We are not in a time of business as usual in terms of how we access the energy we need for a functioning society. The latest report of the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change makes it clear that the climate change will not wait for us to delay or backslide. The Secretary GeneralContinue reading “Energy for Profit or for Service”
Author Archives: jtswebb
Inflation: The Pandemic, Big Oil and Billionaires
There was an interesting interview on inflation on the CBC morning show out of Halifax on March 18. A number of the ‘drivers’ of our current and perhaps future inflation were discussed: Wage demands; Supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic; The surge in the price of petroleum products as a result of Putin’s brutalContinue reading “Inflation: The Pandemic, Big Oil and Billionaires”
Reflections on the Pandemic
The pandemic has underlined fundamental problems with the basic nature of social economy of many countries including Canada. The polarizing impacts of the Trump presidency in the USA have spilled into Canada and around the world. It has become acceptable to a growing part of the population to spread misinformation, ignore science and deny reality. Continue reading “Reflections on the Pandemic”
Lessons from the Pandemic and the Trump Hangover
The Pandemic was an eye opener. Elders died by the thousands because essential workers in eldercare were paid so little they needed more than one job to eat and keep a roof over their heads. They had no sick leave and little or no protective clothing and equipment. When personal care workers fell ill theyContinue reading “Lessons from the Pandemic and the Trump Hangover”
How The Household Appliances of Capitalism Use You
When we built our new home 6 years ago we bought all new energy efficient appliances, all from Sears, all Kenmore. This week while baking some custard, the stove, Kenmore (made by Frigidaire), started beeping and the panel on the Electronic Oven Control (EOC) started flashing “F10”. We dug out the stove manual and afterContinue reading “How The Household Appliances of Capitalism Use You”
An Attempt at an Honest Settler Perspective and Fair Reconciliation
Having a day to honour the people who were here before any European settlers is long overdue. I grew up in Canada learning so little about the people who settlers found here some 500 years ago, that an honest description of what I knew has to be an admission I was totally ignorant. Let’s beContinue reading “An Attempt at an Honest Settler Perspective and Fair Reconciliation”
Let’s Not Burn Our Forests for Heating
As the map clearly shows, supplying Northern Pulp and Bowater Mersey has been a destructive process for our forests. We have clear cut far too much of our 12 million acres of our forests to supply a low value product – pulp wood. Since the closure of the mills, some are advocating use of theContinue reading “Let’s Not Burn Our Forests for Heating”
Lessons from Runaway Capitalism: Capital as ‘god’ and Capitalism as Religion
Do we see a need to transform our society? Why do those who look after our children and our seniors get paid so little when we say we value what they do? Why did Canada’s billionaires increase their wealth by over 35% during the first nine months of the Pandemic while millions faced unemployment andContinue reading “Lessons from Runaway Capitalism: Capital as ‘god’ and Capitalism as Religion”
Pursuing an Insane Balance
Balance is one of those words that radiates goodness. We should lead a balanced life. We should avoid extremes and keep everything in balance. A balanced assessment is a good assessment. These statements radiate good common sense. But it is a word that can be abused. Two examples leap out at us in our presentContinue reading “Pursuing an Insane Balance”
Lessons From Runaway Capitalism: Lesson 1: Let Us Not Be Smug
“Humanity faces a potentially terminal crisis of collapsing environmental systems, extreme and growing inequality, failing institutional legitimacy, and disintegration of the basic trust of one another on which the social fabric depends. No individual caused these vast problems, and no individual or group of individuals can solve them alone.” David Korton, Yes Magazine, 21 JanContinue reading “Lessons From Runaway Capitalism: Lesson 1: Let Us Not Be Smug”
Global Co-operation 