Author Archives: urbanrenaissanceinst

First do no harm

Posted on May 23, 2009 by urbanrenaissanceinst

(May 23, 2009) Vaccines do good and they do harm. They also arouse passions among those who would see no harm. And intolerance, as seen in reactions to Oprah Winfrey and Jenny McCarthy for giving voice to vaccine skeptics. Continue reading →

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Oil sands clean-up

Posted on September 13, 2008 by urbanrenaissanceinst

(September 13, 2008) The public debate on oil sands fails to recognize that restoration is possible and not that expensive. Alberta’s oil sands projects are ugly. Their tailings ponds pockmark the northern Alberta wilderness. Their open pit mines scar the land. This certifiable ugliness, the trademark symbol of oil sands destruction, has been the chief source of opposition to their development over the three decades that this rawest of resource industries has been in play. Continue reading →

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Sands of peace

Posted on September 6, 2008 by urbanrenaissanceinst

(September 6, 2008) Russia’s energy supplies enabled their aggression, Canada’s supply could be the placating alternative. “When it comes to action over Georgia, Russia has the European Union over a barrel. In fact, 1.2 million barrels. That’s how much Russian crude is pumped westward every day down the Druzhba pipeline to fuel Europe’s economies.” Continue reading →

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The right enticement for rural life

Posted on July 5, 2008 by urbanrenaissanceinst

(July 5, 2008) A devastating new report from Canada’s Senate – Beyond Freefall: Halting Rural Poverty – shows how hopelessly dependent, dysfunctional and uneconomic rural Canada has become. Continue reading →

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Ontario’s Energy Crunch

Posted on April 2, 2008 by urbanrenaissanceinst

(April 2, 2008) Good morning. I have some good news for you this morning. The good news is that Ontario has an easy and painless way out of the energy fix that we’re in. I have some bad news for you, too. Our government doesn’t know it, and, I am certain, neither do most of you in this room. Because of what you don’t know, we face a future in which we all may freeze in the dark. Continue reading →

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