News
Week #10 - Vehicle Dependancy
Week_10_-_Vehicle_dependency.pdf>
Week #9 - Change a Lightbulb, Change the World
Week_9_-_LED_Seasonal_Lights.pdf >
Week #8 - Recycle Today, Change the World
Week 7 - Pick Apples, Change The World
On average, the food we eat travels 2,400 km. We examine the numbers and the reasoning behind buying as locally as possible.
Week 6 - Change is in the Wind
Renewable Energy systems are examined on a larger scale. How can they contribute to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels?
Week 5 - Can oilseeds change the world?
In Week 5, we look at bio-fuel and bio-diesel; why do they have such a bad reputation?
Publishing Date: October 29, 2008
Week 4 - Can wind and the sun change the world?
This week’s article looks at how renewable sources of energy are becoming more reliable in the Bulkley Valley and the Northwest. Originally published October 22, 2008.
Week 3 - Save Gas, Change the World
Week 3 looks at the concept of Peak Oil. Originally published October 15, 2008.
Week 2 - Can woodstoves change the world?
Week 2 in our “Change the World” series looks at high-efficiency woodstoves and how they can help reduce our carbon footprint. Originally published October 8, 2008.
Week 1 - Stop Idling, Change the World
One Sky will be running an ad in The Interior News in Smithers for the next 12 weeks as part of the LivesmartBC 2-page spread.
In Week 1, we looked at the idea of anti-idling and why it makes sense to turn off your engine. Originally published October 1, 2008.
Burns Lake takes the lead for Individual Scores
The Village of Burns Lake is quickest out of the gate for the Individual Scores, with 485 points.
Encourage friends and family to earn points for your community.
Sign up today!!
Canadians attempting world record journey
Vancouver: Driven to Sustain is a world record breaking attempt by Canadians Cloe Whittaker (22) and Tyson Jerry (24), who will embark on a 45,000 Km road trip across North America in a van powered by the waste oil from restaurants.
If all goes well, they will roll in to the record books in approximately four months for having made the longest journey by car using alternative fuel.
Whittaker and Jerry will be traveling through every province, state, and territory, and along the way will be stopping at schools to talk about sustainability. The Driven to Sustain campaign includes a free downloadable curriculum for teachers that has been developed by an Ontario schoolteacher with input from the Sierra Club.
As well as visits to schools, the couple will also be visiting projects and people across North America who have embraced earth-friendly ventures, including sustainable farms, the largest wind farms in the world, and earth homes in New Mexico.
The Driven to Sustain website http://www.driventosustain.com will allow visitors to track Whittaker and Jerry’s journey. The website will also include video and text blogging in which the pair will share their discoveries and experiences. They also intend to create a documentary from footage gathered during their adventure.
A full itinerary is available in the media kit section of http://www.driventosustain.com as is a GPS tracker which will allow visitors to keep tabs on them.
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Note to editors: B-roll, Art available
For further information and/or to book an interview, please contact:
Deborah Keegan
Babble On Communications
Tel: 416.691.5168
Cell: 416.525.5177
Email:
Web: http://www.babbleoncom.com
Susan McLennan
Babble On Communications
Ph: 416.699.1846
Fax: 416.699.1847
Cell: 416.568-5974 (Please note new cell phone number)
Email:
web: http://www.babbleoncom.com
Big Huge Funding Opportunity for Green Energy Projects in rural BC!
If you are a British Columbian organization with an ambitious clean energy plan, the Innovative Clean Energy Grant is a fantastic resource awarded by the Ministry of Technology, Trade and Economics, and the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum Resources. $25 million dollars were awarded to 15 projects across the province last fall, and a second call for applications has recently been announced. This round of grants will favor projects in rural areas which promote the production, dissemination, and commercialization of green technologies. Eligible organizations include municipalities, school boards, hospitals, First Nations groups, not-for-profit groups, post secondary institutions, crown corporations public utilities or registered businesses. Applications are due this fall, so visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/ecdev/popt/innovative_clean_energy_fund.html to find out how to apply.
Community Action on Energy Emissions Grants - Deadline approaching
Community Action on Energy Emissions Grants - Deadline approaching
Only 3 weeks left to apply to the Community Action on Energy and Emissions (CAEE) Grants
Local governments and First Nations are invited to submit a proposal by July 31, 2008 for a CAEE grant. Any BC local government and First Nation are eligible to apply including previous recipients of CAEE funding. (see attachment background information and application form)
The objective of CAEE is to provide financial and technical support to local governments and First Nations to undertake community-level energy efficiency, energy conservation and emission reduction measures through innovative policy and planning initiatives.
Visit http://www.caee.ca for more information on this program.
A call for Profile Submissions!
Attn. British Columbians:
Is your town a contender in the 2010 Energetic Olympics? The Energetic Olympic Committee at One Sky wants to profile what you are doing to reduce your energy footprint on our expanding website. This summer, as the 2008 Olympics unfold in Beijing and international attention shifts towards British Columbia, One Sky is gearing up by building Community Energy Profiles for each of the 22 participating communities across the province.
This is an opportunity for municipalities, local businesses, community groups and individuals to show off what they are doing to meet today’s energy challenges.
It is also an opportunity for British Columbia to show the international community that Canada is not all Tar Sands and Humvees.
Now is the time to let us know what you are doing. Community gardens, compact fluorescent light bulbs, bike paths, carpools, greywater systems, you name it, we want to hear about it.
Send stories, links, photos, or anything else you would like to see included in your community profile to
Good luck!
Energetic Olympic Committee
One Sky Canadian Institute for Sustainable Living
30 Ways To Spend Your $100 Climate Action Dividend
At the end of June, every adult in British Columbia will receive a $100 cheque in the mail from the government, and every child will receive $30. It’s your personal Climate Action Dividend, part of BC’s new Carbon Tax that kicks in on July 1st.
How will you spend your $100 cheque? Here are 30 ideas that can help you to reduce your carbon footprint – and the amount of carbon tax you pay. If you don’t live in BC - well, this may still be of interest!
In Your Home
1. An ecoENERGY home assessment, that will give you a list of energy upgrades that will make your home more efficient, and access to various grants from ecoENERGY and LiveSmartBC. ($150)
2. 30 compact fluorescent light bulbs (Phillips are the best.) ($100)
3. 3 new LED light bulbs ($108)
4. Programmable thermostats for your 2 or 3 of your most commonly used heating zones. ($100)
5. $100 of weather-stripping, caulking, and window film, to reduce heat-leaks in your home.
6. A Kill-A-Watt meter that will show you how much energy each of your appliances is using. ($30)
7. A Smart Strip Power Bar that you can use to control your stand-by power. ($30)
8. A low flow showerhead that will save water and power. ($12)
9. A 20-foot retractable clothesline for your backyard. ($15)
10. An Eco-Fan for your woodstove, that will spread the heat around. ($150)
Travelling
1. A month’s bus pass ($42 to $99)
2. A used bicycle to enjoy the summer ($100), or a bike a tune up ($50).
3. New bike lights, gear, and a new helmet, for safer riding ($100)
4. A cycling commuting skills course, to make you a safer cyclist
5. Put it towards buying an electric bike ($700 to $1600)
6. For your car, pool your money to buy a Scan Gauge, that will give you a real-time fuel consumption read-out which you can use to train yourself to do “eco-drivingâ€, and use 10%-15% less fuel, saving up to $250 a year ($160)
7. A pack of 4 LED tire pressure indicator lights which you can use to use up to 3.3% less fuel by keeping your tires properly inflated, saving up to $50 a year. ($34.95)
8. Membership in the Victoria Car Share Cooperative or Vancouver’s Cooperative Auto-Network ($400 - $500)
9. A good camera/microphone for your computer, so that you can substitute web conferencing instead of travelling.
10. A new pair of running shoes, to encourage you to hit the trails. The more fit you are, the further you can cycle and walk.
In Your Kitchen & Garden
1. A good vegetarian or vegan cookbook.
2. $100 of local organic food for a celebratory organic feast for your friends.
3. $100 of seeds, tools, and compost that you can use to start an organic garden, using simple Lasagna Gardening
4. $100 of organic food delivered by Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, grown as locally as possible.
5. $100 worth of organic food to accompany a free a Vegetarian Starter Kit.
For the Next Climate Emergency
1. A St. John Ambulance Emergency Ready Kit, to help you survive the climate change related storms and power outages ($59.95) and a Ready Meal Kit ($44.95)
2. A Freeplay Solar Wind-up Radio ($59) and LED Wind-up Flashlight ($32)
Carbon Reducing Offsets and Gifts
1. Spend it on good carbon offsets. $100 donated to the Solar Electric Light Fund will offset 10 tonnes of CO2 by helping villagers in Nigeria to use solar lighting, instead of kerosene. $100 donated to Quest Outreach will ensure that $1200 worth of wasted food is used to feed people, putting its embodied carbon to good use in someone’s stomach and stopping it from releasing methane in a landfill.
2. Give it to an environmental organization that is working to tackle global warming or save BC’s forests, such as the David Suzuki Foundation, the BC Sustainable Energy Association, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, the Sierra Club of BC, or The Land Conservancy.
3. Give it to one of the 50 “Green Your Campbell Cash†carbon-saving projects that are being proposed on The Tyee’s website.
Compiled by Guy Dauncey, with help from BCSEA members.
If you found these suggestions inspiring, why not put your Dividend towards purchasing a membership
“Green†Legislation supports local governments
NEWS RELEASE
April 15, 2008
Ministry of Community Services
VICTORIA – The Province has introduced Bill 27, legislation to help municipalities and regional districts create more compact, sustainable and greener communities, announced Community Services Minister Ida Chong today.
“The Province of British Columbia is committed to working with local governments to find solutions to climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,†said Chong. “Local governments already have access to a variety of options that can make their communities more environmentally sustainable, and today’s legislation supports this further by ensuring local governments have the tools and guidelines necessary to create more compact neighbourhoods, with a stronger focus on energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and affordability.â€
The 2007 and 2008 speeches from the throne and Premier Gordon Campbell’s address at the UBCM 2007 Annual Convention proposed a wide range of initiatives related to climate change, resource conservation and air quality improvements.
“We are following up on these commitments to provide local governments with the flexibility to implement environmentally sustainable plans and developments,†said Chong. “This legislation will help local governments contribute to the provincial goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 33 per cent below current levels by 2020.â€
Once the legislation comes into force, local governments will be required to include greenhouse gas emission targets, policies and actions in their Official Community Plans and Regional Growth Strategies. They will also be able to use development permits to promote energy and water conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gases, and encourage alternative transportation options for off-street parking. Developers who are building small housing units (29 square metres or less) will be exempt from paying Development Cost Charges. Local governments will have the ability to waive or reduce these charges for green development including small lot subdivisions and affordable rental housing.
One of the ways this is happening is through the Climate Action Charter. The Charter commits interested local governments, the Province and UBCM to work together to find ways to tackle the challenges posed by climate change, pledging to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. To date, 115 local governments have signed the Charter. For more information, please visit: www.cserv.gov.bc.ca/ministry/whatsnew/climate_action_charter.htm
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Media contact:
Marc Black
Ministry of Community Services
250 387-4089
For more information visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca
Ontario set to veto ban on clotheslines
April 18, 2008
Robert Benzie
Ontarians will soon be able to air their linen in public. Premier Dalton McGuinty is to announce today that clotheslines can no longer be banned in subdivisions or almost anywhere else in the province. In a bid to curb the use of energy-sucking dryers, the new regulation will overrule neighbourhood covenants – part of the mortgage agreement between many developers and homebuyers – that outlaw clotheslines because they’re considered unsightly.
The regulation, to take effect today, will not only prohibit new bans but also wipe out most that already exist, a provision that angered the province’s building industry.
It will apply to free-standing and semi-detached homes and most row houses. Highrise condos and apartments won’t be affected for now. The province wants more consultation about them to deal with safety and other concerns.
“The premier wanted to move quickly on this because it’s a simple way to help families save money and help to save the environment,” said a government official. “We’re always looking for opportunities to help people find ways to conserve energy and fight climate change.”
The announcement will come as Toronto Hydro launches a giveaway of 75,000 clotheslines through four retail chains. Each Saturday and Sunday from April 26 to May 11, retractable lines for indoor or outdoor use, worth $13 to $15 each, will be handed to the first 500 shoppers at some Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Costco and Zellers locations. Details can be found at torontohydro.com.
Dryers account for 5 to 6 per cent of Ontario’s household electricity demand. An average machine consumes about 900 kilowatt-hours of energy each year and results in the discharge of up to 840 kilograms of air pollution and greenhouse gases. Each dryer adds about $90 a year to a household’s electricity bill.
The new regulation comes under the province’s Energy Conservation Leadership Act, which empowers the government to remove barriers to conservation, including covenants and municipal bylaws.
McGuinty’s move, following a 60-day consultation period, was urged by many elected municipal officials and environment groups. Ontario’s chief conservation officer, Peter Love, recommended overriding the bans last November. Across North America, the issue has spawned an advocacy movement known as “Right to Dry.”
But the group that represents the province’s housing industry said the regulation should not be retroactive. All new developments could be clothesline-friendly but existing bans should not be overturned, said Victor Fiume, past-president of the Ontario Home Builders Association and general manager of Oshawa-based Durham Homes.
“It’s taking away a right from people who knew (a ban) was in place and purchased a home because of that,” Fiume said. Clothesline bans are imposed in 20 to 30 per cent of the province’s subdivisions, and are part of the legally binding contract between builder and buyer, he said. “Is this what government should be doing – overturning contracts signed by parties voluntarily?” “It’s a slippery slope to arbitrarily remove a covenant between builders and buyers.”
Instead of an “arbitrary” government move, it would be better if opponents of the bans sought a court ruling against them. But that has never happened, he said.
In any case, Fiume said, the new regulation is a non-issue because few people will use clotheslines in any case. “With today’s lifestyle, no one has the time or inclination to hang their clothes outside to dry.”
The new regulation is just a first step, said Chris Winter of the Conservation Council of Ontario. “The overwhelming majority of people say it’s a good move and are solidly behind it. That doesn’t mean the overwhelming majority will dry every piece of clothing on a clothesline. But this is a start.”
Climate Protection Priorities for B.C. Budget 2008 and support for proposed B.C. Carbon Tax
April 21, 2008
Rationale
To protect the health, economy, and future of British Columbians, the province should take action to reduce global warming. A strong concerted response will spur innovation, investment, and jobs in B.C.’s growing clean energy sector. Most importantly, it will help get clean, renewable energy technologies into use and effectively reduce B.C.’s emissions.
Background
One of the fundamental problems fuelling Canada’s contribution to global warming is that the atmosphere is treated as a free dumping ground for harmful, heat-trapping emissions. Canada’s poor record on reducing GHG emissions has largely been the result of relying on voluntary measures and failing to account for the environmental and health costs of carbon pollution through government policy (i.e., regulations and price signals). These weaknesses in Canada’s economic system have been highlighted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). , Canada’s emissions are now 25.3 per cent above 1990 levels, while B.C.’s emissions have risen 30.2 per cent since 1990. The majority of B.C.’s emissions are associated with the burning, extraction, and production of fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil/gasoline, and natural gas). These emissions have significant environmental, social, and human health costs, such as air and water pollution, toxic waste, and habitat and cultural losses.
Pricing carbon emissions through a carbon tax or other means is supported by the world’s leading climate change scientists and endorsed by several international working groups including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Many industrialized countries and jurisdictions are now putting a price on carbon emissions to account for their full environmental and economic costs. For example, Sweden has used a carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions since 1991. Although a suite of other policies has been used to reduce emissions, the Swedish Ministry of Environment estimated the carbon tax has cut emissions by an additional 20 percent (as opposed to solely relying on regulations) as carbon emissions have decreased more than seven percent since 1990. Sweden’s carbon tax has been credited as the economic tool that has spurred the innovation and deployment of new low-carbon energy technologies such as green heating technologies which have significantly phased out the burning of oil for heating. Sweden’s carbon tax has also been credited in part to putting the country on target to achieve and honour its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol.
The B.C. government’s 2007 Throne Speech and the carbon tax proposed in Budget 2008 set out a promising new direction for B.C. to implement the economic solutions required to reduce climate change. The B.C. government’s climate change strategy needs to provide a strong economy-wide price signal on carbon emissions through a combination of measures with the proposed B.C. carbon tax including regulations for industrial emissions (e.g. cap-and-trade system) and energy-efficiency standards.
Carbon pricing is accepted by many Canadian business leaders as it offers a flexible and least-cost approach to reducing emissions. Canada’s leading economists have concluded that a climate change levy would result in a very minor effect on the economy. For example, a report conducted this year for the federal government concluded that a $50 dollar carbon price per tonne of GHG emissions implemented in 2006 would trim about 0.090 per cent of economic GDP in 2010, and then boost the economy by 0.004 percent GDP in 2020.
Economic studies show a carbon tax will spur innovation, investment and jobs in B.C.
Huge economic opportunities are being created in the low-carbon, clean energy industry as more countries and jurisdictions with large economies move forward with laws and policies to reduce global warming. Globally, future energy needs are expected to total over US$20 trillion between now and 2030. The most comprehensive economic study on climate change, authored by the former chief economist of the World Bank, projects the global market for low-carbon energy technologies will be worth at least US$500 billion annually and perhaps much more by 2050. B.C. is well-suited to establish a competitive advantage in North America as an innovator and developer of clean, renewable energy and transportation technologies. For example, B.C. has a wealth of renewable energy resources including one of the best wind power resources in the world. Today, B.C. is home to about 60 companies employing 3,000 British Columbians generating $700 million in annual revenues in the renewable energy and alternative power sector.
How the B.C. carbon tax should work with regulations to reduce industrial emissions
The proposed carbon tax in the B.C. budget applies to the use and combustion of fossil fuels in the province based on their carbon content and contribution to global warming. This proposed carbon price will cover 70 percent of B.C.’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and cover’s nearly all of B.C.’s emissions associated with the burning or combustion of fossil fuels. Some industrial process emissions (non-combustion) are exempt from the carbon tax such as landfill emissions, fugitive (e.g. venting and pipeline leaks) emissions from the production of oil and gas, and emissions associated with the production of some metals such as aluminium. The main reason these sectors are currently exempt is because the provincial and federal governments does not yet have equipment installed on industrial facilities to accurately account for these process emissions. However, industrial emissions produced from the combustion of fossil fuels will be subject to paying the carbon tax. For example, more than half of the emissions produced by the oil and gas industry will pay the carbon tax (e.g. flaring emissions by the oil and gas industry). Also, the cement industry will pay the tax based on the amount of coal they burn in the production of lime for cement. To ensure fairness and due responsibility, emission sectors that are exempt from the carbon tax must be covered by other policies such as mandatory regulations that ensure industry reduce their fair share of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. The B.C. government has promised to put in place regulations that cap industrial emissions and reduce them over time (called a cap-and-trade system) and has indicated the rules and regulations will be released in August 2008. A delay in implementing a carbon price signal on industrial emissions creates many risks including higher cumulative emissions, a steeper carbon price in the future, and increased economic costs.
Recommendations
1. Support the proposed B.C. carbon tax as introduced in B.C. Budget 2008. As the carbon tax rises over time further measure should be taken to protect low-income households such as indexing the tax credit with the carbon price increases. Should any future analysis indicate any inequity for certain regions in the province, we would encourage the B.C. government to introduce targets programs to assist these regions with the required infrastructure to reduce their emissions such as energy-efficiency retrofit programs for communities or households.
2. In addition to support for the proposed B.C. carbon tax, a comprehensive economic approach is required to achieve the B.C. government’s climate change goals. We recommend the B.C. government show global leadership by dedicating sufficient environmental protection funding to achieve the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, including:
• A revolving fund for municipalities so they can access low-interest-rate loans and capital to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and other emission reduction projects
• A transition fund to develop sustainable energy industries and assist the transition of local economies that currently depend on the fossil-fuel sector
• Fixed price incentives for low-impact renewable energy technologies (i.e., feed in-tariffs)
• A long-term, stable provincial funding commitment for public transit
• A phase-out of public subsidies to the fossil-fuel sector
• Feebates (i.e., tax shifting) for consumer products such as appliances and vehicles
• Scientific research to better understand and prepare for the impacts of climate change
• Public education programs
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ian Bruce, Climate Change Specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
2211 West 4th Ave., Suite 219
Vancouver, B.C. V6K 4S2
T: 604.732.4228 ext. 275
Cell: 604.306.5095
Email:
