There’s a way to reduce fertilizer use and make all agricultural production much more environmentally friendly: controlled environment agriculture
When we look at climate change, the future for many seems to hold only short-term despair and long-term disaster. Will humans be able to survive, let alone prosper? Before we let today’s doomsters depress us, let’s look at an earlier apocalyptic forecast. Around the turn of the 19th century, Thomas Malthus predicted the end of…
People who have worked in customer service jobs are now avoiding these positions at all costs
It should be good news. Canada now has the lowest unemployment rate ever. Certainly, a high unemployment rate is bad news. When the rate hits double digits with one in 10 out of work, the economy is in trouble and Canadian workers – and politicians – become fearful about getting and keeping a job. But…
May be a solution for most of the homeless people in Canada
As most of us remembered on Canada Day, this is a pretty good country to live in. It’s hard to think of a better one. But it’s not perfect. We do have some serious problems that need fixing, like homelessness. In a country as rich as Canada, no one should have to go hungry, and…
Increasing wages works to some extent. But retraining and being a better boss will do more
There are many challenges to running a business, including getting capital, getting customers and meeting the competition. Add staffing to the list. Hiring workers used to be less difficult. Any vacancy announcement attracted many more applicants than employers were able to consider. But now, there are multiple vacancies for every able, willing and available worker.…
As if plagues and wars aren’t enough, the media is scaring us about oncoming food shortages. We’re already seeing rising prices in restaurants and grocery stores, and we’re being warned about actual famines in other countries. There are three main causes. One is the damage to the supply chain movements caused by the pandemic. Hopefully,…
Buying only what we really need eases our budgets, simplifies our lives and cools the economy
Inflation is a relatively new concept to younger people, who have never experienced the onslaught of rising prices. It’s chilling to those who have lived through or learned of times when hard-earned and well-saved money depreciated in value. Monetary policy in Canada aims to keep inflation at or under two per cent. The latest rate…
Self-sufficiency and even reduced trade will lead to a much lower standard of living
Three major factors are drastically changing the world: climate change, the pandemic and, most recently, the war in Ukraine. Much of the conventional wisdom that we learned in school and that still governs many political decisions seems no longer to apply. COVID-19, climate change and attempted conquests appear to give more credence to the often…
Oil tankers off West coast are bad but drilling for oil off Newfoundland's coast is OK
We all know politics is the art of the possible. Perfection isn’t for the real world. We aren’t surprised when tradeoffs and the occasional compromise creep into government policies. Nor do we require elected members of government, even at the ministerial level, to be experts in their portfolio areas, although we expect them to avail…
This time it’s different. That statement should usually be taken with a grain of salt. But right now, it’s a very good description of what’s happening in the business environment. Market economies function by balancing supply and demand for goods, services and inputs such as labour. When trouble arises, it’s usually in the form of…
We need to stop the self-immolation of our energy sector before the next crisis strikes
How to end the conflict created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is top of mind. Most of the world, including Canada, wants this nasty war resolved in Ukraine’s favour. To do this, steps need to be taken to limit Russian aggression, short of the direct military engagement that could lead to an all-out multinational,…
When we look at climate change, the future for many seems to hold only short-term despair and long-term disaster. Will humans be able to survive, let alone prosper? Before we let today’s doomsters depress us, let’s look at an earlier apocalyptic forecast. Around the turn of the 19th century, Thomas Malthus predicted the end of…
