British Columbia led a first round of consultations on their next steps on climate change mitigation and adaptation, called the Climate Leadership Plan. With over a thousand submissions received the second round of consultations has been extended to April 8th, 2016. If you are interested in the submissions to date, QUEST BC has compiled them here.
The Rockefeller family made their fortune, with many others, in the burgeoning oil industry of the 19th century, and profited immensely from their investment until recently. In 2014, the heirs to the fortune announced plans to divest from fossil fuel over concerns about climate change. At the time, they called it their “moral duty”.
About three quarters of global greenhouse emissions come from burning fossil fuels, with coal making up 45% of that, oil 35%, and natural gas 20%. They are not the whole ballgame of climate change, but a very important part.
Sustainable Canada Dialogues (SCD) sent an open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau prior to his talks with his provincial counterparts in Vancouver this week urging him and the premiers that the best investment for Canada does not lie in infrastructure for fossil fuels.“We’re trying to bring our best perspective as to what’s going on in the global oil market and what are the good investments for Canada,” said James Byrne, a climatologist at the Unive
Leonardo DiCaprio’s commitment to being a voice for climate change action was at the forefront even on what was arguably the biggest night of his life. The actor used his best actor win at the 88th Academy Awards to give a very moving acceptance speech, the latter half of which addressed the very real threat climate change poses to all people, and particularly the indigenous populations around the world, and those most vulnerable to its effects.
In this recent video, Naomi Klein makes a compelling case: that recent economic and environment events, which have led us to a transitory stage in our development, should be interpreted not as obstacles, so much as they should be seen as opportunities. Just a few of the ideas she mentions include:
Following France's leadership from COP21, it is 'paving' the way in road innovation. The country is planning to provide power to millions of homes with the implementation of a technology called Wattway. The polycrystalline panels that will make up an innovative new road surface will transform solar energy into electricity, ostensibly turning existing infrastructure into an excellent opportunity for clean energy integration. The impact is minimal, as the panels themselves measure just 7mm thick and can be laid atop existing roadways.
The Alberta government recently announced its plan for a 5.5 million dollar investment in solar power for both municipalities and farms. The plan will fund incentives in the form of rebates, to encourage more solar installations in municipal infrastructure. With 500,000 dollars earmarked for the On-Farm Solar Management program, they’re looking to provide long term energy stability for the agricultural sector.
I try to blog mostly on the positive side of the ledger, but also mindful of how difficult it is to realize changes of the magnitude that are needed to significantly reduce greenhous gas emissions in my lifetime and transition to a carbon neutral economy by 2050. Yet, I believe it is doable, and perhaps even by 2030, if only our governments will lead.