Features

Jury duty – defendant plastics

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We are reminded daily that plastics are the bane of humanity, and that something must be done. We demand action at the voting booth, and we vote with our wallets when we make purchasing decisions. Politicians have acted with bag bans, and companies have created new products to replace evil plastic. It is a time to rejoice, as justice has been done. Or has it?

Canadian energy modelling flawed and futile

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The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) recently published Canada’s Energy Future 2023, Energy Supply and Demand Projections to 2050 which "explores how possible energy futures might unfold for Canadians over the long term.”

Dividend-paying stocks a good place to be for now

Read more about Dividend-paying stocks a good place to be for now

Over the last 18 months, inflation has been the main concern for investors. In my opinion, it is primarily a monetary policy phenomenon, due to excess government spending, quantitative easing, and other monetary stimuli in which central banks around the world have been engaging since March of 2020.

Can climate be litigated?

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As public discourse about climate change and climate crisis escalate to the point that the Secretary General of the United Nations talks about “global boiling”, we hear more and more about lawsuits launched against organizations accused of creating or failing to stop greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

Recognizing roots of global energy crisis might help us move toward solutions

Read more about Recognizing roots of global energy crisis might help us move toward solutions

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago is one of the great tragedies of the 21st century – millions of lives lost or disrupted, untold destruction, and economic upset throughout the world. The International Energy Agency (IEA) tells us that one of the terrible outcomes of the invasion and subsequent war was to create a global energy crisis (Where things stand in the global energy crisis one year on). In this commentary, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol says:

Investing in real estate in 2023

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Real estate is one of the best – if not, the best – asset class for wealth accumulation and wealth preservation. It generally keeps up with inflation, and it can generate income. While it is sensitive to interest rates and macroeconomic conditions, it is far less volatile than equities/stocks, with equities being the other main wealth accumulation asset class.

AI: Where are we and where are we going?

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It is difficult to assess the “state of the art” when it comes to artificial intelligence because in the time it has taken you to read this sentence, AI has advanced. Unlike any other scientific endeavour that humans have undertaken – which tend to progress relatively systematically with the occasional breakthrough – AI is in a period of mind-blowing, unpredictable change.

Trash talk: are microplastics truly the horror story we are being told?

Read more about Trash talk: are microplastics truly the horror story we are being told?

Those of you who subscribed to BIG Media Ltd. in the news platform’s inaugural year of 2021 might remember a piece I wrote about the power of critical thinking. I examined the idea of a “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (https://bigmedia.ca/taking-a-critical-look-at-the-great-pacificgarbage-patch/) – an area in the Pacific Ocean reportedly the size of a small country, and so densely packed with floating garbage that it presents a massive environmental hazard.

26% of Canadians intend to buy investment property within five years, survey says

Read more about 26% of Canadians intend to buy investment property within five years, survey says

More than a quarter of Canadians have plans to purchase an investment property in the next five years according to a new survey from Royal LePage, while high interest rates have some real estate investors thinking about selling.

The survey, conducted by Leger, found that 26% of respondents said they are likely to buy an investment property within five years. Eleven per cent of Canadians currently own an investment property, and just over half of those investors said they planned to buy another within five years.

Inflation, interest rates to constrict growth in Canadian cities in 2023

Read more about Inflation, interest rates to constrict growth in Canadian cities in 2023

Canadian cities will see slow growth throughout 2023 as higher borrowing costs and inflation continue to affect local economies, according to research by the Conference Board of Canada.

“Major cities across Canada have largely recovered from the impacts of the pandemic, but new challenges are on the horizon,” said Jane McIntyre, principal economist at the Conference Board of Canada.

"Reduced consumer confidence across most of the country, inflation, and constricted labour markets will hamper growth in most cities."