RBC: The new financier-in-chief of climate catastrophe

The consequence of this continued investment in fossil fuels is nothing short of global disaster, and RBC has been rightly criticized by environmental groups and activists for their part in perpetuating global warming. These same groups, however, have very little to offer when it comes to proposing concrete and realizable solutions to the climate crisis.

Canada is burning: Socialism or climate catastrophe

The second-largest forest fire in B.C. history. The town of Chibougamau, Que., evacuated in the middle of the night. A Halifax suburb burned down. Toronto and Montreal covered in smog. All of this occurring as early as May and June.

‘World covered in gasoline’: How capitalism poured fuel on the Alberta wildfires

As of May 9, 86 wildfires are burning throughout the province of Alberta—this total is down from over 100 a few days prior, but perhaps not for long. There is a sense of dread among Albertans, not just because of the inherent horror of wildfires, but because of the feeling that the province can’t get the situation under control.

Oil barons ignored toxic leak for almost a year

Imperial Oil’s Kearl oil sands facility has been leaking tailings wastewater, which risks seeping into the groundwater and nearby streams. The initial leak was ignored by the company for nine months without any notification of the incident to the public.

The RStar scam: Oil barons get tax breaks to clean up their own mess

It’s no secret that orphan oil and gas wells in Alberta have been a growing environmental concern for quite some time. Farmers and rural municipalities have been struggling to cope with derelict equipment and the hazards that come with it, but little has been done to mitigate this problem. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has recently announced a pilot project based on a proposal from lobbyists: the RStar program, which would give $20 billion to oil companies to “incentivize” cleanup of the abandoned wells that litter the province. 

There is no ‘just transition’ under capitalism

Unprecedented weather events have grounded planes, flooded communities, and destroyed cities at an increasing pace over the past few years as the climate crisis looms large over the future. And so the federal Liberals are now proposing a “just transition”, promising an end to carbon pollution without a loss of good jobs. Given the Liberals’ track record of broken promises, there’s good reason for suspicion.

ExxonMobil knew climate impact half a century ago… and feigned ignorance

A new study of in-house research by ExxonMobil has revealed that the oil giant had detailed and accurate predictions of the impact of fossil fuels on global warming as early as the 1970s. And yet, the company continued to downplay and cast doubt on man-made climate until as recently as the last decade.

COP15 in Montreal: The latest in capitalist greenwashing

The United Nations’ “Conference of Parties” (COP15) convention on biodiversity is meeting from Dec. 7-19 in Montreal in a heavily barricaded Palais des Congrès. Guarded by the largest police garrison mobilized in decades in the city, hundreds of state representatives and lobbyists meet for yet another round of meaningless talks and empty promises. 

Ford’s bourgeois buddies profit off attacking the Greenbelt

Doug Ford recently announced his plan to carve 7,400 acres out of the Ontario Greenbelt so that it can be opened up to housing development. This is directly going back on his promise in 2018 to leave the Greenbelt untouched, and people are rightfully outraged—except for Ford’s developer friends, who now stand to make massive profits.  

B.C. coroner’s report on 2021 heat dome deaths proves capitalism is to blame

The summer of 2021 in British Columbia was one of the hottest ever on record, caused by a weather event known as a heat dome. This once-in-1,000-years weather event (made 150 times more likely by climate change), saw temperatures of up to 49.6 C in the province. This unbearable heat led to the deaths of […]