November 2012

Meeting the infrastructure needs of a rapidly growing population can often overwhelm the capacity of a city to pay for new infrastructure while maintaining its existing stock of roads, water and wastewater facilities, schools and other public facilities and services. Tackling these problems begins with local governments and their stakeholders and citizens making better choices on growth management – how, when and where a city should grow.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has just released a report on human rights issues experienced by people with mental health and addictions.

A new MC³ case study synopsis has been released.  This one features the City of North Vancouver, located on the north shore of the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

A new MC³ case study synopsis has been released, featuring the City of Dawson Creek.

Dawson Creek is a city with a population of approximately 11,000 located in BC’s Peace Region. Its oil and gas industry is a major contributor to the city’s economy; however, in the midst of this industry, the City has developed some of the most innovative climate change and sustainability-related initiatives in BC. Years before the Carbon Tax was instituted, Dawson Creek had already begun the process of reducing its corporate and community GHG emissions.

A summary report highlighting the key outcomes of the Imagine 2012 Conference has be prepared and released to the public.

A new video in the Meeting the Climate Change Challenge (MC³) series has just been released!

A new Meeting the Climate Change Challenge (MC³) case study synopsis has been released, featuring the community of Eagle Island located in the municipality of West Vancouver.

The World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) annual greenhouse gas (GHG) bulletin has noted that GHGs reached a record high in 2011.  In a press release put out to the public early this week, the WMO explains that a 30% increase in radiative forcing (the warming effect on climate) has occurred between 1990 and 2011.  Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are 85% responsible for this increase in radiative forcing, and atmospheric CO₂ has increased to 40% above the pre-industrial level.

The Students for a Just and Stable Future of Harvard University initiated a campaign in September that calls for a divestment of Harvard’s endowment from the top 200 publicly-traded fossil fuel corporations. Supported by the Better Future Project and 350.org, Divest Harvard is the first Harvard student group in over half a decade that has gained enough signatures to qualify a referendum question for the student government elections and make fossil fuel divestment an official position of the Harvard College Undergraduate Council.

Urban Sustainability: Reconnecting Space and Place is a recently release book on sustainable urban planning created through 12 contributors and three primary editors, Ann Dale (Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development, Royal Roads University), William T. Dushenko (Vice-President Academics at Yukon College), and Pamela Robinson (School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University).

A new Meeting the Climate Change Challenge (MC³) case study synopsis has been released, featuring the community of Prince George located in the north of British Columbia.