To mark BIG Media Ltd.’s fourth birthday today, I highlight some of the incredible work produced by our all-star editorial team.
This list represents just a fraction of the amazing body of work from a team made up almost entirely of accomplished scientists and engineers, all of it assembled without sensationalism or expert testimony (if you wonder why we do this, please assess the accuracy of our news content versus that of any media organization that uses experts such as Anthony Fauci or Al Gore to tell the story) …
On the day we launched – February 8, 2021 – we published an article by doctor of geology Brad Hayes explaining how fast the sea is rising (Sea level is rising; should we be worried? ), allowing readers to sleep easy knowing that the sea is not actually coming for all of us, contrary to the words of the UN’s top official – Portuguese comic rising even faster than global sea level .
Less than a week later, engineer Jesse Keith came through with an article that assessed the impact of renewable energy sources (Renewable energy – renewing hope or struggling to cope?). Our infographic wiz Muriel Protzer helped present the data in interactive format allowing you to explore the power data comprising the electricity grid in the United States, Germany, China, and globally.
That same week, Muriel penned an important piece illustrating how the polar bear population presented a balanced picture – Polar bear population analysis presents balanced picture – contrary to the picture painted by many climate alarmists.
And Brendan Rolfe produced an excellent examination of the history of vaccines as the race to come up with COVID vaccines heated up – Vaccines – a historical perspective.
In March of 2021, my BIG Media co-founder Laurie Weston flexed her data expertise as she authored an exceptional piece of journalism looking at what went wrong in a Texas energy crisis during a storm that killed hundreds of people – Power struggle – data analysis puts Texas energy debacle in perspective.
Brendan added articles on the growing collateral damage connected to COVID restrictions – COVID collateral – overdose data shows alarming crisis, COVID-19 collateral – strained mental health a global concern.
Laurie and Skye Thompson teamed up to provide critical context on the threat of COVID-19 – COVID context – how concerned should we be about dying from this virus?, Assessing the relative lethality of COVID-19: a Canadian case study.
Brad incinerated the widely believed myth that there is a massive garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean – Taking a critical look at the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’.
Laurie settled in no uncertain terms arguments surrounding COVID vs the flu – COVID-19 is definitely not the flu.
Laurie used a reliable equation to help readers understand that COIVID testing was far from an exact science – COVID calculations – applying statistics to COVID-19 testing.
Skye produced a two-part series that poked holes in the notion that masks were an essential tool in the fight against COVID-19 – Mask media – research is mixed but provides valuable lessons, Face the facts – diving into the science of masks.
Geophysics legend Brian Russell contributed a fascinating piece looking at the intersection of music, math, and physics – Music, mathematics, and physics.
Laurie poured cold water on the idea that an extinct glacier in Iceland was proof that humans are destroying the planet – Funeral for a glacier.
Renowned geoscientist Lee Hunt provided masterful analysis of triage and biomedical ethics – Examining the ethics of triage in a pandemic, Mounting COVID frustration is no reason to abandon fundamental principles.
When the Canadian government invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with a peaceful trucker protest, even freezing bank accounts of people who donated to the cause, structural-engineer-turned-top-litigator Kevin Burron used simple facts to illustrate that there was no legal or logical justification for such a measure – The Canadian prime minister’s emergency act.
Lee provided consistent, data-driven coverage of COVID vaccine effectiveness and adverse events following immunization – Analysis of severe events following COVID vaccine shows increased incidence of myocarditis and lymphadenopathy, Ontario vaccine effectiveness nosedives amid surge in new cases.
I think it’s fair to say that Laurie led the world in terms of the depth and accuracy of her coverage of COVID death data – A look back at causes of death in the first year of COVID-19, Analysis of excess deaths in 2020 reveals surprising deviations, Detailed analysis of 2021 death data reveals disturbing trends.
Brad documented the connection between terrible policies and global energy crises – Policies that took energy security for granted have put much of the world in a tough spot, Return to sensible energy policy – a painful but necessary transition.
Laurie’s deep dive on global emissions was a data-rich breath of fresh air – Putting global emissions in perspective.
Brad and Laurie continually offer critical context regarding climate change – Climate change and energy: context for the great debate, Is it really ‘now or never’ to stave off climate disaster?, Real climate science – uncertainty and risk, What do models actually tell us about the future of climate change?.
Kevin documented important facts related to the overturning of Roe v Wade – The demise of Roe v. Wade – breaking down the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case.
Brad’s coverage of issues related to energy transition is simply unmatched: Diving beneath the surface of the energy transition discussion, Examining the real meaning of ‘energy transition’ in the face of undeniable historic trends, Yes, there is an energy transition – and to manage it, we need to understand it.
Laurie earned high praise for her three-part series on fundamental principles of science – Science – there is method to the madness, Manipulating science – activism and advocacy, Science and morality – ethics and judgment.
Epidemiologist/statistician Dr. David Vickers illustrated how a peer-reviewed international study related to children’s health can present findings that are the opposite of what the data actually says – Higher rates of adverse events after mRNA vaccines interpreted poorly by study authors.
Laurie gave us the basics on artificial intelligence and where we are going – How AI is going to terminate us, AI: Where are we and where are we going?.
Brad examined whether it is ethical for scientists to be advocates – Should scientists be advocates?.
Engineer and energy executive Edward Ostrowski conducted deep dives into grocery prices and piping infrastructure – Are groceries really that expensive?, Pipe problems – a detailed examination of what lies beneath us.
Engineer and business leader Grant Wilde documented major problems related to the Canadian government and its troubling policies – It’s time to axe the c(r)ap and start discussing our progress on emissions, Is Canada broken or not?.
Dr. Joseph Fournier took a data-centred dive into the idea of peak hydrocarbons – Technology is the path to near limitless hydrocarbons.
Joseph also examined the Chinese government’s extensive work to undermine western institutions – Are clean technologies and critical minerals the Trojan horse of the Chinese Communist Party?, Disproportionate tariff threats are more than mere bluster.
And the newest member of our editorial team, George Mutero, wrote a great piece on femicide in Kenya – Kenya establishes taskforce to address femicide crisis.
Happy birthday to us! We look forward to celebrating many exceptional pieces of journalism in the coming year!
