NEIL GAIMAN

HERE’S GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE AS LUCIFER IN THE SANDMAN
by Michael Walsh

NERDIST
Oct 16 2021 • 

Netflix is about to finally make Neil Gaiman fans’ dreams come true. Or rather, their Dream come true. The streaming site is developing the author’s seminal DC comic book The Sandman as a series. After years of failed attempts at bringing the story of Morpheus to the big screen, what can we expect from a television adaptation? Here’s everything we know about The Sandman…so far.

The Sandman Comic Book

DC Comics

Issue #1 of The Sandman debuted in 1989, and its primary story ran for 75 issues until 1996. (Other supplementary issues came later, including an important prequel, Overture.) The show’s official logline does as good a job as any describing Neil Gaiman’s legendary, surreal comic book series. From Netflix:

“A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic—and human—mistakes he’s made during his vast existence.”

The titular Sandman is one of the seven siblings known as the Endless. They are “the anthropomorphic embodiments of powerful natural forces” who predate gods. They each rule over a different realm of existence. And though they are powerful, they are not totally invulnerable, all-knowing, or free from the rules of the universe. We learn this important lesson the first time we meet Morpheus.

Season One



According to Gaiman, the show’s first season, which Netflix strangely says will be “ten episodes (plus one),” will cover the comics’ first volume, Preludes and Nocturnes; this spans issues one through eight. The season will also get into “a little bit more” from the comics, which will at least include Volume 2, The Doll’s House. That’s the second major storyline from Gaiman’s series, and it carries longterm ramifications for the rest of the story.

Gaiman has promised fans that the show is a faithful adaptation of the comics in both spirit and storyline. However, it will feature some changes. For one, the show will be set in present day, which is 30 years later than when the comics take place.
The Cast

The sprawling story will have an equally sprawling cast. Tom Sturridge (Pirate Radio, Sweetbitter) will star as the titular Sandman. The Lord of the Dreaming realm, also known as Morpheus and Oneiros, among many other names, will have two Game of Thrones alums as enemies. Gwendoline Christie will play Lucifer, Ruler of Hell. And Charles Dance joins the show as the dastardly Roderick Burgess, “charlatan, blackmailer and magician.”

We got our first look at Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer at DC FanDome:

Netflix

And Lucifer’s wings

.

Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches) will star as Lucienne, Dream’s chief librarian and trusted guardian. Boyd Holbrook (Logan) plays Sandman‘s infamous The Corinthian. He’s “an escaped nightmare who wishes to taste all that the world has in store.” Which he does literally. The Corinthian has teeth for eyes and a fondness for eating the eyes of others. And Asim Chaudhry (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Yesterday) will star as Abel and Cain. They are “the first victim and the first predator, residents and loyal subjects of the Dream Realm.”

We also know some of Morpheus’ Endless siblings. Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place) will play Dream’s iconic older sister, Death. Gaiman describes her as “wiser, nicer, and much more sensible.” Mason Alexander Park joins the cast as Morpheus’s troublesome younger sibling Desire. They got the part after publicly saying on Twitter they were interested in the role. And Donna Preston will play Desire’s sad, pained twin sister Despair.

Netflix and Gaiman have also announced a slew of other important roles. Which includes a mix of relative newcomers and famous faces.
Jenna Coleman stars as 18th century occult adventurer and John Constantine’s great-great-great grandmother Johanna Constantine. Unlike in the comics, we will also meet a present day version of the character on the show.
Joely Richardson plays an older Ethel Cripps, Roderick Burgess’ love and John Dee’s mother. She is “a woman of a hundred identities and a thousand lies.”
Niamh Walsh will fill the role of a younger Ethel, circa when she was a “determined young woman seeking to survive” during the 1920s and ‘30s.
David Thewlis will plays Ethel’s dangerous son John Dee. “Driven mad, long ago, [he’s] out and on a quest for Truth that may destroy the world.” He’s a lot of fun. If you find unimaginable horror “fun.”
Kyo Ra is Rose Walker. She’s “a young woman on a desperate search for her missing brother, who finds a family she didn’t know that she had, and a connection to Dream that neither of them can escape.”
Razane Jammal plays Rose’s friend Lyta Hall, a “young widow mourning her husband Hector.” However, Rose doesn’t know “Hector has started showing up in Lyta’s dreams,” or “that strange things are happening.”
Sandra James-Young will play the heiress Unity Kinkaid. She is “Rose’s mysterious benefactor [who] spent a century asleep.” But now she’s awake after missing out on her whole life.
Stephen Fry, the legend himself, will star as “Rose Walker’s debonair protector,” Gilbert. He is “a dab hand with a paradox and a sword cane.”
Patton Oswalt will voice Dream’s trusted emissary, the dead human-turned raven, Matthew. He will be a real raven and not a CGI character. Oswalt was onboard before the show was even a show. Gaiman says the comedian “was the first person we asked, and the first person we cast, the day before we pitched The Sandman to Netflix.”

DC Comics

That’s already a massive—and massively talented—cast. But Gaiman says “there are more delights and nightmares” left to cast. And the show has a “few more secrets” up its sleeves.

The Creative Team

Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, Grey’s Anatomy) serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Gaiman and David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Krypton) also serve as writers and executive producers. The three cowrote the first episode together. The series comes from Warner Bros. Television.

Production Schedule and Release Date

The show began filming in October of 2020. COVID hit the “pause button” on the show. But Gaiman says some episodes are already complete. Netflix has yet to announce a premiere. Whenever it airs though, it will be a long-awaited Dream come true.

Originally published May 28, 2021.

THE BATMAN TRAILER SHOWS THE NASTIEST GOTHAM YET

by Kyle Anderson

NERDIST
Oct 16 2021 



For a fictional city, and one that has rarely appeared the same way twice, audiences just know Gotham City at this point. Massive foreboding skyscrapers, near-constant rain, and darkness on all sides. We understand the city because we understand why Batman has to stalk it. But I don’t think we’ve ever quite seen it the way it is in the first full trailer for Matt Reeves’ The Batman. We saw a first look over a year ago at the first DC FanDome event, and now, only a few months before release, we have a much better idea of what Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight will be up against. And it’s, uh, pretty dark.

What immediately stands out in the trailer is the use of orange as the sole major color amid the blackness that usually signifies Gotham City. Several gorgeous shots take place at dusk, bathing the city in amber, but even the streetlamps and interior lighting give off the same hue. While we have some reds and blues, it’s this pale gold that really took me by surprise. Oh, it’s also the color of fire, of which there is a lot.

We see Pattinson’s Batman go toe-to-toe with the thugs and ruffians of the city, many in face paint reminiscent of the Clown Prince of Crime. Hmm. Colin Farrell’s Penguin, who looks a bit like a gangster out of 1990’s Dick Tracy, shows up quite a lot, with a very New Yorky accent I wasn’t expecting. We get a great look at Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle/Catwoman. And we also see a bit more of the Batmobile, or should I say, the Mad Max car with fins on it. Not my fave version of the car, I have to admit.



On the theme of golden, warm light amid the chilly cold of rainy Gotham City, we also have the Bat Signal. Literally the beacon that could, perhaps, warm up the horrible, unwelcoming burg. Batman says “when that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call. It’s a warning.” The criminals need to watch out, because not only does this version of Batman seem plenty ready to beat/maim/kill(?), but he’s also pretty much bulletproof. One striking sequence in the trailer is a hallway fight, illuminated only by machine gun fire. And Batman doesn’t stop even a little bit for it.

One color we don’t see very much of in The Batman trailer is green. The Riddler (Paul Dano)’s presence is everywhere, but DC and Warner Bros. are holding back a bit from showing him to us. We see him from behind in the trailer’s opening; GCPD arrest Edward Nygma in a diner where he’s left a question mark in a cup of coffee. (The saucer also has a green trim, which is a cool touch.) Batman says “This is a powder keg, and Riddler’s the match,” and later Batman has a confrontation with him behind prison glass, though we don’t see the Riddler there.

One final interesting thing to note is after Andy Serkis’ Alfred Pennyworth warns Bruce Wayne if this continues he’ll have nothing left, we see an overhead shot. A shirtless Bruce stands in the middle of a floor on which we see spray painted “The Sins of my Father” and a question mark with prongs saying the following: “No more lies. Colson”; “Savage”; “Mitchell”; and “Renewal is a lie.” If we look at the cast list, we get a few answers. Colson refers to District Attorney Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard). Mitchell is Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones). And Savage refers to this universe’s Gotham Police Commissioner Pete Savage (Alex Ferns). Clearly the Riddler has an agenda.

We have a lot to mull over here in The Batman but we won’t have too-too long to wait. The movie will hit theaters March 4, 2022.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

David Gilmour - Who By Fire (Leonard Cohen Cover from the Von Trapped Series)

Premiered Oct 15, 2021



David Gilmour

A cover of Leonard Cohen's Who By Fire, performed by David Gilmour as part of the Von Trapped Family livestream series.

Is colonialism to blame for the dire situation we face with climate change? | Inside Story

Oct 16, 2021

Al Jazeera English

An exhibition looking at the legacy of colonialism - and the role it played in the birth of climate change - has opened in London. Eleven artists with a personal connection to Africa, the Caribbean and South America have pinpointed environmental change as a racial process, with deep roots in colonial history. Through this collection of artworks, the overlapping crises of environmental damage and colonialism, are put under scrutiny. 

Presenter: Adrian Finighan 

Guests: 

Ekow Eshun. Curator - 'We Are History'. 

Juergen Zimmerer - Professor at the University of Hamburg, focussing on Colonialism, Genocide Africa & postcolonial memory.

 Stephan Singer - Senior Climate Science and Global Energy Policy adviser, Climate Action Network International.

Brazil leader Jair Bolsonaro accused of "crimes against humanity" for Amazon deforestation


OCTOBER 12, 2021 / 4:08 AM / AFP

Paris — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was accused on Tuesday of "crimes against humanity" at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in the destruction of the Amazon, the first case seeking to explicitly link deforestation to loss of life. Planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning and industrial-scale agriculture in the Amazon are higher than the total annual emissions of Italy or Spain. Deforestation in the region already releases more CO2 than the rest of the Amazon can absorb.

AllRise, an environmental law organization, filed the official complaint at The Hague-based court Tuesday morning. They asked for legal proceedings against Bolsonaro and his administration for actions "directly connected to the negative impacts of climate change around the world."

Did U.S. consumers help fuel the Amazon fires?

The complaint accuses the Brazilian leader of waging a widespread campaign resulting in the murder of environmental defenders and of endangering the global population through emissions caused by deforestation.

It harnesses the growing field of climate attribution science, which allows researchers to prove a link between extreme weather events, on the one hand, and global heating and environmental degradation, on the other.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during the Armed Forces General Officers promotion ceremony at Planalto Palace in Brasilia on December 9, 2019.

EVARISTO SA/GETTY

The team behind it said that Bolsonaro's administration had sought to "systematically remove, neuter, and eviscerate laws, agencies and individuals that serve to protect the Amazon".

Bolsonaro calls new Amazon fires a "lie"

It said that Bolsonaro was responsible for approximately 400,000 hectares (about 1,500 square miles) of lost rainforest each year, and that he had presided over monthly deforestation rates that had accelerated by up to 88% since taking office on January 1, 2019.

Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.

"Consequences that arrive globally"

The team of experts estimated that emissions attributable to the Bolsonaro administration due to rampant deforestation will cause over 180,000 excess heat-related deaths globally this century.

"In the last few years, climate science has come a long way in being able to provide evidence of specific causal relationships between emissions of greenhouse gases and the consequences that arrive globally as a result," Rupert Stuart Smith, from the University of Oxford's Sustainable Law Program, told AFP.

While there have been at least three other complaints by indigenous groups against Bolsonaro at the ICC since 2016, organizers say this one is the first to highlight the clear link between forest loss and global human health.

"What's happening in Brazil — mass deforestation — we want to understand the causal link to the global climate," AllRise founder Johannes Wesemann told AFP. "It is exactly what the Rome Statute defines as a crime against humanity: the intentional destruction of the environment and environmental defenders."

The point of the complaint was "not to speak on behalf of any Brazilian, but rather to show the global gravity of mass deforestation," said Wesemann.

"Knowingly aiding and abetting" murder

Lawyer Nigel Povoas, who has led prosecution of some of the most notorious international criminals, said the complaint was levelled against several individuals within Bolsonaro's administration.

"We're focusing on the most senior actors responsible," he told AFP. "We're saying as a result of the state policy that they are pursuing they are knowingly aiding and abetting the perpetrators on the ground committing crimes such as murder, persecution and other inhumane acts."

