Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 19hSounds about right, sadly. Satire is hitting different nowadays. www.thebeaverton.com/2026/10/carn...thebeaverton.com 092
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026The 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. 031
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026The 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. 0128
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Here's some free advice to politicians. Yes, oil pipelines are having a moment in terms of public support. But you know what Canadians hate? Publicly subsidizing the oil and gas industry while climate change rampages out of control. www.nationalobserver.com/2026/09/29/n...nationalobserver.comDoug Ford says he'll spend public money on east-west oil pipelineOntario’s premier sees no reason why it should take more than four years to build a 3,300 kilometre pipeline between Alberta and his province. “We just believe that it can get done,” he said. 041
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026This is a major problem: Canadian media aren't connecting the dots on wildfires and climate change. If we want to get serious about tackling wildfires in a heating world, we need to know a major cause: burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. reclimate.ca/what-canadas...reclimate.caWhat Canada’s Wildfire Media Coverage Is Missing: Climate Change - Re.ClimateWhen wildfires strike, the news focuses on what’s happening now. But Canadians also need to understand why wildfires are getting worse and what can be done to solve it. 295
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Politicians in Canada are afraid to admit the truth: tackling climate change means phasing out coal, oil + gas. Germany has a plan to do it in 19 years. Does Canada really want to sell the last drop of oil in a world on fire? www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...ctvnews.caGermany maps out fossil fuel exit, backing EVs, heat pumpsGermany’s cabinet approved a roadmap on Wednesday to phase out coal, oil and gas by 2045, reaffirming a climate strategy focused on electrification despite a minister’s call for more flexibility on ca... 040
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026This feels timely. Let's add some nuance to the noise. "The health behaviours with the strongest evidence are often the least exciting: regular movement, enough sleep, not smoking, sustainable eating patterns ... and access to primary care." healthydebate.ca/2026/09/abou...healthydebate.caMost wellness trends aren’t wrong. They’re just not always worth it - Healthy Debate 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026As 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? 210
Reposted by Robb Barnes 🇨🇦Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 24/09/2026My latest @newscientist.com cartoon. many more here: www.newscientist.com/author/tom-gauld/ 332922746
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026El 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. 022
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026As it turns out, large portions of the Canadian public don't like publicly subsidizing pipelines in 2026 any more than they did when Trudeau bought Trans Mountain in 2018. Politicians should be paying close attention. www.theenergymix.com/solid-majori...theenergymix.comSolid Majorities of Liberal Voters in 12 Ontario Ridings Oppose Pipeline Subsidies, Environmental Rollbacks: New PollThe Carney government’s plan to subsidize the new West Coast Pipeline and roll back environmental protections is harming its standing with voters in a dozen key ridings in Ontario, according to pollin... 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026So-called "regenerative agriculture" is a lot of industry spin. Don't buy claims that it can somehow make beef climate-friendly. Grazing cattle is the single largest land-use humans have undertaken, with seismic impacts on climate and the environment drawdown.org/insights/eig...drawdown.orgEight reasons regenerative grazing can’t make beef climate-friendlyAn influential regenerative grazing movement continues to grow. But here's why the science doesn't back up the purported climate benefits. 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Bike lanes as woke culture war idols is one of the most unfortunate bits of Trumpism coming out of the Ford government at the moment. Bikes are actually just a healthy way to get around, and one that takes traffic off the road. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comWhy is the Trump administration calling bike lanes ‘DEI’? | Dave SchillingThe government apparently has an issue with paths for cyclists. Take it from someone who can’t ride a bike: this makes no sense 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026We already knew air pollution damaged mental health, but new research shows it's associated with an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comAir pollution linked to higher suicide risk, international research suggestsAnalysis of 29 studies highlights potentially heightened danger from small particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Now 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... 020
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Along with 99% of humanity, I'm hoping the US midterms turn Trump into the lame duck he was always meant to be. The climate crisis hasn't gone away, and urgently needs attention. Canada is now 20 years behind. www.theenergymix.com/canada-is-no...theenergymix.comCanada Now More Than 20 Years Behind Its 2030 Emissions Target, With Net-Zero Nowhere in SightThe latest analysis from 440 Megatonnes shows that the country’s current climate policy package would leave emissions stubbornly high through mid-century. 020
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Retroactively revising a climate assessment to recast worst-case climate scenarios as implausible is peak ostrich territory, even for the Trump administration. www.latimes.com/environment/...latimes.comTrump administration wants to revise the latest National Climate Assessment — three years after publicationExperts said amending the finalized federal climate report would be unprecedented. 000
