Megalodons were driven to extinction by great white sharks

Shivali Best For Mailonline - 

Measuring up to 65ft long and weighing an estimated 100 tons, the megalodon was one of the most ferocious animals when it swam in oceans around the globe between 23 and 3.6 million years ago.

So why isn't the megalodon around today?

A new study claims that the beast was driven to extinction by great white sharks, which out-competed them for food – despite being three times smaller.


Measuring up to 65ft long and weighing an estimated 100 tons, the megalodon (artist's impression pictured) was one of the most ferocious animals when it swam in oceans around the globe between 23 and 3.6 million years ago


In a new study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the Goethe-University Frankfurt looked at whether great white sharks (tooth pictured right) could have played a role in the megalodon's (tooth pictured left) extinction.

How big was the Meg?


With a dorsal fin as large as a fully grown human and a total length of up to 65ft, the megalodon dwarfed the great white, which maxes out at 15ft to 20ft long.

In previous studies academics estimated the meg had a body size of up to 52ft.

An individual of this size would likely have had a head around 15ft long, a 5ft 4in dorsal fin and a 12.6ft tall tail.

This means an average-sized adult human could stand on the back of the shark and just manage to peer over the top of the dorsal fin.

However, a new study suggests the calculations used for estimating a megalodon's size were wrong.

Researchers now say the gigantic extinct shark may have grown up to 65ft in length – the size of a cricket pitch.

The megalodon, meaning big-tooth, lived between 23 and 3.6 million years ago.

O. megalodon is considered to be one of the largest and most powerful predators in vertebrate history, and fossil remains suggest it grew up to 65ft (19 metres) long.

It's thought the monster looked like a stockier version of today's much-feared great white shark, and weighed up to 100 tons.

Previous studies have put forward various theories around the demise of the megalodon, with its diet and dietary competition often thought to be key factors.

In a new study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the Goethe-University Frankfurt looked at whether great white sharks could have played a role in the megalodon's extinction.

The team analysed zinc stable isotope ratios in the teeth of 20 living species, as well as 13 fossil species, including the megalodon.

This method allows scientists to investigate an animal's trophic level – how far up the food chain it feeds.

Their analysis revealed that when the great white shark and megalodon overlapped during the Early Pliocene (5.3 to 3.6 million years ago), the two animals' trophic levels (position in the food web) also overlapped.

Professor Michael Griffiths, a professor at the William Paterson University, said: 'Zinc isotope values from Early Pliocene shark teeth from North Carolina suggest largely overlapping trophic levels of early great white sharks with the much larger megalodon.'

This means the two species likely competed for the same food resources, including marine mammals.

Professor Kenshu Shimada, a professor at DePaul University in Chicago, said: 'These results likely imply at least some overlap in prey hunted by both shark species.

'While additional research is needed, our results appear to support the possibility for dietary competition of megalodon with Early Pliocene great white sharks'.

The team analysed zinc stable isotope ratios in the teeth of 20 living species, as well as 13 fossil species, including the megalodon

Previous studies have used nitrogen isotope analysis of tooth collagen to learn about what ancient animals ate.

However, collagen isn't always preserved over time.

Instead, the new isotope method using zinc could provide a unique window into the past, according to the researchers.

'Our research illustrates the feasibility of using zinc isotopes to investigate the diet and trophic ecology of extinct animals over millions of years, a method that can also be applied to other groups of fossil animals including our own ancestors,' concludes lead author Jeremy McCormack.

Killer Whale Cruising Cape Cod Waters Is 30ft Bull Named 'Old Thom'



Robyn White - 
Newsweek
© MarkMalleson/Getty Images


The killer whale recently spotted swimming in the waters off Cape Cod is a huge 30-foot bull known as Old Thom.

Just under two weeks ago the killer whale was spotted swimming 40 miles east of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Fisherman Jerry Leeman managed to capture a video of the rare sighting. In the footage, an orca can be seen swimming alongside his fishing boat.

Killer whales are commonly seen off the West Coast of the U.S, however, it is incredibly rare to see them in New England—these waters are usually great white shark territory.

