Regime of Obstruction

Exposing and confronting the power of the fossil fuel industry

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Since 2015, the Corporate Mapping Project (CMP) has been shining a bright light on the fossil fuel industry by investigating the ways corporate power is organized and exercised. Our upcoming free virtual conference, Regime of Obstruction, will bring together researchers, activists, and community leaders to look at the current state of fossil fuel power and how we can challenge it.

The conference will feature a number of terrific speakers from the CMP team, including at a kick-off event launching the CMP’s newly-published book. We’ll also be joined by some exciting guests, including at a keynote with Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis, a panel on decolonizing research and climate policy led by Eriel Deranger, and an audience discussion with filmmakers Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott following a screening of The New Corporation.

All of the conference sessions will be held throughout the month of June. Here’s what is on the agenda (note: all listed in Pacific Time):

• Launch of the CMP’s newly-published book, Regime of Obstruction: Fossil Capitalism and the Challenge of Climate Justice (June 1 at 1pm).
• Investigative corporate research skills workshop that looks at the tools and approach used to build the CMP Fossil Power Database (June 3 at 1pm).
• Film screening and discussion with the creators of the documentary The Price of Oil (June 14 at 1pm).
• Film screening and discussion with the creators of the documentary The New Corporation (June 17 at 4pm).
• Discussion led by Indigenous Climate Action on decolonizing climate policy in Canada (June 24 at 1pm).
• Panel discussion on the current “state of play” of fossil fuel corporate power and energy politics in Canada (date TBA).
• Panel discussion on how to ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels (date TBA).

Register now for free, and we’ll send you Zoom links to join the events, as well as more details as they’re confirmed.

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Free Virtual Conference, June 2021

Regime of Obstruction looks at fossil fuel industry power and how we can challenge it. Taking place over the month of June, this free event series is open to the public. It features talks, panels, workshops and documentary film screenings by academic and community-based researchers, Indigenous leaders, filmmakers and activists.

Join team members from the Corporate Mapping Project (CMP), along with featured speakers including Eriel Deranger, Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis, filmmakers Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott, and others.

Program

Thursday, Jun 3, 2021 / 01:00 PM PDT

Corporate Mapping Project Webinar: Investigative Corporate Research Skills

It’s no secret that corporate power is a major obstacle to ambitious action on climate change and the interests of communities. The more we know about the companies locking in the fossil fuel status quo, the better equipped we are to challenge them.

This one-hour webinar will provide an overview of how to research a corporation, and introduce you to the Corporate Mapping Project (CMP) database. The CMP database provides information about key players in Canada’s fossil fuel sector, and is hosted by Littlesis.org (a watchdog network connecting the dots between the world’s most powerful people and organizations).

The workshop will be led by Zoë Yunker, a Vancouver-based journalist writing about environmental justice and energy politics. Zoë has also worked with the Corporate Mapping Project since 2015 as a researcher and project coordinator. She will be joined by CMP Co-Directors Bill Carroll and Shannon Daub.

Monday, June 14, 2021 / 01:00 PM PDT

Price of Oil

Documentary screening and talk

The Price of Oil was created as part of an investigation into the health and safety risks posed by the oil industry in Saskatchewan, and the regulatory capture that has led to environmental damage and serious health consequences for workers and people living in extraction zones. Watch the documentary and hear from some of its creators about what has happened since the documentary was made and the state of the fossil fuel industry in Saskatchewan.

Speakers:

• Patricia Elliott, Associate Professor, Journalism, University of Regina
• Patti Sonntag, Director of the Institute for Investigative Journalism, Concordia University

Thursday, June 17, 2021 / 04:00 PM PDT

The New Corporation: The unfortunately necessary sequel

Documentary screening and filmmaker talk

The Corporation (2003) examined an institution within society. The New Corporation (2020) reveals a world now fully remade in the corporation’s image, perilously close to losing democracy. This new film traces the devastating consequences, connecting the dots between then and now, and inspires with stories of resistance and change from around the world. Conference registrants will get special access to watch the film online ahead of time and will then be able to participate in a discussion with filmmakers Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott.

Thursday, June 24, 2021 / 01:00 PM PDT

Decolonizing research and climate policy

A panel discussion presented by Indigenous Climate Action, led by Eriel Deranger and members of ICA’s Decolonizing Climate Policy project.

Join Indigenous Climate Action at this session where we will further expand on the findings from Phase 1 of Indigenous Climate Action’s Decolonizing Climate Policy in Canada project, uncovering the truth of Indigenous realities in the creation and implications from exclusion in Climate policy work to date. Part of reconciliation in action is decolonizing the narrative in which it is presented to us in all its forms, including climate issues. We will hear from a panel of Indigenous people involved directly in their territories on climate solutions, leading us into what Indigenous-Led climate policy includes. Through this panel we hope to have the audience discussing ways they can “decolonize” their perspectives and support ongoing Climate solutions inclusive of all People.

Speakers:

• Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action
• members of the ICA Climate Policy Advisory Council members, Indigenous Climate Action

Date TBA

Keynote event with Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis

By registering for the conference now, you will automatically be added to this event when it is scheduled.

Date TBA

State of play: Fossil fuels and energy politics in Canada

Panel discussion style webinar with the Corporate Mapping Project Core Team members/researchers.

Speakers:

• Eve Saint, Wet’suwet’en Land Defender
• Angela Carter, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo
• Marc Lee, Senior Economist, CCPA-BC
• Ian Hussey, Research Manager, Parkland Institute
• J. David Hughes, geoscientist and President of Global Sustainability Research

By registering for the conference now, you will automatically be added to this event when it is scheduled.

This conference is hosted by the Corporate Mapping Project, University of Victoria, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC & Saskatchewan Offices & the Parkland Institute.

We thank the Minor Foundation for Major Challenges for their support of this event.