The ICC has no obligation to consider complaints filed to the prosecutor by individuals or groups, and does not comment on them until the prosecutor announces that it has started a preliminary examination into a specific matter.

Maud Sarlieve, a human rights and international criminal lawyer said that were the Bolsonaro complaint to be pursued, it would send a clear message to individuals such as CEOs of fossil fuel companies: "Beware."

"The law is now allowing us to go after those who are ruthlessly and knowingly pursuing policies which clearly result in environmental destruction and an impact on civilian population," she said.

International Energy Agency forecasts decline in Canadian oil demand coming

Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
Mia Rabson
Publishing date:Oct 16, 2021 •

Steam rises from the Syncrude Canada Ltd. facility in the Athabasca oilsands near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

 PHOTO BY BEN NELMS/BLOOMBERG FILES


OTTAWA — Environment groups in Canada say governments and the oil and gas industry can no longer pretend there is an economic case for expanding oil production after the latest international energy forecast suggests demand for Canada’s oil will fall before the end of this decade.

But the International Energy Agency also said there are new opportunities for oil and gas companies to turn their “skills, competencies and resources” into a competitive advantage for clean energy technology. For its part, the Canadian oil industry argues it is more committed to being cleaner and greener than most other producers and should be used as an investment to help fund clean technology in other areas.

The International Energy Agency projected in a report this week that under existing climate policies oil production in Canada will grow by about 700,000 barrels a day by 2030 before it starts to recede.

If Canada implements the new policies the Liberals have promised — including mandating more electric car sales and capping emissions from oil and gas production — available Canadian oil will fall by 100,000 barrels a day by 2030.

And in a net zero policy push — where any greenhouse gases still emitted are captured by 2050 — oil supply will fall even faster.

Globally, the IEA predicts that with existing policies, oil demand will peak around 2030. With policies to meet more stringent targets by 2030, demand will peak by 2025. Under net zero, demand peaks even earlier and will be cut by one-fifth in fewer than 10 years, and by more than 75 per cent by mid-century.

Increasingly, Canada’s higher cost, more emissions-intensive oil will be pushed out of the market by cheaper oil in the Middle East and Russia, the report suggests.

“The IEA report does a good job of saying, ‘Look, particularly countries like Canada where it’s high cost, high carbon, we’re going to get squeezed,”‘ said Keith Stewart, a senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada.

The international agency is also clear that the only scenario where the world hits its Paris climate agreement goal to minimize global warming is the net-zero plan, and said in that case there is no good investment to be made in expanding oil production after this year. That’s not just in Canada, but globally.

Stewart said the report highlights it is time for Canada “to manage the decline of the oil industry and the growth of alternatives.”

“I think this report very clearly says, you’re going to sell less oil, deal with it,” he said. “And the minute we actually start planning for that … then we can get on with the job and reap those benefits.”

Tim McMillan, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said Canada’s oil and gas industry is a “leading investor in emissions reduction and clean technology” and investments in it will both support hundreds of thousands of jobs and provide the government with revenues to fund clean technology.

“As we watch nations around the world today struggling with an energy crisis and failing to provide responsible energy to their citizens, Canada must step up and offer a safe haven for natural gas and oil investment, so our trading partners do not have to rely on others who are not as committed to lowering their emissions compared to Canada for their energy needs,” he said.

Natural gas demand is not as quickly affected as oil, in part because many countries — including Canada — are going to use it to replace coal as a less-dirty source of electricity, or to make hydrogen.

But even so, in a net zero world, demand for natural gas will stop growing around 2025, and the IEA predicts there are no new natural gas projects needed beyond those already in development. By 2050, it expects natural gas will provide only one per cent of the world’s power, down from 20 per cent today.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2021.

#VOTENO

Alberta set to vote on rejecting equalization, premier says it's about leverage




EDMONTON —

Albertans will cast ballots Monday in a referendum that is technically about rejecting equalization but has morphed into more of a Prairie festivus airing of grievances.

HE LIES HE HAS NO SHAME
"(This) is not about partisan politics," Premier Jason Kenney has said at various times in recent days, when asked about the referendum question.

RIGHT WING GRIEVANCE POLITICS- FIREWALL ALBERTA PART DEUX
"This is about whether or not Alberta should push hard to get a fair deal."

It's symbolism, he said, but also a bargaining chip.