Gregory Skomal, a marine biologist at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told Newsweek that this particular individual has actually been spotted a handful of times in the last decade.

The killer whale known as Old Thom is a huge bull, and according to the Orca Conservancy, he reaches up to 30 feet in length. The orca is usually always alone.

Old Thom stands out as orca are highly social animals and usually travel in pods. The solitary orca has been sighted off the coast of northern New England and Eastern Canada before—however it is still a rare appearance. While he is never usually seen with other orcas, Old Thom has been spotted keeping the company of white-sided dolphins. According to the whale's Wiki Fandom page, this is an "affiliative relationship."


Orca Swims Alongside Fishing Boat Off Cape Cod In Extremely Rare Sighting

"Not much is known about killer whales in the western North Atlantic. They appear to be somewhat rare south of Nova Scotia, but have been documented as far south as the Caribbean," Skomal said.

Old Thom is well known for breaching near vessels, as he does in Leeman's footage.

Despite killer whales being socially complex animals, Josh McInnes, a marine ecologist and killer whale researcher, told Newsweek that male killer whales have been known to become "nomadic" and "roam vast distances on their own."

"Transient killer whale off the U.S West Coast are frequently encountered on their own. Killer whales are second to humans in having the largest distribution and can be found in all major ocean basins. They are most common in temperate and polar latitudes but can also be encountered in subtropical and tropical regions," McInnes said. "The male killer whale off Nantucket might belong to a small population that frequents large ranges off the eastern United States or Canada."

When the killer whale was first spotted, it was around the same time a few great white sharks appeared to be making their way to the area on their annual migration route.

According to OCEARCH's shark tracker, one or two had already arrived in the area.

Killer whales and great white sharks have been known to come into conflict before.

Bob Hueter, chief scientist at OCEARCH, previously told Newsweek that most great white sharks have not arrived in the area just yet. But he said that when these two predators come face to face "there can be conflict."

"Orcas have been seen harassing white sharks and even killing them at times," he said.

Hueter said if the orca sticks around or others appear this summer, there could be some effects on the white sharks.

While Old Thom's diet is not certain, he has never been observed chasing after great whites. He has also never been observed eating seals, which may mean he prefers schooling fish.

Skomal said that the white sharks are drawn close to the Cape Cod shore by the "growing presence of seals" in the area—a common prey for the species.

"They generally start to arrive in mid to late May, but much depends on water temperature. The bulk of the population doesn't come until July—peak months are August, September, and October," Skomal said.

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PEAS IN A POD

Tank: Sask. premier's Moe-jo may depart with Alberta's Kenney

Phil Tank, Saskatoon StarPhoenix 

© Provided by Star Phoenix

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, left, appears with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe in July of 2019 in Saskatoon, Sask.

We know Alberta will get a new premier, but Saskatchewan might get a new leader, too.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced this month that he will quit as leader of Alberta’s United Conservative Party, but some wonder whether he also announced his resignation as Saskatchewan’s de facto leader.

Many see Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe as so much a reflection of Kenney in terms of policy and strategy that you can’t help but wonder whether Moe is feeling a little lost.

What will he do without his mentor/role model/chief strategist? Who will Moe copycat now? Kenney’s successor?

Sometimes, the similarity between Kenney and Moe seemed eerie, particularly in their reckless responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of Kenney’s most-referenced blunders was declaring the “best summer ever” in June 2021 prior to the lifting of pandemic restrictions and a predictable surge in cases.

Moe followed two days after Kenney with a similar toast to a “great Saskatchewan summer” and ditching restrictions.

As with Alberta, Saskatchewan suffered through one of the worst stretches in Canada during the pandemic last fall, with Moe only reluctantly opting to impose restrictions, including a vaccine mandate, after Kenney had.

Moe takes an almost identical approach on federal-provincial relations to Kenney, relying on western victimization and bashing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the carbon tax. Call Moe a carbon copy.

Yet Kenney was consumed by the conflict within his own party and challenges to his leadership from the right wing inside his party. Moe appears to have emerged relatively unscathed.

Five years ago, you could hardly have predicted that outcome.

