Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Isabella Weber points out the key elements in common between the governments which have survived the anti-incumbent trend over the past year - with both price controls on essentials and progressive tax policy serving as key elements in assuring voters that they weren't being sacrificed to corporate interests. Erica Ifill laments that the Libs appear to have decided their problem is a failure to concede to the Cons' racism and bigotry rather than a lack of action to address citizens' material conditions. And Aloysius Wong, Valerie Ouellet and Rachel Houlihan report on immigrant workers seeking to help provide care in Canada are being scammed by recruiters. 

- Ben Turner reports on China's developing plans to effectively end energy scarcity with a solar power array in space. And the foreseeable development of that type of energy source makes it all the more unconscionable that Danielle Smith and the UCP are putting oil industry profits ahead of country, including by using public money to guarantee oil producer profits and avoid any Canadian (but not American) tariffs. 

- Clare O'Hara reports on another record year of Canadian insurance losses from natural disasters in 2024, as well as the reality that more regions are becoming uninsurable. But Katya Schwenk discusses how developers in California (and elsewhere) have blocked any efforts to direct development out of harm's way. And Tom Perkins reports on the oil industry's attempt to stifle any legislation which would require it to pay a dime toward the damage it's inflicted on everybody else through wildfires, floods and other climate-connected disasters. 

- Finally, Evert Lindquist reports on one Nova Scotia plant trying to salvage some use out of garbage - though the plan to use material sources laden with plastics and other hazardous waste to produce fertilizer in particular seems sure to do more harm than good. And James Hannay writes about the need for an inclusive farm economy to replace the corporate-controlled monoculture that's become the current norm. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Kat Kerlin writes about new research showing that the true social cost of carbon pollution is over $280 per ton - far higher than the prices currently attached to it, even as our policy debates center on whether to subsidize the climate crisis even further. And Nina Lakhan reports on the growing list of countries pushing for a just transition away from fossil fuels to avert a climate breakdown. 

- Martha Bebinger reports on the prescriptions for rooftop solar power which are helping to ensure people with specific medical needs aren't vulnerable to being cut off by private utilities. And Julian Fell, Tim Leslie, Alex Lim and Ashley Kyd discuss the global spread of solar power - and its ability to meet humanity's energy needs with far less disruption than fossil fuel alternatives. But Kate Aronoff warns that the fas of AI data centers risks keeping dirty energy onstream far longer than can reasonably be accepted. 

- Michelle Goldberg calls out the tech industry elites who have chosen fealty to Donald Trump over any other interest. And Andrew Egger warns that the silent surrenders of media organizations offer a dangerous precedent for the prospect of Trump's future wrongdoing being the subject of investigation and reporting. 

- Finally, Ron Filipkowski discusses the need for U.S. Democrats to build means of communicating with people in the face of a loud and closed conservative media ecosystem. And Ettingermentum examines the U.S. Democrats' retreat from substantive policy positions - which is now being used as an excuse to demand further drift toward the right. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Joelle Gergis offers a reminder that we're running out of time to avert a climate calamity - and that the only reasonable goal is a rapid push toward zero emissions, not yet another decades-away "net zero" target divorced from any action which could possibly result in its achievement. Umair Irfan discusses how solar energy is far exceeding even the most optimistic projections in both price and deployment, making any fossil fuel-based power generation (or delay tactics built around nuclear distractions) into a clear financial loser for everybody but the oil and gas sector. And Abdul Martin Safraz reports on the Toronto Transit Commission's refusal of false advertising from the fossil fuel sector as an example worth emulating.

- Meanwhile, Jon Queally reports on the pesticide industry's use of public money to target people who dare to point out the environmental and health harms caused by chemical pollution. 

- Polly Thompson discusses how the executive-driven edicts requiring full-time in-office work reflect the real-world consequences of a corporate echo chamber. And John Quiggin notes that the objective success of remote work only shows how the CEO class doesn't deserve the level of entitlement it's claimed - and indeed seems to serve little useful purpose at all.

