Month: March 2022

Canadian Rep Washing?

I just saw this on SlashDot.

Here is the article.

Let us remember that Canada has for a long time been the purveyor of Oil from Tar Sands:

Tar Sands are arguably one of the most destructive and polluting ways to obtain oil. And “Tar sands extraction emits up to three times more global warming pollution than does producing the same quantity of conventional crude.” says the NRDC.

Just Wash That Reputation

So what is Canada really doing with this far future bandaid over their use of ICE cars? I suggest that this is a case of Reputation Washing.

While the term “Reputation-Washing” usually refers to rich folks donating small amounts to charity to cover much larger messes, I suggest that it would seem to apply to this Canadian ICE car ban as well.

The Canadian ICE car ban is in the far future. Fifteen years in the future, we may primarily be driving electric cars anyway, so this is just in keeping with trends and not making any real commitment to a change.

Does this ban come with any statement about shutting down and cleaning up the Tar Sands Extraction in Alberta? I don’t see that mentioned.

A meaningless far future ban and meanwhile “Drill Baby Drill!”.
:ww

What I Believe and Why

After 70+ years, I’ve developed a lot of ways of sorting out what I believe from what I don’t. Long before social media and mobile phones there was the scientific method, which I adhere to. Concepts like “Preponderance of the Evidence” and Avoid Conspiracy Theories and Trust Multiple Sources and Trust Experience and Peer Review come to mind.

Some would say that the world is a horrible state and would blame it on certain key actors or concepts. I am reminded that through out my entire life the world has been in a horrible state. Many of the Actors and Concepts have not really changed. For example, Capitalism has always been very unfair and while one can argue that it is “more unfair” recently and increasingly so, I fail to see a clear alternative. While it is also clear that Regulation does not work because the powerful are adept at either preventing or mitigating it to their own ends. I would put this in the column of a Continuing Struggle not a sign of a looming disaster. This would seem to have been looming for the past 200 years or so.

But there have been some successes. I am reminded of a few decades at the beginning of the 20th century when “Gangsters” were a thing and they no longer are a thing. And when “Robber Barons” were a thing, and they no longer are. And when Communism was a thing, and it no longer is. While Fascism continues to be a thing, I see a long chain of over coming bad political ideas, and so I am hopeful.

Continue reading “What I Believe and Why”