On Literacy funding cuts by the Harper government I fully agree with the following highlight from the Toronto Star (author Carol Goar, Jan. 26). Unfortunately many Conservatives see education and literacy as expenses rather than INVESTMENTS.

Contact your MP if you feel this decision should be reviewed!

“Finally, there is the sheer absurdity of squandering human potential at a time when the nation is facing serious skill and labour shortages. Canada can’t afford to leave millions of workers languishing in menial jobs because they can’t read and write competently. By any rational cost-benefit analysis, disinvesting in literacy was the wrong choice.”

Read the entire article here: Pall Hangs Over Literacy Day

You can also read a related article from today’s Edmonton Journal below:

Read the instructions carefully — if you can: Functional illiteracy threatens to stall Alberta’s economic boom as 40 per cent of Albertans can’t follow complicated written instructions (The Edmonton Journal, Wed 31 Jan 2007)
Byline: Todd Hirsch

Mike was among the thousands of machinists in Alberta churning out specialized industrial equipment used in the oilsands. The pay was great and jobs were plentiful. One day, a new piece of machinery landed on the shop floor. His supervisor tossed him the instruction manual and said, “It’s supposed to be a lot faster than the old machine. I don’t have time to show you how it works — read the manual and get busy. We need 10 units finished and out the door by Friday.”

Continue reading →

I recently received a very interesting article from Democracy Watch which made the connection between political corruption and voter apathy. Duff Conacher (Democracy Watch Coordinator) indicated that if politicians don’t stick to their campaign promises, voters feel as though their values won’t be represented no matter who they vote for, and fewer people bother to vote.

I think this is particularly relevant in Alberta where in the 2004 election only 44.7% voted.

Ed Stelmach must now show the voters of Alberta that promises are not empty; everyone will follow the same rules and stop corrupt deals with corporations. All of us hope he will do so. Albertans will not tolerate corruption and a”culture of entitlement” as the federal Liberals found out in the Adscam affair in 2006.

Read the Democracy Watch Article Here

Find out more about Alberta Election statistics here

We held a press conference today in Calgary. Opposition leader Kevin Taft challenged Premier Ed Stelmach to deny a water transfer from the Red Deer River to a race-track, hotel and mega mall development at Balzac, just on the northeast border of Calgary.  It was an unusually warm sunny day, near the Bow River to remind us of the need to carefully manage and conserve our water resrouces. We challenged the poor government planning which is likely to lead serious problems in future (as is the case with the Bow, where already too many water licenses have been issued; the reason government is now being asked to divert the Red Deer River 100 km south to Calgary!!

The two main issues here are environment and government integrity: 

1) Alberta is faces with increasing scarcity, partly due to climate warming. Good planning includes moving businesses closer to the water resrouces and full environmental impact assessment. 

2) Development of the Balzac site is fully underway – before a water permit has been issued by Alberta Environment! Yet at a town hall meeting in Drumheller last October, Premier Stelmach called the Balzac mega mall project “ridiculous”. 

But as Kevin said “Clearly, there is no point in conducting the research on the environmental impact of the project when development is already fully underway. If the Premier’s word is to mean anything, he needs to deny this water transfer. Otherwise, Honest Ed’s word to the people of central Alberta is worth nothing.”  Taft Calls on Stelmach to Come Clean on Balzac Water Transfer

Please write to your MLA on this and copy to the Environment Minister Renner as well as the Premier. What does he mean be honest, open government?

Video clips of Kevin Taft responding to media about the proposed mega-mall project in Balzac that has already proceeded with development without a water license.  Please view the press release: Taft Challenges Stelmach to Put Brakes on Balzac Mega Mall Project

Alberta Liberal Caucus: The Only Green Choice video

Need Wisdom to Manage Growth Sustainably video

Tony Seskus of the Calgary Herald has written an article on today’s press conference. Liberals demand halt to development of Balzac entertainment complex

Amy Steel Reports in Calgary’s Weekly FFWD Amy Steele of FFWD: Water Experts Denounce Balzac Transfer

Anther good article on the issue Tories keep Red Deer River water diversion under the radar

My assistant Anne found this on the web.  Why are we spending millions of dollars to produce the highest quality of tap water in the world and then buying bottled water with lower standards of testing and massive plastics refuse to deal with??

Please copy this to friends if possible – it would be good to get the word out!

Eau No! Clean, healthy and pure? Hardly. Bottled water is killing the planet.

What do you think about nuclear power for the oilsands?

I have seen no convincing evidence (despite a strong nuclear industry lobby at the Climate Change meetings in Montreal in November/05) to support nuclear energy in the oilsands.

