Tag Archives: Methane emissions

Cost of Climate Change

The Quadra Project: A Moment for Methane

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Carbon dioxide (CO2—a single atom of carbon with two attached atoms of oxygen) gets most of the attention as the cause of global warming
because it can persist in the atmosphere for centuries. Methane is a
gas (CH4—a single carbon atom with four attached atoms of hydrogen)
that deserves attention, especially because every portion of a degree
is crucial in avoiding the worst consequences of global warming.

Although methane persists in the atmosphere for only about 20 years,
it is about 80 times more warming than carbon dioxide, so its
importance in the short term is critical. “Cutting methane is the
single most important strategy in slow near term warming,” says
Durwood Zaelke, the president of the Institute for Governance and
Sustainability (The Guardian Weekly, November 21, 2015). Its
pre-industrial atmospheric concentration was about 715 parts per
billion, and its 2025 level is presently measured at about 1930 ppb,
an increase of nearly 270%. Because of the short life of methane,
these high levels are maintained and increased by the continuous and
rising rate of emissions.

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Energy, Politics

Pembina Institute releases four must-have results from Ottawa-Alberta MOU talks

By Chris Severson-Baker, Press release from the Pembina Institute

CALGARY — The Pembina Institute is releasing a list of four specific outcomes that need to emerge from the ongoing talks between Alberta and the federal government that began with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November.

“This list is meant to help Canadians judge whether the agreements reached between Ottawa, Alberta, and industry are a fair deal for climate competitiveness,” said Chris Severson-Baker, executive director of the Pembina Institute. 

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Cost of Climate Change

The Suicidal Ordinary – The Quadra Project

The ordinary is not ordinary. We become accustomed to it because it is what we experience and do everyday, so it usually evades careful examination and evaluation. The normal is supposed to be normal. And yet, from the perspective of our human history and our planet’s biophysical history, what is happening now is unprecedented in almost every regard. Our knowledge is rising at a rate unparalleled in our past, while our influence on the ecosystems that have kept our planet stable and reliable for our purposes is being transformed by our activity.

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Cost of Climate Change, Food

The Quadra Project – What’s the Beef?

A team of Australian and Japanese researchers have quantified the damage to human health that is done by eating red meat. If people shifted their diets from beef to such forage fish as anchovies, herring and sardines, the study found, an estimated 750,000 lives could be saved per year (The Guardian Weekly, April 19, 2024). The comprehensive study of 130 countries identified that human health deteriorates as red meat consumption rises.

The study also revealed the clear environmental benefits to shifting away from beef. Instead of feeding these nutritious forage fish to animals, which are how most of these aquatic species are consumed, the nutritional benefits that were passed directly to people would reduce the diseases caused by excessive beef consumption, but also save huge amounts of agricultural land that is presently used to raise cattle for beef.

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Finances, Politics

What did the 2025 Budget Mean for North Island Powell River?

See: Liberal Budget survives Non-confidence vote 

Monday November 17, 2025 – Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is expected to face another non-confidence motion today. This will be the third non-confidence motion this month, which the opposition parties have made in regard to the 2025 budget. In this morning’s interview, Jennifer Lash, the liberal candidate for this riding during the last election, explains why the budget is good for North Island Powell River, and why it’s good for climate action.  

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