"The point of it is to get leverage for constitutional negotiations with the federal government about reform of the entire system of fiscal federalism, which treats Alberta so unfairly," he said.

The question is straightforward for voters, who are also heading to the polls in municipal elections: Should the section of the Constitution enshrining the principle of equalization payments be removed?

Equalization sees some tax money collected by the federal government redistributed from wealthier provinces to lower-income ones to ensure a basic level of service for all.

Kenney has said Alberta has concerns over billions of dollars its residents pay, while provinces such as British Columbia and Quebec obstruct oil and pipeline projects that underpin that wealth.

Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews estimated the provincial contribution at $20 billion a year in a public letter this week. It was signposted by the phrases "more unfair," "clearly unfair," "fundamentally unfair," "lack of fairness" and "fight for fairness."

Political scientist Jared Wesley, the lead on a recent University of Alberta survey on referendum voting intentions, said the poll suggested the Yes side remains in the lead. But he said a disturbingly high percentage doesn’t understand how equalization works (44 per cent), wrongly believes Quebec gets the most per capita (85 per cent), and fails to understand Ottawa does not need provincial buy-in to change the equalization formula (62 per cent).

"I don't blame Albertans for being confused," said Wesley. "They've been fed a lot of misinformation by governments in this province for a lot of decades, and that’s showing up in our research."

Wesley said it's a muddy referendum question designed to deliver "strategic ambiguity" for the United Conservative government as it seeks broad leverage.

But leverage, he said, is not what you think you have. Rather, it's what others think you have.

He said the rest of Canada is seeing a province that has received generous federal COVID-19 funding, has called in the military to rescue its COVID-19-ravaged health system, and has seen Ottawa literally buy the Trans Mountain pipeline to help its oil industry.

"As much as the premier and Yes supporters are out there saying, 'we want a fair deal,' the rest of Canada doesn't look at it that way," said Wesley.

"I've called this the festivus referendum," he added, referencing the fictive secular holiday made famous in the TV sitcom "Seinfeld," when family members gather around a metal pole to swap festering complaints.

Bill Bewick, head of Fairness Alberta, a group stumping for a Yes vote, said critics confuse the message being sent with the more important principle of sending a message.

He said equalization is profoundly unfair to Alberta and that a referendum is a legal, practical, effective method for Albertans to get Ottawa’s attention while providing a handy release valve for those who would otherwise seek more radical alternatives to make their voices heard.

"(The vote) is people speaking and expressing their displeasure."

Bewick said a Yes vote from Alberta could push other provinces to pressure the federal government for meaningful changes to improve the equalization formula for all.

"It can get the ball rolling," he said.

Some Yes supporters, including ousted UCP backbencher Drew Barnes, worry that with Kenney's low popularity numbers the No vote will get a boost from those who want to send a message to the premier.

"There is no question that the premier has failed our province on a variety of issues," wrote Barnes in an open letter on social media.

"He is the least popular premier in Canada for good reason. However, on Oct. 18th I would encourage Albertans to focus on the bigger picture."

University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, who has taken the No side in recent debates with Bewick, said Alberta already has the power to discuss its equalization concerns with Ottawa.

But he said the referendum question — on its face — is a dismaying rejection of long-held Alberta values toward fellow Canadians.

"Alberta (through its government) has always and consistently supported the principle of equalization," said Tombe.

"It's unfortunate that Kenney is asking us to reject it."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2021

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

COVID-19 trackers warn Alberta not out of fourth wave after week of declining numbers

Author of the article: Dylan Short
Publishing date: Oct 16, 2021 •

An Alberta government billboard advertisement promotes vaccination and adherence to COVID-19 rules. 

PHOTO BY GAVIN YOUNG/POSTMEDIA
Article content

Several COVID-19 forecasters are warning that Alberta is not yet out of the fourth wave despite a week of dropping numbers.

The past week has seen active cases in the province drop to below 13,000 for the first time since Sept. 1 while hospitalizations dropped to 1,000 with 229 patients in the ICU. All of those numbers are down from their marks at the beginning of the week with the province’s most recently reported R-value remaining below 1 at .92. Health officials, including Alberta Health Services president Dr. Verna Yiu, said they are feeling more optimistic about the overall situation than they did several weeks ago.

Tyler Williamson, a biostatistician with the University of Calgary’s Centre for Health Informatics, said recent numbers are encouraging but it is too early to declare the fourth wave over.

