Tag Archives: Gov of Canada

Cost of Climate Change

Researchers look to Canada’s oceans to sink planet-warming carbon

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canada may have the longest total coastline in the world, but it still doesn’t have a solid understanding of the role nearshore ecosystems can play in sinking greenhouse gas emissions to combat the climate crisis, marine ecologist Julia Baum says.

“We’re not really accounting for ocean climate solutions right now, which is ironic because we have three oceans.” 

That will change with the launch of an ambitious research initiative to produce a national assessment of the “blue carbon” storage capacity of Canada’s salt marshes, seagrass meadows and kelp forests, said Baum, a principal investigator and University of Victoria professor. 

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Rivers & Oceans

Canada’s not prepared to handle marine cargo spills, House committee finds

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A parliamentary committee wants Ottawa to limit the environmental damage and plug response gaps for marine cargo spills after a container ship lost more than 100 sea cans and was immobilized by a stubborn fire on the B.C. coast last year. 

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Politics

Pierre Poilievre preaches small government, appoints big shadow cabinet

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s hefty 71-member shadow cabinet includes both former leadership rivals and loyal followers, along with several new roles, including shadow minister of red tape reduction.

Leslyn Lewis and Scott Aitchison, both candidates in this year’s leadership race, are on the list. The former will oversee infrastructure and communities, while Aitchison will take on housing, diversity and inclusion.

This is a typical strategy to ensure supporters of past leadership hopefuls don’t undermine the current leader, said Alex Marland, professor and head of the department of political science at Memorial University.

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Energy, Politics

Bloc Québécois MP Monique Pauzé confronts feds about Trans Mountain’s ‘cooked’ books

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Bloc Québécois MP Monique Pauzé blasted the federal government in question period after a report forecasted roughly $17 billion of Trans Mountain’s public debt will be forgiven.

“The government has cooked the books to hide the fact that it continues to sink our money into the Trans Mountain pipeline,” the MP for Repentigny told the House of Commons in French on Oct. 7.

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Rivers & Oceans

Salmon Runs in the midst of a West Coast Drought

The drought conditions settling throughout the West Coast are another example of what Fisheries and Oceans Canada has identified as the #1 threat to BC’s endangered salmon population.

“While there are many stressors that affect Pacific salmon survival, climate change is rapidly superseding these threats,” DFO media spokesperson Lara Sloan emailed Cortes Currents.

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