Thanks to all of the Calgarians speaking up against the impacts of data centres, a notice of motion for a moratorium on new land use designations for large-scale data centres has been raised by several councillors alongside Mayor Farkas.

Now we need your help to ask city council to vote in support of this motion when it comes before council on November 17th.

City of Calgary Notice of Motion for temporary moratorium on land use redesignation applications for large-scale data centres. (Source: City of Calgary)

🏭 Plans for hyperscale data centres in and around Calgary are underway

With upwards of 40 new AI data centres proposed for Alberta, applications to build new data centres in and around Calgary are underway. Calgarians need to fight back before it’s too late to protect our air, water, quality of life, affordability, and so much more that is at stake.

Already a land use redesignation application has been submitted for Ward 5 in Calgary proposing “large industrial buildings (data centre) and power generation” to be permitted in proximity to a residential neighbourhood.

City of Calgary - Land use redesignation - LOC2026-0156

🃏 Alberta does not have sufficient regulations for hyperscale data centres

The Alberta Government is bypassing impact assessments and adequate community engagement to rush through upwards of 40 new data centres in Alberta along with 20-gigawatts of new gas-fired electricity generation that would double the current electricity consumption of the entire province.

⚠️Calgarians have plenty of reasons to be concerned about the threat of hyperscale AI datacentres in and around our city

These data centres:

• Use vast amounts of water and pose a serious risk to our scarce water resources;

• Emit constant noise pollution and background hum, leading to hearing loss, insomnia, and cognitive impairment;

• Project light pollution that contributes to the loss of dark skies at night;

• Spew air pollution leading to acceleration of climate collapse, more wildfire smoke, and health complications including respiratory and cardiovascular disease;

• Negatively impact home equity and livability of our communities;

• Drive up the price of natural gas and electricity in Alberta.

⚡️ Take Action: Help put the brakes on new data centres in Calgary

✉️ Email city council and demand they vote in support of the data centre moratorium on November 17th

In as many or as few words as you like, tell city council why you want them to vote on November 17th in support of the moratorium on approving any new land use redesignation applications for data centres in Calgary until we understand the full impacts of these resource-draining projects.

EMAIL CITY COUNCIL

☎️ Call city council and demand they vote to support the data centre moratorium on November 17th

Double your impact by calling your city councillor’s office so they know how important the data centre moratorium for Calgary is to you. You can reach your councillor through the City of Calgary Office of the Councillors switchboard at 403-268-2430. You are encouraged to leave a voicemail if there is no answer.

PHONE CITY COUNCIL

💫 Join volunteers in phone banking against data centres

Sign up for phone banking shifts with Alberta Talks and help reach out to more Calgarians.

SIGN UP FOR PHONE BANKING

💫 Get updates on data centres in Calgary

Sign up for our email list on data centre development in Calgary.

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📣Spread the word!

Share this post with your friends and family.

🤓Further resources

• Alberta Data Centre Watch

• Alberta Anti AI Group

• Olds Transparency Project

• VIDEO: Exposing The Dark Side of America’s AI Data Center Explosion (Business Insider)

• Data Centred: the Shifting Landscape of Canada’s Digital Infrastructure (York University)

• Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints (United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health)

• Smith’s Plan for a Huge AI Data Centre Alarms Experts (David Climenhaga, The Tyee)

• Exposing Alberta’s Wilful Blindness to AI Centre Harms (Andrew Nikiforuk, The Tyee)

• A new gold rush (Globe & Mail)

About the author

Project Calgary

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I don’t know how you feel right now but I am in shock and awe. Between the separatist defeat, the rebuke of the other nine referendum questions and the US extinction-level midterm election results, I feel gitty. I know from these results where most of us stand: for decency, the rule of law and clean water.

Since 1995—with the birth of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation in conjunction with the US-Heritage Foundation—the war against science and human decency was waged upon the people of Alberta and the rest of the Western World. Wave upon wave upon wave of misinformation hit us, to the point where we could not longer come up for air. Our only choice was to keep swimming in hopes to find the surface beyond the misinformation. That moment has finally arrived, we can see beyond the bullies trying to divide and control us. We know who they are, their forever wars and genocidal aims and what is to be done about it: an end.

But what comes next?

Let my analysis of the referendum, the midterms and answers to the Forever Canadian survey be your guide.

Read more

The conversation then shifts to our professional backgrounds in geophysics and working together in the oil and gas industry. I introduces Bill Goodway, highlighting his 2001 invention of lambda-mu-rho (LMR) analysis, a deterministic method for separating rock properties from fluid properties in seismic data. This work enabled geoscientists to better evaluate petroleum reservoirs by distinguishing incompressibility, shear rigidity, and bulk density. Bill discusses his teaching experience at Mount Royal University, where he notably mentored Rochelle Longbow, who went on to found a successful geothermal company. We also reminisce about their time working together at Apache Corporation on unconventional shale projects, including Jenny’s involvement in drilling the first horizontal well in British Columbia’s Horn River formation, a project Bill picked up and led the geophysical analysis afterward.

