++ Go Evergreen! ++

Release of Trees Ontario Health Paper A Healthy Dose of Green: A prescription for a healthy population

2012-02-11T08:31:00.002-05:00

TORONTO, February 10, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, at the Ontario Forestry Association's 63rd Annual Conference, Trees Ontario presented a paper entitled A Healthy Dose of Green: A prescription for a healthy population.

A Healthy Dose of Green highlights the direct links between the natural environment - especially trees and forests - and human health. These links include the physical, physiological, and rehabilitation benefits of forest environments, the physical activities they promote, and the many ecosystem services they provide.

"This paper provides an excellent overview and a unique perspective on ways by which changes in our environment may lead to improved health and well-being," said Dr. John McLaughlin, Senior Investigator at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, and Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in Toronto. "Trees Ontario is to be congratulated for its summary of scientific literature, which begins a much needed cross-sectoral dialogue on the how forests and the greening of communities can contribute to better health."

"The paper aims to draw attention to the existing body of research by scientists and highlights the restorative effects of trees and forests," said Rob Keen, Trees Ontario CEO. "It offers recommendations to address the degradation of our natural environment through increased awareness, conservation and enhancement efforts."

Forests and green spaces have been linked to a significant decline in asthma, heart disease, diabetes, stress and certain childhood illnesses, as well as improved rehabilitation and faster hospital recovery rates.

This year, the theme of OFA's annual conference is Healthy Forests for Healthy People. "It is important that we understand the effects of our natural environment on our personal health. Our aim was to draw attention to these effects so that proactive health promotion strategies could be developed," said Tracy Smith, Executive Director of the Ontario Forestry Association.

"Trees are good for our health," added Keen. "They replenish our oxygen, filter out air pollution, protect our drinking water supplies, and help cool our cities and towns."

About Trees Ontario

Trees Ontario is a not-for-profit tree planting partnership. Our goal is to increase support to plant 10 million trees per year across the province, thereby promoting better health and wellness for all Ontarians. For more information, please visit www.treesontario.ca.

New Canadian Electrical Code a Green Light for the Future

2012-02-06T09:45:00.002-05:00

Electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy systems, fuel cells all addressed in 2012 CEC

TORONTO, February 6, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - CSA Standards, a leading standards-based solutions organization, today officially announces the availability of the 2012 Canadian Electrical Code (CEC), Part 1. The 2012 CEC is the 22nd edition of Canada's primary standard for electrical installations and includes more than 180 updates and revisions - the most comprehensive set of changes ever - including future-looking developments toward sustainable technologies that help address climate change issues, as well as several considerations addressing the safety of Canada's children.

New and extensively updated sections focus on renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaic installations and wind-generated electricity, new requirements for electric vehicles and home-based vehicle charging stations, as well as tamper-resistant receptacles for child care facilities.

"New sustainable technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels and power generating wind turbines have never been more prevalent," says Bonnie Rose, President, CSA Standards. "With major manufacturers bringing these products to market in greater numbers, they can no longer be considered simply emerging technologies, but part of our daily lives. Electrical safety surrounds Canadians every minute of every day, and CSA's 2012 Canadian Electrical Code is grounded in sustainability and safety improvements that will undoubtedly have a positive impact on future generations."

The 2012 CEC makes tamper-resistant receptacles in child care facilities mandatory. Unless otherwise defined by a regulatory authority having jurisdiction, this requirement applies to all facilities providing care to children seven-years-old or younger.

Unique installation requirements for a variety of renewable energy systems including wind and fuel cells are addressed in the 2012 CEC. Hydrokinetic generation systems that convert tidal or ocean current into energy, and micro-hydro systems that are very small versions of hydro power stations that convert the energy of streams creeks into usable electricity, are also covered. Lastly, existing requirements for solar power have been updated considerably to reflect new technologies, techniques, and calculations.

CSA's 2012 Canadian Electrical Code may also be considered a roadmap for the enhanced safety and success of electric vehicles. As electric vehicles become more commonplace, increased standardization has become critical to help ensure that charging infrastructure is properly addressed in terms of safety, capacity, and consistency. The 2012 CEC fulfills this need through new and enhanced rules addressing the safety, load calculation, and installation of electric vehicle charging equipment. This includes commercial applications for fleet vehicles and home installations such as a residential garage or car port.

"Developing standards is vital to the adoption of green technologies," says Bob Oliver, CEO of Pollution Probe, a national, non-profit organization that exists to improve the health and well-being of Canadians by advancing policy that achieves positive, tangible environmental change. "The strides CSA Standards is making toward the development of standards and codes for renewable energy and sustainable technologies, such as the new 2012 Canadian Electrical Code, will help make these technologies safer and provide Canadians with more choices for sustainable energy sources as demand for these products by environmentally conscious Canadians continues to grow."

About CSA Standards

CSA Standards is a leading standards-based solutions organization serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in North America and the global marketplace. Focusing on standards and codes development, application products, training, advisory and personnel certification services, the organization aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. CSA Standards is a division of CSA Group, which also consists of CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information visit www.csa.ca

More commuters choosing to carpool to reduce stress and share cost of driving

2012-02-06T09:23:00.003-05:00

TORONTO, February 6, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today marks the beginning of Carpool Week, an annual awareness campaign presented by Metrolinx's Smart Commute Program, aimed at getting more people to share the ride to work.

Commuters surveyed by Smart Commute consistently cite cost savings and reducing the stress of battling traffic congestion as the top two reasons why they choose to carpool.

For people like CarpoolZone.ca user Cynthia Koch, who commutes from Waterdown to Mississauga, carpooling has becoming an effective way to deal with rising stress levels, and greatly reduces the costs associated with her commute to work.

"I was spending two to three hours commuting each day, a tonne of gas, frustration and a lot of stress." Cynthia now makes arrangements to share driving responsibilities with her colleagues, which she's found creates time for collaboration and brainstorming. "Some of our best ideas and best initiatives have come out of carpool."

Another big motivator for some carpoolers is the desire to make a contribution to improving the environment.

"I started carpooling to reduce my commute costs and to reduce my ecological footprint," says Rob Wilson, carpooler and ecologist at Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority in Newmarket. "I have now been carpooling for six to seven years, and I carpool four to five days a week. It is nice to sit back relax and enjoy the view. I have now helped many other people in our office form carpools of their own with the help of Smart Commute Central York and the Carpool Zone website."

CarpoolZone.ca is a free, easy-to-use, online ride-matching service offered by Smart Commute that makes it easy to find a driving buddy. There are currently 1,450 carpools registered in the CarpoolZone database, and more than 204 employers with 524,000 employees across the GTHA are currently designated as Smart Commute workplaces.

"Employers realize that a stressful and costly commute can seriously affect job satisfaction," says Mark Singh, Manager, Smart Commute. "Our recent survey of commuters showed that if we can make it easy to find someone to carpool with, they would be willing to try it. Even carpooling once or twice a week can make a big difference."

About Smart Commute

Smart Commute is an initiative of Metrolinx and the municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that works with employers to improve commuting options for their employees. Smart Commute helps employers and commuters in the GTHA explore different commuting options like carpooling, cycling and transit. Our goal is to ease gridlock, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while making your commute less expensive and more enjoyable. To date, 204 employers with 524,000 employees across the GTHA have signed on and are designated as Smart Commute workplaces.

About Metrolinx

Metrolinx is the Province of Ontario's regional transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The organization's mission is to champion, develop and implement an integrated transportation system for our region that enhances prosperity, sustainability and quality of life.

About CarpoolZone.ca

History and Technology

The CarpoolZone.ca website was launched in the fall of 2005. Features include:

...Search options that let users decide how flexible they are in distance, driving times, and other preferences

...Google maps that are used to display locations and map out routes

...Intelligent route matching that improves the number of possible carpool matches. Route-based matching considers the entire route traveled, allowing matches with commuters who can be picked up along the way

...Routes that can be customized to show the roads and highways actually traveled

2011 Statistics:

...More than 40,000 people registered
...More than 1,450 carpools registered
...Combined average monthly savings by commuters of $769,000
...Combined average monthly reduction of 270 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
...Combined average monthly reduction of 1.2 million km of car travel - equivalent to making 140 return trips between Toronto and Vancouver

For more information about Carpool Week and carpooling in the GTHA, visit www.smartcommute.ca.

Boreal World Heritage Site Nomination Celebrated

2012-01-22T09:08:00.001-05:00

A Natural "Noah's Ark" Legacy for Future Generations

WINNIPEG, January 18, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI) welcomes the official submission of the magnificent Pimachiowin Aki boreal region of Manitoba and Ontario as a candidate UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Extending from the East Side of Lake Winnipeg across the border into Ontario, the Pimachiowin Aki nominated area embraces the homelands of Bloodvein River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, Pikangikum and Poplar River First Nations and has sustained their diverse cultures for countless generations. The Atikaki Provincial Park in Manitoba and the Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in Ontario are also included in the nominated area.

"Pimachiowin Aki is so rich in life that it has been described by leading international scientists as one of the world's great remaining "Noah's Arks," noted CBI Executive Director Larry Innes.

"The CBI congratulates the First Nations whose people have lived in this region for millennia, their vision in bringing forward this proposal, and applauds their collaborations with the governments of Manitoba, Ontario and Canada," said Mr. Innes

"This is an excellent example of Canada's potential to lead the world in finding collaborative solutions for the protection and sustainable use of Canada's vast and globally important boreal forest. International recognition of Pimachiowin Aki as a World Heritage Site would be an important validation of this goal."

Pimachiowin Aki, which means "land that gives life," is an ecologically and culturally diverse 33,400 km2 boreal heartland. It is part of one of the largest unfragmented forest blocks on earth and supports a rich ecological community, including forest birds, mammals, freshwater fish and medicinal plants.

CBI was proud to support this nomination at today's commemorative event in Winnipeg, co-hosted by the Government of Manitoba and the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation.

There are more than 930 World Heritage Sites designated by UNESCO in 153 countries. These sites are recognized as globally significant for their outstanding cultural and natural values - places like Machu Picchu, Egypt's Pyramids and the Canadian Rockies. Canada has 15 World Heritage Sites. If added to the World Heritage List, Pimachiowin Aki will be the first World Heritage Site located in Manitoba, and the second listed in Ontario.

The Canadian Boreal Initiative brings together diverse partners to create new solutions for Boreal Forest conservation and acts as a catalyst for on-the-ground efforts across the Boreal Forest by governments, industry, Aboriginal communities, conservation groups, major retailers, financial institutions, and scientists.

Conserving Habitat in Rice Lake Plains, Ontario

2012-01-17T14:46:00.002-05:00

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ontario, January 17, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canada's Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, today announced the Nature Conservancy of Canada's successful acquisition of the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve - 117 hectares of land in Hamilton Township in Northumberland County, Ontario. This project was secured in part with funding from Environment Canada's Natural Areas Conservation Program.

"The Rice Lake Plains contain some of the largest examples of prairies and savannahs in Ontario. With this investment, we are taking action to protect and conserve our ecosystems and sensitive species for present and future generations," said Minister Kent.

The easternmost segment of the Oak Ridges Moraine is the area south of Rice Lake known as the Rice Lake Plains. Historically, the Rice Lake Plains were dominated by prairie and savannas covering at least 17,200 hectares. In 1992, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources commissioned a survey of the tallgrass prairies of southern Ontario and this survey identified approximately 2,100 hectares of tallgrass communities remaining in this area. That is only about 12 percent of the original extent. The acquired property contains priority Black Oak savannah communities and documented habitat for Eastern Hog-nosed Snake and grassland birds. An assessment of birds in the Rice Lake Plains identified the property as significant for grassland birds, including the Whip-poor-will. It also is the site of one of the last documented populations of Wild Lupine (the primary food for Karner Blue butterfly) in the Rice Lake Plains, and will become a restoration area for this species.

"This project is possible through the incredible partnership with the Government of Canada and the generosity of private partners," said James Duncan, Ontario Regional Vice President of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. "Together we are building a natural legacy that will be enjoyed by our children and grandchildren."

The Government of Canada's $225-million Natural Areas Conservation Program is an important on-the-ground initiative that takes real action to preserve Canada's environment and conserve its precious natural heritage for present and future generations. It is through the ongoing contribution from all donors that we can ensure the protection of natural areas in Canada. As of March 2011, the Natural Areas Conservation Program has protected 160,796 hectares of habitat, which includes habitat for 101 species at risk.

For more information and to view a backgrounder on this announcement, please visit the Web site of Environment Canada at http://www.ec.gc.ca/.

Ontario Biodiversity Council welcomes the Environmental Commissioner's call for government action to conserve Ontario's biodiversity

2012-01-12T08:54:00.002-05:00

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, January 10, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Biodiversity Council acknowledges the Environmental Commissioner's special report on biodiversity and supports his recommendation that the Ontario government play a key leadership role in the conservation of our natural heritage.

The special report titled "Biodiversity: A Nation's Commitment, An Obligation for Ontario" calls on the government of Ontario to develop a coordinated and strategic plan for biodiversity conservation.

In June of 2011, the Ontario Biodiversity Council released "Ontario's Biodiversity Strategy, 2011" calling on government, First Nations, conservation groups, industry and all Ontarians to help in protecting what sustains us. Adapted from the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity International Aichi targets, the renewed strategy establishes 15 targets that reflect Ontario's biodiversity conservation needs over the next decade.

Upon release of its strategy, the Ontario Biodiversity Council, made up of diverse interests reflecting broader civil society, received special recognition from the Executive Secretary to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Ontario has joined jurisdictions around the world in aligning with international commitments to halt biodiversity loss.

"I look forward to the government's response to Ontario's Biodiversity Strategy in the coming months," says Jon Grant, Chair of the council. "We remain committed to work with government, First Nations, conservation groups, industry, and all Ontarians to implement Ontario's Biodiversity Strategy. Our wealth and prosperity, our quality of life, and our well-being are directly tied to Ontario's biodiversity."

To read the complete strategy: http://ontariobiodiversitycouncil.ca

About the Ontario Biodiversity Council

The Ontario Biodiversity Council is a group of 20 volunteers who represent environmental and conservation groups, government agencies, academia, Aboriginal communities, and industry associations. The council was created out of a recommendation in the first (2005) Ontario Biodiversity Strategy, to guide its implementation, evaluate progress, and update the strategy.

Ontario Universities making major gains in Going Greener

2012-01-11T08:33:00.003-05:00

photo credit: fadedgenes/via Flickr - University of Guelph recycling

TORONTO, January 11, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Universities across Ontario made major progress in their green initiatives last year by reducing emissions and energy use, improving water and waste management, strengthening green building and transportation standards, and increasing engagement with students, and staff and faculty, according to the latest report by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).

Ontario Universities: Going Greener Report 2011 is based on a survey of green initiatives to which a total of 19 universities (21 campuses) responded.

"The results demonstrate the continued leadership of Ontario universities in advancing sustainability on their campuses," says Alastair Summerlee, Chair of COU and President of the University of Guelph. "Ontario universities continue to embed green initiatives in their institutions and their green procurement practices are extending the environmental benefits well beyond the university sector."

Ontario university presidents made their sustainability pledge in 2009 and have been reporting annually on their progress since then. Substantial progress is being made year over year and the 2011 highlights include:

...About 85 per cent of campuses, compared to 70 per cent last year, track costs/savings resulting from green initiatives

...Nearly twice as many campuses regularly set and review targets for reducing greenhouse gas/carbon dioxide emissions

...81 per cent of campuses, up from 65 per cent, engage their students in driving sustainability, and consider them to be an integral part of their sustainability efforts

...71 per cent of Ontario university campuses generate their own renewable energy

...To improve waste management, studies or audits are now being conducted by 95 per cent of campuses to determine how much and what type of waste is produced

...Environmental issues are being incorporated into a wide range of disciplines so universities can ensure that, regardless of their area of study, students graduate with a better understanding of environmental issues

"Ontario universities continue to demonstrate their leadership in going greener," says Bonnie M. Patterson, COU President and CEO. "They have a strong dedication to sustainability and that is showcased in this latest survey, where improvements can be seen in almost all categories."

See the full report at http://www.cou.on.ca/issues-resources/key-issues/more/going-greener.aspx

Visit the Council of Ontario Universities website at www.cou.on.ca

Follow them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CouncilofOntarioUniversities

Follow them on Twitter at @OntUniv

More Cities Turning Off Street Lights: Good For Environment & Taxpayers... But For Bicyclists?

2012-01-01T09:42:00.003-05:00

threefingeredlord/CC BY 2.0
The value of street lighting.

from TreeHugger.com - December 31, 2011
by John Laumer - Design / Urban Design

There is simply no peer-reviewed, unbiased research supporting the notion that street lights alone can reduce crime. The expectation that artificial lighting can by itself reduce crime also defies common sense. If indoor crimes or crimes in a commercially-lit parking lot are included the general crime data (as I assume they generally are), the stats will never correlate strongly. Cities like Killadelphia, PA have seen crime rates go up and crime rates down over the years, while street lighting was held pretty much constant on city-wide average.

In other words, assertions that cities have to 'keep the lights on to keep crime down' are unsupportable. With municipal budgets severely strained by the economy, superstitions about lighting lowering crime are being inadvertently tested on large scale, as more cities turn out the lights.

Lights out in Michigan.

City officials are taking bold money-saving steps. Highland Park MI is cutting off and hauling away three quarters of its street lights: see Darker Nights as Some Cities Turn Off the Lights, a story published by New York Times.

I happen to live in a densely developed suburb of Killadelphia, where residentially zone parcels have few or no street lights and the fake lumens you run into bath mainly parking lots and intersections. Crime and accident rates are average and no one complains. Just takes some getting used to, is all.

Darkness is the great equalizer.

If you feel scared because you can't see person(s) walking toward you, think how they feel?

How does he know you aren't another criminal if he can't see you? How does he know you're not packing heat, that you don't belong to the same gang he does, that you're not a policeman? "He" doesn't.

Got a drive by shootings problem? Turn off the street lights so the shooters won't be able to find their targets.

Back in 2006 I wrote: Turn Off The Lights America. My feelings haven't changed much since then.
...we [Americans] acquired the lights-on habit during a time of dirt cheap electric bills, when worries over climate change shown only on the brows of a few eccentric scientists -- and we continue walking away Zombie-like from the consequences. America's public spaces and commercial centers are purposely lit all night: rationalized as a weapon in the "war on crime", but showing, really, a rigid child-like fear of darkness.

My worry is that streets without lights could be especially dangerous for bicyclists, real drawback in highly developed areas.

Risk management vs budget priorities.

If your biggest problems are teens with pistols and poor people going without, solve those first with reliable techniques. One way to afford that approach would be to turn off the street lights...or at least dim 'em down...and shift savings over to better policing and shelters and job programs or whatever else is politically acceptable.

And thank your lucky stars once you can see them...read the full story at TreeHugger.com

Merry Christmas: Here's the Most Adorable Baby Polar Bear You've Ever Seen. (Video)

2011-12-24T11:01:00.003-05:00

photo credit: ylacarmoberg via Flickr/CC BY 2.0

from TreeHugger.com
by Brian Merchant
Science / Natural Sciences

December 23, 2011 - I know that keeping up with environmental news can be aggravating, alarming, bad for your heart, etc. I mean, just this last week, I've covered massive oil spills, dreaded climate change feedback loops, the oil industry's efforts to overpower democracy, and deadly coal protests in China. It's the sort of stuff that can weigh heavy on your soul, lest you move swiftly to bury it under layers of bloggy snark and/or sarcastic remarks about politicians.

But hey, there's some truly good news too: It looks like Obama might now be forced to cancel the Keystone XL, new rules from the EPA will force coal and oil companies to keep mercury out of our lungs, and, most of all, there's this:

Yes, it turns out we still live in a world where adorable baby polar bears are born, and promptly go about doing adorable baby polar bear-y things. And so, with a soul slightly less burdened by what may be the cutest thing I've seen all year, I wish you all the happiest of holidays.

I'll see you all next year, and we'll resume our efforts to ensure that baby Siku won't grow up in an ice-free Arctic.

...read the full story at TreeHugger.com

City of Kingston Supports Offshore Wind

2011-12-22T16:21:00.001-05:00

KINGSTON, Ontario, December 22, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The City of Kingston is the latest Ontario community to express its support for offshore wind in Ontario. At its December 20 Council meeting, Kingston City Council approved a motion supporting the efforts of The Lake Ontario Offshore Network (LOON) - a newly formed consortium of Lake Ontario based organizations that have come together to encourage and facilitate the development of offshore wind power in Ontario.

At its Council meeting, the City of Kingston joined the City of Hamilton in supporting LOON and officially recognizing the estimated contribution of $850 million in direct economic benefits to members of the local wind energy supply chain.

Support from the City of Kingston will come in the form of direct support from its Mayor and the CEO of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) working in tandem with Hamilton counterparts to support, facilitate and expedite the development of offshore wind at the provincial level.

"Kingston is a key market for green technology investment and jobs. We are doing what we can to support the industry and to ensure that those investments come to the City of Kingston," stated Mark Gerretsen, Mayor of the City of Kingston.

"The Wolfe Island Shoals project alone has the possibility of attracting 1900 construction jobs and over 175 full time jobs. Kingston's regional economy stands to greatly benefit from offshore wind moving ahead and KEDCO will do what it can to support LOON's efforts," stated Jeff Garrah, CEO of KEDCO.

With more than 2,900 MW of offshore wind power proposed in the Great Lakes over the next five years, the Lake Ontario Offshore Network is preparing for the anticipated growth in offshore wind energy and encouraging Ontario's government to do what it can to attract these jobs and investments to Ontario.

Resolve to make 2012 the year to get in (carbon) shape

2011-12-22T09:34:00.002-05:00

Offsetters offers five easy ways to reduce and shed unwanted greenhouse gas emissions - for good

VANCOUVER, December 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - This New Year's, instead of joining the masses by resolving to lose weight, think about tightening a different kind of belt: personal carbon emissions. Offsetters, Canada's leading carbon management solutions provider, is encouraging resolution-makers to take action on personal carbon emissions in the new year with five easy strategies.

"The time is now for all of us to get into 'carbon shape,' shed greenhouse gas emissions and become personally accountable," said Kari Grist, senior vice president marketing and client engagement, Offsetters. "Even with small steps, we can collectively take action on climate change."

Over the years, Offsetters has helped a number of individuals and businesses understand, measure, reduce and offset carbon emissions while investing in high-quality projects that achieve tangible reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Vancouver-based company has also achieved a number of "firsts," including being the first official supplier of carbon offsets in the history of the Olympic movement, being the largest initial supplier of carbon offsets to a BC Crown Corporation and being the first Canadian company to co-develop a Gold Standard cookstove project in Africa. Offsetters is also the carbon offset provider to Harbour Air, North America's first carbon neutral airline.