- Finally, Thomas Zimmer highlights how Project 2025 is shifting votes toward Democrats by providing rare advance warning of what the Republicans plan to do if handed any more power.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Steve Hanley discusses how a climate breakdown would result in the destruction of any other social and political goals which might otherwise be achieved. Scott Forbes writes that the foreseeable consequences of the climate crisis make it impossible to shrug off denialism in theory or practice. And Laura Paddison highlights how the rapid melting of the Thwaites Glacier could cause it to collapse - and produce a massive sea level rise - far sooner than previously anticipated. 

- James Norman points out the environmental dangers of soft plastics - but also the availability of alternatives if we can be bothered to pursue them. And Umair Irfan discusses how solar power - both on its own and in combination with battery storage - is spreading faster and more effectively than projected, making continued reliance on fossil fuel energy a waste in terms of short-term costs even leaving aside the need to preserve a habitable environment.  

- Brandon Vigliarolo reports on FTC Chair Lina Khan's recognition that people deserve protection from corporate data harvesting. Cory Doctorow writes about the reality that few if any mass-produced consumer goods meet such basic standards as not engaging in gratuitious surveillance or not being subject to remote termination in the name of increased profits. And Jason Koebler notes that one project seeking to analyze human language usage has shut down due to the reality that online content is now irreparably polluted by AI spam. 

- Jake Johnson reports on new research showing that the U.S.' profit-driven health care system continues to be more expensive and less effective than any alternatives. And Christina Frangou notes that Pierre Poilievre refuses to talk about the health care privatization favoured by his party and its corporate backers - making it clear that he doesn't want to be held to the slightest commitment to preserve a public health care system. 

- Finally, Kaelyn Lynch points out how the symptoms of severe long COVID may make it impossible for people to access care. Jamie Ducharme writes about the growing evidence that COVID-19 has done widespread cognitive damage. And Rieza Soelaeman et al. find that a strong majority of U.S. adults want to be updated on COVID levels and are prepared to take protective steps when they know there's a high risk - making it all the more inexcusable that the basic information needed to give effect to that desire to help has mostly been scrapped. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Chris Walker discusses new research showing that over half of the increase in U.S. consumer prices over the past 6 months is pure corporate greedflation. And Michael Harris warns that Pierre Poilievre is planning to use discontent among Canadian voters as to a lack of affordability to further enrich the robber barons who are causing it. 

- Alan Semuels examines the consequences of leaving an important policy project (the installation of solar panels) to the corporate sector, as the goal of converting to clean energy is in danger of being swamped by the machinations of financialization.  

- Geoff Dembicki warns that Canada is on the verge of detonating one of the planet's largest carbon bombs by pushing and subsidizing fossil gas exports. And Nichole Dusyk notes that we no longer have the excuse that "everybody else is doing it", as the U.S. has set a needed example in prioritizing a habitable planet over dirty energy exports. 

- Matthew Rosza writes about new research showing that the spread of microplastics includes accumulation in the bodies of endangered Galapagos penguins. And Joseph Winters reports on a new study showing that while recycling schemes may do little to reduce plastic contamination, actual bans work wonders in reducing the number of bags discarded. 

- Zak Vescera reports on British Columbia's steps to reduce the extent and danger of exposure to asbestos in the workplace. 

- Finally, David MacDonald examines what's included - and what's still missing - in the first step toward a national dental plan. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Elizabeth Payne reports on yet another COVID-19 wave in Ottawa which is far exceeding both the case numbers and harmful effects of seasonal viruses. And Brian To-Dang et al. confirm that the lasting coronary artery impacts of a COVID infection.  

- Nicole Mortarillo reports on the repetitive pattern of record-breaking temperatures, while Sana Pashankar and Eric Roster discuss the uncertainty as to whether even a shift to net zero emissions will be enough to avert a climate breakdown. And Markham Hislop highlights how Australia is far ahead of Canada in the U.S. in converting to clean solar power, while Bob Weber reports that Alberta is continuing to massively undercount its carbon pollution in an effort to pretend its fossil fuel sector is anything but a blight on our living environment. 

- Mark Winfield points out how right-wing premiers are determined to prevent Canada from having any effective climate policy. And Kristoffer Tigue reports on the Republicans engaged in the systematic burning of any science textbooks which dare to include accurate information rather than fossil-fuel sector propaganda. 

- George Monbiot discusses how humanity is currently a test subject in a reckless experiment as to the effects of toxic chemicals on food supplies. And Claire Thornton notes that environmental and economic policies based on complete submission to corporate interests in the name of growth aren't preventing record numbers of Americans from going hungry. 

- Finally, Justine Toh writes about the importance of preserving one's humanity in a world designed to see people solely as objects to be exploited. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Derek Lynch writes about the need to recognize that humanity isn't separate from the living environment it needs to survive. Eric Ralls points out how the climate breakdown and dwindling biodiversity are part of the same crisis. And Katie Surma highlights how climate change is driving conflict and human rights abuses around the globe. 

- Kathering Cheng reports on the effects of extreme wildfires on Canadian forests - including the destruction of the seeds and soil needed to allow for regrowth. And Zhi Li, Matthew England and Sjoerd Groeskamp study the distribution of heat absorption in the oceans, finding a trend of accelerating warming.  

- Steve Hanley reports on a new study suggesting that a shift to solar power has already reached an irreversible tipping point. But that isn't stopping Danielle Smith from declaring that Alberta will remain in denial about the existence of clean energy as long as she has any say in the matter, nor the fossil fuel sector from trying to silence anybody who dares to promote responsible resource management.  

- Joan Westerberg offers up a thorough look at what's wrong with the tech world in 2023. And Cory Doctorow discusses how the capital class has sought to divide creative workers from the rest of the working class in order to facilitate their continued exploitation. 

- Finally, Luke LeBrun exposes how the Con-supported conspiracy theorist convoy lied its way into a permanent base of operations. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Michelle Gamage and Katie Hyslop report on the grassroots push for better anti-COVID-19 planning in British Columbia schools. And in case there's any doubt what's at stake, Brenda Goodman reports on new research finding that long COVID may cause a greater disability burden than cancer or heart disease, while the San Diego Union-Tribune warns about the immense social damage which would result from continued spread without massive improvements in treatments and therapies.  

- Damian Carrington et al. write about the growing indicators that humanity has already fundamentally broken our climate. And while Katharine Hayhoe makes the case to respond with determination rather than resignation, it's worth noting the powerful interest aligned against any effort to meaningfully avert a total breakdown - including a fossil fuel sector talking openly about its plan to continue to spew carbon pollution for generations to come, and a sketchy carbon offset system which is claiming credit for  the false promise of protection of forests which are themselves turning into carbon bombs. 

- Meanwhile, David Climenhaga points out how the UCP is putting its thumb on the scale to prevent clean energy development generally, while Clayton Keim writes about the Peace Energy Cooperative solar project as a stark example of the progress that's been shut down in order to keep Albertans hooked on dirty fossil fuels. 

- Finally, Rebecca Zandbergen examines the enduring consequences of the Canadian federal government's decision to stop funding social housing. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Nicolas Banholzer et al. study the dramatic impact of COVID-19 measures in schools - with a mandatory mask policy reducing transmission by nearly 70%, and air cleaners by 40%. And Maryam Zakir-Hussain discusses new research showing the unequal impacts of long COVID, with people working in the health and education sectors and/or living in poorer areas facing a greater burden.

- Bob Woods discusses the work to be done to ensure that the products of wind and solar energy are themselves recycled - though the potential to do so signals another massive advantage over dependence on non-renewable power sources. 

- Nina Lakhani reports on research showing that if oil companies made reparations for the harm they've caused to communities, they'd be paying at least $209 billion per year (instead of rolling in public subsidies to keep polluting). And Bill McKibben warns that we're in the midst of a dangerous experiment on the effects of rapidly-warming oceans which may exacerbate the expected effects of climate change.

- Finally, Nathaniel Meyersohn writes about the immense impact of mandatory parking requirements on the development of car-dependent culture in the U.S.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Arielle Dreher reports on the findings of the U.S.' COVID Crisis Group that the U.S. fell short of the mark in coordinating its COVID-19 response and figures to do so again in future pandemics without improvement. And Leigh MacMillan reports on research showing how COVID produces changes in respiratory tract microbes which can in turn cause additional health problems.  

- Nathan Robinson offers a reminder that the means to end homelessness through a housing guarantee are readily available. And Max Fawcett discusses how the choices we've made around housing - including the expectation that it serve as a risk- and tax-free investment - have led to the lack of homes for far too many. But in case we needed a reminder of the forces working to make matters worse, David Sirota examines Blackstone's plans to extract even more intolerable rents from university students and others in order to goose profit margins. 

- Meanwhile, Christine Boyle and Jim Stanford discuss why Vancouver's abandonment of a living wage is bad economics. 

- Josh Gabbatiss notes that Shell has effectively acknowledged that we can't avoid breaking the 1.5 C barrier without ended new fossil fuel development (though of course it wants to instead count on future carbon removal to excuse further pollution). 

- Finally, Geoff Salomon makes the case for Alberta to save the proceeds of non-renewable resources rather than relying indefinitely on temporary revenue sources. And Doug Johnson writes about the immense potential to integrate solar power into agricultural operations to meet Canada's energy and food needs. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your year-end reading.

- Allison Maher et al. study how COVID-19 causes fundamental changes to a person's immune system, resulting in far greater vulnerability to other infections. Spencer Kimball reports on the rapid spread of the XBB.1.5 COVID-19 variant - which appears to be rendering previous types of immunity significantly less effective.  And Volker Gerdts, Baljit Singh and Loleen Berdahl write about the need to start planning immediately for future pandemics - including by incorporating knowledge from the social sciences into communications about public health issues. 

- Mitchell Thompson discusses how Doug Ford has chosen to lead Ontario's health care system into a crisis. And Linda McQuaig offers a reminder that the destruction of a universal, publicly-funded system is part of the right's plan to turn people's health into a corporate profit centre.

- David Macdonald warns that the CRA's heavy-handed approach to demanding repayments from low-income CERB recipients may cast a pall over any future social benefits. And John Loeppky discusses the need to ensure people with disabilities have secure access to housing - even as the policy response seems to range from dodging responsibility to outright hostility.

- Tony Barboza writes that it's essential to talk to kids about climate change - even if the continued accumulation of avoidable damage to our living environment is scary enough even for adults. Cameron Wood writes that Saskatchewan's grasslands are among the ecosystems in the most danger due to environmental neglect. And CBC News reports on the benefits Alberta is seeing from a shift to solar power generation. 

- Finally, Eric Blair writes about the need to find alternatives to billionaire-dominated communication platforms.

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Peter Kalmus discusses how climate scientists are increasingly turning to civil disobedience to try to alert people to the need for immediate action. Adam Radwanski discusses how the Libs' budget falls far short of the needed focus and ambition, while James Wilt notes the stark contrast between penny-pinching on crucial environmental priorities and the readily availability of tens of billions of dollars for war and weapons. 

- Meanwhile, Paul Dechene offers the most positive review he possibly can of the City of Regina's much-delayed sustainability framework.

- Elias Visontay reports on the abandonment of a plan to ban dark roofs as showing how even the most frivolous whims of capital are being given precedence over averting climate breakdown. And Rina Torchinsky reports that one of the most tedious criticisms of solar energy has been overcome by scientific progress, as Stanford engineers have developed panels capable of continuing to provide power at night through thermoelectric generation.

- Finally, Alanna Smith exposes the UCP's sudden and arbitrary cancellation of an overdose prevention pilot project. Lisa Schick reports on the Saskatchewan Party's equally thoughtless decision to eliminate access to mental health medication for children in care. And Linda McQuaig discusses how Doug Ford has given the #FluTruxKlan everything it could possibly have asked for, while endangering many Ontarians in the process of abandoning and forbidding even the most basic public health measures.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- CBC News reports on the public health officers begging Saskatchewan's provincial government to stop the spread of COVID-19 as our health care system collapses, while Guy Quenneville notes that Dr. Saqib Shahab is now publicly calling out some of the areas where the Saskatchewan Party is being particularly negligent. And Jillian Smith reports on Saskatoon's move to apply gathering limits at the municipal level due to Scott Moe's stubborn refusal to lift a finger to protect public health. 

- Lori Lee Oates sets out how we can make a just transition to a clean energy economy generally, while Raidin Blue examines the path for Saskatchewan to do the same. And Emily Chung writes about a focus on net zero by 2050 actually looks like - along with the problems with trying to count carbon removal when there's little certainty that it will have its intended effect. 

- Meanwhile, Matt Simon writes about the potential for the concurrent use of land for solar panels and crops may produce improved outcomes for both energy generation and agricultural output. 

- But Doreen Nicoll points out the problem with spending billions to subsidize sprawl and carbon pollution at a point when we need to be working on decarbonizing. 

- Finally, Emma Kelly calls out the countries who provide tax havens for the wealthy seeking to avoid paying their fair share - with Canada making the list due to both low corporate tax rates and a lack of transparency.  

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Michael Bang Pedersen argues that the COVID pandemic offers a prime example of the importance of telling hard truths to the public - rather than engaging in the wishful thinking, sugar-coating and general denial we've come to expect from Scott Moe. And Susie Flaherty writes about new research confirming that children are spreaders of COVID-19 (and particularly its variants), while Lynn Giesbrecht reports that over a hundred Saskatchewan schools (plus several dozen daycares) are currently experiencing outbreaks.  

- Paddy Bettington rightly criticizes the UK Cons' version of "building back" for providing nothing but worse conditions for workers. And Paul Krugman points out the rightful revolt of American workers against being underpaid, put at risk and taken for granted.  

- Max Callaghan and Carl-Friedrich Schleussner discuss their new study showing how the vast majority of people are already affected by the climate crisis. And Oliver Milman, Andrew Witherspoon, Rita Liu and Alvin Chang observe that a climate disaster isn't merely a remote future prospect, but an imminent reality.  

- Simon Evans notes that the IEA's latest World Energy Outlook shows fossil fuel use peaking in 2025 if countries meet their climate commitments. But Rob Davies highlights how that limited and delayed change would be nowhere near enough to actually avert climate breakdown. 

- Meanwhile, Siddharth Joshi, James Glynn and Shivika Mittal discuss the obvious potential for solar power alone to meet the world's energy needs. And Dana Nuccitelli points out how a faster transition to a clean economy will also be a more affordable one.

- Finally, Brent Patterson examines what we know about the RCMP's unit dedicated to violating human rights to protect extractive industries. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board recognizes that any responsible government would be continuing to apply public health rules to prevent a fourth wave of COVID, rather than hyping partial vaccination as a cure-all. Zeynep Tufecki discusses how the U.S.' political dysfunction is limiting its ability to mount a full public health defence - though it's well worth noting that Canada and other countries are facing similar difficulties without the exact political barriers south of the border. avid Connett reports on the justified backlash against the UK Cons' attempt to portray responsible risk management as cowardice. Shondipon Laha writes that our growing level of experience in responding to COVID-19 doesn't mean it's getting any easier to ask ICU staff to deal with new waves. Rob Stein and Selina Simmons-Duffin report on new modeling showing how the Delta variant is set to cause a new wave of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.

- Blake Murdoch and Lorian Hardcastle point out that there's no reason why a vaccine passport can't be designed to protect privacy while also achieving the public health goals of encouraging vaccination and protecting against community spread.

- Arthur White-Crummey reports that the Saskatchewan Party's attack on the solar industry has achieved its goal of destroying an immediate renewable alternative to fossil fuels - as well as the jobs that went with it. And if we needed to be reminded as to how corporate-friendly regimes have worked to tie the hands of anybody trying to implement effective climate policy, Josephine Moulds reports on a UK oil company's use of ISDS provisions to try to force Italy to approve offshore drilling or hand it hundreds of millions of dollars of free money.

