Are we missing the bigger energy picture?
When it comes to our national identity, a few clichés come to mind: hockey, Timbits, and unnecessary apologies. Another defining characteristic of Canadians? We love talking about energy, from oil...
Author: Merran Smith
This election will shape the future of Canada’s clean energy sector
Say the word energy in Canada and odds are people think you’re talking about oil and gas. The trials and tribulations of the sector – from roller-coaster commodity prices to job losses – make...
Pundits’ whataboutism threatens Canada’s climate progress
Whataboutism. Yes, that is a word, defined as “a reversal of accusation, arguing that an opponent is guilty of an offense just as egregious or worse.” The rhetorical device gained widespread use...
Canada’s power grid is pretty clean. Here’s why it needs to be cleaner
When you ask people to imagine clean energy in Canada, most will picture spinning wind turbines, fields covered in solar panels or rushing dams. To which our organization, Clean Energy Canada, so...
How to misrepresent good climate policy
If facts are the colourful pools of paint on an artist’s palette, then perhaps the truth is the whole painting. Paint, in other words, does not make art without the artist. And a single fact does...
The way we understand energy in B.C. needs to change
There’s a good chance that powerful ministers from across the globe are having important conversations in Vancouver as you read this. If that’s news to you, it’s because the annual Clean Energy...
Don’t fear Canada’s economic transition—our new economy is already here
When it comes to Canada’s national pastimes, a few clichés come to mind. But one is most certainly this: Canadians love debating energy. We love debating the oil sands in Alberta, the cost of...
High gas prices? There’s a policy for that, and it helps combat climate change
As seems to happen on a near annual basis, the price at the pump is in the news again. It’s a lot of finger-pointing and not much problem-solving, despite the fact that we’ve heard this story...
Can we talk about how we talk about climate leadership in Canada?
The great Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan coined an expression that was not only prophetic, but probably truer than he could have imagined. The medium is the message, McLuhan said. Put another...
Will the Conservative climate plan embrace electric cars?
Electric cars will take over roads in Canada and around the world. This is not simply the opinion of environmentalists—but a reality echoed by most analysts and automakers. It’s why Volkswagen is...
How Canada is both leading and falling behind on electric buses
Buses. They’re the veins of our cities, transporting billions of people around their daily lives. Whether it’s a morning commute, a lift home from school, or a trip to the hockey game, buses have...
As the carbon tax debate heats up in Ottawa, Canada should look to B.C.
As MPs descend on Ottawa for the last parliamentary session before this October’s election, it’s clear that battle lines are being drawn on climate change and how — and perhaps even whether —...