Kenney arrived from a career in federal politics as a conquering conservative hero to unite the right and defeat the NDP in Alberta. That worked until division by the very forces Kenney tried to unite consumed him.

Kenney won the UCP leadership in 2017 with 60 per cent of the vote on the first ballot, an outcome almost unheard of for a contested leadership.

Moe, a few months after Kenney was elected UCP leader, trailed in the Saskatchewan leadership race until the fourth ballot, when he topped 30 per cent for the first time. Moe edged bureaucrat Alanna Koch on the fifth ballot.

If you had to forecast based on their leadership wins who would be leaving in less than five years due to internal division, you probably would have predicted Moe.

But the forces that doomed Kenney in Alberta also exist in Saskatchewan, except perhaps the serious threat the NDP poses to any right-wing party.

Rachel Notley’s Alberta NDP is competitive, while the Saskatchewan edition is not seen as a viable alternative to form government.

On the right flank, however, the Saskatchewan Party faces the same threats.

There could soon be three registered right-wing parties aiming to syphon support, with True North Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan United Party trying to get the signatures needed to join the Buffalo Party.

So many parties with Saskatchewan in their names might mean a bigger ballot is needed.

Yet Moe has mostly given people opposed to vaccine mandates everything they wanted, starting with leading Canada in ending pandemic mandates despite the threat to public safety. More than 400 people have died of COVID-19 this year.

None of that proved enough for some in Saskatchewan. And if you try too hard to accommodate the right-wingers, you alienate the moderates, the so-called middle that is crucial to election wins, which the Saskatchewan Party has courted so successfully.

We see this dynamic playing out in the federal Conservative race with Pierre Poilievre’s divisive right-wing bid opposing pandemic mandates, supporting anti-mandate protesters and pandering to conspiracy theorists.

Poilievre’s campaign website claims the support of 21 Saskatchewan Party MLAs, including cabinet ministers Dustin Duncan and Christine Tell. That compares to six MLAs from all the other provinces.

Moe’s critics fail to give him credit for his political shrewdness, but no leader trying to hold together a centre-right coalition can avoid certain realities.

A tent can only hold so many before it bursts.

Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

ptank@postmedia.com

twitter.com/thinktankSK

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Ex-boss of Quebec anti-corruption unit orchestrated sensitive leaks to media: judge


MONTREAL — A Quebec court judge is accusing the former head of the province's anti-corruption unit of derailing a high-profile fraud trial by orchestrating a system of controlled leaks to the media.


© Provided by The Canadian Press 

Judge André Perreault says in a heavily redacted court document that Robert Lafrenière was behind sensitive leaks to journalists in order to pressure the government at the time to renew his mandate as head of the anti-corruption squad.

The revelations are included in a 2020 court ruling involving ex-deputy premier Nathalie Normandeau, who was granted a stay of proceedings due to unreasonable delays in her fraud case.

The information was only released this week because the 81-page court decision was kept under a publication ban that media organizations were able to have lifted.

In his decision, Judge Perreault reproaches Lafrenière and other senior members of the police force, known as UPAC, for "serious misconduct" that he says was largely responsible for delays in Normandeau's case.

Lafrenière, who resigned in 2018, denied he leaked any information for personal gain in an interview this week with La Presse.

Perreault endorsed the conclusions of Michel Doyon, an investigator with Quebec's police watchdog, who found that Lafrenière was behind the leaks and was pushing for another mandate and for the squad to be turned into a specialized police unit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2022.

The Canadian Press

'Lost confidence:' Nova Scotia mass shooting inquiry resumes amid public backlash


HALIFAX — The Mountie in charge of the RCMP's initial response to the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia began testifying before an inquiry Monday, but the public has been barred from listening.


© Provided by The Canadian Press

For unspecified health reasons, Staff Sgt. Brian Rehill was granted permission to testify via a Zoom call, which is being recorded and will be released later.

Rehill has also been exempted from facing cross-examination by lawyers representing relatives of the 22 people killed on April 18-19, 2020. That decision last week prompted most of the families to boycott the proceedings,and some staged a protest outside the hearings in Truro, N.S.

The backlash is believed to be unprecedented for a public inquiry on this scale.

