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A Quebecer noticed a strange circular pit on Google Maps while planning a trip; scientists have now confirmed it is a 390-million-year-old meteorite impact crater
In late 2023, amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe was doing something very ordinary: Mapping out forest roads for a summer road trip in Quebec. While zooming around northern regions on Google Maps, he spotted something that looked anything but ordinary.
Kenton County Mayors: Rick Wurth of One Quest Health talks about expanded vision and need to 'transform health'
By Patricia A. Scheyer NKyTribune reporter Rick Wurth is the chief executive officer for One Quest Health, formerly the Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky, and he visited the July monthly meeting of the Kenton County Mayors, held in Ludlow, to give an update on the new vision for the organization. He said the new identity...
Northern Virginia's Business Leaders Turn a Corner
Based on the Q2 2026 NVC/Pinkston Northern Virginia Business Leader Survey.
Canada wildfire smoke map: Health risks as poor air quality hits the Midwest and northern states
More than 100 million people nationwide are under air quality alerts due to wildfire smoke.
Not everything in northern Minnesota is on fire. Many businesses are safe and open.
Civic leaders acknowledge a delicate balance in trying to get the word out that many vacationers shouldn’t cancel plans.
All hail the World Cup town of East Rutherford, a deserving center of the universe
The small borough in northern New Jersey is about to host the biggest sporting event in the world.
Taxes, paid leave program on minds of N. Va. business leaders after General Assembly session
Optimism among Northern Virginia business leaders is improving, although some expressed worries about taxes and the state's approval of a paid family and medical leave program. That's according to the second-quarter 2026 Business Leader Survey released last week by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and public relations firm Pinkston, revealing the sentiments of the
Royal Business Bank Forms New Lending Team and Loan Production Office
RBB Bancorp, together with its bank subsidiary Royal Business Bank, appointed John Curtis as executive vice president and market president of the Northern
How a northern Kentucky teen turned a candy hobby into business sold at Disney World
An 18-year-old from Northern Kentucky has transformed her COVID-era hobby into a thriving business, with her freeze-dried candy now sold at Disney World and other prominent locations.
Warrenton Winery Is Closing After Nearly 20 Years in Business
The founders of Granite Heights Winery in Warrenton announced plans to close the tasting room by the end of the year.
Charlevoix readies annual Venetian Festival. What to know
The Charlevoix Venetian Festival in northern Michigan kicks off this week along Lake Michigan.
Charlevoix readies annual Venetian Festival. What to know
The Charlevoix Venetian Festival in northern Michigan kicks off this week along Lake Michigan.
Gossip: Sunderland among four clubs keen on Muharemovic
Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic remains a target for Premier League clubs with Sunderland, Newcastle, Leeds and Bournemouth all keen on the 23-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina international. Corriere dello Sport via Football Italia) Meanwhile, the Black Cats are aiming to make Roma's 23-year-old Argentine winger Matias Soule their first signing of the summer. He is valued at about 35m euros (£30m) (Northern Echo)
NMU receives state funding for business building
MARQUETTE — As part of Michigan’s 2027 fiscal year budget that was approved by the Legislature July 3, Northern Michigan University received construction authorization for the Northern Enterprise Center, which will house the NMU College of Business. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $22.98 million, according to a university press release. […]
Jim Gracey: Veteran Northern Ireland sports journalist dies
The football journalist worked for The Belfast Telegraph newspaper for over 40 years.
New Mexico behavioral health committee signs off on $8M plan for northern region
The committee tasked with overseeing the repair of New Mexico's behavioral health system approved the second of 13 regional plans.
Hospitals Help: Grand Traverse Mental Health Crisis and Access Center Advances Behavioral Healthcare in Northern Michigan - MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association
Michigan hospitals are working alongside community partners to remove barriers and ensure residents across the state have access to timely, lifesaving behavioral healthcare services. Located on the Munson Medical Center campus, the Grand Traverse Mental Health Crisis and Access Center is transforming care delivery across Northern Michigan by providing around-the-clock…
Opinion | Northern Metropolis’ science and education focus key to Hong Kong’s future
Developing a ‘science and education city’ will put Hong Kong on course to support China’s national strategy.
AEDP and MOVE Business Chamber launch program to help aspiring food entrepreneurs open in Northern Virginia
Free kickoff session July 29 at 1940 Duke Street features owners of Alexandria Restaurant Partners and the top-ranked Teriyaki Madness franchise in the country; eight fully subsidized seats available for Alexandria residents
Overcrowding, lack of clean water among biggest health risks from Venezuela quakes says PAHO
The biggest risks to residents' health following devastating twin earthquakes that ripped across Venezuela's northern coast last month include interruptions to regular medical care, overcrowding in shelters and lack of access to clean water, Jarbas Barbosa, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, said on Thursday.
Overcrowded Shelters, Poor Water Access Pose Health Risks After Venezuela Quakes, PAHO Says
By Julia Symmes Cobb July 9 (Reuters) - The biggest health risks following twin earthquakes that ripped across Venezuela's northern coast last month include interruptions to regular medical care, crowded shelters and lack of access to clean water, the head of the Pan American Health Organization ...
