Bicycle Commuting in London
In the federal Throne speech, Canada again claims to be leading the world on climate change, when in fact we are an international embarrassment. My recent trip to London, England, drove home again how far we are behind. Climate change is a matter of frequent public and private discourse in t…
View the post titled Bicycle Commuting in LondonWho is responsible for fixing lead-contaminated drinking water?
Recent attention to lead-contaminated drinking water has many Ontarians questioning the safety of the water in their own homes. So, how do you know if there’s lead in your drinking water? How much lead is unsafe? And, who is responsible for fixing the problem? The most likely source of lead …
View the post titled Who is responsible for fixing lead-contaminated drinking water?Who’s responsible for reducing local air pollution?
Air pollution is wide-spread across Ontario, coming from many sources and moving with large air masses from one region to the next. It’s resulting in health effects, including cancer and respiratory illnesses like asthma. Last year, more than 5000 premature deaths were attributed to poor a…
View the post titled Who’s responsible for reducing local air pollution?Sad Story: Subbor
There is no doubt that we need better ways to handle municipal waste. But it is discouragingly rare for technological innovations to succeed. Now ideas always seem to cost much more and take much longer than their proponents could possibly believe. One of the latest such examples is the sad …
View the post titled Sad Story: SubborContaminated soil from home heating fuel oil
Many older homes that were once heated with oil, or still are, had big tanks by the side of the house, buried underground or in the basement. These tanks held enough oil to keep families warm throughout the winter. But whether an old tank is still there, or was removed long ago, escaped home…
View the post titled Contaminated soil from home heating fuel oilNoise Bylaws
Noise pollution has been around for a long time. There’s even a reference going back to the 3rd millennium B.C., in The Epic of Gilgamesh: “The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babble.” Noise, often defined as unwanted sound, is not always det…
View the post titled Noise BylawsWaste Characterization must be Correct
An Alberta case, Wainwright v. GM Pearson, has reinforced the duties of care owed by waste generators and handlers to everyone down the chain, including those who ultimately dispose of its waste. This case involved drums of lacquer dust, characterized by the generators as solid, non-hazardou…
View the post titled Waste Characterization must be CorrectDanier Class Action
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision, imposing a million dollars in court costs on an unsuccessful plaintiff in a proposed class action, may give pause to some potential environmental plaintiffs and their legal counsel. However, the court emphasized that the plaintiff was a multi-mil…
View the post titled Danier Class ActionNobel Prize for Gore
We are delighted to congratulate Al Gore on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, for his tireless work to awaken the world to the crisis of climate change. As the scientific drumbeats grow louder and louder, the need for action grows ever more urgent. Thanks to Gore and others like him, perhaps …
View the post titled Nobel Prize for GoreBike Lanes and the DCA
Why don’t our municipalities have better environmental infrastructure? One answer is: the Development Charges Act (DCA)! While cycling recently with one Ontario mayor, I asked why his fast-growing municipality did so little to encourage bicycle commuting. He knows that cycling is a great way…
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