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After the sands : energy and ecological security for Canadians / by Laxer, Gordon,1944-author.;
A bold plan to address climate change and provide energy security for Canadians. Despite its oil abundance, with no strategic reserves, Canada is woefully unprepared for the next global oil supply crisis. Political economist Gordon Laxer proposes a bold strategy of deep conservation and a Canada-first perspective to ensure that all Canadians have sufficient energy at affordable prices. Canada has all the oil, gas, and coal needed to transition to a low-carbon future. Remarkable hydro power resources give Canadians a large base of renewable energy, which can be expanded with wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Few countries have these options in adequate quantities. But, as Laxer argues, Canada will not get there until we overcome the power of vested interests and untangle the trade agreements that block Canadians from secure and fair access to the nation's own energy resources.Includes bibliographical references and index.1. "Let the Eastern bastards freeze in the dark" -- 2. Suddenly without oil -- 3. Without a parachute -- 4. NAFTA and proportionality: a Devil's bargain -- 5. Alberta: fossil-fuel belt or green powerhouse? -- 6. Resource nationalism everywhere but Canada -- 7. Pipelines or pipe dreams -- 8. Let goods Be homespun -- 9. How much is enough? a conserver society -- 10. Solutions: energy and ecological security for Canadians
Subjects: Energy security; Carbon dioxide mitigation; Power resources; Sustainable development;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Be kind, be calm, be safe : four weeks that shaped a pandemic / by Henry, Bonnie,Dr.,author.; Henry, Lynn,author.;
Dr. Bonnie Henry has been called "one of the most effective public health figures in the world" by The New York Times. She has been called "a calming voice in a sea of coronavirus madness," and "our hero" in national newspapers. But in the waning days of 2019, when the first rumours of a strange respiratory ailment in Wuhan, China began to trickle into her office in British Colombia, these accolades lay in a barely imaginable future. Only weeks later, the whole world would look back on the previous year with the kind of nostalgia usually reserved for the distant past. With a staggering suddenness, our livelihoods, our closest relationships, our habits and our homes had all been transformed. In a moment when half-truths threatened to drown out the truth, when recklessness all too often exposed those around us to very real danger, and when it was difficult to tell paranoia from healthy respect for an invisible threat, Dr. Henry's transparency, humility, and humanity became a beacon for millions of Canadians. And her trademark enjoinder to be kind, be calm, and be safe became words for us all to live by. Coincidentally, Dr. Henry's sister, Lynn, arrived in BC for a long-planned visit on March 12, just as the virus revealed itself as a pandemic. For the four ensuing weeks, Lynn had rare insight into the whirlwind of Bonnie's daily life, with its moments of agony and gravity as well as its occasional episodes of levity and grace. Both a global story and a family story, Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe combines Lynn's observations and knowledge of Bonnie's personal and professional background with Bonnie's recollections of how and why decisions were made, to tell in a vivid way the dramatic tale of the four weeks that changed all our lives. Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe is about communication, leadership, and public trust; about the balance between politics and policy; and, at heart, about what and who we value, as individuals and a society.
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Henry, Bonnie, Dr.; Henry, Lynn.; British Columbia. Office of the Provincial Health Officer; Health officers; Sisters; COVID-19 (Disease); Epidemics;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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My stories, my times / by Chrétien, Jean,1934-author.; translation of:Chrétien, Jean,1934-Mes histoires.English.; Fischman, Sheila,translator.; Winkler, Donald,translator.;
"One of the most popular Canadian Prime Ministers in recent history, elected to government for three consecutive majority terms, Jean Chrétien has some stories to tell. Recounted with warmth, insight and his distinctive sense of humour, these brief and candid essays feature many behind-the-scenes stories from a long, distinguished and colourful career. October 2018 marks twenty-five years since Jean Chrétien took the helm as Prime Minister. In this collection of short essays, he has picked up his pen to reminisce about his long years in the public eye, and the many luminaries he met and worked with. Readers will learn why his commonsense judgment continues to influence our lives to this day, in ways both profound and subtle: from forging long-lasting relationships with foreign countries to making it easy to identify our national airline when we travel. He recalls a memorable trip with the royal family to the Northwest Territories in 1970, and how Ross Perot tried to influence his views on free trade in 1992. Of course, many familiar names figure into these stories, including George W. Bush, Boris Yeltsin, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Pierre Trudeau, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. There are reflections on the many different posts over Chrétien's career, including becoming Canada's first-ever francophone finance minister. He pays tribute to old friends and colleagues, where the values of honour and dedication to public service transcend political views. He reserves his greatest admiration for his wife of more than sixty years, Aline, whom he calls his Rock of Gibraltar. These stories offer his unique perspective: we are at the Prime Minister's side on 9/11 when he is asked to give authorization to shoot down a passenger airliner that has not responded to identification requests. We learn how he attempted to correct the record as explained in his grandson's history book on the so-called "Night of the Long Knives" (Despite having special access to an eyewitness to history, his grandson got a failing grade on his paper.) There are even glimpses of the young Jean, as a teen canvassing with his father, and as a young man who dared complain personally to Premier Maurice Duplessis about the food at his seminary. Survival in politics requires stamina, creativity and toughness, as well as the ability to share a laugh now and again: qualities that the self-described "little guy from Shawinigan" never lost. In these days of "alternative facts" and politics-by-Tweet, these stories are a necessary antidote, told by a leader who always held fast to his vision of what Canada was and what it could be."--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; Chrétien, Jean, 1934-; Prime ministers; Prime ministers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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