Super Typhoon Bavi
The third category 5 tropical cyclone of 2026 crossed the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands and Guam before continuing toward Asia.
Northern Virginia business optimism rebounds in Q2 as layoff fears hit lowest point in survey's history
18% of respondents are based in Alexandria; tax reduction and right-to-work top policy priorities for Spanberger and General Assembly
Should You Keep or Sell the Family Business? - SPONSOR CONTENT FROM NORTHERN TRUST
Sponsor content from Northern Trust.
Northern Trust sells $1.2B guardianship business to Wintrust
The deal boosts Wintrust’s assets under management in its wealth management business by $1.2 billion.
Healthy Living with Northern Light Health: summer grilling
Summer grilling season is here, and while cookouts are often associated with burgers, hot dogs, and heavy side dishes, the grill can also be a great tool for creating healthy, flavorful meals.
Northern Lights Forecast: Aurora Could Be Visible In Northern States Today—Days After Powerful X-Class Solar Flare
Forecasters expect a coronal mass ejection and a powerful X-class solar flare could impact the Earth starting on Thursday.
7 Indoor Kid Entertainment Venues in Northern Virginia
These Northern Virginia indoor kid entertainment venues include slides, a space-themed playground, a community-centered play café, and more.
The new Pac-12 Conference officially launches with the addition of seven full-time members
July 1, 2026 — Today, seven new full-time member institutions officially join the Pac-12 Conference, including Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State. With the additions, the new Pac-12 features nine full-time members and is set to compete in its first season with the 2026-27 campaign. The league also officially welcomed 12 new affiliate members today across five Olympic sports, including baseball (Dallas Baptist), men’s soccer (Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, UC San Diego), women’s gymnastics (Southern Utah), women’s swimming (Cal Baptist) and wrestling (Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota State). In addition to official member admissions and the launch of the new Pac-12, and amid celebrations across new member communities, the league also made a series of other announcements related to its basketball tournaments, its official sports sponsorship and championships and a special edition content series in promotion of its first football season.
Los Angeles Venezuelans collect aid after deadly earthquake as business owner searches for missing parents
Full Arepas, on Seventh Street near Hill Street, is accepting donations through Tuesday for people affected by the deadly earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela last week. Owner Kelly Montano said her parents are missing near Caracas.
Crusaders placed under transfer embargo by IFA
Crusaders have been placed under a transfer embargo by the Irish Football Association [IFA] after a breach of the Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] rules and regulations.
Northern AZ business stays open for community during power shutoff
Arizona Public Service cut electricity to about 8,000 homes and businesses in the Flagstaff and Grand Canyon area Saturday morning.
CDFW News | Monterey Bay Northern Anchovy and Pacific Sardine Commercial Take Restrictions and Recreational Advisory in Place Due to Public Health Hazard
State health agencies determined that northern anchovy and Pacific sardine recently sampled from Monterey Bay contained elevated levels of domoic acid and recommended a commercial fishery restriction and recreational health advisory in the bay for the take of anchovy and sardine for human consumption in the area.
The science behind the back-to-back earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with earthquake scientist Julia Hubbard of Cornell University about the science behind the multiple earthquakes in Venezuela, Japan and northern California Wednesday.
The NHL Is Considering Bringing More Teams to Texas
The NHL has expanded to new areas in recent years, as the North American hockey league has brought teams to Las Vegas, Utah and Seattle. More expansion could be coming. But while hockey is known for its footprint in northern U.S. states and Canada, the league is considering bringing more of it to ...
Scientists alarmed after two wildfires hit Greenland within a week
Researchers say it is ‘quite wild’ to see fires at such high northern latitudes happen so early in the year
Hospital must pay $23M jury verdict after radiologist misses spinal cord injury on CT
Plaintiff attorneys believe this is the largest non-death-related malpractice payout in the history of Maine, with Brewer-based Northern Light Health system on the hook for the damages.
Bill ensuring health coverage for families of fallen officers in Pa. gets unanimous committee nod
A bill ensuring continuous coverage for families of fallen officers advanced through committee but the cost would fall on cash-strapped municipalities.
As lakes turn brown, trout and bass decline while pike and walleye thrive
Freshwater lakes across North America and Europe are becoming noticeably browner, reducing underwater visibility and reshaping fish populations. Research found that several popular sport fish, including trout, bass, perch, and whitefish, tend to decline in darker waters. Meanwhile, walleye and northern pike often become more abundant because they are better adapted to low-visibility conditions. The shift could change both lake ecosystems and the fishing experience for millions of anglers.
Arcade Music Fest brings the beat back to northern Kentucky
Arcade Music Fest returns to Covington Aug. 8-9 with a new layout, live music, art and $15 VIP tickets.
U.K. Election Results Live Updates: Burnham Wins Makerfield By-Election, Clearing Path to Challenge Starmer
Andy Burnham, the Labour Party’s most popular politician, earned a decisive victory for a parliamentary seat in northern England. The win energizes his bid to become prime minister.
Video: A Small Election Could Change British Politics
Voters in the northern English district of Makerfield cast ballots on Thursday to choose their representative in Parliament, the outcome of which could lead to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ouster.
Rumble Announces Realignment into Two Core Business Units and Renames Newly Acquired Cloud And AI-Infrastructure Business “Quake AI”
Post-merger, Rumble Cloud Renamed Quake AI, Integrating Northern Data OfferingsRumble to Remain the Video and Media Platform’s Core Brand NameCorp...
Rumble Announces Realignment into Two Core Business Units and Renames Newly Acquired Cloud And AI-Infrastructure Business “Quake AI”
Post-merger, Rumble Cloud Renamed Quake AI, Integrating Northern Data Offerings Rumble to Remain the Video and Media Platform’s Core Brand Name Corporate Parent to be Renamed RUM Group Inc. and Will Oversee Two Business Units: Rumble and Quake AI LONGBOAT KEY, Fla., June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rumble (NASDAQ: RUM) today introduced a new business unit and legal name for the company following the closing of its acquisition of Northern Data AG (“Northern Data”). Effective June 18, 2026, under
Cone Health proposes new Forsyth County hospital
Cone Health is proposing a 56-bed, nearly 200,000 square-foot facility along I-70 and the Northern Beltway.
Cone Health proposes new Forsyth County hospital
Cone Health is proposing a 56-bed, nearly 200,000 square-foot facility along I-70 and the Northern Beltway.
After a lifetime in politics, a former Maine congressman finds his biggest fight at home
Mike Michaud avoided scandal for nearly 50 years in state and federal politics. So how did he wind up in one in a small northern Maine town?
After a lifetime in politics, a former Maine congressman finds his biggest fight at home
Mike Michaud avoided scandal for nearly 50 years in state and federal politics. So how did he wind up in one in a small northern Maine town?
Scientists Investigate Strange Rumbling Beneath Utah
Scientists have a new analysis of a mysterious and highly unusual earthquake detected deep below northern Utah back in 1979.
Northern Highland Fishery Research Area Celebrates 80 Years Of Internationally Recognized Fisheries Science
On June 20, 2026, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area (NHFRA), one of the longest-running fisheries research projects in the world.
Not all redheads have freckles: scientists reveal surprising genetic truth - Futura-Sciences
Redhead myths: what’s science and what’s just legend? First, a reality check: redheads are rare. Very rare, in fact. It’s estimated they make up just 1 to 2% of the world’s population. You’ll spot the highest numbers mostly in Scotland and Ireland, but also in pockets across Northern Europe. This...
How the Dangerous Rise in Anti-Immigration Politics Went Mainstream
Violent unrest after a stabbing in Northern Ireland showed the extent to which the far right has taken hold in the U.K., as well as in Europe and the U.S.
6 Northern California casinos an easy drive from Stockton
Explore six casinos near Stockton offering gaming, dining and entertainment options within an easy drive for day trips or weekend getaways.
Build a Forest-Related Business Fast: Free Sierra Commons Training in Auburn This July
Nevada City, Calif. — As demand grows for skilled forest management businesses across California, a Northern California nonprofit is helping entrepreneurs turn that opportunity into a livelihood. Sierra Commons, in partnership with the Sierra Business Council, will host a Forest Entrepreneurship Bootcamp July 18–19 in the Community Room at BriarPatch Co-op’s Auburn location. The two-day […]
Minnesota, facing a shortage of mental health facilities for kids, could lose two more
The state suspended the license of an East Bethel residential treatment facility, while another facility in the northern exurbs is closing this month.
Winston Marshall: UK politicians ‘won’t do anything’ to stop violence
WARNING: Graphic content — Grammy-winning musician Winston Marshall discusses a Sudanese migrant accused in the stabbing of a Belfast man in Northern Ireland on ‘The Will Cain Show.’
Could Control of Congress Run Through Northern Maine?
The state’s vast rural areas, which make up the swing Second Congressional District, will be important in November.
Northern Liberties home to a growing number of LGBTQ+ businesses
Northern Liberties is one of the city's fastest growing neighborhoods and the recent boom has seen more than a dozen LGBTQ+ business owners bringing their entrepreneurial spirit to the community.
San Francisco’s Metropolitan Mosaic
Urban development, green spaces, and maritime activity converge in this Northern California city.
France vs Northern Ireland Highlights 🌎🏆 International Friendly
Check out the full match highlights from the international friendly between France and Ivory Coast.
Advancing Community Health Requires Whole-Person Care
In my years at the bedside and now as a nurse leader in Northern Michigan, I’ve witnessed healthcare at its most complex and its most human.