"As with any New Year's resolution, the best place to start is by weighing in and getting a good idea of where you're at," said Grist. "Visit our website and calculate the emissions from a recent flight or from a year's worth of driving. Next, set some tangible goals to reduce your emissions - these should be personally meaningful and designed to last. For those emissions that can't be reduced, consider offsetting by purchasing credits from high-quality renewable energy projects. Last, and perhaps most important, share your strategies for success with family and friends, encouraging them to get in carbon shape as well."

Offsetters' five easy ways to reduce and shed unwanted greenhouse gas emissions - for good

...Say no to junk mail - The average Canadian receives between 550 and 800 pieces of junk mail each year. Opt out by putting a note in or on your mailbox stating that you don't want to receive 'unaddressed admail' - this can save the equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emissions as burning 30L of gasoline.

...Commute sustainably - Take advantage of a workplace bus pass program, ride a bike one day a week or carpool with co-workers. And don't get bogged down with getting it perfect right off the bat: start by commuting sustainability one day a week and go from there.

...Give up one-sided printing - It's true: all the cool kids have double-sided set as their printer's default!

...Unplug not-in-use appliances and cell phone chargers - Current estimates show that standby power use in Canada (also known as "vampire power" due to the suck of power in the middle of the night) accounts for about five per cent of residential electricity use and one per cent of global carbon emissions.

...Purchase pre-owned - With a slew of great websites to choose from, buying pre-owned furniture, bikes, cars, gadgets and sporting equipment can not only save lots of money, but it also keeps products out of landfills and reduces the demand for energy-intense manufacturing.

To learn more about measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and Offsetters' high quality offset projects, visit www.offsetters.ca.

About Offsetters

Offsetters is Canada's leading carbon management solutions provider, based in Vancouver, BC. Founded in 2005, the company helps organizations and individuals understand, reduce, and offset their climate impact. Offsetters is proud to assist leading organizations manage their carbon footprints including Harbour Air, Vancity, and Aimia (formerly Groupe Aeroplan). For more information and a full list of all of Offsetters clients and achievements, visit www.offsetters.ca.

Smog and poor air quality: More frequent in the winter

2011-12-20T12:33:00.002-05:00

MONTREAL, December 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Most people associate smog with the warm sunny days of summer, but it actually occurs more frequently in winter because of the use of wood-burning heat, which produces smoke containing air pollutants. In 2010, for example, there were 17 smog days in the winter compared to 7 in the summer on the island of Montreal. Air pollution can have adverse effects on health and the environment. To determine whether the concentration of pollutants is likely to reach damaging levels, it is important to monitor smog warnings and air quality forecasts, available at Environment Canada's Info-Smog website: www.qc.ec.gc.ca/atmos/smog.

Winter smog

Smog consists of air pollutants that form a yellow haze over cities, but it can also occur in suburban and rural areas. In the winter, smog is generally a local phenomenon that is exacerbated by cold weather and occurs when the air is stable (little wind). Fine particles play a significant role in the formation of smog. While industrial activities and public transportation are the main sources in the summer, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are responsible for more than 60% in the winter. Motor transportation and road salt, suspended in the air by passing cars, also degrade air quality.

Impacts of smog on health

Fine particles, which are too small to be visible to the naked eye, can penetrate deep into the lungs. Children with asthma and those with cardiovascular or respiratory disease may be affected the most and experience aggravated symptoms of their illness. During smog periods, these people should avoid intense physical activity outdoors.

Improving air quality

Everyone can contribute to better air quality by avoiding wood-burning heat and choosing public transportation. When using a car is necessary, it is important to reduce speeds and not let the car idle unnecessarily. These are simple measures that everyone can take on a daily basis, but that are particularly important during smog warnings.

Info-Smog

As a reminder, Info-Smog is the air quality forecast and warning program provided by Environment Canada in partnership with the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs du Québec, the City of Montreal, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec and the Direction de santé publique de l'Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal.

Toronto's Public Library Collects More Fines than Canada's Environmental Protection Agency

2011-12-14T14:42:00.002-05:00

from: TreeHugger.com - Business / Corporate Responsibility
by: Michael Graham Richard December 12, 2011

Canada Not Enforcing Its Environmental Laws, Says Ecojustice

This excerpt from Ecojustice's report about the enforcement of environmental laws in Canada says it all: "Average fines for environmental offenders, which amount to about $10,000 per CEPA conviction, are also too low to serve as an effective deterrent for would-be polluters, according to the report. It took Environment Canada more than 20 years to collect $2.4-million in fines under CEPA. In comparison, the Toronto Public Library collected $2.6-million in fines for overdue books in 2009 alone." The U.S. might have a few things to learn from Canada in certain areas, but when it comes to this, it seems like Canada could learn a few things from the U.S., where the EPA is more feared by polluters (even though more progress could be made) and the government provides more transparency when it comes to environmental crimes.

A Toothless Regulator

Not only are fines small and ineffective as a deterrent, but the total number of convictions is also ridiculously small compared to the number of inspections. Often all you get for breaking the law is a written warning! There's a small possibility that in Canada it just so happens that everybody follows environmental regulations, but it's much more likely that laws are simply not enforced.

The report found that the number of inspections and warnings issued under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), one of Canada’s most important pollution laws, has declined since 2005-06 — despite an increase in the number of enforcement officers. The number of CEPA investigations, prosecutions, and convictions has also declined steadily since 2003-04.

“The average number of convictions under CEPA — about 20 per year — is extremely small in relation to the number of inspections, warnings and investigations,” said [William Amos, Director of the Ecojustice Clinic at the University of Ottawa]. “Considering that the threat of a conviction is crucial to deterring polluters, these low numbers cast serious doubt on the effectiveness of CEPA enforcement in preventing environmental crime.” (source)

How to Improve Canada's Environmental Law Enforcement

The report recommends adopting an online enforcement disclosure approach similar to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO). This would improve transparency and raise public awareness of the local environmental problems. If people could type in their postal code and see that a local factory is poisoning them and their children, you can bet that pressure on politicians to act would be much greater. The report also recommends that the enforcement agencies and their inspectors be provided with more resources. I say that they should also be given a clear and public mandate by the politicians and the public; if they have the feeling that nobody stands behind them, they're likely to turn a blind eye to many eco-crimes...read the full story at TreeHugger.com

A plea from your Christmas tree

2011-12-05T14:02:00.001-05:00

TORONTO, December 5, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Since my life began as a seedling years ago, I have existed for one primary purpose - to spread joy and holiday cheer during the Christmas season. Being the center of attention comes and goes as the decorations go up and come down, but are you aware of just how brief my life cycle is?

It all starts with my production in a nursery. When I'm old enough, I'm cut down, fastened to a vehicle and transported to the home of a loving family where I'm decorated and put on display. For the duration of the holiday season, I'm the main feature of family gatherings and I always take centre stage on Christmas morning. But when the holiday season ends and Christmas decorations are put back in storage, I'll be left out in the cold. The final stage of my life will involve being sent to a landfill where I'll slowly decompose . . . or worse, go to an incinerator to meet a fiery death!

I'm speaking out to say that it doesn't have to end like this.

Millions of Canadians will have a Christmas tree this year, but many don't recognize that I and thousands of my fellow tree friends can be recycled and put to greater use. Adding to this bad news for us trees, one in three Canadians aren't even sure if a tree recycling program exists in their community!

To my relief and that of thousands of natural Christmas trees across the country, there are ways we can be re-used long after the holiday season has come and gone. The best thing to do with your tree after Christmas has passed is to recycle it. You can recycle me through tree mulching and recycling programs, which are both fast-growing practices across Canada. Once trees are recycled, we can be turned into erosion barriers, garden mulch and can even be used to create feeding grounds for lake fish.

Christmas trees aren't just a symbol for cheer and tradition; we can be recycled to have a tangible, positive affect on the environment long after the holiday season is over.

For further information on Christmas tree recycling programs in your community, or more ways to help you reduce waste and help the environment, please consult www.wmcanada.com or your community's works department.

Environment Commissioner's report confirms Ontario's growing waste problem

2011-11-30T12:50:00.003-05:00

TORONTO, November 30, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) applauds the Environment Commissioner for making a series of recommendations in a Report released yesterday that will help deal with Ontario's growing waste problem. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario generates more than 1000 kg of waste per person per year, despite having several policies and regulations that mandate more recycling.

"The Ministry of the Environment has many policies and regulations that it can use to solve Ontario's waste problem and support a growing recycling industry," says Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director of the RCO. "However, more needs to be done to utilize these tools and drive better outcomes."

Ontario has had regulations that require businesses and institutions to reduce their waste and increase recycling since the early 1990s, but there is a general lack of compliance. As a result, that sector has a very low diversion rate hovering at just over 20%. Ontario residents, on the other hand, are doing better, with many municipal waste management programs having diversion rates of over 60%.

In 2002, the Blue Box Packaging program and other recycling programs got a boost through a new regulation called the Waste Diversion Act (WDA). This law obligates companies that sell products and packaging into Ontario to be financially responsible for ensuring these are safely recovered and recycled. Companies can do this by either paying municipalities to service residents, or by creating new consumer-based programs like retail 'take-back' initiatives.

The law requires targets and reporting mechanisms to make sure they are performing. The resulting financial investments by industry have greatly supported municipal programs and expanded the recycling industry in Ontario. Under the new producer responsibility law, the Minister of the Environment targeted many materials including paper and packaging products, electronics, scrap tires and selected household hazardous products out of landfill.

"Many new and important programs were developed under the Waste Diversion Act. Millions of tonnes of materials were safely recovered and recycled, and new investments in the recycling industries grew our ability to recycle more in Ontario. Jobs in the industry were also starting to grow," says St. Godard.

"Producer responsibility is an important policy tool in reducing waste in Ontario. Many recommendations have been made to improve and expand its use," says St. Godard.

One of the recommendations of the waste framework review was the introduction of a disposal levy to help lessen the economic gap between recycling and disposal; a concept RCO has supported for decades. Currently it is generally cheaper to landfill than to recycle. This means that economics drives valuable materials to disposal where there are no programs or policies to support more diversion.

"Jurisdictions that have introduced disposal levies have seen positive results in their diversion rates. Some have gone even further to add disposal bans of some potentially hazardous products and valuable resource materials," stresses St. Godard. "This Commissioner's report, with its focus on waste reduction, is on the mark. Government has made good progress. It has invested in all of the right tools, it just needs to refocus and recommit to its original 60% waste diversion goal."

About The Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO)

The Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization committed to minimizing society's impact on the environment by eliminating waste. RCO's mission is to inform and educate all members of society about the avoidance of waste, efficient use of resources, and the benefits and/or consequences of these activities. For further information, please visit: www.rco.on.ca.

Canadian Government Announces Investment in Clean Air

2011-11-30T12:10:00.001-05:00

OTTAWA, November 28, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Environment Minister Peter Kent and Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney today announced an investment of $600.8 million over five years to renew the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda, (CARA), which has served as the framework for the Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality since 2006.

"Renewed funding for the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda emphasizes our Government's commitment to protecting the health and environment of Canadians," said Minister Kent. "It will help us identify emerging air quality issues, measure and monitor the status of existing ones, and determine solutions that will allow Canadians to - literally - breathe easier."

"Vulnerable Canadians, including young children, elderly Canadians, and people who suffer from chronic heart and respiratory illnesses will benefit from our action to improve the quality of the air we breathe through our Clean Air Regulatory Agenda," added Minister Blaney.

This funding will be used by the Government of Canada to:

...Align greenhouse gas regulations with the United States where appropriate;

...Finalize and implement a national air quality management system;

...Strengthen commitments to reduce transboundary air pollution under the Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement;

...Improve indoor air quality; and,

...Nation-wide implementation of the Air Quality Health Index to help Canadians make informed decisions to protect their health.

"The quality of the air we breathe is directly linked to our health and well-being," added Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq. "Our Government will work to improve air quality and reduce exposure of harmful air pollutants to Canadians."

This renewed funding will allow standards to be set that will define what clean air means, regulate good emissions performance by industry and bring on a comprehensive national approach to air emissions reduction. Taking concrete action to reduce emissions from major sectors of the economy is a key part of the Government's work to improve the environment and deliver real results for all Canadians.

For more information, please visit the Web site of Environment Canada at http://www.ec.gc.ca/.

Trees of Knowledge is back to give away another outdoor classroom

2011-11-24T11:20:00.005-05:00

The seeds have been planted, now we're looking to grow: Canadian schools can enter now for a chance to win a $20,000 outdoor classroom from MAJESTA, Tree Canada and Focus on Forests

TORONTO, November 24, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Trees of Knowledge™ program is back for 2012 and will award one eco-conscious school a complete, customized outdoor classroom, valued at $20,000. The program was created last year by MAJESTA, the soft and green choice for household paper products, in partnership with Tree Canada and Focus on Forests to help teachers and students experience the benefits of being outdoors. All Canadian schools can apply by visiting www.majesta.com and entering before January 27, 2012.

"We created the Trees of Knowledge program to help educate Canadian students and teachers about the importance of environmental sustainability. The winning school gets to see the benefits in action with an outdoor classroom," says Jim Schedler, Vice President of Marketing for MAJESTA. "Judging from the impressive entries we received last year, many Canadian schools, teachers and students are passionate about the environment. The contest has taken root in its first year and we are looking to branch out and receive submissions from all across Canada this year."

Last year's program received more than 50 applications from schools across the country. The creative submissions included ideas that ranged from composting initiatives to the design of a living roof, which would feature plant life growing from it. The winning submission, from St. Paul Elementary School in Beaconsfield, Quebec, outlined how the classroom would be used to enrich learning experiences and foster an appreciation for the environment.

"We want to thank all the schools that entered in 2011. We're very excited about the new elements of our program for 2012, which includes the addition of a video component and allowing 2011 applicants to make minimal changes to their entry from last year and to resubmit," says Schedler. "Interested schools should visit www.majesta.com for more information and resubmit or apply for the first time to our Trees of Knowledge program. It's an innovative way to drive home the importance of the environment to the next generation."

The winning school will receive:

...A customized outdoor classroom, valued at $20,000.

...The outdoor classroom can include things like topsoil, boulders/furniture (large rocks, logs/stumps), coniferous trees, deciduous trees, shrubs, or planters.

...Trees of Knowledge program partners, Tree Canada, an organization dedicated to empowering communities to develop and maintain their green infrastructure, will provide technical support to the school. The school will also receive curriculum support through Focus on Forests, a teaching tool that provides hands-on activities and support materials for outdoor learning.

How the Trees of Knowledge competition works:

...To enter the Trees of Knowledge competition, schools must submit the following by January 27, 2012:

...A completed application form, available to download at: www.majestatreesofknowledge.ca/apply

...A 400 word essay on why their school is the most worthy candidate for an outdoor classroom

...One to five photos of the school grounds, including the proposed site of the outdoor classroom

...A landscape-site plan

...A letter of commitment for the outdoor classroom project from the School Board

...A two minute video component entry (optional)

Applications will be judged based on criteria such as the strength of the plan, the impact the classroom will have and the longevity and sustainability of the outdoor classroom project. Judges will select the finalist schools from which the winner will be chosen by online voting.

About MAJESTA:

MAJESTA is the soft and green choice for household paper products. MAJESTA products are made from trees from J.D. Irving, Limited's forests. As part of its award-winning commitment to responsible forest management, J.D. Irving, Limited plants seedlings every spring and summer to reforest the woodlands. In the past 50+ years, J.D. Irving, Limited has planted over 850 million trees. Since 2001, J.D. Irving, Limited's forests have been certified by The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. ("SFI"). Our promise is: "We plant three trees for every one we use to produce MAJESTA products." Both soft and green, MAJESTA delivers the softness you can feel and feel good about.
www.majesta.com

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit, charitable organization established in 1992. Under the direction of a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors, Tree Canada provides education, technical assistance, resources and financial support through working partnerships to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in rural and urban areas.
www.treecanada.ca

Focus on Forests provides hands-on activities and support materials to assist teachers of all grade levels. The lesson plans are well organized and designed to be easily adapted to any teaching environment or grade level. Focus on Forests is a program of the Ontario Forestry Association. Together with Tree Canada, these two groups have combined their efforts to bring this forest education program to a Canada-wide audience and highlight the value that Focus on Forests plays in introducing forests to Canadian classrooms. This exciting new partnership is supported by Irving Consumer Products, the makers of MAJESTA household paper products.
www.focusonforests.ca

Canadian Auto Workers' Welcomes Wind Turbine as Step Towards Environmental Sustainability

2011-11-18T09:57:00.003-05:00

PORT ELGIN, Ontario, November 18, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The CAW welcomes the recent Ontario Municipal Board decision to allow the union to go ahead with the construction of a small wind turbine on its property at the union's Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario.

"This project is an exciting educational opportunity to understand renewable energy resources that will help reduce our carbon footprint, while meeting our energy needs," said CAW National President Ken Lewenza. "It's an also an important chance to support local procurement policies that will ensure good jobs in an emerging green economy."

The union recognizes though that there are some within the community that are troubled by the project and the CAW has been working to allay concerns and meet with community representatives to create an more open dialogue around the wind turbine.

CAW representatives met on November 15 with Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau and John Kyles, President of the Port Elgin & Saugeen Township Beachers' Organization to discuss the previous Ontario Municipal Board ruling which stated that, the "single use, 800 kilowatt 100 metre turbine wouldn't have a significant impact on the surrounding residents or area."

At a meeting this week of the national executive board of the union, the CAW reaffirmed the importance of the wind turbine project.

"This project began seven years ago as an initiative by our environmental activists within the union," said Lewenza. "It represents our commitment to environmental sustainability and a desire to move to clean energy sources."

While the technical and legal issues of this project have long been resolved, the CAW has committed to do the following going forward:

...coordinate the formation of a committee comprised of CAW officials, municipal officials and community representatives to share information and concerns.

...set up an email address that people can send questions to at: cleanwindenergy@caw.ca

...develop safe operating policies and procedures that will be strictly adhered to and available for staff and public review.

The Canadian Auto Workers' union is the largest private sector union in Canada with over 200,000 members from coast to coast.

Since the CAW's founding convention in 1985 the CAW has continued to grow through organizing and mergers with other unions into a diverse and progressive organization representing workers throughout virtually every sector of the Canadian economy.

CAW members work in aerospace, mining, fishing, auto and specialty vehicle assembly, auto parts, hotels, airlines, rail, education, hospitality, retail, road transportation, health care, manufacturing, shipbuilding and other sectors of the economy.

The CAW is not only dedicated to fighting for workers rights at the bargaining table, it's equally committed to taking on economic, political and social issues that affect its members and their families in the broader community.

Electricity isn't the problem, it's the answer

2011-11-16T12:13:00.001-05:00

A new Electricity Distributors Association report calls for a comprehensive review of the electricity sector and provides a roadmap to initiate sector-wide discussion.

TORONTO, November 15, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Electricity Distributors Association of Ontario (EDA) today released its report, Electricity is the Answer, which offers ten recommendations for re-tooling the sector that will lead to economic development, investment and jobs. The report also proposes changes to regulation that can lead to cost savings, innovation and better system reliability.

"Electricity will power Ontario's future, but the current structure and regulation of the province's electricity sector stifles much-needed innovation and investment," says Jim Keech, Chair of the EDA. "Our sector has to get ready for new technologies like electric vehicles and ever-increasing consumer demand."

The report calls on the provincial government to:

...Review the relationship between the government, the electricity industry and its regulatory agencies; the report proposes that an arms-length relationship is best suited to promote efficiency and more effective decision-making.

...Remove regulatory restrictions that prevent local electricity utilities from providing other services like municipal water and sewer which can lead to cost savings.

...Consider an evolutionary approach as the preferred model, as major restructuring of transmission and distribution is not warranted at this time.

...Consider merging the Independent Electricity System Operator and the Ontario Power Authority or rationalizing their responsibilities.

...Streamline the regulation of electricity delivery to remove barriers to investment in system repair and upgrades

...Allow local utilities more flexibility to design and deliver conservation programs that meet their customers' needs.

"Everything about electricity is changing - the way we make it, move it, measure it and use it," Keech adds. "The government needs to seize this opportunity and start managing the electricity sector as an opportunity, not a problem. We need input from all electricity industry players to create a reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity system for the future."

The full report is available on the EDA Website at www.eda-on.ca

The Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) is the voice of Ontario's local electricity distributors, the publicly and privately owned companies that safely and reliably deliver electricity to over 4.7 million Ontario homes, businesses and public institutions.

Mega Quarry - Do you care about the safety and integrity of Ontario's drinking water?

2011-11-10T13:39:00.002-05:00

We do and so should you.

Check out this piece to get the facts on the Highland Companies' application for a mega quarry in the Hills of the Headwaters.

The proposed quarry would be bigger than most cities and 1.5 times the depth of Niagara falls.

The location is 1 hour outside Canada's largest city, at the source of Ontario's pristine watersheds.

Please share this link widely and get people informed about this epic environmental disaster in the making.

Spread the word and take action.

Another cyclist Gets The Right Hook: It's Time For Sideguards On Trucks In North America

2011-11-08T16:37:00.003-05:00

Randon Companies, Brazilian sideguard/via

from TreeHugger.com
Bikes - by Lloyd Alter

It is one of the most common ways of dying on a bike: The right hook, where a cyclist gets drawn under the wheels of a truck turning right. The woman killed yesterday in Toronto was on a recumbent bike, towing a kid's trailer; fortunately her child wasn't in the trailer. According to the National Post:

The woman was travelling alone and inching up to the intersection at Sterling and Dundas to make a right-hand turn on Dundas, just as the truck was doing the same. Mid-turn, the two came into contact, said Constable Hugh Smith, with Toronto police’s traffic services division. The cyclist fell, and her bike got caught under the rear passenger side wheel of the truck. “She became trapped and run over by the tire, sustaining massive injury, and massive trauma to the head,” said Const. Smith.

Bike activist Dave Meslin was on the scene:

Meslin, with the Toronto Cyclists Union, said the death was avoidable. The Union has been calling for side guards for large trucks that could stop a cyclist from getting caught under the vehicle.

Every time an accident like this happens, cyclists have the same question: Why aren't side guards legally required on trucks in the City? Europe has them. The UK has them. As of January 1, 2011, even Brazil has them! The Brazilian side guards have to withstand a load of 500 kg to save motorcyclists as well as cyclists. There have been private members bills and coroners reports, going back years, but the trucking industry always protests, saying that they will cost too much, are too heavy, and will hurt gas mileage. The war on cyclists isn't just a local Toronto thing, but extends right up to the Provincial and Federal authorities responsible for transportation. As Dave Meslin said in a tweet:

Media asked me if the truck driver should be charged. I said I'd rather see all 3 levels of gov't charged w/ negligence.

