Written from an Australian's viewpoint. Totally parallel to Canada. Opposite hemisphere - same, same, same unkind zeitgeist. "Allowing homelessness to continue is a choice. Ending it must become one too." "homelessness is still treated as a personal failure rather than a failure of policy..."

Are music & poetry still a vital part of bringing about protest? Both connect tragedy straight to our hearts. From the album "Tell The Kids We Tried" "Once it's hard to breathe beneath the blanket of smokey sky Will you tell the truth to youth or cling to alibis Will you tell the kids we tried?"

Are the days of frequent fying at the drop of a hat for affluent members of our society coming to an end? For environmental preservation, it is long overdue. I had privilege to fly to see far away family but am OK to keep it to a minimum now. Why are we humans so excessive and blind? Any ideas?

Antidote to numbness? Put one foot in front of the other; note my privilege is an accident of birth place & recognize that so much beauty somehow still exists. Around me a small number are seriously & dangerously disadvantaged but that is fixable, compared to global tallies. Carry on. Resist.

Recallng a vintage treasure acquired at a library #book sale - 'Randi Lives in Norway'. Published 25 years before I read to my growing kid, it was a favourite as it featured photos of Lofoten children in the story. Astrid Lindgren went on to write the much loved 'Pippi Longstocking' stories 👍Norway⚽

I like the ideas here but so often when guidelines are created & then imposed, we seems to collectively screw up the intent from the get-go or along the way. What do you think? 'Ethics and society review: Ethics reflection as a precondition to research funding' | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Science historian Naomi Oreskes‬ @naomioreskes.bsky.social‬ remains steadfast, valid, and thorough over time.👏👏👏 " the myth of the self-regulating market has historically blocked the governance structures necessary to limit carbon emissions, leading to widespread environmental and social damage."

In talking about flax and linen in Europe with others here, I received the gift of this link to a fascinating quest. Passing it on. What a choice of how to spend time! holywellscorkandkerry.com

So how to reduce our use of petroleum-based compounds in building materials? Easily done for flooring using a once common & proven product - Linoleum! Made from flax - durable & fully biodegradable it was pushed aside as industry conned consumers into using plastic☠️ in everything. Flax grows here!

Stunningly horrible health effects for agricultural workers, particularly for women. Around the world, these workers who are fundamental for our food supply, face distressingly poor working conditions made far worse by rising temperatures due to #climate disruption.

As a regular cyclist, I mourn the reality this article forces us to face about our changed #climate. This week too, we saw World Cup events where it actually too dangerous for players to participate. There was little adjustment made to their schedule to keep them safe. $$$ is more important.

New to World Cup Football via a Guatemalan daughter-in-law & my son who live there half the year. Soccer as it is called in Canada has always been part of life since the kid was old enough to play. They both still play as 30 plus adults & love it. So I lived through this unusual game today. Oof!

Always handy to be able to quickly check in with experts. And get a world view

This article caught my eye to see if it might hold arguments for disarmament. It does in a way but no solutions. Foreign Policy is journal published by Graham Holdings Co. & Donald Graham owns over 50% so we know where the buck stops at least. But Blackrock & Vanguard have Class B shares. Be aware.

Gulp. 11 years ago, I went to Toronto to an event held by @canadiandimension.bsky.social. Going to the big city from a distant rural farm takes good reason, i.e., ousting Harper's government. It hosted George Lakoff, who advised well on framing progressive ideas to influence voters Not there yet.

No more giving oxygen to the dumpster fire by making loud expressions of outrage with no consequences. Calm but firm visible action stands to effectively undermine an attention seeking bully. No fuss, no muss - just get on with building the needed change of direction.

Had to think about Vindictiveness this morning as it consumed much of the planet last night. "a strong drive to respond to a blatant wrong". Belgian defiance nixed injustice. Ridicule with no names mentioned. Kudos to Belgium, for the demo via⚽ It worked for football. Can we step it up?

Draw mental stamina to pursue what is right from physical interaction with like-minded people - marches, sit-ins, human chains, standing for hours, chanting, singing & more. RAW Taiko takes coordinated building & use of strength & voice to a new level. Toronto-based, you can see them this August

Powerful protests decades before now started the process that gave us all more safety but much ground has been lost. Have you met anyone who thinks deploying a nuclear weapon is justifiable? Canadians support nuclear disarmament, but not so our government. Time to protest as did those before us.

Human hands built nuclear weapons and can also dismantle them. What’s needed is political will and leadership which is being demonstrated by the global majority of countries that have joined the #NuclearBan. Read: https://merotribune.com/2026/07/01/why-iran-or-anyone-else-should-not-have-the-bomb/

Do you ever wonder how the #capitalist doctrine of 'Let the Market Decide' flips to 'Wait! We Need Tax Payer Dollars & Subsidies' so often in Canada? And succeeds in forcing citizens to pay?😵 "Full year without private sector interest confirms new West Coast pipeline is political, not economic"

Step away from the formulaic humdrum with the National Film Board of Canada. So many short films to take you places mentally. The Railrodder is from 1965 but manages to be a great follow up to Canada Day 2026

Glad to see the rise of participation in & fandom for football in Canada. Almost anyone can play, anywhere on the planet. Memories of watching 5 year olds get started in this sport in my small rural town still make me smile. FIFA itself is a spoilsport it seems but real people are still having fun

What if this had made national news from many sources? "A climate advocacy group that held Canadian companies and financial institutions accountable to their net zero commitments is shutting down after concluding that its advocacy is insufficient to drive change without regulatory backing."

"Canadian banks accounted for 11.8% of global fossil fuel financing" $127 billion of $906 billion in 2025. All 5 are in the top 25 on the list. That & the amount RBC financed are past credible for a country with 0.5% of the global population. RBC & Scotiabank both upped their investments in 2025.

