Posted inArts + Music

Stephen Harper’s war against the arts

“Country roads take me home, to the place I belong, West Alberta, Mountain momma,” belts Stephen Harper, his Kermit The Frog-esque voice going flat when the notes escape him, stage lights dancing off his Lego-like coif, at last year’s Conservative Christmas party. Bopping his chin robotically, he also busts into a nasally rendition of Guns […]

Posted inNews + Opinion

They Failed Us

oops we failed again It ended with a whimper. Humanity should be so lucky. After 12 days of bitter arguments, leaked documents, sit-ins and arrests, negotiators agreed it would be the lowest common denominator all around. Poor countries didn’t want rich countries verifying their results. They got what they wanted. Rich countries didn’t want citizens […]

Posted inNews + Opinion

The People Won’t Stop

A few old lessons I’ve re-learned from the Copenhagen climate conference so far: -The rich and the poor resent each other. They don’t trust each other. -Assembly and free speech are no long accepted human rights in the corridors of power. Our so-called democratic leaders would rather crack the whip than listen to millions of […]

Posted inNews + Opinion

VIDEO: NGO Smackdown at COP15

“I couldn’t get in today even though I have all the right badges,” Emily Rideout tells me. “It’s total BS.” She confirms reports that NGO workers have been mostly shut out of today’s negotiations and plenaries in Copenhagen. UN climate chief Yvo de Boer is claiming responsibility for booking more than 46,000 people into the […]

Posted inNews + Opinion

May’s Day in Copenhagen

Elizabeth May will fly to Copenhagen tomorrow, and she knows what to expect. “I haven’t attended every climate change conference but I’ve attended quite a few,” she tells me. “They are always very intense.” As Green Party of Canada leader, May has access to all negotiations and plenaries, though the plenary rooms are often too […]

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