Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 4h

This is long form radio, which is probably self-defeating from the outset (to reach a broad audience), but if you want to understand why we’re way off course re: climate change, the human capacity for self-serving is on full display by some of the interviewees here.

www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

www.cbc.ca

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Sara Hastings-Simon 🇨🇦 @shastingssimon.bsky.social · 17h

This post brought to you by me being pleasantly surprised to discover I wrote an oped in the Globe and Mail with @molszyns.bsky.social I had completely forgotten about.

Sara Hastings-Simon 🇨🇦 @shastingssimon.bsky.social · 17h

My number one tip for researchers that do a significant amount of non peer reviewed paper publication/outreach:

Create an excel table, every time you give an interview, talk, write an oped or white paper, etc. take 5 seconds to immediately note it in the excel.

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Blake Shaffer 🇨🇦 @blakeshaffer.bsky.social · 18h

As a reminder, whether it be $95 or $110 per tonne, the “policy price” for industrial emissions is largely moot right now.

Emitters can pay for compliance using emissions offsets and performance credits, which are currently trading bilaterally for under $29 per tonne.

TIER emission performance credit settlement prices from NGX/ICE.

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 18h

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Smith says she's open to adjusting Alberta's industrial carbon price | CBC News

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's open to adjusting aspects of Alberta's industrial carbon pricing program, including the province's industrial carbon price.

www.cbc.ca

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The Breakdown AB @thebreakdownab.bsky.social · 21h

B.C. Premier David Eby is clearly beyond frustrated with Danielle Smith's pipeline dreams threatening the B.C. economy.

In a fiery statement, he called her out directly stating...

"This is not the Danielle Smith show!"

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #bcpoli

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Charles Rusnell @charlesrusnell.bsky.social · 23h

This is great investigative journalism.

Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 28d

They desperately want Albertans to forget the very well-documented ‘hustle in the oil patch’: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Hustle in the oil patch: Inside a looming financial and environmental crisis

Just a few years after the boom, energy companies are shedding distressed wells for next to nothing. It’s a brisk trade in junk assets — and it’s going virtually unchecked by regulators. Who will pay ...

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Don Braid @donbraid.bsky.social · 1d

Lavish private-school funding infuriates teachers, spooks government. They wanted to spank Evan Li because he dared mention it. Column. calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu... #abed #ableg #yyc #yeg #apoli #cdnpoli

Braid: Lavish private-school funding infuriates teachers, spooks government

Spanking spat last week was caused by student Evan Li hitting a sore spot on eve of teacher strike — lush funding for private schools.

calgaryherald.com

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Hannah Daly @hannahdaly.ie · 6d

The best guess of climate experts at this Overshoot Conference is that - in an optimistic scenario - we return to 1.5C (where we are now) in 7 generations time.

That's about the same distance from now as the start of the Industrial Revolution.

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Aryn Toombs @aryn.bsky.social · 2d

I’ve covered dozens of protests at the provinces’s southern office at the McDougall Centre, but today’s teacher rally was by far the largest by a measure. Truly massive turnout for teachers to express their anger at the government.

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 3d

One of the lessons I discuss in "On Tyranny":
Listen for dangerous words.

Text card: Listen for dangerous words.
Be alert to the use of the words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.
#OnTyranny

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 2d

I ❤️ AB teachers!

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Thousands rally at Alberta Legislature for public education as teachers' strike looms | CBC News

Thousands of people gathered at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton Sunday morning to rally for public education, as a potentially historic teachers’ strike looms.

www.cbc.ca

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 2d

Republicans got their marching orders and shutdown talking points, but when questioned, they fall apart.

Sen Roger Marshall wasn’t ready 🥴

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 2d

It literally rewards neglect: “If adopted, it is hard to see how any remaining O&G producer would ever take their closure obligations seriously...”

ICYMI, our analysis of #Ableg’s so-called Mature Asset Strategy (MAS).

Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 8d

Better late than never: our 18 pp (!) analysis of #ableg's so-called Mature Asset Strategy (w/ Shaun Fluker and @drewyewchuk.bsky.social). TLDR: the MAS is a thinly disguised attempt to rewrite the origin story of Alberta's O&G closure liability crisis and to push more gov't support & deregulation.

ABlawg UCalgary @ablawg.bsky.social · 8d

New Post: The Mature Asset Strategy for Alberta’s Oil and Gas Closure Liability Crisis: Where there is Smoke [and Mirrors], there is Fire.

ablawg.ca/2025/09/30...…rs-there-is-fire/

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Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁 @minibubbly.bsky.social · 4d

If you live in #Alberta and have not signed the petition, please sign.

A petition asking people if they believe Alberta should stay in Canada has obtained about 80 per cent of its required number of signatures.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

'Alberta Forever Canada' petition has nearly 80% of required signatures, organizer says | CBC News

Thomas Lukaszuk, the former Progressive Conservative deputy premier in Alberta who submitted the petition in June, said the “Alberta Forever Canada” petition has approximately 230,000 signatures so fa...

www.cbc.ca

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 5d

Seems like a big deal. 🤷🏻‍♂️ #cdnpoli #ableg.

NB: $10.7 billion is undoubtedly an underestimate. Total oil sands mine closure estimates have swung wildly in the past 4 yrs (graph), which tells you something about their reliability.