Two NAU environmental science and policy master’s students receive national conservation scholarships
Northern Arizona University’s School of Earth and Sustainability and the Wyss Foundation have named environmental science and policy graduate students Taylor Hartness and Tia Hatton as 2026-2027 Wyss Conservation Scholars. The prestigious program supports innovative graduate-level education to advance a new generation of leaders in U.S. land conservation. Scholars are chosen for their commitment to conservation and their leadership qualities. They are pursuing interdisciplinary graduate studies to develop effective new approaches to today’s most…
All-new Lab in Kenya Fills Critical Gap in Wildlife Health
/PRNewswire/ -- Conservation stakeholders gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Laboratory in Northern Kenya (LiNK), an all-new veterinary...
Will India Witness The Northern Lights Today? Best Places To Spot Rare Aurora Displays
While most of India is unlikely to witness bright auroras, people in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, and other high altitude northern regions may have a chance.
France's Deschamps Dismisses Saliba Injury Fears, Dembélé Set To Return
France have received a double boost ahead of their final World Cup warm-up fixture against Northern Ireland, with William Saliba's fitness clear and Ousmane Dembélé set for a return.
Newport Italianfest return's to city's Festival Park June 11-14 with full slate of food, fun and family entertainment
One of Northern Kentucky’s most anticipated summer traditions will return to Newport Festival Park from June 11-14, as Newport Italianfest takes kicks off four days of Italian food, live entertainment and family-friendly activities to the riverfront. Located along Riverboat Row between the Purple People Bridge and the Taylor-Southgate Bridge, Italianfest attracts more than 120,000 visitors...
Gil M Soffer
Scope of work: A former federal prosecutor, Soffer became chairman of Katten in 2024, leading 1,500 attorneys and professionals. Previously, he was Chicago managing partner and co-chaired the firm’s litigation practice.Significant case: He serves as a five-year independent monitor in a global opioid settlement and was previously a DOJ/SEC-appointed corporate compliance monitor in a major Foreign Corrupt Practices Act case.Other contributions: Soffer is on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois' Racial Justice Diversity Committee, is WLS-TV/Channel 7's chief legal analyst and headed the Chicago Bar Foundation Investing in Justice Campaign that raised $1.4 million for pro bono services.
Justice Department rushes to defense of Chicago US attorney after weeks of turmoil
After two weeks of turmoil at the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois, the acting attorney general has jumped in to publicly defend his leader on the ground in Chicago, Andrew Boutros.
Things to do in the Loveland area on Saturday: Nearly every NoCo community has a festival happening
Nearly every town in Northern Colorado has a festival happening on Saturday, including Bluegrass & Brews Festival and the Colorado Medieval Festival in Loveland, Berthoud Day, Johnstown BBQ Day, Fort Collins Pride 2026 and FoCo EcoFest…
'Plenty to learn'
Northern Ireland manager Michael McArdle says "there were far too many turnovers" during his side's 2-1 defeat against Turkey in Istanbul.
How I Photograph The Northern Lights With My Phone
With “strong” and even “severe” northern lights forecast for North America on Thursday and Friday, here’s how to photograph aurora with a smartphone.
Ben Affleck’s visit to Luna’s Mexican Grill in Swarthmore sends business to the ‘next level’
Cristina Luna Ramirez's restaurant runs on family and the flavors of northern Mexico. Her current success comes after years of hard work, practice, and adaptability.
'Priority to keep my place in the team'
Northern Ireland defender Ruairi McConville says the friendlies against Guinea and France are a chance "to impress Michael O'Neill and show him what you can do".
Radio scans find no evidence of alien tech from interstellar comet 3I/Atlas
The SETI Institute said Wednesday that extensive radio scans by its telescope in Northern California found no signs of otherworldly technology from our solar system’s latest interstellar visitor.
Health department investigates tuberculosis case at Lloyd Memorial High School
The Northern Kentucky Health Department is investigating a case of active tuberculosis linked to a student at Lloyd Memorial High School, with contact tracing underway for those who had prolonged exposure.
Police investigating after teens break into Lancaster County business
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– Police in Lancaster County are investigating after a group of teenagers broke into a grocery store late Tuesday night. According to the Northern Lancaster County…
Durbin, Duckworth join calls for top prosecutor to resign after ‘Broadview Six’ fumble
The Illinois Democrats say the Northern District's top federal prosecutor has overseen an office marked by "chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct."
KBR (KBR) Valuation Check As PureSAF Win Ties Business To Major Northern Europe SAF Project
KBR (KBR) just announced that NorSAF selected its PureSAF technology for what is planned to be Northern Europe’s largest sustainable aviation fuel and e-SAF plant, a development centered on licensing rather than construction. See our latest analysis for KBR. The NorSAF PureSAF agreement lands as KBR’s 1-day share price return of 1.48% and 7-day return of 4.45% contrast with a year-to-date decline of 13.73% and a 1-year total shareholder return that is down 30.58%. This suggests recent...
Ethiopia holds elections with PM Abiy’s party expected to dominate
Voting will not take place in northern Tigray region and some parts of the Amhara region amid insecurity.
