4.17.2009

Six In The Afternoon



photo of Elizabeth May by Darrol Hofmeister, sharpshooter photography

If the 17 people who follow this blog are wondering why posts are down this week, it's because we're busy working on our huge Best Of Regina issue and there hasn't been a lot of leftover energy for this hobby. But sometimes one must procrastinate in a way that feels like legitimate work. Since one is stalling on real work, anyway. Here's six stories of note.

1 MAY TODAY Federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May is in Regina today. May and Saskatchewan Green Party leader Amber Jones have called a 2:00 press conference at the legislature to discuss their Parties' position on nuclear energy, and May will speak tonight at the 2009 Barbara Powell Lecture (7:30 in the Education Auditorium, University of Regina). (Leader-Post)

2 PARK PAYMENT The federal government says it will spend 13 million on Saskatchewan provincial parks. Unfortunately it's all investment in tourism rather than the environment, so don't get too excited--but still this seems like not a bad thing. That cash will go to the Batoche historical site is terrific. Hopefully any new developments will respect protected areas--we don't need snowmobile race tracks demolishing fragile ecosystems. Have to say I'm worried about close to $1 million being spent on new campsites in Grasslands Provincial Park. Why is it conservatives generally don't seem to know anything about conservation?(CBC)

3 A WAR ON GREENHOUSE GASSES? The Americans are dealing themselves back into the climate change game. The U.S. Environmental Protection agency has listed several greenhouse gasses as threats to "public health and welfare", which apparently means the the EPA can start legislating toward them--and also sets the stage for an emissions cap and trade system. With this move the Americans reach a point they should've been 11 and a half years ago, when the Kyoto Accord was adopted. Meanwhile in Canada, our Prime Minister is still regarded as a global warming skeptic and oil patch-boosting pimp. (New York Times)

4 IT'S NOT ABOUT HIM, REALLY Brian Mulroney's brown-bag pal Karlheinz Schreiber says he's not just trying to get out of being extradited to Germany where he's wanted on fraud charges and he really, really respects the work of the Oliphant Inquiry into his shady business dealings with the much-loved former Prime Minister. (Toronto Star)

5 BUSH BOYS DEFEND TORTURE You're kiddin', really? I would've thought those Bushies were opposed to torture. Who knew they supported it? Wow, I'm so naive. (Guardian)

6 SASKATOON BLADES A Saskatoon woman has been arrested after attacking a mother and her child with a sword. It sounds like drugs were involved. Remember that scene in Russ Meyer's Beyond The Valley Of the Dolls where the dude (or was it a ladydude?) gets stoned and goes on a bloody murder spree with a sword? This incident wasn't that dramatic--no major injuries and not a single decapitation. (The StarPhoenix)