https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2026/05/01/alberta-water-council-among-several-environmental-advisory-groups-being-eliminated-for-minimal-savings/

https://archive.ph/8t9hK

Alberta Water Council among several environmental advisory groups being eliminated for minimal savings

Canadians are basically being told we can’t be scared of what we don’t know. And, we don’t know what we don’t know, right?

Danielle Smith’s UCP is cutting off our ability to assess and track the environmental impacts of 3 major datacentre projects that are proposed for Alberta in Wonder Valley, Mihta Askiy, and Synapse. With the Federal Government also signalling a pull back on Environmental Assessment, experts rightly sound the alarm to state the obvious:

You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Worse, these projects are not traditional infrastructure projects that provide critical “Public Goods” to society. They’re in many ways long-term investments in data management technologies that may prove to be bad gambles. As of 2026, in the midst of an on-going US-Iran conflict, and what most observers expect will lead to $150 per barrel oil, fuel shortages, fertilizer shortages, and worse, data centres are enormous investments in time, energy, water, and space. In exchange, these Data Centres may lead to contributions in “Artificial Intelligence”, but the reality of the technology is uneven adoption and even less productivity than hoped for.

As the world develops these “AI” products, there’s also an expectation that they become leaner, more efficient, and more performant. When these efficiencies are developed, and become industry changing, whole markets rattle wondering if the existing data centres and their investments were wasted. For example, Canadians can just look at the 2025 release of DeepSeek, which essentially introduced a new competitor to the AI sector, and a model that was indeed more efficient and performant at the same time. At that moment, NVIDIA stocks lost $600 Billion in value.

With additional developments in this space, Canadians can see that the markets continue to rattle in 2026, costing Billions more in losses.

…

https://kopitalk.net/c/canada/p/435123/alberta-water-council-among-several-environmental-advisory-groups-being-eliminated-for-m

#ClimateDefense #DataCentres #AlbertaWaterCouncil #WaterforLife #LandStewardshipCentre #WatershedRestorationResiliencyProgram #WonderValley #MihtaAskiy #Synapse #DavidWright #RyanFournier #ImpactAssessmentAgency #NigelBankes

#AbPoli #AbLeg #CdnPoli

Alberta Water Council among several environmental advisory groups being eliminated for minimal savings

https://archive.ph/8t9hK

The UCP government pulled the plug on an independent council that provided expert advice to the province on water policy.

Canadians are basically being told we can’t be scared of what we don’t know. And, we don’t know what we don’t know, right?

Danielle Smith’s UCP is cutting off our ability to assess and track the environmental impacts of 3 major datacentre projects that are proposed for Alberta in Wonder Valley, Mihta Askiy, and Synapse. With the Federal Government also signalling a pull back on Environmental Assessment, experts rightly sound the alarm to state the obvious:

You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Worse, these projects are not traditional infrastructure projects that provide critical “Public Goods” to society. They’re in many ways long-term investments in data management technologies that may prove to be bad gambles. As of 2026, in the midst of an on-going US-Iran conflict, and what most observers expect will lead to $150 per barrel oil, fuel shortages, fertilizer shortages, and worse, data centres are enormous investments in time, energy, water, and space. In exchange, these Data Centres may lead to contributions in “Artificial Intelligence”, but the reality of the technology is uneven adoption and even less productivity than hoped for.

As the world develops these “AI” products, there’s also an expectation that they become leaner, more efficient, and more performant. When these efficiencies are developed, and become industry changing, whole markets rattle wondering if the existing data centres and their investments were wasted. For example, Canadians can just look at the 2025 release of DeepSeek, which essentially introduced a new competitor to the AI sector, and a model that was indeed more efficient and performant at the same time. At that moment, NVIDIA stocks lost $600 Billion in value.

With additional developments in this space, Canadians can see that the markets continue to rattle in 2026, costing Billions more in losses.

https://www.upgrad.com/blog/chinese-ai-returns-to-haunt-markets-one-year-after-deepseek/

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-ai-models-rattling-markets-42ee512e

https://archive.is/iFbbd

As each year passes, and new models are released, these Data Centres have regular maintenance schedules that require regular replacement of spent chips and all of its components - much like a vehicle. Under the present geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the massive volumes of natural gas and precious water that will be spent feeding these centres pose a real risk that Albertans can be holding the bag to some extremely destructive Data Centres without appropriate security or collateral.