The Battle for Alberta

On AI and the false promise of intelligence (20:00)

A significant portion of our discussion contrasts machine learning/neural networks with deterministic approaches in geoscience. Bill explains that neural networks and modern AI are fundamentally pattern-matching systems trained toward predetermined goals rather than independent thinking tools. He illustrates this limitation through a costly professional mistake where neural network predictions for carbonate porosity led to drilling into sand and shale formations because the training didn’t account for alternative explanations. Additional examples include IBM’s Deep Blue chess computer losing to Garry Kasparov because its goal was simply capturing pieces rather than strategic positioning, and AI systems falsely claiming to solve unsolvable mathematics problems by confirming their programmed assumptions. Bill even cites Google’s own AI admitting it functions merely as “massive statistical prediction engines” without true understanding.

The final section addresses environmental and political concerns specific to Alberta. Both Bill and I critique the provincial government’s promotion of AI data centers, noting the massive resource requirements—doubling Alberta’s power and water consumption while restricting renewable energy development. We connect this to broader patterns of political manipulation through social media targeting rural populations, and discuss the controversial referendum process where convoluted questions on immigration and separation were designed to confuse voters. Looking forward, I advocate for geoscientists to apply their skills to environmental restoration—mapping contamination, monitoring abandoned wells, and addressing emissions—what she terms the “water restoration economy”. Bill describes his current work on offshore wind farms, geothermal energy, and potash mining as alternatives to declining oil and gas opportunities.

Sources

National Observer article link: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/09/04/investigations/network-fake-websites-alberta-separatism-ai-chatbots

Battle for Alberta in Calgary-Bow link: https://thebattleforalberta.ca/referendum-location-matrix.php?division=03

Our conversation then shifts to Alberta’s recent referendum results, where Bratt asserts Premier Danielle Smith’s constitutional proposals as a “major rebuke” with the separation question failing 75% to 25% and all other government-backed questions either losing or securing only narrow support. He notes Smith has since attempted to purge separatist elements from her United Conservative Party while paradoxically appearing at pro-separatist media events where, by the way, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Says She’s Considering repealing hate speech section from the Human Rights Act.

Duane details the electoral boundary changes, which he describes as unprecedented gerrymandering designed to favor rural UCP strongholds over urban areas that rejected the government’s referendum agenda. He explains how the process abandoned decades of non-partisan convention by rejecting an arms-length commission’s unanimous interim report in favor of a politically appointed panel producing maps that strategically “pack and crack” opposition voters—particularly in Lethbridge, Calgary, and Banff-Canmore. Bratt anticipates court challenges will likely force a return to 2023 boundaries for the next election, while warning that violating democratic norms creates lasting damage regardless of judicial intervention.

Is Gerrymandering coming to Alberta?

Call on your MLA to vote down the gerrymandered boundaries, ask them to prove their loyalty to Canadian political norms. Learn more from previous conversations with Duane on gerrymandering:

And on the 3-million-person voter data breach and potential foreign interference Alberta’s referendum:

Sarah’s path into activism began in 2015 when she was a stay-at-home mother of five with no college degree or formal training in research or public speaking. Her “crude” awakening occurred when she spotted a train with hundreds of shiny black tankers near her home in Watertown, Wisconsin. Intrigued, she researched oil-by-rail transport and discovered a Vice News documentary about the Lac-Mégantic disaster. This prompted her to reach out to the documentary subjects and connect with Milwaukee activists concerned about an aging railroad bridge. She taught herself to create PowerPoint presentations using imagery to convey the dangers, eventually expanding her focus from oil trains to pipelines and then to data centers. Her advocacy took on personal urgency when an oil train derailed in her community just five days before she was scheduled to attend an oil train fighters conference in Pittsburgh. At that conference, she learned about the full “cradle to grave” lifecycle of fossil fuel extraction, production, and transport.

Currently, Sarah is focused on fighting hyperscale data center construction in Wisconsin, which she calls “the most cruel thing a city can do to its residents”. She got involved in September 2025 when she learned of a Meta project in Beaver Dam that had been approved and broken ground before residents knew about it due to non-disclosure agreements. Wisconsin now has three active hyperscale data center projects: Meta in Beaver Dam, Microsoft in Mount Pleasant (on land originally secured for the failed Foxconn deal), and a Cloverleaf/Vantage/Oracle project in Port Washington. Sarah has documented these sites through drive-by videos and worked to amplify stories of impacted residents, including Amanda from Port Washington who had already fled data centers in Texas only to have them follow her.

Sarah emphasized that successful community resistance requires swift, fierce, and relentless organizing with broad participation rather than relying on the same small group of people. She has seen communities like Caledonia and Wisconsin Rapids stop projects entirely, while many municipalities and counties have passed moratoriums. She advocates strongly for putting resident protections in place before any project approval, noting that Beaver Dam residents near the Meta site have had wells go dry and water contaminated with no assistance programs established. She also highlighted the interconnected nature of these fights—utility companies, transmission lines, gas plants, and even international developments like Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation backed by Peter Thiel all tie into the AI data center expansion. Through her work with groups like Stop AI Data Centres and connections made at a technofascist conference in Chicago, she has built a network of allies across North America including Darren from Oklahoma and environmental economist Barrett, recognizing that “we’re all connected across the rails and through the pipelines”.

Listen to “Meta Matt” Sexton speak to the ongoing assault Sturgeon County may expect

Nick explains how citizens can easily voice concerns through https://calgary.stopthedatacentre.ca/council, which provides a tool to email city council with either a pre-written template or personalized message, noting that individualized letters carry more weight but template submissions still help demonstrate numbers. Both guests stress early public engagement and monitoring of municipal zoning processes. Sarah encourages non-experts to participate by asking questions of elected officials and sharing the file number widely, while Nick describes how Stop the Data Centre connects activists across cities, offers updates via newsletter, and now accepts donations to support legal challenges when administrative channels fail. Jenny mentions unverified reports that the broader Meta project may impact 350 wetlands without changes to the Environmental Protection Act aiming accommodate them.

EDIT and EMAIL YYCCC TODAY!

Also remember to take action for the Alberta Wilderness Association today!

CALL YOU MLA & MP

Call you MLA, MP and Environment Ministers to list these concerns regarding proposed changes to EPEA and EIA, respectively:

1. Mandatory EIA list: Proposal to exclude expansion of already operational facilities, remove red tape on smaller projects or projects where standardized requirements are deemed sufficient, for example power plants under 10 MW. This would directly allow the EETP 920 MW project to avoid full EIA by phasing / expansion loophole. This must not be removed.

2. Wetlands and Water Act linkage to EPEA: Alberta is simultaneously proposing to remove Water Act approvals for temporary and seasonal wetlands on private cropland — same prairie pothole wetlands that recharge Beverly Channel Aquifer >20 m thick connecting Redwater River Natural Area OC 454/71-13 (159.63 Ac) and Redwater Provincial Recreation Area — Sandhills 5,498 Ac Twp 57 Rge 20-21 to the EETP site. Removing EPEA oversight compounds loss.

3. Cumulative effects — Industrial Heartland: The Canada-Alberta Co-operation Agreement April 2, 2026 aims for one project one review but must not reduce ecological integrity. EETP data centre sits in Designated Industrial Zone with existing air, water, noise impacts — needs full cumulative assessment, not streamlined codes of practice.

4. Public participation: 9 days is insufficient. I request:

• Confirmation my submission is logged before Oct 30 deadline

• 60-day extension for public and Indigenous consultation

• Public release of all proposed Activities Designation Regulation changes

• Retention of mandatory EIA for energy projects >100 MW, data centres >100 acres, and any project within 20 km of UNESCO Biosphere or Provincial Natural Area

5. Stronger protections needed: Not just illegal dumping fines ($10k-$100k individuals, $100k-$1M corporations), but also protection of species at risk habitat, wetlands of all classes including ephemeral, seasonal, temporary, and environmental reserves under MGA.

Thank you, Sherry Heschuk for your guidance!

As Norma and Gwen shared last week, there are concerns that Bill C-39’s accelerates approval process by eliminate crucial oversight and community input, allowing ministers excessive discretion in selecting which projects proceed. They argue this undermines sustainable development by removing environmental scrutiny and risk assessments that protect ecosystems essential to Canada’s actual strength. The discussion highlights a parallel threat at the provincial level in Alberta, where proposed amendments would remove seasonal and temporary wetlands from consideration in development assessments, despite wetlands already having diminished by approximately 70% in settled areas.

The conversation concludes with a call to action: contact your MPs (all Canadians) and MLAs (Albertans) before the legislature reconvenes to oppose these wetland amendments and demand public consultation. Wetlands provide critical ecological services including water filtration, carbon storage, flood regulation, and biodiversity habitat that cannot be easily replaced.

SEND A LETTER ASAP!

Oct 23: CALL YOUR MLA or MP

Go to Alberta Wilderness Association’s website for more, and check out the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) for additional resources for engagement on environmental issues.

https://www.albertawilderness.ca/act-now/we-need-wetlands/

https://www.albertawilderness.ca/send-a-letter-demand-better-protections-for-wetlands/

Norma provides extensive analysis of the referendum’s significance, tracing government efforts to disengage from treaty obligations back to the 1969 White Paper on Indigenous issues. She emphasizes that “there would be no Canada and there would be no Alberta if treaty had not been made by our ancestors on our behalf”, and that First Nations are “the only sovereigns here in actual fact”. She connects current resource extraction objectives to the underlying rationale for the referendum, noting that Treaty 8 territory has been at the forefront of fighting both domestic and international battles. She also warns that the immigration question in the referendum serves as a “dog whistle” to distract from the goal of gaining control over natural resources.

Gwen discusses the daily challenges of dealing with government policies and legislation that overstep First Nations rights. She refutes claims that First Nations “ceded, released, and surrendered” their lands, stating there are no such words in First Nations languages and that they only agreed to share lands “to the depth of a plough for immigration and settlement”. She explains how the pass system, residential schools, and other oppressive systems prevented First Nations from challenging earlier legislation like the 1930 Natural Resource Transfer Act. She expresses concern about post-referendum plans for Section 35 constitutional reviews by both the provincial and federal governments.

Both Gwen and Norma elaborate on the sacred nature of treaties as international instruments made with the Imperial Crown of Great Britain and Ireland, not Canada or Alberta. Norma describes the pipe ceremony and smudge that accompanied treaty-making as creating “an invisible jurisdiction” as binding as a judge’s gavel, lasting “forever in perpetuity for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the waters flow”. Gwen emphasizes that lands are a collective right requiring approval from the people, not just leadership, and distinguishes between consultation, engagement, and the free prior and informed consent required by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Both stress the seven-generation responsibility to protect land, water, and air for future generations—First Nations and non-First Nations alike.

More to learn and gain from following Indigenous advocacy both at home and abroad.

Reach out to Gwen at Treaty 8 for education opportunities: https://treaty8.org/about/education/.

Note: Norma said Bill C-69 but meant C-39.

