Tag Archives: Denmark

The United States and Canada continue to decline in terms of Global Competitiveness

Scandinavia continues to dominate the Global Competitiveness Index, with Finland, Sweden, and Denmark placing first, second, and third out of 192 nations in 2025. The rest of Europe follows closely behind. Japan, ranked #19, is the only non-European country in the top 20. The United States has fallen from #3 in 2016, the last year of Barack Obama’s presidency, to #42 under President Donald Trump in 2025. During the same timeframe, Canada has dropped from #15 to #30.

Continue reading The United States and Canada continue to decline in terms of Global Competitiveness

Talk is Cheap, Part 2: the worst possible choices

Evidence of climate destabilisation — aberrant weather — is now everyday news. “Record-breaking” has become a routine description of wind speeds, rainfall, flood levels, mudslides, wildfires, high temperatures and drought.

The drought which afflicts BC this October of 2022 is a record-breaker and a tragedy; near Bella Bella, tens of thousands of salmon have died trying to return to their breeding grounds in streams now too warm and shallow for them to survive in. Over the last few summers, BC has lost millions of hectares of forest and entire towns to wildfire; “fire season” and multi-day smoke palls are becoming business-as-usual in mid to late summer. In December last year, flooding destroyed livestock and crops in the lower mainland. These events are happening more frequently and their severity is ramping up, slowly, year by year.

Continue reading Talk is Cheap, Part 2: the worst possible choices

All about registering groundwater wells

With the deadline for registering irrigation, commercial or industrial use wells fast approaching, the Quadra ICAN water security team is concerned that some people may miss out. 

According to the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development press release, “A water licence is not required for a household well or groundwater used for domestic purposes, such as watering lawns and gardens. Domestic groundwater users are encouraged to register their well for free.” 

Kris Wellstein pointed out that water used for home industries like egg stands, market gardens and fruit trees (if the fruit is sold) is classified as commercial.  

Continue reading All about registering groundwater wells

Transition to a low carbon future: Industry and climate groups face off

By John Woodside,  National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As the planet slides into an era of climate breakdown, oil and gas industry groups and climate advocacy organizations in Canada are squaring off to shape the federal government’s just transition strategy.

Continue reading Transition to a low carbon future: Industry and climate groups face off