Some of these projects will be within ear shot of residential areas. You don’t have to search very far for people complaining about the noise from the power generators on site to figure out these Data Centres can literally alter the way entire communities are built

So, it’s true, Canadians cannot manage what we don’t measure. But, we can also see what’s happened already to know we’re not even managing the risk of when these Data Centres go wrong.

https://kopitalk.net/c/canada/p/426197/impact-assessments-not-required-for-olds-mihta-askiy-data-centres-expert-says-legislatio

Should Canadians be disturbed that Assessments are being set aside for these very slap dash projects that are considered Natural Gas Plants, and are presented as “infrastructure”? Of course.

Should Canadians be worried about what little we already know? Let’s take a peek at Wonder Valley: From the National Observer’s Marc Fawcett-Atkinson, Albertans are also aware that the Wonder Valley project is not just about power generation. Specifically, the Wonder Valley project alone is expected to consume enough water to match that of 460,000 people over their entire lifetimes….

The plan is outlined in a heavily redacted land sale contract signed on March 25, 2026, between O’Leary’s company and a rural municipality of fewer than 9,000 people north of Edmonton.

Under the agreement, the Municipal District of Greenview will transfer a large part of a planned industrial park developed by the district to O’Leary’s company in three phases as it builds out the 7.5-gigawatt Wonder Valley project. But there’s a catch: before the sale goes through, the municipality must “act as an agent” for O’Leary’s company by securing provincial water licences that give the facility access to up to 24 million cubic metres of water annually.

That’s enough water for about 460,000 people over their lifetimes, drawn from a municipality that last year declared an agricultural emergency because of drought.

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/04/20/news/kevin-oleary-pins-water-licence-70-billion-data-centre-project-small-alberta

The Politician may like the prospect of pleasing Oil and Gas incumbents with a solid source of demand for Natural Gas. But no one seems to give a damn about where the costs are landing - seems to be on everyone else’s backs.

If anyone needs any encouragement to avoid American fruit, consider that one county has records of PFAS chemicals sprayed to crops as far back as 2018. Also, California is banning use of such PFAS pesticides starting in 2035 .

#BoycottUsa #ClimateDefense #Agriculture #FoodSafety #ConsumerSafety

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/california-bill-ab-1606-pfas-pesticides-food-crops-spraying-toxic-forever-chemicals/

https://kopitalk.net/c/canada/p/388100/california-bill-aims-to-end-spraying-of-crops-with-toxic-forever-chemicals

California bill aims to end spraying of crops with toxic "forever chemicals"

If anyone needs any encouragement to avoid American fruit, consider that one county has records of PFAS chemicals sprayed to crops as far back as 2018. Also, California is banning use of such PFAS pesticides starting in 2035 .

California Assemblymember Nick Schultz is leading an effort to phase out the use of pesticides containing toxic “forever chemicals” to safeguard the nation’s produce.

Schultz (D-Burbank), introduced AB 1603 earlier this year to ban the use, sale, and manufacture of PFAS pesticides in California starting in 2035. The state is the nation’s top agricultural producer, its fruits, nuts ,and vegetables landing on plates across the US.

California has passed so many laws to get these highly persistent, harmful synthetic chemicals out of homes and the environment, Schultz said at a briefing Wednesday, he was shocked to learn that pesticides with intentionally added PFAS are regularly sprayed on the state’s crops. “I was even more startled to find out that these PFAS pesticides are present on the fruit and vegetables that we purchase at the grocery store, on the fruits and vegetables that we feed our families,” he said.

More than 2.5 million pounds of pesticides containing PFAS were sprayed on California crops between 2018 and 2023, according to an analysis of state pesticide use data by the Environmental Working Group, which is co-sponsoring Schultz’s bill with other public interest and health groups.

Avi Lewis' NDP Opens Up A New Front For Canada

Avi Lewis’ energy policies may not even be controversial as they are just a response to the geopolitical maneuvers that have cost countless lives across the world for oil.

Canada’s future therefore depends on all of us - not just working together, but having a say as well.