Area business leader, philanthropist Stanley Star dies
One of the northern Chautauqua County's "brilliant" business and community leaders has passed. Stanley Albert Star, who co-founded Cliffstar Corp. and, through extraordinary determination and leadership, built it into the largest and most respected private label beverage company in the United States, died Friday at 89. His obituary notes he was "a devoted husband, loving…
Volunteers to monitor stream health across Grand Traverse Bay Watershed
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., IWPBN/WGTU) -- Volunteers across Northern Michigan will soon head into local streams to help monitor water quality as part of a lo
NL science teacher earns state, national awards
A Northern Lehigh science teacher has been named a recipient of two highly-esteemed awards. Superintendent Matthew J. Link, Ed.D., recently recognized high school science teacher Gabryella Wilder for ...
Astronomers finally solve Saturn’s decades-long spin mystery
A decades-old mystery about Saturn has finally been solved thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists discovered that Saturn’s changing “rotation rate” was never caused by the planet speeding up or slowing down, but by powerful winds high in its atmosphere. Webb’s unprecedented observations revealed that Saturn’s northern lights actively heat the atmosphere, creating winds that generate electrical currents, which then power the aurora all over again in a self-sustaining cycle.
UNI takes fourth in 2025-26 MVC All-Sports Trophy race
ST. LOUIS --- The University of Northern Iowa claimed fourth place in the race for the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) All-Sport Trophy during the 2025-26...
MVC Announces 2025-26 Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Teams
Northern Iowa’s David Russell and Evansville’s Taylor Johnson highlight the 2025-26 Missouri Valley Conference Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Teams as they have been selected as the MVC Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Renown Health partners to launch first OB/GYN residency in Northern Nevada
The program will train future physicians locally and help address a critical shortage of OB/GYN providers across the state.
Caldwell baseball ends season at NJCAA World Series
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute’s baseball team fell in an elimination game on Sunday morning to Northern Essex Community College, 13-9, to begin the second
Northern Mich. woman becomes state's first to receive combined intestinal, kidney transplant
In January, Bri Dery became first person in state to receive a combined intestinal and kidney transplant. She lived with a gastrointestinal illness for years.
Inside Valley Politics: Candidates in Democratic runoff races face off
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — As Democratic candidates approached the runoff election finish line, they gathered in Harlingen to face off one last time. The Northern Cameron County Democrats h…
AOC tells New Yorkers to ‘pull up’ to Alabama during rally speech behind bulletproof glass
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sparks controversy with fiery Alabama rally speech urging northern progressives to "pull up" to southern red states.
Uncovering the science of aurorae
The physics behind the northern lights is just as colorful as their mythology, and we have sought to understand these lights for a long time.
Sutter Health Recognized in Anthem Blue Cross Annual Care Provider Recognition Program
Not-for-Profit Healthcare System’s Medical Groups Honored Among the Top Healthcare Providers in Anthem’s National Network NORTHERN CALIF. – Sutter Health today announced it earned recognition as one of only four California recipients in Anthem Blue Cross’ Care Provider Recognition Program. Developed in collaboration with Anthem’s affiliated health plans, the program honors top-performing medical groups nationwide […]
Learn about forests, beavers and butterflies at free Northern Michigan science talks
Ten weeks of presentations cover forest ecology, global pollution, biodiversity genomics, and other environmental topics at the University of Michigan facility.
May Fair Draws Crowds for Four Days of Entertainment
The Dixon May Fair returned May 7-10 for its 149th rendition, bringing carnival rides, live music, livestock exhibitions and community traditions to Northern California’s oldest fair.
Suspected hantavirus case in Illinois tests negative, health officials say
Illinois health officials say a suspected hantavirus case in northern Illinois that was believed to be unrelated to the cruise ship outbreak has tested negative.
NextEra bets $66.8B on AI power boom with Dominion Energy acquisition
NextEra Energy announced a $66.8 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy, expanding its reach into Northern Virginia’s booming AI data-center market.
Business People: General Mills veteran Dana McNabb named COO
General Mills, Golden Valley, announced that Dana McNabb has been promoted to chief operating officer, effective June 1. MONO, a Minneapolis- based ad agency, announced the return of Jeffrey Gorder as CEO. Pope Design Group, St. Paul, announced the addition of Sara Rapp as northern Minnesota market lead, based in Duluth.