- Meagan Day interviews Carol Burris about the use of "nonprofit" charter schools to transfer education funding into the hands of the corporate sector.

- Finally, Paul Krugman calls out the corporatist politicians in then U.S. who are insisting that tax laws should only be enforced against the working class.

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- John Paul Tasker reports on new data from the Public Health Agency of Canada showing how public health measures have slowed the transmission of the coronavirus, while Selena Ross reports on an informal count showing that air purifiers may substantially reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Connor O'Donovan talks to employees working in the Cornwall Centre about the avoidable risk they face when anti-maskers bring disregard for public health into their workplaces. And Jeff Gray reports on the reality facing health care practitioners having to triage patients in desperate need of care - and then explain that decision to the families affected. 

- Joseph Stiglitz and Lori Wallach discuss the folly of prioritizing intellectual property monopolies over the manufacture and distribution of COVID vaccines. And Teagan Johnston notes that nobody should be surprised to see Doug Ford (or any of his right-wing cousins) valuing profits over people's health and well-being.

- Meanwhile, Andrew Gregory points out that the search for treatments and cures for long COVID will remain a vital area of research even as vaccines offer some protection to the population at large.

- The Climate Action Network (among other groups) highlights how Canada can reach a far stronger greenhouse gas emissions target than the one on offer from the Libs while reducing our energy costs in the process. And Royce Kurmelovs reports on the drastic decline in the price of solar power which is making it far more efficient than fossil fuel energy.

- Finally, David Madland writes about the renewed push for sectoral bargaining to ensure that gains made by workers are broadly shared. And Barry Eidlin discusses how the requirement for votes in employer-controlled workplaces represents an unfair barrier to the exercise of workers' rights.

On fossilized assumptions

The comparative cost of different power options in the real world:

The world’s best solar power schemes now offer the “cheapest…electricity in history” with the technology cheaper than coal and gas in most major countries.

...

Across the U.S., renewable energy is beating coal on cost: The price to build new wind and solar has fallen below the cost of running existing coal-fired power plants in Red and Blue states. 

 ...

Building new wind and solar plants will soon be cheaper in every major market across the globe than running existing coal-fired power stations, according to a new report that raises fresh doubt about the medium-term viability of Australia’s $26bn thermal coal export industry.

While some countries are moving faster than others, the analysis by the Carbon Tracker Initiative, a climate finance thinktank, found renewable power was a cheaper option than building new coal plants in all large markets including Australia, and was expected to cost less than electricity from existing coal plants by 2030 at the latest.

The default assumption in Saskatchewan's fossilized media:

And even if they were to, there is the messy problem that we still must burn coal for the lion’s share of our electrical needs because solar and wind remain costly and we aren’t blessed with hydroelectric resources.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board laments the choice of far too many provincial governments to sacrifice tens of thousands of lives rather than treating a pandemic with the seriousness and focus it deserves. Philip Pizzo, David Spiegel and Michelle Mello examine how governments which have taken science seriously rather than bending medical decisions to political ends have been far more successful in limiting the harm from COVID-19. Murray Mandryk takes note of the deadly wager the Saskatchewan Party is making on vaccines as a magic bullet. And Helen Rosner writes that there's no rational argument in favour of in-restaurant dining at this point - no matter how much public money the Regina Chamber of Commerce spends encouraging people to be irresponsible.

- Phil Tank reports on Scott Moe's choice not to use 98% of the rapid COVID tests provided to Saskatchewan by the federal government - which looks particularly dubious given that the province has promoted a pay-to-play testing option instead of actually using the tests on hand. Marc Smith reports that Saskatchewan's standard testing system is also operating far beyond its supposed capacity despite large amounts of federal funding. And Lauren Pelley notes that a responsible provincial government would be using a lull in vaccine shipments to build capacity for the foreseeable surge in availability, rather than spending all of its time whinging about the feds.

- Julia Peterson reports that Saskatoon is looking at filling the vacuum in support for solar energy left by the Sask Party (and matching the success that's been seen elsewhere). And Danton Unger reports on Winnipeg's study of fare-free transit as another example of cities showing leadership due to a right-wing provincial government's failures.