Evidence instead suggests huge costs, including historic cost overruns in maintenance programs, health risks in mining and transportation, and radio-active waste management are major issues to be overcome.  Until I see strong evidence on the contrary, I’d have to say that we should pursue other energy forms to develop the oilsands including gasification of bitumen and carbon capture to reduce our massive emissions. (See the graph on emissions per KHW on my front page!). Please check out a recent overview of Nuclear Energy produced by the Pembina Institute here.

Duane Bratt a Policy Studies professor at Mt. Royal College argues the opposite in relation to the safety of nuclear power relative to other energy forms (Nothing to Fear from Nuclear).  I like his point about a public education campaign; letting the people understand the risks and benefits.  In the end he does not address the issues of terrorism and nuclear arms proliferation and the fact that we would be investing a huge sum of money in an energy source that is also non-renewable. Continue reading →

Belated Congratulations to the City with Political Will on Climate Change! Since returning from Africa I learned of our City receiving the 2006 World Leadership Award announced at a Gala Dinner in London, England in December/06. The award is in the environmental category, and internationally recognizes the Mayor and The City for efforts to protect the environment and focus on sustainable development. In part this recognized that Calgary has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from City operations by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. This is well beyond the Kyoto target! Calgary is the first city in North America to take such extraordinary steps to reduce our impact on the environment. Send David Day, Environment Services, and the Mayor a letter of congratulations.

The article, below, was printed on January 18 in the Edmonton Journal. It expresses as well as words can, the profound urgency in the US for energy security. The vital question Albertans are asking is whether our new premier is able to distinguish real progress for Alberta from economic free-wheeling. Albertans are also watching to see if Premier Stelmach will think again like a farmer  – about next year’s water and crops.
Or will he continue to allow the ‘invisible hand of the market’ to drive the tractor?

Fast-track oilsands, U.S. firms urged: Five-fold hike in output reportedly sought
Edmonton Journal
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Page: A13
Section: News
Dateline: TORONTO
Source: The Canadian Press

TORONTO – Canadian executives were urged to massively step up oilsands production to five million barrels of oil a day in a relatively short period of time by their counterparts in the U.S., according to documents obtained by the CBC. Executives from U.S. oil multinationals and Canadian oilsands producers met for two days in Houston, Texas, in the days following the election of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government last year, the broadcaster reported Wednesday.  They recommended a five-fold increase in oilsands production fairly quickly, according to minutes of the meeting obtained by CBC.Oilsands production output was 1.1 million barrels per day in 2005, according to the National Energy Board. It is currently projected to provide between three million and 3.5 million barrels per day by 2015. Continue reading →

As some may know, I’ve been active with the Darfur community in Calgary over the past two years, helping them to bring light to the atrocities taking place in Sudan.  Physicians for Human Rights spearheaded a letter to the new UN director Ban-Ki Moon asking that he give his full attention to GENOCIDE in Darfur and provide much needed leadership.

What do you think the Canadian Government should be doing about the situation in Darfur?  What are some possible solutions that should be addressed?

Last week I hosted a meeting with some members of the Darfur community in my office along with a courageous man- Mel Middleton from Three Hills – who has been active in Sudan for many years.  One option we looked at was to pressure the Chinese government whose oil money is helping finance the war against the civilians of Darfur and southern Sudan.  The other idea was to link with Muslim communities here in Canada who can then advocate in the Arab world that the rights of these Muslim people in Darfur must not be violated.  The Muslim Free Press just wrote a wonderful article on exactly just this.  I would value your comments on these proposals.

Read Letter Here

North American concern about climate change has reached the “tipping point” with increasing calls for action.  As we saw in my post from Business Week (Jan 16) companies are striving to stay ahead of speculated regulations, and it looks as though the Alberta Government is doing something similar.  Clearly the environmental debate in Canada has been intensified by Stephane Dion’s election as the leader of the Federal Liberal Party.  Any party that wants to make gains in the next election will have to show commitment to the environment, and meaningful action.   The new Environment Minister Rob Renner surely recognizes this (see below) and is looking at ways to reduce CO2 emissions across the province.  I have one suggestion for him: take a good, hard look at industrial emission levels (55% of emissions) and set limits and timelines. Business needs certainty and that’s what a Liberal government in Alberta would give it.

An Alberta Approach to Climate Change
By James Neeley
Medicine Hat News January 13, 2007

The new Alberta Environment Minister, Medicine Hat MLA Rob Renner, is working to develop regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province, before the federal government sets their targets. “We want to put in place a regime that is going to encourage reductions in CO2 emissions,” said Renner.

“We want to put in place a regime that is going to encourage reductions in CO2 emissions,” said Renner.His report and rules are set for delivery in the spring. A reason he is looking to move forward with regulations, “is to maintain the existing situation that has Alberta leading the charge on these types of issues.” Then, when Ottawa begins dealing with climate change nationally, Renner added, we can say: “We have a unique circumstance in Alberta, we have already met or exceeded federal regulations. There is no reason for the federal legislation to apply in Alberta.”

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