We have to pull the curtains back on the Wizards, and they have to know the hunt is on.

https://kopitalk.net/c/canada/p/359488/avi-lewis-ndp-opens-up-a-new-front-for-canada

https://thewalrus.ca/avi-lewis-wins-leadership-of-the-federal-ndp-on-first-ballot/

#CdnPoli #AbPoli #AbLeg

#NDP #ProportionalRepresentation #AviLewis #Gerrymandering #Oil #ClimateDefense #ClimateChange #USIranConflict

Avi Lewis' NDP Opens Up A New Front For Canada

https://thewalrus.ca/avi-lewis-wins-leadership-of-the-federal-ndp-on-first-ballot/

The West has always been ready to wear the badge that they operate democracies, and that their governments represent the people. Yet, due in part to the rise of the US Billionaire class, and the explicit acknowledgement in the United States that money is free speech, the people of the Global “North” must relearn old lessons and confront the new Wizards of Oz.

However flawed these democratic systems may be, they fundamentally aspire to retain power with the people through representation. These Billionaires, self-crowned royalty, use their money to short circuit the electoral processes by essentially buying the representation (the Politician). These billionaires flex their wealth, and wield sophisticated networks of corporate entities, lobbyists, social media algorithms, bots, consultants, organizations, charities, clubs, and are brazen and flawed enough to seek out their self-interest at the expense of entire countries.

In defiance of wisdom, the Politician has become unusually and remarkably willing to walk far away from the Constituent. Normally the Politician should be chilled in fear with such a walk. The Politician should have the utmost respect for what they represent. They represent the people, after all is said and done. No Politician should feel safe taking from the Constituent, let alone take the Constituent for granted.

With that said, politicians are out gunned and mismatched against the overwhelming resources of the Billionaires. Canadians must restore a system of incentives that can protect our legislatures while simultaneously injecting the interests of the people back into focus. Proportional Representation is the most aggressive and direct way we can restore that focus.

Hence, Avi Lewis’ pledge for Proportional Representation represents a genuine restoration of power to the people.

https://www.fairvote.ca/29/03/2026/avi-lewiss-pledge-to-make-proportional-representation-the-ndps-one-demand-says-he-is-serious-about-pr/

As we speak, incumbents, like Alberta’s UCP and Premier Danielle Smith, understand the primary importance of maintaining power above all else. If one considers that the UCP and Danielle Smith are embroiled in the greatest corruption scandals the province has ever seen, they still persist in holding onto power. Worse, the UCP openly contemplate gerrymandering ridings.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/electoral-boundary-commission-dallas-miller-9.7143937

Even if their motives are mixed, and some are unstated, Canadians can clearly tell that Smith’s actions are designed in favour of Oil and Gas to the detriment of other industries. And, Smith’s actions don’t appear to account for the reality of the US war against Iran, and the push towards renewables. As National Observer’s Max Fawcett highlights, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will be desperate to rebuild from the conflict, putting downward pressure on the price of oil.

It’s worth remembering that it was just over a decade ago, when it seemed like oil prices were destined to stay above $100 per barrel and those oil companies were commissioning the last of their most expensive oil sands projects, that OPEC last decided to crash the market. A mere 1.5 million barrel per day oversupply in a market where 94 million barrels per day were being consumed smashed prices down below $30 per barrel and held them below $60 per barrel for years. The aforementioned 5.25 million barrels of predicted demand destruction due to EVs — never mind the impact of significantly higher oil prices —has the same effect as 5.25 million barrels of new production: it crushes prices. In that sort of price environment, any new projects sanctioned today in order to satisfy the premier’s pipeline dreams would be underwater in short order.

I would invite the senior executives at these companies to imagine what OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia will do with their ultra-low cost supply (which can often be extracted for less than $10 per barrel) once it becomes clear that global demand is indeed in terminal decline. Will they continue to withhold barrels, as they have in the past, in order to keep prices higher? Or will they produce as many as possible in a race to get them out of the ground before the demand declines even further?

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/03/27/opinion/canada-fossil-fuels-iran-war

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-iran-war-hormuz-closure-oil-shock/

Avi Lewis’ energy policies may not even be controversial as they are just a response to the geopolitical maneuvers that have cost countless lives across the world for oil.

Canada’s future therefore depends on all of us - not just working together, but having a say as well.

We have to pull the curtains back on the Wizards, and they have to know the hunt is on.

Opinion: Poilievre arrives late to the auto debate with a plan from 1965

Canada has to be on the forefront of change. Our markets have to diversify into renewables and drive these aligned car companies into a new direction. We have to do this now, firmly. Canada has to boldly embrace change, and retool the manufacturing sector so it can flourish in the 21st Century. A future of solar panels, wind power, and batteries is no longer a feel good idea to protect the environment, it’s about survival. We have no other choice because the alternative is to be dragged into the shadows with our neighbour.

