Environmental Commissioner report on climate change
Congratulations to Ellen Schwartzel, the Acting Environmental Commissioner of Ontario on her first report, issued yesterday. “Feeling the Heat: Greenhouse Gas Progress Report 2015”, is the latest in the Commissioner’s annual reports on climate change. The report concludes that the Ontario government will miss its 2020 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions if it doesn’t do much...
Continue reading the post titled Environmental Commissioner report on climate changeSad 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 story of Subbor, the Super...
Continue reading the post titled Sad Story: SubborOntario’s Halting Progress on Energy Conservation
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO), Gord Miller, released his 2014 Annual Energy Conservation Progress Report to the Legislature on January 13, 2015. Conclusion: we’re making progress on energy conservation, but there is so much more that could and should be done. Energy conservation is a critical step towards a less fossil-fuel reliant future, not to...
Continue reading the post titled Ontario’s Halting Progress on Energy ConservationOntario proposes new Drinking Water Standards
The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) is proposing to tighten the permissible levels of some contaminants in piped drinking water, and to adopt standards for other as yet unregulated chemicals. MOECC is holding a Regulatory Consultation until February 16, 2005. The changes will amend Ontario Regulation 169/03—Drinking Water Standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These...
Continue reading the post titled Ontario proposes new Drinking Water StandardsU.S. Pentagon: Climate Change an Immediate Security Threat
The U.S. Pentagon’s latest report, the 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, calls climate change an immediate threat to national security. The forward, by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, sets the tone: “Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels, and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict. They will...
Continue reading the post titled U.S. Pentagon: Climate Change an Immediate Security ThreatWhy buy a contaminated site, then sue?
I continue to be amazed by the number of people who knowingly (or carelessly) buy a contaminated site, wrongly assuming that they will have an automatic right to successfully sue a neighbour for the cost of cleanup. What advice are they getting from the real estate and litigation bar? I can’t think of a single case (except...
Continue reading the post titled Why buy a contaminated site, then sue?Why don't we do more to protect fish in Algonquin Park?
We are proud of our long association with the knowledgeable and devoted scientists of Algonquin Eco watch, a volunteer group devoted to the protection of the much loved Algonquin Park ecosystem.Logging/ mining Algonquin Park is their latest presentation on why logging and aggregate mining in and near the Park are harming its fragile and precious...
Continue reading the post titled Why don't we do more to protect fish in Algonquin Park?A big win for trees and tree lovers
Warmest congratulations to Clay Ruby for his latest public interest victory: preventing the destruction of a shared mature maple tree by one of the owners. Here is the decision in Hartley vs Cunningham, and the press release on this landmark tree ruling. Look for our analysis in next month’s Lawyers Weekly.
Continue reading the post titled A big win for trees and tree loversMore slash and burn: drastic cuts to Navigable Waters Protection Act
Much like their hatchet job on the Fisheries Act, the federal Conservatives’ Bill C-45 has taken a similar axe to the Navigable Waters Protection Act, among other environmental changes in their latest Omnibus Bill. The protection of the Act will be slashed from all Canadian waters that can be traversed by boat (including canoe or kayak)...
Continue reading the post titled More slash and burn: drastic cuts to Navigable Waters Protection ActWho’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 air quality, in Ontario alone, and there were almost...
Continue reading the post titled Who’s responsible for reducing local air pollution?Receive Blog Posts
By subscribing to our blog, you will receive an email when a new post is added. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending an email to us at [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.