Getting at the root of the problem, discovering the truth and turning up the heat
PART THREE of a three-part summer-so-far report for June-July, 2022
As a descendant of Scottish settlers, I am grateful to be producing this newsletter in Moh’kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. I understand that this territory is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, I recognize that the land I work and live on was stolen from these nations and I have been afforded privileges as a result.
NOTE: I’m breaking this newsletter into three parts. Here is the first, the second, and this is the third and final part.
By now it is clear that “progress” is not a given.
It must be fought for every single day in every way. And, if you're not dedicated to progress, or if you don't believe it's possible, get the hell out of the way of those who are and will make it possible.
I noticed a sublime tweet from Dr. Verna Yiu this month that seemed to me like it was directed at the UCP leadership candidates:
So many politicians fight to get elected - just to then take up space. Once they get the job, they immediately make decisions aimed at getting re-elected. This means nothing gets done out of fear of alienating anyone whose vote you need. The result: the longer a politician is in their position, the less they accomplish.
A lot of what they do is uphold and continue the traditions of White supremacy, whether they explicitly acknowledge it or not.
Note on the links between White supremacy, gender equality and climate action
This past month, I was among several people asked to write a response to the question: “how can the average person engage in women’s justice or women’s rights or gender equality?”
Author, teacher and activist James Davidge, who I’ve worked on several campaigns with and respect greatly, is part of an initiative around equitable sustainability. They are exploring the impacts of gender inequality in the sustainability movement.
I wrote a long response which I’ve posted for my paid subscribers.
In summary, the answer I gave connects gender equality, whether it’s in the sustainability movement or in any other organized activism, directly to the structures upholding White supremacy.
White supremacy is the root of the problem and needs to be dismantled. It’s a belief system that is built not only on racial superiority but also on misogyny and homophobia. It’s also embedded in many different religious traditions.
To find out what I’m going on about, become a paid subscriber now to read the full answer to the question as well as other behind-the-scenes content about this newsletter!
When the Pope recently visited Canada to finally apologize to Indigenous people on Turtle Island, there were renewed calls to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, which is rooted in racism.
Although it was a relief to many to hear Pope Francis apologize and also finally acknowledge the genocide against Indigenous people that the Catholic church wholeheartedly participated in - he did not respond well to questions about the Doctrine of Discovery.
According to an opinion in the National Catholic Reporter the “Pope was left looking like a student who had not done his homework.”
The article went on to explain that the first question addressed to the Pope on the plane returning to Rome was from an Indigenous reporter for CBC Radio, Jessica Ka'nhehsíio Deer. who asked about the doctrine. The Pope told her he didn’t understand and asked her to explain what the doctrine was!
For the record, The United Church of Canada repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery in 2012, a key recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In 2018, the Assembly of First Nations produced a report “Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery.”
“… all doctrines, policies and practices based on advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust …”
The report explains how the Doctrine of Discovery was used as legal and moral justification for colonial dispossession of sovereign Indigenous Nations, including First Nations in what is now Canada.
“During the so-called ‘Age of Discovery,’ Christian explorers ‘claimed’ lands for their monarchs who felt they could exploit the land, regardless of the original inhabitants. This was used to dehumanize, exploit and subjugate Indigenous Peoples and dispossess us of our most basic rights.”
“This was the very foundation of genocide,” says the report.
The ideology led to practices that continue through modern-day laws and policies. In April 2010, the Vatican said "circumstances have changed so much that to attribute any juridical value to such a document seems completely out of place."
Many would agree, but it’s going to take more than feigned ignorance and passive indignation to undo centuries of racist ideology. More active participation in unwinding the strands of White supremacy is required.
From a papal bull (aptly titled) to the author of the Vagina Bible
This summer saw the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overturn Roe v. Wade in June. The decision turned back the clock on equal rights.
The controversy boiled over into Canada and illustrated we’re no better equipped to deal with it. Consider what happened when the national broadcaster, CBC invited Dr. Jen Gunter, a well-respected obstetrician/gynecologist who wrote “The Vagina Bible” and “The Menopause Manifesto” to take part in a panel discussion of the SCOTUS decision.
Dr. Gunter refused to participate when she discovered the panel would also include a perspective from an anti-abortion advocate.
Unfortunately, she received quite a lot of criticism for not taking part but she did the right thing. We should have long ago let go of the idea there is any legal or scientific rationale for denying access to abortion. There are only religious arguments, heavily steeped in White supremacy of course.
