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Barry Saxifrage

Photo of  Barry Saxifrage
Visual Carbon Columnist Cortes Island
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About Barry Saxifrage

Barry Saxifrage is Canada's National Observer's resident chart geek and climate analyst. In his visual carbon columns, Saxifrage deconstructs the data behind global warming and Canada's climate targets, as he charts international progress and graphically documents failures by industry and governments. His work is cited frequently by academics and climate publications internationally, including by George Monbiot in The Guardian, Yale Climate Connections, Bill McKibben's New Yorker newsletter, The Times Colonist, and many others. When he's not analyzing the corporate reports of major oil companies or comparing Canada's government's promises against Canada's actual emissions, Saxifrage is an avid soccer player.

104 Articles
Fossil fuel pollution is adding four atomic bombs worth of energy to the climate every second

The carbon bomb makers — Canada versus our peers

It turns out Canada really is a climate leader — but sadly, in the wrong direction. Barry Saxifrage shows us how.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | January 23rd 2023
Photo of car fire.

Overheated — Canada’s gasoline emissions are surging out of control

Canadian drivers have been sharply "bending the curve" on our automobile emissions — but in the wrong direction. Here are some charts showing our surging vehicle emissions and how some nations are getting theirs under control.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | December 20th 2022
Coal powerplant and car exhaust

Coal is extremely CO2-intensive. Gasoline is far worse

As Canada pushes the world to eliminate coal first, we should take an honest look at our own gasoline emissions, which are even more CO2-intensive than coal, and surging out of control.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | December 15th 2022

How much of Canada’s ongoing climate failure is caused by oil and gas industry pollution?

Here are three charts showing Canada’s emissions problems — both with and without its oil and gas industry.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | November 21st 2022
Storm on the sea of galilee by Rembrandt

Climate progress? Someone forgot to tell the atmosphere

Reality check — as the world embarks on a fourth decade of climate meetings and promises, all three major greenhouse gases are accelerating upwards, unchecked. And Canada …
Negotiating survival
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | November 9th 2022
Canada forest volume losses article lead image

Canada’s disappearing forests are a devastating hidden carbon bomb

Canada’s forests are being logged faster than they can regrow and that's adding billions of tonnes of CO2 into atmosphere.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | October 13th 2022

Canada’s fossil-fuelled sprint away from climate safety

The relentless rise of fossil fuel burning in Canada is leaving climate-safe energy alternatives — and climate hope — far behind. And columnist Barry Saxifrage has the charts to prove it.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | July 27th 2022
NASA "Blue Marble" photo of planet Earth.

Remember the Copenhagen Accord's 2020 targets? Here's how Canada and many of its peers did

The 2020 emissions data is finally out. Here's how Canada and many of its peers did on their Copenhagen Accord targets. (Spoiler alert: Europeans and Americans, yes. Canadians, not so much.)
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | May 24th 2022
Canada's accelerating forest carbon crisis

Canada's accelerating forest carbon crisis

Canada's forests are being logged faster than they are growing back, writes columnist Barry Saxifrage. That's pouring billions of tonnes of CO2 into our rapidly destabilizing climate.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | May 17th 2022
Climate pollution changes in OECD nations 2010-2019

Canada is a rogue super-emitter

When it comes to climate action, Canada is increasingly out of step with our peers, says columnist Barry Saxifrage.
Race to a Safer World
Analysis, Climate Solutions Reporting | April 14th 2022
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