The Iran war’s toll on public health and climate 

The US-Israeli war with Iran has left a devastating humanitarian impact that could last for years. The bombing of energy infrastructure, fuel depots, and oil tankers has not only shocked the global economy, but polluted air, soil, food and waterways with toxic chemicals. In response to escalating attacks from the US and Israel, Iran has threatened to bomb desalination plants in the Gulf, which millions of people in the region rely on for drinking water. So what will be the true toll of this war on populations and ecosystems around the globe? This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Narges Bajoghli, associate professor of Middle East Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University and co-author of, How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare.

we are also seeing another type of suffering unfold. Apocalyptic images of clouds of smoke, black rain.

The following edited text (with assistance from EURIA )is based on the video transcript emphasizing severe health and environmental consequences of sustained bombing campaigns in the Middle East, particularly targeting oil infrastructure.

Health Risks: Due to Tehran’s geography surrounded by mountains, toxins released from burning oil depots are trapped in the air, soil, water, and food supply. Toxicologists in Iran warn that these compounds lodge in human lungs and could cause health impacts for years, potentially affecting multiple generations. The text characterizes modern warfare as a “chemical event,” noting that missiles and burning fuel release toxic compounds that require significant time and resources to fully quantify.

Climate Impact :The conflict is accelerating climate change by releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases. An analysis cited in the text found that 5 million tons of emissions were released in just two weeks, a figure equivalent to the annual combined emissions of 84 countries.

Global Consequences: The author emphasizes that warfare effects do not stay within national borders; pollutants and carbon footprints travel globally. When combined with other conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Lebanon, the timeline for addressing climate change is being significantly shortened, making the collective future of the planet a critical concern.

• Modern Warfare as a “Chemical Event”:
  • Every missile, bomb, and burning fuel depot releases toxic compounds into the air.
• Climate Change Acceleration:
  • Bombing energy infrastructure and destroying cities contributes to climate change.
  • A recent analysis found 5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions released within just two weeks.
  • At this rate, the annual emissions would equal the combined output of 84 countries.
• Global Conflict Comparison:
  • The bombing in Gaza is compared to the tonnage of atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • Combined conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Iran, and Lebanon are speeding up the timeline for climate disaster, moving concerns from a decade away to an immediate crisis.
• Transboundary Consequences:
  • Warfare effects do not respect national borders; toxins and carbon footprints travel globally.
  • All populations are breathing the same air and living under the shared consequences of these releases.
  • The collective future of the planet is at stake due to the cumulative impact of these wars.

We must acknowledge these two dear leader friends and their many supporters and friends for the present state of the Middle East and instability throughout the globe!

 Citizens of the Great Dominion should be reminded that the National Democratic Party (NDP) maintains a significant provincial presence across the nation.

Manitoba NDP Premier Wab Kinew

British Columbia NDP Premier David Elby

Provincial NDP Status (2025-2026):

• British Columbia (Government): The BC NDP holds a majority government
• Manitoba (Government): The Manitoba NDP holds a majority government
• Alberta (Official Opposition): 
• Ontario (Official Opposition):
• Nova Scotia (Official Opposition): 
• Saskatchewan (Official Opposition): 

Federally, the NDP is quite weak, lagging behind the governing Liberals, the official opposition Conservatives, and the Bloc Québécois.

 The newly elected NDP federal leader, Avi Lewis, was chosen in anticipation of revitalizing the party’s federal presence and increasing national influence.

NDP federal leader Avi Lewis

Court Painter just likes a good party!

In today’s world of global conflict and tension between nuclear powers, one briefcase holds the key to America’s most devastating atomic weapons. Known as the “nuclear football,” this unassuming black bag represents the ultimate power—and responsibility—of the President of the United States.

The nuclear football, officially the Presidential Emergency Satchel, is a briefcase , the contents of which are to be used by the president of the United States to communicate and authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centres , such as the White House Situation Room or the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. Functioning as a mobile hub in the strategic defense system of the United States, the football is carried by a military aide when the president is traveling.There are four things in the football. The Black Book containing the retaliatory options, a book listing classified site locations, a manila folder with eight or 10 pages stapled together giving a description of procedures for the Emergency Broadcast System, and a three-by-five inch card with authentication codes.”