“It’s too early to say for sure that we’re on the backside of the fourth wave. We cannot say that based on what we see,” said Williamson. “We actually saw that a few times through waves two and three, where there were a set of days where it looked like maybe it’s going to turn and it would turn into (…) a little valley on the way still up.”


He said that it will be important to watch numbers this coming week and see if there is a post-Thanksgiving spike. Williamson said another week of data would help paint a fuller picture of the overall situation and he will be looking at the R-value, which he said has recently been calculated to be above the 1 threshold more recently than the province’s last report.

Williamson also said the seven-day rolling averages will need to continue to drop.

In the meantime, he urged Albertans to continue to follow public health measures in place and to not celebrate too early.

“We really need to see the hospitalization ICU coming down,” said Williamson.

Hospitalizations remain much higher than at any point during the first three waves of COVID-19 in Alberta.

Dean Karlen with the BC COVID-19 modelling group agreed with Williamson that it is still too early to declare victory over the fourth wave, despite recent positive signs.

“Our analysis doesn’t rely on case data so much as looking at daily admissions to hospitals,” said Karlen. “When we looked at that data last week, it showed a tremendous turnaround, like the peak had just passed the week prior. So it was a little bit uncertain. You’d like to get a little more data to be confident of that statement.”

He said given the current rate of decline in hospitalizations, he expects numbers to become more manageable on the front line in several weeks’ time. He said people will need to continue to respect social distancing and following public health measures to keep the current trajectories in place.

CAVEAT EMPTOR

Ontario woman who bought $700 computer still paying it off seven years later

Pat Foran

CTV News Toronto

 Consumer Alert Videojournalist
 Thursday, October 14, 2021 

The catch in 'buy now, pay later' plans



NOW PLAYING
Offers to 'buy now and pay later' may sound like a great deal, but can become very costly if you miss the deadline to pay back the loan.


TORONTO -- An Ontario woman who bought a $700 computer through a "buy now and pay later" loan is still chipping away at her debt seven years later.

Offers to "buy now and pay later" sound like a great idea and often allow you to enjoy something right away before you have to pay for it.

You can often delay payments for one to two years and financing options come in the form of a promotional offer, interest rate deferral or a revolving credit plan.

Related Stories
Pattie Lovett-Reid: Buy now, pay later? Don't do it!

But they also come with a lot of fine print and if you miss the promotional period deadline to pay back a loan, even by a day, you could have to pay mountains of interest.

"I needed a computer for school and I didn't have the money to buy one," said Allison of Brampton, who asked us not to use her full name.

Allison said in 2014 she was attending school and needed a laptop and was told if she couldn’t pay for the computer she could finance it.

"I wasn't able to pay the full cost of the computer at the time and I was made aware that there were financing options," said Allison.

Allison said seven years ago the laptop had a purchase price of $723. She paid $23 per month for 90 months for a total of more than $2,000.

She was shocked to find out this year she still owed $397 for the computer, because she didn’t realize she signed up for a revolving loan and had mainly been paying interest charges.

"So it was quite a surprising predicament for me. I thought how is that even possible? I've paid for this computer four times already," said Allison.

CTV News Toronto reached out to the financing company and a spokesperson said "Customers that use this revolving credit take advantage of our deferred interest promotions. Most pay off their balance prior to the promotional expiration and thus avoid paying interest."

Pattie Lovett-Reid CTV News' Chief Financial Commentator said people have to be careful signing up for some deferred loans because if they miss the promotional deadline to pay back funds they could be “paying interest, on top of interest, on top of interest."

There are many different financing options including no interest charges for 12 months to two years, but if you don't pay the amount in full by the deadline you could have to pay up to 30 per cent interest over the entire loan period.

"It's often zero down no payments for a year, but a year from now you just don't know what your financial situation will be and some could find themselves in an even worse off position," said Lovett-Reid.

Before agreeing to any deferred payment plan make sure you have a good understanding of the terms and conditions. Allison didn’t, which is why she wanted to share her story to warn others.

If you sign up for a deferred payment plan make sure you write down the date when the promotional offer ends so you can pay the money back before it expires.


Always try to pay more than the minimum payment each month or the item you bought could cost you triple it's original selling price.