The question I have is “are we both-sidesing every news story about science now with the religious perspective? Balancing physics news with a quote from God?”
I also take issue with the language around abortion and who is affected. There is a whole thing now where some people are objecting to the use of more inclusive language when talking about abortion rights. This is nonsense and contradicts historical battles over the use of non-gender inclusive language.
Although we have used “women” almost exclusively in the past, we know that anyone with a uterus can get pregnant, and is negatively impacted by the denial of this medical procedure.
“It is not only cisgender women and girls (women and girls who were assigned female at birth) who may need access to abortion services, but also intersex people, transgender men and boys, and people with other gender identities who have the reproductive capacity to become pregnant.” (source: Amnesty International)
Referring to “pregnant people” or “people who can get pregnant” does not “erase women.” It simply expands reproductive rights language to include more types of people.
For decades, we were told the word "man" included everyone. We argued that using "person" was more inclusive without erasing men. So do not be hypocritical now and pretend that using pregnant people erases women.
Expanding and updating our language to include more types of people, genders, or pronouns is not hurting anyone. It’s helps avoid making people feel excluded or forgotten.
Aheer jumps in the ring for real, and another cabinet minister is abruptly out
What just happened with Doug Schweitzer? He abruptly resigned early, announcing it yesterday on Twitter, leaving a vacant seat and requiring the government to hold a by-election within six months. That’s got to be a headache they didn’t need.
As David Climenhaga noted in a recent post:
“This is not the farewell of a happy and satisfied politician who once entertained ambitions of becoming premier himself.
Pushed aside to make way for former finance minister Travis Toews, now revealed as an epic dud, Mr. Schweitzer is obviously not prepared to ruin what’s left of his reputation by serving under Danielle Smith or Brian Jean.”
Schweitzer's riding wouldn't be an easy win for Danielle Smith, if that's what you're thinking. If Smith wins the leadership and voluntarily runs in a by-election, she'd likely pick a safe, rural riding. Shockingly, there's no legal requirement for the Premier to be elected.
She wouldn't have to run in any provincial election, other than winning the leadership of the party, to be Premier. As long as the party wins, she becomes Premier. It's been the tradition to run in a by-election if unelected, but Smith is not known as a traditionalist.
As an unelected premier, she would not be allowed to sit in the legislative assembly, of course. But that also brings with it some advantages, including the ability to avoid accountability and direct questions from the Opposition.
The most likely scenario is that she doesn't run in a by-election and focuses on the next general election, calling it as early as possible. She'll run and likely win her rural riding in 2023.
Her policies have swung so far right of the mainstream at this point, I believe the chance of a majority for the UCP is lost at this point. A minority government may be possible...but I sincerely hope not because we'll be back in election mode within a year if that happens.
In my first installment of this summer edition of The Missive, I wrote how Leela Aheer was getting little attention on Twitter for her run at the UCP leadership. And then this happened.
But despite this incredible act of bravery at a profoundly cruel and dangerous running of the bulls event, let's get real...The person currently leading in UCP leadership polls is a favourite because she supports those who won't even get a vaccine to protect others (or themselves)!!
The party is overrun with those who just don't believe in bravely jumping into the fray to help someone else. Aheer’s actions run antithetical to what many of the UCP members believe at this point - everyone for themselves, not looking out for others!
UCP has no plan for climate crisis, just a hired gun in the US to attack the media
Speaking of which, you’ll note there’s been no UCP candidate giving attention to the climate emergency. It’s fair to say none have a plan for Alberta as it confronts the effects of climate change or the rapid divestiture of money in fossil fuel companies by the rest of the world.
This is no surprise since the UCP is the party that represents corporate interests more than people’s interests.
In fact, the Alberta government’s fossil fuel propaganda arm, known as the Canadian Energy Centre, is now openly going after freedom of the press. This is definitely not in the people’s best interests.
They’ve hired an American company, “CounterPoint Strategies,” that uses threats and intimidation to try and silence journalists. The contract was discovered when it was registered in early May with the US Department of Justice.
According to an investigative report by The Tyee’s Geoff Dembicki, the company got nervous made some changes to its website once they started asking questions:
“CounterPoint didn’t respond to a media request, and shortly after The Tyee reached out, it changed its website so that a page explaining its “ethos” and “strategy” is only accessible with a password. That page is still publicly accessible on an internet archive known as the Wayback Machine, however, and it describes a “compliant media” working directly with activist groups to “create self-sustaining controversy and inflict maximum damage to their subjects.”