"I have never encountered a situation like this where the commissioners of a public inquiry appear to have lost the confidence and trust of key parties and potentially the general public," said Ed Ratushny, professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and author of the 2009 book, "The Conduct of Public Inquiries."

"My opinion is that this commission must have lost sight of the fundamental, crucial role of a public inquiry. Instead of a full public process of fact-finding, it has ... limited opportunities to challenge its investigation."

As well, Ratushny said the commission of inquiry should adhere to the legal principle of "fairness," which states that administrative tribunals must allow participants to "test the evidence ... through vigorous questioning."

A second senior Mountie, Sgt. Andy O'Brien, has been granted the same accommodations as Rehill. O'Brien is expected to testify behind closed doors on Tuesday.

In a statement Friday, the commission defended its approach. "Given the health information provided, allowing the witnesses to provide evidence this way will reduce the stress and time pressure that arises from giving oral evidence in live proceedings," it said. "This format will facilitate the testimony and therefore provide clear evidence."

Participating lawyers, including those representing victims' families, were asked to provide questions for Rehill and O’Brien, but it will be up to the commission to decide what questions are put to the witnesses. Once the first round of questioning is done, participating lawyers will be asked if they have more questions.

The commission has said the reasons behind the special arrangements must remain confidential because its decision is based on private personal information, such as physical or psychological health needs.

In an earlier interview with commission lawyers, Rehill confirmed he had been off work for 16 months after the tragedy, saying he struggled with questions about the decisions he made.

For some of the victims' relatives, the commission should never have offered the two Mounties an exemption from cross-examination.

"If the officers who were in charge ... can't get on the stand and defend the decisions that they made, then there's something wrong with this whole process," Charlene Bagley said Thursday during the Truro protest. Her father, Tom, was fatally shot by the gunman early on April 19, 2020, as he was out for a walk in West Wentworth, N.S.

Bagley said cross-examination is a must.

"It's easy to sit there and tell the story you've been told to tell," she said. "It's a lot harder to face hard questions. The truth hurts, but we need it."

Nova Scotia lawyer Adam Rodgers, who has been analyzing the inquiry's progress on his blog, said that kind of anger is justified.

"Participants have been marginalized throughout the ... proceedings, and the inability to effectively cross-examine witnesses is central to that marginalization," Rodgers said in an email.

On May 19, the Nova Scotia RCMP issued a statement saying the inquiry would be violating its own rules if Mounties who endured trauma were called to testify without some form of accommodation. The inquiry's mandate calls for it to adopt a trauma-informed approach.

Toronto-based lawyer John Mather, who has worked on inquiries as commission counsel, said the Mass Casualty Commission — as it is formally known — is facing a challenge because it can't reveal why Rehill and O'Brien were granted special status.

"I believe they must have seen some real concern that ... testimony under cross-examination could create a real risk of trauma for these two officers," Mather said in a recent interview.

"At the same time, I empathize with the victims' families because they really don't know why that decision was made, and that question will probably never be answered."

As for the assertion that the inquiry may be facing a loss of public trust, Mather said the impact of the special accommodations won't be known until the commission submits its final report on Nov. 1.

"The importance of these officers' testimony cannot be understated," he said. "Will there be a gap because of the decision and the boycott? It's hard to say .... The (final) report could be excellent, but it could still suffer from a lack of public confidence."

On the night of April 18, 2020, Rehill was the RCMP's risk manager at its Operational Communications Centre in Truro, N.S. When the centre received 911 calls confirming an active shooter was on the loose in Portapique, N.S., Rehill immediately assumed command.

Though O'Brien was off duty and had consumed four to five drinks of rum at home, he retrieved his portable radio from the detachment — with the help of his wife — and joined in offering direction to responding officers.

The inquiry has heard there was confusion over who was in charge that night. Commissioner Leanne Fitch, a former chief of police in Fredericton, said testimony had revealed "a considerable breakdown in communication."

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

Time for military to scrap harmful traditions: retired Supreme Court justice

OTTAWA — The Canadian Armed Forces found itself at a crossroads on Monday as the military faced calls to finally end some of its closest-held traditions to end decades of broken promises — including by permanently leaving the prosecution of sexual offences by its members to civilian authorities.

