The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy

The Gravity Well
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  1. 18h ago

    ICYMI: Olds’ Oct 1 “Ground Zero” Event

    The Ground Zero event in Olds, Alberta on October 1, hosted by Kayla Piccinin and Debby Pelletier, brought together community members and experts to discuss the rapid proliferation of AI data centre proposals across the province and their implications for local communities. 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. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    ICYMI: Olds’ Oct 1 “Ground Zero” Event

  2. 1d ago

    Feelings Not Facts

    Bronwyn Bragg, an assistant professor at the University of Lethbridge with 15 years of experience in migration research, joins me to discuss Alberta’s referendum on immigration policy. Her research reveals that the referendum’s five questions appear designed to manipulate public sentiment rather than address genuine policy needs. Bragg explains that the questions target temporary foreign workers, international students, and refugee claimants—collectively about 5.5% of Alberta’s population—who already pay taxes into the healthcare and education systems they would be denied access to under proposed changes. 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. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    Feelings Not Facts

  3. 3d ago

    FREAK OUT for a Cause

    Roger Hallam argues that Brexit (separatism) was not fundamentally about EU membership but stemmed from a deeper crisis of political disconnection, where ordinary people felt ignored by the political class for generations. He contends that materialist left politics fails to account for human needs for recognition and meaning, which is why people support measures that harm them economically and ecologically. The solution he proposes involves active listening through door-to-door engagement and community assemblies where people speak and feel heard, which research shows can shift participants toward more progressive views over time. 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: 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/ Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    FREAK OUT for a Cause

  4. Oct 3

    Pick a Fun Fight

    In this episode, I am pleased to host Meidas Canada’s Charlie Angus, a former Northern Ontario Canadian MP. I have been working as an Alberta correspondent for him on Meidas since he came to Alberta in January of this year to support the Remove Nicolaides recall campaign of Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta’s Anti-Public Education and anti-Certified Childcare Minister. 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. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    Pick a Fun Fight

  5. Oct 1

    Grunge is Not Dead

    In this episode, I am joined Trisha McOrmond, a Metis sociologist, indigenous systems thinking educator and punk based in Edmonton, whose diverse background includes Metis heritage, Irish immigrant grandparents, and a Chilean political refugee stepfather. Trisha draws on these experiences to inform her understanding of resistance and community-centered living, and she now works both as an indigenous systems thinking educator and in emergency management helping communities rebuild after disasters. We discuss Alberta’s upcoming referendum, with Trisha arguing that the questions are deliberately written at a first-year college reading level rather than the government’s own standard of sixth to seventh grade, in order to induce fear, suppress critical thinking, and discourage people from questioning authority. I add that the Parkland Institute has reported referendum questions will not actually solve the problems they claim to address, and that Premier Smith herself admitted the Senate question would achieve nothing. 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: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indigenous-systems-thinking-crash-course-morning-edition-tickets-2002223486346. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    Grunge is Not Dead

  6. Sep 26

    More is Not More

    Two Alberta teachers and education advocates, Tania and Lindsay, who run the pages “Remove Nicolaides” and “Let’s Talk Alberta Education” respectively, join me to discuss the realities of Alberta Public Education: its mismanagement at the hands of our Education & Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, and his predecessor: Adriana LaGrange. Tania is a kindergarten French immersion teacher in Calgary-Bow who became involved in advocacy after simply trying to sign Nicolaides’ recall petition, while Lindsay describes herself as a “reluctant influencer” with nearly 20 years of teaching experience who started her online presence the same summer the first screeners were introduced. Both discuss how the UCP government’s decisions since 2019 have systematically eroded public education in Alberta, beginning with dramatic cuts to Program Unit Funding (PUF), which had previously provided holistic early childhood assessments and in-school therapeutic supports such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists working weekly with students. Removing these supports after COVID, when students arguably needed them most, has caused unaddressed developmental gaps to snowball as children progress through the school system. 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. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    More is Not More

  7. Sep 19

    Ground Zero: Oct 1 AI Data Centre Town Hall in Olds

    This episode features a discussion with Kayla Piccinin, Carol Edwards, and Jasona Rondeau -- who are promoting a province-wide town hall event called “Ground Zero,” organized by the Alberta Transparency Project. The event is centered on the issue of AI data centre development in Alberta, particularly following the Synapse project, which the group successfully opposed in Olds. Carol Edwards, a retired professor and project analyst, became involved after the project was proposed near her home, while Jasona has spent four years helping landowners navigate regulatory processes when projects arrive in their communities. 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. 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. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    Ground Zero: Oct 1 AI Data Centre Town Hall in Olds

  8. Sep 18

    Rebellion Ahead

    Before listening to this conversation, consider: * 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. * After two court ruling, a hurdle-smashing Forever Canadian petition, we are still facing a 10-question referenda most of us do not want. * 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. * 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. * 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. * 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. * 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. Get full access to The Gravity Well with Jenny Yeremiy at www.thegravitywell.net/subscribe

    Rebellion Ahead
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