We could be building a clean energy superpower in rural Canada
OTTAWA—Addington Highlands township is a two-hour drive west of Ottawa. It not only looks like a Group of Seven painting, it is: many famous paintings from the original G7 were created at Mazinaw Lake 90 years ago. Seventy per cent of township land is Crown-owned, and covered with a mature mixed hardwood-softwood forest. Indeed, this […]
Building the green economy with SMEs
According to Statistics Canada, businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for more than 50 per cent of Canada’s GDP. Canada has a higher percentage of these small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) than most OECD countries. Combine that with the fact that SMEs are a strong source of innovation in Canada, and it is clear […]
Towards a green economy: we need a national energy strategy, and a comprehensive climate plan
Worldwide, governments are concerned with making a shift to a green economy to stimulate growth, create new jobs, eradicate poverty, and limit humanity’s ecological footprint. It is no longer a choice between saving our economy and saving our environment. It is a choice between being a producer and consumer in the old economy, and being […]
Government is behind times when it comes to greening the economy: Miller
Throughout his seven years as mayor of Toronto, David Miller implemented numerous initiatives to make the city's infrastructure more environmentally sustainable. Since leaving municipal politics in 2010, he has served as a special adviser on urban and environmental issues to the World Bank and the OECD. This fall he begins his tenure as Future of […]
Energy experts hopeful new NRCan Minister will continue to diversify Canada’s energy portfolio
Renewable energy proponents say they are optimistic that new Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver can provide the leadership for a national clean energy strategy, but his wealth of investment experience will be tested by cutbacks in funding for research and development. Prior to entering federal politics, Mr. Oliver worked for more than 30 years in […]
Canada needs a sustainable energy strategy
In 2011, Canada stands at a peculiar crossroads for a country with immense supplies of both conventional and renewable energy. While the Harper government has trumpeted Canada as a “clean energy superpower,” the truth is that there is no overarching plan to ensure energy sustainability in Canada. This government’s leadership vacuum has left Canada with […]
Wood pellet heating: simple solutions can be sustainable
The people of Canada’s North need real answers to the high cost of living. Saving on energy is one of the answers. Twenty-six per cent of the total energy use in the Northwest Territories in 2009 was for heating and mostly for using heating oil (diesel), a fuel shipped, stored and consumed at great expense. […]
Kent estimates Canada is ‘a quarter of way’ to meeting 2020 GHG emissions targets
Environment Minister Peter Kent has been in his Cabinet role for more than six months, but with a new majority government, “the jury is still out” on his track record in the portfolio, says environmental lawyer Adam Chamberlain, a partner in law firm Borden Ladner Gervais. “It will be interesting to see how things evolve […]
Feds shouldn’t be in business of picking winners and losers in energy technology, say critics
When it comes to government investment in sustainable technology, Canada’s natural resources offer a wealth of options to capitalize on, but the feds shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers when it comes to energy technology, say some energy policy pundits. “When you’re talking about technology, and clean energy technologies, it’s very […]
No plans to abandon nuclear energy in Canada, despite public concerns and costly upgrades
While some Western countries have announced plans to abandon nuclear power after a series of nuclear meltdowns at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear facility earlier this year, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission insist that similar measures are unnecessary in Canada. Germany and Switzerland have already announced that they will abandon nuclear power over […]