A similar device, known as the Cheget, is used by the Russian leadership.

Source: Nuclear Football Wikipedia

Retired “nuclear football” at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.Photograph: Public Domain.

After a brief stint at donning the Captain Canada suit…

Doug the Thug is back!

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is congratulating a Vaughan resident who shot an intruder, saying he should have fired more shots at him. 

“As for the person that was defending his family, he was a legal gun owner, stored properly — congratulations. Yeah, I’m glad you shot the guy. Teach the rest of these robbers,” Ford said at an unrelated news conference Wednesday when asked about the incident. 

He added, “These guys, they need to be shot, as far as I’m concerned. They’re coming through the front door to hurt your family.”

“Congratulations for shooting this guy — should have shot him a couple more times as far as I’m concerned,” Ford said, after being asked about the incident at an unrelated news conference Wednesday.

Ford went on in his response to attack the federal government for “going after legal, law-abiding gun owners,” as well as “weak-kneed judges” who are letting people out on bail. Police say the accused in this case was on probation at the time.

“They always want to protect the bad guys, the judges always want to protect the Charter rights — how about the charter of rights of the people, to keep them safe rather than always protecting these criminals,” Ford said. “I’m just sick and tired of it.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has acknowledged his government is clamping down on access to information laws to shield government-related calls he makes and receives on his personal phone.

The province is in the process of overhauling how freedom of information works in Ontario to retroactively exempt all calls and texts from the premier, his cabinet and their staff from public scrutiny.

The Order of Canada is one of Canada’s highest honours and is awarded in recognition of exceptional achievements, extraordinary contributions to the nation or remarkable dedication to a community.

The motto of the Order, DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM, translates to “They desire a better country.”

The Order of Canada is administered through an independent advisory council. Each of the six to eight hundred nominations submitted each year , by any person or organization, is received by the order’s Advisory Council, which, along with the governor general, makes the final choice of new inductees.

The federal Conservatives petition to award the Order of Canada to controversial hockey commentator Don Cherry.

Prime Minister Carney’s office mum on Conservative Order of Canada petition for Don Cherry

Conservative Order of Canada Petition

Don Cherry, who according to the Conservative Party’s Order of Canada petition—with the full support of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre—“embodies what it means to be a proud Canadian,” describes Cherry as having a “candid and unapologetic style reflects a spirit of authenticity and independence that resonated with millions of Canadians.” and according to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith , “Don Cherry is a Canadian icon, a hockey legend and is loved by Albertans. He’s not just one of the greats; his word and opinion about our national sport is still treated as hockey gospel by millions of Canadians.”

So this is the Canadian icon who

https://open.substack.com/pub/eamenard/p/poilievres-own-goal?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpted from the article:

” compared the name of the Finnish coach of the Winnipeg Jets to dog food; referred to the wars in the Balkans as “Lower Slobovia attacking Slimea”; declared that players who wear visors are “sucks” and that most of them are “Europeans and French guys”; called French-Canadian flag bearer Jean-Luc Brassard “some ski guy that nobody knows about”; told French Canadians they were not “true Canadians” for opposing the Iraq War, singling out Habs fans for booing the American anthem and adding: “You have to realize it’s Quebec and it’s French Canadians.”.

When Ron MacLean raised the question of whether First Nations kids get a fair shake in life, Cherry cut him off: “Fair shake in life? Go out and get your own fair shake in life and work for it.” In 1992, he called Manon Rhéaume’s historic appearance as the first woman to play in an NHL game “a PR stunt” and said women “should stick to women’s hockey.” He said women reporters did not belong in hockey dressing rooms.

He has spent decades championing the law of talion on ice — that every act of violence deserves an equal and opposite response — celebrating enforcers, glorifying retribution, and dismissing the medical evidence on brain trauma as an inconvenience to the natural order of the game, going so far as to call former enforcers who courageously spoke out about brain trauma “pukes,” “turncoats,” and “hypocrites.”

This is the man Pierre Poilievre says embodies Canadian pride.

Court Painter & Tomahawk Pete

Pentagon bans Court Painter over ‘unflattering’ paintings of Secretary of War-mongering Pete ‘Tomahawk’ Hegseth:

Court Painter, a noted celebrity portraitist, is no longer permitted to paint portraits inside the Pentagon press briefing room after displaying “unflattering” portraits of Secretary of War-mongering Pete ‘Tomahawk’ Hegseth.