The company promises clients, that it can “leverage digital ads, expose the ulterior motives of adversaries, rally specialized allies, discredit attacks.” CounterPoint says it creates websites that can “dismantle print articles,” and threatens legal consequences before a story “is ever published or broadcast.”
Seems totally legit.
Greed is not good for the planet, neither are poisons of the past
According to a new report the oil and gas industry has delivered $2.8B/day in pure profit for the last 50 years. Said the author of the report:
“The vast total captured by petrostates and fossil fuel companies since 1970 is $52T, providing the power to “buy every politician, every system” and delay action on the climate crisis. The huge profits were inflated by cartels of countries artificially restricting supply.”
The Guardian story reported there is far more oil, gas and coal in existing reserves than can be burned if the world is to limit global heating to 1.5C, the target agreed by nations in Paris.
Mark Campanale, at Carbon Tracker said, “to keep to 1.5C, this means [international oil companies alone] forgoing around $100 trillion of potential revenues. You can see why oil oligarchs and nations controlled by political elites want to keep their fossil fuel rents, the source of their power.”
In the meantime, at least one political elite, Jason Kenney, was bragging on Twitter from his shaky perch in the premier’s office about the income flowing into Alberta’s coffers from oil and gas.
Alberta's financial gains come at a cost - mass murder, rape, and the trauma inflicted on the people of Ukraine. It's nothing to be celebrated.
Fossil fuel interests (both corporations and governments) are falling over themselves hoping to exploit the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They want to maximize their profits or royalties, despite risks to the planet.
According to the award-winning Corporate Knights magazine:
"...world leaders will have to be visionary and vigilant to ensure that the coming energy boom favours the fuels of the future – with their declining cost curves and clear environmental benefits – over the poisons of the past."
Indeed, poisons of the past are going to be costly according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It is advising local governments to spend a combined $5.3 billion per year, including $1 billion in Vancouver, to prepare for climate impacts.
Vancouver City Council voted 6-5 to help fund a class action lawsuit to hold the world’s biggest fossil companies responsible for their local climate impacts. Lawyer Andrew Gage of West Coast Environmental Law had this to say about the win in July:
“Other cities are now going to have to explain whether they’ll step up and protect their taxpayers from the costs of climate change by following Vancouver’s lead, or whether they’re going to let Big Oil off the hook.”
Some good news also here in Calgary. City Council approved a strategy to get the city to net-zero emissions by 2050. This includes a mitigation plan to reduce emissions and an adaptation plan to help with the city’s resilience against more damaging weather events like the June 2020 hailstorm.
Another whopper of a hailstorm hit Alberta recently, by the way. It resulted in grapefruit-sized hail and a terrifying ordeal for people trapped in the sudden storm along the main highway between Edmonton and Calgary:
The Weather Network also reported a hailstone from this storm is the largest ever recorded in Canada.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek, told Global News Calgary’s new climate strategy would integrate climate action into how the city operates. City modelling shows hitting net-zero could save Calgarians up to $80 billion as well as generate $60 billion in gross domestic product by 2050.
“If you talk to any of the energy firms in our city, they all have clear targets, they have action plans on how they’re going to achieve those targets. For a municipal government to be saying the same things, and moving in the same responsive manner, capital markets take notice of those things.”
According to the Global News report, earlier in the day, around 100 climate activists rallied on the front steps of city hall to encourage council to give the strategy its blessing.
Thank you to all who helped make this happen.
Bringing it all home…
In late June, Ikiya Collective put out a statement from Turtle Island to sum up the problem. The collective is a group of femme, queer, two-spirit Black, Indigenous, and people in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.
It was in response to recent SCOTUS decisions on Roe (Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization) and in anticipation of the decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
“Climate chaos and the devastation of its impact are here. Indigenous knowledge and leadership are key to addressing the climate crisis…We know violence to our land, air and water results in violence to our body. Climate change and bodily sovereignty are directly related. Voting and party lines will not get us out of the mess white supremacy and capitalism has created. Fossil fuel pollution and the denial of bodily sovereignty create disproportionate harm on Black, Indigenous, low income and communities of the global majority. The unjust political and corporate greed seeking to block reproductive justice and climate justice are one in the same evil.”
The collective believes “through direct action another world is possible.” So do I, my friends. This is why I write about these issues on a regular basis.
I’ll conclude this summer-so-far series with a song from Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino):
Every day gets hotter than the one before
Running out of water, it's about to go down
…
I'm hopin' that this world will change
(This world will change, yeah)