The LINK Online (Sat April 5, 2014)

Your hosts this week Lynn Desjardins, Wojtek Gwiazda, Marc Montgomery

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In its most recent report and for the first time, scientists convened by the United Nations on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn that if the world does nothing to mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases and climate change continues to increase, social stability could be at stake. They warn that if warming continues there will be increased risk of violent conflicts and threats to the territorial integrity of some countries.

The leader of Canada’s federal Green Party is highly concerned about the report and the Canadian government’s position on greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Canadian public has a right to ask, what is this government actually committed to doing other than putting out nonsense statements that say that we’re in the lead and we’re doing a lot. Where is the plan?”

May notes the government promised years five or six years ago to pass regulations on the oil and gas sector and it now says the regulations are years away. At the same time oil production is ramping up in western Canada even though extraction from oil sands emits high levels of greenhouse gases

Lynn is in conversation with federal Member of Parliament Elizabeth May.

Then Marc speaks with an economic expert, who says everyone, especially in North America, but elsewhere as well,  should finally realize that the employment situation these days is a very different one than it was a few decades ago.

Globalization, outsourcing, economic upheaval, are all facts of modern business.

She says whereas after the Second World War, people could often expect to be employed by the same company for life, retire at age 65, and enjoy a comfortable pension.  She says  permanent employment, pension plans, and  job security are all fading very fast, and volatility is something  present day workers and those who will be entering the workforce should be well aware of.

She says people should start to think of themselves as their own business. a consultant-like attitude whereby you are offering your skills and experience to an employer, but with the idea that you should be aware of other employment options as that current contract may disappear through no fault of your own.

Sherry Cooper former top bank executive and now business professor talks about the changing situation of employment in the 21st century.

A new report takes a somewhat different angle on the rich are getting richer, the poor poorer, story.  This comes from the Ottawa-based think tank- The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Usually such studies focus on the income gap, but this study looked at the “wealth gap” . This is the combination of the worth of things we own, cars, televisions and elctronics, homes etc.

It turns out the top 20% of wealthy Canadians own 70% of Canada’s entire wealth.  In fact there are 86 rich individuals whose wealth equals that of the combined wealth of the 11.4 million Canadians at the bottom of the scale. or in other terms -of about 1/3 of Canada’s population.

Wojtek spoke to senior economist, David Macdonald.