It's not like these are inexperienced cyclists who don't know any better and don't understand how trucks go around corners. I lost a rowing buddy, a very experienced cyclist a few years ago to a right hook; Given than she was riding a recumbent and towing a trailer, yesterday's victim was probably pretty experienced on the road.

It is also not like a driver of a long truck has perfect visibility through a right hand mirror; a cyclist can be hard to see. This is a design flaw , a situation that happens over and over for the same reasons, and for which there is a recognized remedy.

With industry or construction, there are guards on machines and safety rails on construction sites, even though they cost businesses a few bucks and a bit of time. But sideguards? The price of saving a few cyclists is just too high.

Read the full story at TreeHugger.com

An American in Amsterdam Talks About Bike Culture (Video)

2011-11-03T10:08:00.001-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
Michael Graham Richard
Bikes

The U.S. really doesn't have to reinvent the wheel to make its transportation system greener. All that's needed is to learn from those who are already doing it right, such as the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Julie A. Ruterbories, the U.S. Consul General in Amsterdam, had an outsider's perspective on the bike culture and infrastructure and she shares her experience with us in the short video profile above by our friends at Streetfilms. It's so true what she says about how you only really know an area if you've walked and biked around it, and how - if there's a good enough bike infrastructure - cycling can be the most convenient way to get around.

An American in Amsterdam Shares Her Take on Dutch Cycling Policy from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Via Streetfilms

Read the full story here

Major Victory: Dangerous Leaded Gasoline Now Banned Worldwide

2011-10-28T16:02:00.002-04:00

photo credit: taberandrew/CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

from TreeHugger.com
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York

Since we don't see enough good news filter through these pages, I'm happy to bring you word of this 100% positive development: After a decades-long push by environmental groups around the world, a global phaseout of leaded gasoline is now all but complete. 175 countries around the world have successfully rid their gas of lead, which, according to the NRDC, will save an estimated 1.2 million lives a year.

There are still a few holdouts -- brutal totalitarian regimes like the ones running North Korea and so-called Myanmar aren't evidently concerned about the lead content in gasoline -- but by and large the world's governments have made leaded gas a thing of the past.

The NRDC reports:

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), working with NRDC in the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, today announced toxic lead has been removed from gasoline in more than 175 countries worldwide ? representing near-global eradication. A new, independent scientific analysis shows the result of this achievement is a 90 percent drop in blood lead levels worldwide, as well as 1.2 million lives saved each year and $2.4 trillion generated in health, social and economic benefits annually.

This achievement is a terrific example of the power of global cooperation. Now, vehicle fuel in nearly every country in the world ? with the exception of a handful of nations like Myanmar and North Korea ? is lead-free.

The NRDC is actually largely to thank for getting the ball rolling on this issue; the group sued the EPA in 1972 to get lead out of gas in the U.S. after studies revealed how harmful airborne lead could be. As the group explains, "Lead had been used in gasoline since the 1920s ? but it wasn't until decades later that the dangers of airborne lead, particularly to children, started to become clear. We now know that lead can cause brain, kidney, and cardiovascular damage in adults and kids."

Be sure to read the NRDC's informative account of how the worldwide ban came about -- it's an inspiring story that should remind us that such decisive, border-crossing environmental protections are possible, even when they're inconvenient for the fossil fuels industry.

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Canada signs important maritime convention to protect the environment

2011-10-27T12:01:00.002-04:00

OTTAWA, October 27, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - On October 25, 2011, Canada took part in a ceremony to sign a protocol that will establish a global liability regime and further protect our environment from the risks of marine transport. The Protocol of 2010 to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996 was signed at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, United Kingdom. Canada was one of the states that led the development of this important protocol at the IMO.

The protocol will be tabled in Parliament this fall, and subsequently amendments to the Marine Liability Act will be introduced to implement the protocol by ensuring that compensation is available for victims of marine pollution and that polluters are held responsible. Following its ratification, Canada will be able to implement the protocol.

"Canada is a trading nation that depends to a large degree on marine transport for its exports and imports, and it is vital that we have strong rules to protect our environment," said the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "These amendments will provide increased levels of compensation to those affected by pollution from hazardous and noxious substances that is caused by ships and also ensure that polluters pay for any damage resulting from such incidents."

The Marine Liability Act, which came into force on August 8, 2001, is the principal legislation dealing with the liability of shipowners and ship operators in relation to passengers, cargo, pollution and property damage. Its intent is to establish uniform rules on liability and compensation by balancing the interests of shipowners and other parties involved in maritime accidents.

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through RSS, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.

Former Barista Tells Starbucks: Brew More Fair Trade Coffee

2011-10-21T10:43:00.004-04:00

Image: marcopako via flickr

from TreeHugger.com
by Rachel Cernansky, Boulder, Colorado

Sam Greenblatt liked working for Starbucks—he thought the company treated its employees well. But when he learned that Starbucks offers 100-percent fair trade-certified coffee and espresso at its stores in Europe, he decided it was time to speak up about the lack of similar practices in the U.S.So he launched an online petition at Change.org. And with good timing, since October happens to be Fair Trade Month.

The petition says:

in the U.S., even getting a single cup of Fair Trade coffee from Starbucks can be a challenge. That's because the largest coffee chain in the U.S. doesn't offer a brewed Fair Trade choice in its American stores every day. And when they do offer a Fair Trade option, its often poorly advertised as such. It is time for Starbucks to work with customers to help their growers maintain a sustainable standard of living that Starbucks employees enjoy.

"When I worked as a barista for Starbucks, I admired the company's commitment to treat employees and customers with fairness and respect," said Greenblatt, who worked at a Massachusetts Starbucks in 2006 and 2007. "It's time for Starbucks to expand that commitment to the farmers who grow Starbucks coffee by offering at least one daily brewed fair trade coffee option in their U.S. stores."

As I write this, the petition has nearly 20,000 signatures, with a goal of 25,000. Hopefully Starbucks will heed Greenblatt's call and even take it a step further—and offer 100 percent fairly-traded coffee. Fair trade shouldn't be a "flavor" to choose from. It should define the coffee market, and Starbucks can play a large part in making that happen.

One More Thing...

It may not be part of the online petition, but there's another difference between Starbucks stores in Europe and the U.S. that's worth pointing out - cups. In many of its European stores, Starbucks serves drinks in ceramic mugs, while a vast majority of, if not all, U.S. locations use disposable cups only.

But maybe there's a reason for that. Starbucks?

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Green Energy Costs Will Be Higher Than Anticipated, New Study Says

2011-10-17T13:20:00.001-04:00

GUELPH, Ontario October 17, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release

The cost of providing wind and solar energy in Ontario will be about 40 per cent higher than government estimates, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Guelph agricultural economist.

The study, which will appear in a forthcoming issue of Bulletin of Science and Society and is available online now, looks at the impacts of wind and solar directives in the provincial Green Energy and Economy Act. Adopted in May 2009, the act formed the framework for Ontario’s 2010 Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP).

“We found that there were omitted costs and inflated benefits,” said Glenn Fox, a professor in Guelph’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics. He conducted the study with Parker Gallant, a retired banker.

“As a result, the rate increases that are predicted in the Long Term Energy Plan are substantially lower than those that Ontarians will in fact face,” Fox said.

Government estimates for the LTEP predict that electricity bills will rise by 46 per cent by 2015 and 100 per cent by 2030.

But the study found people can expect to see increases closer to 65 per cent and 141 per cent, respectively.

“This would have Ontarions paying some of the highest costs of electricity in the developed world,” Fox said. “These higher costs would erode the competitiveness of businesses in Ontario and pose particular challenges for low income households.”

Among costs omitted from government forecasts are costs of inflation, transmitting electricity to the grid from wind and solar facilities, additional costs of surplus electricity export subsidies, and backup generation against potential disruptions.

“Solar and wind power are unpredictable,” Fox said. “Solar power underperforms when there is cloud cover, and wind power underperforms when the wind isn’t blowing.”

The study says 9,600 megawatts of backup power will be required by 2030 to support 10,700 megawatts of renewable energy.

“Ironically, the backup will be fossil fuels and natural gas, negating the prime rationale,” Fox said.

The study also questions government calculations for wind and solar operating capacity, and highlights exclusions for export issues, revenue and conservation efforts. Total costs omitted in the province’s LTEP are $60.94 per megawatt-hour, which would raise power bills about 40 per cent above government forecasts.

As well, the report says creating 50,000 new wind and solar energy jobs as promised in the Green Energy Act will require ratepayer subsidies of about $200,000 a year for each position.

“The theory is that, if new industries that are not competitive are subsidized, they will eventually mature and be able to function on their own,” Fox said. “The problem with that theory is that some kids never grow up and leave home.”

University of Guelph Gets $4 Million for ‘Green Ag’ Technology

2011-10-14T15:43:00.002-04:00

GUELPH, Ontario, October 14, 2011 - University of Guelph Campus Bulletin

Canadian farmers and University of Guelph researchers will benefit from a cross-Canada partnership of government, industry and universities in green agriculture technologies announced on campus Thursday.

U of G scientists will receive nearly $4 million to study and develop tools to help farmers mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, said parliamentary secretary Pierre Lemieux. He made the announcement for federal agriculture Gerry Ritz at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute.

“Canada’s agriculture industry plays a vital role in keeping our economy strong,” Lemieux said. “This research will lead to new tools and practices to help farmers protect the environment and grow their business.”

The funding will support two projects based in the Ontario Agricultural College’s School of Environmental Sciences.

Prof. Claudia Wagner-Riddle studies dairy livestock and crop production systems. By examining new and refined management practices and improved feeding strategies, she hopes to help farmers increase profits and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Those are also the goals of research by agroforestry professors Andy Gordon and Naresh Thevathasan, who study tree-based intercropping, or the use of trees on farms.

“These two projects will go a long way towards helping Canada develop important greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, benefiting farmers and reducing impacts on the environment,” said Kevin Hall, vice-president (research).

“Partnerships such as the two we are celebrating today are central to our mission of creating new knowledge and value for society. The University of Guelph has a long history of working with government and industry to translate research knowledge into new technologies, products and services.”

Funding will come through the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program, a five-year, $27-million initiative to develop on-farm greenhouse gas mitigation technologies.

Artists Use Innovation to Make Our Beaches Barefoot Friendly (Video)

2011-10-08T13:23:00.000-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California

A beach that's barefoot-friendly. It is less common these days than we would want. However, it's not an impossible task to return them to their former pristine states. Renowned surf filmmaker Jason Baffa and Barefoot Wine teamed up to create One Beach, a really beautiful film that highlights how artists and creative-types are coming up with brilliant ways to clean up beaches. Check it out after the jump.

The problem of marine pollution on beaches is well documented. It's widespread, it's serious, and it's time-sensitive as the longer we wait to fix the source of the problem, the bigger the impacts will be.

But it's not so big it can't be solved.

The film starts out with poetry and quickly dives into inspiring activism and art intertwined to renew our beaches. It's a great highlight of what is possible when we let creativity loose.

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Forest biomass ― Helping fuel Canada's renewable energy future

2011-10-08T11:23:00.002-04:00

OTTAWA, Oct. 6, 2011 /CNW/ - The President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Avrim Lazar, says that with the right government support the Canadian forest industry could produce enough clean renewable energy to replace nine nuclear reactors.

He was appearing today before the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources as part of its study of the current and future state of Canada's energy system and its goals of defining a Canadian Sustainable Energy Strategy.

According to the Canadian Industrial Energy End-Use Data and Analysis Centre, biomass ranks second after large hydroelectric facilities in producing renewable energy in Canada, and also creates almost three times as much energy as wind. The forest industry now generates enough electricity to power Vancouver or the entire Maritime provinces or replace the output of three nuclear reactors.

"We could easily triple our clean energy output using waste products from our mills," says Lazar. "Already we are self-generating about two thirds of our energy needs and about a half dozen of our mills are now net exporters of energy to provincial grids. Further developing this significant source of green energy needs to be a larger part of governments' energy development plans"

The Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program (PPGTP) is already helping Canadian pulp and paper mills increase their production of renewable energy, and when the program is fully completed, will mean an extra 2.1 million MWH/year, enough to power nearly 174,000 homes.

"We need to keep that momentum going," says Lazar. "Governments have an important role to play to further help mills accelerate their transformation and add on the production of bio-fuels, bio-chemicals and other bio-products to their existing product mix. Recognizing the role that the Canadian forest industry plays in greening the energy supply chain is a critical component of any clean energy strategy."

Lazar told the Senate that this would be good not just for the environment and Canada's energy future, but also good for the economy and jobs.

FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $57-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 2% of Canada's GDP and is one of Canada's largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 240,000 direct jobs across the country.

Maple Reinders Completes State-of-the-Art Organic Waste Processing Facility for the City of Guelph

2011-10-06T11:45:00.004-04:00

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, October 5, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The City of Guelph has been at the forefront of municipal organic waste composting for over two decades. However, five years after the original plant closed due to structural concerns, the Maple Reinders Group put forward the winning proposal to design, build and operate a modern, new organic waste processing facility.

On Wednesday, September 27, the facility, which is part of the City's Waste Resource Innovation Centre, was officially opened and received the first truckload of organic waste to be composted.

"We are very pleased with having been given the opportunity to provide the City of Guelph with a 'state of the art' composting facility," says John Haanstra, Senior Vice President at the Maple Reinders Group. "The new compost plant will provide the City of Guelph the ability to further enhance its environmental leadership position in Canada. Through composting, you can take resources otherwise regarded as waste and turn them into valuable environmental resources by realizing landfill and greenhouse gas reductions and at the same time improving soil productivity and water quality."

Maple Reinders' design is based on proven aerobic, in-vessel Dutch composting technology which uses fully-enclosed and sealable concrete tunnels, special aerated floors, sprinkler systems and tightly controlled temperature conditions to complete the decomposition process. The concrete system not only keeps in the corrosive moisture and off-gases, but contains much of the odour as well. Any additional odours are captured and scrubbed by an extensive biofilter. Meeting the most stringent approval guidelines in the field, the Guelph facility's complex technologies will keep odours contained within the building.

The Organic Waste Processing Facility for the City of Guelph is able to process 30,000 tonnes per year of Source Separated Organics (SSO). Although the City generates only about 10,000 tonnes of SSO per year, a contract to take in organic waste from neighbouring Waterloo Region will use efficiencies of scale to advantage and allow for future population growth.

Key partners contributing to the project's success include AIM Environmental Group, which will operate the facility, AECOM Inc. providing architectural and engineering design, Christiaens Group and Van Kaathoven Group (both of the Netherlands) as technology providers and compost masters respectively, and BIOREM Inc., the supplier of the facility's biofiltration odour management system.

The new facility will enhance Guelph's waste diversion rate by an additional 10 per cent, contributing significantly to the goal of 55 per cent waste diversion by 2012. Guelph will also profit from the sale of carbon credits created by the environmentally sustainable operation.

Rainwater Pump Runs On Sunlight

2011-09-23T10:15:00.002-04:00

Image via ITT Flow Control

from TreeHugger.com
by EarthTechling.com Staff

ITT Flow Control recently announced the development of their new, solar powered RainPerfect Water Pump, which takes harvested rainwater in a barrel and pumps it through devices like garden hoses and sprinklers. This way, the rainwater is recycled, and consumers can water their gardens and lawns or wash cars without putting strain on the public water supply.

The pump, which comes through ITT's Rule Innovation brand, sits atop a conventional rain barrel, and can be hooked up to most garden hose fixtures. It pumps water with enough force to be used with a low-pressure sprinkler, the company says.

The pump is completely solar powered, coming with its own solar panel that powers a rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery. The battery is capable of providing enough power to pump about 377 liters of water, the company says, which in most cases will be the full capacity of the barrel. The company calls the solar component especially useful during high-use periods in the summer, when homes and businesses run air conditioners.

ITT says it was inspired to develop the product after noting that residential water use spikes by an average 30 percent in the summer due to garden maintenance. Jeff Schopperle, ITT product manager, called using harvested rainwater, pumped by solar power, a good environmental and economic alternative to just turning on the usual spigot.

"Water harvesting provides an alternative to using water supplied from utility companies and the RainPerfect pump provides the perfect solution to make water harvesting more accessible," he said. "The pump enables people to optimize their usage of available natural resources in an easy and accessible way."

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Green technologies can bolster Ontario's economy

2011-09-22T11:14:00.002-04:00

TORONTO, September 21, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned a reputation, both in Chicago and across the nation, for improving Chicago's quality of life, strengthening its economy and helping Chicago become one of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the world. On Tuesday, Oct. 3, 8:30 a.m. at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Daley will share his experience boosting economic growth by focusing on jobs and businesses of the future, including green technologies.

The workshop, which is open to the public, is presented by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) in partnership with CSA Standards, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), Region of Peel, Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Region of York. The workshop will include a panel discussion and tours of leading-edge green technologies. Visit http://www.creditvalleyca.ca/low-impact-development/making-it-work/ to register or for information.

"Climate change influences both the environment and the economy," said Christine Zimmer, Manager of Protection and Restoration at CVC. "Natural disasters across the world have resulted in $265 billion in economic losses in 2011, so far."

"The Greater Toronto Area has experienced three 100-year storm events and five 50-year storm events in the past eight years," added Zimmer. "The economic cost of extreme weather events has resulted in water damage insurance claims soaring to 50 per cent from 20 per cent of all property-related claims in Canada in the past nine years, based on losses reported by Insurance Bureau of Canada."

Daley is Chicago's longest serving mayor (1989 - 2011). During his tenure, Daley earned a reputation for establishing a Green Business Strategy to help companies save money by becoming more sensitive to the environment; developing a Green Permit Program that expedites building permits and waives fees if developers use green techniques; and creating a comprehensive and detailed Chicago Climate Action Plan, to help lower greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.

"In this changing economy and climate, we need to adapt our management approaches and overcome our perception of risk and fear of being innovative," said Zimmer. "By adopting a holistic approach to water management we can realize the benefits to investment, quality of life and the economy."

Conservation authorities work in partnership with municipalities to protect people and property through flood warning, guiding development and implementing green development. CVC has been working for more than 50 years with municipalities and public stakeholders to protect and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River area.

Must-See Climate Reality Videos: 'Doubt', 'Climate 101', and 'Grassroots'

2011-09-17T10:38:00.002-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York

Al Gore's ambitious attempt to turn the world's eyes towards the climate crisis -- 24 Hours of Reality -- wrapped up last night in New York City. The event was watched by nearly 9 million people worldwide, without the help of any major broadcasting company. Most people watched online, where viewers tuned in everywhere from Mexico to Pakistan. Since it was designed for an online environment, Climate Reality cannily produced some great bite-sized videos for dissemination on the intertubes. To wrap up TreeHugger's coverage of the event, I've gathered the must-see Climate Reality videos in a single post -- watch these to get a sense of what the event was all about, and pass them on to friends.

DOUBT from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

My personal favorite is above. Called 'Doubt', it powerfully links the tactics employed by the tobacco industry decades ago to the strategies used today to sow doubt about climate change. It's narrated by Bill Nye.

Below, check out 'Climate 101'. Another great video, this one explains the principles behind climate science in simple, straightforward terms.

CLIMATE 101 from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

And here's the 'Grassroots' video, in which Al Gore touches on the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Civil Rights movement, and discusses how major social changes can occur in relatively short amounts of time:

GRASSROOTS from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

See the others here.

To dive into the rest of TreeHugger's coverage of 24 Hours of Reality, start here.

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Growing Cities: A Film About Urban Farming in America

2011-09-15T12:14:00.002-04:00

Photo Credit: Linda N., Flickr Creative Commons Attribution License.

from TreeHugger.com
by Colleen Vanderlinden

Urban farms each have their own identity, their own feel and methodology. But the one thing they have in common is idealism, and the sense that our cities can be so much more than they currently are. They can be centers of growth and nourishment, rather than lot after lot of stores or, in some cases, nothingness.

In the documentary " Growing Cities," two friends travel across the country to interview leaders in urban agriculture and learn more about how cities are being revitalized by urban farming.

The cross country trip includes visits to urban farms in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle, and Detroit, among others.

The film was inspired by the filmmakers' hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. It's been touted as one of the fastest-growing cities in America, but signs that the city is becoming less healthy as it grows are everywhere, including rising obesity rates and higher rates of unemployment. This juxtaposition of rising growth and a lowering of quality of life raised a question for filmmakers Dan Susman and Andrew Monbouquette: "If growing bigger isn't making our cities healthier and more vibrant places to live, then what kind of growth will?"

And with that, they started looking at urban farming as an antidote to what is ailing our cities. You can check out a clip from "Growing Cities" here:

Growing Cities Preview from Growing Cities Movie on Vimeo.

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Vancouver-born Greenpeace celebrates its 40th anniversary

2011-09-14T10:41:00.003-04:00

photo credit: freeflo via Flickr

VANCOUVER, September 14, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Canada will play a special role in the 40th anniversary celebrations of Greenpeace, the world's largest, independent environmental organization.

Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo will receive a "Greenpeace Day" proclamation from the City of Vancouver tomorrow when the organization marks its official birthday. And next month, two Canadians will be featured in the launch of the world's first purpose-built environmental campaigning vessel, the Rainbow Warrior III.

One of the ship's first crew will be Greenpeace fundraiser and activist Seychelle Cloutier-Collard. The Montreal-based Cloutier-Collard shares her birthday with the organization and is one of 9 "New Hands on Deck" who celebrate the diversity, vitality and vision of the organization after 40 years of campaigning.

The "Godmother" of the new ship is Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a member of the Lubicon Cree First Nation and a climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace based in Edmonton. She will have the honour of christening the new Rainbow Warrior III - named after a Cree legend - when it launches on October 14th from its shipyard in Bremen, Germany. Laboucan-Massimo will break a bottle of White Bear Wine from B.C.'s Okanagan Valley on the ship's hull in recognition of one of the organization's most important victories.

The conservation agreement to protect B.C.'s Great Bear Rainforest is featured in the first of a series of international public service announcements released today by Greenpeace. The historic agreement to protect the world's largest intact coastal temperate rainforest in 2007 is highlighted as a model of cooperation for industry, government, First Nations and environmentalists.

Greenpeace's first campaign began with a crew of 12 sailing to Amchitka, Alaska intent on shutting down U.S. underground nuclear tests there. Although a bomb was still detonated, the daring trip sparked global condemnation and nuclear testing ended shortly thereafter. The island was later declared a bird sanctuary.

Last year, Greenpeace released a two-disc CD set commemorating the 1970 concert fundraiser that financed the voyage to Amchitka. Featuring Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Phil Ochs, the re-mastered live concert recording captures iconic hits from the fabled musicians and rare cover-song performances.

On Saturday, the public is invited to a day of song and activities at the Rainbow Warrior Festival at Vancouver's Jericho Beach. The festival will feature campaign workshops, banner painting, Zodiac rides, climb training, a photo exhibit, musical acts and special guest speakers. It's an opportunity for the whole family to spend a day outdoors and learn about environmental activism.

Greenpeace promotes science-based solutions for the planet with the support of 2.9 million supporters worldwide. With offices in 41 countries and over 1 200 staff, Greenpeace is the largest, most recognizable organization ever founded in Vancouver.

Event details and information on Greenpeace's anniversary are available at www.greenpeace.ca/40.

Lufa Farms Pact with LEED Industrial Developer Sets Stage for New Generation of Rooftop Farms in Montreal

2011-09-12T16:19:00.002-04:00

Cooperative venture with Le Groupe Montoni is step toward large-scale roof farms in environmentally responsible industrial parks

MONTREAL, September 12, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Lufa Farms Inc., creator of the world's first commercial-scale rooftop greenhouse, today announced a cooperative agreement with green industrial-park specialist Le Groupe Montoni of Laval to develop LEED-certified industrial buildings capable of supporting commercial greenhouses. The agreement is expected to result in several new rooftop farms in and around Montreal, beginning next year.

Mohamed Hage, president and founder of Lufa Farms, said Lufa's next rooftop greenhouse in the Montreal area would be constructed on a Montoni building roof, and should begin operations in mid-2012. Lufa's first commercial greenhouse, which sits atop a roof in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, measures 31,000 square feet.

Greenhouses on Green Buildings

According to the agreement, Lufa Farms will build and operate rooftop greenhouses on environmentally responsible Montoni buildings. The new greenhouses will be between 80,000 and 120,000 square feet in size - four-to-five times bigger than Lufa's original greenhouse. Development costs will be shared and Lufa Farms will lease the Montoni roofs.

"This is an important partnership for two reasons," said Hage. "First, Le Groupe Montoni has demonstrated a consistent commitment to LEED and responsible building development that makes them a perfect partner on which to build our urban farms. Second, as a company that builds more than 1.5 million square feet of space every year, we see this as providing platforms for several additional large-scale rooftop farms in the next few years."

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is an international building certification program that concentrates on improving performance across five key areas: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development and water savings.

For Le Groupe Montoni, working with Lufa Farms is consistent with its commitment to LEED-innovative industrial projects.

"Enabled by Lufa Farms greenhouses, our buildings will be able to achieve new levels of energy efficiency. We see this becoming a model for an entirely new type of industrial parks that are clean, energy-efficient, and an important part of the greater community," said Dario Montoni, president and chief executive of Le Groupe Montoni, which recently completed one of the nation's first LEED-certified industrial parks in Ville St-Laurent

More Greenhouse Space Means More Local Produce

Alan DeSousa, mayor of Ville St-Laurent and vice-chair of Montreal's Executive Committee responsible for sustainable environment, has been advocating more sustainable approaches to development for some years.

"Projects like those envisioned by Le Groupe Montoni and Lufa Farms can be an important step to a more energy-effective and food-independent Montreal," DeSousa said.

In Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Lufa Farms grows a large selection of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, greens, herbs and other vegetables and sells them to direct to customers around Montreal through a distribution network of "drop points." More than 700 households currently subscribe to Lufa Farms vegetable baskets. The new, larger greenhouses to be built with Montoni are expected to serve as many 5,000 households each.

About Groupe Montoni Division Construction Inc.

Founded in 1995, Groupe Montoni Division Construction Inc. is a leader in the commercial and industrial sectors. Since 2001, it was one of 50 best-managed private companies in Canada and joined the Platinum Club in 2007. The Montoni staff is known in the industry for the design and construction of sustainable buildings and systems, and resources and processes for the evaluation of LEED Canada sustainable buildings. Information: http://www.groupemontoni.com.

About Lufa Farms

The first Lufa Farms greenhouse is located on the rooftop at 1400 Antonio-Barbeau near the Marche Central. For more information, consumers may visit https://lufa.com/en, call 514-669-3559, or email info@lufa.com.

Buildup To Greenbuild: The Green Roofs of Toronto

2011-09-07T11:05:00.002-04:00

image credit: Lloyd Alter

from TreeHugger.com
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Greenbuild, the huge green building conference put on by the US Green Building Council, is coming to my home town, Toronto, next month. As many as 30,000 American builders, designers, manufacturers and media will descend on the city (if they got their passports in time). TreeHugger is going to be your go-to place to find the best in Toronto's green building, places to go, things to see and people to meet. These are interesting times in Toronto; no doubt the city was pitched to the USGBC on the basis of its green credentials. But since then the civic government has changed to one that is anti-green, anti-bike, anti-urban and anti just about anything that was previously pro. I could spend the next month whining about this, but will keep it to a minimum, will try to keep it positive, and concentrate instead on some of the wonderful things that have been accomplished here. First up: green roofs.

Toronto's first important green roof was built on top of the Mountain Equipment Coop store on King Street in Toronto, over a decade ago. Back then, nobody quite knew what a big amenity green roofs were going to be, and this one is accessible only by a maintenance ladder.

More: Green Roof on MEC Building

It shouldn't be a surprise that green roofs are big in Toronto; Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the industry promotion organization with the mission " to increase the awareness of the economic, social and environmental benefits of green roofs and green walls" was founded here in 1999 and is still run from Toronto. That's GRHC President Stephen Peck explaining how to build a green roof to me and others in 2005; see Green Roofs: A primer.

Soon, people began to realize what a great amenity an accessible green roof can be. Margie Zeidler put a gorgeous one on top of the Robertson Building, a fascinating business incubator that is worth a visit. More at Margie Zeidler: Building Green Incubators.

Some of Toronto's green roofs are accessible but private, like the one at ESRI Canada; all of the perimeter offices get to look at it and you don't. It is interesting also because it is on leased space, so it was prefabricated in trays. This enabled it to be installed in a weekend, and when the ESRI leaves, so does the green roof. I interview Scott Torrance on the roof at Prefab, Portable Green Roof Installed In Toronto

... read more story and view photos at TreeHugger

Canada needs more resilient communities to deal with impact of climate change

2011-08-30T11:40:00.002-04:00

Conference Board of Canada

OTTAWA, August 30, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The frequency and severity of extreme weather events linked to climate change - such as heavy rainfall, ice storms, hurricanes, heat waves, and storm surges - are among the most severe and direct threats to Canadians' security and safety.

Although climate change is global, it is a local issue when bad weather rolls in. So resilience needs to be fostered among communities and even individuals. Community resilience cannot be imposed from the top down - it must come from the bottom up, says a report from The Conference Board of Canada released today.

"Our climate is changing now and this has real implications for public safety and national security. We need to put more emphasis on enabling communities and individuals to prepare themselves for the impact of climate change and to deal with its consequences," said John Neily, Director of the Conference Board's Centre for National Security, which produced the report, Beyond Sandbagging: Building Community Resilience to the Impacts of Climate Change.

Community resilience is the ability to absorb, adapt to or bounce back from a disruptive event. "Citizens must be actively involved in influencing and making the decisions that affect them. This means participating in the identification of local threats and vulnerabilities, and in the planning and preparation required to address them," said Neily.

All levels of government still have roles to play in helping local communities prepare for and respond to emergencies. In particular, senior levels of government can provide expertise, money and equipment that are beyond the reach of most individual communities. Government actions can include:

...Zoning legislation and regulation that reduces risks for local communities by preventing construction on flood plains;

...Early warning systems that enable communities to prepare themselves for dangerous weather; and

...Comprehensive research and risk analysis that can help inform local communities about potential threats.

To develop effective plans at the community level, governments must take full advantage of the knowledge of local organizations, businesses and individuals. Building on models such as the National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, the report suggests that a stronger framework is needed for discussing risks related to climate change and how Canadian communities can become more resilient.

The report is available at www.e-library.ca.

www.conferenceboard.ca

Student Campaign for a Bottled Water-free University of Toronto a Success

2011-08-27T08:53:00.002-04:00

Photo Credit:javcon117 via Flickr

TORONTO, August 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The University of Toronto has announced that it will begin to phase out the sale of bottled water at the St. George campus starting September 2011. Bottled water sales at the University of Toronto's Mississauga and Scarborough campuses will be phased out in the next three years.

"This is a significant victory for the University of Toronto community," says Clara Ho, Vice-President University Affairs of the University of Toronto Students' Union. "Student pressure has led the administration to commit to making all three campuses more sustainable and to take a stance against the commodification of water."

The University of Toronto's decision follows over a dozen other campuses that have pledged to go bottled water-free. For the past three years, students at UofT have been calling on the University administration to eliminate the sale of bottled water on campus, and to implement water refill stations for free access to water for members of the community. Students are now waiting to see the details of the phase-out plan. The University administration has suggested the majority of the St. George campus will move to being bottled water-free, but the federated colleges are among the areas that have yet to make the commitment.

"This is an important step in recognizing the problematic nature of the sale of bottled water and changing of attitudes towards public tap water," said Leanne Rasmussen, Coordinator of the Public Water Initiative. "Eliminating sale of bottled water on campus sends a strong message that we trust our public water systems."

"Our commitment is part of a growing movement across Canada to recognize that drinking water should be readily available on our campuses and should not be treated as a commodity," said Dan DiCenzo, Vice-President University Affairs and Academics of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students' Union. "The success of our Bottled Water-Free Campus campaign demonstrates that students can achieve positive social and environmental change when we work together."

The University of Toronto Students' Union represents 45,000 full-time undergraduate students at the University of Toronto and University of Toronto Mississauga.

University of Guelph Professor Wins Grant to Study Adaptation to Climate Change in Vulnerable Communities

2011-08-23T08:31:00.003-04:00

GUELPH, Ontario August 18, 2011 - University of Guelph News Release - Understanding the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and how they adapt is the aim of a project led by University of Guelph geography professor Barry Smit, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change.

Smit has been awarded a grant of nearly $125,000 by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to extend his research on environmental changes in isolated, resource-dependent communities. He will work over the next three years with a group of colleagues, including U of G post-doctoral fellow Tristan Pearce.

Pearce, who completed both master’s and PhD degrees at Guelph, worked previously with Smit on a similar project in the Arctic.

“The SSHRC grant will further enhance the scope and impact of our research,” said Pearce.

Their studies will focus on six coastal resource-dependent communities: three in Canada (Haida Gwaii, Labrador and the Northwest Territories) and three in the Pacific Islands (the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa). Smit said the six communities were selected because of their vulnerabilities and their interest in collaborating.

“Ultimately, these communities are on the front line and may indicate for the rest of us on the planet some of the effects of climate change, and also what adaptive measures succeed, or not, and why,” he said.

Building on two decades of previous work, Smit’s team will analyze and systematically compare the information they gather with theoretical expectations and natural science projections. This research program investigates multiple, intersecting factors existing in ever-changing circumstances in order to better understand society-environment interactions.

To grapple with this huge and dynamic issue, Smit has adopted a novel, albeit not unique, approach that does not assume we know the conditons that matter to people. Adopting strategies employed by anthropologists, Smit's team starts with people; the engagement of community stakeholders and leaders is fundamental to his research.

“The indigenous people are our partners in the research,” he said. “Some of the ways we identify how the members of each community experience their changing conditions are by conducting focus groups, listening to their oral history, consulting written documents and then cross-referencing all this. We explore socio-economic and bio-ecological factors together.”

There are language barriers and protocols related to gender and status, among others, which must be understood and respected. To open the door to communication with people whose culture is different from our own, Smit said, first requires establishing credibility and a mutually trusting relationship.

“In some communities there is a formal approval process before anyone will meet and speak with you. In others, you must take time to get to know people informally, and they you, before they will share their experiences with you.”

Bogota's Amazing Bikeways! (Video)

2011-08-13T12:14:00.003-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada

A Model for the World

This video by our friends at Streetfilms is not only great because it shows us a powerful example of bike infrastructure improving a city, but also because it shows how you can change the perception of riding a bike among citizens by treating bikes as an equally important way to get around and building safe lanes in both poor and rich neighborhoods.

"When we build very high quality bicycle infrastructure, besides protecting cyclists, it shows that a citizen on a $30 bicycle is equally as important to one in a $30,000 car," said former mayor Enrique Peñalosa. Via Streetfilms.

See also: Apple's Campus Has Elegant Bikes

Riding Bogota's Bountiful Protected Bikeways from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

CSA Standards Brings International Energy Management Standard to Canada

2011-08-12T08:46:00.002-04:00

ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard helps to Transform Businesses into Efficient Energy Users

TORONTO, August 12, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - CSA Standards, a leading standards-based solutions organization, today announced the Canadian availability of the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard - the world's first global energy management system standard - to help businesses manage and reduce energy consumption and costs and remain competitive in today's marketplace. According to a CSA/Leger Marketing survey, almost a quarter of Canadian executives feel energy is not being consumed efficiently within their organization. The new standard will outline best practices for streamlining energy consumption such as the measurement of current energy use and the implementation of an energy measurement system to document, report and validate ongoing improvements in energy management.

"79 per cent of Canadian executives believe that energy efficiency is a key component to business success," said Bonnie Rose, President, CSA Standards. "And although the bottom line is not the only measure of success, the implementation of ISO 50001 will help businesses move forward in achieving their environmental goals by reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint, while also recognizing the cost savings associated with reduced energy consumption."

The ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard is a voluntary, internationally accepted framework for the management of energy for businesses of all sizes. More than 90 per cent of Canadian executives believe that every organization has a responsibility to manage its energy use, the CSA/Leger Marketing survey reveals. Conformance with the standard will demonstrate an organization has an energy management system in place, has completed an established baseline of energy use, and has committed to continuous improvement of its energy performance.

Before the introduction of ISO 50001, no national energy management systems standard in Canada existed. In fact, according to the CSA/Leger Marketing survey, only about 30 per cent of Canadian executives say that their organization has an active energy management program. Among those organizations that do not, 12 per cent are planning to implement one within a year. The adoption of the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard in Canada will assist thousands of businesses, many of which have global operations and require adherence to international standards, to become highly efficient energy users.

"Every new road travelled requires a map; the ISO 50001 standard is a roadmap for Canadian businesses that have chosen the path to sustainable energy performance," said Bonnie Rose. 90 per cent of Canadian executives believe that equipping employees with the right tools and training to manage energy use will reduce consumption. "The standard is a critical element in the collective fight against climate change. After all, if you do not measure it, you cannot control it. The standard offers a systematic review and analysis of energy consumption helping to lead to better energy conservation and efficiency," Bonnie Rose added.

The CSA/Leger Marketing survey reveals more than half of Canadian executives say it is important to participate in programs that improve the energy or sustainable performance of their organization and 14 per cent say their suppliers, customers or stakeholders are asking for evidence of their environmental or energy performance practices.

ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. It is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies representing approximately 140 countries. Publication of an international standard like the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard requires approval from at least 75 per cent of member bodies.

The CAN/CSA ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard is priced at $105 CDN. It is available for purchase immediately online at: www.shop.csa.ca.

About the Survey

The survey was completed on-line from May 31st, 2011 to June 12th, 2011 using Leger Marketing's online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1,007 Executives at the Senior Management level and above.

A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

About CSA Standards

CSA Standards is a leading standards-based solutions organization serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in North America and the global marketplace. Focusing on standards and codes development, application products, training, advisory and personnel certification services, the organization aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. CSA Standards is a division of CSA Group, also consisting of CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information visit www.csa.ca

How We Know We're Causing Global Warming

2011-08-11T10:03:00.001-04:00

Image by Skeptical Science via Creative Commons

from TreeHugger.com
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California

This infographic from Skeptical Science sums it all up pretty well. The graphic looks at "the many human fingerprints on climate change."

The graphic details the different ways in which we're influencing the climate, and the effects those influences have on the greater system. Attached to it is a great article detailing these components.

It's hard to deny our role in a warming planet when laid out in such a simple manner.

Skeptical Science writes, "The saying goes if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. But climate skeptics are trying to convince us it's some other, undefined animal impersonating a duck that's also mysteriously hiding the real duck."

You can view the graphic in larger format on Skeptical Science.

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

Ontarians Roll the 25 Millionth Tire into New Products

2011-08-10T10:08:00.003-04:00

Ontario's Minister of the Environment John Wilkinson (right) celebrates the recycling of 25 million tires in Ontario alongside Andrew Horsman (left), Executive Director of Ontario Tire Stewardship. (CNW Group/Ontario Tire Stewardship)

Ontario Tire Stewardship reaches major milestone

TORONTO, August 9, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) today celebrated the recycling of the 25 millionth scrap tire in the province of Ontario since the program's inception. This brings OTS even closer to their ultimate goal of recycling 100 per cent of all tires in Ontario.

Before the launch of the Used Tires Program, millions of tires were illegally dumped throughout the province and thrown into landfills. In addition, many were shipped out of Ontario where they were used for fuel. Since the launch of the program in 2009, over 125,000 tonnes of tires have been recycled in Ontario and made into a range of innovative tire derived products.

"OTS has made it a priority to invest in a more sustainable Ontario, and we've had great success in reducing tire waste across the province," said Executive Director Andrew Horsman. "We have reached the 25 millionth tire far ahead of schedule. This milestone is a great coup for our dedicated staff, stakeholders and communities across Ontario, and it is a great indicator of our future success."

Not only has OTS significantly reduced tire waste in Ontario, it has also fostered positive change in the province's tire recycling industry, creating opportunities for new and existing Ontario-based businesses and giving Ontario's economy an overall boost. The first year of the program alone saw a $23 million investment in the Ontario tire recycling industry.

Of the announcement, the Honourable John Wilkinson, Ontario's Minister of the Environment, said,

"I want to congratulate Ontario Tire Stewardship on this significant milestone. I commend them for the environmental progress they have achieved through this successful program. Diverting tires from landfills not only helps the environment it also creates new jobs for Ontarians."

In order to launch the program successfully, a variety of stakeholders were brought together including tire retailers, haulers, processors, collectors and recycled product manufacturers. Emterra Tire Recycling is one of these valued stakeholders.

"As an OTS registered hauler and processor of used tires, Emterra is proud of our role in reducing tire waste and contributing to a greener Ontario. Our innovative tire processing technology ensures that 100 per cent of the tires we process are recycled," said Emterra Founder and CEO Emmie Leung.

A new video portraying the life cycle of a tire was launched today to demonstrate what happens to tires once they reach the end of their serviceable life. It shows tires being worked into new products including rubber mulch for landscaping and playground surfaces, rubber pavers for walkways, roof shingles and athletic surfacing, among others. Thanks to Ontario Tire Stewardship, the 12 million tires sold each year in Ontario will eventually be recycled and reused through the Used Tires Program.

For more information about Ontario Tire Stewardship visit www.GreenMyTires.ca, or for a list of registered processors and product manufacturers call 416-969-2717.

About Ontario Tire Stewardship

Established in 2009, Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) is an Industry Funding Organization (IFO) incorporated under Ontario's Waste Diversion Act, to implement and operate the Used Tires Program. The program recycles and reuses the 12 million tires sold annually in the province, preventing them from ending up in landfills or being dumped illegally. Instead, OTS directs these scrap tires to recyclers who use them to make new green products for your home, office, local school and park.

Beyond recycling, OTS also educates and encourages Ontarians on the use of tire derived products - items made from used tires that actually last longer and work better than similar products in the market, and educates Ontario drivers on how to get the most life and performance from their tires. For more information, please visit www.GreenMyTires.ca

Atlantic Salmon Returns to Credit River After 100-Year Absence

2011-08-02T08:50:00.001-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada

Because we can't write only about bad news...

While it seems like Pacific salmon off the West coast of Canada is in serious trouble (and scientists who study it are possibly getting muzzled), there are some good news coming from the other end of the country. After an absence of more than 100 years, Atlantic salmon are finally coming back in good numbers to Credit River in Ontario. For that small miracle we have to thank the Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources. It has release close to a million Atlantic salmon fry in the Credit River since 2007, and it is now starting to pay off.

The town nearest that fry's gravel nest is called Terra Cotta. It used to be called Salmonville, but that point of civic pride went belly up in the 19th century. Chris Robinson of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters says tens of thousands of salmon used to climb the Credit annually to spawn. Archives show contracts for local farm labourers that limited how often employers could feed their boarders the apparently too plentiful pink flesh. It was said you couldn't ride a horse through the Credit River without fear of it getting tripped up by salmon.

The bounty didn't last, however. A combination of overfishing, dam construction and deforestation left the river degraded and the salmon a figment of fishermen's tales. [...]

Fisheries are now studied and regulated. Up and down the watershed, dams are being decommissioned to keep water temperatures down and allow fish mobility. Though less than half of the watershed is forested, there are more trees now than there were a century ago. Forest cover is critical to a healthy river because it helps a watershed absorb rainwater into the ground where it is cooled and cleaned before entering a stream through a spring. ( source)

No Short-Term Thinking Allowed

Congrats to all those who participated in efforts to help bring back the salmon. It is an important piece of the complex ecosystem on which everything around the river depends. Now the goal is to avoid repeating past mistakes. The danger is always that when there's a positive development, some will say "all right, we're out of the woods" and stop caring. That would be a terrible mistake.

See also: Is the Canadian Government Muzzling a Scientist Over a West Coast Salmon Collapse Study?

Via Globe & Mail

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

Canada's Ethical Oil Tar Sands Campaign Really Says 'Stay Addicted To Oil'

2011-07-30T09:05:00.001-04:00

image: EthicalOil.org

from TreeHugger.com
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY

I'll be blunt: The pathetic attempt by the Canadian government to rebrand the highly polluting, highly environmental destructive, highly energy and carbon intensive tar sands industry as ' ethical oil' rears its ugly head again via CBC News. Comparing the environmental nightmare of tar sands production to the human rights horror of the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia or the repression of dissent in Iran?

You might as well advocate crystal meth over heroin because that meth comes from a lab just down the road while the opium poppies that will be processed into heroin come from Afghanistan.

We've covered the environmental damage caused by extraction of oil from the tar sands on so many occasions that I'll just refer you to TreeHugger archives at the previous link if you need to get up to speed.

Greenpeace's Mike Hudema really nails the false choices presented in the Ethical Oil campaign:

The question that we need to be asking is, 'What is the best way for us to meet our energy needs? What is the best way to move people around?' And when you ask that question, the answer is not a barrel of oil from Saudi Arabia, and it is definitely not a barrel of oil from the tar sands in Alberta.

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

Canada's Asbestos Mine Is About To Run Out Of The Stuff

2011-07-26T10:24:00.001-04:00

Image credit Harry Rowed. National Film Board of Canada. Photothèque. Library and Archives Canada

from TreeHugger.com
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Canada's reputation has taken such an international hit over its continued export of asbestos to the developing world when it bans the use of the stuff at home. Really, even the Daily Show did a number on it. And it is all for naught; a confidential memo suggests that the mine at Thetford Mines, Quebec is almost depleted.

