Earthquakes and nuclear plants
Soon after our office stopped shaking in today’s second earthquake, I started to wonder again about Ontario’s nuclear plants. OPG says we shouldn’t worry: “There have been no earthquakes greater than a Magnitude 4 within 50 km of the Pickering nuclear power station o…
Continue reading the post titled Earthquakes and nuclear plantsVideo on approvals reform
Thanks to Nimonik for posting a video interview of Dianne on the Ontario approvals reform legislation.
Continue reading the post titled Video on approvals reformWas BP evil or unlucky?
Did the Gulf oil spill occur because BP was negligent or unlucky? They may have been merely unlucky; the sorts of tradeoffs that they made are likely common in the oil industry. Still, it was inevitable, given the scale of the spill, that BP would be vilified and probably prosecuted. It is …
Continue reading the post titled Was BP evil or unlucky?Treaty on Mercury?
A global agreement to restrict the use of mercury may finally be on the way. The UN’s first intergovernmental Mercury Conference took place in Stockholm this month; the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has released a summary of the negotiations.
Continue reading the post titled Treaty on Mercury?Obama, the Oval Office, the BP spill and the future
I thought that President Obama hit just the right notes last night with his public address about the BP spill and the future of oil. Yes, the spill must be stopped, and cleaned up, and compensation paid. But the US must finally get REALLY serious about getting off oil, instead of letting Chi…
Continue reading the post titled Obama, the Oval Office, the BP spill and the futureDoes the pesticide ban work?
Does the ban on cosmetic pesticides work? Ontario’s ban came into effect on April 22, 2009. Since then, there has been a dramatic decline in the concentration of pesticides in urban watercourses – according to a study released by the Ministry of the Environment.
Continue reading the post titled Does the pesticide ban work?Clean power or the Greenbelt?
Why sacrifice the Greenbelt for a private power plant? And why is municipal opposition being swept away? Are municipalities important and trustworthy partners on the environment? Only when it suits the province. The Municipal Act was revised a few years ago to give municipalities much greate…
Continue reading the post titled Clean power or the Greenbelt?Time to slap down SLAPPS?
Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits that some organizations use to suppress or punish their opponents, including public interest groups that fight proposed developments.[i] These suits used to be rare in Canada, but are now an increasing concern.[ii] They c…
Continue reading the post titled Time to slap down SLAPPS?Does pollution breach human rights?
Is heavily polluting a community a breach of its human rights? The Inter American Commission on Human Rights has agreed to hear a precedent-setting case against the United States based on environmental racism in Cancer Alley, as a breach of human rights. Heavily polluting industries are ofte…
Continue reading the post titled Does pollution breach human rights?PCB in my fish oil?
Are fish oil supplements safe? The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation doesn’t think we know enough to tell. In March, the Foundation filed a lawsuit against fish oil supplement manufacturers, distributors and retailers, claiming that they fail to give clear warnings, required by Calif…
Continue reading the post titled PCB in my fish oil?