Now What? With Carbon Pricing Eroded and Pipeline Politics Advancing, Here Are the Pathways for Climate Success
At the end of a whirlwind week of news on carbon pricing and electricity strategy, capping a madcap year of pretty much non-stop, dramatic change, the word across much of Canada’s climate and energy transition community is that climate policy in this country has been shredded. Eviscerated. Hit with a sledgehammer by policy rollbacks that have pushed the country’s 2050 net zero target “well out of reach”. That means it’s never been more important to look for the rays of hope and glimmers of possibility. To glimpse the seeds of the next set of strategies to get Canada’s climate pollution under control and the country into the accelerating global dash away from fossil fuels. And then, once we’ve spotted those possibilities, get on with the hard, day-to-day slog of trying to make them a reality. Nothing takes away from the frustration and the deep disappointment so many climate and energy hawks are expressing, the sense of betrayal by the author of Value(s) and the former UN special envoy for climate action and finance. But we knew two things as the week drew to a close. We’re looking at the world as it most definitely is. And we don’t get to give up finding the pathways to confront climate change and deliver faster, deeper carbon cuts that leave no one else behind. So really, the first question we all have to ask ourselves is: What’s next? Subscribe All the Oxygen in the Room The outpouring of anger and grief over the carbon pricing deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been absolutely understandable. So much of the climate community poured years, more than a decade, into dragging the current federal pricing regime across the finish line, then defending it from a deluge of three-syllable rhymes after the Trudeau government proved utterly incapable of delivering its own message. The policy foisted on us by neo-classical economists took up all the oxygen in the room, burned through years of climate response time that we won’t get back, while cornering climate hawks into the position that the best response to the crisis of our lifetimes is a new tax…in an era of historic anti-tax sentiment. I mean, really—what could possibly have gone wrong? Against that history, let’s appreciate columnist Max Fawcett’s point that even a modest carbon pricing agreement with a government as off-the-wall libertarian/conspiracist as Danielle Smith’s—those adjectives are mine, not Max’s—is a win worth savouring (as long as Smith keeps her promises for a change). But part of living in the world as it is (no, I’m not letting that go) is to be clear-headed about what we can and can’t control. And one thing we get to decide, after seeing this week’s carbon price festivities take up all the oxygen yet again, is whether we want to keep letting that happen. Particularly when success down that road depends on a factor that no one with a climate agenda can control or influence—a provincial carbon pricing mechanism that has been manipulated and eroded beyond its lowest possible denominator. Thankfully, that’s not the way it has to go. Not when we have so many other powerful, practical tools at our disposal, including the ones still available to us through this abominable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta. Tools In Our Toolbox When I started roughing out this list, I didn’t expect it to grow to nearly a dozen bullet points. It’s probably still incomplete. Some of the greatest hits in today’s climate solutions toolbox include: • No Carbon Capture, No Pipeline: On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney explicitly stated that there’s been no change to the MOU provision that there will be no West Coast pipeline without an industry commitment to build its massive, $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage (CCUS) hub in Northern Alberta, and vice versa. The two megaprojects were joined at the hip when the MOU was signed Nov. 27, and the implementation agreement this week affirmed that they still are. A parade of independent analysts have spent years pointing to the economic and technical flaws in CCUS, while the industry kept postponing its investment decision until it could arm-twist the government for more “clarity” (by which it meant even more lavish taxpayer subsidies) on the project. Now the industry itself is running away from the CCUS hub and insisting the pipeline should proceed without it, but Carney doesn’t seem to be budging from a central tenet of the MOU to which Smith has signed on. • No Subsidies, No Investors: Climate analysts and advocates have quite rightly been hammering away at Carney and his team, insisting that any new capacity the industry wants to build must proceed without new subsidies. The government has responded with a growing collection of funding and financing mechanisms for the very wide menu of industrial development and nation-building projects they say they want to take on, and that menu always includes fossil fuel infrastructure. But it’s hard to see how even the combined fiscal clout of the federal and supportive provincial governments will deliver the financial backing private investors would need when the business case for new fossil fuel development is evaporating before their eyes. Particularly when… • No Market, No Demand, No Investors: As our friend Markham Hislop at Energi Media (our apparently sleepless friend, given the massive volume of great material he’s been churning out) points out this morning, the biggest vulnerability in any pipeline deal is the assumption that Asian buyers will want the oil or liquefied natural ga that our fossil industry is so keen to send them. Hislop writes in part: Ottawa and Alberta are effectively betting that countries like China and India will continue increasing oil imports for decades as their economies grow and energy consumption rises. That assumption underpins the entire economic rationale for expanding oil sands production and building billions of dollars in new export infrastructure. But Asian energy systems are changing rapidly… China, India, South Korea, and other major hydrocarbon importers are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into electricity systems built around wind, solar, batteries, nuclear, hydro, and expanded transmission infrastructure. Domestic “energy sovereignty” is increasingly replacing the old energy-security model based on stable oil and gas imports. Those investments are expected to sharply slow oil demand growth and eventually reverse it, even as overall energy consumption continues rising. There are also refining constraints. Many Asian refineries and petrochemical