Carbon pricing and election conspiracy theories: In The News for Nov. 2

He started the first day with a speech calling on the rest of the world to follow Canada’s lead and negotiate a global minimum carbon price.

He compares the idea to the 15-per-cent minimum corporate tax more than 130 countries have now signed on to implement in a bid to stop big multinational corporations from avoiding taxes by funneling their profits through low-tax countries.

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Also this …

Elections Canada was curious to know how many Canadians believed in conspiracy theories in the lead up to the recent federal vote.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had two years left in his minority mandate in August when he plunged the country into an election while a fourth wave of COVID-19 raged.

Protesters opposed to public health measures like masking and mandatory vaccinations staged demonstrations, some of them following Trudeau as he crisscrossed the country, hurling obscenities at him and, at one point, even gravel.

Months before triggering the vote, the federal agency in charge of running elections commissioned its first stand-alone survey into the level of trust Canadians had in the electoral process. That included finding out how many held a “conspiracy mindset.”

“Questions about conspiracies allow for a better understanding of what can trigger distrust toward electoral administration,” Elections Canada spokeswoman Natasha Gauthier said in a statement, adding the “COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant social and economic changes, including in the realm of election administration.”

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

The White House says the Biden administration is already assembling and shipping millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to 11.

The first shots could go into kids’ arms by midweek, and the U.S. has enough vaccine for all 28 million children in the age bracket.

On Tuesday, a special advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet to consider detailed recommendations for administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to younger children. The Food and Drug Administration already cleared the shots. After CDC advisers make their recommendations, agency director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will give the final order.

By vaccinating children, the U.S. hopes to head off another coronavirus wave during the cold-weather months when people spend more time indoors and respiratory illnesses can spread more easily. Cases have been declining for weeks, but the virus has repeatedly shown its ability to stage a comeback and more easily transmissible mutations are a persistent threat.

“We are not waiting on the operations and logistics,” coronavirus co-ordinator Jeff Zients said during a White House briefing.

“We’re in great shape on supply.”

Pfizer’s vaccine already has been authorized for use in older children.

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What we are watching in the rest of the world …

DHANBAD, India — Efforts to fight climate change are being held back in part because coal, the biggest single source of climate-changing gases, provides cheap electricity and supports millions of jobs.

It’s one of the dilemmas facing world leaders gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, this week in an attempt to stave off the worst effects of climate change. Developing nations such as India argue they should be allowed the “carbon space” to grow as rich nations have before eventually turning away from coal and reducing emissions.

But because rich nations have already raised Earth’s temperature so much, consequences of further warming will be catastrophic, scientists say.

Power demand in India is expected to grow faster than anywhere in the world over the next two decades as the economy grows and ever more extreme heat increases demand for air conditioning that so much the rest of the world takes for granted.

D.D. Ramanandan, the secretary at the Centre of Indian Trade Unions in Ranchi said that conversations of moving beyond coal were only taking place in Paris, Glasgow or New Delhi. They had hardly begun in India’s coal belt. “Coal has continued for 100 years. Workers believe it will continue to do so,” he said.

There are roughly 300,000 people working directly with government-owned coal mines, earning fixed salaries and benefits. And there are nearly four million people in India whose livelihoods are directly or indirectly linked to coal, said Sandeep Pai, who studies energy security and climate change at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

India’s coal belt is dotted by industries that need the fuel, like steel and brick making. The Indian railways, country’s largest employers, earns half their revenue by transporting coal, allowing it to subsidize passenger travel.

“Coal is an ecosystem,” Pai said.

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On this day in 1999 …

The Alberta government agreed to pay $82 million to 247 people who underwent forced sterilization between 1929 and 1972.

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In entertainment …

“This Hour Has 22 Minutes” is touting everything that’s new for its next season, particularly a larger, younger and more diverse writing staff and cast than ever before.

Five of the CBC comedy’s seven performers have joined over the last two seasons and with the departure of Cathy Jones last spring, this will be the first without a founding cast member, notes executive producer Mike Allison.

“It does seem different in an exciting way,” says Allison.

“I think the show is staying true to what it has been while also adjusting to what it needs to be in the future.”

Premiering in 1993, the Halifax-based sketch comedy made stars out of brash Newfoundlanders Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Greg Thomey and Rick Mercer. Turnovers in the cast and writing talent have kept audiences laughing and prime ministers in check into a 29th season.

This year Allison says writers and cast members hail from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada. With an expanded 24-episode order, the extra hands are welcome.

“This Hour Has 22 Minutes” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC.

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ICYMI …

With fewer pandemic restrictions in place across the country, the Royal Canadian Legion is hoping its annual poppy campaign regains a sense of normalcy this year.

In the lead-up to Remembrance Day, the organization says it will have more than 34,000 traditional poppy boxes at locations across Canada, where people can donate cash and receive a poppy pin, roughly 9,000 more boxes than last year.

For the second year in a row, the organization will also have boxes that can accept payments from tap-enabled devices or cards. The legion said it will have 1,000 of those electronic boxes this year, compared to 250 last year.

Canadians can also make a donation towards the campaign at mypoppy.ca, where they can create a digital poppy, add a customized commemoration and share it on social media.

Nujma Bond, communications manager for the legion’s national headquarters, said there will likely be a greater number of people physically present with donation boxes this year, thanks to looser COVID-19 measures.

Volunteers handing out poppies are still required to wear masks, stay distanced, and be vaccinated against COVID-19, Bond noted.

The legion said it raises about $20 million from its poppy campaign each year.

While the organization doesn’t have final figures for the amount raised from last year’s poppy campaign, Bond said the legion felt there was an increase in support “both figuratively and literally'” for veterans in 2020 despite the pandemic restrictions.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2021

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Carbon pricing and election conspiracy theories: In The News for Nov. 2

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