Global energy demand continues to rise faster than the deployment of renewables, and emissions reached new heights in 2025. The world is consuming more energy than it did in 1990, the baseline from which most nations measure progress toward their energy and climate targets. While only 47% of our energy is now derived from fossil fuels, the world is using more coal, gas and oil than ever before.
Continue reading Humanity consuming more than ever; Increased emissions negate Renewable growthWe’ve probably all encountered AI by now. Some large language model (LLM) AI programs are among the fastest and most comprehensive information tools on the Internet, and arguably, the most “stupid.” Have you ever been harassed by an AI-powered telephone service whose programmer neglected to include the concept of wrong numbers? Or been fed incorrect political information by an AI program that did not know which party or Prime Minister was in power? However if you want to check something like medieval canon law, to ensure the attitude of a character in the novel you’re writing accurately portrays the times: it can take seconds with ChatGPT. Everything has to be fact-checked and sources verified, but tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude remain remarkable and they’ll improve as the glitches are addressed.
My guest this morning is Dr Vered Shwartz, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, a CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute, and the author of the book “Lost in Automatic Translation.”
Continue reading Large Language Model AI Programs: Hallucinations, Other Challenges and an Incredible PotentialGreen Party leader Elizabeth May claims it is safer to move bitumen by rail than through pipelines. She has mentioned this in the House of Commons, written about it in her blog, and told reporters.
Elizabeth May: “In a marine environment, diluted bitumen is impossible to clean up.”
Michael Lowry (Western Canada Marine Response Corporation): “The biggest spill we’ve ever cleaned up was a diluted bitumen spill.”
Elizabeth May: “It wasn’t dilbit.”
Continue reading Elizabeth May: ‘It is safer to Move Bitumen by Rail’
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.
Continue reading Pembina Institute releases four must-have results from Ottawa-Alberta MOU talks
This episode of FolkU features an exploration of sovereignty by CIA student Tristan. What it is to be sovereign in relation to our fellow humans, and in relation to the land? How can we teach ourselves and others how to self-govern? Featuring two interviews, this podcast challenges us to think about our society a little differently, even if it’s just for an hour.
Continue reading Sovereignty – from Folk U/ Cortes Island Academy
