 What happens when a symbol of prosperity becomes one of decay? There are thousands of idle oil and gas wells stranded throughout the Canadian west, orphaned by companies that went bankrupt and refused to clean them up. These orphan wells are a symptom of an industry in crisis, with the financial and ecological burden being unfairly placed upon the public. Filmmaker Gillian McKercher joins Team Advantage to discuss her new documentary film, Orphaned.   Watch Orphaned on  CBC GEM, and follow Gillian on Twitter @GMcKercher and further news about the film @KinoSumProd. Learn more about Gillian at gillianmckercher.com, and more about Kino Sum Productions at kinosum.com. 

ORPHANED: Alberta's Oil and Gas Wells

Fresh from the birthplace of the CCF! Commentary and analysis on local and provincial politics from a left perspective.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

News

News Commentary

What can we learn about the ongoing pandemic and how it's been handled? How's the whole global public health infrastructure, campaign for clean air, and renewed push for workplace going? Does this bode well for future pandemics and crises, and how can we learn from what's happened so far to shape our future demands?

COVID-19 in 2024

Israel is on a genocidal rampage through Gaza. Team Advantage, joined by intrepid independent journalist Jeremy Appel, examine the historical roots and basic assumptions that underlie Zionism, and discuss a few light topics, like discourse-policing, denouncing Hamas, antisemitism, and settler-colonialism.

Zionism Sucks

In late September 2023, Canadian Parliament clapped for "Ukrainian hero" Yaroslav Hunka, who fought with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician), a unit in the Nazi German military.  Why did Canada let so many Ukrainian Nazis into the country after WW2, and how did this wave of right-wing Ukrainian nationalist shape Canada's Ukrainian diaspora? Team Advantage digs into the working-class origins of Ukrainians in Canada, Canada's efforts at post-war anticommunism, and the Canadian government's careful management of "multiculturalism."

Why does Canada love Ukrainian Nazis?

The area burned by wildfires in Canada this year exceeded 18 million hectares and burned 1,740 megatonnes of CO2, roughly three times Canada's human-made emissions from 2022. As fire season winds down, Team Advantage examines this new, fun, half-year-long weather phenomenon, and considers the role of fossil fuels and the end of "cheap nature."   Further reading: John Vaillant - Fire Weather Edward Struzik - Firestorm: How Wildfire Will Shape Our Future Alex Callinicos - The New Age of Catastrophe Jason Moore - Capitalism in the Web of Life 

Wildfire Season Concludes

Support this podcast! Rachel Notley led the Alberta NDP to their second major electoral defeat in Alberta's latest general election. What does this election say about Albertans and our political culture? How might we make basic social democratic values popular? How should we organize as we anticipate Premier Danielle Smith? And what's next for the Alberta NDP? 

ORPHANED: Alberta's Oil and Gas Wells

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