Canada's National Observer: News & Analysis

2020's clean energy boom raises the bar for future growth

New wind and solar power projects in China, Europe and the U.S. spurred a 45 per cent rise in the rate of new renewable energy capacity, according to the International Energy Agency.

Jillian Ambrose

The International Energy Agency revealed the delivery of renewable energy projects, including wind farms and solar power projects, grew by 45 per cent last year in a step change for the global industry. Photo by Jem Sanchez / Pexels

Today's must read

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam listens to a question during a news conference, in Ottawa, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. Photo by: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Adina Bresge

Vaccinations means summer fun in the offing: health officials

Dean Bennett

UCP turfs two caucus members who challenged Kenney's leadership

Barry Saxifrage

One of Canada’s biggest carbon sinks is circling the drain

New Ottawa fund to support, challenge city’s climate efforts

Mia Rabson

Made-in-Canada vaccine shows promise

Virginie Ann

Habitat protected for Quebec's endangered spiny softshell turtle

Canada's top scientists just made vaccine hesitancy worse

Gérard Montpetit

When talking climate politics in Canada, don't forget the Bloc

Vivek Krishnamurthy & Colleen M. Flood

Canada must build safeguards into COVID vaccine passports

New movies: Three thrillers, a film to see free, and the roots of the opioid crisis

Damian Carrington

How to tell if a climate policy is real — or a load of greenwash

Morgan Sharp

Pride flag fights put Catholic school funding in focus

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Conversations

Thursday 20th May4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET

How the climate emergency is like a war

Linda Solomon Wood

National Observer, Editor-in-Chief

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Seth Klein

Author, A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency

Has working from home reduced our carbon footprint?

10th Jun4pm PT / 7pm ET

Alexandra Samuel

Author, Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work . . . Wherever You Are

Linda Solomon Wood

National Observer, Editor-in-Chief

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Recent Conversations

Carbon bombs, Canada & the climate

Thursday 4th March

Linda Solomon Wood

National Observer, Editor-in-Chief

Bill McKibben

Founder, 350.org

Watch recording

Authoritarianism's rise in America

Thursday 23rd April

Linda Solomon Wood

National Observer, Editor-in-Chief

Noam Chomsky

Linguist, political activist

Watch recording

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Canada just listed plastic as toxic. Now what?

Rochelle Baker

Seaweed cultivation is a growing trend on Canada’s West Coast

Josh Boak

Biden team tackles political peril from pipeline cyberattack

A youth plays basketball in an otherwise quiet court in Toronto on Saturday, April 17, 2021. File photo by The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Maan Alhmidi

Provinces cracked down harder on COVID offenders during second wave

Canada Now

Morgan Sharp

A teen’s journey from Syria to role model

Morgan Sharp

Pride flag fights put Catholic school funding in focus

A look at the unhealthy toll COVID-19 has taken on mothers

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the mothers of young children especially hard, research conducted for the Mental Health Commission of Canada shows, as they often seek to balance paid and unpaid work from home.

Morgan Sharp

Trans Mountain decision draws fire for Indigenous rights ‘double standard’

Carl Meyer

Toxic illicit drugs deadly for men in trades

Rochelle Baker

Legal opinion singles out Canada

Carl Meyer

Special reports

Canada's plastics problem

On Canada's East Coast, researchers look for plastic — and a new way to do science

Emerging research on microplastics suggests they can leak harmful chemicals into the environment. On the East Coast, one researcher is working to understand the impact of these tiny particles — and reckoning with science's colonial legacy at the same time.

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson