blackbird

For the umpteenth time, man cannot control the climate and never will. Climate change is a normal occurrence.

You would have to be pretty dumb to think carbon taxes made any difference at all to greenhouse gas emissions or the climate.

Oil and gas is the main industry in Alberta. That is different than Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. which have other industries. I never heard Ford say Ontario will be willing to put an export tax on the auto industry. Obviously, they think they can use Alberta as a sacrificial offering.

If Trump is not stupid, why is he threatening to destroy the trade system with America's neighbours and start a trade war with Canada by imposing a tariff on the American people of 25% for imported goods from Canada? Where is the claimed unfairness in the existing trade between Canada and the U.S.? Where is the logic in what he is doing?

If flouridation hardens teeth so the kids get fewer cavities, then of course it stands to reason it hardens the rest of the bones in the body and makes them more brittle. Old people then become more susceptible to fractures and the serious problems that can cause.

quote The Liberal government will buy the Trans Mountain pipeline and related infrastructure for $4.5 billion, and could spend billions more to build the controversial expansion. Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced details of the agreement reached with Kinder Morgan at a news conference with Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr this morning, framing the short-term purchase agreement as financially sound and necessary to ensure a vital piece of energy infrastructure gets built. How much will the pipeline end up costing Canadians? 'When it's in Canadians' advantage to know them...then of course that's going to be fully transparent,' says Bill Morneau. "Make no mistake, this is an investment in Canada's future," Morneau said. Morneau said the project is in the national interest, and proceeding with it will preserve jobs, reassure investors and get resources to world markets. He said he couldn't state exactly what additional costs will be incurred by the Canadian public to build the expansion, but suggested a toll paid by oil companies could offset some costs and that there would be a financial return on the investment. Kinder Morgan had estimated the cost of building the expansion would be $7.4 billion, but Morneau insisted that the project will not have a fiscal impact, or "hit." unquote Liberals to buy Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5B to ensure expansion is built | CBC News Obviously they purchased it because they had no choice. At the time they paid 4.5 billion dollars. After that the price of everything exploded.

The evidence is that the Liberals have no use for Alberta and the energy industry. The history is the Liberals have been attacking the oil and gas industry and denying pipelines and putting restrictions on it. So it is natural to think the Liberals will use this opportunity to hammer the energy industry in Alberta by putting a high tariffs on oil and gas exports to the U.S. or cutting off the export of oil and gas from Alberta. The suspicion is the Liberals would seriously harm the energy industry in Alberta while doing much less with the exports of the other provinces.

So you're saying we had choice as to whether aboriginals should have a say in natural resource projects. Seems to the election was about choosing between to political parties to govern. Nothing do with what you are claiming. No it wasn't even part of the election at all. Same as the failing health care system and carbon taxes. Nobody had any choice on those things.

Why don't you think it should be shared equally between provinces?

That's is pretty dumb. NO province is going to agree to sacrifice itself for the benefit of the others. It is not fair either. I think you are just being contrary as usual. Any action against the tariffs should be distributed equally across the country so the pain is equally distributed. Strange you can not understand such a simple strategy.

It's quite simple. Why should one province and thousands of workers be sacrificed for the rest of the country? They shouldn't. Trudeau and the premiers should have come up with a better plan.

Says who? You? The truth is the citizens of B.C. were never asked. This is being done by Socialist, progressive woke politicians who could care less about the citizens of B.C. Their days are limited and when B.C. Conservatives get elected, it will be the end of this madness. I would say any rational person would have an issue with giving aboriginals any right to be involved in the decision-making process for natural resource projects. It is non of their business and they should not involved in it any more than the average person.

Natives do not have a right to control the resource industries. They may have a right to be consulted in the use of a piece of land which they occupy or may have a real impact on them. But apart form that, they should not expect to be involved. Natural resources falls under the authority of the provincial governments. Natives are about 5% of the population and should not be making decisions about natural resources that have a serious affect on the non-natives who are 95% of the population. Court cases have said natives have the right to hunt, fish, and trap on unused crown land.

Natural resources are under the jurisdiction of the provinces, not the federal government. Royalties go to the provincial governments.

" Currently, it takes up to 15 years to permit a new mine in Canada. To resolve the challenges with permitting and authorizations, provincial and federal governments must provide the resources to expedite environmental reviews and permitting. The federal government plans to accelerate permitting processes and expedite the production of critical minerals. However, other government policies continue to hurt Canada’s attractiveness for mining investment. A recent decision by Canada’s Supreme Court has declared certain provisions of Canada’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) unconstitutional. The ruling specifically found the IAA’s provisions related to the assessment of “designated projects” to be outside the jurisdiction of the federal Parliament and, therefore, unconstitutional. This decision is expected to lead to significant revisions to the IAA, which was passed in 2019. A response by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) noted the uncertainty caused by the ruling will impact the mining industry and Canada’s energy transition, with many projects across the country currently undergoing federal assessment and more entering the process. Highlighting the complex regulatory framework that mining projects face in Canada, including comprehensive provincial regulations and various federal requirements, the association argued there is a need to focus on regulatory certainty and investment competitiveness to position Canada for critical minerals success. It is essential that the effective and efficient regulation of the mining industry must become a priority for all levels of government in Canada." To permit, or not to permit, that is the question! - Canadian Mining Journal Up to 15 years?? Should anybody be surprised if companies find somewhere else to invest in. The bureaucracy in Canada is out of control and one reason why home prices in the major cities are way out of reach for the average middle class worker. The costs to be paid to the bureaucracy is apparently greater than the cost of the tradesmen who build the houses. Now add to that another hurdle. Companies must not only get through all the federal and provincial bureaucracy and permitting and reviewing studies, but now they must deal with aboriginal bands that might simply say no or demand they have a piece of the pie themselves. This could cause further costs and delays to starting a mine or other resource project. Some might just give up and go elsewhere in the world taking the jobs and investment with them.

The B.C. mining industry is now under serious threat. Since all of Canada adopted UNDRIP in 2016, this should be of concern to all of Canada. "A new Indigenous consultation process for mineral exploration in British Columbia could spell the end of its mining sector. If fully realized, Premier David Eby and the B.C. NDP would effectively shut down prospecting and early-stage mining exploration, killing investment needed to keep B.C. a leader in mining and metals production." The province is bringing in a new mineral staking system, without making any legislative or regulatory changes, on March 26. Mineral staking is the first step to setting up a mine: miners are automatically granted exclusive rights to explore and develop an area of land in B.C. by staking out a claim to it and registering that claim with the government. But, u nder the new system that takes effect this spring, claims will no longer be automatically granted when registered with the government. Instead, there will be a staking application process in which the government will not approve any claims until First Nations groups have been consulted. Under the old way of staking a claim, written into the law in 1859, prospectors were required to literally pound stakes into the ground to be granted the right to search for minerals in that area. This system was designed to ensure that even the smallest prospector with the right intuition and a little luck would have the same opportunity at staking a major discovery as a large mining outfit. The province moved to an online system in 2005, in which mineral claims are digitally staked in a provincial online mineral tenure registry, without the need to physically set foot on the property. The upcoming change in process is a response to a court challenge launched in 2021 by the Gitxaala Nation. The First Nation challenged the claims registry at the B.C. Supreme Court, claiming it violated their constitutional rights under Section 35. In 2023, Justice Alan Ross ruled in favour of Gitxaala , noting that while the environmental impact of prospecting was limited, the spiritual impact was significant enough to warrant consultation. The B.C. government could have appealed the ruling, but it chose not to. It’s not hard to see how the government’s new framework for staking mining claims in B.C. is unworkable, wide open to abuse and devastating to independent prospectors and small exploration outfits. It requires prospectors to disclose where they plan to stake before they can secure the rights to do so, which is akin to forcing a company to give away intellectual property and trade secrets. Imagine requiring a tech company to disclose its proprietary idea, trade secrets or software prior to issuing a development permit. What would happen? Every tech startup in Vancouver would move to Seattle the next day. This is the gun barrel B.C.’s mining industry is staring down. Further, the cost and time burden of consultation to stake a property based on a hunch is exorbitant for the prospector and is a poor use of many First Nations’ limited resources. These new requirements will ensure investment in B.C.’s mining exploration sector, already down $100 million  in 2023 compared to 2022, continues to fall. All told, the plan has serious implications for the industry, which had an $18-billion economic impact on the province in 2022 and supports 35,000 jobs. The direction of travel of B.C.’s current government is causing difficulties that extend far beyond prospecting and staking. In 2019, the B.C. Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), Section 3 of which explicitly establishes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as the province’s framework for reconciliation. DRIPA requires the B.C. government to “take all measures necessary to ensure” the province’s laws align with UNDRIP. Further changes to the mining sector are in the works due to the province’s adherence to UNDRIP: the NDP aims to reform the law that regulates mineral rights in B.C., the Mineral Tenure Act, such that it aligns with DRIPA sometime in 2026. It is important to understand that UNDRIP itself was never intended to direct the laws of Canada; its focus was primarily directed at countries without human rights guarantees or laws to protect their Indigenous peoples from real and ongoing abuses. Amen. But that doesn’t mean that countries like Canada, which uphold the rule of law and believe that strong First Nations make for a better country, haven’t fallen within UNDRIP’s scope. In reality, UNDRIP and DRIPA are often used by overzealous anti-resource advocates to halt economic development in the province. Used as a guide, UNDRIP is a positive step to real reconciliation and should be celebrated, but it is currently being used as a blunt instrument that will cause more problems and animosity in the future. The instinct of B.C.’s current NDP government and its adherents to stymie development rather than find solutions that create prosperity should concern all British Columbians and Canadians. The federal Critical Minerals Strategy , designed to make Canada a mining superpower, is completely useless if no one can prospect, explore and build a mine; a result that would impact the future prosperity and success of everyone in our country. Prospecting is the creative destruction lab of mining. Without it, there is no future exploration and there are no future mines. Today, there are 16 proposed mines for critical minerals in B.C. Were they all to be built, B.C. would receive $36 billion of initial investment followed by an estimated $791 billion of economic  output over the mines’ lifetimes. None, absolutely none, of these mines would exist without prospecting and prospectors. The newly proposed staking reforms cast a chill over investment by killing off prospecting and thereby will slow or stop new mines from being found or developed in the province. Perhaps the worst part in all of this is that the new system, despite working to protect First Nations from prospectors’ claims, will also negatively impact First Nations communities that would have benefited from new mines. This is sad. Richer First Nations communities make for a stronger province and country. Mining and other resource industries have a unique ability to contribute, via First Nations partnerships, to real prosperity and reconciliation. The B.C. NDP must reconsider its planned changes to mineral staking and set prospectors free for the benefit of all British Columbians. Adam Pankratz is a lecturer at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and a board member of Rokmaster Resources. National Post Adam Pankratz: The B.C. NDP's plan to destroy the province's mining sector

