Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The federal Liberals are sending mixed messages about their climate commitments after a recent combination of harsh words and generous gifts for the oil and gas industry.
Continue reading Mixed messages: Carney Liberals pledge money for LNG while bridling against industry demandsCanada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A collaborative cross-border study digging into forested tidal swamps in the Pacific Northwest has determined these ecosystems are carbon storage superheroes.
Found upstream from coastal estuaries and shorelines, but still subject to the flux of ocean tides, the woody wetlands feature a tangle of shrubs, grasses and trees, like willows and Sitka spruce, that can trap about nine million tonnes of organic carbon per hectare — the equivalent to the amount of carbon burned by two million gas-powered cars every year.
Continue reading The West Coast’s tidal swamps are supercharged carbon sinksCanada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Northern Vancouver Island Federal Conservative Party candidate Aaron Gunn wants to sink plans for a network of Indigenous-led marine protected areas on the West Coast.
A month before announcing his bid in September 2023 to become the North Island-Powell River candidate, the right-wing social media personality from Victoria released a YouTube video taking aim at the B.C. Northern Shelf Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network, better known as the Great Bear Sea MPA Network.
Continue reading Conservative candidate targets Great Bear Sea marine protection plan
Editor’s Note: 338Canada’s latest projection shows the Liberals and Conservatives tied in terms of the popular vote, but in terms of seats it is 177 to 132, respectively. If he can hold or lengthen that lead, Mark Carney will be forming a majority government. In our riding, the race has been between the NDP and Conservatives for decades. Thus it is a bit of a shock to find the Liberals and NDP in a statistical tie for second place – separated by (3%) less than the projection’s margin of error (5-6%). It is going to be really interesting to see what 338Canada’s next projection will say both in our riding and for our nation.
Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The federal Liberal candidate in northern Vancouver Island is confident the surge of support behind Prime Minister Mark Carney will boost her chances in a riding that historically leans orange or blue.
Jennifer Lash, the candidate for North Island-Powell River riding, noted Carney, a former governor for the Bank of Canada and more recently for the Bank of England, is laser-focused on the economy.
“He is, by far, the best federal political leader that we have to keep a steady hand on the tiller as we navigate the very stormy waters that Donald Trump is stirring up,” she said.
Continue reading Liberals betting on a Carney swell of support in North Island-Powell RiverCanada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
British Columbia’s carbon-accounting process to help make forestry decisions isn’t consistent or transparent, a new report by the province’s auditor general indicates.
The BC Forests Ministry uses carbon projections to help determine how management decisions could affect the amount of planet-warming carbon emissions the province’s forests store and release into the atmosphere.
The audit focused on the ministry’s methods for carbon projections between April 2022 and December 2024 in three areas: the forest investments program, the ministry’s allowable annual cut and forest landscape planning.
The forest ministry failed to establish open and consistent methods to make carbon projections involving the province’s annual allowable cut (AAC) and the Forest Investment Program (FIP), the report found.
Continue reading BC Auditor General flags flaws in forest carbon accounting
