Ottawa’s non-existent profile in Indo-Pacific affairs a cause for concern and disappointment
If Canada has pretensions to being an Indo-Pacific power, then it has a difficult image problem to overcome – not in terms of its national reputation as a constructive and valued member of the international community, which are “a given,” but in terms of its “presence” and “engagement” with this pivotal region. While it is…
Survivors of forced sterilization and coerced contraception meet with researchers to share stories
Survivors of forced sterilization and coerced contraception from Canada, Peru and Indonesia will gather with academic researchers at a summit in Edmonton this summer to share stories, heal through art and ceremony, and set an agenda for change. The full extent of reproductive control practices around the world is not known, but they have been…
Increasing spending does not contradict efforts to reduce emissions, says IEF
World energy markets are facing a “red alert,” and there’s more trouble ahead without enough investment going into oil and gas to meet demand, according to a new report by the International Energy Forum (IEF). “At a time when the global energy crisis calls for more supply, underinvestment in hydrocarbons will be the main reason…
Bullish pressure on crude oil markets doesn’t seem to be easing
Crude oil prices fell last week, notching their second weekly decline in the face of concern that rising interest rates could push the global economy into recession. Yet the future of crude oil still seems bullish to many. Spare capacity, or lack of it, is just one of the reasons. The global surplus of crude…
Unfortunately, the Trudeau government is the consumer’s worst enemy right now
It wasn’t a good week if you’re a consumer on a tight budget – and that means most of us. Consumers are under attack. We’ve just learned that Canada’s food inflation rate was at a record 9.7 per cent in May. Everyone is noticing higher food prices and no section of the grocery store is…
Canada is the solution for reliable, affordable, environmentally responsible energy supply
Anti-oil-and-gas activists want the world to believe that the ongoing use of natural resources like gas and oil is an imminent threat to human society as bad as the atomic bomb. They’re wrong. Modern life relies on oil and gas for transportation, home heating/cooling, food supply, and everyday products like your cellphone, computer and clothes.…
The expansion, now expected in late 2023, will help meet continued world oil use, benefiting Canadians
The case for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion remains strong as oil demand is on its way to a new record high, according to industry analysts. Following nearly two years of world consumption exceeding supply, global oil demand is expected to reach a first-ever 101.6 million barrels per day in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency…
Hereditary dynasties could not survive the industrial revolution. Well, except for one
Last week’s column drew from British historian Dominic Lieven’s current book about emperors and empires. Called In the Shadow of the Gods, it’s an exploration of the characteristics that contributed to dynastic success or failure. Lieven’s penultimate chapter deals with the challenges modernity posed to hereditary dynasties. As the environment changed rapidly, the crowns adorning…
Being recognized as divinely anointed didn’t guarantee acquiescence, but it was still a huge asset
Dominic Lieven is a British historian who has written extensively on European, particularly Russian, history. His latest book, In the Shadow of the Gods, is about emperors and empires. It examines their historical scope and the characteristics that contributed to dynastic success or failure. At over 400 densely written pages (excluding notes), the book is…
The best bet remains to bring sanctioned Iranian oil back to the market
American gasoline prices have crossed the unprecedented US$5-a-gallon mark. American Automobile Association data shows prices at the pump are up roughly 60 per cent from a year ago. And prices in Canada are already more than $2 a litre. We are seeing new record prices around the world with each passing week. And no respite…
And stop undermining our role as a trusted resource supplier
In early June, the economics team at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) published a revised forecast for Canada and the 10 provinces. The good news is that notwithstanding slowing global growth, soaring inflation and escalating geopolitical tensions, Canada seems reasonably well positioned to navigate its way through the rest of 2022 and into next…
LIV Tour is a PR tool for a reprehensible government seeking to wash away its human rights abuse
The things people will do for money … The way Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell and other professional golfers tap dance while trying to come up with reasons to justify their move to the new LIV Tour is embarrassing. The LIV Tour has nothing to do with growing the game of golf,…
Call it a 50/50 proposition
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is “very happy” that Boris Johnson survived his leadership confidence vote. As the United Kingdom’s prime minister, Johnson has been one of Ukraine’s most energetic and zealous supporters. And Zelensky doesn’t want to lose such a valuable ally. Those who worried that Brexit would turn the U.K. inward and isolationist have…
Our choice is clear: protect the life we love or keep electing these idiots
If there’s any point to writing about energy, it’s to perhaps try to pull together disparate bits of information that the average citizen is too busy to notice, the sort of random and arcane stats and events that only genuine weirdos devote their spare hours to. Truffle pigs find the truffles. People learning about energy…
Stop feeding people food to cars and animals
As if plagues and wars aren’t enough, the media is scaring us about oncoming food shortages. We’re already seeing rising prices in restaurants and grocery stores, and we’re being warned about actual famines in other countries. There are three main causes. One is the damage to the supply chain movements caused by the pandemic. Hopefully,…