¶ Published Monday, December 14th In Environment - No Comments »
“This is the day that will define our century. Canada is fully acknowledging its historical climate debt and the legal responsibilities that follow. Today, we no longer have to wait for a COP20 or COP100 before the voices of our children are heard. Now that we are friends, I can say it is high time Canada changed.” – Margaret Matembe, MP and member of the Climate Committee of Uganda Too bad “the staged response” was in response to the fake news release claiming that Canada had done an about turnaround on its carbon emissions targets. The hoax has created suchRead the Rest…
¶ Published Monday, December 14th In Environment - No Comments »
Another sign that governments in Canada are beginning to tighten enforcement against environmental violations: The Manitoba government proclaimed this month several amendments to the province’s Environment Act. The changes bolster the inspection powers of environment officers and contain new reporting requirements for the release of pollutants. Environment officers are now able to inspect wastewater systems in sensitive areas (namely the north Red River corridor) and may intervene preemptively to avoid adverse environmental effects. Pollutants causing adverse effects to the environment must now be reported. Further, all proposed projects must now be evaluated with respect to potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionsRead the Rest…
¶ Published Friday, December 11th In Environment - No Comments »
As previously mentioned on this blog (here, here, and here), we have many issues with a cap-and-trade system. They are very difficult to account for. The video below, clearly explains the risks of carbon markets. With Copenhagen on everyone’s mind, it is important to realize the inherent problems with carbon markets. The logic is that large emitters will finance renewable energy through the purchase of carbon credits. If carbon credits are to be a form of financing for projects, we have big problems ahead of us. Heavy industry, with powerful lobbies, receive too many credits – which they then sellRead the Rest…
¶ Published Friday, December 11th In Environment - 1 Comment »
It’s about politics
¶ Published Friday, December 11th In Environment - 1 Comment »
Too few business and organisations provide the right equipment to dispose of substances properly or how to handle spills. As a result, even small spills plague businesses, schools, hospitals and other institutions. By Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada – A Nimonik Affiliate An Ontario laboratory, known for poor storage and handling of caustic and acidic substances, was fined numerous times by Ministry of Labour for not cleaning up its act. Even after several such actions, a worker was using “aqua regia” – a toxic mix of concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acid which forms a powerful oxidizing medium for cleaningRead the Rest…
¶ Published Thursday, December 10th In Environment - No Comments »
They say necessity makes even the timid brave. Well the adage proved true yesterday in Copenhagen when Tuvalu proposed that countries sign a tough and legally binding agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol which would force ambitious global emission cuts, even on developing nations. Talks broke down as developing nations split over the matter. Incidentally, Tuvalu’s highest point is just 4.5 metres above sea level, and there are projections that in this century alone, sea levels could rise by more than a metre. Necessity is also the author of change.
¶ Published Wednesday, December 9th In Environment - No Comments »
A couple of weeks ago, we posted about Quebec’s habit of playing with words when making waste management policy. Similarly, Ontario has its own distorted sense of how to measure success.
¶ Published Wednesday, December 9th In Environment, Miscellaneous - No Comments »
We are very please to announce that we are now associate members of Greeen Enterprise Toronto (GET) , an organization that promotes green practices in the Toronto business community. They have also become associates with us and as such, GET members can obtain a discount on Nimonik services. Here is a blurb from GET which explains the work they do. GET is the preeminent green business alliance in the Greater Toronto Area. We are a membership-based, not-for-profit organization 330 members strong – and growing! With our online directory, advertising and outreach, we connect locally-owned green businesses with consumers. Through networkingRead the Rest…
¶ Published Wednesday, December 9th In Environment - No Comments »
A new study just released claims the government of Alberta and the oil sands industry is significantly under estimating the impact of operations on the local environment. Using samples from the ground and water around tar sands, the study demonstrates elevated levels of various heavy metals. The study is published in the PNAS, a subscription based scientific journal. It is becoming clearer by the day the vast environmental disaster that is the oil sands. They are very profitable, but they are destroying Alberta and corrupting Canada. How do we battle companies who have such deep pocketbooks? Our politicians need to haveRead the Rest…
¶ Published Tuesday, December 8th In Environment - No Comments »
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 Canadian Law Blog Awards (CLawBies), in recognition of the best blogs published by the Canadian legal industry. Steve Matthews of Stem Legal is running the show and has invited people to suggest some nominations. So here are three of our favourite Canadian law blogs: 1. Climate Change Law Practice Group Blog Davis LLP and Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Blog Davis LLP: Davis LLP has six blogs, three of which cover environmental issues. These two are among our favourite because of strong and prolific writing, and their extensive coverage of environmental issuesRead the Rest…
¶ Published Tuesday, December 8th In Environment, Legal Issues - 1 Comment »
Just came across a great website for legal resources on many subjects, Legal Tree, a collaborative website with links to sites, books and articles. See their environmental page here.
¶ Published Monday, December 7th In Environment - No Comments »
On December 3rd, Ontario passed Bill 185, amending the Environmental Protection Act to provide a framework for a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the province. The amended act now allows Ontario to join other cap-and-trade systems systems in North America and abroad. It authorizes the Environment Minister to regulate emissions trading and other economic and financial instruments and market-based approaches. This will allow for the distribution of economic financial instruments relating to GHG emissions through sale, auction and by other means. The amended act also requires proceeds from the sale or distribution of such instruments to beRead the Rest…
¶ Published Monday, December 7th In Environment - No Comments »
The Copenhagen climate change summit opens today and will run until December 18. Depending on who you read, either the Canadian government won’t buy into “the hype” and won’t be rushed, or will “push for a binding deal.” Though Climategate still looms in the forefront, members of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) have released the Copenhagen Diagnosis — a review of hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers published since the IPCC’s last assessment in 2007 — which concludes that the climate situation is much worse than the IPCC has so far reported. The lesson in all this isRead the Rest…
¶ Published Sunday, December 6th In Environment - No Comments »
Martin Wolf of the Financial Times offers three criteria for post-Copenhagen climate change policies to be truly effective. First, we need prices for carbon that apply over relevant planning horizons. That price cannot be fixed forever, but must change with events. But it needs to be far more stable than in the European Union’s market for permits (see chart). A tax seems more attractive to me than “cap and trade”, for this reason. Second, where the abatement occurs must be separated from who pays for it. Abatement needs to happen where it is most efficient. That is why emissions ofRead the Rest…
¶ Published Sunday, December 6th In Environment - No Comments »
Check out this animated sequence which shows the impact of the oil sands industry on the consumption of freshwater from the Athabasca River. It takes up to four barrels of freshwater to extract a single barrel of oil, which is possible only because of the absence in Canada of a true national water policy. Amazingly, under the current federal-provincial water management framework for the Athabasca River, there are no provisions for capping water withdrawals or to protect fish habitat. The feature also ties our energy production and water consumption to our trade commitments, which are further explained in an articleRead the Rest…
