BIG Exclusives

In North America, we don’t think enough about energy security. We have had abundant, affordable energy at our fingertips for so long that we forget what life might be like without it – particularly in Canada and northern parts of the United States, where millions could perish in short order if electricity and natural gas were suddenly cut off. Is a sudden and complete cutoff of energy a real possibility? In the absence of a...

Last week, Western Canada dealt with a cold snap we have not seen in several years. Temperatures dropped to -50C in some parts of the province of Alberta, with wind-chill levels even lower. Was Alberta well prepared for this event? Not really, but we had enough hydrocarbon power generation and friendly neighbours (Saskatchewan, B.C., and Montana) to help us through a severe test of the power grid. Our power system has seen some transformation over the last...

My passion in science over the past 8 years has been atmospheric physics and oceanography, and here in my first article for BIG Media Ltd. I will focus in on a recent publication and empirical data that emphasize forces governing CO2 as a natural constituent of our atmosphere. In this mini-literature review, I will walk you through the analysis that I have done to confirm the findings of a fascinating study by Chatterjee et al...

It has been a productive and rewarding year at BIG Media Ltd., and we owe it all to our amazing editorial team and faithful readers. Over the last 12 months, our hard-working contributors (An editorial team worth celebrating) have helped keep people apprised on the biggest of issues. My team of mostly accomplished scientists consistently provides definitive reads on the most pressing matters. They also allow me to wade into the vitriolic volcano that is social...

BIG Media Ltd.'s Person of the Year for 2023 is doctor of geology, entrepreneur, and educator Dr. Brad Hayes. Hayes is president of Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd., a geoscience consulting firm addressing technical and strategic issues around oil and gas development, water resource management, helium exploration, geothermal energy, and carbon sequestration. Brad has been helping us understand complex issues related to energy supply and demand, energy transition, energy security, climate change, and related environmental concerns since Day...

A ruling in Canadian federal court released yesterday could be the last straw in the Liberal government's mission to decimate the plastics industry. Justice Angela Furlanetto ruled that a Liberal cabinet order listing plastic items as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is “unreasonable and unconstitutional.” “The broad and all-encompassing nature of the category of (plastic manufactured items) poses a threat to the balance of federalism as it does not restrict regulation to only those (items) that...

Major oil companies (“Big Oil”) are unpopular in many affluent nations, where many see them as opponents to an imagined rapid transition to low-emissions energy sources. Condemnations are easy to find: Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, called for immediate global action toward net-zero emissions, which “must start with the polluted heart of the climate crisis: the fossil fuel industry.” He also said “Yet for every dollar spends on oil and gas drilling and exploration, only four cents went...

Plastics have been found guilty in the court of public opinion. We are reminded daily that plastics are the bane of humanity, and that something must be done. We demand action at the voting booth, and we vote with our wallets when we make purchasing decisions. Politicians have acted with bag bans, and companies have created new products to replace evil plastic. It is a time to rejoice, as justice has been done. Or has...

As public discourse about climate change and climate crisis escalate to the point that the Secretary General of the United Nations talks about “global boiling”, we hear more and more about lawsuits launched against organizations accused of creating or failing to stop greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). As the story usually goes, by promoting GHGs, these agents have exacerbated climate change, damaged the environment, and the physical/mental health of plaintiffs so extremely that legal remedies...

Back at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, life was relatively simple. Most people lived a short and frugal life, fully occupied with the tasks of securing food and shelter to support a family. If you survived childhood, you became a farmer or a blacksmith, or a home-maker based largely on your gender and the circumstances under which you were raised. No need for a lot of thinking or planning about future alternatives for...