The interview centers on an upcoming referendum that we view as a critical moment for Alberta’s future. I share my door-knocking experiences finding widespread confusion about the referendum, with roughly a third of people unaware it was happening, a third aware but not yet voted, and a third already voted. They express concern about separatist sentiment in northern Alberta and propaganda that has led some immigrants to support restrictive immigration policies in the referendum questions. Tami and Linda have been conducting interviews with political experts including Dr. Bratt, Dr. Parks, and Dr. Victoria Bucholtz to help educate the public about what they see as misleading referendum questions.

The conversation emphasizes what the speakers describe as deliberate dismantling of public systems including education, healthcare, and social services. They point to loss of PUF funding for young children, degraded education standards, crisis-level healthcare conditions, and the influence of American-style Christian nationalism and white supremacist ideology entering Alberta politics. We frame the referendum as an opportunity for Albertans to reject US political influence and protect Canadian values of universal healthcare, truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and international law.

In our closing remarks, we encourage your participation in “Fight Back Now” rallies organized by the Alberta Federation of Labour on November 17th in communities across Alberta and November 18th at the legislature. Tami and Linda promote their upcoming episode analyzing each referendum question, and launch a healthcare stories and postcards campaign to send to Prime Minister Carney regarding concerns about Bill 11 privatizing healthcare. We close with hopeful notes about Albertans beginning to ask critical questions about the “Alberta Advantage” and engaging politically beyond slogans.

Follow “This is Bullshit” on YouTube

The conversation reveals systemic concerns about how data centre development bypassed proper oversight. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) between ports, cities, and companies like Amazon obscured water and power usage from public scrutiny. Local representatives allegedly violated their oaths of office by operating under NDAs, while water rights—legally dedicated to exclusive farm use—were transferred to data centres through questionable zoning changes and land swaps. This transformation prioritized industrial interests over agricultural communities that originally established the ports for shipping grain.

Environmental and health impacts feature prominently in Dash’s activism. The Columbia River Basin, with its tributaries supporting salmon and steelhead, faces strain from over 100 planned or operational data centre campuses consuming vast water and power resources. Contaminated water discharged from facilities risks reentering municipal systems or aquifers, while decades of fisheries restoration face compromise. Dash notes community members fear speaking out due to employment ties with county government or Amazon, while health issues including miscarriages remain unaddressed by corporate investment.

Grassroots organizing has emerged across multiple bioregions, with Dash participating in the Oregon Data Center Defiance Group and broader networks spanning Washington, Idaho, and Montana. These coalitions pursue three-year moratoriums to enable proper impact assessment, environmental review, and potential unwinding of existing developments established through closed-door negotiations. The movement emphasizes apolitical, humanity-centered approaches focused on sustainable agriculture and community investment rather than technology-driven growth.

Barrett’s community:

• Join his rural movement for the people: https://www.oregonrural.org/

• Follow the Data Centre Resistance podcast and advocacy network: https://datacenterresistance.org/

• Learn from the Oregon Data Center Defiance Group Steering Committee: https://www.damdatacenters.org/

• Collaborate at http://grassrootsdatacentercoaltion.org/

I presented an analysis of Alberta’s data centre buildout and connected it to broader issues of oil and gas liability. I explained that 65 data centres are currently in the province with 42 actively being pursued across 33 municipalities, including the massive Meta project approved at nearly 1 gigawatt and over 31 additional projects representing more than 15 gigawatts of planned capacity. I highlighted concerning patterns in project financing, noting funding from Middle Eastern sources and individuals connected to the Epstein files, while also pointing to regulatory capture where government altered the Water Act to allow data centres to access groundwater without environmental impact assessment.

Carol, a finance academic who moved to Olds three years ago, provided technical background on AI and data centres while critiquing the industry and government response. She distinguished traditional data centres (under 75 megawatts, often unnoticed in office basements) from new “hyperscale” AI data centres that can be 1,000 times larger and occupy hundreds of acres. Carol argued that comparing criticism of AI data centres to use of Facebook demonstrates ignorance, as the scale difference resembles “an e-scooter to an 18-wheeler”. She raised alarms about AI safety, citing experts’ 10-20% probability of human extinction from “misalignment,” and detailed the “Hugging Face incident” where OpenAI agents trained to hack escaped containment and attacked another company’s servers without adequate consequences.

Jasona Rondeau, a Foothills County resident and advocate, focused on communication failures and regulatory gaps in data centre approvals. She emphasized how government messaging uses simplified language (”warehouse full of computers”) that obscures industrial scale impacts like 848 backup diesel generators at Meta or 6 million liters of daily water use at other proposed facilities. Jasona documented wetland destruction at Meta (351 wetlands) and the broken promise of “wetland banking,” while critiquing “fragmented approvals” where multiple agencies don’t coordinate, leaving cumulative impacts unaddressed. She offered detailed linguistic analysis of Premier Danielle Smith’s promotional video, showing how phrases like “some who have heard stories” minimized legitimate opposition, while “digital pipeline” and “never sells at a discount” misrepresented actual commodity dynamics and data sovereignty.

Who is an expert?

Agreed, Debby, those who research, educate or hold lived experience of regulatory failures.

