Moral Collapse in DHS/ICE Killings

Lawrence Powell reflects on The Moral Collapse That Killed Renee Good and we contemplate the immorality in the killing of Alex Pretti. What we are witnessing is something deeper and more disturbing: the surrender of moral agency in exchange for belonging.

Bystander video captured from multiple angles appears to show another fatal confrontation between U.S. federal agents and an individual in Minneapolis on Saturday. Federal officials said the man was armed and that agents fired at him in self-defence. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz criticized the Trump administration and its immigration enforcement campaign, saying it is creating 'chaos' in his state.

History does not judge people only by what they do with their own hands, but by what they permit, excuse, and normalize. And it is unforgiving to those who confuse obedience with virtue and cruelty with order. (Powell, n.d.)

The Incident Management Intervention Model (IMIM) is what RCMP officers use to assess and manage risk in all encounters with the public. It helps to determine what intervention is needed, such as verbal de-escalation or the use of another method. 

Police officers must also clearly explain what happened before, during and after the incident. This process is called "legal articulation." This articulation will include the officer's risk assessment, helping people who were not there understand what the officer saw, what it meant to them, as well as how it made them feel.

An officer's intervention is measured against what a reasonable, trained, prudent police officer would do faced with a similar set of circumstances.

In April 2021, the RCMP updated the Incident Management Intervention Model (IMIM) annual re-certification training as well as the Incident Management Intervention Model graphic to place more emphasis on communication and crisis intervention and de-escalation. Crisis intervention and de-escalation now surrounds the graphic, emphasizing de-escalation as the preferred result of any interaction. Crisis intervention and de-escalation provides police with tools that can often be used instead of physical intervention options.

Six basic principles underlie the Incident Management Intervention Model:

 

• The primary duty of a peace officer is to preserve and protect life

• The primary objective of any intervention is public safety

• Peace officer safety is essential to public safety

• The Incident Management Intervention Model is consistent with federal statute law and common law authorities and in no way replaces or augments the law

• The intervention model must always be applied in the context of a careful assessment of risk, taking into account the likelihood and extent of life loss, injury, and damage to property as a result of the intervention

• Risk assessment is a continuous process and risk management must evolve as situations change (RCMP Incident Management Intervention Model, 2026)

Perhaps the DHS and ICE officers require more intense training in situational awareness, communication, crisis intervention, and de-escalation. The requirement to demonstrate these steps in the investigation of action in cases where lethal force was applied or face prosecution under the Law is very likely to reduce killing as the result of interactions with the public.

References

Powell, L. (n.d.). The Moral Collapse That Killed Renee Good. Facebook. Retrieved January 26, 2026, from https://www.facebook.com/HLawrencePowell/photos/the-moral-collapse-that-killed-renee-good-by-lawrence-powell-to-understand-why-m/10162282889168388/ 

RCMP Incident Management Intervention Model. (2026, January 19). Royal Canadian Mounted Police | Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Retrieved January 26, 2026, from https://rcmp.ca/en/police-intervention/incident-management-intervention-model 

Outside Scope of Authority

Former law enforcement officer, Kramer Hammy has posted to “Threads” a discussion that proposes that ICE agents involved acted outside their “Scope of Authority” during the events involving Renee Nicole Good, the mom killed by ICE in Minneapolis.

ICE agents stand outside an ICE facility during a protest on Oct. 4 in Portland, Ore. The shooting of a Minneapolis woman has raised questions about ICE's rules for use of force. (Jenny Kane/The Associated Press)

"As a former officer, let me make something clear: ICE agents ARE NOT police officers, deputy sheriffs, or troopers. They are not local/state law enforcement. They are not federal criminal law enforcement. They have an INCREDIBLY limited scope of authority, and that scope of authority exists in detaining and arresting with probable cause and/or SIGNED WARRANTS those investigated and suspected of being in the US illegally. ("This ENTIRE Situation in Minnesota Was Outside of the Scope of Legal Authority, n.d.)

The use of lethal force by law enforcement officers has a controversial history in Western Society. Some of the guidelines that I recall expressed in Canada include:

• Preservation of human life is the highest priority of law enforcement.

• Lethal Force is justified to counter Lethal Threat

• When the RCMP activate a lethal weapon it is used to apply lethal force.