Try to find a counsellor. You need help.

Yes. It all boils down to faith and how one looks at the creation. When I look at the beauty in nature for example, I see the hand of God. I don't say, oh it all just happened out of the blue by itself. I think these flowers or creatures are so amazing, they could not have just happened without a designer-Creator. The universe is absolutely amazing and the strongest evidence that God is behind it all. The other question, why are we here in the first place? That is a little more difficult to answer apart from the Bible. I would say that the best answer is in the Bible. God created man in his own image according to the Bible. Therefore man is a special creation of God. Man is not the same as an animal. Man is special in God's eyes. That is an amazing thought. So why did God create in his image and why would God give man such powers of reasoning that the other creatures do not have? Well, God created man to have a special relationship with the Creator God. He gave man and soul and a spirit and gave man the Holy Scriptures which describe how man can live forever with God. But there is a basic, simple requirement placed on man for that. That is faith in God's Son, Jesus Christ. That is profound. You must be a deep thinker....

quote How I Know Christianity is True Article contributed by Probe Ministries Visit Probe's website Probe's Patrick Zukeran offers 5 lines of evidence that Christianity is true: Christianity teaches the correct worldview, the Bible is God's Word, Jesus confirmed His claims, Christ's resurrection, and personal experience. Because Christianity Teaches the Correct Worldview Among all the religions and philosophies, how do we know Christianity is true? While there are many ways to address the question, let's begin by saying that Christianity makes sense of the world around us. In other words, it presents the most correct worldview based on the world in which we live. There are three worldviews that lie at the foundation of all religions and philosophies: theism, naturalism, and pantheism. Theism teaches there is a personal God who created the universe. Naturalism teaches there is no divine being and that the universe is the result of time and chance. Pantheism teaches that the universe is eternal and that the divine is an impersonal force made up of all things. All three worldviews cannot be true at the same time and if one of them is true, the other two must be false. The evidence from our study of the universe points to theism. Unfortunately, time will allow me to go over only three lines of evidence. The first is the argument from first cause or the cosmological argument, which states if something exists, it must have either come from something else, come from nothing, or have always existed. What is the most reasonable conclusion of the three for the existence of the universe? Scientists confirm that the universe has a beginning. Many call this the "big bang." Since the universe assuredly has a beginning, the worldview of pantheism bears the burden of proof. Second, to say the universe comes from nothing goes against responsible scientific inquiry and human logic. For example, any invention in human history is not brought about from nothing. It comes from materials and ingenuity that existed before its inception. Therefore, the naturalist worldview has no logical ground to stand on. The best conclusion is that the universe is the result of a cause greater than itself. That cause is God. unquote For the full article go to: How I Know Christianity is True | Bible.org