Poilievre wants to play politics and kiss the ring to the old mob. The streets are literally transforming as he tries to take the knee.

#ClimateDefense #Iran

#CdnPoli #AbPoli #AbLeg

https://kopitalk.net/c/canada/p/325387/opinion-poilievre-arrives-late-to-the-auto-debate-with-a-plan-from-1965

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/opinion/article-poilievre-arrives-late-to-the-auto-debate-with-a-plan-from-1965/

Opinion: Poilievre arrives late to the auto debate with a plan from 1965

https://archive.is/89hFV

The Globe and Mail’s Campbell Clark with the opinion that Pierre Poilievre is out of touch is perhaps being diplomatic.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/armstrong-iran-trump-supply-chains-strait-hormuz-us-israel-9.7126304

With Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the global markets rattled over disruptions in oil, helium, and fertilizer, the world looks forward to increased prices, and shortages for potentially years to come. I’m in the camp that the US logically has every reason to end the conflict, but on Iran’s terms. With the US and Israel causing so much damage throughout Iran, I would expect Iran to make a demand of reparations to the tune of trillions of dollars.

If the US denies responsibility and any dollar figure for reparations, Iran would likely negotiate with the GCC countries to make themselves whole again. In turn, the US would be expected to lose trillions of dollars of investment, and turn into a shade of what it once was.

If the US somehow carries on with violence, the world stage will pass judgment on the US as a belligerent, and Iran can carry on with sporadic bombings of infrastructure calibrated to their strategic interests. I suspect in this scenario, rattling the global economy until the US suffers trillions of dollars of loss would also suffice to make the same point.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-russia-oil-licence-hormuz-iran-9.7126984

With these routes in mind, Russia appears to be the primary beneficiary. Indeed the US, under the context that the oil supply shocks are so dire, temporarily lifted the embargo over Russian oil and gas products. At some point, a casual reader has to wonder if Trump works for the US or for someone else.

Now, with this stage, Poilievre proposes to continue negotiating with the US in terms that no longer exist. The US domestic car companies, Ford, GM, and Stellantis, along with Japan’s car companies, are flexing their hold on the North American and western markets by extending the run on the internal combustion engine. But, it’s also clear that world needs the ability to generate energy, and these recent market shocks will only drive the push to renewables even farther.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/16/the-tell-tale-signs-how-bad-has-the-iran-war-hit-the-global-economy

China’s BYD, CATL, and others continue to develop batteries that the world needs, and EV cars that the world wants. For every day that these aligned car companies want to play tea time in a house on fire, they no longer offer a competitive product that gives any value within China. Thanks to Donald Trump, these companies may soon be unable to offer a product that gives any value on the planet.

Canada has to be on the forefront of change. Our markets have to diversify into renewables and drive these aligned car companies into a new direction. We have to do this now, firmly. Canada has to boldly embrace change, and retool the manufacturing sector so it can flourish in the 21st Century. A future of solar panels, wind power, and batteries is no longer a feel good idea to protect the environment, it’s about survival. We have no other choice because the alternative is to be dragged into the shadows with our neighbour.

Poilievre wants to play politics and kiss the ring to the old mob. The streets are literally transforming as he tries to take the knee.

Country singer Corb Lund relaunches provincewide petition to ban new coal mining in Alberta's eastern slopes

https://www.waternotcoal.ca/

Your friendly reminder that Corb Lund’s petition is still going, and check to see if there’s a petition station near you.

Lund said opponents of the Grassy Mountain and Blackstone projects worry they would affect the quality of drinking water from the Oldman and North Saskatchewan rivers due to their respective locations.

A peer-reviewed study published last year found contamination from old coal mines in Alberta had been polluting nearby bodies of water, negatively impacting water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

“It’s already in the sensitive area,” Lund said, referring specifically to the Grassy Mountain project. “There’s already been legacy mining up there decades ago, and there’s already an overwhelming amount of selenium in some of the lakes up there, so the economics of the thing don’t make sense and the conservation elements of it certainly don’t make sense.”

Country music star plans petition calling for ban on Alberta coal mining

Lund, who still lives and ranches in Taber area, near the banks of the Old Man River, downstream from the coal mines would be located, says he’s been fighting against coal mining for more than five years, but the campaign took on new urgency with news the government is developing a new coal mining policy.

“It’s called CIMI, it’s called the Coal Industry Modernization Initiative, which so far has only been consulting industry and not conservation groups, not the public,” said Lund.