An operating life deposit was collected for the first time. Syncrude posted $868,626,731 in security, bringing the total security for Syncrude Mildred Lake-Aurora North to $1,073,929,755. This means that the MFSP considers Syncrude's Mildred Lake-Aurora North mine to have 15 years of reserves remaining. If the MFSP operates as expected, Syncrude will post $1,073,929,755 in security annually for the next 9 years. It also indirectly suggests that Syncrude and the MFSP estimate the closure cost for the Syncrude Mildred Lake-Aurora North mine at just over $10.7 billion. The ease with which that can now be calculated is notable
and significant, as it means that the MFSP estimated liability for the Syncrude Mildred Lake-Aurora North mine is effectively now public information, while the estimated liabilities for the other mines are not. Both the AER and industry have been steadfast in their refusal to disclose these mine specific estimates or to subject them to third party scrutiny, as requested by some First Nations.

Graph showing big swings in total oil sands mine liability.

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 5d

Not to mention that BC would have to consent to this pipeline — at least if it’s going to be a C-5 PONI (per s 5(1.1)):

bsky.app/profile/mols...

Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 6d

I want to explain this a bit b/c it’s important. When the Building Canada Act (then C-5) was introduced, it required the feds to consult w/ the provinces re: PONIs (s 5(7)). But the Act was amended at 3rd reading by the Transportation Committee. Section 5(1.1) was added by the Bloc Québécois. 1/n

Dr Dan Shugar 🇨🇦 @watershedlab.bsky.social · 6d

Reminder that Bill C-5 REQUIRES consent of the province or territory in which the project is to be built. I doubt BC will be onboard with this pipeline proposal.

H/t to @molszyns.bsky.social for this tidbit.

www.parl.ca/DocumentView...

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Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 5d

Precisely this.

Unless and until industry and Alberta put a real offer on the table -- full support for industrial carbon pricing and a decision to proceed with the Pathways project -- this conversation is over and the ball is in *their* court.

Aaron Wherry @aaronwherry.bsky.social · 5d

I'm genuinely flummoxed as to how anyone is talking about a "grand bargain" while the Alberta government and the oil industry is actively opposed to the federal carbon price on industrial emissions.

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

ANALYSIS | Is Mark Carney going to get tied up in pipeline politics? | CBC News

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's preferred framing for the issue of a new pipline creates a challenge and a potential trap for Prime Minister Mark Carney.

www.cbc.ca

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Aaron Wherry @aaronwherry.bsky.social · 5d

I'm genuinely flummoxed as to how anyone is talking about a "grand bargain" while the Alberta government and the oil industry is actively opposed to the federal carbon price on industrial emissions.

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

ANALYSIS | Is Mark Carney going to get tied up in pipeline politics? | CBC News

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's preferred framing for the issue of a new pipline creates a challenge and a potential trap for Prime Minister Mark Carney.

www.cbc.ca

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 5d

We’re kicking off day 1 of our Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector Conference. And in about 1&1/2 hrs, @drewyewchuk.bsky.social and I will be posting our latest @ablawg.bsky.social re: Alberta’s Mine Financial Security Program (MFSP). It’s sort of a big deal. #ableg #cdnpoli

Blog title: The 2025 Mine Financial Security
Program Update: Security Collected for Aging Syncrude Mine Offers a First Estimate of Mine Closure Costs

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Fatima Syed @fatimabsyed.bsky.social · 5d

First Nations asked the Doug Ford gov't for oversight measures over special economic zones (law-free areas for trusted proponents & designated projects). They asked for a public registry, an appeals process on cabinet decisions and time limits.

The government said no
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bill...

Ontario’s draft rules for special economic zones limit oversight | The Narwhal

The Doug Ford government’s draft regulations for special economic zones under Bill 5 empower ministers and dismiss First Nations’ request for oversight

thenarwhal.ca

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Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 6d

Good column.

Overdue, and filled with conclusions a lot of people arrived at many, many months ago, but hey, credit where it's due.

www.readtheline.ca/p/jen-gerson...

Jen Gerson: Maybe this angry panel will fix it!

Alberta tries for Round 3 of the Fair Deal panel.

www.readtheline.ca

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Pembina Institute @pembina.org · 6d

Without proper cleanup, aging oil and gas wells at the end of their producing lives continue to leak methane and toxic pollutants — and potential policy changes in AB risk shifting these cleanup costs onto taxpayers.

Learn more at tonight's town hall. 👇

REGISTER: Virtual Town Hall - Alberta Oil and Gas Well Cleanup Crisis

Join us October 2nd for a virtual town hall exposing the government's plan to make taxpayers pay for oil and gas cleanup. Free registration - secure your spot now.

buff.ly

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 6d

Like I said at the outset, 5(1.1) is curiously worded. But any doubt with respect to the above is erased when you read the French version, as lawyers and courts are instructed to do to discern a provision’s proper meaning.

End/la fin. 9/9

French text of 5(1.1): “Il doit obtenir son consentement écrit lorsque le projet touche des domaines de compétence provinciale ou territoriale exclusive.”

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 6d

Under constitutional rules, where a fed & prov law conflict, the fed law prevails under the doctrine of federal paramountcy. That’s why Burnaby couldn’t stop TMX: it couldn’t say “no” b/c the fed said “yes”.

But section 5(1.1) flips that. It requires provincial consent. 8/n

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Martin Z. Olszynski @molszyns.bsky.social · 6d

So an interprovincial pipeline is primarily regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator Act. But it still has to comply w/ municipal bylaws in the towns it crosses. And it also has to comply w/ prov enviro-laws of general application. But here’s where the BQ’s amendment has its intended effect. 7/n

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