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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Canada talks a good game on the international stage, but we're increasingly derelict on one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. Where is the leadership? The PM and premiers appear to be racing to the bottom on climate action.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The world is fast approaching a series of major climate-induced shifts. For those following the developments, keep your eyes on the oceans, which are the main thermoregulators of Earth's climate system.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

As the Ontario government doubles down on nuclear refurbishments, we should all be asking ourselves how much the energy context has changed since 1986. Hint: a lot! Do we really want to sink billions into expensive and underperforming nuclear when renewables have never been cheaper?

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

El Niño is entering uncharted territory well before its expected peak. This will provide a glimpse of the climate chaos to come, and a powerful lesson in the urgency of lowering emissions now. Every fraction of a degree matters for lives and livelihoods.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Now for some good news. Trump may be the most accidental environmentalist in history - fallout from the war in Iran has caused global fossil-fuel emissions to fall by around 0.5% in 2026. The world has never been more eager to switch to renewables. www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-glo...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This is damning, and appropriately so. The federal government was one of the last bulwarks for climate action in Canada. Now they're dozing asleep at the wheel. "At the current rate, [Canada] ... will be lucky to hit its 2030 target in 2050." 440megatonnes.ca/insight/net-...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

For years, China was trotted out as the counterpoint to any argument for climate action. "What about China?," went the refrain. Now that China is leapfrogging the world in renewable energy, we should all take a closer look at what they're doing right.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Behold, as the Eye of Mordor gazes inward upon itself.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

‘Doug Ford has waged a Trump-like war on bike lanes. Here’s how Toronto can fight back.’ www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This is from Environment Canada's new report on climate impacts. This report was quietly released today, with the minister not available for comment. This should be required reading for everyone in Canada. The climate crisis is here. Every action we take matters.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Uruguay, Denmark, Namibia and others are seizing momentum on clean and cheap energy. Canada has some serious catching up to do. - Canada is at 9% (well below the G7 ave. of 19%) - ON is around 10% - BC is around 5% - AB has new rules to restrict renewables (!)

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Once the clear leader in Canada's clean energy transition, Alberta now needs to play catch-up after banning renewables. Canada can't afford the same own-goals as the US on clean energy. It's time to triple renewable energy production in every province.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Perhaps in a fit of masochism, I signed up for Macdonald Laurier Institute's newsletter(s). Their framing of the US-Canadian trade war as a bit of both sides-ism (see below) is absurd and out of touch. Why does the Canadian right think this is a viable messaging approach?

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Seniors' + faith groups are doing some of the best climate organizing out there. Huge shout out to Seniors’ Climate Witness, who are conducting a cross-Canada caravan to bring home the reality of the climate crisis to Canadians. Learn more here: jwdgyrb.clicks.mlsend.com/tl/cl/eyJ2Ij...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

From @politico.com's Ottawa bureau. It couldn't be more obvious: Canada wins the trade war if we bring the pain on energy prices. I'd say it's time to call up Danielle Smith, but she's on vacation in the US right now.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

People don't appreciate just how much the oceans affect all life on Earth. Back in the day, climate deniers talked about a "hiatus" on global warming. It turned out the oceans were absorbing huge amounts of heat. Now the oceans are hotter than ever. Maybe they've had enough.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Canada's wildfire season isn't over yet, but we already know that climate change made this season worse. Climate change is primarily caused by burning coal, oil and gas. Canada is making it worse with more oil exports. More details here: www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-chan...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

From @ieefainstitute.bsky.social. Some states are red, some states are blue. When it comes to the clean energy transition, the reality of climate impacts and the market logic of renewables can* supersede political differences. * Still waiting on Trump + Alberta to get the memo.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

From Pew Research. The election of Trump has amounted to catastrophic self-harm by the American electorate.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Carbon capture and storage is the Hail Mary pass of the oil and gas industry (and Canada's climate plans). If it works, it could mean something like business as usual for oil companies, even as we tackle climate change. But how well does it actually work? www.carbonbrief.org/qa-does-the-...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Climate inaction costs lives and grinds down the economy. Check out these new numbers from @climateinstitute.bsky.social. When it comes to wildfires, the acute damages are massively outweighed by chronic costs - as in, sick Canadians who are dying earlier.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Fascinating polling from Angus Reid. Concern for climate is rebounding and is chewing into Carney's lead. We need to see all parties racing to the top on climate change. It's time to stop scraping the bottom of the barrel.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Just found this image on @markhamhislop.bsky.social's Substack. It hits the nail on the head. I guess AI is useful for something!

