discouraged" and "minimised".”



Why did I say the evidence is mounting?

Because of two recent and important reviews and events.

One is the May 6, 2011 Resolution passed by the Council of Europe. http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc11/EDOC12608.pdf

The Council of Europe Resolution bemoans the fact that earlier calls for the use of the precautionary principle in relation to exposure to EMF (such as the 2008 resolution cited above) have been ignored and that children and young people, in particular, are being exposed to increasing levels of EMF. The children and young people are described as a “particularly vulnerable group.”

Please go to the text of the full resolution to review the Council’s detailed call to restrict exposures.

The second major event was the recent decision which I posted earlier on Twitter by the World Health Organization to list EMF as a Class 2B human carcinogen. The immediate twitter reaction was to latch onto the fact that it was not conclusive. I know it is not conclusive, but you have to read the study that was conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Thirty scientists from 14 countries reviewed a large number of human and animal studies. It was published in The Lancet on line on June 22, 2011. (see this link for the full study http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(11)70147-4/fulltext)

Here is an excerpt to give you the feeling of the weighing of competing studies. This was a rigorous review:

“Although both the INTERPHONE study and the Swedish pooled analysis are susceptible to bias—due to recall error and selection for participation—the Working Group concluded that the findings could not be dismissed as reflecting bias alone, and that a causal interpretation between mobile phone RF-EMF exposure and glioma is possible. A similar conclusion was drawn from these two studies for acoustic neuroma, although the case numbers were substantially smaller than for glioma. Additionally, a study from Japan11 found some evidence of an increased risk for acoustic neuroma associated with ipsilateral mobile phone use.”

(Glioma is a form of brain cancer. The INTERPHONE study has been controversial as it was industry funded, but it needs to be considered. The debate has been from two primary cancer research groups -- Hardell’s work and INTERPHONE’s)

I will attach an older review from the European Environment Agency in 2007, but it is useful due to a list of citations and references. Not all of the references say there is a problem. As I hope is now clear, I am not saying we know for sure that Wi-Fi, cell phones and cell phone towers are health hazards. What is important to appreciate is that a significant number of serious medical researchers, none of them wearing tinfoil hats, are concerned that the human population is being subjected to an enormous biological experiment.

As for the theory re pollinators, going back to review the current state of information, the evidence is weaker. There is one study from India and a presentation from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, briefing to Congress expressing concerns, May 10, 2007.

Our stance is simple and responsible. Exercise the precautionary principle. A risk of a health problem requires a cautious approach until the science is settled.

For me personally, that translates into using my blackberry, but not carrying it in my pocket. I do not hold it up against my head. I prefer land lines. Do I occasionally use cell phones? Sure. Do I want high speed internet in my house? Yes, and I have a cable. Am I happy to latch onto a signal in the airport by Wi-Fi? You bet.

It is a matter of knowing there are unanswered questions and taking reasonable precautions. If you have Wi-Fi in your home, turn it off when you are sleeping. Locate the router away from where your kids are sleeping. Urge your kids to text more than talk with the phone to their head.

Elizabeth May article on cellphones, radiation, cancer, wi-fi

Jack Layton epitomized Urban Green

Legendary NDP leader a symbol of roots and unity

Jack never forgot that justice and human rights were deeply embedded in issues of the environment. Today, too many of us act as if these are somehow separate, and so we are either environmentalists or workers for social justice. To Jack, they were a part of the same struggle for sustainable societies.

- David Suzuki


If one man represented the potential of a NDP / Green Party union in Canada, that gentleman was Jack Layton. People tell me the merger wil take a long time, or that it's a long way off, but I say "why"?

Stephen Harper is still a relatively young man and likely to be Conservative Party leader for another five to ten years. Considering that Liberals have doubled-down on charisma-less, bookish, dorky types in Dion and Ignatieff, it's likely that Justin Trudeau could take the helm of the Liberal Party of Canada for the next decade. And who do we, the NDP and the Greens, have?

Well, nobody.

Except the people...

A union of the Greens and the NDP into the Green Democratic Party of Canada will immediately vault us into equal status with the PCs and the Liberals, returning Cnada to dynamic three party politics, the Bloc having been eclipsed by the NDP in Quebec and likely to be obliterated if progressive forces in Canada are able to meld themselves into a single, green, social democratic entity.



The NDP was born out of a merger of the CCF and other progressive forces, while on the other side of the aisle, the PCs are in power because of their merger with the Reform movement.

If you are willing to accept division and defeat, then encourage environmentalists and social activists to work separately. Should you choose to work hard for a sustainable, just society, consider the profound impact of a united Green Democratic Party in Canada, and how we can change our nation and our planet, for the better.

Pass it on.


Peace 2 All,


Yuya Joe College

A Sad Day for Canada; Jack Layton's State Funeral

Jack Lauyton cycling with wife, Olivia Chow

NDP leader and Toronto activist leaves profound legacy

My international readers may not be aware of the sad occurrence in Canada this week – we lost a true hero. In Toronto tomorrow we will be having a big State Funeral for Jack Layton, a politician who represented the poor and the young. He was the Official Leader of Canada's Opposition when he died of cancer last week, and tens of thousands of people will likely come to his funeral (inside Roy Thomson Hall and outside at David Pecaud Square, just west of RTH).

His New Democratic Party elected over 100 representatives in our 2011 election, including Members of Parliament as young as 20, 21, 23... amazing!

Tomorrow we say goodbye to him, but there will be lots of music and profound speeches at his funeral. He carried proudly the populist / social democratic values of his forebears Tommy Douglas and Ed Broadbent, and his legacy lives on.

Just Google "Jack Layton of Canada" if you want to learn more about him, or visit the Jack Layton wikipedia page.

Schedule, guests and performers at Jack Layton funeral, Toronto

Remembering Jack at his Toronto funeral

State funeral for NDP Leader Jack Layton, Saturday 2 pm, Roy Thomson Hall / David Pecault Square

A procession will take Layton’s casket from Toronto City Hall to Roy Thomson Hall sometime after 11 a.m. Saturday. The funeral at Roy Thomson Hall will commence at 2 p.m. About 800 seats inside the hall will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Video screens will be set up in David Pecault Square, to the west of Roy Thomson Hall, for overflow crowds.

Expected guests

A total of 1,700 seats in the hall are reserved for membes of Layton’s family (including his wife Olivia Chow, children Mike and Sarah and their partners, granddaughter Beatrice and other close relations), MPs, premiers and former NDP premiers, other politicians and invited guests. Some of the guests include:

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae
Interim Bloc Québécois leader Louis Plamondon
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May
Former Liberal leaders Michael Ignatieff and Stephane Dion
Former Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe
Former prime ministers Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien
Former NDP leaders Alexa McDonough and Ed Broadbent


The service

Several individuals are expected to give eulogies, including Stephen Lewis, the former Ontario NDP leader famous for his activism on social justice issues, and Layton’s children, Michael and Sarah.

McDonough, Broadbent and Doer are among those expected to be pallbearers.


From what I've been able to glean from the web and other media, Saturday's funeral for Opposition Leader Jack Layton will be filled with music and poignant memories. Some highlights are sure to include:

Eulogy - To be delivered by Stephen Lewis

Officiant - Pastor Reverend Dr. Brent Hawkes will deliver a couple of specific messages Jack wanted to be read at his funeral.



Rise Up - Parachute Club singer / writer Lorraine Segato will sing her anthemic tune.




Hallelujah - Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies will perform this haunting, melancholy, yet uplifting song.





Quebecois singer Martin Deschamps met Layton several times and is planning on traveling from Montreal to Toronto to perform at Roy Thomson Hall.



The service is intended to be religiously and politically inclusive, and will have readings from Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other traditions.






On Saturday night the CN Tower will glow with orange light in honour of Jack Layton and his affiliation with the NDP (whose main colour is orange), a really kind gesture and symbolic of Toronto's love for this passionate, thoughtful man.

Jack Layton's final message to Canada

Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world

August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.


Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.


Canada is one of the hopes of the world

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

I can't believe Jack's gone...

Honourable Jack Layton, 1950-2011


It is a sad day for Canada, as Jack Layton was one of the most rooted, devoted and passionate politicians Canadians have seen in a long time. Regardless of whether you agreed with Layton's politics, his tireless efforts on behalf of regular people were to be deeply admired, and his recent breakthrough in Quebec was nothing short of revolutionary.

In the tradition of Tommy Douglas and Ed Broadbent, you served your country well, Brotherman.

We would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to state that NOW is the time to consolidate Jack's gains made in recent months and years, and the only way to do this is for all politically progressive Canadians to demand a merger of the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Green Party of Canada.

If PEI can arrange this union at the provincial level initially, then Prince Edward Island will not only be the Birthplace of Canadian Federation, but also the inspiration for Canada's renewal.

Charlottetown Calling... to the far away towns!

Chinese Photo Sensation highlights North American egalitarianism

President Barack Obama, USA Ambassador to China Gary Locke


In Canada and the United States, we expect our politicians and public figures to be reasonably humble and to be able to perform many tasks on their own. This photo of the new USA Ambassador to China buying his own coffee at an airport Starbucks, while wearing a backpack, has sent shockwaves through China's population, with citizens asking "why can't we manufacture this type of leader?"




Each time we make a trip around Our Sun, the Earth gets a wee bit smaller.

Viva Libya VIVA!!!

Congratulations to all freedom fighters in Libya! May your days ahead be filled with wisdom and joy, compassion and enlightenment.

Let Ijtihad (independent thinking) emerge, secular government arise, and most promisingly for the Libyan people, encourage an active democracy and help constitutional rule of law prevail!