 Nova Scotia

How well is your water? N.S. panel to discuss climate change impacts on groundwater

Social Sharing

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Email

• Reddit

• LinkedIn

'It's starting to impact individuals, it's starting to impact

 homeowners, it's starting to impact industry'

Haley Ryan · CBC News · Posted: Oct 17, 2021 

About 42 per cent of Nova Scotians are on wells, and scientists say climate change impacts like drought, flooding and seawater intrusion will affect everyone differently depending on where they live and their type of well. (Ivanoh Demers/CBC)

Climate change is already affecting the volume and quality of water that's coming out of many taps in Nova Scotia.

Drought, saltwater intrusion, and flooding are just some of the issues that scientists predict will become worse in the coming years for the 42 per cent of Nova Scotians who rely on groundwater from private wells.

"With climate change, we will see more extreme events and we will see more impacts on our shallow and even our deep groundwater resources," said Barret Kurylyk, an associate professor at Dalhousie University and Canada Research Chair in Coastal Water Resources.

Kurylyk will be joined by Gavin Kennedy, a hydrogeologist with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, in a virtual panel on Sunday to talk about how climate change could impact water supply.

The event is being hosted by the Rural Water Watch Association and will be streamed on their Facebook page at 7 p.m.

Barret Kurylyk is shown at a saltwater intrusion project site on Sable Island. (Barret Kurylyk)

With changes in air temperature, precipitation and sea level rise all part of climate change, Kurylyk said extreme events that used to take place maybe once in 100 years may occur every 10 years.

Rainfall changes, or precipitation arriving as snow as opposed to rain, all impact how water is absorbed into the earth and then down into the groundwater where it's drawn up by wells, Kurylyk said.

Along the Nova Scotia coast, it's common to find areas where salty ocean water mixes in with groundwater, Kurylyk said.

He said that's fine when people know where that is and avoid it. But with climate change and sea level rise, that "salty zone" is pushed further inland and upward, closer to wells. 

"It's starting to impact individuals, it's starting to impact homeowners, it's starting to impact industry. I think we live in that age of unprecedented change already," Kurylyk said.

Those in southwestern Nova Scotia have already felt these impacts. The area has a much higher percentage of people on dug wells, which are shallower than drilled ones and more sensitive to drought.

• Memories of 2016 drought linger as water shortages persist in southwest Nova Scotia

• Time to think of long-term solutions to water shortages, says N.S. minister

Records from the Yarmouth meteorological station show the summer of 2016, which saw a major drought, was the driest ever in this part of the province. Kennedy said 2018 and 2020 also now rank in the area's top 10 driest summers.

The province estimates that about 90 per cent of well owners have drilled wells in Nova Scotia based on construction logs, Kennedy said, but added that's likely slightly off since dug wells are underrepresented in their data.

While their records show about 25 per cent of people on wells in southwest Nova Scotia have shallow ones, it's "probably even higher," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said part of the panel will be letting people know how to handle dry wells, saltwater intrusion or flooding, which can create an unsafe situation where bacteria and harmful viruses can enter a well.

Gavin Kennedy is a hydrogeologist with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. (CBC)

As part of his work, Kennedy has helped develop online maps showing risk levels of drought and seawater intrusion, where well owners can look up their own property.

While it's an emerging area of research, Kennedy said there is also evidence showing that warmer conditions brought by climate change could mean greater survival rates for bacteria and viruses in wells.

It's vital to maintain the well's infrastructure and ensure it's tightly sealed, Kennedy said.

More saltwater mixing into well water could also release more naturally occurring contaminants like arsenic and uranium, he said. Studies have shown links to an increased risk of bladder and kidney cancer with arsenic, and impaired kidney function with uranium.

Water conservation will be another key to avoiding dry wells as climate change continues, Kennedy said, which is already the norm in places like British Columbia and California.

A water sample taken during a Rural Water Watch community testing project in Greenville, N.S. (Rural Water Watch)

He added that the other Atlantic provinces share the same concerns about climate change impacts on wells, while issues can vary in other areas.

Fred Bonner of Rural Water Watch said regular water testing is vital to make sure people aren't getting sick from bacteria or chemicals in their water at all times, but climate change impacts make the situation "even more dire for many residents."

Their group has worked with five communities across the province so far to handle the cost and organization of testing local wells, Bonner said, breaking down barriers for those who are low income or older people who can't get around.