Members of Hegseth’s staff reportedly told anyone who would listen that they did not like the way the War-mongering secretary looked.

A Pentagon spokesperson said in a statement that in order to use the briefing room “effectively,” Court Painter would be expected to remove his paint kit, easel, smock, and paint rags from the premises and promise not to return. The spokesperson added that past portrait images from the briefings were immediately released online for the public and press to use but no more. If the expulsion hurts Court Painter’s business model, he should consider applying for a Pentagon Hand-Painting Portrait credential—a permit that further requires approval for release from the Secretary of War-mongering Pete ‘Tomahawk’ Hegseth.

Court Painter instead left Washington for Edmonton Alberta to catch the opening of John Will: Born in the U.F.O a 60 year retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Court Painter’s recent Tomahawk Pete series

Dominant Force: Speculation and trading in the futures market are a primary driver of overall oil prices.

Futures markets significantly influence oil prices by acting as a mechanism for price discovery, risk management, and speculative investment. While long-term prices are primarily driven by physical supply and demand, futures markets frequently drive short-term price movements and can sometimes disconnect from physical reality.

Source: ScienceDirect

How to deal with oil shocks and the inflation problem | WONK with Amanda Lang

Public Policy Forum and Amanda Lang

Most Canadians are still adjusting to the inflation that has settled across our economy from the last big geopolitical disruptions. Now a new one threatens to send prices higher again. Jim Stanford is the director of the Centre for Future Work and one of Canada’s most prominent economists. He talks to host Amanda Lang about the far-reaching impact of energy prices, social capital and leaning into Canada’s strengths.

Breaking News: March 10/26

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announces reinstating $53.6 million in grants and funding to support people with disabilities, seniors and education initiatives for 2026-27.

Notably, there’s no restoration of art funding as Tim’s hand on heart governing rule was cold & dead for the arts.

The Nova Scotia government’s “Multi-Year Fiscal Stability Plan” calls for further cuts to the provincial budget for each of the next four years, to nearly a billion dollars in the 2029/30 budget year. That also reflects a cut of about 20% of the current provincial workforce.

The government hopes to achieve these reductions by increasing productivity and efficiency, in part through the use of artificial intelligence.

Some $4.4 million is budgeted “to develop and deploy artificial intelligence enabled applications.” The Examiner asked what that means exactly, and was told that the money would be used to build in-house expertise and train staff on how to use AI, mainly with Microsoft Office AI tools.

News Content Source: The Halifax Examiner

Premier Tim can’t find it in his heart to restore Nova Scotia arts & culture funding cuts.

Shape without form, shade without colour.  
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

The eyes are not here  
There are no eyes here  
In this valley of dying stars  
In this hollow valley 
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms

Poetry passages from “The Hollow Men” a poem by the modernist writer T. S. Eliot.

Al Jazeera investigation raises questions over deadliest single attack of war on Iran that killed 165 schoolgirls and staff on February 28/26.

Published On 3 Mar 2026

https://aje.news/01xdaf

Scene of elementary school after attack on a school February 28 in Minab, Iran

Excerpt:

The attackers’ ability to spare newly established adjacent facilities (such as the Martyr Absalan clinic) and their glaring failure to avoid an elementary school operating at full capacity and packed with 170 girls leaves us with two scenarios, both unequivocally condemnatory:

Either US and Israeli forces relied, in striking the vicinity of the Asif Brigade, on a very old, outdated intelligence target bank (dating to before 2013), which would constitute grave negligence and reckless disregard for civilian lives; or the strike was carried out deliberately and with prior knowledge to inflict maximum societal shock and undermine popular support for Iran’s military establishment.

Meanwhile: Reported today, March 4/26

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH

BBC STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT TOM BATEMAN: Can you give us an update on what the administration knows, what you know now about the reported strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran on Saturday?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: All I know, all I can say is that we’re investigating that. We of course never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.

BBC STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT TOM BATEMAN: Just on the basis that with the information you would have your reconnaissance abilities– ability to gather information. I mean, it’s several days on now.

So is there any clarity on whose munition this was?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: We’re investigating it.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump