SpankyMcFarland

This issue struck home for me last year when a wildfire in our province threatened to spread to a neighbouring town. It was no longer something abstract, out there in tv land, but part of my life. I’ve no shares in Chinese battery companies that I know of, nor have I shorted BP. My own prosperity will take a hit from it. So I’m not hyping this to own the Tories or some other such foolishness. It’s what I believe based on what I am seeing and reading, unfortunately.

Yes, the climate does change naturally but we have added another component to that - man-made climate change. Most of the fossil fuel boosters on your side of the argument have moved on from denying the reality of anthropogenic climate change. You should ask them why.

Do you really believe that? Is that wishful thinking an example of what a prudent conservative should do? Whatever about frequency etc. (and factoring in improved fire fighting techniques and prevention) we have seen fires of unparalleled intensity in Canada in the past twenty years, fires that create their own weather. If you live here, it would be absurd to pretend that everything is fine and dandy. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-may-23-2019-1.5145446/fire-driven-weather-is-new-reality-for-canada-and-elsewhere-expert-cautions-1.5146262 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/we-have-to-learn-to-live-with-fire-how-wildfires-are-changing-canadian-summers-1.5135539

I have absolutely no reason to hype this problem. I wish it wasn’t there. But it is. All the science points that way and the science was denied and resisted for decades by the oil industry, wasn’t it? Should we in the West sit around and do nothing until China joins us? The fires will not be going away, and this year is already very worrying on the fire front: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-track-its-worst-ever-wildfire-season-2023-06-05/

The West did not take climate change seriously. The science has been clear for decades but very little was done. This is the problem. As the country burns we are told everything is ok.

The reality of anthropogenic climate change was blindingly obvious to any reasonable person twenty years ago but the fossil fuel industry and many useful, well, information-poor allies around them have used one tactic after another to avoid serious attempts to admit the cause of the problem and do something about it. For the moment, the catastrophic conditions we are facing have been largely caused by us in the West, and not yet by China. To those in Western and northern Canada facing this horrific new man-made age of fire, all I can say is good luck.

It is strange but not surprising that this forum still seems to lack a thread on the current wildfire crisis engulfing Canada. Why talk about the smoke choking our lungs when we can denounce woke social progressives etc. etc.?

I believe people and countries should be responsible for their actions. That’s not a new idea.

Do you think doctors haven’t been studying that for decades?

He did make an accusation that we all understand. Your notion of subtle is not mine.

Ah, come on, it was neither subtle nor Shakespearean. Anybody could do it if they chose to. A future PM needs to look the part. Leave the dirty stuff to the attack dogs.

I don’t think I’d equate American interference with what the Chinese are up to - they aim to overthrow our system not do a few tweaks. As for the Russians, they don’t have the money to be a major problem. The CSIS leaks have been disquieting but I think they’re evidence of serious threats being ignored.

What’s so clever about insinuating something like that? I could do that. Is it even true? Trudeau has made a lot of serious mistakes that are definitely true. Why not stick to them?

If you were claiming that vaccination increases the rate of death in similar people (by age and health) affected by a similar strain of the virus that would be very interesting. I’m not sure what your claim proves at all but put up the link so we can see it.

One reason that springs to mind is that Europe and North America have already contributed a very large proportion of what’s up there. We are a long way ahead and I’m afraid the PRC is correct to point that out. And I’m not interested in this ‘we don’t count’ discussion. Every smaller country by emission size tries it on. Unless you’re going back to your own planet or something, conditions here should matter a great deal to you.

Nonsense.

Comparisons with Turkey are a little OTT. Look at this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_arrested_journalists_in_Turkey

So should all countries continue to increase the greenhouse gases they have already contributed? When we talk about Canada, I presume we’re also talking about the West in general? It’s easy to say our little bit won’t matter but all those ‘little bits’ outside China do add up.

So many of America’s top politicians in both parties are too old. A merely two party system is odd too - lots of policy positions don’t neatly fit into those boxes. Kennedy’s anti-vax positions should be disqualifying.

I’m sure party members must be asking that as they always do after a defeat and she’s been around a long time - 59 is getting up there. How many of her potential successors are to her right in the party? She has pursued a fairly pragmatic path attractive to moderate voters. Columnists from Lorne Gunter to the CBC don’t see massive pressure on her to step down now. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/the-alberta-ndp-made-gains-but-remains-in-opposition-what-happens-next-1.6858896

We’ll see if she’s forced to go by her own people in the next few days/weeks. I’d say there’s a fair bit of residual goodwill after her stunning success in the past. Of course, she may decide to resign for her own reasons.

From an NDP point of view, how bad was Notley?

It doesn’t look like a catastrophic loss for the NDP. They gained seats. Is Notley really a liability for the party?

Some individuals have been targeted unfairly and lost their jobs in schools and universities over ‘cancel culture’ and I would oppose that. However, a lot of the complaining about this phenomenon seems overdone. For example, if you’re a politician, comedian or a writer, people are under no obligation to like your opinions. Paying too much attention to what various maniacs say on the likes of Twitter is also clearly foolish.

That the NDP is in any way competitive in an Alberta election still manages to surprise me, such a change from when I lived there.