According to the 2008 report, quoted in the Globe and Mail,

"The open-pit Lac d'amiante du Canada (LAC) operation will be the last remaining chrysotile mine in Canada, with an estimated mine life of two to four years."...This week, LAB Chrysotile, the company that manages the mine, said it might shutter the operation indefinitely this November. The closure could effectively halt Canada's active asbestos mining industry.

Instead of just writing off the industry, the Quebec government is considering the reopening of another mothballed mine, and tossing C$58 million (US$ 61,316,000) into the whole as subsidy. Shocking. More in the Globe and Mail

read more story at TreeHugger.com

Diverting glass from landfill aim of new bottle recycling container design

2011-07-26T08:50:00.002-04:00

"40% of all glass bottles put into single stream recycling programs end up in landfill - far too many says Chris Williams of Sustain It Inc., who designed Bottle Bin™ to help (CNW Group/Sustain It Inc.)"

Available at the Beer Store, Bottle Bin™ helps individuals "do their part" for the environment

AURORA, Ontario, July 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - A new bottle recycling container is helping to divert glass from needlessly being sent to landfill.

The Bottle Bin™ reusable container helps Ontarians to conveniently store, sort and return their empty wine, beer and spirit bottles. Glass containers are diverted from landfill and consumers are assisted to take full advantage of the Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP).

On average, 40% of all glass bottles put in single-stream recycling bins end up in landfill, according to a 2009 Container Recycling Institute study. Recycling glass is a challenge because it has to first be separated by colour and in single-stream programs it is virtually impossible to prevent glass from breaking. Mixed or contaminated glass cannot be recycled; a contributing factor to the implementation of the ODRP in 2007.

"Everyone wants to do their part for the environment," said Chris Williams, Marketing Director of Sustain It Inc. "Most understand the obligation to participate in the Deposit Return Program, just as they do for the Blue Box and Green Bin programs; however, it is not always convenient, or simple, to do so. Bottle Bin™ makes it easy to return bottles and rewards users by putting money back in their pocket. Instead of tossing bottles into regular recycling, consumers can use the Bottle Bin™ container to sort, store and transport their bottles back to The Beer Store knowing their efforts are achieving a 100% recycling rate."

The Bottle Bin™ container fits up to 18 standard wine or spirit bottles or 48 standard beer bottles.

"At The Beer Store, we strive to make each visit as convenient as possible for our customers," said Ted Moroz, President of The Beer Store. "The launch of our new Bottle Bin™ is another green initiative that makes it easier for customers to organize and return their empty bottles."

The Beer Store administers the ODRP for wine and spirit containers sold by LCBO, winery and distillery retail stores. The program encourages consumers to return their empty containers for a deposit refund; allowing them to do their part for the environment, while rewarding them financially.

Aurora-based Sustain It Inc. had identified a need to improve the flow of bottles all along the product life chain. The company recently launched the "Bring Your Bottles Back" initiative to help promote solutions to saving energy, conserving resources and reducing waste sent to landfill. Along with developing the Bottle Bin™ container, made of 100% recycled materials, the company has launched a website www.bringyourbottlesback.com to help educate consumers on glass recycling.

Canadian transit ridership reaches new milestone in 2010

2011-07-25T10:27:00.003-04:00

TORONTO, July 25, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Public transit ridership across Canada showed very strong growth in 2010, with an increase of 4.1% nationally over the previous year. This represents an all-time record with 1.9 billion trips taken, as reported today by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).

"The increase in transit ridership in 2010 represents an addition of well over 75 million passenger trips from 2009, roughly the equivalent of the total ridership of the Edmonton Transit System," says CUTA President & CEO Michael Roschlau. "The increases were spread across the country in communities large and small, with many of Canada's smaller communities showing remarkable growth, with averages exceeding 5%."

"This growth in transit ridership shows that Canadians are looking for alternatives to high gas prices and traffic concerns, and public transit can represent a real option to reduce reliance on single occupancy vehicles," says CUTA Chair John King. "Sustaining this rate of ridership growth, however, requires ongoing support for expanding transit capacity and service levels through investment in infrastructure and operations."

CUTA's most recent national infrastructure survey reported a $53.5 billion need for public transit capital investment for the period 2010-2014, which includes all communities from coast to coast, only 67% of which is fundable under existing programs. Indeed, related CUTA research has concluded that the economic return on investment in Canadian transit infrastructure exceeds 2:1 - a benefit that exceeds $10 billion annually.

"The establishment of a Canadian Transit Policy Framework, aligning the interests of all orders of government, will be critical in meeting the needs of Canadians, as the demand for transit service continues to grow", closes Roschlau. "This record ridership in communities of all sizes is proof of the need for sustainable long term funding."

CUTA is the national association representing public transit systems, suppliers to the industry, government agencies, individuals and related organizations in Canada.

For association information, visit www.cutaactu.ca

Governments Taking Right Steps Towards a National Energy Strategy

2011-07-20T09:52:00.003-04:00

Photo Credit: wyliepoon via Flickr.

CALGARY, July 19, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Energy Policy Institute of Canada (EPIC) is highly supportive of the outcomes and direction from the annual Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference held in Kananaskis, Alberta.

"Clearly our political leaders recognize how important the task of building a national energy strategy is and we are delighted they have agreed with many of our recommendations," noted Doug Black, President of EPIC.

The decision to advance five major areas through collaboration is closely aligned with the progress document presented to the Conference by EPIC which recommends a unified national approach to:

...Improve Canada's regulatory regime by eliminating overlapping and inconsistent requirements at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.

...Enhance Canada's energy security by moving beyond our historical reliance on exports to the United States and capturing growth opportunities in Asia and elsewhere.

...Move towards a national pricing regime, and define the criteria that should inform the design of a long-term carbon-pricing regime in Canada.

...Promote greater public knowledge of energy's impact on our economy, environment and society - with a view to improving conservation behavior.

...Foster energy innovation by encouraging more private sector investment in game-changing technologies.

Regulatory review, with an eye towards one-project/one-review for environmental assessments and associated regulatory processes will represent a major step forward towards a more efficient energy industry. The values supporting regulatory change to create an effective and efficient regulatory system with timely, transparent, fair and predictable processes is fully endorsed by EPIC.

"The steps being taken by the Ministers will see Canada move closer to becoming a global energy superpower," concluded Black.

A Strategy for Canada's Global Energy Leadership - Progress Document is available at www.canadasenergy.com.

The Energy Policy Institute of Canada (EPIC) is a not-for-profit federal corporation and nonpartisan policy advocacy organization composed of Canadian enterprise that are important producers, transporters and consumers of energy as well as those that engage in financing energy development. EPIC believes that energy is a strategic sector whose prospects are inextricably linked to Canada's prosperity and that the best way to strengthen the sector's contribution to our society is through collaborative action among producers, distributors and consumers of energy - wherever they reside in Canada.

Canadian Solarform Ltd announces completion and grid tie of its first 250KW solar plant in Georgetown

2011-07-15T11:20:00.003-04:00

GEORGETOWN, Ontario, July 14, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Manufacturer of high quality solar panels, Canadian Solarform has assisted in the completion and grid tie of the first major elevated roof-top solar system in Ontario - likely the first of its kind in North America.

The 250KW AC system which is completely raised off the roof by over eight feet, uses the existing building structure and interior columns to eliminate potential roof damages and repair and provides the highest system efficiency of any fixed roof-top solar installation.

"We feel this project has greatly assisted us in understanding the benefits of raised solar systems and shown us some of the potential issues facing our clients as they install their own systems" says Steve Bellamy (VP Sales). "There were many challenges throughout this project but the over- all experience has helped us improved our knowledge and created a team of experts with first-hand knowledge so that we can provide accurate advice for our clients going forward".

The design of the system is very cost effective and provided more than 300kW of DC power on less than 35000 square feet of building. This revolutionary system provides many additional benefits for solar rooftop installations such as keeping the solar panels cool and efficient and reducing the impacts of snow on power production. Because the raised system reduces shading, roof damage from panels and allows for easy service access, it provides an ideal situation for maximum returns.

"We set out to design the best and most efficient roof top solar system in Canada" says Bill Melnik President "and I believe that we achieved our goal. This system is a first for the community as well as Ontario and Canada. We are proud to be part of its successful completion and look forward to over 20 years of production capacity."

Great Bear Rainforest Threatened with Massive Oil Pipeline, Conservation Photographers to the Rescue

2011-07-12T15:52:00.001-04:00

Photo by Neil Ever Osborne

from TreeHugger.com
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California

The Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia is one of the largest tracks of unspoiled temperate rainforest left on the planet, and it is home to an incredible array of biodiversity, from grizzly bears to white spirit bears, from wolves and cougars to 1,000 year old Western Red Cedar trees. It has even been compared to the Galapagos because of its diversity and abundance. And yet, even this amazing ecosystem is under threat from big oil. A 750-mile oil pipeline has been proposed to weave in and out of the mountains and valleys. But it is not being met without a fight.

Enbridge Inc., the world's largest pipeline construction company, filed an application last year to the Canadian National Energy Board for a twin pipeline that would run 750 miles and carry oil from Alberta's tar sands to BC's coast. The pipeline would provide easy access to the tar sands for Asian oil interests -- but it would cross over literally thousands of streams and rivers, each one a risk, a potential threat to the area if, and when, a leak occurs.

Shortly after the announcement, in the fall of 2010, the International League of Conservation Photographers sent out a team to document the untouched beauty and wild of the area, to show the treasures that would be threatened should the pipeline gain approval... read more story at TreeHugger.com

Powerful Short Film Urges Reconnection With Nature

2011-07-08T16:52:00.001-04:00

Screenshot from Vimeo

from TreeHugger.com
by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil

It could be said that the we divide our world into two extremes: the comfortable neighborhoods, towns, and cities that become the setting of our lives, and the wildness of nature -- though the two needn't always be so far removed. In a short film entitled "We Miss You" German-born director Hanna Maria Heidrich highlights the starkness of urban life while urging us to reconnect with the natural world, to surprisingly poignant and surreal effect.

Heidrich's work on the short earned her several prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, including 'Best European Branded Short', and it's no wonder why. The film's concept is eloquent in its simplicity, and remarkable for its execution. Even despite the fact that there's one moment in particular that borders on comical (you'll know what I'm talking about), it is nevertheless a powerful depiction of how disconnected many of us have become to the 'wild' world around us.

According to the film's web site, 'We Miss You' was produced by "three film students who didn't care about nature," adding that this was their way of "doing something."

"We only miss what we love," the filmakers continue. "Our aim is to get people back in touch with nature."

WE MISS YOU from fireapple films on Vimeo.

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

48,000 Tires Collected in Weekend Recycling Blitz

2011-07-07T08:42:00.002-04:00

Collection Events Across Ontario Divert Tires into New Products and Raises $123,725 for the Sunshine Foundation Children's Charity

TORONTO, July 6, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Ontarians took another step towards turning black to green, when more than 48,000 used tires were collected following a recent weekend recycling blitz organized by Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) and the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA). The tires, which would be taller than 24 CN Towers if stacked one on top of one another, were dropped off at 64 OARA member locations around the province between May 27th and 28th.

The collection not only helped divert tires from landfills and burning, it also helped make dreams come true, by raising $123,725 for the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. The collection allowance that OARA members receive for each tire dropped off was donated to the Sunshine Foundation. OARA matched each member's donation and this, coupled with an additional contribution from registered tire hauler Liberty Tire Recycling, means even more children with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses will be helped. The number of tires collected increased by more than 50 per cent over last year, and exceeded the goal to raise $100,000 for the charity.

"This is the second year that OTS and OARA have partnered to offer Ontarians a convenient way to recycle their old tires. The overwhelming response demonstrates that Ontarians are willing to actively contribute to a greener Ontario and at the same time want to be part of a great cause," said Andrew Horsman, Executive Director, Ontario Tire Stewardship. "These collections events are just one example of the great work being done by Ontario Tire Stewardship. The Used Tires Program is helping our environment, creating green jobs for Ontarians and contributing to the development of new, more sustainable consumer products."

"The 64 OARA locations across the province that participated in this event have demonstrated a commitment to finding environmentally friendly solutions for disposing of automotive parts and we are proud of their contributions," said Steve Fletcher, Executive Director of OARA. "We'd like to congratulate Woodbeck Auto Parts in Stirling for collecting 4,011 tires, the most collected in the province. Woodbeck's event raised more than $10,000 for the Sunshine Foundation! We are delighted that the contributions of all of our business partners will help make a dream come true for some very deserving children."

Through the Used Tires Program, OTS tracks and manages how the approximately 12 million tires sold in Ontario every year are handled once they reach the end of their service life, diverting them from burning and landfill. Before the Program came into effect in September 2009, scrap tires were routinely burned for fuel in cement kilns, illegally dumped or added to growing stockpiles around the province. Thanks to the Used Tires Program, Ontarians can now drop off up to four used tires each for free at hundreds of registered collection locations around the province and the tires collected will be reused or recycled into new consumer products like rubber mulch, door and car mats and roof shingles.

Please visit GreenMyTires.ca for details on registered collectors across the province.

About the Sunshine Foundation

The Sunshine Foundation of Canada makes dreams come true for children living with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses. For more information, visit www.sunshine.ca.

About OARA

The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association ( www.oara.com) represents 130 professional auto recyclers across Ontario who recover and recycle end-of-life vehicles for their parts reuse and materials recycling.

About OTS

Ontario Tire Stewardship ( www.OntarioTS.ca) is an Industry Funded Organization implementing and operating the approved Used Tires Program, a province-wide scrap tire solution for on-road and off-road tires supplied into the Ontario market, diverting them away from burning and land fill to reuse and recycling.

Waste Diversion Needs Support from All Political Parties

2011-07-02T12:43:00.002-04:00

TORONTO, June 30, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) challenges all Ontario political parties to demonstrate how they will support waste diversion strategies that ensure that industry cleans up after itself, property taxpayers aren't left holding the tab for waste management costs, and fewer toxins are released into our environment.

"Municipal governments are interested in safe, responsible solutions that reduce waste and increase recycling, without tapping more into the wallets of property taxpayers," said AMO President Peter Hume.

Ontario faces some tough waste management challenges. Products today are more difficult to recycle or discard and some are toxic. As well, Ontario is running out of space to bury its waste. Since 1989, 649 of Ontario's 730 landfills have closed. We ship 40% of our waste to the United States.

"There's no doubt that Ontario's stewardship programs need to do better, but they are better than the alternative," said Hume. "People have come to understand that while it's easier to toss everything into garbage in a bag and leave it at the curb, eventually it costs more - both in terms of dollars and human health."

Ontario currently has several waste diversion programs, which hold some manufacturers and industries responsible for the cost of disposing or diverting waste. These programs also encourage industry to make safer products and produce less garbage.

...Household Hazardous Waste Program: Supports diversion and treatment of toxic products generated in Ontario households. Industry provided $40 million to municipalities for these programs last year.

...Blue Box: Collects and recycles the vast majority of printed paper and packaging from Ontario households. Costs are shared 50/50 between industry and municipalities. 2010 gross costs were nearly $300 million.

...Used Tires: Collects and recycles tires generated from all sectors in Ontario. Industry covers 100% of costs and last year diverted more than 160,000 tonnes from landfill.

...Electronics: Collects and recycles waste electronics from Ontario households and businesses and is 100% industry funded. More than 34,500 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill in the program's second year, double the amount from the previous year, demonstrating positive growth for a brand-new program.

Any changes to these waste diversion programs should be matched by well-thought out alternatives that meet goals such as sending less waste to landfills and incinerators, holding waste producers accountable for the costs that they create, and ensuring that property taxes are not being used to let industry off the hook. Currently, property taxes already pay for 50 per cent of the Blue Box program, subsidize Household Hazardous Waste programs and pay for all garbage collection and disposal of waste at landfill or incinerators.

AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario's 444 municipal governments. AMO supports strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada's political system.

More information about Ontario's growing waste management challenges is available at www.amo.on.ca.

U of G Honoured for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship

2011-06-27T15:08:00.004-04:00

The University of Guelph was recognized at the annual Guelph Awards of Excellence Thursday night for its environmental stewardship.

GUELPH, Ontario June 24, 2011 - University of Guelph Campus Bulletin

Staff, students and faculty were all acknowledged at the Guelph Chamber of Commerce event for helping the University meet its commitment to reduce its ecological footprint.

Despite a growing campus population and the construction of several new facilities, U of G reduced its greenhouse-gas emissions by 1,363 tonnes last year through decreased demand for electricity and natural gas – a 1.9 per cent reduction from 2008-09. The University also saved about 37,000 cubic metres of water last year, 4.6 per cent lower than in 2008-09.

These energy and water conservations efforts are part of a five-year Community Energy Plan developed by the University and the City of Guelph in 2008. The plan aims to improve energy efficiency on campus by 1.5 per cent a year on average through retrofit and upgrading projects.

"This is an award for the entire university community and their attention to environmental stewardship,” said Dan Maclachlan, director of design, engineering and construction in the Department of Physical Resources. He received the award on behalf of the University.

“The benefits of our energy and sustainability programs continue to exceed our calculations because there is so much going on behind the scenes by so many engaged individuals. Our energy and water conservation programs are firmly entrenched in our capital planning program, but it is the cumulative day to day efforts of the community that put us over the top."

The award also recognized U of G’s success in diverting 60 per cent of campus waste from the landfill through unique community partnerships and through student and staff efforts, notably the Moveout Madness program.

U of G students were acknowledged as being key drivers of changes on campus, voting in 2006 to contribute $10 per student per semester to an energy conservation fund. In 2008, graduate students agreed to a similar program. As a result of the unprecedented initiative, students have committed more than $400,000 per year to energy projects for 12 years with the University matching those funds.

Finally, the 2010 Presidential Task Force on Sustainability created to help the University community focus and accelerate environmental initiatives was recognized. The University is currently considering recommendations from the task force report.

Union Gas Supports Environmental Education in Waterloo Region

2011-06-25T12:13:00.003-04:00

Celebrates Centennial with $10,000 gift to rare Charitable Research Reserve

WATERLOO, Ontario, June 24, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Union Gas is celebrating 100 years of providing safe, reliable and affordable service to customers and communities across Ontario. To mark its Centennial, the company is awarding a $10,000 grant to rare Charitable Research Reserve's Chain of Learning program, which provides experiential environmental education to schools, community organizations and families in the Waterloo Region and beyond.

Julie Dill, President of Union Gas, and Murray Costello, District Manager of Waterloo/Brantford for Union Gas, presented a cheque to Matthew Lawson, Manager of Education for rare Charitable Research Reserve at an open house held today at the company's office on Kumpf Drive in Waterloo. Union Gas employees, retirees, government officials, industry partners and other members of the public joined in the celebration.

"A passionate commitment to stewardship, safety and win-win relationships are all central to our business culture and operations," said Dill. "Our success as one of North America's premier natural gas storage, transmission and distribution companies is shared with the communities we serve and we can't think of a better way to mark this occasion than by giving back to a community program that so closely aligns with these business values."

"We're proud of our 57-year history with Waterloo," added Costello. "And we look forward to continuing this positive relationship as we strive to be the partner of choice in this and all the communities we serve."

"Through the Chain of Learning program, rare Charitable Research Reserve provides participants with a unique opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and motivation needed to become responsible environmental citizens," said Lawson. "We are grateful for the support of Union Gas which will help us continue to deliver these important environmental education programs in Waterloo and the surrounding areas."

Union Gas, a Spectra Energy Company, was founded in 1911 through the amalgamation of three southern Ontario local gas distribution companies.

Union Gas has been privileged to work in over 400 Ontario communities, including a number of them throughout the Waterloo Region. In addition to natural gas delivery services for homes and businesses, Union Gas has also contributed to the region through economic investments, jobs, municipal taxes, hundreds of volunteer hours for community organizations, major charitable giving to local organizations -- like the Children's Safety Village of Brant and Waterloo, United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area and Leadership Waterloo Region -- sponsorships and energy efficiency programs. Today, Union Gas, selected as one of Canada's Top 100 employers in 2011, is the second largest Natural Gas utility in Canada serving 1.3 million customers across Ontario.

Leading up to the company's 100th anniversary on Dec. 19, an exciting year-long centennial celebration is rolling out across the province, bringing together employees, retirees and communities across Ontario. Visit uniongas.com/centennial for additional information.

About rare Charitable Research Reserve

Founded in 2001, rare is a stunning 370-hectare (913-acre) nature reserve located at the meeting of the Grand and Speed Rivers – right in the middle of one of the fastest-growing areas in Southern Ontario.

A registered charity created to sustain the land in perpetuity, rare conveys the message that everyone has a role to play in serving and nurturing our environment if we wish a future living in harmony with nature.

This parcel of land presents a unique opportunity to understand our environment – its role in our lives, our economies and even our survival.

Visit their website at www.raresites.org/

About Union Gas

Union Gas Limited, a Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) company, is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with assets of $5.6 billion and approximately 2,200 employees. For more information, visit uniongas.com.

Austin Texas company plans to open package-free, zero-waste grocery store before year’s end.

2011-06-24T15:26:00.003-04:00

in.gredients Aims to Become First Package-Free, Zero-Waste Grocery Store in the United States.

AUSTIN, Texas USA - JUNE 16, 2011 - The Brothers Lane team announced its intention to open the first package-free, zero-waste grocery store in the U.S. this week. The store, named in.gredients , will allow customers to bring their own reusable contianers to fill with local and organic groceries ranging from dry bulk and dairy to wine and household cleaners.

Touting itself as the “next step” in fixing a variety of problems in today’s food industry, in.gredients promises to be an alternative to supermarket-style shopping, featuring local, organic food products, offering cooking classes and gardening activities on-site, and hosting a variety of community-oriented events geared toward promoting healthy living.

“Truth be told, what’s normal in the grocery business isn’t healthy for consumers or the environment,” in.gredients co-founder Christian Lane said. “In addition to the unhealthiness associated with common food processing, nearly all the food we buy in the grocery store is packaged, leaving us no choice but to continue buying packaged food that’s not always reusable or recyclable. Our goal is to reduce waste and promote health by ditching packaged and overly processed food altogether - revolutionizing grocery shopping as we know it.”

The new store challenges typical supermarket behavior, claiming impulse buys, out-of-season produce, and a lack of concern for waste contribute to unhealthy eating and spending habits amongst consumers. in.gredients business model will counter these trends by encouraging portion control, seasonal eating, and the reduction of energy used to transport food from farms to customers.

“We care about the health of our customers and our local food economy,” Lane said.

“We’re prioritizing ‘reduce, reuse, then recycle’ and maximizing farmer revenue. We want this to be a fun and insightful experience for everyone, and hope this can springboard new ideas about how we can make grocery shopping even more sustainable.”

in.gredients is actively seeking investors and hopes to raise the funds it needs to begin operations through its crowd-sourced campaign on IndieGoGo.com.

in.gredients is being started by Brothers Lane, LLC - a small Austin-based company owned by the Lane brothers (Christian, Patrick, and Joseph) and brother-in-spirit Christopher Pepe. The brothers have started and managed successful businesses ranging from soft-ware to sustainability.

PRODUCTS Seasonal produce, grains, spices, baking ingredients, oils, coffees/teas, meats, dairy, beer, wine, and household cleaners. All products will be organic, all-natural, and sourced from local vendors when possible.

visit the in.gredients website at: http://in.gredients.com

New voices weigh in on the green economy

2011-06-24T11:02:00.001-04:00

Two reports point the way for Canada

TORONTO, June 22, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Two new reports were issued today that identify the roadblocks to building a green economy in Canada and what needs to be done to tap into the global opportunities the country, so far, has failed to embrace. The companion papers titled: Building Bridges: The Environment and the Economy were commissioned by the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network (CEGN), a membership group of more than 60 private and public funders.

"While the green economy is certainly a hot topic in international circles, we want to bring the issues closer to Canadians while also investigating a role for us as individual grantmakers," says Allan Northcott, Chair of CEGN. "Some of our members are already doing pioneering work in this area that we can learn from."

The reports pinpoint what's preventing us from moving forward and present a persuasive and plain language argument for transforming our economy. "Our basic economic assumptions must be challenged," says Alexander Wood of Sustainable Prosperity, Canada's leading green economy think tank founded with the support of private philanthropy, and the author of the first report. "We believe, as Canadians, that natural resources are plentiful and cheap, and are betting our economic future on it. But the rest of the world is figuring out that advantage will come to those economies that are able to do more with less. And in that world, Canada is right now not able to compete. We need to engage citizens in an informed debate about how we will generate wealth in Canada, and the steps we need to take us to a greener, stronger, and more competitive economy."

The second report, written by Tyler Hamilton, is a compilation of perspectives and advice from thought leaders across sectors and across the country. Over and above the economic rationale, Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations points out that greening the economy will reconnect individuals to the environment and empower local communities to collaborate more closely thereby mending past relations with Canada's aboriginal peoples, particularly youth. Specific strategies are also tabled:

...Michael Brown, Chairman of Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital in British Columbia emphasizes the need for citizen engagement in order to both change behaviours and raise the issue on the public agenda. He posits the concept of a "climate observation" database that tracks changes in the Canadian climate through the observations of the public;

...Preston Manning, Founder, President and CEO of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy based in Alberta underlines the need for full-cost accounting of the energy and resource inputs that go into our consumption;

...Michael de Pencier, Co-Founder of Ontario's Investeco advocates educating the business community, particularly pension funds, about the enormous investment opportunities in a green economy.

Both reports make clear that the philanthropic community has a critical role to play in building up the knowledge base, institutions, and capacity that Canada will need to get us to a green economy. The first report highlights some innovative approaches already underway.

They also provide direction for business and government. At the top of the recommendations is a call for a national multi-stakeholder dialogue to jumpstart a federal strategy. While not a new idea - many before have made the same recommendation - it is hoped that the nonpartisan collective influence of philanthropy can be a catalyst for change.

To download the reports go to: www.cegn.org or www.sustainableprosperity.ca

Geothermal Power is Heating up Worldwide

2011-06-19T09:49:00.003-04:00

Photo credit: lydurs/Creative Commons

from TreeHugger.com
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C

In 1904, Italy's Prince Piero Ginori Conti became the first person to use thermal energy from within the earth to turn on the lights—five of them, to be precise. Now, more than a century after his experiment, 24 countries are using geothermal power. The 10,900 megawatts of capacity installed worldwide generate enough renewable electricity to meet the needs of more than 6 million U.S. homes. Geothermal power has grown at just 3 percent annually over the last decade, but the pace is set to pick up substantially, with close to 9,000 megawatts of new capacity projected for 2015. Some 350 projects are under development in dozens of countries.

The energy source for geothermal electricity generation is the tremendous heat flowing from the Earth's core and mantle and from radioactive isotopes decaying in the Earth's crust. Developers drill wells to reach porous and permeable rock containing reservoirs of hot water or steam that is then brought to the surface to drive a turbine and generate electricity. Historically, this required a water temperature of 150 degrees Celsius (302 degrees Fahrenheit) or more, which is found in abundance in countries along the Pacific Ring of Fire—including Chile, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States—as well as in Africa's Great Rift Valley region. Recent technology improvements, however, have made power generation using lower-temperature resources possible, enabling Germany, Hungary, and others to begin harnessing their geothermal power potential.

SLIDESHOW: Geysers Explode With Energy and Life

...read more story at TreeHugger.com

Read more about geothermal energy:

5 Ways Geothermal Power is Heating Up Around the World
Video: How Geothermal Is Heating Up in Beijing
Huge Geothermal Power Project Could Cause Quakes

Toronto Transit System Paralyzed By Ducklings

2011-06-18T10:19:00.004-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Here is a heartwarming animal story about the peaceful coexistence of nature and urban life: The Scarborough Light Rail Transit system was shut down yesterday- by a family of ducks. According to the Star,

An operator spotted the mother and her ducklings on the tracks as the train was travelling southbound.... The rail service was stopped as supervisors walked down to the track to usher the ducks along. "I guess the lighter side of it all is, yes you'll be late for work, but it's a family of ducks," said [spokesperson] Carrington.

The Toronto Transit Commission has a reputation for being bird friendly, even giving subway rides to pigeons. Mass transit for everyone!

Metrolinx saves municipalities money on new public transit vehicles

2011-06-17T12:49:00.001-04:00

TORONTO, June 16, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Metrolinx has partnered with 12 municipalities to facilitate the purchase of 271 new, clean diesel transit buses and 16 diesel electric hybrid buses. All vehicles will be fully accessible.

"Metrolinx is pleased to help support municipalities through our Transit Procurement Initiative program to improve and expand public transit across Ontario," said Metrolinx President and CEO, Bruce McCuaig. "By helping these municipalities get more value for their money, we continue to make progress on improving public transit services."

The 12-metre buses are being acquired over three years, from 2011 to 2013, for a total order value of approximately $114 million. Municipalities and their transit service providers who participated in the joint bus order are saving approximately $10.9 million.

"Our government is committed to improving public transit," said Ontario Minister of Transportation, Kathleen Wynne. "This partnership increases buying power and in turn decreases costs to municipalities and transit riders. New, accessible buses make taking public transit even more attractive."

The 12 participating municipalities are Barrie, Burlington, Durham Region, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Milton, North Bay, St. Catharines, Welland, Windsor and York Region.

The 2011 order is worth approximately $30 million and includes 66 clean diesel and seven diesel electric hybrid buses that will arrive in March 2012. The joint procurement also includes an option for future orders in 2012 and 2013 for the remaining 214 buses.

The clean diesel buses that will be delivered in 2011 will cost municipalities and transit service providers nine per cent less than the ones delivered in 2010 through a previous Metrolinx procurement. For the diesel electric hybrid bus order, the 2011 prices are 24 per cent lower. The clean diesel buses procured through this contract will be up to 15 per cent more fuel efficient thanks to new electrical accessories and lighter weights.

The Transit Procurement Initiative is a Metrolinx program with a mandate to help small and medium-sized municipalities save money by reducing unit costs through higher volume purchases and performance-based specifications: avoiding duplicate procurement costs and improving product quality and value for money.

This joint order complies with the province's Canadian Content for Transit Vehicle Procurement Policy which sets a minimum of 25 per cent Canadian content for 12-metre transit buses.

Metrolinx is the Province of Ontario's regional transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). For more information, go to www.metrolinx.com.

Canadian Wildlife Federation Awards

2011-06-17T11:21:00.002-04:00

2011 Conservation Achievement Awards

OTTAWA, June 17, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2011 Conservation Achievement Awards. Winners have been selected by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and will be awarded at the Annual General Meeting in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on Saturday June 18, 2011.

The Conservation Achievement Awards honour individuals' or organizations commitments to wildlife in Canada. Nominees include volunteers, professionals, youth, and conservationists from all walks of life concerned with a host of environmental topics.

Youth Conservation Award:

Braden and Jonathan Judson of Ladysmith, British Columbia are members of the Ladysmith Sportsman Club. In 2007 when a landslide near their town nearly wiped away a salmon spawning creek with garbage from a local dump, the Judson boys began volunteering their time for the cleanup. Jonathan and Braden have been helping restore the creek with their club for four years, removing more than 20 tons of garbage and seven tones of steel. Stocking Creek has now been cleared of the debris and new habitat structures have been put in place.

Roderick Haig-Brown Award:

Ian James of London, ON has won the Roderick Haig-Brown award which goes to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sport of angling. Ian is one of the top fly fishing guides on the Grand River. He is credited as the individual who popularized fly fishing for carp in North America, author of the popular book, Fumbling with a Flyrod, and even sells his own flies worldwide. James has volunteered and contributed to several important conservation projects, such as the Hamilton Harbour Fisheries Management Plan and the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan. Ian is also the instructor for Canada's first for-credit fly fishing course, which was launched in 2009 at London's Fanshawe College. The program seeks to impart a strong conservation message and students are required to delve into topical issues such as whether or not to stock lakes and streams with non-native species or the impact of dams on aquatic ecosystems.

Doug Clarke Memorial Award:

This award recognizes a conservation project recently completed by an affiliate of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. The Alberta Fish and Game Association saw a need to improve the movement corridors that pronghorn antelope use for their migrations. During April and July of 2009, members of the game association worked on raising wires on fences and eliminating barbed wire for the antelope covering approximately 100 kilometre. Not only are pronghorn antelope crawling under the fences on their migrations, but the project has also helped raised awareness of the issue of conserving wildlife corridors.

Stan Hodgkiss Outdoorsperson of the Year:

This award is in recognition of a Canadian Outdoorsperson who has demonstrated an active commitment to conservation. Helene Van Doninck of Brookfield, Nova Scotia splits her professional life between her work as a domestic small-animal clinic veterinarian and her position as a part-time instructor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. As founder of the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Brookfield, she and many volunteers with the centre have formed a team that has provided veterinary care to injured, orphaned and sick wildlife since 2001. Along the way, Doninck has developed unique methods for ensuring the long-term health of wild animals under her care. Doninck played a key role in the creation of the Atlantic Wildlife Coalition, a network of agencies in the Maritimes to respond to oiled wildlife emergencies. She also developed and teaches courses on oiled wildlife rehabilitation to vets, government and military officials, emergency response teams and non-profit organizations in both Canada and the United States.

Youth Mentor Award:

The Youth Mentor Award recognizes an individual or group for significant contributions to creating or presenting conservation, wildlife or habitat programs to youth. Michael Léveillé, a teacher at St-Laurent Academy in Ottawa, Ontario focuses his efforts on ensuring his students recognize the importance of conservation and the environment. Léveillé's Macoun Marsh Project launched in 2004, and he oversees his students studying the marsh year round, recording scientific observations in journals and monitoring the ecology of the ecosystem. The project has received wide recognition at the national and international level. Michael started an environmental blog for his students, connecting them to the online world while still keeping them rooted in the environment and nature. In 2009 Michael also helped host the Second International Youth Forum on Biodiversity in Ottawa.

Roland Michener Conservation Award:

Otto Langer and Dennis Sherratt are co-recipients of the Roland Michener Conservation award, recognizing individuals who demonstrate an active commitment to conservation through effective and responsible activities. Otto Langer of Richmond, B.C. had a 30-year career with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, becoming a pioneer in the field of conservation, Otto has offered his expertise to courts in more than 100 environmental cases across several Canadian jurisdictions. He provided training in methods of gathering evidence and getting the cases before the courts. As a civil servant he played a role in adding sections on habitat protection to the Fisheries Act and lobbying for strong government guidelines on habitat mapping and monitoring. Now retired, he continues to serve as a scientific advisor to a number of non-government fisheries protection groups.

Dennis Sherratt of Silton, Saskatchewan began his career in 1972 as a research biologist with the Wildlife Research Branch of Saskatchewan's provincial government and has since played a leading in role in development and implementation of numerous major conservation programs. Having held positions as executive director for fish and wildlife and general manager for the Saskatchewan Wetlands Corp., he spearheaded Saskatchewan's internationally recognized Heritage Marsh Program and the adoption of the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act. This Protection Act saw more than two million acres of sensitive lands protected under legislation. He also paved the way for wetland development in Canada under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Dennis continues to work closely with organizations like CWF, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited Canada and Nature Canada where his contributions have helped support and promote broad conservation objectives.

"CWF's Conservation Achievement Award recognizes the excellent work for wildlife being carried out across our country," said Wade Luzny, CWF Executive Vice-President. "We are thrilled with the depth and magnitude of all the nominations we receive. These awards are one way to pay tribute to what so many people have made their life work — to ensure our natural heritage remains for future generations."

About Canadian Wildlife Federation:

CWF is dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending legislative changes, and cooperating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians may live in harmony with nature. Visit www.canadianwildlifefederation.ca for more information.

Philadelphia's Radical Green Infrastructure Plan Will Harness Rainwater, Fight Pollution (Video)

2011-06-12T09:58:00.002-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York

Philadelphia is taking some pretty major steps to reduce water pollution and green its streets and public spaces: The city's water department has signed an ambitious deal with state environmental officials to deploy a series of infrastructure innovations like green roofs, absorptive pavement, and expanded park space that will contain overflow and halt the spread of pollution. The plan will also have the distinct benefit of cleaning up Philadelphia's water, and generally making the city a more pleasant place to live, as the above video attests. It's being hailed as "the most comprehensive network of green infrastructure found in any U.S. city."

In case you weren't keeping track, implementing smart design results in a) more efficient use of water b) less pollution, and c) a greener, more enjoyable city to stroll through. That, friends, is a good ol' win-win-win.

The NRDC has more:

"Green infrastructure" is a collective term for smarter practices on land that stop water pollution, like green roofs, porous pavement, roadside plantings and increased park space. These methods stop rain where it falls, allowing it to filter back into the ground. That keeps it from turning into runoff that carries pollution, like oil and gas products, trash, and pet waste, from paved surfaces into the water ...

Green City, Clean Waters Promo from GreenTreks Network on Vimeo.

This all makes for not only cleaner waterways, but also, as Philadelphia recognizes, all-around healthier, more pleasant places to live. By accounting for a range of social, economic, and environmental benefits that come from adding green spaces to city neighborhoods, Philadelphia has projected that a green approach to reducing sewer overflows will yield more than two dollars in benefits for every dollar invested!... read more story at TreeHugger.com

The Nature Conservancy of Canada Launches North America's Largest Forest Carbon Credit Project

2011-06-09T15:32:00.004-04:00

Using the Trees to Save the Forest

VANCOUVER, June 8, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), Canada's leading private land conservation organization, announces the largest forest carbon project to date in North America. Developed through a rigorous procedure involving numerous advisors, and meeting international standards, this sale of carbon credits is raising the bar for conservation in Canada and contributes in excess of $4 million for NCC's conservation work.

"We are always looking for unique strategies to fund the protection of Canada's natural heritage," says John Lounds, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. "By harnessing the power of the carbon market, the Darkwoods Carbon pilot project represents an innovative new avenue for helping to fund great conservation projects."

By carefully assessing and validating the natural features that NCC works to protect—in this case the forests of Darkwoods, a 136,000 acre (55,000 hectare) project area in south-eastern British Columbia — NCC and its advisors have created a ground-breaking carbon project that, through the sale of carbon credits, will generate funding to support long term conservation. The initial sale is of carbon credits that are the equivalent of 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, to Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT) and ERA Ecosystem Restoration Associates.

"Darkwoods has some of the most diverse forests in Canada - forests we need to ensure are well-managed over the long term," says B.C.'s Environment Minister Terry Lake. "This forest carbon agreement secures enduring conservation of these important lands and a step forward in building B.C.'s green economy."

The Darkwoods Carbon pilot project represents the first of its kind in Canada. It is one of the highest quality and largest forest carbon projects to date in North America. Carbon financing enables NCC to successfully carry out the stewardship of Darkwoods, resulting in additional carbon being sequestered over time, in comparison to what would have happened had the property been logged in the absence of NCC's conservation efforts.

This project also opens the door for other landowners and conservation groups to consider the use of carbon credits (and this approach) as a means of helping finance the conservation of natural areas that are also longstanding carbon sinks.

A key component of this pilot project is to ensure it remains authentically conservation-based at every step, meaning that NCC sought partners who have indicated a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.

"The Darkwoods Carbon pilot project represents one of the highest quality forest carbon projects to date in North America and is an important achievement for the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The unique methodology developed by the project team will benefit the entire carbon industry," said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, Senior Vice President of Scientific Certification Systems, a third-party validator on the Darkwoods Carbon pilot project.

The long-term protection of Darkwoods will support a diversity of plants, animals and ecological communities that thrive on the property, including an endangered herd of mountain caribou and an isolated population of grizzly bear.

Facts:

...The forests of Darkwoods contain more than 17 different tree species, one of the highest diversity of trees in British Columbia.

...Darkwoods is home to 19 confirmed threatened or endangered species.

...700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are approximately equal to the emissions of 120,000 SUV's or 200,000 small North American cars in a year.

...Carbon credits can be traded to counterbalance the production of greenhouse gases generated by industry, transportation or other activities.

How the Nature Conservancy of Canada is using trees to save the forest with associates

Ecosystem Restoration Associates and 3Green Tree Ecosystem Services:

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) worked closely with 3GreenTree Ecosystem Services and ERA Ecosystem Restoration Associates to develop a unique Improved Forest Management methodology for quantifying the amount of carbon stored in Temperate and Boreal Forests where timber harvesting is planned.

Vancouver-based pioneer in carbon projects, ERA, has purchased 250,000 credits, which will flow into to the European voluntary market through their German partners, the Forest Carbon Group AG.

Dr. Robert Falls of ERA stated, "Darkwoods represents a major step forward for British Columbia and Canada in recognizing the important role our forests play in climate mitigation, while demonstrating that forests have multiple economic values, of which carbon is one. I'd like to recognize NCC and 3GT for showing leadership in developing this project, and congratulate PCT and FCG for supporting it in the marketplace. ERA is proud to have participated in making the Darkwoods Carbon Project a reality and we look forward to helping further establish BC and Canada as a leader within the green economy."

3GreenTree Ecosystem Services is a Vancouver-based full service forest ecosystem asset development, acquisition and management company.

The Forest Carbon Group AG is a German based organization that helps companies balance the effects of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their production facilities or products, using carbon credits from both reforestation and forest protection projects around the world.

Auditors Det Norske Veritas, Rainforest Alliance, and Scientific Certification Systems

This methodology was approved by Det Norske Veritas and Rainforest Alliance to the internationally recognized Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The Darkwoods carbon project was validated by Rainforest Alliance and verified by Scientific Certification Systems, two of the worlds leading independent carbon auditors. Successful validation and verification by these bodies ensures the project meets the highest international standards for accountability, making the Darkwoods Carbon Project one that produces and maintains tangible environmental benefits over the life of the project.

Pacific Carbon Trust

Four hundred and fifty thousand credits have also been sold to Pacific Carbon Trust, the BC Crown corporation set up to deliver high quality BC-based credits to its clients, including the province's public sector organizations.

"Canada's largest private forest conservation project will be supported through its carbon values helping the Province meet its commitment to being the first jurisdiction in North America to be carbon neutral," says Pacific Carbon Trust CEO Scott MacDonald. "The development of this project has also created pioneering jobs in carbon quantification, measurement, project development and protocol work - contributing to BC's leadership in North America's rapidly growing green economy."

Learn More:

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is a leading land conservation organization, having helped protect more than 800,000 hectares of ecologically significant land nationwide. www.NatureConservancy.ca

Pacific Carbon Trust is a Crown corporation established to deliver high-quality carbon offsets to help clients meet their carbon reduction goals and to support the growth of BC's low-carbon economy.

Ecosystem Restoration Associates is a Vancouver-based pioneer in forest-based carbon offset programs and project development.

University of Windsor scientists to train future freshwater experts

2011-06-06T17:31:00.002-04:00

WINDSOR, Ontaro, June 6, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - A new generation of UWindsor graduates will be better prepared to find ways of preserving freshwater resources for both humans and animals thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

More than 50 students will be trained over the next six years by a team of about 30 scientists led by Melania Cristescu, an assistant professor in the university's Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER). The funding, from NSERC's Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program, will help prepare students to understand a multitude of such environmental stressors as metal contaminants, the decline of calcium, and invasive species that threaten our sources of fresh water and the diverse range of organisms they support.

"The main goal is training," said Dr. Cristescu, who has already begun recruiting students for the program. "Graduates will be able work in positions where they can have a positive influence on the way we manage our aquatic ecosystems."

Cristescu said Canada's environmental sector is facing serious labour shortages and cited a 2008 labour market report by Environmental Careers Organization which estimated 14,300 environmental specialists will be needed in the next four years to meet federal government commitments to clean up contaminated sites and secure clean water. Graduates from the program will be qualified to work in such roles as environmental consulting, human and ecological health risk assessment, hazardous waste specialist and laboratory management.

The funding will allow Cristescu's team - which includes 10 North American universities, five industrial and four governmental partners - to train new environmental professionals through interdisciplinary collaborations, national and international student exchanges, internship placements and interactive workshops. These future scientists will gain the skills to transform academic knowledge on the effects of pollutants in aquatic environments into such concrete action as assessing risks, implementing policies and designing recovery plans.

One of the main objectives of the research is to better understand the impact of contaminants on aquatic crustaceans, certain species of which Cristescu said are excellent "sentinels" for measuring the long-term effects of metal toxicity on biological organisms.

Dr. Ranjana Bird, UWindsor's Vice-President, Research, said that as the global population expands, freshwater resources must be managed wisely to meet human needs and maintain sustainable aquatic ecosystems. Guidelines to protect those resources are essential and require training of graduates with interdisciplinary expertise to develop effective management systems.

"Currently, the training of environmental professionals focuses on high specialization within narrowly defined disciplines," she said. "Training our students to study these problems from a variety of perspectives will make them better suited for finding timely and relevant solutions and to become future leaders in the field."

Founded in 1963, the University of Windsor has close to 16,000 full-time and part-time students. The University of Windsor's mission is to enable people to make a better world through education, scholarship, research and engagement.

Ocean Acidification Makes Clownfish Go Deaf (Poor Nemo...)

2011-06-03T14:22:00.002-04:00

Another Unforeseen Consequence of Global Warming

from TreeHugger.com
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada

The planet's oceans absorb a lot of CO2 from the atmosphere, slowly turning them more acidic than they would otherwise be. This can be a big problem for many species that haven't evolved in these conditions, including coral reefs and, scientists have now found, the clownfish (popularized by Pixar's Finding Nemo). Apparently, it's the clownfish's hearing that is most affected by acidification...

What Did You Say?

Indeed, researchers found that the clownfish appears to be losing its hearing in water only slightly more acidic than what is normal in the ocean.

In this experiment, the fish could decide whether to swim towards or away from an underwater loudspeaker replaying the sounds of predators recorded on a reef, with shrimps and fish that would take a small clownfish.

But the clownfish in more acidic water showed no preference for moving away from the threatening sound, while those exposed to normal levels of acidity move away from the perceived danger source. This could seriously impact clownfish survival in the long term.

"Avoiding coral reefs during the day is very typical behaviour of fish in open water," said researcher Steve Simpson from the School of Biological Sciences at the UK's Bristol University. Indeed, coral reefs are home to many species that can feed on small clownfish.

"They do this by monitoring the sounds of animals on the reef, most of which are predators to something just a centimetre in length. But sounds are also important for mate detection, pack hunting, foraging - so if any or all of those capacities are gone, you'd have a very lost fish,"

he told BBC News... read more story at TreeHugger.com.

The Biosphère presents three new exhibitions, including +1°C: What Difference Does It Make?, which addresses climate change

2011-06-03T10:46:00.001-04:00

MONTRÉAL, June 2, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Biosphère environment museum invites the public to discover three new exhibitions: +1°C: What Difference Does It Make?, Finding Balance, and Woodland Escapes.

+1°C: What Difference Does It Make?

This new permanent exhibit provides some answers to common questions about one of the great planetary issues of the 21st century: climate change. What is the impact of a temperature increase of 1°C? What will the climate be like in 100 years? Via life-sized videos, scientists answer these and other questions to demystify often-complex concepts and allow for greater comprehension of this phenomenon.

The "Magic Planet," a 1.2-m-diameter globe of the Earth and the only one of its kind in Quebec, is just one of the exhibition's attractions. Using satellite imaging, this interactive globe displays natural, meteorological and climatic phenomena.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors will also see the short film NANUQ. This film presents the testimonies of High Arctic Inuit about the impact of climate change on their traditional way of life. The final part of the exhibition presents a portrait of citizens who have found creative ways of fighting climate change.

"+1°C: What Difference Does It Make? sheds light on the science of climate change by making it accessible to the public," explained Jean Langlais, director of the Biosphère. "We are inviting Canadians to get involved by taking action to mitigate the effects of climate change."

Finding Balance

In seeking to balance quality of life and environmental concerns, we may question, both as individuals and as a society, the limits of the natural environment. Is such a balance even possible? There are a number of solutions that strive for harmony with the natural world. To find them, we have to ask the right questions and consider the fact that each of us influences the environment by our lifestyle choices. This new permanent exhibition reveals ten examples of the impact our consumer choices have on the environment and how they collectively contribute to environmental imbalance.

Woodland Escapes

Forests cover one-third of the continental land masses, are home to 80% of the Earth's terrestrial biodiversity, and provide a livelihood for 1.6 billion humans. Presented as part of the International Year of Forests, this outdoor exhibition of 40 over-sized photographs is above all a tribute to the beauty of forests and an invitation to become immersed in these rich and valuable areas. Woodland Escapes, presented free of charge until April 30, 2012, follows the path linking the Jean-Drapeau Metro station and the Biosphère.

Eight exhibitions—O.N.E. | Outfits from a New Era, four science-themed events, three exclusive films and three exploratory routes on Île Sainte-Hélène—are offered this summer at the Biosphère. Remember that entry is free of charge at all times for youth aged 17 and under (does not apply to organized groups). Visit http://www.ec.gc.ca/biosphere to find out the museum's hours of operation and entrance fees and to see our complete programming.

As an environment museum, the Biosphère is mandated to encourage environmental action among Canadians. In addition to presenting exhibitions and holding special events, the Biosphère develops educational and outreach materials for clients across Canada and is a recognized forum for environmental discussion.

Canadian Environment Week and Environment Canada's 40th Anniversary

2011-06-03T10:14:00.002-04:00

OTTAWA, June 2, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canada's Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, issued the following statement on Canadian Environment Week (June 5-11) and Environment Canada's 40th Anniversary (June 11):

Canadian Environment Week is a call to action to all Canadians to get involved, to adopt a greener lifestyle, to celebrate actions that promote a cleaner environment and inspire others to do the same. Canadian Environment Week is about people, communities and organizations working together to preserve and protect our environment.

The Department was established on June 11, 1971, amalgamating several federal operations, including the Meteorological Service of Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service. This year, June 11 marks Environment Canada's 40th anniversary—that's four decades of environmental leadership with action to build the Department as a world class regulator. We offer many programs to enable Canadians to protect natural areas, species and their habitats, with hundreds of partnerships to conserve and protect Canada's natural spaces and wildlife.

Environment Canada is about excellence. Our science and technology work helps protect and conserve Canadian air, water, wildlife, climate and spaces. We help ensure a clean, safe and sustainable environment and are the nation's only official source for severe weather warnings.

Environment Canada is about leadership. We are one of the Government of Canada's most active regulators. We administer more than a dozen statutes respecting matters as diverse as trade in endangered species and the protection of species at risk. We license dams on international rivers, regulate chemicals and greenhouse gases, and work internationally to ensure environmental sustainability.

Join me in celebrating Canadian Environment Week and 40 years of environmental leadership!

How Green is Your Internet? (Video)

2011-06-01T12:30:00.002-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil

The Internet has streamlined our lives, making it easier to keep informed, stay in touch, and share ideas -- but it's important to remember that the digital age isn't without its environmental impact. As the world wide web continues to grow, with more and more people getting online every day, the energy it takes to keep it going has increased too, resulting in a carbon footprint that's larger than you might expect.

Filmmakers Dan Ilic and Patrick Clair put together this informative video outlining the emissions produced to deliver the internet to computers around the world. Of course, this isn't the first time such a question has been posed on TreeHugger. Last year, Pablo wrote about the environmental impact of the internet, and discussed some of the ways internet companies and users can trim their carbon footprint:

Server farms can be located near hydroelectric facilities or other sources of renewable energy and the can be built in the arctic circle to take advantage of natural cooling.

On an individual level it is important to simply be aware that using the internet is not "carbon neutral" and don't leave your computer on when you aren't using it.

How Green Is Your Internet? from Dan Ilic on Vimeo.

As an industry, however, some internet companies have made great strides towards reducing their impact by powering their facilities with renewable energy sources -- but still there are more than a few that continue to get it from the high-emission coal plants. Perhaps the most effective way of getting more companies on board to reduce their carbon footprints is for users themselves to demand it.

More on the Internet

What is the Environmental Impact of the Internet?

Twittering Adds How Much to Your Carbon Footprint?

The Internet is Becoming More Energy Efficient, But Total Energy Use is Climbing

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Reward: Ontario Tire Stewardship Gives Back

2011-06-01T09:31:00.002-04:00

Old tires bring new benefits through unique community grant program

TORONTO, May 30, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) unveiled a first-of-its-kind grant program that will award eligible Ontario-based communities and organizations up to $50,000 towards the purchase and installation of Ontario-manufactured recycled rubber products such as rubber mulch, roof shingles and sidewalk tiles - which helps the environment while supporting Ontario's economy.

"In less than two years, close to 25 million tires have been recycled through our work with partners and individual supporters across the province," explained Andrew Horsman, Executive Director, Ontario Tire Stewardship. "The Community Grant Program is a natural next step to build on this success by encouraging applicable Ontario communities and organizations to think green when planning their projects, build green, by using recycled rubber products and grow green by using products made by Ontario recyclers and manufacturers."

The grant is open to municipalities, registered non-profit community groups or organizations, schools/colleges/universities, and First Nations communities throughout Ontario. To qualify, projects must utilize products made from Ontario recycled rubber and be completed within 12 months of approval.

Eligible projects will fall under two categories:

...Granular products such as mulch for landscaping or playgrounds; and,

...Manufactured products such as patio tiles, sidewalks, athletic surfacing, roof shingles, underlayment, subflooring and others.

"Ontario communities invest considerable resources to support recycling as a way to protect the environment," continues Horsman. "This program supports projects that will touch the lives of residents while profiling the benefits, value and utility of recycled products made right here, in Ontario."

To educate Ontarians and share information about recycled products, OTS will promote winning projects through activities such as on-site signage, website postings, printed materials and trade shows.

Information about the Community Grant Program, including the application process, may be accessed at www.ontarioTS.ca or by e-mailing info@OntarioTS.ca

About Ontario Tire Stewardship
Established in 2002, Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) is an Industry Funding Organization (IFO) incorporated under Ontario's Waste Diversion Act, to implement and operate the Used Tires Program.

The program recycles and reuses the 12 million tires sold annually in the province, preventing them from ending up in landfills or being dumped illegally. Instead, OTS directs these scrap tires to recyclers who use them to make new green products for your home, office, local school and park.

Beyond recycling, OTS also educates and encourages Ontarians on the use of tire derived products - items made from used tires that actually last longer and work better than similar products in market, and educates Ontario drivers on how to get the most life and performance from their tires.

For more information, please visit www.GreenMyTires.ca

New solar projects warming up

2011-05-25T11:03:00.001-04:00

from the Options Group Blog

GUELPH — Guelph is gearing up to go solar in a big way.
From the Guelph Mercury, May 21st edition

On Tuesday, Guelph city council will consider a licence agreement that, if approved, would fulfil a requirement needed by Guelph Hydro’s Ecotricity Guelph Inc. arm to pursue large-scale solar photovoltaic installations on vacant city lands. Council previously approved a similar agreement for rooftop solar installations.

City officials are in the process of applying to have both the rooftop and land installations as part of the Ontario Power Authority’s Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program, whereby solar producers are paid to generate renewable energy for Ontario power grid.

Also on Tuesday, Options for Homes subsidiary Options for Green Energy, in partnership with the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, will launch what it hopes will be Ontario’s largest community financed urban solar park along Gordon Street at Maltby Road East, on the southernmost fringe of the city.

People in the community will have an opportunity to invest in the Hall’s Pond Solar Co-operative either through direct investments or through a kind of registered retirement saving plan option.

Rob Kerr, corporate manager, community energy, explained that the licensing approval for the land installations is part of a thorough application process with the Feed-in-Tariff program. Council decided last year to have Guelph Hydro take the lead on renewable energy projects on city property, Kerr explained...read more story at the Options Group Blog

The Options Group of Companies is a collective of non-profit social enterprises based in Toronto, Canada; Options for Homes, Options for Green Energy, and Options for Cars. Options companies are all based on a successful sustainable non-profit business model and ideology that has been bringing communities together for over 15 years.

Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement Celebrates First Anniversary

2011-05-18T12:30:00.001-04:00

Progress with more work to be done

OTTAWA, May 18, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Environmental groups and forest products companies that signed the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) say significant strides have been made in the past year to turn the landmark agreement into concrete steps to make change on the ground that will protect the Boreal Forest and the people who rely on it for their economic prosperity and traditional way of life.

CBFA signatories have established a secretariat to coordinate the ecological and marketplace agendas of national and regional working groups, convened an independent science advisory team, and intensified outreach efforts with Aboriginal groups, provincial and municipal governments, and interested stakeholders. Major International customers of Boreal Forest products representing more than $140 billion in revenue are supporting the agreement through the recent set up of the Boreal Business Forum, and the agreement's first independent assessment of progress by auditing firm KPMG is underway. Regional Working groups are actively looking at conservation planning in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

The CBFA is an unexpected and dramatic departure from the past. Original commitments to suspend logging in 29 million hectares of Boreal forest, representing virtually all of the habitat of woodland caribou in company tenures and to cease do-not-buy and boycott campaigns have been upheld. These both are creating the space for joint conservation planning.

"Nothing has ever been attempted on this scale and we know the challenges are monumental," said Janet Sumner, Executive Director of CPAWS-Wildlands League. "So, yes we are behind on securing on the ground conservation, but we have a solid foundation and approach that will realize the vision of the greener jobs in a healthy forest industry and the habitat endangered species need to survive".

"It has been an amazing year," says Avrim Lazar, the President and CEO of FPAC. "Together with environmentalists, we are learning to take a pragmatic and productive problem-solving approach towards integrating the economic and environmental challenges in the Boreal Forest. This unprecedented agreement is serving as a shining example to other industries and countries that there can be a win-win rather than win-lose approach to resolve difficult issues. It is clear that we can continue succeeding with continuing good will and sufficient resources."

"As a working member of the CBFA and Resources Advisor for the West Region Tribal Council which comprises approximately 10,000 tribal members, I can candidly state that the protocol of the CBFA is a first major step for Canada to move towards addressing the biodiversity, critical habitat and forest health of the Boreal Forest," said Thomas Nepinak. "I applaud Canada, industry and all involved where it is heading, protecting our forests for the next generation to enjoy. As the CBFA is in its infancy, it is premature for my community to prejudge its outcome, but I am gratified that aboriginal people are now part of the on-going process of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, after all for many of us the forests are our living rooms, and part of mother earth."

IKEA Canada celebrates 15 year partnership with Tree Canada

2011-05-14T15:00:00.001-04:00

Partnership has led to the planting and maintaining of more than 16,000 trees

BURLINGTON, Ontario, May 10, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - 2011 marks the 15th anniversary of IKEA Canada's partnership with Tree Canada. Each spring the two organizations have hosted a tree planting event that has led to the planting of more than 16,000 trees. In 2009 IKEA Canada started charging 5 cents for plastic bags and donated the full $280,000 in proceeds from the Bag the Bag campaign to Tree Canada, before eliminating plastic bag use altogether.

"The Pick a Tree, Plant a Tree and Bag the Bag programs, in partnership with Tree Canada, underscores IKEA's long standing commitment to sustainable practices and commitment to the communities where we do business," says Kerri Molinaro, President of IKEA Canada. "We are thrilled to celebrate this accomplishment and look forward to continuing to work together to make a positive impact on people and the environment."

The 16,000 trees planted to date can potentially absorb 11,734.40 tonnes of CO2 over the course of their lives estimated at 80 years.

"Over 16,000 trees is no small feat," says Michael Rosen, Tree Canada President. "We are proud to work with IKEA who is committed to improving the communities they live in by expanding urban forests. IKEA has set a high sustainability standard that other corporations should follow."

On May 16 & 17, IKEA co-workers will again be digging, planting and caring for trees and shrubs as part of the Pick a Tree, Plant a Tree, program. Communities across the country will see IKEA co-workers and Tree Canada advisors plant saplings, trees and shrubs in community parks, riverside areas and schools where IKEA operates.

About IKEA

IKEA is a leading home furnishings retailer with 267 stores in 25 countries worldwide, which are visited by 590 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 11 stores which are visited by over 25 million people every year. Last year the ikea.com websites attracted 450 million visitors. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA, please visit: www.ikea.ca.

About Tree Canada

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit charitable organization established to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural environments. A winner of the Canadian Environmental Award (2007), Tree Canada engages Canadian companies, government agencies and individuals to support the planting of trees, the greening of schoolyards, and other efforts to sensitize Canadians to the benefits of planting and maintaining trees. To date, more than 77 million trees have been planted, more than 450 schoolyards have been greened, and Tree Canada has organized 9 national urban forestry conferences. More information about Tree Canada is available at www.treecanada.ca

First Seeds of Massive Tree Planting Mission Sown By Molson Coors Employees

2011-05-13T18:09:00.002-04:00

Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project's mission to plant 100,000 trees this summer

TORONTO, May 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - More than 350 Molson Coors employees did not show up to work this morning at locations across the country, instead taking time to enjoy fresh air on a spring day. These absences will not be punished however, as employees participated in a key program, planting the first 1,000 trees of the eventual 100,000 that will be planted in communities of need across Canada throughout the summer. The Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project is a commitment to positively impact the Canadian environment in communities from coast to coast, and will incorporate tree plantings, urban greening projects and shoreline cleanup efforts.

Each of today's eight planting locations across the country was chosen strategically based on needs in the local area, as the trees planted will provide long term benefits such as watershed protection, providing habitat for local wildlife, reducing noise pollution and beautifying the area.

"What a difference planting a tree can make," says Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada. "A single mature tree can provide oxygen for up to 4 adults a day. Imagine what Molson Canadian's 100,000 trees can do - fresh air for 400,000 Canadians each year! We thank Molson Canadian for having their employees help make Canada even greener and for making the planting of 100,000 trees with Tree Canada a reality."

"We know that Canadians care deeply about the environment and that they are looking to channel that interest into action," said Jamie Sprules, Senior Brand Manager, Molson Canadian "The Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project will plant 100,000 trees and also reward beer drinkers who attend the initiatives with amazing experiences throughout the summer."

While participating in a community greening event is reward enough for many people, some Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project initiatives come with an added bonus - the privilege of attending a local concert taking place afterwards. The first 100 people to sign up and participate in local cleanup efforts will be able to attend:

Dauphin's Country Fest Dauphin, MB, June 30-July 2
Canada Day - Live Lounge Ottawa, ON, July 1
Merritt Mountain Music Festival Merritt, BC, July 7-10
Roger's Sarnia Bayfest Sarnia, ON, July 8-10 & 14-17
Cavendish Beach Music Festival Cavendish, PEI, July 8-10
Craven Country Jamboree Craven, SK, July 14-17
Rock the Park London, ON, July 22-24
Big Valley Jamboree Camrose, AB, July 28-31
Queen West Music Fest Toronto, ON, August 20

Molson Canadian Red Lead Project has three key partners in its inaugural year:

Tree Canada - Through partnership with Molson Canadian will work with Tree Canada to plant 100,000 trees in areas of need throughout Canada.

WWF - Molson Canadian will rejoin WWF in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, a nation-wide event that saw 47,000 people participate in 2010 to clean the shores of lakes, rivers and oceans in their local communities.

Evergreen - An organization whose mandate is to make cities more liveable, Evergreen will work with Molson Canadian on a series of urban greening projects in select communities across Canada.

"While the name and logo of this program may be new, programs such as these have been staples for us since John Molson founded our brewery in 1786. The Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project simply reinforces our commitment to the community, which the company has stood for over the last 225 years," said Sprules.

Those wishing to participate in any of the community greenings in their area can get involved by visiting www.RedLeafProject.ca or www.facebook.com/MolsonCanadian to sign up.

About Molson Canadian

Molson Canadian lager has been a staple in the Canadian beer landscape for over fifty years, providing generations of Canadians with clean, crisp refreshment. Made using Canadian water, Prairie barley and no preservatives in six locations across the country this award-winning beer is recognized as a symbol of Canadian beer distinction around the globe. With roots dating back to 1786 and a time-honoured tradition of brewing quality beers, Molson Coors Canada is proud to be the nation's pre-eminent brewer.

About Tree Canada

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit charitable organization established to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural environments. A winner of the Canadian Environmental Award (2007), Tree Canada engages Canadian companies, government agencies and individuals to support the planting of trees, the greening of schoolyards, and other efforts to sensitize Canadians to the benefits of planting and maintaining trees. To date, more than 77 million trees have been planted, more than 450 schoolyards have been greened, and Tree Canada has organized 9 national urban forest conferences. More information about Tree Canada is available at www.treecanada.ca.

About WWF

WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people thrive with nature. www.wwf.ca

About Evergreen

Evergreen is a national not-for-profit organization that makes cities more livable. By deepening the connection between people & nature, and empowering Canadians to take a hands-on approach to their urban environments, Evergreen is improving the health of our cities—now and for the future.

Hudak's Energy Policies "a disaster"

2011-05-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

TORONTO, May 11, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Rookie PC Leader Tim Hudak's plan to gut the clean energy industry in Ontario and move back towards dirty, coal-fired generation is being criticized across the province:

"It would be hard to believe that anybody would come in and suggest that we're going to turn back the clock on job creation and economic diversification. We all know in this region that the Green Energy Act gave birth to the renewable energy sector in this province, and has created thousands and thousands of jobs."
- Eddie Francis, Mayor of Windsor

"The Conservatives' proposal to kill green energy will be a disaster for human health and the environment. It will mean returning to coal -- the world's most climate-destructive fuel -- and the thousands of illnesses and hundreds of deaths that coal causes in Ontario each year. Doctors are appalled that Mr. Hudak would embrace such an irresponsible plan."
- Gideon Forman, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

"(Hudak) walked away from reporters as they pressed him about the message this would send to international investors. Would other off-shore companies want to invest? Hudak had better get his answers down pat when he releases his platform."
- Christina Blizzard, Toronto Sun, May 11, 2011

"(Hudak's plan) would mean, basically, that we would close our factory and leave. It would be a disaster for Windsor."
- Paco Caudet, General Manager, Siliken Group

"He wants to subject the government to potentially billions of dollars worth of lawsuits by breaking FIT contracts, at the same time making Ontario an even less attractive jurisdiction in which to do business, as investor confidence would be all but destroyed. He wants to take away green jobs and green manufacturing that is just beginning to gain momentum in the province."
- Tyler Hamilton, Business Columnist, Toronto Star, posted on cleanbreak.ca

Hudak's only plan is to destroy clean energy jobs and take Ontario back to a time when turning on the lights meant relying on dirty coal.

Dr David Suzuki calls for action to protect the Gulf of St. Lawrence

2011-05-06T16:49:00.002-04:00

MAGDALEN ISLANDS, Quebec, May 5, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Last Saturday, Dr. David Suzuki, with Georges Stroumboulopoulos of CBC's "The Hour" television show, Karel Mayrand, Executive Director of the David Suzuki Foundation in Quebec and Danielle Giroux of Attention FragÎles, joined a gathering of Islanders on Old Harry beach for a flag-raising ceremony for the protection of the Gulf of St. Lawrence against potential oil and gas spills.

During the ceremony, Dr. Suzuki revealed a flag on a sea-blue background with a bright orange starfish at its centre, representing the Gulf's many resources and the five provinces bordering it. Dr. Suzuki also initiated a vibrant call to action to protect the Gulf of St. Lawrence and its ecosystem and communities by reading a statement titled "The Declaration of the Defenders of the Saint-Lawrence."

Dr. Suzuki and Georges Stroumboulopoulos were at the Magdalen Islands to film a special online segment that will be posted on the CBC's website in late May or early June. The main objective of the web segment is to raise Canadians' awareness of the Gulf's importance and the risks associated with oil and gas drilling.

"The Gulf of St. Lawrence is one of the planet's most precious and unique ecosystems," declared Dr. Suzuki. "Nature cannot be forced to conform to human borders and economy. Instead, we must maintain its health and subordinate our interests to the gulf."

In order to educate the public about the interdependence between citizens and the St. Lawrence River, the David Suzuki Foundation launched a new campaign last month, "The St. Lawrence: Our Living River". The campaign will offer individuals the opportunity to reconnect with the St. Lawrence River and Gulf by taking one or several of eight "David Suzuki Blue Actions" or by participating to an activity in their community on June 10th, the first-ever St. Lawrence Action Day.

"A very strong current passed between Dr. Suzuki and the people of the Islands. His visit and his support provided a wave of hope to the people in the community, who must continue to mobilize our neighbours in the Atlantic Provinces to protect the Gulf of St. Lawrence and its precious and renewable resources," commented Danielle Giroux, President of Attention FragÏles and spokesperson for the St. Lawrence Coalition.

The public and coastal communities surrounding the Gulf can show their collective support to protect the Gulf by purchasing a miniature version of the symbolic flag that was hoisted on Old Harry Beach by Dr. Suzuki. As well, individuals are invited to send a letter to tell the government to protect the St. Lawrence Gulf from oil and gas development and to prevent disastrous spills.

To view a web segment of the flag-raising ceremony and to watch Dr. Suzuki read the Declaration of the Defenders of the St. Lawrence Gulf, visit: here

To send a letter to tell the government to protect the Gulf, visit: here

The Co-operators honoured as one of Canada's "Green 30" employers

2011-04-28T09:38:00.005-04:00

GUELPH, Ontario, April 28, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - For the second year in a row several members of The Co-operators group of companies were honoured among Canada's "Green 30" employers. The current edition of Maclean's, released today, includes The Green 30 - a list of Canada's top employers that are highly regarded for their commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Specifically included were:

The Co-operators, based in Guelph, Ontario, which includes co-operative holding company The Co-operators Group Ltd. as well as subsidiaries Co-operators General Insurance Company, HB Group Insurance Management Ltd. of Mississauga, and Addenda Capital of Montreal; and Co-operators Life Insurance Company of Regina, Saskatchewan.

International human resources firm Aon Hewitt introduced The Green 30 list in 2009, using results of confidential surveys completed by employees. The surveys gauge staff members' assessments of their employers' "green" credentials. The 30 companies that made the list were those judged to excel at:

...considering long-term social, environmental and economic impacts when it makes decisions;
working to minimize the impact of its operations, products and services on the environment; and adopting and disclosing practices that are environmentally responsible.

The Co-operators continues to transform its operations through its "sustainability journey." This has included reviewing operations in all of its member companies to improve the environmental, economic and social impacts it has in Canadian communities.

Insurance products and services with sustainability attributes have been created, including hybrid vehicle discounts and environmentally responsible home policy endorsements. Paper usage and other waste has been reduced, and corporate office buildings are being retrofitted to improve energy efficiency. The fleet of 400 company vehicles has been overhauled to introduce more fuel-efficient models, including hybrid vehicles, and efforts are being made to reduce travel. Overall, The Co-operators has reduced its carbon footprint by more than 10 per cent compared to the baseline year of 2007.

"We've made some great strides, but continue to work hard to be a more sustainable organization and a catalyst for a sustainable society," said Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-operators. "It is working together, from our board of directors to our staff members across the country, that we make a positive contribution to a better, healthier, and more sustainable tomorrow."

The Green 30 list is based on confidential information collected from employees, business leaders and human resources professionals. For more information on The Co-operators sustainability efforts, please visit the Sustainability section of www.cooperators.ca.

About The Co-operators:

The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $42 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to creating a more sustainable tomorrow. In 2010, The Co-operators was ranked #2 among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada and listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

How Throwing Stuff Away Makes You Frugal (and Green?)

2011-04-28T09:23:00.002-04:00

Image credit: Joe Shlabotnik, used under Creative Commons license.

from TreeHugger.com
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA

I've argued before that saving money makes us more mindful of our consumption. I've also made the case that reuse can quickly become hoarding, and that sometimes the best approach is to throw something away—or at least donate or regift it. In a guest post over at Get Rich Slowly, reader Claire Brown explains how she learned to be frugal by throwing stuff away. As usual, the lessons about frugality are equally well applied to living green.

Recounting how a series of ten house moves between the ages of 20 and 35 lead her to evaluate and reevaluate all the stuff she owned, Brown explains how she learned frugality from decluttering.

...Why did I have all this Stuff which I never used from one year to the next?
...How on earth had I managed to buy all this on my modest income?
...I had never had 19 people drinking champagne in my flat at one time, so why did I feel the need to have 19 champagne flutes?
...Why did I keep running out of cardboard boxes?

... read more story at TreeHugger.com

First Unified and Worldwide Symbol for Sustainable Energy

2011-04-26T13:12:00.002-04:00

GRONINGEN, The Netherlands, April 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ -Happy Energy, a young initiative that advocates a new positive culture change, proposes a new symbol as a recognizable and universal sign for sustainability.

A clean world requires us to switch to renewable energy and durable production methods. This is why an increasing number of people opt for green energy sources and environmentally friendly products. We want a society without pollution, climate crisis and unfair distribution of resources. There is however still no global sustainability logo in the world to identify this culture change.

The power of a strong symbol

Because there is not one unified logo in the world, we suggest to use the proposed sign as a recognizable and universal symbol for sustainability. With the iconic 'happy energy' label, developed by co-founder Erik Schoppen, there is now a symbol that clearly indicates that we want to live in a world where growth should not have a negative effect on people and our planet's environment.

Free use of the sustainability logo

Inspiring projects that spread 'happy energy' may use the symbol. Information on how to obtain the logo can be found on our website http://www.happyenergy.com. Because using, sharing and promoting 'happy energy' is not something you do for yourself; you do it for the people you share our planet with, and in order to guarantee a fair future for new generations.

Movement for a Happy World

Happy Energy is a young future oriented movement that wants to propagate the positive philosophy of a sustainable society by means of renewable energy and sustainable products and projects that spread 'happy energy', using the Happy Energy logo as an identifiable and universal symbol.

Happy Energy is more than sustainable energy. It represents a new culture, the necessary follow-up to the industrial revolution. A culture that stands for social justice and respect for nature. Without pollution, climate issues and irresponsible use of resources and techniques. We are now at a point in history where such new culture is no longer a dream, but a realistic goal.

"Our 'happy energy' symbol is like the sun; it's free and available for everyone." - Wubbo Ockels, first Dutch astronaut, physicist and co-founder Happy Energy

The symbol can be downloaded for free from http://www.happyenergy.com

Reorienting the Economy is a Challenge That can be Overcome

2011-04-22T08:59:00.001-04:00

from TreeHugger.com
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C

We need an economy for the twenty-first century, one that is in sync with the earth and its natural support systems, not one that is destroying them. The fossil fuel-based, automobile-centered, throwaway economy that evolved in western industrial societies is no longer a viable model - not for the countries that shaped it or for those that are emulating them.

In short, we need to build a new economy, one powered with carbon-free sources of energy - wind, solar, and geothermal—one that has a diversified transport system and that reuses and recycles everything. We can change course and move onto a path of sustainable progress, but it will take a massive mobilization - at wartime speed.

Whenever I begin to feel overwhelmed by the scale and urgency of the changes we need to make, I reread the economic history of U.S. involvement in World War II because it is such an inspiring study in rapid mobilization. Initially, the United States resisted involvement in the war and responded only after it was directly attacked at Pearl Harbor. But respond it did. After an all-out commitment, the U.S. engagement helped turn the tide of war, leading the Allied Forces to victory within three-and-a-half years.

In his State of the Union address on January 6, 1942, one month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the country's arms production goals. The United States, he said, was planning to produce 45,000 tanks, 60,000 planes, and several thousand ships. He added, "Let no man say it cannot be done."

No one had ever seen such huge arms production numbers. Public skepticism abounded. But Roosevelt and his colleagues realized that the world's largest concentration of industrial power was in the U.S. automobile industry. Even during the Depression, the United States was producing 3 million or more cars a year.

After his State of the Union address, Roosevelt met with auto industry leaders, indicating that the country would rely heavily on them to reach these arms production goals. Initially they expected to continue making cars and simply add on the production of armaments. What they did not yet know was that the sale of new cars would soon be banned. From early February 1942 through the end of 1944, nearly three years, essentially no cars were produced in the United States...read more story at TreeHugger.com

The USPS's New "Go Green" Stamps Will Have You Seeing Red

2011-04-18T12:17:00.002-04:00

Photo Credit: From our friends at Fast Company, "bridging the fuzzy border between design and business."

By Morgan Clendaniel at Fast Company

The United States Postal Service wants you to "go green in 2011," so it's released--just in time for Earth Day, we imagine--a set of stamps with little tips on how to achieve better harmony with nature. The tips include nuggets like "adjust the thermostat," "maintain tire pressure," and "share rides"--and a level of insipidness you haven't heard since the end of An Inconvenient Truth.

These stamps appear designed to turn off as many people as possible to the idea of altering their behavior.

Here's a tip: Adjusting your thermostat a few degrees will make literally no difference to anyone, except your check book (that should be reason enough to do it, moneybags. Put on a sweater). If everyone in the country sucked it up and decided they could be a little colder in the winter and a little hotter in the summer, then we're talking. But people are, generally, lazy and selfish, so that won't be happening. Maybe next year the post office will issue: "Make massive societal changes in how we use and allocate resources" stamps. Or one that says "Try e-mail." In the meantime, we hope that anyone who receives one of these stamps on a letter will turn up their air conditioning on the way out the door and forget to recycle the junk mail that it was attached to... read more story at TreeHugger.com

10 Tips to Save Fuel & Drive Green this Earth Day

2011-04-18T11:11:00.001-04:00

TORONTO, April 18, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - There is a way to help drive down the impact of Canada's high gasoline prices this Earth Day. This April 22nd, Canadians can empower themselves to change the two main factors that affect fuel consumption: their driving style and how they maintain their vehicle.

Peter Christianson, President of Young Drivers of Canada says,

"Earth Day is a great time to remind drivers that their actions can really make a difference. Adjusting how one drives and regularly maintaining your vehicle will help conserve and lower the financial strain on Canadian families. Simple changes like removing roof racks and carpooling whenever possible all go a long way to sustaining our planet by using less fuel. Starting the change on Earth Day is important. Even greater, continuing eco-friendly driving habits all year round will have a huge impact on our communities."

Celebrating the 41st anniversary of the Earth Day initiative, Young Drivers of Canada has put together a top 10 list of ways drivers can go green.

...Plan your trips to consolidate several into one and travel in a logical order.

...When approaching a red light, slow down early to save fuel for you and all the vehicles following. The cumulative saving is huge.

...Idling your engine more than 10 seconds wastes fuel.* Turn off the engine, unless you are at risk of collision.

...Avoid heavy acceleration and heavy braking as this style of driving uses up to 39% more fuel.

...In slower traffic, leave your windows down or use your vents. For freeway driving, open windows create more drag so roll them up.

...When parking, pull in and through parking spots. Starting up forward uses less fuel.

...Use the lane of least resistance, which is the lane that has the best flow, the best view and the least risk. You will avoid stopping or unnecessary slowing.

...Keep your brakes in good working condition. Poor brakes burn more fuel and are a major safety concern.

...Make sure your vehicle is properly tuned. Check your owner's manual to see how often your air and fuel filter should be changed.

...Check your tire pressure at least once a month, even if you use Hydrogen in your tires. Tire pressure fluctuates with the outside temperature.

Drivers have the ability to both do the planet some good and use more sense than cents by incorporating even a few of these tips into their drive. If you want to learn more about green driving, visit www.yd.com. Young Drivers is recognized as an Auto$mart Registered Driving School by Natural Resources Canada.

Canada's Environmental Path Could Jeopardize Long-Term Quality of Life

2011-04-09T10:54:00.002-04:00

Clear Warning Signs of Potential Threats to our Environment and Wellbeing

WATERLOO, Ontario, April 7, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Soaring greenhouse gasses, increasing waste generation and energy use, declining stocks of large fish species, and shrinking water supplies in parts of the country - are offsetting gains like reduced air pollution emission levels, good water quality, and healthy forest bird populations, said a new Environment Report released today by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW).

"Canada isn't in a crisis situation today, but there are clear warning signs of potential threats to our environment and wellbeing, and we ignore them at our peril," said The Honourable Roy J. Romanow, Chair of the CIW Advisory Board.

"We are huge consumers of natural resources with a seemingly endless and unsustainable appetite for fossil fuels, water, metals and energy. We have an unsustainable economic model built around producing, consuming and throwing away things - many of which we don't actually need. Some of these trends could eventually result in poorer health, a weaker economy, lower standard of living, and diminished quality of life."

Among the Report's key findings:

...Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are rising - up 24% since 1990. Canada is heading in the wrong direction to avoid dangerous climate change. We are amongst the highest per capita emitters in the world, second only to the U.S. More than half of our GHG emissions are produced by the oil, gas and coal industries (which accounts for 22% of emissions), transportation (also 22%) and electricity production via utilities (16%)

...Ground-level ozone is increasing, and as a contributing factor to respiratory disease in parts of the country, should be a growing concern to urban Canadians.

...Non-renewable fossil fuels still make up 90% of our primary energy production. While we're generating more electricity from wind, solar and tidal sources than in the past, it represents less than 0.5% of total generation.

...The effective supply of water in Southern Canada shrank by 8.5% over the past 30 years. When combined with increasing demand, this causes concern for the Prairies, the Okanagan, Southern Ontario and the St. Lawrence Valley. This can restrict recreational activities like fishing, boating, and use of community pools.

...Increased waste generation (up in nearly every province and territory in the country) is a concern to community vitality (given the divisive nature of landfills/incinerators) and time use (as we spend more hours to buy more "stuff").

...We have been fishing-down the food chain, reducing the population of the larger more desirable species such as swordfish and cod. Altered marine food webs are jeopardizing the economic and recreational wellbeing of coastal populations, and leaving ecosystems less able to cope with natural or human-induced change. Average maximum fish lengths shrunk from 111 cm. in 1950 to 55 cm. in 1994 to 46 cm. in 2006.

"If we don't have a healthy planet, we won't have a healthy society," said CIW Director Bryan Smale. "One of the main goals of the CIW is to show the interconnections among the many dimensions of our wellbeing - taking into account the full range of social, health, environmental, and economic concerns of citizens."

The report concluded that the choices we make as a society will determine whether we face a distressed future or a better quality of life. The challenge remains how to optimize wellbeing for both humans and other species, rather than maximize one domain of wellbeing such as economic growth. It called for more far-sighted policies and enforcement by government, better stewardship by industry, and lifestyle changes by individuals.

A summary and full version of the Environment Report as well as the document Ideas for Positive Change are available at the CIW's website, www.ciw.ca.

About the Canadian Index of Wellbeing The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is a new way of measuring wellbeing that provides unique insights into the quality of life of Canadians - overall, and in specific areas such as: living standards, health, environment, education, time use, community vitality, democratic engagement, and leisure and culture. It is produced by the CIW Network, based in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. For more information, visit www.ciw.ca.

About Waterloo The University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, is one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities. Waterloo is home to 30,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who are dedicated to making the future better and brighter. Waterloo, known for the largest post-secondary co-operative education program in the world, supports enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.

Pumped up gasoline prices make eco-driving more eco-nomical

2011-04-01T11:41:00.001-04:00

BCAA shares money-saving driving tips that can help save the environment, too

BURNABY, BC, March 31, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - With gasoline prices soaring across the province, B.C. drivers may be looking for ways to stretch the time between visits to the gas station, and shrink their monthly fuel bills. The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) says, by taking a number of fuel-saving steps, drivers can lower costs - and reduce harm to the environment, too.

"How you drive can impact how much fuel your vehicle uses," says Ken Cousin, BCAA's Associate Vice President, Road Assist. "A little common sense can go a long way to save gas, improve your safety and driving skills. Slowing down, maintaining steady speeds, along with avoiding jack-rabbit starts and hard braking are easy ways to save on gas."

According to Natural Resources Canada's ecoEnergy 2011 Fuel Consumption Guide, reducing your speed from 120 km/h to 100 km/h uses about 20 percent less fuel.

"It may also be tempting to hold back on your vehicle's scheduled maintenance to save money," adds Cousin. "But that will end up costing more in the long run. A well-tuned vehicle with properly inflated tires uses less fuel, while regular maintenance will help extend the life of your vehicle and maintain resale value for longer."

In addition to practicing "eco-driving" and proper vehicle maintenance, BCAA also recommends drivers be on the look-out for other ways to save. For example, drivers should stick with one gas retailer to maximize loyalty rewards. Or, drivers of fuel efficient vehicles may be eligible for insurance discounts. BCAA offers a five percent discount on its member-exclusive optional auto insurance to owners of certain fuel efficient vehicles recognized by Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY Vehicles Awards list.

In addition, BCAA recommends the following to ensure drivers get the most from their fuel dollars:

...Plan your route and consolidate trips. If you can, avoid high-traffic areas and rush hours. Also, avoid making unnecessary trips. Find one location where you can take care of banking, grocery shopping and other errands. When possible, combine them with your daily commute.

...Only use as much vehicle as you need. If you own more than one vehicle, use the more fuel -efficient vehicle as often as possible. When purchasing a car, compare fuel efficiency ratings with ecoEngergy's Fuel Consumption Guide, produced by Natural Resources Canada (www.vehicles.gc.ca) or check out the CAA's Eco Choice fuel-efficiency calculator (bcaa.com/eco).

...Avoid unnecessary idling. Shutting off and re-starting the engine consumes less fuel and emits less pollutants.

...Watch the weight. Clean out the trunk, cargo areas and passenger compartments. Less weight means better mileage. Also, remove roof racks when not in use to reduce wind resistance. If you really need to carry a load, secure it safely and evenly distribute the weight.

...Shop wisely. Keep your eyes open for low fuel prices but don't waste gas driving to a distant filling station to save a few cents a litre. Purchasing gas from companies that offer loyalty rewards is one way to offset high gas prices.

...Use the appropriate gas. Check your owner's manual for the recommended octane rating for your car. Using regular fuel when premium is called for can affect your car's drivability and fuel economy. And despite its name, premium fuel is not a 'better' fuel; it's just made differently for different engine parameters. You may be paying more money unnecessarily by using premium grade in a vehicle that only requires regular fuel.

...Use your vehicle's fuel-efficient driving mode. If your vehicle is equipped with driving mode selections and a computer readout to display fuel consumption results, learn how these features work and try different modes. You will see savings by selecting a driving mode that is designed to save fuel and will likely not even notice a difference in vehicle performance.

Get more eco-driving tips and learn how you can save money: visit the Car & Car Care section at bcaa.com.

About BCAA

BCAA strives to deliver an amazing experience to its 786,000 members, providing peace-of-mind and meeting their automotive, road travel and insurance needs. BCAA is the largest organization of its kind in B.C., with $400 million in gross annual sales and a Member in one-in-four B.C. households. In addition to receiving award winning roadside assistance and insurance services, Members can also take advantage of CAA dollar rewards, insurance discounts and the Member exclusive Show Your Card & Save program. To learn more about BCAA's benefits, services and advocacy, visit bcaa.com.

Be Fire-Safe While Participating in Earth Hour

2011-03-25T18:56:00.002-04:00

Ontario Fire Marshal Strongly Recommends Use of Flashlights, Battery-Operated Lanterns & Flameless Candles

TORONTO, March 25, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - To prevent property loss and fire-related injuries, the Ontario Fire Marshal is strongly recommending that people use flashlights, battery-operated lanterns or flameless candles for light, instead of candles, during Earth Hour on March 26. On that evening, millions of Ontarians are expected to turn off their lights at 8:30 p.m. to help reduce electricity consumption and create awareness about climate change.

"While I do encourage everyone to get involved in this worthy initiative, I hope everyone will take every precaution to prevent fires while doing so," said Ontario Fire Marshal Ted Wieclawek. "If people do choose to light candles for Earth Hour, they should test all of the smoke alarms in their homes ahead of time to ensure they are working. With an increase in candle use, there is an increased risk of fire."

QUICK FACTS:

If candles must be used, special care should be taken to prevent a fire:

...Use sturdy candleholders that won't tip or burn. Those with glass shades or chimneys are best.

...Keep lit candles a safe distance away from anything that can burn.

...Keep candles, matches and lighters out of the reach of children.

...Always stay in the room where candles are being used. Blow all candles out before leaving a room.

...Keep candles out of all bedrooms.

LEARN MORE:

It's the law in Ontario to have working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas of the home. Smoke alarms can provide an early warning of fire and a home fire escape plan will help ensure everyone knows what to do in a fire. Visit www.ofm.gov.on.ca to learn more about smoke alarm requirements.

More than three-quarters of Canadians say a tax credit would impact their decision to make environmentally efficient changes to their home

2011-03-23T18:35:00.002-04:00

Bosch Green Savings Survey suggests potential interest in federal government's ecoEnergy Home Retrofit program

TORONTO, March 23, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Seventy-six per cent of Canadians say that a tax credit would impact their decision to make an environmentally efficient upgrade to their home according to the Bosch Green Savings Survey released today. These findings suggest strong interest in the federal government's ecoEnergy Home Retrofit program announced in the 2011-2012 budget.

"Our research showed that 76% Canadians are already making or planning to make environmental changes to their home and a tax credit would be further incentive," says Steve Preiner, Director of Marketing, Bosch. "While Canadians are concerned about the environment, money plays an important role in energy efficient upgrades."

Money is clearly a motivator for environmental change. The top reasons for Canadians to make energy efficient upgrades to their home are to save money (72%), followed by reducing their home's impact on the environment (37%) and improving resale value (34%). Admittedly, the environment isn't the only factor that is influencing their decision to be more eco-friendly.

Canadians have good reasons to look for ways to save money. Seventy per cent of Canadians think their energy bill costs will increase by more than 10% over the next five years. Historically, the average electricity price for residential customers has increased in nearly every major city from 2008 - 2010 and it is expected to continue to rise1.

Environmentally friendly home-improvements:

When asked what environmentally friendly improvements they have already completed or are planning to undertake over the next 18 months, Canadians' top responses included:

...Replace regular light-bulbs with CFL light-bulbs 57%

...Purchase energy efficient appliance 41%

...Change lighting fixtures to accommodate low wattage lighting 29%

...Replace or upgrade windows 27%

...Upgrade cooling or heating system to more energy efficient model 20%

...Insulate basement, roof or walls 19%

"Canadians can make more eco-friendly choices that can also help them save money. One way is to choose ENERGY STAR® qualified products, which consume much less energy over their lifetime. This is especially important now as we watch energy prices increase across Canada," says Preiner.

About the Bosch Green Savings Survey:

From March 18 to March 19, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among a randomly selected sample of 1007 Canadian homeowners. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%.

About Bosch:

Bosch Home Appliances is part of BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group, the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world. Inspired by the lifestyle of today's discerning consumers, all Bosch products combine efficiency, quietness, and quality with unrivaled ease of use. Known worldwide for raising standards in efficiency and quietness, Bosch is the only Canadian home appliance manufacturer with entire product lines of ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwashers, washers and refrigeration. Bosch continues to be the brand of choice for discerning consumers that desire the best in green living, quietness, convenience, design and safety.