Ottawa Wants to Phase Out Coal by 2030: Here’s What We’re Reading Today
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Here’s what we’re reading today:
1. Federal government will announce plans to eliminate coal usage
“‘Taking traditional coal power out of our energy mix and replacing it with cleaner technologies will significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, improve the health of Canadians, and benefit generations for years to come,’ Environment Minister Catherine McKenna told reporters. She could not provide an estimate on the cost to consumers but said Ottawa will work with provinces to invest in the most affordable options.
“The coal regulation would accelerate the existing timetable – laid down by the Conservative government in 2012 – for the four provinces that still burn coal for electricity to either adopt technology to capture carbon emissions or shut down the plants.”
2. Dakota pipeline protesters soaked with water in freezing temperatures
“Tear gas, freezing cold water and rubber bullets were used to disperse a crowd of 400 protesters at the Dakota Access Pipeline in clashes late Sunday and early Monday that left more than 150 activists and one law enforcement officer injured.
“Linda Black Elk, a member of the Standing Rock Medic and Healer Council of the Catawba tribe, said she treated protesters for injuries and hypothermia and they were soaked by water in temperatures as low as 23 degrees.”
– NBC News
3. Why some protests fails and others succeed
“One of the most consistent answers I got was that protesters should realize that protests aren’t enough. There’s a real risk of catharsis being the start and end of the resistance to Trump: Protesting feels good and righteous, but if nothing comes after then it may not accomplish that much. It’s key, therefore, to understand the limits of protests and to put them in a broader activism context.”
4. Conservative Facebook pages are in ‘widespread panic’ over plans to stop fake news
“One page owner tells BuzzFeed News that Facebook could end up unfairly censoring conservative pages. ‘Facebook needs to design an algorithm that shows people what they want to see while simultaneously playing dad,’ says Cyrus Massoumi.”
5. What’s the deal with all these hydraulic press videos lately?
“Some objects are just plain enjoyable to watch getting flattened. The destruction of others feels emotional. As it turns out, it’s quite intimate to hear the sound a cabbage emits under pressure, and beautiful to watch a plastic water bottle attempting to evade its own destruction with a series of elegant twists. Watching a Barbie in a hydraulic press was profoundly sad, tragic even, but I’m nothing if not a glutton for punishment and so I finished the entire 30-second clip and then replayed it six more times.”
