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Bye Bye Bad Bulbs?......Great Idea!
2007-04-26 02:41:00
The sale of inefficient incandescent light bulbs will be banned in Canada by 2012.Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn made the announcement earlier today, stating that the move would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than six million tonnes a year and save homeowners about $60 annually in electricity costs.The news was also welcomed by Canada's largest light bulb retailer - Home Depot. The home renovation giant is boasting a 350% increase in sales of compact fluorescents since 2004, and they are working with Phillips Lighting to launch a national recycling program for the high efficiency bulbs by 2008.Recognizing Canadians need a convenient and simple way to recycle CFLs properly, The Home Depot Canada in partnership with Phillips Lighting announced today it will test an in-store CFL recycling program this summer, with the expectation of making the program available nationally by 2008.Great news.
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Schwarzenegger Welcomes BC to Carbon Trading Market
2007-04-26 02:40:00
Yesterday, the British Columbia government announced that it is joining 5 western states in an international carbon trading market designed to tackle global warming and aggressively reduce greenhouse gases.BC joins California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Arizona in a growing partnership that now includes close to 60 million people. In the next few days, several Australian states are also expected to join, and Governor Schwarzenegger hopes to recruit at least four or five more Canadian provinces in the coming months. Critics of the plan note that BC has promised to join such efforts in the past, but has failed to follow through because there were no hard caps on greenhouse gas emissions. To date, California has legislated hard caps under law. BC has not.Mark Jaccard, Simon Fraser University's internationally respected global-warming expert, noted that B.C. politicians declared their support for a similar carbon trading system about 15 years ago. It quickly foundered becaus...
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Tories Vote for Hard Caps on Emissions,...Accidentally?
2007-04-25 02:08:00
In a move that has stunned the House of Commons, the Conservatives have supported of a Bloc Quebecois motion calling for "absolute limits on greenhouse gas emissions to meet the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol".The Bloc motion calls for the government to urgently set absolute targets for cutting greenhouse emissions so as to achieve the objectives of Kyoto, and as a preliminary condition for establishing a carbon exchange market in Montreal.The Canadian Press is reporting that the motion was passed unanimously earlier this afternoon in the nation's capital - a move that appears to be a complete flip-flop in Tory policy. As early as last week, Environment Minister John Baird had stated that meeting Kyoto would ruin the Canadian economy, and the Conservatives have consistently opposed hard caps on greenhouse gas emissions.However, more controversy is afoot. There are rumblings out of Conservative corners that they voted in favour of the Bloc motion because it was presented in Fren...
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The Birds and the .......
2007-04-25 00:08:00
We all know how the saying in the title finishes. Our next generation may not.For the past year, scientists have been following one of the most baffling and alarming situations yet seen in nature - the abrupt collapse of bee colonies throughout the world.Termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), it occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers.Concerns were first raised last fall in the US, and to date the American West Coast is thought to have lost 60% of its commercial bee population and a further 70% on the East Coast. CCD has since spread to Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and most recently the UK, where one of London's largest bee-keepers has recently announced that 23 of 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.The cause has not been identified with certainty. Deceased bees are being found with massive amounts of pathogens and widespread disease, leading some to blame pollution and environm...
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Global Warming Gaffe
2007-04-24 00:34:00
Writing about environmental issues is an enormous communications challenge. The biggest part of that challenge is ensuring that people understand the problems we face and have the right information about how to solve them. Some days it feels like that battle is being won. Then, on other days......
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EPA Spin Praises Bush
2007-04-17 22:30:00
The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency is claiming a victory in the fight against global warming, and crediting the visionary climate change policies of George Bush for the results.On Monday, EPA Administrator Dave Johnson announced that US greenhouse gas emissions grew by only 1% in 2005."The Bush administration's unparalleled financial, international and domestic commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is delivering real results," Johnson proclaimed in a statement.Back in the real world, calling a growth in greenhouse gases a climate change victory is a bit like shooting a hockey puck into your own goal. More to the point, Mr. Johnson's counterparts in other US government departments had a more sober perspective on the situation. The people responsible for tracking US energy usage credit 2005's slower rise in greenhouse emissions to market factors and oil supply disruptions along the storm battered Gulf Coast - storms that may well grow more frequent, as g...
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US Cuts Lead in Toys
2007-04-17 08:11:00
The US government has issued a notice that companies that make or distribute toys or other children's products that include lead will face increased scrutiny as a part of a move to avoid lead poisoning in children.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will now be making contact with up to 120 importing and manufacturing companies by the end of April to instruct them to provide health and safety studies if any lead might be found in the products they make for children.The risks posed by lead poisoning have been known for decades and are so severe that in the 1980s the petroleum industry was forced to eliminate lead from gasoline - and it's certainly not every day that the oil industry changes its product line in the face of social and health concerns.So the question is, why is there any lead in children's products in the first place?Making children's toys from lead is about as intelligent as allowing mercury into the food chain or dumping sewage into drinking water sources. R...
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An Inconvenient Truth for BC High Schools
2007-04-17 00:30:00
Every public high school will get be receiving a free copy of An Inconvenient Truth . The announcement came this morning during a press conference outside the Vancouver School Board offices.Funding for the project comes courtesy of the Tides Canada Foundation, while the distribution of the DVDs will be taken care of through the Novex Courier's clean fleet of hybrid and low-emission vehicles and bicycle courier service. The original vision for the project came courtesy of Gregor Robertson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Vancouver Fairview and former CEO of Happy Planet beverages.
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Dion and May Join Efforts to Defeat Mackay
2007-04-14 00:35:00
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May have announced that they will work together to oust Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay from his seat in the next federal election. The move could lead to the Canada's first Green Party Member of Parliament.Earlier today, Dion announced that the Liberals would not run a candidate in Mackay's Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova during the next federal election where Elizabeth May plans to run. With a second place showing to her credit from November's by-election in London North Centre, May stands and excellent chance of defeating Mackay - a high profile, but vulnerable member of the Conservative Party.Peter Mackay is best known for his sad sack personal life that includes being publicly and politically dumped by former Conservative Leadership hopeful Belinda Stronach, and later for his high profile date with Condeleeza Rice at a Nova Scotia Tim Horton's. His 'affair' with Rice had the convenient side benefit ...
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Good News for Whales (I Think)
2007-04-13 23:37:00
In some potential good news for the anti-whaling movement, it appears that Nicaragua will no longer vote for alongside pro-whaling nations at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).I say "appears" only because the article in question is in Spanish and the Babel Fish translation was nearly incomprehensible.The pro-whaling camp has been making significant progress in recent years, thanks in large part to the Japanese efforts to stack the international panel in their favour. Japan has been bringing "sympathetic" countries into the IWC by exchanging foreign aid and IWC membership fees for pro-whaling votes.The pro-whaling camp gained a key victory last June when the IWC voted 33 to 32 in favour of the eventual return of commercial whaling. In highly contested and tight voting environment, Nicaragua's apparent shift in policy will be key for efforts to maintain the commercial whaling ban. If any Spanish speaking readers would like to give their interpretation, your input in the co...
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GM - Brown Suits, Green Image
2007-04-13 02:09:00
The International Auto Show has been making the rounds of North America, with my home town of Vancouver being the latest stop on the tour.Front and centre in this year's show is an increasingly aggressive campaign of green posturing by the major car manufacturers as they line up their latest high tech, fuel efficient models for the market and press. Highest profile among them is the Chevrolet Volt, GM's new "plug-in hybrid" concept car.Doesn't it look pretty!And as various bloggers and journalists are chaperoned through the Detroit autoshow (so as to better tow the GM line), give them credit for making a pass at something resembling balanced reporting. They do raise concerns with the Volt - about the potential hazards in disposing of electric batteries, of relying on coal powered electricity to charge battery powered vehicles, and of the potential recycling issues with the Volt's interior materials - all while being dazzled by the glitz of surface design.That was part of the p...
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Help Put An Inconvenient Truth in Every High School
2007-04-12 01:30:00
Vancouver businessman Will Cole-Hamilton has begun a national initiative to place a copy of An Inconvenient Truth in every Canadian secondary school. Through his newly founded non profit group, the Learning Climate Educational Society, Cole-Hamilton and his partners are looking to raise $50,000 to fund the project.In a few short weeks they have already raised $10,000. Now you can help benefit the project, Canadian students, and the global warming issue by donating online, or you can mail your cheque payable to the Learning Climate Education Society at the following address:Learning Climate Educational Societyc/o 1834 B Napier StreetVancouver, BC V5L 2N3More updates to come as the campaign moves forward.
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How To Meet Kyoto? Live Like a New Yorker
2007-04-12 00:27:00
A study released on Tuesday revealed that New York was responsible for a full 1% of the United States' greenhouse gases. Coming much later in the article is the key point - that at 8.7 million people the Big Apple accounts for almost 3% of the total US population, meaning that the footprint of your average New Yorke r is about 1/3 that of your average American.The lesson? If every American lived like a New Yorker the US wouldn't have to agree to the Kyoto Protocol - because they already would have reached its targets. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had commissioned the study to evaluate the city's progress in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030. Cheers to real leadership.
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A Radical Plan to Save the Tasmanian Devil
2007-04-11 02:28:00
A radical plan is being suggested to save the Tasmania n devil from extinction.The rare marsupial once inhabited wide areas of Australia, but predation and human impacts wiped it out everywhere but the small island state of Tasmania. A healthy population of 150,000 had flourished there until the mid 1990s when a mysterious facial cancer began sweeping through the island.Dubbed devil facial tumor disease, the infectious cancer spreads through mouth to mouth conflict and infects the face with large visible tumours. Eventually, the cancer crowds out the animal's teeth, essentially starving it to death as eating and hunting become more difficult.Scientists believe that many as 70,000 have already perished, with 65% of the remaining population infected. In the northeast of the state where the disease was first diagnosed, 90% of the population has disappeared.Now, scientists are proposing a controversial plan to transfer 30 healthy animals to nearby Maria Island - a national park that i...
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A Dose of "Truth" for Every Canadian High School
2007-04-11 01:27:00
Update: Members of the public can contribute directly to the campaign with their financial contribution. Visit the Conscious Earth post here, or the Learning Climate Education Society for information on donating online, or mailing your cheque. Calling An Inconvenient Truth a "life altering event", Vancouver businessman Will Cole-Hamilton has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for the distribution of the global warming documentary to every high school in Cana da.Through their recently founded Learning Climate Educational Society, Cole-Hamilton and his partners have already raised $10,000 of the $50,000 they need, and they are also working on an educational package to accompany the film. "Young people are going to be dealing with the opportunities and the challenges of climate change for the rest of their lives. And I think that a film that can give them a clear and comprehensible introduction to the scope and shape of that challenge is something that they need as they head forwa...
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Global Warming's "Highway to Extinction"
2007-04-05 20:46:00
A new report from the United Nations is slated for release on Good Friday, will outline the effects of global warming with every degree of temperature rise in what key researcher Andrew Weaving calls a "High way to Extinct ion".The missing link in many discussions of global warming is how temperature rises affect the ecosystem as a whole, and subsequently our own society. The upcoming report promises to make those connections in frightening detail. Details include:A 1 degree Celsius increase would means up to 1.7 billion extra people (equivalent to the entire population of the United States and China) will not have enough water, some infectious diseases and allergenic pollens rise, and some amphibians go extinct. The world?s food supply, especially in northern areas, could increase. This is the likely world outcome for the year 2020.A further 1 degree rise means as many as 2 billion people could be without water and about 20 percent to 30 percent of the world?s species will be near ...
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Global Warming Win at the Supreme Court
2007-04-03 02:15:00
The Environmental Protection Agency has the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.That was the 5-4 verdict of the US Supreme Court today earlier today in Washington, DC. For the past 4 years the Bush Administration and the EPA had insisted that they could not regulate co2 because its not a "pollutant". The Supreme Court disagreed.Earthjustice led a coalition of states, municipalities, and environmental and public health groups in challenging EPA's inaction. Lead attorney Howard Fox's response was ecstatic with the ruling,"Today is a great day for the environment. In one of the most important environmental cases of its history, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed what we have been saying all along: The Clean Air Act gives EPA authority to fight global warming. The EPA must act immediately and issue regulations that limit greenhouse gases from motor vehicles that contribute to global warming." With the question of whether the EPA can regulate co2 over, the deba...
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Costa Rica to Be World's 1st Carbon Neutral Nation
2007-04-03 02:00:00
Costa Rica has announced is developing plans to become the world's first carbon neutral nation.According to their Environment and Energy Minister Roberto Dobles, they will reach neutrality through a basket of measures including budgeting, laws, and new incentives to encourage biofuels, hybrid vehicles, and clean energy. They will also implement a ?C-Neutral? label to certify that tourism and industrial practices mitigate all of the carbon dioxide they emit alongside a voluntary ?tax? of $10 per tone of carbon emitted. Money from the tax would fund conservation, reforestation, and research in protected areas. The UN is watching their efforts with the hope of encouraging successful strategies elsewhere in the world. Time will tell their ultimate success; however, their thriving eco-trourism industry gives them a good head start in making greater environmental investments in their economy.
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Tories Steamed Over Beefed Up Clean Air Act
2007-03-31 00:57:00
Back in September the Conservative's released their much ballyhooed Clean Air Act. Meant to be the centre piece of their so called green plan, the proposed legislation was immediately panned by the media and opposition parties as a piece of industry friendly rhetoric that does nothing to combat global warming or improve air quality.Today, that bill was sent back to parliament, drastically rewritten by a special committee to include short-term, mid-term and long-term targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; a commitment to a system of international emissions carbon trading; and penalties of $20 per ton for any company that exceeds their emissions target. Harper's rented mule has returned as a thoroughbred that will make substantial progress towards reducing greenhouse gases, holding industry accountable and addressing global warming.The Conservative response? Hint at elections and release a new set of attack ads.In a clear demonstration of their environmental leadership, n...
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Wal-Mart and the Green Critics
2007-03-28 22:56:00
Want to make real progress for the environment? Stop crapping on people who are doing something about it.Over at the Daily Grist is an article titled Keep Your Eyes on the Size: The Impossibility of a green Wal-Mart . After recognizing Wal-Mart 's outstanding commitments to greater efficiency - which include a 20% improvement in energy efficiency of all stores, the doubling of the fuel economy of their truck fleet, and the public reporting of their carbon footprint - the article's author, Stacy Mitchell, glibly dismisses the company's efforts because their carbon footprint does not take into account the SUVs that you, the consumer, drive to their stores. Here's the key issue. Wal-Mart's carbon estimate omits a massive source of CO2 that is inherent to its operations and amounts to more than all of its other greenhouse-gas emissions combined: the CO2 produced by customers driving to its stores.Let me be perfectly clear. I am not pro "big box" stores. I avoid all of them whene...
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Gore's Return to Washington
2007-03-28 01:18:00
In addition to this weeks highlights, a quick recap of last week's return to Congress by Al Gore is in order. Visiting Capitol Hill for the first time since overseeing the Senate during Bush's inauguration in 2001, Al Gore completed a celebrity return and made the case before key panels in the US government for sweeping federal action on global warming. His ten key recommendations were:1. An immediate "carbon freeze" that would cap U.S. CO2 emissions at current levels, followed by a program to generate 90% reductions by 2050.2. Start a long-term tax shift to reduce payroll taxes and increase taxes on CO2 emissions.3. Put aside a portion of carbon tax revenues to help low-income people make the transition.4. Create a strong international treaty by working toward "de facto compliance with Kyoto" and moving up the start date for Kyoto's successor from 2012 to 2010.5. Implement a moratorium on construction of new coal-fired power plants that are not compatible with carbon capt...
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Inhofe Swallows the Gavel
2007-03-27 22:03:00
Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, an energy funded climate change denier made famous for saying that global warming is "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people", was put in his place by the new Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Barbara Boxer, during Al Gore's testimony last week.After Inhofe attempted to turn the proceedings into a PR spectacle, Ms. Boxer kindly reminded him of what his job is. Film clip below.
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Clean Energy Wants Level Playing Field
2007-03-27 01:56:00
The clean energy industry, whose combined revenue jumped 39% last year, is calling on governments to implement three simple steps to ensure the greater use of responsible energy and that the US economy remains strong in the face of the coming low carbon economy. The recommendations are:? A market-based national policy that will achieve a 60% to 90% long-term decrease of greenhouse gas emissions.? A realignment of national incentives to stimulate new clean technologies.? A clarification of company disclosure requirements from the SEC.There call not only represents responsible policy, but also shows the untapped areas of economic growth available through addressing climate change. Oil companies in both the United States and Canada continue to receive billions of dollars in subsidies to help fuel their bottom line. If the clean energy industry is growing by almost 40% per year without a similar infusion of tax dollars, then there is more than an ethical reason for government to inve...
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Belated Budget Breakdown
2007-03-22 23:12:00
First and foremost, my apologies to readers for this late posting on the Canadian federal budget. The Conscious Earth has spent the last week flu ridden and away from the terminal.On Monday, the Conservatives handed down the 2007 federal budget. To little surprise, the Tory platform continued to side step the issue of climate change despite the increasingly urgent calls of the world community, environmentalists, scientists, economists and Canadians.The Green Budget Coalition, a representative group of 20 top environmental organizations, also panned the Conservative's lack of climate change commitment. They did however, highlight the following positive announcements for the environment:$110 million for more effective protection of species at risk$10 million for protected areas in the Northwest Territories$225 million for conserving ecologically sensitive private landsThe creation of nine new marine protected areas$300 million for administering the Canadian Environmental Protectio...
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Stockwell Day Teaches Incompetency 101
2007-01-05 03:23:03
The Conservatives have been hard at work furthering their reputation for accountability and transparency. In late December, they ordered Public Safety Minister Stock well Day to remove an embarrassing column from his personal website that mocked Al Gore and ridiculed the science of global warming.It turns out they couldn't get the job done. The article was pulled from the archive listing, but you can still read it directly on his site right here. Meanwhile, Day's communications office denies any knowledge of the existence of that article.''Were they (articles) there before?'' wrote Melisa Leclerc, Day's director of communications, in an e-mail. ''I hadn't noticed.''Really? Well, if its existence on his own site isn't enough for you, it was also reported online here, here and here. Mr. Day's incompetence obviously goes far beyond his lack of environmenal understanding and poor party leadership skills. It also finds a comfortable home in website management. I'm sure...
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The Creepiest Christmas Greeting of 2006
2007-01-05 03:23:03
Being the non-partisan chap I am, I subscribe to the Conservatives spam list. I received the following over the holidays. Season's screamings!
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Canadian MPs Proved Toxic
2007-01-05 03:23:03
In a follow up to their Toxic Nation report released earlier this year, Environmental Defence has revealed that harmful chemicals are present in the bodies of the four federal politicians who volunteered to have their blood tested for the presence of 103 pollutants. The results were not good.Of the four MPs tested, John Godfrey had the highest total number of pollutants at 55, followed by Health Minister Tony Clement and Jack Layton at 54, with Environment Minister Rona Ambrose testing positive for 49. All four politicians were more polluted than both the child and adult volunteers who participated in the Environmental Defence study on pollutants in families, released last June, though the group made no claims about how these pollutants may be influencing the state of Cana dian politics.That aside, it may explain why the Conservatives have been moving ahead with tough, and potentially world leading, regulations controlling toxic substances. In December, they unveiled a $300 milli...
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The Grists Top 10 of 2006
2007-01-05 03:23:03
The Grist published their top ten of 2006. Below are the headlines. Follow the link for the full wit.10. A Stern reminder9. Takings is leaving - Oregon's Measure 378. Carbon neutrality is the new black7. Grist officially out of punny California headlines6. Roadless! No, roadful! No, roadless! - the saga of Clinton's Roadless rule5. Hi. My name is the United States of America, and I'm an addict.4. God v. Dobson3. America takes Dick out of resources committee2. Wal-Mart: America's leading source of cognitive dissonance1. An inconvenient yet bizarrely popular truthIf you need more, read on to their 2006 A-Z list.
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Urge Congress To Act On Global Warming
2007-01-05 03:23:03
Now that a Democratic Congress and Senate (pun intended) has been elected, you can help keep momentum rolling by sending a letter to the new Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, and the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, urging swift action on global warming and clean energy.Follow this link to send a letter to each courtesy of the League of Conservation Voters action page. The action letter is open to all nations.
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Spotted Owl Starves, Population Falls to 16
2007-01-05 03:23:03
Another of Canada's spotted owls died yesterday at a BC bird sanctuary bringing the estimated population down to 16. In this instance the owl was a female thought to be a part of one of only 3 breeding pairs remaining in the province.Though the spotted owl is more widespread in America's Pacific Northwest, their population has been rapidly falling in British Columbia - its only home in Canada - under the heavy pressure of old growth clear cut logging. Despite repeated calls for a comprehensive recovery strategy and critical habitat protection, the BC government continues to allow logging in their old growth habitat while federal Environment Minister Rona Ambrose has publicly stated that the owls "do not currently face imminent threats to its survival or recovery."The spotted owl is a specialized creature that has evolved to thrive specifically in the old growth forests of the west. They rely on the habitat for both food and protection from predators, and for this reason are cons...
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