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026This 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-... 142
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Anyone communicating on climate change has been told to focus on good news stories, or tie in the issue du jour (e.g., affordability) for maximum success. All to the good. But we must also tell the terrifying truth if we expect real change. www.hilltimes.com/2026/09/07/i...hilltimes.comIt’s time to stop sugar-coating the climate crisis - The Hill TimesWe are trapped on the up escalator, and we need to stop the warming now. 031
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Wow! Un sondage Léger montre que 79 % des Québécois souhaitent obliger les grandes entreprises polluantes à payer pour les dommages climatiques. Merci aux électeurs du Québec d'avoir compris l'urgence de la situation. www.ledevoir.com/actualites/e...ledevoir.comLes Québécois veulent faire payer les dommages climatiques aux grands pollueursUn nouveau sondage révèle un fort soutien de cette proposition chez les sympathisants des cinq grands partis. 020
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026"I believe if the hand of man has caused these difficulties in the ecosystems, then the hand of man should be out there, trying to make an improvement to the problems." www.cbc.ca/news/science...cbc.caStreams are drying up in B.C. — and volunteers are racing to save fish | CBC NewsAs drought dries B.C. streams, volunteers are moving stranded salmon and other fish to deeper water. But scientists warn rescue efforts are becoming harder to sustain as waterways shrink and extreme h... 000
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026It's so great to see Nova Scotians embracing the energy transition for what it is: a massive opportunity for the province. www.theenergymix.com/2-3-of-nova-...theenergymix.com2/3 of Nova Scotians Support Wind West Project, with Questions Still to be AnsweredWith Nova Scotia getting closer to inviting bids for Canada’s first offshore wind farms, a new poll says nearly three-quarters of Nova Scotians “hold a positive impression of offshore wind energy” and... 031
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Canada is heating up - and is quite literally on fire in some places. Canada's future under a rapidly warming climate will make the floods, heat and fire of recent summers feel like a fond memory. Canada's governments have the tools to act. Now's the time. www.theenergymix.com/calls-for-fa...theenergymix.comCalls for Faster Electrification, Fossil Phaseout as Scientists Predict Massive Warming Across CanadaLast week’s Canada’s Changing Climate Report is a call for faster action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift the economy to clean electricity, analysts say, after the government reported that... 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026When the temperature heats up, so do emergency rooms. As Dr. Courtney Howard points out, "[T]he price of climate change is increased illness, strain on our health care system and health care costs." www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/world/heat-m...thecanadianpressnews.caHeat makes emergency rooms busier. Study shows which illness and injuries rise during hot spellsWASHINGTON (AP) — When the temperature heats up, so do emergency rooms, according to a massive study of Chicago hospital and urgent care records, which found increased accidental gunshot wounds, 012
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Much of the world has made real progress against air pollution, but climate-fuelled heatwaves and wildfires are leading to disease and premature death. The good news? Clean energy helps tackle air pollution while also stemming the climate crisis. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comHeatwaves and wildfires are setting back air quality improvements, UN findsWMO report details extreme weather events causing climatic feedback loop with serious health consequences 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026For 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. 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Behold, as the Eye of Mordor gazes inward upon itself. 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Like many boneheaded populist measures, free parking sounds benign on paper but is terrible in practice. Ottawa needs real policy debate in this election, not more red meat for people who want to drive and park downtown. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...cbc.caFree on-street parking would create bigger hurdles, urbanism groups say | CBC NewsAn Ottawa mayoral candidate's pitch to make on-street parking free would create more hurdles for drivers and not help businesses, some groups say. 011
Reposted by Robb Barnes 🇨🇦Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 15/03/2026An amazing member of ours put together this graphic that really encapsulates perfectly the situation on Bank Street. There is only so much space available, and we must use it as efficiently as possible. Parking isn't that. Please sign up to delegate on March 30th in favour of bus lanes! 2362103
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... 063
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026This 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. 22915
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Uruguay, 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 (!) 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Alberta is again working to undermine renewables. After a ban on new builds, Smith has essentially add a new tax on solar. This damages AB jobs, energy resilience and climate action at a time when so many other places (Europe, China, India) are moving ahead. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...thestar.comAlberta government touts Oct. 1 launch of $14 solar panel recycling fee, landfill banAlbertans purchasing new solar panels next month will face a hefty fee for recycling them. 020
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Once 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. 084
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Perhaps 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? 000
