A year ago, we revisited the 1992 “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity.” Signed by a majority of Nobel laureates in sciences at the time and more than 1,700 leading scientists worldwide, the document warned, “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.” It called for a new ethic that encompasses our...

Universal pharmacare is a hot topic on Parliament Hill these days.  The concept is simple—a single program that would ensure that all Canadians had free access to prescription drugs.  Canada is the only country in the world with universal health care that doesn’t include the cost of drugs in its coverage. And that doesn’t...

By Carol Linnett.  This article is from DeSmog Canada. While news of Saskatchewan’s plan for a small geothermal power plant was met with excitement by renewable energy advocates,  experts say British Columbia is far better situated to capitalize on the technology yet has failed to do so. “It should be a little bit of a shock...

Health Canada has announced that a company, Garnoff Botanicals, is voluntarily recalling unauthorized kratom products as they may pose serious health risks. Haven't heard of kratom?  Don't feel bad -- you're not alone.  Kratom is the plant pictured above, or products derived from it.  What health risks does it pose?  Health...

By Ben Parfitt.  This article is from DeSmog  Canada. A subsidiary of Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned petro giant courted by the B.C. government, has built at least 16 unauthorized dams in northern B.C. to trap hundreds of millions of gallons of water used in its controversial fracking operations. The 16 dams are among ...

Over the past month I have visited most of the RCMP detachments in South Okanagan-West Kootenay.  While the conversations covered some of the obvious law and order issues such as marijuana legalization, rising levels of property crime and staffing levels for highway patrol, I was surprised that one issue dominated most of my...

It's income tax time. And the Canda Revenue Agency (CRA) wants to ensure that everyone knows that tax evasion schemes are illegal -- and can result in jail time.  One such scheme, called "Paradigm," has resulted in convictions and sentences for 32 people so far -- self-styled "educators" who promoted a fraudulent tax-evasion...

Bats are an essential part of the global ecosystem. They save agriculture a great deal of money by eating vast numbers of crop-destroying insects such as Colorado Potato Beetles, and they save humans a lot of itching by eating vast numbers of flying, biting insects such as mosquitoes. For years, bats had an undeserved bad...

Lacking any permanent connection to his family and culture and without the mental health supports that might have made a difference, an 18-year-old Métis youth in care took his own life in an act of desperation, says an investigative report issued today by British Columbia’s Acting Representative for Children and Youth....

There you are, flat on the floor with crushing chest pain.  "Heart attack!" you think, while the world goes a bit grey and fuzzy.  But you're able to reach your phone and dial 911.  Is this an emergency?  Are the paramedics who come to tend  you essential, or just nice to have, like a clean floor to lie on while you wait for...