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Michael Byers 🇨🇦

@michael-byers.bsky.social
660 followers 308 following 363 posts

Co-director, Outer Space Institute Chair, Salt Spring Forum Professor of Global Politics and International Law, UBC Author, citizen, troublemaker He/him

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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Clearly, I would never say unpleasant things about Donald Trump in Finnish.
yle.fi
Kanada distanserar sig allt mer från amerikanerna: ”USA har blivit mycket mindre pålitligt”
Kanada vill fördjupa sina relationer till EU, samtidigt som landet gör historiska militära satsningar i Arktis för att stärka sin suveränitet.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
My mother Brigitte's battle with Alzheimer's is over. This essay, shared with a gift link, is mostly about her.
theglobeandmail.com
Humans are destroying the only home they have. Canada can help save it by shutting down the tar sands
In order to save our planet, we must change our behaviours and insist on brave and bold policies from our leaders
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
When Mark Carney said Canada needs an alternative to Starlink, CBC As It Happens gave me a call: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
cbc.ca
© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, should just admit what we all know. He's called a provincial election because of the opportunity to consolidate and extend his majority, after the leader of the opposition resigned and her party fragmented.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I'm grateful to the Swedish Institute of International Affairs for inviting me to speak to them earlier today. What a location!
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Nine time-zones later, I've arrived in Oslo for the Arctic Security Conference. And I'm already grateful for being scheduled to speak during the afternoon!
arcticsecuritynet.com
ASC26 — ARCTIC SECURITY CONFERENCE
This year's conference is concentrated around maritime security and threats at sea in the Arctic.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Could a SpaceX satellite kill you? My latest article with Ewan Wright and Aaron Boley of the Outer Space Institute, available open-access:
sciencedirect.com
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Bob Rae's edited collection is in bookstores now! You'll find my chapter on the Arctic at the very end of the volume, after the likes of Margaret Atwood, Lloyd Axworthy, and Carol Off.
formaclorimerbooks.ca
Reclaiming Canadian Sovereignty in a Ruptured World
In this timely book about Canada in a changing world, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae brings together twenty of Canada’s leading voices to address urgent questions about…
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Outer Space Institute Fellow Moriba Jah has written a powerful op-ed:
theguardian.com
Space junk punched a new hole in the moon. It’s not ours to abuse | Moriba Jah
The space industry treats the sky as a place to dump what it no longer wants. We must develop a new model of accountability
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Crowsnest Mountain from 6,500 feet during father-son flight to Lethbridge to visit parents/grandparents.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Our next step will be to include splinters in all the toilet paper exported to the U.S.
theguardian.com
Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada
Paper products among hardest-hit sectors after trade negotiations broke down, with 25-50% tariffs estimated
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Dr. Michael MacKay @michaelmackay.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
From now on, Canadians will refer to the United States as Epstein Island.
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God @thegodshow.com · 24/08/2026
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Will Greaves @wgreaves.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
This new U.S. grand strategy of making itself weaker, poorer, and more isolated and then lying about it to everyone is really something to watch.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Canadians are soft on the outside and hard on the inside, as Donald Trump is about to find out.
nytimes.com
Canada-U.S. Trade War Escalates as Talks Collapse
Intense negotiations to stave off new levies by the Trump administration ended in an impasse as Mark Carney suspended talks. U.S. tariffs on Canada, and retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., will come into...
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
[T]he whole point of this is to change Canada's behaviour,” Vance said. "Which they, you know, not entirely, but they've certainly shifted in a Trumpian direction."
thecanadianpressnews.ca
Vance weighs in on Jivani trade advocacy and how Carney tried to 'out-tough' Trump
WASHINGTON - U.S. Vice-President JD Vance weighed in on the latest trade deal with Canada at a fundraising event Wednesday, saying Prime Minister Mark Carney tried to "out-tough" President Donald
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I've turned down an invitation to a Ditchley conference at the Greentree Estate on Long Island, New York -- because I'm not travelling to the United States.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Write about the Gulf Islands for the Globe and Mail; get re-published in the Gulf Islands Driftwood!
