We have disrupted a cycle essential to all life.

Humans have disrupted a cycle essential to all life. Doctors and economists may seem like strange partners.

Christopher Ragan, Director, Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University and Courtney Howard, Clinical associate professor, Department of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary spend their days working on very different problems in very different settings. But climate change has injected a common and urgent vocabulary into our work. We find ourselves agreeing both about the nature of the problem and the best solution. It’s essential that we put a price on carbon pollution.

Emergency physician Edward Xie has worked in Toronto for over 10 years. Lately, he’s seen more patients anxious about tick bites. It’s no wonder. A recent medical study shows a fivefold increase in Lyme disease cases in Ontario between 2012 and 2017 as ticks expand their habitat northward.
Dr. Xie also notices more cases of heat exhaustion and dehydration in summer months — particularly among elderly and low-income individuals who lack adequate housing. In Toronto alone, heat already contributes to an estimated 120 deaths each year. The city expects that number to grow.1

Doctors and economists agree. Climate change is here, it’s getting worse, and the best time to do something about it is right now. One way or another, we are paying the costs of climate change — in sick days and lost wages, rising health care costs and home insurance rates, and a less stable climate for the next generation. And we’re still adding new charges to our bill. Both professions agree: we must act.

In a new open letter, more than 3,500 economists state that climate change is “a serious problem” calling for immediate action. The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change research collaborative, which includes doctors and economists, agrees that adequately pricing carbon could be the single most important treatment for climate change.
Economics has a very clear prescription for these challenges: carbon pricing. In the same way that penicillin treats an infection, carbon pricing can help fight climate change. It effectively targets the root of the problem and there’s a mountain of evidence that it works.2 

Several Canadian medical organizations issued a call to all federal political parties to act on climate change, urging serious treatment for what the World Health Organization calls “greatest health threat in the 21st century.”

References

1	(2019, June 30). COMMENTARY: Why doctors argue 'carbon pricing' can 'cure' climate .... Retrieved June 30, 2019, from https://globalnews.ca/news/5428375/climate-change-carbon-tax/
2	(2019, June 24). Climate change puts health at risk and economists have the right .... Retrieved June 30, 2019, from http://theconversation.com/climate-change-puts-health-at-risk-and-economists-have-the-right-prescription-118797

Venus Project and Laudato Si

The transition advocated by the Venus Project and the conversion exhorted in Pope Francis encyclical “Laudato Si” share some common ground.

Source: https://www.thevenusproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/tvp_smi1200_series1_2of10_commonheritage.jpg

Jacque Fresco, Founder of The Venus Project, comments that the only hope for developing a new civilization is to accept responsibility for improving our lives through knowledge, understanding, and a deeper comprehension of humanity’s relationship to natural processes of evolution. Our future is determined by the effort we put forth to achieve this transition.

The Venus Project proposes directing our technology and resources toward the maximum benefit of people and planet, and seeking out new ways of thinking and living that emphasize and celebrate the vast potential of the human spirit. We have the tools at hand to design and build a future that is worthy of the human potential.1 

In this sixth episode of "Understanding Laudato Si," Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM, explores the second half of Chapter Two. The four subheadings of Chapter Two examined here include the themes of: (A) The message of each creature in the harmony of creation; (B) A universal communion; (C) The common destination of goods;

and (D) The gaze of Jesus.

95. The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all. If we do not, we burden our consciences with the weight of having denied the existence of others. That is why the New Zealand bishops asked what the commandment “Thou shall not kill” means when “twenty percent of the world’s population consumes resources at a rate that robs the poor nations and future generations of what they need to survive”.[78]2 

Laudato Si and the Venus Project both understand the earth’s resources to be the common heritage and responsibility of all peoples. The possibility of complementary action in acting on the direction of these projects is worth exploration.

References

1	(n.d.). What Kind of World (a series: #2 of 10) | The Venus Project. Retrieved June 29, 2019, from https://www.thevenusproject.com/multimedia/%E2%80%A8what-kind-of-world-a-series-2-of-10/
2	(2015, May 24). Laudato si' (24 May 2015) - La Santa Sede. Retrieved June 29, 2019, from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

Canada declares Climate Emergency

The motions of governing parties about climate action have an effect in raising the profile and perhaps the anxiety around this issue.

Coastal erosion and flooding

Hannah Jackson, of Global News, reports the House of Commons passed a motion to declare a national climate emergency in Canada on Monday June 16. The motion was put forward by Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna, and it passed with 186 votes to 63. It declares a national climate emergency, and supports the country’s commitment to meeting the emissions targets outlined in the Paris Agreement.

 “The science shows that Canada is warming at twice the global average and that we need to meet our international obligations,” she wrote.
“That’s why I’m voting for the motion and that’s why Canada’s already taking action.”1

Jolson Lim, of ipolitics, reports that Conservative leader Andrew Scheer opposes the Liberal motion on declaring ‘climate emergency’. Scheer told CTV’s Question Period a year ago that the Conservatives’ climate plan would “of course” meeting the 2030 Paris targets, but told the same show in December that his plan would have “meaningful reductions.”

Scheer also accused the Liberals today of wasting precious time in the House, with less than five sitting weeks left for Parliament, in order to score political points.
“We’re in the dying days of a scandal-plagued Liberal government and they’re using precious House time on a symbolic gesture rather than taking real action,” he said, who added that it serves as a distraction from recent controversies such as the SNC-Lavalin and Mark Norman affairs.2 

Clinical psychologist and climate emergency campaigner, Jane Morton, has created a 24-page booklet and a 45-minute presentation on the topic of how we get more people to listen and take action on climate issues.

When an emergency situation confronts a nation, our ability to work together and pursue common ground efficiently is crucial to address the threat.

References

1	(2019, June 18). National climate emergency declared by House of ... - Global News. Retrieved June 18, 2019, from https://globalnews.ca/news/5401586/canada-national-climate-emergency/
2	(2019, May 15). Scheer to oppose Liberal motion on declaring 'climate emergency .... Retrieved June 18, 2019, from https://ipolitics.ca/2019/05/15/scheer-to-oppose-liberal-motion-on-declaring-climate-emergency/
3	(n.d.). Climate Emergency Declaration - Call to declare a climate emergency. Retrieved June 18, 2019, from https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/

Some conservative concerns on climate change

Climate change may be a serious ballot box issue for the youngest voters in the next federal election.

Will young voters rally?

Robin V. Sears, Contributing Columnist at the Star, offers some opinions on how Canadian conservatives are likely to feel the heat on climate change.

With the rare exception of a Brian Mulroney or a Peter Lougheed the environmental track record of Canadian conservatives is not pretty, either. Look up Mike Harris on global warming if you want a mordant chuckle. Andrew Scheer must now walk a terrifying razor blade on climate. Without greater climate credibility among young Torontonians, Montrealers and Vancouverites he will lose.
Pushing too hard on his new-found conviction about carbon, he runs into three angry Conservative premiers in his heartland, each of whom is in various stages of denial about pricing carbon. He will give a major environmental policy speech in a few days’ time. One may safely predict he will take bullets from all sides of the debate no matter what he says.1 

Schumpeter from The Economist looks at Europe's carbon crunch and concludes for industry, climate policy is a delicate balancing act.

Fighting global warming requires a much faster shift towards clean energy by all. However, European firms have come a long way in modernising their views on emissions, partly influenced by the ets. The first to be hit hard by the new reality have been the region’s utilities. A flood of renewables, especially after the acceleration of Germany’s energiewende (energy transition) in 2011, clobbered power prices and caused utilities such as Germany’s e.on and rwe to suffer years of losses. Some have since dumped their old fossil-fuel assets and embraced wind and solar, enabling them to benefit from higher carbon prices.2 

Don Pittis, Business columnist for the CBC, comments that Markets will advance the green agenda,

Conservative appeal

even if some governments lose interest.

But as 2030 approaches, if the forecast seems to be coming true, it is the more expensive oil, such as that set to be shipped via Canada's taxpayer-funded Trans Mountain pipeline, that won't find investors — and eventually won't be wanted.
"In our view, it is completely possible, and probable, that the pipeline would not deliver as much return as the government currently expects it to," said Jean-François Mercure,.3 

The conservative plan for control of carbon emissions will need to find common ground among diverse interests.

References

1	(2019, June 16). Conservatives feel heat on climate change | The Star. Retrieved June 16, 2019, from https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/06/16/conservatives-feel-heat-on-climate-change.html
2	(2019, January 11). For industry, climate policy is a delicate balancing act - The Economist. Retrieved January 16, 2019, from https://www.economist.com/business/2019/01/12/for-industry-climate-policy-is-a-delicate-balancing-act
3	(n.d.). Markets will advance green agenda — even if some governments lose .... Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/carbon-energy-technology-canada-1.4697697

Scope of eco-justice activity on climate change

Below are a collection of three information videos to help clarify the scope of eco-justice activity and address some misconceptions and misinterpretations of the science of climate change. Andrea Cohen B. asks Did you ever notice that the same leaders denying climate change are the ones drumming up fear and hatred against migrants? Check out this short explainer video on why the climate movement must fight for migrant justice to win the world we need. Voiceover by Thandie Newton. Special thanks to Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and Harsha Walia for advice and guidance. Learn more: http://theleap.org/climate-migration/ (Creative Producer @Andrea Cohen B. Produced by Meta4Films Inc.)

The AST Podcast on Climate Catastrophe Catastrophic climate change is here. People are being displaced, many species are becoming extinct. And this situation will get worse. This podcast begins to explore what Ethics, Law, and Theology have to say to this world, a world in crisis due to ecological catastrophe. It discusses some things you may have heard discussed before – such as why and how Christians need to change. It also explores questions that, as the 21st-century proceeds, will become more and more relevant such as - would acts of ecological terrorism, such as blowing up a pipeline, be morally justified? How should criminal law evolve in response to the unprecedented challenges climate-driven social catastrophe poses? And what lenses can Theology and Ethics bring to a new dark age of climate-driven social breakdown? In this conversation, AST David Deane is joined by Professor Cathy Driscoll and Professor Rob Currie. Cathy is a Professor in the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University and Chair of the Halifax-Yarmouth Diocesan Council for Development and Peace – Caritas Canada. She is a certified Laudato Si’ Animator with the Global Catholic Climate Movement. Rob is a Professor in the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. He is a leading expert on criminal law whose work is regularly cited by the Supreme Court of Canada. His seminal, International and Transnational Criminal Law, was shortlisted for the Walter Owen Book Prize for Outstanding Legal Literature in 2011

Global Weirding: Climate, Politics, and Religion with Katharine Hayhoe is produced by KTTZ Texas Tech Public ... What's the Big Deal With a Few Degrees​?

Political challenge to find common ground on climate

A scientist, people living along the Trans Mountain pipeline, and a social economic think tank have some opinions to share on the threats to the Canadian economy, world ecosystem, and future employment as we near the fall 2019 federal election.

Our conversion to care for the planet

Gerald Kutney, Ph.D. in chemistry, and author on climate change addresses conservative Canadians noting that Doug Ford and Andrew Scheer seem oblivious to the climate emergency threat. Canada had already responded to the issue of climate change by placing a price on carbon, endorsed by Nobel-prize-winning economist Patricia Espinosa.

The younger generation also recognizes the urgency of climate change, as witnessed by the youth movement under the hashtag #FridayForFutures, inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thuneberg. A student in the large turnout in Montreal, Maria Burgos, declared that: "The politicians, the older generation, they can pass this off on us. We won't stand here and do the same for our children and grandchildren."
The science of climate change, as with all science, is apolitical, by definition. Yet, climate change has become mired in a political battle royale. Conservative politicians seem oblivious to this threat or are willing to put politics ahead of people and the planet. We are but several months away from the election, and Andrew Scheer still has no plan to address climate change.1 

Anna Maria Tremonti of CBC The Current recently travelled the 1,150 km route of the Trans Mountain pipeline, to meet the people whose lives have become tangled up in the debate about its expansion. She presents a documentary that shares viewpoints from many sides of the debate. Susan Delacourt analyses the apparent “no middle ground” on this issue by identifying the short time frame of an election and what the public normally thinks is a long term timeframe for caring for the environment.

Anna Maria Tremonti recently travelled the 1,150 km route of the Trans Mountain pipeline, to meet the people whose lives have become tangled up in the debate about its expansion.The federal government is expected to make a final decision about the Trans Mountain pipeline by next Tuesday. Our national affairs panel discusses how pipeline politics, and competing climate change strategies, will be major issues in this year's federal election. In the final half hour of the program Susan Delacourt comments on no middle ground in this debate Mia Rabson notes that people are not backing the climate science because we don’t like to change what we are doing. Susan Delacourt observes that politics is short term business and environment is perceived to be a long term thing. Recent events remind us of the 11 years the IPCC has given for us to act. 2 

Brendan Haley reports that the history of the original “New Deal” teaches us that guaranteeing economic and social security can be part of a political bargain that enables the take-off of green energy technologies.

Today, green energy innovation has progressed at an impressive pace. The price of renewable energy technologies has decreased dramatically, and some predict that the cost of owning an electric car will be on par with a gasoline counterpart by 2022. Yet, politicians and vested interests are aggressively exploiting economic insecurities over jobs and affordability. The history of the original “New Deal” teaches us that guaranteeing economic and social security can be part of a political bargain that enables the take-off of green energy technologies.
However, the new “New Deal” has to devise social and economic security arrangements that fit with the green technologies we want to promote, and the insecurities faced today. This calls for imagining a new suite of social welfare initiatives that accelerate green transitions and change the political conversation.3 

In discussing, on CBC Mainstreet Nova Scotia, his new book “Falter”, a powerful and sobering call to arms, to save not only our planet but also our humanity itself, Bill McGibbon urges government to address the need to provide employment to those people who lose jobs during the transition to a low carbon emission world.

Some conservative climate principles

In the medium term, the alternate energy industry is expected to increase from the approximately 300,000 Canadians who are currently working in the field.

References

1	(2019, March 27). Dear Conservatives, Climate Change Is The Real Threat, Not A .... Retrieved June 8, 2019, from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/gerald-kutney/conservatives-climate-change-carbon-tax_a_23696033/
2	(2019, June 12). The Current for June 12, 2019 | CBC Radio - CBC.ca. Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-june-12-2019-1.5171049
3	(2019, June 11). Blog | Broadbent Institute. Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/blog

Trump China and Filipino sailors in The Intelligence

IN THE end, President Donald Trump’s tariff threat did what he had hoped: Mexico has pledged to tighten immigration flows. But such weaponisation of tariffs bodes ill for the future. China’s “green Great Wall” of trees—a bid to halt desertification—may be doing more harm than good. And, we meet some of the Filipino sailors who keep the global shipping industry afloat. Runtime: 21 min