Even as the federal Liberal government, through Defence Minister Anita Anand, promised to provide the political oversight needed to bring about such change, there remained deep skepticism over whether a well-established pattern will repeat itself.

The latest calls for change came Monday in a highly anticipated report by retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, who was tasked last year with charting a way forward after a series of scandals involving allegations of sexual misconduct by some in the upper ranks of the Forces.

The result was a scathing indictment of the Armed Forces’ resistance to change, with the respected jurist who previously served as the United Nations’ top human rights official taking dead aim at many of the military’s most important structures and institutions.

Arbour questioned not only the military’s insistence on investigating and prosecuting incidents of sexual assault, which she said should be permanently transferred to the civilian authorities, but also the way it recruits, trains and promotes service members.

She also questioned the justification for having dedicated military colleges in Kingston, Ont., and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., which are responsible for grooming future officers but carry a reputation for perpetuating the military’s sexualized culture.

“The continued prevalence of sexual misconduct at the military colleges is well documented, and I think it's harder to address these issues there than in a civilian environment,” Arbour said during a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.

“I was not in a position to examine in detail the quality of the academic stream, (but) the military leadership and physical training at these colleges is problematic and does not, in my view, justify the continuation of this model as an undergraduate university environment.”

One of the main themes of Arbour’s report was the military’s resistance to past recommendations that had also stemmed from detailed reviews sparked by scandals.

The retired judge painted a picture of foot-dragging and half-hearted action.

The former UN human rights czar nonetheless did not specifically recommend the creation of an independent oversight body, as many experts and observers had requested, but instead called for more involvement and oversight by existing civilian authorities.

“I don't see the need for an inspector general, if everything else in this report is implemented,” Arbour said of the 48 recommendations contained in her report.

“If you create too many of these so-called oversight bodies, you dilute the political responsibility.”

Still, Arbour revealed that she had repeatedly followed up on her interim recommendation made in October to temporarily transfer the criminal sexual offences to civilian courts.

“Had I not had monthly contact with the prosecuting authorities and the investigating authorities … on a monthly basis, and with the minister, they'd still be drafting the letter to the provincial authorities about how to move forward,” she said.

Anand, who was at the news conference alongside Arbour as well as defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre and Defence Department deputy minister Bill Matthews, announced that 17 recommendations were being immediately accepted.

Others will need "further analysis, planning and consultation," Anand added, promising to come report to Parliament on the progress.

One recommendation being reviewed is whether to permanently transfer the investigation and prosecution of cases involving criminal sexual misconduct to civilian authorities.

"This is a system-changing recommendation and we will examine it in earnest," Anand said.

A recommendation to study the pros and cons of military colleges will also get further review.

One of the accepted recommendations was the appointment of an external monitor who will oversee the implementation of Arbour’s recommendations, with regular reports to the minister and public. Another is for Anand to report to Parliament on those that will not be implemented.

The military has in recent years agreed “in principle” with all recommendations from external sources, before then implementing them half-heartedly or letting them collect dust.

Asked whether she or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was not present for Monday’s news conference, would take responsibility if Arbour’s recommendations fall by the wayside and another scandal occurs, Anand said: “This report will not fall by the wayside.”

“If we do not take this moment for what it is and implement the recommendations that identify deep areas of need for change in the Canadian Armed Forces and the defence team broadly, we run the risk of not being a fully effective military,” she added.

“We must grab the bull by the horns and make the changes now.”

Later Monday, Trudeau said the Liberal government would work "closely and rapidly" with survivor groups and others "to make sure that we're moving forward in the right way" on the remaining recommendations in the Arbour report.

Federal opposition parties and organizations such as the Royal Canadian Legion wasted no time on Monday calling for the Liberal government to quickly act on Arbour’s recommendations, as well as independent oversight of their implementation.

“We know that one report will not ‘fix’ systemic violence and harassment," said June Winger, national president of the Union of National Defence Employees. "But this report is a tool that we will use to push the government towards meaningful and concrete actions."

