NTREE: who understands climate risks?
In its Advisory Report – Facing the Elements: Building Business Resilience in a Changing Climate, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy provides a fascinating insight into the way different business sectors perceive, and disclose, the risks associated with climate…
Continue reading the post titled NTREE: who understands climate risks?Repair Cafe- real waste diversion
Here’s a great idea for waste diversion: repair cafes, where people bring things that need fixing to volunteers who like to fix things, and to teach others how to fix them too. This is the concept of the fast growing Dutch Repair Cafes:
Continue reading the post titled Repair Cafe- real waste diversion$40,000 fine for firing whistleblower
On March 22, 2012, Carica Construction Inc. was convicted on two violations under the Environmental Protection Act. The company failed to report a spill of hydraulic oil, and fired the employee who did report it.
Continue reading the post titled $40,000 fine for firing whistleblowerFederal contaminated sites
In the 2012 Spring Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Commissioner focuses on the relationship between economic growth and environmental protection, the continuing debate often misdescribed as “jobs versus the environment.” He again concludes that…
Continue reading the post titled Federal contaminated sitesObstacles to waste diversion
Ontario’s Minister of the Environment says that it is his second highest priority to increase waste diversion from landfill. Can he do it? Yesterday, Dianne gave a well-received keynote address to the Municipal Waste Association on Obstacles to Waste Diversion.
Continue reading the post titled Obstacles to waste diversionNew rules on soil movement
Ontario has struggled for many years to provide clear, consistent, effective rules to govern the huge amount of soil that contractors move from place to place. Is it a product? a waste? Where can it go? How clean is clean? There is so much confusion that municipalities, such as Clarington, a…
Continue reading the post titled New rules on soil movementComments on the Mining Act changes
The Ontario Bar Association has submitted extensive comments on the proposed changes to the Mining Act. The OBA calls on the province to provide greater clarity on who must do what, especially in the area of aboriginal consultation: “Clarifying the requirements for proponents, the role…
Continue reading the post titled Comments on the Mining Act changesLow Carbon Policies
Interested in some really good thinking on low carbon policies, that might help lead to the future that Amory Lovins describes? Katie Sullivan of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) offers :
Continue reading the post titled Low Carbon PoliciesApprovals reform making progress
What are Ontario’s biggest obstacles to job creation? According to employers contacting the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the Ministry of the Environment is usually on their top 5 list. And approvals problems (including delay) are high among them. Approvals reform i…
Continue reading the post titled Approvals reform making progressBlackoutSpeakout: It worked for Wikipedia
BlackoutSpeakout: Canadian environmental organizations are using Wikipedia’s protest tactic of darkening their websites on June 4 to protest federal government 2012 Budget plans to slash environmental protection and environmental protest, anything that stands in the way of the oil sand…
Continue reading the post titled BlackoutSpeakout: It worked for Wikipedia