Warning: This is not the good news department
Good news can be found – here
Nov 14, 2024 – This is the scene of destruction at Ontario Place a few weeks ago. 865 trees clearcut to make room for a spa owned by the Austrian company Thermes. The Ford government has given the company a 95-year lease on our Ontario commons. Taxpayers will pay to build 1,800 parking spots for the facility. Photographer Steven Evans has captured the devastation wrought on what was Toronto’s one beautifully landscaped west island. From Spacing: Canadian Urbanism Uncovered
Sounding the science-based alarm – Professor Johan Rockström
It is important to inspire change, by spreading the word on new solutions, and explaining the benefits of a rapid transition for our health, our ecosystems and our economies. But sometimes we also need to hear that we’re in deep shit – and that the time remaining to get us out of it is quickly vanishing. Watch Professor Johan Rockström’s 18-minute TED talk. Learn how the climate crisis is accelerating in a way that makes climate scientists very nervous – and hear him describe the path to a very different and much nicer future for us all.
Ford’s Christmas gift to Enbridge Gas
January 18, 2024
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has seen the future and that future does not include subsidizing the expansion of fossil gas service to new residential developments. The OEB ended that subsidy, finding that this would lower energy bills for new homebuyers and for existing gas customers.
But for a provincial government that still has its head buried in the sand when it comes to climate change, the OEB’s decision to end generous subsidies that generate big profits for Enbridge Gas was not acceptable. The Ford government quickly moved – just days before Christmas – to protect its fossil fuel industry friends by stating that it will pass legislation to reverse the board’s decision – an extraordinary step without precedent in Ontario.
Ontario’s Bill 212 passed: Highway 413 is in and bike lanes are out. What now?
Nov. 26, 2024 – Emma McIntosh – the Narwhal
The new law empowers Doug Ford’s government to move ahead with the highway without an environmental assessment, and with little recourse for First Nations and other landowners along the route.
… Bill 212, also known as the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, passed Monday night after a chaotic, divisive month of protests, capped off when the government pushed through a raft of last-minute additions. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has argued the package will help relieve the Greater Toronto Area’s major traffic problems, even though decades of evidence shows new highways make congestion worse in the long run and new bike lanes can often make it better.
2024 on track to become warmest year ever and first above 1.5c
Ontario town offered $4.8M to accept new gas plant
November 16th 2023 – Napanee is already home to Ontario’s largest gas-fired electricity plant and the province wants it expanded. A series of other municipalities have rejected new gas generation recently. Now the Crown corporation, Ontario Power Generation, is dangling a $4.8-million “community benefit agreement” to persuade Napanee’s council to break the trend.
“It is totally inappropriate for OPG to be offering this payment. Offering payment in exchange for a licence to pollute is unacceptable,” said Keith Brooks, programs director at Environmental Defence.
Gas Carries the Same Climate Clout as Coal, Study Shows, as Ontario Plans New Gas Plants – July 18, 2023 – Energy Mix – Even if a natural gas system leaks as little as 0.2% of the product into the atmosphere, “it’s as bad as coal,” Deborah Brown, lead author of the new study
For the third time this week, Earth sets an unofficial heat record. – July 7, 2023 – AP.
– July 3: 17.01 Celsius Earth’s highest ever average global temperature.
– July 4: 17.18 Celsius,
– July 5: 17.18 Celsius, .
– July 6: 17.23 Celsius, Global temperatures reached a new high. Scientists say the daily drumbeat of records — official or not — is a symptom of a larger problem where the precise digits aren’t as important as what’s causing them.
This is the good news department
1TW of Solar: From 68 Years down to 2
“It took 68 years for the world to reach one terawatt of solar PV capacity. It took just two years to double it,” reports Joshua Hill in Renew Economy.
“Putting the scale of this achievement in context, 2TW of solar is equivalent to the total installed electricity capacity of India, the United States, and United Kingdom combined and could power an estimated one billion homes.” Read article
In Bogotá, Women Are Driving a Better Bus System
March 29, 2024
“This is a very beautiful place to work,” says Perez, as she steers the bus through the pleasingly symmetrical universe of white lines, smooth gray asphalt and angular metal platforms that house nearly 200 electric charging stations. “It’s new, it’s clean and it all works.”