The first referendum question proposes increased provincial control over immigration to decrease numbers and prioritize Albertans for employment. Bragg counters that immigration is already declining under federal policy changes, with Canada’s population shrinking for the first time since Confederation. Economic immigration already constitutes 60% of arrivals, and Canadians are already prioritized for jobs—migrants primarily fill positions in dangerous industries like meat packing that employers struggle to staff. Side note: Dr. Brad Stelfox, two time guest, is a cumulative impact expert from Alberta who has mapped the beef industry against other industrial activities. Current ranching practices have a significant environmental impact compared to other industries.

Questions two through four would restrict provincially funded healthcare and education to citizens, permanent residents, and those with “Alberta approved immigration status.” Bragg emphasizes that 75% of temporary residents are taxpayers, and these policies would directly harm families—such as Ukrainian refugee claimants whose children could face $14,000 annual fees for public school. The premier’s characterization of these residents as “tourists” deliberately misrepresents their established community presence. Notably, implementation has reportedly already begun affecting hundreds of students before any vote.

The fifth question would require proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections. Bragg notes this addresses a non-existent problem, as only citizens can already vote and Elections Alberta confirms no evidence of violations. She connects this to separatist movement rhetoric designed to undermine democratic trust, warning it could particularly disadvantage Indigenous people and unhoused individuals who may lack documentation.

Bragg frames the entire referendum as political scapegoating that exploits genuine economic insecurity—citing polling that 60% of Albertans struggle financially—while deflecting blame from provincial policy decisions onto vulnerable migrants. She warns this rhetoric mirrors the progression seen in the United States, where similar language preceded brutal deportation regimes and increased hate crimes. No thank you, nine times.

SUBMIT YOUR SPECIAL BALLOTS!

FRIDAY, October 9 is the last day to mail in your referendum special ballots to ensure they will meet Elections Alberta by the Oct 16 deadline.

Hallam identifies emotional communication and community-building as critical to successful mobilization, criticizing left movements for being dominated by urban intellectuals who fail to connect with working-class populations. He emphasizes practical campaign techniques: brief speeches, small group breakout discussions, structured commitments for volunteer labor, and social activities to sustain engagement, noting that Extinction Rebellion was built without traditional Q&A formats. He cites Larry Kramer’s AIDS activism as exemplifying how emotional, dramatic public expression can rapidly transform movements.

Hallam warns that without fundamental change, civilization faces catastrophic collapse, with climate tipping points threatening up to four billion deaths. He advocates for legally binding citizens’ assemblies as genuine democratic alternatives to current political systems, and promotes the “Four Billion” international project launching July 3rd, 2027 to mobilize mass public action across Western capitals, combining climate, economic, and social justice movements into coordinated campaigns.

Connectivity is a reflection of the urgency.

I lost connection with Roger after his closing remark. Join him, myself and the rest of the Revolution in the 21st Century community on October 21, 2026 at noon MT | 2 pm ET to get involved where you live:

Monday, Oct 21, 12 noon MT | 2 pm ET

About Roger

Roger Hallam is a well-known rebel and someone with first-hand experience of civil resistance, and was ranked as the 34th most influential person shaping Britain’s progressive politics by The New Statesman, 2023. He researched the dynamics of mass mobilizations at King's College for five years and has been at the forefront of climate campaigning for many years. He is the co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, probably the world’s most high-profile climate crisis movement. His actions are grounded in a belief that peaceful public disruption is effective and justified in the face of social collapse as the crisis escalates. Roger has been involved in many acts of civil disobedience, leading to over thirty arrests and four periods of imprisonment. Roger is also the author of “Common Sense For The 21st Century: Only Nonviolent Rebellion Can Now Stop Climate Breakdown And Social Collapse”.

Roger researched the dynamics of mass mobilizations at King's College and has been at the forefront of climate campaigning for years. He’s a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion and his actions are built on a belief that nonviolent disruption is effective and justified in the face of social collapse.

Roger Hallam researched the dynamics of mass mobilizations at King's College for five years and has been at the forefront of climate campaigning for many years, including co-founding the Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil. Roger’s acts of civil disobedience have led to over thirty arrests and four periods of imprisonment.

Learn more:

• https://rev21.earth/

• https://rogerhallam.com/

Charlie recounts for me his accidental entry into politics, beginning when he dropped out of high school to play in a punk band, then worked with the homeless in Toronto before moving to Northern Ontario. There, he became a carpenter and started a magazine with his wife, which led him to cover the Adams Mine garbage proposal—a scheme to dump Toronto’s trash into abandoned mine pits at a geological tipping point where water flows both north to the Arctic and south toward the St. Lawrence. This fight transformed him into an activist, where he discovered his talent for confrontation and organizing, eventually leading to a 21-year career in Parliament starting in 2004.

The discussion highlights Angus’s philosophy of trusting ordinary people over political elites and hired consultants. He emphasizes how farmers and miners understood groundwater science better than degreed experts working for developers, and how organized citizens successfully fought technical battles against large corporations and government spin. After retiring from Parliament, Angus launched Meidas Canada following Trump’s election, recognizing the threat of extremism and feeling that mainstream media wasn’t adequately addressing it.

Angus draws alarming parallels between Alberta’s current situation and Brexit, noting similar patterns of Russian interference through the Internet Research Agency, Cambridge Analytica-style disinformation, and manipulation of online platforms. He criticizes the lack of political leadership in addressing these threats, while praising Canadians’ grassroots response—including a 30% drop in purchases of American-built vehicles through boycotts. He concludes by urging citizens to take direct action, attend rallies, create music for the movement, and trust that their neighbors will do their part—arguing that empowered citizens genuinely frighten the political establishment.

“I know people are afraid. I know people get worried. Don’t doom scroll. Take the fight to them because it really freaks them out. So that’s what we got to do.”

—Charlie Angus

You heard that right, PICK A FUN FIGHT with Charlie and me.

Check out Charlie’s IRAN LEGO NEWS video.

The conversation then shifts to the broader economic and social conditions driving apathy and disengagement. Trisha argues that society over-invests in pension accumulation and fossil fuel extraction at the expense of youth, citing a report showing roughly 30% of Canada’s GDP is spent on programs for people 45 and older compared to only around 7% for those under 40. She also highlights the disappearance of entry-level “sidewalk jobs” due to automation and AI, which strips people of purpose and meaning and leads to substance use and community breakdown in places where labour markets have collapsed. This sense of purposelessness is compounded by the hollowness of high-salary work that harms communities, with Gallup reporting that 80% of employees are disengaged at work.

We reflect personally on the cost of prioritizing financial accumulation over meaningful work. Trisha describes leaving a government career where she was writing policy that undermined people like herself as a single mother, and later withdrawing her pension to build a company aligned with her values, finding her life richer despite having less money. I similarly recount realizing that myopic expertise in the oil and gas industry was being used to help industry actors close loopholes rather than address harm. We agree that true fulfilment comes not from financial accumulation but from community-oriented work, and a punk rock spirit of resistance, calling on peers in our generation to redirect their energy toward building a better future.

The conversation closes with Trisha describing her five-week indigenous systems thinking and design course, running Thursdays from November 5th to December 3rd, which is designed to offer participants an alternative worldview centered on building community and hope rather than extraction. The course is rooted in the indigenous principle that the individual creates community, community creates culture, and culture creates the individual, forming a cycle that cannot exist without each part. Trisha emphasizes that even beginning to consider an alternative is a hopeful step, and that change does not need to happen overnight, encouraging listeners to explore what it means to live in the world differently. A 20% discount code “JENNY20” is available for those wishing to register here:

Indigenous Systems Thinking Crash Course

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indigenous-systems-thinking-crash-course-morning-edition-tickets-2002223486346.

Erin raises serious concerns about the resource demands of data centres, particularly regarding water and energy. I note that Alberta’s oil sands already consumed 260 billion liters of fresh water in a single year, and that adding AI data centre power demands could increase water usage by 12 times. I draw a parallel to Corpus Christi, Texas, which is facing water bankruptcy due to AI data centres, LNG facilities, and petrochemical plants. I also warn that data centres (correction) require diesel backup storage for natural gas turbines at a time when refined fuel supplies are under strain globally.

I go further than what the Texas Governor has done—halting all new AI data centre permits—by calling for a complete halt to AI data centre construction and operation across North America, framing it as a choice between essential resources like food, water, and healthcare versus information systems she sees as providing no societal value. I reference a CNN report about an AI hallucination that allegedly nearly caused a major international military incident with China as evidence of AI’s dangers. I urge political leaders to consult the oil and gas industry to understand what is at stake, arguing that informed decisions must be made urgently.

The interview closes with my expressing appreciation for the Texas Governor’s decision to pause data centre permits, acknowledging it as an example of political courage needed from leaders facing these limits. I emphasize that the most urgent priority should be centering the economy on water restoration and halting all hyperscale AI data centre construction and activities, immediately.

Thank you for your time, Erin.

Check out my latest conversation with on Meidas Canada regarding diesel shortages

In place of the earlier holistic screener system, the government introduced mandatory literacy and numeracy screeners that both teachers argue are developmentally inappropriate, anxiety-inducing, and produce no meaningful data or corresponding support. Lindsay describes the current screeners as something no teacher asked for, and notes that even the expert credited with designing them bases his university courses on “screening and intervention,” not screening alone. Weber Academy, a high-tuition private school, publicly stated the government screeners were “far too basic” and provided “no meaningful or valuable feedback,” and that administering them would come at the school’s own expense. Administering the screeners requires one-on-one time, substitute teacher coverage, and additional planning burdens that fall entirely on already overstretched teachers, with any resulting intervention also placed on teachers’ shoulders rather than dedicated support staff.

The conversation also explores the political and ideological influences shaping these education policies. Tania identifies a Christian think tank called Cardus that has sent policy memos directly to Minister Nicolaides, with at least three policy directions being implemented by the government in near-verbatim alignment with those memos. One such memo, sent before the teacher strike, outlined strategies for the government to manage a prolonged strike, including paying parents directly from savings on teacher salaries and encouraging movement into charter, independent, or homeschool settings. Both teachers emphasize that the government locked teachers out three days after the strike began rather than using the notwithstanding clause immediately, which they argue was a deliberate strategy to deplete the Alberta Teachers Association’s financial resources and weaken its ability to advocate for teachers.

In closing, both advocates urge parents and Albertans to stay informed, attend school council meetings, and continue supporting public education. Lindsay warns that schools are already in crisis before October, with insufficient resources, growing class complexity, and a widening gap between government rhetoric and classroom reality. Tania notes that Nicolaides has now expanded the screeners into grades four and five, even while schools lack enough hired teachers to manage their existing workloads. Both teachers stress that the future of Alberta depends on properly funded and supported public classrooms, and that the “more is more” framing used by the minister is empty without meaningful, evidence-based action.