Many people have concerns that the training of ICE agents has neglected emphasis on the consequences of action outside of their scope of authority and in neglect of the moral and human respect that is required to prevent tragic outcomes from an ill considered and possibly illegal use of Lethal Force.

References

"This ENTIRE situation in Minnesota was outside of the scope of legal authority. (n.d.). Threads. Retrieved January 12, 2026, from https://www.threads.com/@bertwoodphotography/post/DTavZRije7V/this-entire-situation-in-minnesota-was-outside-of-the-scope-of-legal-authority 

Fact Check on EV Posts

Social media posts that pretend to offer true facts about electric vehicles often do not attribute the information they present to credible sources. The initial expense of electric vehicles (EV) needs to be compared to how their ongoing performance compares with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

EV or ICE?

 

  Bill Turpin discusses the energy efficiency and GHG emissions of his typical EV that uses the Nova Scotia electric grid for charging. His calculations indicate that using an EV in Nova Scotia produces less GHG emissions than internal combustion vehicles even as Nova Scotia Power Inc. burns coal to generate electricity.

According to Nova Scotia Power’s 2020 emission intensity report, the utility emitted 629.7 grams of carbon (strictly speaking, carbon dioxide) for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) it sold me.  This means my car indirectly emits 11,020 grams of carbon per 100 km (17.5 X 629.7). On average, a Canadian car burns nine litres of gasoline per 100 km and each burned litre creates 2,300 grams of human habitat-killing carbon dioxide. This means the average fossil-burner directly emits 20,700 grams of carbon every 100 km (9 X 2,300). Put another way, my average EV emits just 53% of the carbon emitted by a fossil-burner. Yep, right here in Nova Scotia. And that number will get better as more hydro from Muskrat Falls gets into the energy mix. Nova Scotia Power has cut its emissions intensity by 30 per cent over the past 15 years and electric motors are about two and a half times more efficient than internal combustion engines. The same amount of energy that moves an ICEV 100 km drives my EV for 250 km.1

Graham Readfearn writes, in the Guardian, about a cut-and-paste attack on electric vehicle batteries and renewables that is spanning the globe. Unattributed extracts from an essay decrying renewables and electric vehicles are being used to undermine their environmental credentials.

Across social media, internet forums and some climate science denier blogs, there has been furious cutting-and-pasting of chunks of common text attacking the environmental credentials of electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. "About 200 tonnes of the “Earth’s crust” needs to be mined for each electric vehicle battery, and 11 tonnes of brine are needed just for the lithium, claims the text, which also says solar panels and wind turbine blades can’t be recycled." Some claims are made definitively and without context, and don’t try to compare electric vehicle batteries to the fossil fuelled cars they are replacing. Solar panels can be recycled and fully recyclable turbine blades are now being produced. The former resources minister and Queensland senator Matt Canavan was another to share some of the text that sat above a picture of a hollowed-out landscape. It took a few seconds to discover the scary but irrelevant image was of a diamond mine in Canada.2

PumpTalk, a blog created by Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, shares information and engages in discussion about a number of topics, such as fuel efficiency and product responsibility.

Fuel Costs?

 

In November 2021, it published an Interview with Paul Raszewski, a realtor and the co-founder of TEVA – the Toronto Electric Vehicle Association, and David Bennetta, Suncor employee in Fort McMurray and an EV enthusiast, about making the EV Switch. Pump Talk asked for tips for drivers who are considering making the switch to an EV.

First, don’t be scared off by the cost. Even though the up-front cost is more expensive, the long-term cost is much better. Gasoline vs. electricity – you’ll save. No oil change, not as frequent brake service – the long term servicing costs are better. And second, look for an EV community who can give you support – they’re out there.3

As we consider the need to reduce our carbon footprint by moving to electric vehicles, it is important to look for information from credible sources published in recognised media.

