¶ Published Tuesday, June 22nd In Environment - No Comments »
What does your company release into the environment and what does it publish in its annual report? According to a Globe and Mail article (found here), only 10 of the 60 largest Canadian companies release data for all four major environmental items (carbon emissions, water usage, energy usage and waste production). They say, you change what you measure. With so little public disclosure of environmental indicators going on, it is no wonder that we remain a polluting country. Beyond legal compliance, the rigorous and methodical collection and analysis of environmental data helps increase awareness at all levels of a companyRead the Rest…
¶ Published Tuesday, March 30th In Environment, Legal Issues, Video - 1 Comment »
I recently had a chance to sit down with Dianne Saxe, a top environmental lawyer in Toronto to discuss the proposed changes to the approvals system in Ontario. Here is our video, take a look at the links and transcript below for full details, and don’t forget to visit her great blog here. 1. Tell us about Ontario’s “Proposed Framework for Modernizing Environmental Approvals”. What’s the intent behind it? 2. Practically, what will it mean for businesses? How do you expect the proposed framework to change the rules for businesses required to get permits? 3. Can we expect that business will haveRead the Rest…
¶ Published Sunday, March 21st In Environment - No Comments »
An interesting map of water stations in Europe and their ratings by the European environmental agency and user ratings side by side. Worth a quick look as I have not seen this done by any other government yet. Though it could be potentially useful, in its current state it looks somewhat half-finished and the data is not very detailed. Site here.
¶ Published Monday, February 1st In Announcements - No Comments »
As a special offer, we are posting all of our environmental guidance text in all of the jursidictions available to non-members. This is a temporary offer for one week, please let us know what you think and feel free to sign-up for an account. Here are our topics and sub-topics: Click here to access all of the topics listed below. Air Emissions Prohibitions and Approvals Ambient Air Quality Standards Air Emissions Standards Combustion Emissions Standards Monitoring and Reporting Vehicle Emissions Other Requirements Approvals, Authorizations or Permits Approvals, Authorizations or Permits Contaminated Sites New contamination Investigation of suspected contamination Registration ofRead the Rest…
¶ Published Friday, January 29th In Environment - No Comments »
Canada drops from 12th in 2008 to 43rd out of 163 countries, according to the 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EPI relies on 25 performance indicators covering both environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. It’s worth noting that Canada fares quite well on some indicators — in forestry and agricultural practices, notably. Surprisingly, considering our reputation as one of the worst water wasters in the world, Canada also nears the top in water. Sure we have access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. But our generous endowments in water ought not excuse us from more responsible conservation practices.Read the Rest…
¶ Published Wednesday, December 2nd In Environment - No Comments »
George Monbiot breaks his self-imposed ban on flying and lands in Toronto to witness the “astonishing spectacle of a beautiful, cultured nation turning itself into a corrupt petrostate.”
¶ Published Friday, November 27th In Environment - No Comments »
The United States throws out 40% of their food (article). With the world under greater and greater ecological pressure, many parties state the obvious: efficiency improvements are the low hanging fruit. Lowering your house temperature in the winter, raising it in the summer, buying a fuel-efficient car or changing your light bulbs saves a great deal of energy at very low-cost. A major, but overlooked, contributor to environmental degradation is food production, transportation, and preparation. Not only is over food over consumption bad for the environment and your health; in a world where people still go hungry it is immoralRead the Rest…
¶ Published Wednesday, October 28th In Design & Features - No Comments »
Some of our potential clients do not require detailed guidance text on legislation – they already understand the basics, they simply want updates on environmental legislation. They want to know what is changing, when, how and why. We have always offered updates as part of our various services, but now we are pleased to offer it as a stand-alone service. Priced at a very competitive 120$ per year per province and with all our Federal information free, we hope this new service will keep you on top of legislative changes. Sign up today and the first month is free. HereRead the Rest…
¶ Published Thursday, October 8th In Environment - No Comments »
Doing something small for the environment, like turning off lights in unused rooms, also results in big savings for organisations. By Isaac Rudik at Compliance Solutions Canada – A Nimonik affiliate A colleague recently replaced all of the incandescent bulbs throughout his small-to-midsized company with compact fluorescent lights, and removed one-quarter of the fluorescent tubes from ceiling fixtures in areas where worker safety and productivity wasn’t affected. Urged to action by his pre-teen children, Jack’s intent was to do something positive – however small – for the environment. But he was delightfully surprised by his next Hydro bill: Not onlyRead the Rest…
¶ Published Thursday, July 16th In Environment - No Comments »
Not exactly hot of the press news anymore, but here‘s my rundown on the Supreme Court decision in St. Lawrence Cement Inc. v. Barrette.
¶ Published Thursday, July 16th In Environment - No Comments »
This week, Wal-Mart had a “sustainability meeting” and announced new questionnaires to assess the environmental footprint of their suppliers. The data will eventually be converted into green labels for products that will indicate the environmental impact. Other retailers are likely to follow, in fact Wal-Mart has invited Costco, Target and Tesco to join on this initiative. Wal-Mart, once the pariah of social and environmental activists is now leading the charge. Here is a good New York Times overview of the meeting. Here are a couple of the questions suppliers will be encouraged to answer. 5. If measured, please report totalRead the Rest…
¶ Published Monday, May 25th In Environment, Miscellaneous - No Comments »
With the economy in the doldrums, many people in the environmental field are scrambling to find work. Though I do not have any concrete figures, it is no suprise that consulting contracts, particularly sustainability related, have dried up dramatically. Companies have put new and expansion projects on hold, and this has in turn removed demand for soil contamination, phase I & IIs and other assessment work. As such, I thought I would put together a quick list of the canadian job boards targeting environmental specialists. We are not particular to any single one, but some clearly have more volume thanRead the Rest…
¶ Published Monday, April 27th In Environment - No Comments »
Twice last week, the Federal Court of Canada told the Harper government to do its job. First it was the repatriation of Omar Khadr. Then it ordered the Federal government to include in the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) the publication of all mining pollution data, going back to 2006. The NPRI details all the industrial and commercial pollutants released into the air, water and land in Canada. Since 2006, mining companies are required to report all pollutants released during their activities. But in interpreting CEPA, Environment Canada saw an exemption for pollutants present in the tailings and waste rockRead the Rest…
¶ Published Thursday, April 9th In Environment - No Comments »
To make an educated decision you need data, good data. Unfortunatly, much of the environmental data cited by NGO’s, governments, and the private sector has holes in it and is often out of date by the time it hits the newstand. In this modern age of Google Maps, GPS, and broadband internet, there is no reason why we can’t have better data on our oceans, land, water and air. The New York Times recently lamented how UN data is out of date and its quality is even considered questionable by its own scientists, yet UN data is commonly cited inRead the Rest…
¶ Published Friday, March 13th In Environment, Legal Issues, Miscellaneous - No Comments »
The minister of the environment (MOE) of Ontario, John Gerretsen, just spoke at an Ontario Environment Industries Association (ONEIA) event in Toronto. He discussed a number of things, but focused mainly on the Green Act and it’s implications for the Ontario economy. Clearly a forward thinking man, he insists the environment industry will play a large role in any economic recovery by offering practical solutions with quicker than expected payback periods. Specifically, the Green Energy Act proposes to have a one (1) permit system to help projects cut through the red, or as the minister calls it, green tape. RightRead the Rest…