I am not going to get into that fruitless debate about the war in Israel. I don't have all the answers and it would be pointless to try. Your assumption about God is nonsensical. It shows you don't understand who God is at all. All I can tell you is what I believe the Bible says about God. One must accept a certain basic understanding about God. That does not mean it will explain all the conflicts in the world. There are many things we do not understand the reasons for and we must trust that God is in control and knows things that we will never know in this world. We do know that mankind fell from a perfect relationship with God when he rebelled against God in the garden of Eden. Since then the world became a corrupt place with all kinds of evil. Man is a fallen, evil being by nature since the fall. But God in his mercy decided to send His Son Jesus Christ into the world to die on a cross for the sins of mankind. God is first of all omnipotent. That means he is all powerful. God is omniscient. That means he knows everything from the beginning to the end. God is omnipresent. That means God is present everywhere. God is a spirit, not a part of the material universe. God is all merciful and loving. God is completely just. Here is an important point. God is personally knowable. But he is knowable only through His Son, Jesus Christ. One can and must know His Son and then he will know God. That is how God can be personally known and one can be known by God. It is a personal relationship. This is where other religions fail.

If I was not confident and sure about what the Bible says, then of course I would not know which religion was the true religion. You statement is odd because you are criticizing someone for being sure about what they believe. It would seem to me that anyone who holds strongly to a certain religion or any belief must be confident about what they believe. Otherwise why would they believe it or defend what they believe? As to how I would know if another religion is false, the answer is in the Bible. Two contradictory claims or belief systems cannot both be true. Either one is false or both are false, depending what the religion or belief system is. This is hard to explain to someone who has no idea what the Bible is all about. You could Google and ask the question as to what is the Bible about or ask for a summary of the Bible. Something like that. You might find some answers. Surprisingly even in churches that I have attended there are people who are deceived about some things or know little about some important related topics. I don't know a lot myself, but I have been fortunate to be able receive and learn about some things. I attended one particular church for a couple years where I heard some excellent preaching. One must make an effort to find the information. It doesn't come delivered to a person on a platter. There is also a website called sermon audio which has literally thousands of sermons by countless different ministers. They have an index of topics with hundreds of topics. You can find sermons on almost anything you can think of. I am not saying all sermons are good or even correct. That is something each person has to determine. That is where the Bible comes in. There has to be some reference point for truth in the world. The final authority is the Bible, in English, the King James Bible. Without that, what authority is there for truth? There is no other reference point.

Yes, thank you for confirming my confidence in what I believe. I am confident because I have studied many things in the Bible, heard lots of excellent sermons on subjects in the Bible, and studied the subject of the different versions and where the Bible came from. I thank God for all of this. Everything I believe is due to God giving me the faith. I feel sorry for the obvious mess of false beliefs you seem to hold. I could help you get out of it, but what you do and what you believe is up to you. You have to make the decision about that. I have enough experience dealing with people on the forums to know it is a waste of time trying to debate with someone who has a closed mind. The evidence is there that the Bible was written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. Life is a struggle for many people. Perhaps that has something to do with you ideas too. I don't know what gives you the ideas you hold.

No, you have it all wrong. All men are lost sinners and must repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. Hell is for eternity. Which way are you going, heaven or hell? Listen to this message. Your choice. The Gospel of Jesus Christ

And hell is for eternity. Where are you going? Listen to this message. The Gospel of Jesus Christ

I am in no position to judge a war which was started by Hamas, a terrorist organization, who killed 1,200 innocent civilians and took another 250 hostage, many of whom have been killed. They hide behind the civilians. They did not surrender and do not seem willing to surrender. How else could Israel defend itself and prevent terrorists from continuing to attack them? Do you have the answer?