 

References

1	Turpin,B. (March 30, 2022). Eat my electrons, CBC!. And Now This….https://andnowthis.ca/2022/03/30/eat-my-electrons-cbc/
2	(2022, March 31). A cut-and-paste attack on electric vehicle batteries and renewables .... Retrieved April 2, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/31/a-cut-and-paste-attack-on-electric-vehicle-batteries-and-renewables-is-spanning-the-globe-but-is-it-right
3	(2021, November 4). Making the EV Switch – Interviews with Paul Raszewski and David .... Retrieved November 26, 2021, from https://www.pumptalk.ca/2021/11/making-the-ev-switch-interviews-with-paul-raszewski-and-david-bennett.html

 

 

EVs Homes and the Environment in NS

The initial expense of electric vehicles (EV) and buildings that are constructed and operated to minimize their carbon footprint needs to be compared to how their ongoing performance compares with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and conventional building construction.

EV and ICE Vehicles

 

  Bill Turpin discusses the energy efficiency and GHG emissions of his typical EV that uses the Nova Scotia electric grid for charging. His calculations indicate that using an EV in Nova Scotia produces less GHG emissions than internal combustion vehicles even as Nova Scotia Power Inc. burns coal to generate electricity.

According to Nova Scotia Power’s 2020 emission intensity report, the utility emitted 629.7 grams of carbon (strictly speaking, carbon dioxide) for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) it sold me.  This means my car indirectly emits 11,020 grams of carbon per 100 km (17.5 X 629.7). On average, a Canadian car burns nine litres of gasoline per 100 km and each burned litre creates 2,300 grams of human habitat-killing carbon dioxide. This means the average fossil-burner directly emits 20,700 grams of carbon every 100 km (9 X 2,300). Put another way, my average EV emits just 53% of the carbon emitted by a fossil-burner. Yep, right here in Nova Scotia. And that number will get better as more hydro from Muskrat Falls gets into the energy mix. Nova Scotia Power has cut its emissions intensity by 30 per cent over the past 15 years and electric motors are about two and a half times more efficient than internal combustion engines. The same amount of energy that moves an ICEV 100 km drives my EV for 250 km.1

George MacPherson writes on LinkedIn about why building a luxury home may be good for the environment.

Luxury and Green too

 

He notes that even in eco-friendly designs, we externalize costs and with passive-built structures one of those external costs is the destruction of our natural life giving forests.

 

Unless we begin framing these homes with a different material, a sustainable recycled material, or we stop building homes to passive standards all together, this will always just be a Band-Aid solution… True eco-friendly means that you can stand with pride on the job site of your home being constructed, knowing that because it's being constructed it is helping the environment and if it weren't constructed then 600,000 bottles would still be in the ocean. That's our structure. That's our eco structure. It's not passive. It's better than passive. It's positive environmental impact… A JD Composites home uses half the energy of a standard wood framed home. That means if you net zero based on the consumption of a typical home, you have 50% of your production that you can devote to "luxury" energy costs. Things like electric vehicle charging, water pumps for irrigation, hydroponics, glycol heated concrete and driveway, and even a water feature.2

Adrienne Morgan Interior Design comments that there are many ways you can refresh and organize your luxury home to make it more sustainable.

 

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificate has become almost like a buzzword in the world of eco-friendly home design. Namely, this certificate ensures that the home’s efficiency standards are in line with the principles of green building. LEED-certified projects have so far been responsible for removing 80 million tonnes of waste that results from unsustainable building. Also, it has been estimated that LEED buildings account for $1.2 billion in energy savings and $150 million in water savings. Around the world, about 430,000 homes are LEED-certified, most of them being in the US. Both residential, private, and commercial real estate experts recognize LEED certification as an accurate sustainability indicator.3

In the transition from transportation and building systems of today to the energy efficient low carbon footprint required in the next decade we need to rely on energy use and GHG emission calculations by engineers and others with experience in the technology required to meet the goals that will minimize the effects of a warming planet.

 

References

1	Turpin,B. (March 30, 2022). Eat my electrons, CBC!. And Now This….https://andnowthis.ca/2022/03/30/eat-my-electrons-cbc/
2	MacPherson,G. (March 30, 2022). Opulence for the Populous: Why Building A Luxury Home is GOOD for the Environment. Geo Net Zero. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/opulence-populous-why-building-luxury-home-good-george-macpherson/?published=t&fbclid=IwAR02U32lsMPZqQwels8EaerHRufzl5NYbSomwaRp0LabMwH7HAYndOSfIdU
3	(n.d.). Can Luxury Homes Be Environmentally Friendly Too? - Adrienne .... Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://amorganinteriors.com/can-luxury-homes-be-environmentally-friendly-too/