While experts on military sexual misconduct were largely supportive of Arbour’s report and recommendations, which they described as extremely comprehensive, there was also a fair amount of skepticism about whether it would finally result in real change.

Megan MacKenzie, who studies military sexual misconduct at Simon Fraser University in B.C., said she would have liked to have seen Anand voice stronger support for all the recommendations. She also questioned the appointment of an external monitor.

“Who's going to be on this external review?” MacKenzie said. “I'm not sure how you can have someone holding the minister accountable who's an appointee of the minister.”

Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute was also concerned about the external monitor’s independence, adding it is now up to the government to ensure Arbour’s recommendations are acted upon — a situation that has previously resulted in failure.

“The ball is in the government’s camp,” Duval-Lantoine said.

“It is up to it to make those recommendations happen, and to make them work for the CAF. This is where we have seen most gaps.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2022.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

Calgary city administration unveils $87B climate plan

City staff rolled out Calgary's proposed new climate strategy Tuesday — a plan that will cost taxpayers billions if implemented.

Jade Markus - CBC


© Alan Dyer/AmazingSky.com 

A moonrise over Calgary is seen in this file photo from Sept. 23, 2010

In November 2021, Calgary joined the ranks of Canadian cities that have declared a climate emergency.

Council has already committed to the city reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. In November 2021, it joined the ranks of Canadian cities that have declared a climate emergency.

City administration laid out its plan to hit net zero within the next 28 years — something they say will require an investment of about $87 billion by 2050, or $3.1 billion annually.

"We know what the impact of climate change will be for Calgary, and we know what we have to do to protect Calgarians from the risks of a changing climate," said the city's general manager of planning and development Stuart Dalgleish.

"At the same time, we understand and are sensitive to the challenges Albertans will face as we transition towards a low carbon and climate resilient future. There are significant hurdles that need to be overcome," he said.

The report says the cost of climate impacts grows yearly, and could balloon to as much as $8 billion annually by the 2080s, impacting all Calgarians but especially vulnerable populations.

The plan would introduce building retrofits, renewable energy and zero emissions mobility, as well as dozens of other actions to reduce emissions.

Coun. Kourtney Penner, chair of the city's community development committee, says there is an acknowledgement climate change can no longer be ignored.

"While there is a cost to it, to the implementation of the strategies that will move us towards net zero, that is a cost that we cannot avoid and that we all have a part to play in that future," she said.

"What I look at is what are the costs that we can't measure, the savings that we talk about from an environmental lens, what is the price of clean water? What is the price of clean air?"

The report says the consequences of climate change are widespread, costly, and hazardous, impacting the economy, environment and people's health.

Left unchecked, the impacts of climate change will stretch government and municipal resources, exacerbate inequity, disrupt business operations and damage our environment, the report says.

More than two dozen presenters spoke in support of the strategy during a public hearing held by the committee on Tuesday.

The strategy will go to city council for discussion on June 7.

Calls for ‘ethical oil’ are pushing Canada to become a Petrol-State

Pumpjacks draw oil in a canola field near Olds, Alta. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

THE CONVERSATION
Published: May 31, 2022 

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has brought fossil fuels and geopolitics to the forefront of public discussion. In an effort to evade economic sanctions, Russia has weaponized its energy exports.

In March, President Vladimir Putin said he expects “unfriendly” countries — those that have imposed sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine — to pay for gas sales in rubles. In May, Russia halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after they refused to pay in rubles. The European Union buys a significant portion of its natural gas (40 per cent) and imported oil (27 per cent) from Russia. Some analysts have said a few countries, like Germany, could see a recession if gas from Russia were completely cut off.

The escalating energy crisis has reignited calls to increase the production and export of Canadian oil and gas to diversify Europe’s energy supply. Pro-bitumen think tanks such as the Canadian Energy Centre and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute have made similar arguments accusing opposition to pipelines as dooming western countries’ energy security.

