Impasse succeeds in its aim of candidly assessing our planetary predicament and offering a realistic, ethical way forward. Its achievement lies not in offering solutions—since Scranton persuasively argues that none exist—but in clarifying the nature of the bind we are in and offering a way to live meaningfully within it.

Groups conducting shoreline cleanups and coastal restoration say they're facing long delays obtaining permits or unclear requirements from the province, which are sometimes forcing them to cancel proj...