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Having worked on clean energy issues for a while, there's a lot of BS out there (especially on X). Sharing to help clear the air :)

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

As fire season begins in earnest across Canada, check out this graphic courtesy of Canada’s National Observer.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Like so many of the foreign policy and energy moves under the Trump regime, the US-Israel war on Iran is an own goal of epic proportions. Maybe the US plans to bypass the Thucydides Trap by simply ceding the entire playing field to China?

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Here’s a helpful graphic from @projectdrawdown.bsky.social. The world produces enough calories to feed 14.5 billion people, but we’re largely choosing to feed cows and cars, with devastating implications for climate.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

From @gzeromedia.com: “More than 80% of the agricultural impacts of El Niño are expected to hit low- and middle-income countries." In this context, I imagine the foreign aid cuts from countries like the US and UK will have particularly devastating impacts.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I continue to be puzzled when supposed fiscal conservatives back nuclear over cleaner alternatives. If it can't compete with renewables on cost, what's the rationale?

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

In today's episode of Why Alberta's Renewables Moratorium Makes No Sense, let's look at battery storage capacity in Canada. Battery storage has risen 25x since 2016. Batteries are what makes wind and solar functional at scale. ON has gotten the memo. Will AB come around?

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

So proud to be a part of this landmark lawsuit against the federal government over their climate plan. Canada has climate targets but appears to be planning to fail. This urgently needs to change. Read more here: ecojustice.ca/news/youth-u...

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Happy Monday. We have important work to do. Let's get on with it.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

I love this breakdown of potential economic scenarios, courtesy of @natehagens.bsky.social. I know where I'd like to go, and we have the tools to get there.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

As it turns out, Canadians are not cool with oil and gas companies making money hand over fist while they struggle with increased prices from Trump's dumb war. The time has come for a tax on the excess profits of oil and gas corporations, with revenues used to help Canadians lower energy bills.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Interesting factcheck (esp. for UK conservatives spreading disinformation about net zero): the US and Iran are now the world’s only major emitters without net-zero targets. Of course, what countries are doing to meet their targets is another question entirely.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

From the folks at @gzeromedia.com. The downstream consequences of the US-Israel war on Iran have changed the energy trajectories of countries all over the world. And the US - with its drill baby drill ethos - is precisely on the wrong side of the global trend.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Some good news for your Monday morning. Wind and solar are eating fossils' lunch when it comes to electricity generation. This is an important note to provinces that use lots of gas. Here's looking at you, ON, AB, SK, NS and NB!

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Under Carney, Canada is racing in the wrong direction on climate action.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

With energy trends like this, it's no wonder some provinces (like Ontario) are belatedly ramping up renewable energy procurement. But too many (like Alberta) still have rules in place designed to prioritize fossil fuels over clean energy.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Beware the populists, for they are often more corrupt than the so-called elites they vie to replace.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Renewables are crushing the competition in the world of electricity generation. They're cheaper, they don't ruin our health and they don't overheat the planet. Canadian provincial governments need to pay attention. The status quo is no longer an option. @cape-acme.bsky.social

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Some politicians will use just about any argument to dismantle climate policy, even if it makes no sense at all. If we really want to verb-the-noun to get prices down, how about "Stop the war," not "Axe the tax"? Check this out. 👇 @cape-acme.bsky.social

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Graphic from @ieefainstitute.bsky.social I remember when people told us that renewable generation would always be a marginal factor in grids. You can still hear versions of this today. If it wasn't obvious already, those arguments were never right to begin with. @cape-acme.bsky.social

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Yes! There are so many more options for 'projects of national interest' than pipelines and LNG. Canadians want solutions - better homes, a clean and connected grid, and an expanded EV charging network, among others. Let's get to work. @cape-acme.bsky.social

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

New analysis from @climateinstitute.bsky.social: Canada is off course for its climate goals, with more riding on a few policies. It's time to get serious, Canada. We need to weave climate progress into efforts to build a clean + connected economy independent of the US. @cape-acme.bsky.social

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

I was born when global temperatures were around 0.5°C. My son was born at around 1.1°C. Climate change is no longer a distant threat, but the choices we make today will dictate its severity and impacts. Every fraction of a degree matters. @cape-acme.bsky.social

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

As the Trump administration comes up with ever more exotic justifications to eat dead animals, this graphic might be of interest to some. Courtesy of @projectdrawdown.bsky.social and HEATED.

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Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Great graphic from the folks at @cleanenergycanada.org that shows Canada falling dangerously behind in the global race on EVs. Just saying: 2026 would be a great year for the feds to get serious about climate change again. @cape-acme.bsky.social

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