Imports of natural gas into Europe from both pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

(The Associated Press)

In essence, these arguments repackage the ethical oil rhetoric that frames investment in bitumen as morally superior to oil from non-democratic regimes. But the significant expansion of bitumen infrastructure comes with economic uncertainties and contradicts Canada’s COP26 commitment to decarbonization. Moreover, it diverts public attention away from the inconvenient reality that Canada and Russia are petro-states that share numerous similarities in energy policy making.

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Oil booms and petro-states

Political scientist Terry Lynn Karl introduced the idea of a petro-state in her 1997 book, The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States. She developed the petro-state thesis to explain the inability of oil-exporting nations such as Saudi Arabia and Nigeria to convert their petroleum revenues into more stable and self-sustaining economies.

Karl’s main insight was that a nation’s reliance on oil exports leads to economic and political problems such as weak economic growth in manufacturing sectors, vulnerability to price shocks, widespread social inequality, authoritarianism, corruption and so on.

Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, soaring oil prices substantially altered the global energy demand and supply landscape. This trend considerably bolstered the oil and gas industry in countries like Canada, Norway and Russia. In response, scholars began to debate whether the petro-state thesis should include them, given their increasing dependence on fossil fuel revenues.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Moscow on May 16, 2022, shortly before halting gas supplies to Finland, after the country refused to pay in rubles. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

For instance, scholars noted that Russia is compelled to prioritize the energy sector over other economic sectors due to the influence of natural gas in generating export revenues and in sustaining its geopolitical influence in Europe. This results in an economic structure that is vulnerable to energy market volatility. In 2020, record-low oil prices imposed a hefty cost on Russia, contributing to a dramatic currency depreciation and negative GDP growth for the whole year.
Overcome the petro-state curse

Scholars have debated the extent to which Canada can be classified as a petro-state. After all, energy products only account for 8.3 per cent of national GDP, which is notably lower than typical petro-states. Nonetheless, the Canadian economy and well-known petro-state economies exhibit comparable structural vulnerabilities.

The Hebron Platform, anchored in Trinity Bay, N.L., in April 2017. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

Canada’s energy sector has struggled from declining demand, as a result of the pandemic. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador rely heavily on the energy sector, and have been hit especially hard.

The resurgence of “ethical oil” narratives that moralize bitumen extraction and demonize critics aim to frame resource dependence as part of Canadian identity. Put differently, the bitumen industry and its allies are pushing for “petro-nationalism,” which symbolically celebrates bitumen while obfuscating the unequal distributions of bitumen’s economic benefits and its environmental costs.
In search of a path to net-zero

Days after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney tweeted, “Now if Canada really wants to help defang Putin, then let’s get some pipelines built!”

However, building more pipelines to increase the Canadian economy’s reliance on fossil fuels is not the only option. Norway, whose economy is currently reliant on the oil and gas industry, is a shining example of how to overcome the petro-state curse.

As policy analyst Bruce Campbell has written, instead of the denial, delay and division that characterizes current Canadian climate policy, Norway’s path to net-zero is built on climate action, close collaboration with labour unions and NGOs and strong government leadership in collecting and redistributing energy revenues.

Read more: 5 ways Norway leads and Canada lags on climate action

If Canada is truly concerned about becoming a moral energy producer, then our public conversations need to focus on exploring immediate policy actions aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector and planning for its phaseout.

Author

Sibo Chen
Assistant Professor, School of Professional Communication, Toronto Metropolitan University
Disclosure statement

Sibo Chen receives funding from Toronto Metropolitan University and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Children with disabilities getting inconsistent government support, Alberta auditor general finds

Janet French - CBC

Alberta families hoping for financial help for their children with disabilities are often at the whim of their caseworker, rather than consistent rules, the province's auditor general has found.


© Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta

Auditor General Doug Wylie has found inconsistencies with a program that helps families with the costs of raising and caring for children with disabilities.

Furthermore, only about one in five caseworkers and supervisors with the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program had completed all mandatory online training. About a third of those who did finish training whizzed through the multi-hour modules in less than five minutes, the auditor's office found from digital data.

The findings could lead to the perception the government is making decisions unfairly, Auditor General Doug Wylie said on Monday.

"We expect consistency, and it's a hallmark of well-respected corporations and organizations," Wylie said. "I don't see why Albertans wouldn't expect the same when it comes to programs and services offered by their government."