complexes are already optimized to process discounted heavy crude from the Middle East and Latin America. That raises serious questions about how much additional Canadian bitumen Asian markets can absorb at profitable prices. Small wonder that there’s still no private sector investor for the project, despite Smith’s government desperately beating the bushes to put together a deal. For now, Alberta is acting as proponent and covering early start-up costs for a pitch to the federal Major Projects Office, which could actually turn into the next tough hurdle for Smith and her pipeline to jump. • Canada Day Looms: How ironic that Canada’s birthday this year could become a major chokepoint for the provincial premier who’s been working so diligently to tear the country apart! The July 1 target date for Alberta’s pipeline proposal is baked into the MOU, was reaffirmed by the implementation plan, but it hadn’t dawned on me that it cuts both ways. As one very smart colleague wrote in an email yesterday, “they’ve thrown the ball into Alberta’s court to get the project proposal on the table really quickly and to have to do a whole pile of work to put together a massive, complicated project that would typically take years to assemble, and they’ve given them weeks to do it.” That makes July 1 a looming deadline that Smith won’t be able to run away from politically, especially with the separatists in her party and her caucus breathing down her neck. (See previous ref to off-the-wall.) But if Alberta comes in with a sloppy, incomplete submission, even after Carney bent over backwards to simplify the application process and the rules that govern it, it may be harder for the province or the industry to blame Ottawa and insist on the faster process they claim their investors are demanding. (Oh, wait—which investors would those be??) • We’ll See You In Court (Then We’ll See You Again): If Carney did cave, that would be just one more reason for Indigenous and other affected communities to take the government and the process to court—Just as Alberta First Nations did, successfully, in response to Smith’s half-baked separation referendum. Veterans of the Harper era have been warning that a shoddy process around fossil fuel infrastructure or other major projects will be a recipe for the very delays that process seeks to avoid. And now more than ever, with renewable energy and energy storage eating fossil fuels’ lunch in import markets around the world, a delayed pipeline or LNG terminal may be as good as a cancelled one. • Charged Up, Ready to Go: With its goal of doubling Canada’s electricity supply to meet a doubling of demand by 2050, the national electricity strategy that Carney unveiled Thursday has a lot to like. With its explicit language about speeding the shift from fuels to more efficient and affordable electricity, global investment and deployment patterns that already favour that shift, an emerging bidirectional power grid, the role of front-line options like rooftop solar and heat pumps, the emergence of electric vehicles as behind-the-meter energy storage, and the domestic jobs and manufacturing to make it all happen, the document doubles down on the essential cornerstone of a faster shift off fossil fuels. The strategy envisions a more prominent role for gas and nuclear power. But some of those provisions were already in the Clean Electricity Regulations that climate hawks are now fighting so hard to defend, inserted as a compromise in a futile attempt to mollify the industry and its political representatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But once again, gas will be a tougher sell when it’s more expensive and now so much more unpredictable than the clean alternatives. The new nuclear technologies are still speculative and deeply vulnerable to cost overruns. Increasingly, utilities, developers, and investors know it. Carney declared Thursday that “it doesn’t do us good to be sitting in court all the time with provinces. It doesn’t do us good to be talking past each other. What does do us good is to come together with specific projects.” There are no guarantees, but so much of the language and narrative-building in the electricity strategy suggests the lion’s share of those projects will be renewable. • The Party Has Already Started: The electricity strategy only rarely digs down to specific projects, but provinces representing three-quarters of Canada’s population are already embracing a faster transition. Hydro-Québec is working on a 10-year, $185-billion renewable energy and grid buildout by 2035. Ontario recently brought 10 provinces and territories together in a National Energy Corridor Agreement to boost interprovincial and -territorial transmission infrastructure. And the MOU implementation agreement commits Alberta to facilitate investment in renewable energy projects, a big step back from its continuing, punitive restrictions on renewables development. The electricity strategy envisions much of the financing and infrastructure that will be needed to pull those advances together into an integrated whole. • Delivering on Affordability: The MOU implementation plan has little or nothing to say about affordability (are you surprised?), but the electricity strategy does, with a top-line pledge to reduce home energy costs for seven out of 10 Canadian households by 2050, a total saving of $15 billion across the board. It’s just a start, but it puts affordability on the government’s narrative map. If they’re serious and deliberate about patching together a least-cost energy strategy, it’ll have little if any room for oil, gas, or nuclear—not with powerful evidence, for example, that electricity prices are higher when those prices are set by gas. • Smith Proves that Canada Works: By signing a deal that makes it harder to claim the federal government is blocking a new pipeline, Smith has helped prove Carney’s constant anti-separatist refrain that “Canada works”—incurring the rage, no doubt, of her own political base. Canada also needs to work for anyone who depends on a clean environment, healthy and thriving ecosystems, and safe, stable climate. But with Smith and her separatist constituents setting up as a fifth column for annexation by Donald Trump’s United States, let’s set aside any notion that 51st state status for Canada is a recipe for anything other than climate disaster (and so much else). Resisting and withstanding Trump (just 170 more sleeps until mid-term elections, which is a damn sight better than the 730 we started with) doesn’t mean a free pass for a pipeline, but we can still appreciate it that keeping Canada whole and sovereign is still Carney’s Job One. • The Words Not Spoken: Apart from a commitment to export