Many striving for real action on #climatechaos are justifiably deflated by the Carney/AB/BC pipeline deal but the writing has been on the wall, scripted by our Big 5 banks & pension plan investments. Somehow we couldn't read it clearly to see where it would lead us if we didn't act. So here we are.

Many Canadians seem not to notice where the actions of PM Carney are taking us. He said himself that he "sees value in the Trump's technique of 'flooding the zone'." I suggest a timeout for all who are having trouble connecting the dots. Try printing this out & practising. May be our best hope.

Policy Releases starting JULY 6: Game Changers Launch: “The Economy We Deserve” U.S. focus but some Canadian content @jimbostanford.bsky.social Many topics covered - including UBI e.g. @scottsantens.com JULY 13 A Universal Basic Income for Children Nancy Folbre peri.umass.edu/gamechangers/

Staggering to realise that our Big 5 banks contributed $127 billion of $906 billion poured into fossil fuels last year - modus operandi for PM Carney (the banker) - fossil fuel corporations beat action on #climate. Canada with 0.5 % of the world's population - guilty of 14% of global financing! Ugh.

Kudos to The Beaverton. Satire shines a bright light on hypocrisy. "The Canadian Museum Of Human Rights’ exhibit on the so-called ‘Nakba’ opened this week to widespread condemnation. Now that I have also not seen it, I would like to add my own thoughts on why the display is such an atrocity."

An upward trend still. You are complicit if your pension comes from CPP and whose doesn't at least in part in Canada? Many big union pensions as well. Also our Big 5 banks are in the top 25 globally for financing fossil fuels. RBC is the worst & increased again www.desmog.com/2026/06/22/c...

Faith groups & institutions in many countries have stepped up. For the first time, a Catholic diocese in Canda announced divestment from fossil fuels. Significant as Canada – with the US, Australia & Norway – is among those most responsible for fossil fuel expansion since the 2015 Paris Agreement

After Carney's pipeline building announcement on July 2, best to remind those who say our involvement in carbon emissions is not significant. From COP 30, less than a year ago... oilchange.org/news/new-dat...

I hope PM Carney doesn't see this and modify it to use in his continued undermining of Canadian social democracy. He already is convincing many that social and environmental justice are a pox on the nation.

Hard on the heels of Carney's announcement to shirk goals to reduce climate chaos, an over-heated & moisture-laden atmosphere gleefully made its point by drowning out Canada Day festivities & flooding much of Ottawa. Can you say 'pathetic fallacy'? Our PM missed the demo. Already Alberta bound.

That Carney calls reducing carbon emissions an undesirable 'short-term' goal...I don't even know what to say. Being able to take my next breath is also a short term goal but there is much bigger picture involved.

Heartening news to send to the Canadian Peace Museum @canadianpeacemuseum.ca & for all. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists to be awarded Miwon Peace Prize for 80+ years of putting science in action for #peace, security & humanity's future. Talk about peace often. Idea sharing is organic fertilizer.

Choir! Choir! Choir! lead up to Canada Day. Throw song lyrics by a Canadian icon that still fit the times together with a throng of thousands singing it joyfully with another Canadian icon & 'voila' - solidarity. Hearteningly peculiar nation we are - united by pop music across multiple generations.

Fun with folk tales.🧙‍♂️ It took a long time for officials & citizens to be brave enough to say in public that their Emperor actually had NO clothes. Is there now a majority saying we need action on #climate danger? Or will Canada win 'Most Reluctant to Act on the Obvious Prize' thanks to PM Carney?

More nuclear power means more dangerous nuclear waste in many provinces. Brought to you by Canada's Major (Harmful) Projects Office.

"Disappointed" is not a strong enough word for how many peope in Ontario feel about choices made by Doug Ford. The danger of so many initiatives deserve warrant issuing a 'Red Alert' to our cell phones. Great overview of the 'Ford Follies' by ‪Laura Babcock ‪@laura-babcock.bsky.social‬

I am relieved to see tragedy in #Venezuala finally trending on Bluesky this morning. A friend who did much humanitarian work pointed out to me that historically global response has been swift to aid after 'natural' disasters as normally politics don't enter the picture. Let that be the case now.

Many continue to try to share info on #climatechange effects that will reach the many people who still turn away from reality. One such attempt by Daniel Brouse & Sidd Mukherjee from March 2026.

Delighted that Canada was successful today in winning their first knockout game! Football is such a global unifier and an accessible sport at every local level. FIFA operations not so much to admire but feeling the spirit of the sport connects us to many cultures. www.cbc.ca/sports/lives...

We absolutely must change course. And there are well thought out paths to take.

So much to learn from other species. #protectwhales for their own sake and maybe ours.

For much of my life, I worked in toxic chemical research in wildlife throughout the Great Lakes. Intense studies only began with the signing of Canada/U.S. 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, now part of the 1918 Boundary Waters Treaty. Please be aware. Progress needs Canada-U.S. cooperation.

Enbridge Line 5 - Great Lakes biggest danger - so why little? "The fewest regularly-collected, long-term datasets are in the Straits of Mackinac.....Finally, a single buoy measuring water & air conditions was deployed seasonally by Enbridge, Inc. and Michigan Technological University since 2014"

Source drinking water for 40 million people, life support for countless aquatic organisms, birds & mammals still at risk from the aging & deteriorating Enbridge Line 5 pipeline that crosses the bottom of the Strait of Mackinac. 8 years later, the danger of disaster is not resolved. Situation in 2018

Venezuela. 70,000 missing. Many thousands dead. A country already trashed politically, socially & economically even before the buildings came crashing down. Where do you even start? Yet citizens - often using only their hands - get at it, one meter of rubble at a time. Give $ support if you can.