Wylie's office found plentiful inconsistency within the FSCD program, which paid out $193 million in supports to more than 15,000 families in 2020-21.

FSCD helps families cover the cost of expensive therapies, counselling, clothing and shoes, medications, respite care and other services children need to survive and thrive.

The auditor general studied the program from April 2018 to March 2021. His office released the report last week.

Although there is official guidance on how caseworkers should evaluate kids' needs and decide what should be covered, Wylie's office found some workers might not know about those documents.

"Supports and services varied depending on who the caseworker was, which should not be a factor," says the report.

The ministry of community and social services also wasn't able to provide evidence staff had received proper training in how to do those evaluations consistently.

Related video: Advocates say Alberta disability workers leaving jobs due to low wages (Global News)

"The decisions are quite subjective, and there's quite a lot of judgment required," said assistant auditor general, Patty Hayes.

They also found the coverage for services varied by region of the province.

The program routinely missed provincial targets to evaluate children's needs and reach agreements with families in a timely manner.

Wylie recommends updating guides for caseworkers, developing better staff training and checking that they follow through, and managers monitoring decisions for consistency.

Findings no surprise to Edmonton parent

Sarah Doll, an Edmonton parent whose two children have autism, said the auditor general's findings are disappointing, but unsurprising.

She said getting coverage through the program is a perpetual cycle of re-applying and gathering and submitting evidence that children need specialized help. Both of her children qualify.

Doll, who is co-founder of the group Hold My Hand AB, which advocates for families with children with disabilities, says caseworkers are overloaded, and there can be long wait times to get a verdict on coverage.

There's also high turnover of workers, she said — her family has had three caseworkers in four years.

Her children's reimbursement rates and coverage have changed in the past without notice or reason, she said. Families who compare notes find children with similar issues appear to qualify for different levels of help, she said.

"We always have a running joke that it's like a lottery if your kid is going to get support for what they need that year," Doll said.

And some people are afraid to report that their child is improving in case the worker concludes the child no longer needs therapies, she said.

Justin Marshall, press secretary to Community and Social Services Minister Jason Luan, said the ministry is developing an action plan to address the concerns the auditor general identified.

In addition to reviewing the policies and guides in the program, staff are trying to streamline the application process, review the required training, and address the oversight gaps, he said. They're also trying to bring more consistency across the province.

"We remain committed to delivering the FSCD program as consistently and efficiently as possible so all children with disabilities can achieve the best outcomes," he said in an email.

Enoch Cree Nation’s Ashley Callingbull Named In-Game Co-Host For Edmonton Elks

Caley Gibson, 

Globalnews.ca

Yesterday 

© Sean Leslie / Global News

Mrs. Universe Ashley Callingbull speaking at the University of Manitoba Friday.

The Edmonton Elks have named a new game-day host and she will likely be a familiar face to many in Alberta.

On Monday, the CFL football club announced Ashley Callingbull will join CISN Country's Chris Scheetz as an in-game host.

Callingbull is from Enoch Cree Nation and has had many successes, from becoming the first Indigenous woman to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition to being the face of a major Nike campaign.

Callingbull was also crowned Mrs. Universe in 2015.

"Being a proud member of Treaty Six, I've always been a fan of Edmonton's sports teams. I'm excited to join one of my hometown teams with the Edmonton Elks," Callingbull said in a news release Monday.

Callingbull was born in Enoch Cree Nation west of Edmonton.

"Having Ashley be a game-day voice of the Elks is not only a source of pride for Enoch, but all Treaty Six First Nations," Enoch Cree Nation Chief Billy Morin said.

Callingbull will make her debut at the Elks pre-season game Friday night against the Calgary Stampeders at Commonwealth Stadium.

"As a community-owned team, one of our club's goals is to develop meaningful opportunities that help build our community and provide practical ways for others to climb the ladder we're helping to create," said Elks president and CEO Victor Cui.

"Ashley's appointment is a great opportunity to show children what inclusion means and how it can benefit us all."

Tickets to Friday's pre-season game are $15, with proceeds going to support the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

© Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.