Climate change and heatstroke
Just as Natural Resources Canada predicted, climate change (from greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels) is bringing us immense human, environmental and economic damage from heat waves, drought and wildfires. I have already had a person become ill this week with heatstrok…
View the post titled Climate change and heatstrokeSolar Community Bonds
Another Green Energy Act and Feed In Tariff: success: Solar community bonds are now available, so that community members can invest in, and profit from, local renewable power generation. Congratulations to the Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative! Meanwhile, Environmental Defence has put out…
View the post titled Solar Community BondsWorried about wind?
So much misinformation has been spread about wind turbines that many reasonable people don’t know what to think. As one reader wrote: “Hi Dianne, … I wondered if you could direct me to reliable sources on the benefits / risks of Wind Turbines. I live in West Grey with lots of wind, bu…
View the post titled Worried about wind?Hanna leave to appeal denied
On Monday, the Ontario Court of Appeal denied Ian Hanna’s request for leave to appeal the decision of the Divisional Court, which unanimously rejected his attempt to prevent Ontario from issuing renewable energy approvals for large wind turbines. Judges Goudge, MacFarland and Watt ord…
View the post titled Hanna leave to appeal deniedPAPER financing for energy conservation
Some form of municipal financing that runs with the land has tremendous potential to accelerate energy conservation and green energy retrofits for existing buildings. The David Suzuki Foundation has published a detailed report on one such concept, Property Assessed Payments for Energy Retrof…
View the post titled PAPER financing for energy conservationBruce to Milton transmission line progress
One of Ontario’s most promising areas for wind power development is the Bruce Peninsula. However, renewable energy development on the peninsula has been severely constrained by Ontario’s contractual commitment to devote most of the existing transmission capacity to the Bruce nucl…
View the post titled Bruce to Milton transmission line progressDemand-side management goes to court
Pollution Probe is taking the Ontario Energy Board to court over demand-side management (DSM) for gas utilities. DSM refers to programs that utilities use to assist and encourage their customers to conserve. For example, electric utilities use DSM programs to encourage customers to use less …
View the post titled Demand-side management goes to courtEnergy conservation plans for public agencies
A proposed regulation under the Green Energy Act, 2009 (section 6) would require public agencies (i.e. Municipalities, Universities/Colleges, Schools, Hospitals) to submit annual energy consumption and building characteristic info as outlined in the proposed template. In addition, these publ…
View the post titled Energy conservation plans for public agenciesAmerican energy use in one chart
US energy policy has an outsize effect on Canadian law, regulation and policy. It’s therefore fascinating to see, in a single graph, how much of what type of energy they use, and how that changes year-over-year. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory publishes annual energy flow…
View the post titled American energy use in one chartFracking, methane and drinking water
The Ernst v. Encana fracking lawsuit gained strength this month with the publication of Rob Jackson’s peer-reviewed paper: Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Jackson is a professor at Duke University, and his paper is publis…
View the post titled Fracking, methane and drinking waterReceive Blog Posts
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