Jeff Rubin writes in this morning’s Globe and Mail on the subject of Canada as a water superpower.  His comments touch on the mechanics by which water and oil are closely linked in the Canadian economy, and especially in the Alberta oil sands.  Massive amounts of fresh water are used in the form of steam to separate synthetic crude from raw bitumen.

Much of the reporting in the West related to Afghan women depicts voiceless victims subjected to relentless discrimination or implies that human rights are alien to Afghan culture, and therefore not something for which there is any homegrown demand.

This is an absolute falsehood which I have addressed elsewhere, see http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2010/womens-rights-are-called-cultural-imperialism.

Lauryn Oates is a Canadian human rights activist and development worker, specializing in education in conflict zones. She is currently in Uganda working on a study examining the potential of information communications technologies for primary school teachers, with the University of British Columbia.

One simple step to an excellent Canadian future is to provide sufficient income to every Canadian in order to eliminate poverty if only because of the high cost of persistent worst in class education, health, community and economic outcomes that poverty breeds. Building on the ideas of a negative income tax, guaranteed annual income, guaranteed adequate income, and earned income tax credits we consider the Canadian Citizenship Wage.