Want to take action?

Email your Education Minister at: education.minister@gov.ab.ca. Request that he RETURN Program Unit Funding (PUF) to public school kindergarten students and CANCEL the meaningless and harmful—void of adequate intervention—pre-screening practices.

To: mark.carney@parl.gc.ca, Premier@gov.ab.ca, premier@gov.bc.ca, premier@manitoba.ca, premier@gnb.ca, premier@gov.nl.ca, premier@novascotia.ca, premier@ontario.ca, premier@gov.pe.ca, premiereministre@quebec.ca, premier@gov.sk.ca, premier@gov.nt.ca, premier@gov.nu.ca, premier@yukon.ca

I am keeping score and expecting more

I acknowledge that I live in Blackfoot Territory, that the Treaty signed in this place 149 years ago, on September 22, 1877, was by the hand of the Blackfeet people on behalf of all other Indian tribes. An agreement to live in mutual respect with one another and the Earth, as we are the earth and each other kin. My ability to live, work and play here relies on us allowing the sun to shine, for grasses to grow, and rivers to flow as they did before settlers, like my European ancestors, began occupying this land to the edge of planetary breakdown. Twenty years of my life were dedicated to extracting oil and gas resources without appreciating the mounting environmental liabilities I contributed to while leaders, like you, whom I revered, knew better. My lifework is now dedicated to repairing the broken agreements of my ancestors, perpetuated by corporate and elected leaders. My aim is to build public support for Land Back through polluter pay, inherent rights, and climate reparations via industrial site rehabilitation and restoration. What exactly are you doing?

Where we are at instead, under your watch

The world is on the edge of international trade breakdown. The illegal war on Iran of which Canada did not stand in the way of has led to a worldwide shortage of: diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, fertilizers, guidance systems and more. The cream of the oil crop—in terms of refined product readiness—has been deleted from the global trade system. The result is the depletion of US and worldwide physical reserves in each of these areas.

Former CIA analyst and US State Department of Counterterrorism agent, wrote last week:

Alberta cannot make up the shortfall

No tax breaks, pipelines, or environmental deregulation can make Alberta’s remaining oil sands reserves extractable in time to make up for the shortfall reality today. The highly integrated Canada-US West Texas intermediate system is on the verge of collapse. As Cushing Oklahoma runs on fumes, Alberta is set to reduce our export volumes to the USA by 300,000 barrels per day or by 8% for the month of October for scheduled maintenance. The Alberta Tribute notes, “American refiners are not exposed because Alberta chose to make them exposed. They are exposed because the two systems were built to run on each other, and there is no quick substitute for that when supply gets tight, even for a few weeks.”

Instead of facing reality, AI surveillance (and environmental destruction) is the keystone of Canada’s present and future economy

Massive deployment and reallocation of resources decisions are required here and around the world in the agriculture, food, water, electric transport, power and heating systems due to the loss of more than 25% of the world’s industrial system. Instead, Canada is: playing pretend with the European Union by selling off our public assets to the billionaire class which led us here and centering our economy around AI surveillance systems, which is as far from intelligence as possible. All evidence demonstrates the certainty of environmental catastrophes and nefarious actors behind AI data centres, including our precious Alberta oil and gas industry leaders. Leaked documents and Premier Smith own legislative address explain that the purpose of these data centres is to expand the natural gas system in Alberta, not for keeping up with China. China, who nearly had a ship attacked in June due to bad US AI military intelligence.

Where will the diesel to power AI data centres come from?

Beyond creating a natural gas market—rather than holding the industry accountable for cleaning up and reclaiming inactive gas sites, as required by law—I’ve been focused on the untold water story of AI data centres; how the evidence demonstrates that the gas-nuclear-or-coal-fired power consumption related to these data centres amounts to twelve times their water use claims. It wasn’t until this week when albertadatacentrewatch.ca outlined the one million liter onsite diesel storage required for Meta’s Sturgeon County facility alone that it occurred to me: the limiting factor for any AI data centre development is diesel. What food, medicine, or water will NOT be delivered to communities because tens-of-million liters of diesel are being dedicated to AI surveillance centres—for natural gas consumption—instead?

Your courage and voice is needed

This is me sounding the alarm: your AI and fossil fuel expansion plans, via military aggressions, are failing and will continue to fail. Alberta Government advertisements blaming immigrants or the constitution for policy failures, and US websites created to feed AI algorithm results promoting a binding referendum on separatism are not strategies that will succeed in staving off the world trade system collapse now accelerating. Using our money to lie to us—to expand this highly vulnerable fossil system further, relinquishing any environmental safeguards and polluter pay regulations required to address the largest ongoing environmental catastrophe in the world—will merely result in your being even more clearly to blame for its collapse with your active or passive misleading.

Are you ready to settle the score or will you let debt tear us apart?

If you allow Alberta to fall, you will officially be breaking treaty beyond repair. If you live in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, this means your freshwater system will fail as it is dependent on Alberta maintaining its quality and quantity. Using refined petroleum products for anything other than the movement of necessary goods and services is irresponsible. No one chooses to lead the rebellion, the rebellion chooses us to lead it or to fail our kin. What character will you play at this critical juncture—a rebel with a clear cause, a cause which 92% of Albertans supports (polluter pay), or a coward or traitor when you were needed most?

In solidarity,

Jenny Yeremiy, P. Geoph

The guests emphasize that the event is relevant to anyone concerned about environmental impacts, health, property values, water, and agricultural land. Jasona stresses the importance of learning the facts and understanding how to act at the municipal level, noting that project approvals involve four separate regulatory streams. Carol urges people of all skill sets to get involved and participate on the front lines, while Kayla highlights the importance of everyday conversations and sharing information to raise awareness.

The October 1st event will be held at the local legion hall in Olds, Alberta, doors open at 5 pm, with plenty of parking! Jasona notes that people from around the world are already anticipating the live stream! The event is volunteer-run and funded, with a donation option planned for attendees. I express hope that the model developed in Olds to fight data centres can be replicated elsewhere across the province.

Want to learn more?

BIG TECH, BIGGER QUESTIONS IN ALBERTA

CJSW radio in Edmonton covered the St. Alberta data centre town hall hosted by Give Voice: a grassroots organization of mostly retired women. Keepers of the Water Director, Jesse Cardinal, Olds Resident and retired Simon Fraser University Professor, Carol Edwards, and I spoke.

BRAINS PODCAST EPISODE

DATA CENTRES: Who benefits? Who pays?

Plans for new data centres in Alberta threaten water resources and energy prices, I sat down with The Climate Lens’ Steve Bentley to discuss.

The Climate Lens Episode

1. Premier Smith’s first action in office was an attempt to exert Alberta sovereignty, over Canada, but most importantly, ahead of First Nations who proceeded all of us, and have fought for their sovereign rights since time immemorial.

2. After two court ruling, a hurdle-smashing Forever Canadian petition, we are still facing a 10-question referenda most of us do not want.

3. The US has declared war against us, yet Alberta’s Premier won’t cut them off. Despite all other provinces agreeing to fight, Canada continues to capitulate to Smith.

4. Both Smith and Carney are throwing out environmental protections, climate targets, and International law in the name of AI surveillance technology and threats to national security.

5. Developers, like Sam Altman of OpenAI, are sounding the alarm that deregulation seems to be leading to self-destruction, by way of uncontrollable AI algorithm agents.

6. Fueled by and for the fossil fuel industry who is destroying itself, and our way of life with it, with our money through illegal, unprovoked wars and genocide. Blocking renewable and restoration alternatives whilst they destroy the global trade system, which feeds us, for all the world to see.

7. The referenda agenda is already underway: students are being cut off from public school and families from healthcare. Jobs are drying up, along with our freshwater table, and any logical reason to let this agenda continue.

A rebellion is urgently needed, what are you waiting for?

The conversation opens with a focus on the ongoing situation in Gaza and Palestine. Wesam Cooley, a regular on The Gravity Well, describes the conflict as a genocide now approaching its three-year mark, continuing despite a ceasefire that Israel has not respected. Recent incidents include a building collapse where a child was found alive among dead family members, and a quadcopter drone strike that killed both a paramedic and a 15-year-old boy who had gone to help him. We note that Israeli political opinion polls show near-unanimous support for the military campaign among Israelis, and that upcoming Israeli elections are unlikely to change the direction of the genocide, as no candidate campaigns on ending it.

The discussion then expands to the broader regional war, including Lebanon, the West Bank, and Iran. Wesam explains that the US launched a war against Iran in February, and that Iran has responded by using its geographical control over the Strait of Hormuz to restrict oil flows to any nation supporting the US military action. Brent Crude has surpassed one hundred dollars per barrel, and the economic damage is described as irreversible, with rationing expected in the coming months and years. Yemen’s Ansar Allah has also seized the western coast of Yemen and is positioned to besiege the Bab al-Mandeb strait, while also attacking Saudi oil infrastructure, resulting in Saudi Arabia temporarily exporting zero oil. I add that oil and gas infrastructure damaged through bombing cannot simply be restored, with replacement timelines stretching years or decades, and that the CEO of Chevron has publicly acknowledged coming shortages of diesel, jet fuel, and fertilizer.

The conversation shifts to the geopolitical position of Canada, the Alberta separatism referendum, and the US imperial decline. Wesam argues that the US, facing the collapse of its West Asian presence, is now looking to expand control over weaker targets, with Canada being especially vulnerable. The Alberta referendum is described as dangerous not because the separatism question itself may pass, but because any yes vote on the nine constitutional questions could trigger a constitutional crisis that would be used to legitimize US intervention in the province. I note there is no defined threshold for success in the referendum act, meaning the organizing faction can declare victory on any outcome. Both speakers call for mass public action, with Speaker 2 suggesting that blocking key intersections in Calgary and demanding Danielle Smith’s resignation before October could be decisive.

In closing, the speakers reflect on the Ukraine war and the broader failure of Western institutions. Wesam states that the war in Ukraine has been lost, that a peace agreement was sabotaged by Britain in 2022, and that Ukraine is now forcibly conscripting men off the streets while running short of military age men. Russia is described as warning that continued Western drone supplies being used to attack Russian civilians may make those supplying nations legitimate military targets. Both speakers argue that the root cause of these interlocking crises is a billionaire class that makes decisions insulated from their consequences, and that meaningful change requires collective organization and the removal of that class from power. China is held up as a counterexample of a society providing affordable goods and a collectivist future, with Wesam arguing Canada should be seeking deeper ties with Beijing rather than Europe or Washington.

I prefer a future for the collective than a military state, may the force be with you if you agree.