City of Regina buying up to 53 Nova Bus electric buses
Jan 31, 2024 – Electric Autonomy
“These will be the first battery-electric buses in Regina Transit’s fleet,” said Brad Bells, director of Transit and Fleet with the City of Regina, in a press statement. “The addition of these electric buses will support the City of Regina’s goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable city by 2050.”
A gift from the sun: Métis Nation of Alberta solar farm could power 1,200 homes
Nov 27, 2023 – Stephanie Cram · CBC News
The project will offset about 4,700 tonnes of CO2 from the environment
The Métis Nation of Alberta is setting the stage to become net zero with the launch of a solar farm north of Métis Crossing in Smoky Lake County.
It is one of a handful of solar projects on Indigenous lands in Alberta, including energy-harvesting developments at Lubicon Cree Nation, Fort McKay First Nation, Beaver Lake Cree Nation, and Louis Bull Tribe at Maskwacis.
Electrification is efficiency: The world will need less energy after the transition
Oct 23, 2023 – Hannah Ritchie
When we electrify our energy systems, a magical thing happens: large inefficiencies vanish. As the International Energy Agency puts it: “Electrification is efficiency”.
Hu-rè! Edinburgh Bans Fossil Ads from Council Property and Events
June 1, 2024 – Blow those bagpipes! The Scottish capital has announced sweeping restrictions on advertising a whole range of climate-polluting products. Ads for fossil fuel companies, airlines, airports, SUVs, cruise ships and petrol and diesel cars will all be banned from Edinburgh council property and events. Get the details.
CATL announces electric vehicle battery with 1.5 million kilometre warranty April 3, 2024 – The world’s largest battery maker CATL has announced a new electric vehicle battery pack with a 1.5 million kilometre, 15 year warranty.
Halton Hills says no to a big new gas plant – Dec 12, 2023 – In a 9-2 decision, the Council acted in the best interests of residents and the planet rather than taking the $3.5 million in public money OPG had offered the Council to buy into its polluting plan.
More local councils move to ban new gas connections – Dec 11, 2023 – Sydney, Australia – Inner West and Lane Cove councils are the latest local governments to use planning powers to stop new buildings connecting to the gas network on health and economic grounds.
Portugal just ran on 100% renewables for six days in a row – Nov 16, 2023 – …As it turned out, those rainy, blustery days were just a warmup. Portugal produced more than enough renewable power to serve all its customers for six straight days, from October 31 to November 6.
It takes a village to build a nation’s energy efficiency and electrification program – Nov 15, 2023 – Switchedon -Ireland is developing one of the most sophisticated residential energy efficiency ecosystems in the world built on a foundation of pilots, trials, grants, mandatory efficiency standards, financing and one-stop-shops.
Powerful Example’: California Now Largest Economy to Back Fossil Fuel Nonproliferation Treaty – Sept 1, 2023 – Common Dreams – “We hope this move locks in real action on ending the era of fossil fuels in California, and spurs other regions, states, and countries to join forces in tackling the root cause of the climate crisis”
Hamilton Plant to Supply Recycled Steel for GM Cars – Aug 27, 2023 – the Energy Mix Through the agreement, steel produced for GM will include a minimum 70% recycled material
Amazon Deforestation Drops 34% in Lula’s First Six Months – July 18, 2023 – the Energy Mix
Full Story: The Associated Press – After four years of rising destruction in Brazil’s Amazon, deforestation dropped by 33.6% during the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration, according to government satellite data released earlier this month.
Lion Electric buses to power P.E.I. relief centres in emergencies
May 9, 2023
School buses in Prince Edward Island have an additional use beyond transporting students.
The government of P.E.I. is collaborating with Lion Electric on a pilot project to use the province’s 82 LionC electric school buses to provide electricity to emergency community disaster relief centres in the event of a power outage. – more