gulfislandsdriftwood.com
Salish Sea Shipriders show Canada and the U.S. can still work together - Salt Spring Island news
The following piece was originally published in the Aug. 3 edition of The Globe and Mail.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The Outer Space Institute's summer newsletter is here! Among the many news items, Betty Kioko from the European Southern Observatory will be joining the UBC-based research team.
outerspaceinstitute.ca
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
If you're a Canadian citizen or permanent residence, please consider signing this House of Commons petition to expel the US ambassador.
ourcommons.ca
Petition e-7531 - Petitions
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I can't see any good coming from Tobi Lütke migrating to Canada. More great reporting from @rachelgilmore.bsky.social
thetyee.ca
Shopify Powers a Racist Group’s Online Store. It’s Not the First Time | The Tyee
The company has repeatedly found itself in controversy over its support of ‘free speech.’
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Australia shows Canada how not to buy submarines. My latest, as a gift article:
theglobeandmail.com
In Australia, Canada’s submarine procurement gets a ‘good onya’
In Canberra, AUKUS – and the nuclear-powered subs that Australia bought as part of the security pact – looks like an albatross
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Australia's submarine procurement is "cooked". My latest, as a gift article:
theglobeandmail.com
In Australia, Canada’s submarine procurement gets a ‘good onya’
In Canberra, AUKUS – and the nuclear-powered subs that Australia bought as part of the security pact – looks like an albatross
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Canadians now know that Donald Trump is personally annoyed by us not buying US alcohol. This means there's a snowball's chance in Hell that we'll stop our personal boycotts - regardless of what our federal and provincial governments decide to do.
cbc.ca
Canada prepared to halt booze bans, meet other U.S. demands in exchange for tariff relief: sources | CBC News
The Canadian government is preparing to meet some U.S. demands — including ending bans on American alcohol sales — as trade talks heat up ahead of the latest tariff deadline, according to sources.
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Peter MacLeod @petermacleod.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
In the very near future, no one will believe we had a policy this good. www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/pe...
theglobeandmail.com
End of carbon tax rebates a financial hit for Canada’s poorest, research shows
Rebates were tax-free payments that compensated consumers for the cost of carbon taxes
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
A wise editor once told me, "Never miss a chance to write a positive op-ed". Gift link:
theglobeandmail.com
The shipriders of the Salish Sea demonstrate how Canada and the U.S. can still work together
Shipriders are only one example of continued Canada-U.S. co-operation driven by geography
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
I've been meaning to write this piece for YEARS. Please enjoy the gift link below:
theglobeandmail.com
The shipriders of the Salish Sea demonstrate how Canada and the U.S. can still work together
Shipriders are only one example of continued Canada-U.S. co-operation driven by geography
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
With my friend and colleague Nengye Liu in Singapore.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Katharine and I saw The Odyssey from the centre front row of the IMAX Melbourne last night. Matt Damon has great pores.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Take 5 to read this.
theguardian.com
‘Most people don’t know we’ve set up a doomsday system’: physicist Laura Grego on satellites, nuclear weapons and the battle for our skies
Elon Musk is trying to own it, competing powers are trying to fight in it and nobody seems to be regulating it. So who does space really belong to?
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Turns out that Australia isn't a rock, but a hole in a rock!
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Writing retreat
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Space Balls! With commentary from Outer Space Institute fellow Alice Gorman ( @drspacejunk.bsky.social ).
theguardian.com
Mysterious debris found on Queensland beaches could be ‘space balls’ – and may contain toxic rocket fuel
Australian Space Agency working to confirm origin of objects as space archaeologist says they may be connected to a rocket launch
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Kiwis call it the Beehive but I see an alien spaceship.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Post-panel happiness at the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law conference, with friends and colleagues Anna Marie Brennan, Melissa de Zwart and Carolle Varughese.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I'm looking forward to my first Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law annual conference - in Wellington next week!
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Can NATO governments reduce the risks before a major accident occurs? My latest:
theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: Why GPS jamming puts commercial flights at risk
NATO should seek to discuss electronic warfare with Russia to make the skies safer for everyone
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Are you a comfortable flyer? My latest, as a gift article:
theglobeandmail.com
Why GPS jamming puts commercial flights at risk
NATO should seek to discuss electronic warfare with Russia to make the skies safer for everyone
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
A pair of Juncos is raising four noisy chicks in a hanging flower pot just 3 metres from where I've been writing all week. It's been a joy to share in their journey, and to think that I've provided some protection against marauding crows or jays.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Boycott FIFA
theguardian.com
Omar Artan scandal reveals Gianni Infantino for what he is: one of sport’s greatest cowards | Jonathan Liew
The Fifa president has prostrated the organisation before Donald Trump and lost control of his own tournament as a result
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Rachel Gilmore is doing some of the best reporting in Canada today. @thetyee.ca @rachelgilmore.bsky.social
thetyee.ca
A Racist Group Is Trying to Gain Legitimacy in Canadian Politics | The Tyee
The Dominion Society is part of an international far-right movement proposing mass deportations.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
CBC The National came to Salt Spring Island for part of this report on Canada's choice between South Korean and German-Norwegian submarines. It was a beautiful day on the boardwalk!
cbc.ca
Why Canada’s new sub purchase is about more than picking a boat
Canada will soon choose between South Korean and German bids to replace its aging submarine fleet, but it's not just the vessels under review. For the National, Lyndsay Duncombe breaks down how both s...
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Michèle Champagne @michelechampagne.com · 31/05/2026
2001 – “What if the decision-makers in Washington see things differently? What if ... respect and equality are not part of the arrangement? What if their sole aim is the advancement of the American national interest, whatever the costs to Canada?” – @michael-byers.bsky.social – for @lrb.co.uk
lrb.co.uk
Michael Byers · Too Close to the USA: Canada’s reluctance to stand up for itself
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Kathryn Harrison @profkharrison.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
PM Carney and Min Hodgson responded to Guilbeault's resignation and Ksi Lisims' LNG contract saying "the world has changed." Yes Donald Trump has disrupted global markets and threatened Canada's economy. Know what else has changed? The global climate.Temps just hit 46C in India. And it's only May.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Remember this?
centralalbertaonline.com
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith meets with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with president-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago residence. In a released statement, Smith said the two had a
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Mark Carney might look good from abroad, but when it comes to climate change, more and more Canadians are realizing that he's bad.
theguardian.com
Canadian prime minster Mark Carney is not the climate guy you thought | Seth Klein
While Canada may be clinging to fossil fuels, much of the world is moving on
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
$800 for a four-star downtown Vancouver hotel. That's what it cost a public university to put me up for one night (for a workshop) last week.
globalnews.ca
Fans disappointed over ticket, hotel costs during World Cup in Vancouver | Globalnews.ca
Chris Van Brockhoven booked his trip to Vancouver last summer in the hopes of attending a World Cup match, but after learning the cost of admission, his group felt forced to pivot.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I wrote this piece in 2014. Today, the Canadian government followed my advice - while choosing a newer, better model of plane for the replacements.
nationalpost.com
Michael Byers: Snowbirds, grounded
Repeated procurement delays mean that Canada's Air Force acrobats will soon need to park their 50-year-old planes
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
I was invited to speak at the Web Summit, smelled a rat, and declined. Which makes me wonder, is anyone scrutinizing speaking invitations for BC Premier David Eby and Canadian AI Minister Evan Solomon?
thetyee.ca
Far-Right Speakers Given a Perch at Vancouver’s Web Summit | The Tyee
Pro-dictatorship Curtis Yarvin, Canadian YouTuber Lauren Southern and a vaccine basher addressed the tech confab.
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Michael Byers 🇨🇦 @michael-byers.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Canada missed a clear chance to remove the British monarch from its currency. Am I the only one bothered by this?
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