- Finally, Dave Cournoyer writes about the nearly universal opposition against Jason Kenney's plan to strip-mine mountaintops and endanger major water sources for a vanishingly small amount of coal profits while slashing regulation generally. But it should come as no surprise that the only exception is the Saskatchewan Party, which is too obsessed with cheerleading for resource extraction generally to show even the slightest concern for the impact on Saskatchewan's water and environment.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Don Braid calls out Jason Kenney for allowing his government's MLAs and officials to gallivant around the world on vacation while demanding that the rest of Alberta stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19. James Keller reports on new research showing a direct connection between strict measures to stop viral spread, and lower spikes in COVID-19's second wave (which then allowed for greater economic stability and continuation). And George Fallis notes that the coronavirus is just another case where a comparison to the U.S. alone can cause Canadians to miss how we're failing compared to most of our international peers.

- Liz Theoharis writes about some of the lessons from the pandemic about the dangers of the concentration of wealth and privilege (and corresponding poverty and deprivation) which should be applied to policy choices in general. And Antoine Bozio, Bertrand Garbinti, Jonathan Goupille-Lebret, Malka Guillot and Thomas Piketty highlight how greater equality in pre-distribution is necessary to achieve sustainable fairness in income and wealth distribution.

- Geoff Dembicki warns U.S. climate activists against making the same mistake as their Canadian counterparts who wrongly assumed the election of a centrist government willing to speak sweet nothings would result in climate action. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board points out that we're still falling short of ensuring that climate harms are included in economic decision-making.

- Finally, Michael Coren writes about Marc Perez' research showing that solar power has become cheap enough that there's no more viable energy strategy than to build as much as possible - even if it can't all be used immediately. (Which of course makes it all the more asinine that so many Canadian governments are determined to instead hype nuclear vaporware in order to put off the transition away from fossil fuels.)

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Fran Quigley interviews Joanne Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox about the entirely feasible steps which could be taken to eliminate poverty in the U.S.:

FQ

You devote a good deal of the book to reviewing the data and the stories that describe US poverty, but you always circle back to solutions, refuting the idea we often hear that “the poor will always be with us.” Why do you think we can, as your subtitle promises, end poverty in the United States?

JG

Because poverty is simply not having enough money to meet your needs. There is nothing more complicated about it than that. And we live in the richest nation in the world, where there is plenty of money. So if we have the political will, we could end poverty.

There are lots of different ways to do it. A living wage is necessary, and a universal basic income can help. We talk in the book about universal health care, housing supports, about making water and electricity and heat a public good. Other countries do all this, and there is no reason we could not do so as well. If we just tax people appropriately, we can have the money to do all this.

CS

We write about challenges in affording car insurance in places where you need a car to get to work, the difficulty in keeping the lights on, not being able to afford medicines. Being in poverty is like walking across a rotted floor — there are so many ways you can fall through. And it all comes down to money.

- Meanwhile, Amanpreet Brar, Maria Daniel and Gurbaaz Sra point out how Amazon's warehouse workers have been put at additional risk by COVID while being silenced in efforts to protect their health and safety. 

- Don Braid points out that racists are attaching themselves to the antisocial principles behind anti-public health rallies to try to recruit adherents and claim legitimacy. And Georgina Alonso discusses the importance of Black Lives Matter - and the harm done by systemic racism it seeks to challenge - in rural Canada.

- Burgess Langshaw-Power writes about the folly of relying on a new generation of false promises and pipe dreams from nuclear power proponents. 

- Michael Barnard calculates how planned increases in the federal carbon price figure to clean up Alberta's power grid by incentivizing the replacement of natural gas power with renewable energy. But Lisa Schick reports on the Moe government's evisceration of Saskatchewan's residential solar sector even as it leaves no stone unturned in pushing further fossil fuel development.

- Finally, Kendall Latimer reports on the "quiet revolution" which has followed the more prominent initial discussion of #metoo in Regina.