Here’s your Canadian Atheist Weekly Update for to .
![[A line chart showing Canada's greenhouse gas emissions (up to 2015) and projections (2016 on), with markers showing the targets for four targets: the Kyoto Protocol (2012), the Copenhagen Accord (2020), the Paris Agreement (2030), and the long-term federal target announced November 2016 (2050). There are two projection lines, one for the 2015 estimate, one for the new 2016 estimate. The 2016 estimate is slightly lower, but still increasing from current levels. We missed Kyoto by about 20%, and by the 2016 estimate will miss the more moderate Copenhagen target by about 15%, the Paris target by around 30%, and the long-term target by around 80%.]](https://www.canadianatheist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/canada-greenhouse-gas-projections-2016-12-13-200x124.jpg)
Yes, there is improvement, but obviously we have to do much better even just to level off.
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[] Parents’ rights survey reveals Jason Kenney’s stance on homeschooling and sex ed
Getting clear policy positions out of the Conservative leadership candidates – anything that’s not one of their pet talking points – is like pulling teeth. Kenney seems to have let some slip in responding to a questionnaire by a “parents’ rights” group (he was the only leadership candidate who responded to it). Turns out Kenney strongly supports public funding for religious schools.
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[] The U.S. is getting its act together on homeopathy. Your move, Canada
We’re still awaiting word from Health Canada on the results of their consultation about labelling. But the fact that the US took such bold action will hopefully spur our officials to step up.
h/t Derek Gray
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[] Federal Scientists Officially Unmuzzled in New Collective Agreement with Federal Government
The muzzling of scientists by the previous government was a big deal in the last federal election, but what hasn’t really been discussed since is that it never really stopped once the Trudeau government took power. Well, now, thanks to the union, the muzzling of public scientists in Canada is now over.
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[] Canada’s climate ambition gap (in one chart)
A graphic illustration of how poorly we’re doing on climate change. While we technically haven’t missed any targets yet, that’s only because the Harper government threw them all out. Now the Trudeau government has to put up or shut up about being on the right side of the issue, and while they are making some progress, the plethora of pipelines and LNG terminals they’ve approved will probably make hitting future targets impossible.
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[] Abortions Aren’t As Damaging To Your Mental Health As You Think
It’s a pernicious myth that getting an abortion leads many women to depression and other mental health issues. Organizations like the Guttmacher Institute have been busting this myth for decades, but this new study adds an ironic twist. Turns out that 1) getting an abortion actually lowers anxiety levels that are elevated before the procedure; and 2) being denied an abortion caused more issues than simply being allowed to have one.
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Jason Kenney must be asked if he strongly supports public funding for all 101 different “religious” schools plus 1 secular and if not which ones is he willing to discriminate against and why. Also how is all of this financially viable? Using the word religious is like using the word sports. From tiddly winks to kick boxing. A rather vague term.
Good point!
On green house gasses and Justin. Like all really important issues, private citizens will have to lead the way so our professionally pleasant politicians can follow at some distance.
Making increasingly green energy decisions personally will be a big help.
I think of those tar sands as way to insure agriculture’s survival for another millennium, that is, if we don’t manage to sell it all overseas in the next half century. Obviously we are going to use every drop of petrol energy eventually. If it takes us a thousand years instead of a hundred years it will do almost no environmental damage. If the rate of CO2 consumption, by the Earth’s eco system, is greater than our CO2 production we’re heading in the right direction. Obviously currently we’re going in the wrong direction.