Environment Canada: more cuts, less science?
Sometimes, it feels like the 1990s again. In both Canada and the US, budget shortfalls and political preferences are resulting in significant cuts to environmental scientists and regulators. For example, Environment Canada has announced that its current round of cuts will eliminate approxima…
View the post titled Environment Canada: more cuts, less science?Congratulations to the new MPs
Well earned congratulations go to all three winners of yesterday’s federal election: the Harper Conservatives, who got their majority and may now succeed the Liberals as Canada’s “natural governing party”; the Layton NDP, who became the Official Opposition with a chan…
View the post titled Congratulations to the new MPsFederal budget 2011 and environment
The federal Budget plan mentions “environment” 74 times, but very few of those references relate to climate change, contamination, air, soil or water. The “environment” that the Budget focuses on is the economic one, such as:
View the post titled Federal budget 2011 and environmentFielding suing Canada re PCB waste export ban
Fielding Chemical can now sue the federal government for damages, for the extra costs it incurred in disposing of PCB waste because of federal orders closing the US border to PCB exports, and as a result of storing the PCB waste at its facility for additional years while losing the opportuni…
View the post titled Fielding suing Canada re PCB waste export banEnvironmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties
The federal Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Act is now in force. In June 2009, the federal government passed the Environmental Enforcement Act, to amend nine existing environmental statutes and to create the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penaltie…
View the post titled Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary PenaltiesReducing GHG from heavy vehicles
Environment Canada has released a consultation document, proposing elements of future regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles. Essentially, Canada will adopt the same rules as the US. In Canada, transportation accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas…
View the post titled Reducing GHG from heavy vehiclesOzone depleting substances update
The MOE is proposing to consolidate Ontario’s five ozone depleting substances regulations under the Environmental Protection Act, into one updated regulation.
View the post titled Ozone depleting substances updateTar sands polluting the Athabaska River
How do the tar sands operators get away with polluting the great Athabaska River, despite federal and provincial laws that allegedly protect rivers? By insisting that everything is fine, and that all the pollution is “natural”. Now, Professor David Schindler has blown their cover…
View the post titled Tar sands polluting the Athabaska RiverWeather or climate?
It’s hard to know whether individual weather events are just random fluctuations, or whether they are growing signs of climate change. What we need to look for are patterns– is the weather changing? And how do the changes that are actually happening compare to those predicted for clima…
View the post titled Weather or climate?Old coal to improve, slowly….
Canada’s electricity sector is responsible for 17 percent of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most of that -13%- comes from 51 coal-burning electricity plants, along with mercury, particulates, NOx/ SOx and other health hazards. [i], [ii] Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice has …
View the post titled Old coal to improve, slowly….Receive Blog Posts
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