As proportional representation attracts more interest—like in British Columbia, where voters will soon decide by referendum whether to adopt proportional representation (PR) for provincial elections—commentators like David Brooks trot out the false belief that proportional representation “allowed an extremist named Adolf Hitler to rise to power with the initial support of a tiny fraction of … Read more
It seems likely that the Canadian province of Alberta—home to a massive tar sands industry that produces some of the globe’s dirtiest and most polluting oil—has put the Pacific Northwest in its crosshairs. The province is partnering with the Canadian government to ram through the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, a 715-mile conduit that … Read more
BC Attorney General David Eby has recommended to cabinet that voters see a two-part question about proportional representation on their ballot this October or November. First, the referendum will ask voters whether they want to switch to proportional representation. Then, voters will be able to rank three possible forms of proportional representation in order of … Read more
In his continuing bid to earn his country the title of most corrupt petro-state, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau just committed his government—or, rather, all of the country’s citizens—to a Can$4.5 billion bailout for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. Trudeau’s government has agreed to buy the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline, along with associated assets, … Read more
The scale of North America’s epidemic of heroin, oxy, and other opioids is staggering. Some 2.5 million people in the United States live with addiction or related drug problems that together are called opioid use disorder. The total costs to society may be as high as $500 billion annually. Tragic overdose deaths get media attention, … Read more
On April 8, Kinder Morgan Canada held an unusual Sunday conference call to announce an immediate halt to all non-essential spending on the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline, threatening to pull the plug on the project completely unless the escalating political conflicts over the pipeline could be resolved by May 31. Kinder Morgan’s announcement set off … Read more
The small Columbia River town of Kalama, Washington is home to one of the most hotly-contested energy projects in the Northwest. A Chinese government-backed company aims to build an outsized petrochemical refinery there that would process large quantities of natural gas into liquid methanol for export to China. Since its initial proposal, a welter of … Read more
Earlier this month, Sightline Director of Strategic Communication Anna Fahey comprehensively showed how natural gas has been able to maintain its dirty secret, thanks in part to the mainstream press continually repeating the industry’s talking points with nary a question. Public News Service picked up on the piece and produced a segment on its website. … Read more
In northern Cascadia, BC voters will soon vote on a referendum to use Proportional Representation to help ensure Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) better reflect the will of the voters. BC’s current electoral method—single-winner ridings with first-past-the-post ballots—has been distorting the will of the voters for decades. BC’s election history highlights the well-known flaws … Read more
In a surprise Sunday afternoon announcement, the company backing a huge oil pipeline proposal in British Columbia cried uncle. Citing conflicts between the Canadian government, which supports the project, and British Columbia (plus other local governments), which vehemently oppose it, Kinder Morgan said it would stop spending any money to advance the project. Or at … Read more