a million barrels of “low-emission” Alberta bitumen per day (memo to Smith and Carney: You realize that that’s less than the industry is already exporting??), the MOU implementation plan says nothing about the international trade and economic sovereignty deals that Carney has been travelling the world to negotiate. It didn’t have to. Carney doesn’t need permission from Danielle Smith, her American enablers, or her separatist allies to continue building the alliances that will ratchet down our economic dependency on our unstable, unreliable neighbour to the south. But every connection he builds with countries outside North America helps align our economy and our future with a faster shift off fossil fuels. Little if any of this was on our bingo cards a year or two ago. But it’s the pathway that has opened up to us. And if it gives Canada any climate or energy gains at all in an era still dominated by Trump and his increasingly ridiculous tariffs, his loutish trade negotiations and his continuing annexation threats, we have to take the wins. Not least because they’ll be the point of departure for what we can achieve in 2027, 2029, and beyond, as Trump’s grip and this era begin to loosen and then fade. What is Carney Doing? If this line of thought is right—and it’s a possibility, not a prediction—it means that Carney’s actions and decisions are largely about buying time. Time for Trump’s power to wane. Time for Alberta’s separatist/conspiracist virus to spread, mutate, die out, or at least die back, with help from a vaccine of federal steadiness and calm (appropriate enough, for a movement populated largely by vaccine deniers) that no conspiracy theory can dismiss. And time for the government’s trade and investment agenda to deliver results—even knowing that some of those results will bring impacts that front-line communities will not and should not accept. In the immediate moment, none of this changes the way the wider climate community has to respond, from campaigners to investors to front-line practitioners. All of our voices are still essential. But those voices will be stronger and more confident if we have a clearer sense of the brutal game we’ve been pulled into, and a plausible path (or two it three) for playing it to the win we need. This conversation also underscores our biggest task for the remaining years of what was supposed to be the “decisive” decade for climate response: if we can shift the energy narrative in Canada, make it a mainstream view that the country’s preoccupation with oil and gas has us falling farther behind a changing world, we’ll see far better results in the 2030s and beyond. For many veteran climate advocates, taking on that part of the fight will begin with recognizing that most of our friends and family, neighbours and colleagues already understand that climate change is real and right in front of us: they’re looking away and staying silent because they don’t have what climate communicator Katharine Hayhoe calls “efficacy”. As Hayhoe recently pointed out in a feature interview with The Energy Mix, it amounts to science denial to keep hammering away at the dire news about global warming without also helping audiences understand what they can do about it, with multiple studies telling us why that won’t work. Far better to open those conversations with the dominant crises like energy security, food security, emergency preparedness and business continuity, affordability, and financial security that have knocked climate change far lower on the list of public priorities, and will likely keep it there. We Knew This Would Happen Climate hawks have always known this day would come. For decades, we warned that everyone had to pay attention to climate change right now, because it would be much tougher to respond once the crisis itself started affecting our daily lives. We were right, and here we are. But now, thanks to decades of hard work, communities and countries have an alternative to doubling down on fossil fuels. “In 10 years everyone will have ‘always known’ that solar and batteries were going to win,” Morgan Solar Executive Chair Mike Andrade writes on LinkedIn. With the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz roiling energy priorities around the world, Canada and the United States are among the shrinking number of countries that are still very keen on fossil fuel development. Understanding that gap is a first, essential step in spotting the opportunities ahead, and averting the deep economic as well as environmental and social risk we face if we don’t seize them. Thanks for reading The Energy Mix Weekender! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe Mitchell Beer traces his background in renewable energy and energy efficiency back to 1977, in climate change to 1997. Now he and the rest of the Energy Mix team scan 1,200 news headlines a week to pull together The Energy Mix and The Energy Mix Weekender. Chart of the Week BYD Eyes 20 Dealership Locations After Canada Greenlights Chinese EV Imports ‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval ‘Worse Than Harper’: Regulatory Rollback Would Stop Canada from Assessing Project Impacts, Critics Warn Electricity Strategy Aims for Doubling by 2050, Allows ‘Flexibility’ for Gas Power Plants Opposition Mounts as O’Leary’s Data Centre Approved in Drought-Stricken Utah Diluted Carbon Price Misses ‘Reality of the World We’re In’, Could Impede Diversified Trade: Climate Institute $200B in Clean Energy Investment Will Need On-Time Delivery, Reliable Policies, Trade Association Says ‘Sovereign Pipeline’: CEO Pitches to Keep Trans Mountain in Government Hands What a Supercharged El Niño Could Mean for Canada Canada’s future is electric, and here’s how a power grid superhighway would get us there (Toronto Star) The Perilous Waters of Hecate Strait (Globe and Mail) Saudi Aramco profits jump despite conflict in Middle East (The Guardian) Farmers confront rising cost of fertilizer and fuel as spring seeding under way (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Clarkson forecasts 24% decline in offshore oil, gas capital expenditures (Oil & Gas Journal) Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa (Oil Change International) Developing countries must hold the pen to script the fossil fuel transition (Climate Home News) Iran war threatens the dream of a post-oil economy in the Gulf (Washington Post) U.S. Oil, Gas Work Force Hits Lowest Level Since 2022 (Rigzone) Why Polestar Is Doubling Down on Net Zero as Rivals Pull Back on EVs (Bloomberg) Why this Michigan utility plans to sell its hydro dams for $13 (E&E News/Politico) Levees can no longer save New Orleans (Vox)
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