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026This year, as Canadians reeled from climate impacts and the world reeled from war, Canadian oil executives’ stock holdings increased by over $1 billion. It's time for an excess profits tax on oil and gas. www.desmog.com/2026/08/27/c...desmog.comCanadian Oil Executives’ Stock Holdings Increased by Over $1 Billion Amid War and WildfiresExecutives at Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Suncor, and Imperial Oil saw their personal stock holdings and options skyrocket this year, according to a DeSmog analysis. 022
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Why is SK doubling down on coal? More coal costs >2x renewables. The upside? There isn't one. Coal is linked to cancer, heart attacks and pregnancy complications. And it turbocharges climate change. There is a better way. SK just needs to take it. www.theenergymix.com/coal-extensi...theenergymix.comCoal Extension Will Cost Saskatchewan 2x as Much as Renewables: ReportSet to become the last coal-dependent province in Canada, Saskatchewan is choosing the most expensive electricity option out to 2050, one that stands to squeeze household and business budgets just as ... 111
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 03/09/202626,000,000 Canadians. 930 communities. Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, climate denial becomes impossible in a world on fire. There's still time to act. Phasing out fossil fuels needs to be humanity's primary mission www.theenergymix.com/26m-canadian...theenergymix.com26M Canadians in 930 Communities Faced Climate Impacts So Far This Year, New Map ShowsMore than 26 million Canadians in more than 930 communities, more than 60% of the population, have personally faced the impacts of climate change so far this year, the #ElbowsUp for Climate campaign r... 33117
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026I have no doubt it's extremely hard to be a minister. But those who have gone before have lessons to offer. Here's one from Catherine McKenna: "[The oil + gas industry] made all these promises when I was minister and they broke all of them." corporateknights.com/leadership/c...corporateknights.comCatherine McKenna wants Canada to get smarter about climate and affordability | Corporate KnightsINTERVIEW | It's time to look beyond the United States and catch up to the rest of the world, the former environment minister says 14724
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026If only Ford could stick to dumping on Trump. Unfortunately, he's got lots of power and some very retrograde ideas around congestion (hint: you solve it by removing cars and roads, not bike and bike lanes). He also seems intent on punishing Toronto. www.thestar.com/news/gta/for...thestar.comDoug Ford’s government is officially taking bids to remove 19 km of bike lanes from Toronto’s streetsPremier Doug Ford’s government has issued an RFP to remove more than 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes on major Toronto streets. Read more. 120
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Politicians are once again singing the praises of pipelines, imagining they will us from a vindictive US. But serious analysis says a new pipeline is a very dodgy bet, especially since oil demand is slated to peak before the pipeline gets built. ieefa.org/articles/ass...ieefa.orgAssessing Alberta’s proposed West Coast Oil PipelineSeptember 1, 2026 (IEEFA) – The Government of Alberta is proposing a pipeline that could transport 1 million barrels of crude per day between Alberta and the West Coast of British Columbia, but the la... 020
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Seniors' + 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... 073
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026From @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. 010
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Air pollution may be damaging every organ and virtually every cell in the human body. Check out this great deep dive. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comRevealed: air pollution may be damaging 'every organ in the body'Exclusive: Comprehensive analysis finds harm from head to toe, including dementia, heart and lung disease, fertility problems and reduced intelligence 000
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Fossil fuels, and the wildfires they accelerate by way of global heating, are a disaster for public health - causing organ damage, miscarriages, dementia + more. But cities are leading the way with solutions that boost health in all sorts of ways. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comAir pollution affects us all, but there is a way we can breathe easierIn this week’s newsletter: contaminants from fossil fuels, traffic and wildfires damage nearly every part of our bodies – but initiatives such as low-emission zones and cycle routes can make our citie... 000
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Great pice by Dr. Margaret McGregor. Carney talks about methane gas as a "transition fuel," but this is a classic fossil fuel industry canard. Methane gas is a trap - worsening climate and air quality impacts at a time when we desperately need clean energy. healthydebate.ca/2026/08/abou...healthydebate.caPM’s misnomer of methane gas as a ‘transition fuel’ is distressing - Healthy Debate 000
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 28/08/2026My latest on Substack: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for pervert glasses robbbarnes.substack.com/p/ask-not-wh...robbbarnes.substack.comAsk not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for pervert glassesWho would have thought that it would take pervert glasses to bridge the once-intractable divide between left and right? 021
Robb Barnes 🇨🇦 @robb-barnes.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Climate change is exposing 583 million children to 20 extra ‘heat-stress days’ every year. This is intergenerational violence of the highest order. How long will we sacrifice the lives of future generations to prop up a failing status quo? www.carbonbrief.org/climate-chan...carbonbrief.orgClimate change exposes 580 million children to 20 extra ‘heat-stress days’ every year - Carbon BriefMore than 40% of children under the age of 10 globally are already experiencing at least 20 additional “heat-stress days” due to climate change. 010