Clean power or the Greenbelt?
Why sacrifice the Greenbelt for a private power plant? And why is municipal opposition being swept away? Are municipalities important and trustworthy partners on the environment? Only when it suits the province. The Municipal Act was revised a few years ago to give municipalities much greate…
View the post titled Clean power or the Greenbelt?Time to slap down SLAPPS?
Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits that some organizations use to suppress or punish their opponents, including public interest groups that fight proposed developments.[i] These suits used to be rare in Canada, but are now an increasing concern.[ii] They c…
View the post titled Time to slap down SLAPPS?Does pollution breach human rights?
Is heavily polluting a community a breach of its human rights? The Inter American Commission on Human Rights has agreed to hear a precedent-setting case against the United States based on environmental racism in Cancer Alley, as a breach of human rights. Heavily polluting industries are ofte…
View the post titled Does pollution breach human rights?PCB in my fish oil?
Are fish oil supplements safe? The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation doesn’t think we know enough to tell. In March, the Foundation filed a lawsuit against fish oil supplement manufacturers, distributors and retailers, claiming that they fail to give clear warnings, required by Calif…
View the post titled PCB in my fish oil?Coal phase out when?
Ontario is having a hard time deciding which it wants more: clean power, or cheap power? As required by Ontario regulations, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) will shut down all four of their remaining coal-fired thermal stations – Atikokan, Lambton, Nanticoke and Thunder Bay – by December 31, …
View the post titled Coal phase out when?Dumping drugs?
Know how to safely dispose of surplus pharmaceuticals? Jackie has written an excellent article: Pharmawaste for the professional journal Pharmacy Practice, and has graciously shared it with us. The update is particularly timely, as Ontario will begin a new waste diversion program for pharmac…
View the post titled Dumping drugs?How toxic is your home?
A new environmental health guide for consumers is now available from Health Canada: Hazardcheck. The guide provides good, basic safety information about keeping a home safe, including how to read labels on household chemical products, and the importance of adequate ventilation.
View the post titled How toxic is your home?Environment or economy?
The Conference Board of Canada predicts that investments in technology to prevent and adapt to climate change will have major economic benefits. The report, The Economic and Employment Impacts of Climate-Related Technology Investments concludes that climate-friendly technology investments ca…
View the post titled Environment or economy?A new light on CDM
India is giving the Clean Development Mechanism, for fighting climate change, a new twist.[vi] The CDM allows companies and individuals in the rich world to obtain carbon credits by paying for emission reductions in the Third World. One key obstacle has been the high transaction costs of get…
View the post titled A new light on CDMMore on approvals reform
Bill 68, the 166 page Open for Business Act [i] is now available for download. The Bill establishes a framework for reform of environmental approvals, as part of a three-year initiative intended to foster more efficient government services to business, while continuing to protect the enviro…
View the post titled More on approvals reformReceive Blog Posts
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