January 20, 2010
Ontario v BC — but what about La Belle Province?
by Tzeporah BermanThe Globe has a useful and interesting overview today of the race between provinces to lead on clean energy. But strangely frames the story as a two-way “green energy fight” between Ontario and BC with no mention of Quebec.
Quebec is no slouch on the green energy front and keeps charging ahead, most recently with the biggest electric vehicle trial in the country slated for this fall.
The feds are missing in action in the Globe story — but that part is entirely accurate. (maybe the ‘recalibration’ will result in refunding ecoENERGY for Renewable Power and SDTC? — here’s hoping)
And here’s the link to Justine Hunter’s Globe story:
Ontario has leapfrogged British Columbia as the go-to jurisdiction for green-energy investments, with its promise of generous long-term energy contracts that include a guaranteed revenue stream for solar, wind and other alternative power projects.
It’s just the beginning of a battle between the provinces as they vie to attract billions of dollars in investment and jobs in this burgeoning sector.
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Chris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
Rogerlg, Sunday, March 7th, 2010 Oh, so that's our Calgary author Chris Turner! Boy, he talks fast! But can there be any doubt that we need leaders and proponents like him? I had a wake up call about the ocean acidification from a CBC radio program about six months ago, and I cried... What can I do to speed up this great leap sideways? When I'm not praying and advocating for a carbon tax, I remember two of my favorite quotes: "A twig can turn a flood, but the twig must be well placed." spoken by Coll in The High King, by Lloyd Alexander; and "When we study the biographies of our heroes, we learn that they spent years in preparation, doing tiny, decent things before one historic moment propelled them to center stage and used them to tilt empires." by Danusha Veronica Goska Read More 3 comments
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Chris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
jflsys, March 8, 2010 What a tightly packed 15 minutes! The parts about urban development reminded me of the great Canadian documentary film... Read MoreChris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
jflsys, March 8, 2010 What a tightly packed 15 minutes! The parts about urban development reminded me of the great Canadian documentary film... Read MoreChris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
Rogerlg, March 7, 2010 Oh, so that’s our Calgary author Chris Turner! Boy, he talks fast! But can there be any doubt that we need... Read MoreUPDATED – Ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Defends “Skeptics,” Condemns Climate “Alarmism”
Barry Saxifrage, February 25, 2010 LOL. Own goal. Even... Read MoreKeep Calm But Don’t Carry On
Barry Saxifrage, February 23, 2010 There are some good things to do in this list, but I disagree with the overall message that we need to back away... Read More
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Open letter to Harper on UN Climate Summit Copenhagen
Tzeporah Berman, December 3, 2009 Tzeporah Berman addressing Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Read MoreIn the Fight Over Clean Energy, Will “Environmentalists” Stand With Science?
March 23, 2009 By Professor Andrew Weaver, Lead author for the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Read MoreBacklash Against the Green Economy in BC
Tzeporah Berman, March 19, 2009 "You mean they want to ban all renewable energy companies from your province?" This is the point when I sigh inwardly during conversations with colleagues from outside B. Read MoreWhat Is The Next Generation of Environmentalism?
Tzeporah Berman, March 5, 2009 I'm planning a series of posts on the state of play of "environmentalism" in Canada and to work through the thorny questions over what environmental "leadership" (icky term I know) means at this pivotal moment on Earth. Read MoreFederal Budget: where’s renewable energy?
Chris Hatch, January 28, 2009 The Conservative government is talking “green stimulus” but, in a surprise move, did not renew support to green energy production in its budget. Read More
British MPs hike oil sands pressure.
British Members of Parliament have joined the campaign to force two of the world's biggest energy companies to provide more information on their oil-sands operations, adding to the pressure the firms will face at their upcoming annual meetings.The new world order.
Cleo Paskal, a London-based journalist and a scholar at the think tank Chatham House, presents a fascinating geopolitical chessboard, on which the United States and the European Union face off against China and Russia as climate change takes hold.What the Sami people can teach us about adapting to climate change.
As accelerating climate change and other man-made environmental degradations create growing alarm across the planet, the Sami people have much to teach the world about how to adapt, survive, and thrive, says Elina Helander-Renvall.Conversation about growth in global energy demand begins with China.
China is already the world's largest producer of heavily polluting coal, and the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide.The promise of green chemistry.
Although Grossman is not a trained chemist, she has done a remarkable job of compiling a tremendous amount of technical information and translating it into language nonscientists can appreciate.Open letter to Harper on UN Climate Summit Copenhagen
Tzeporah Berman, December 3, 2009 Tzeporah Berman addressing Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Read MoreCanadian Industry Leaders Call For Carbon Caps
Chris Hatch, October 20, 2009 Some of the leading player in Canadian industry are calling on the federal government to set hard, declining caps on global warming emissions in a statement released today. Read MoreOttawa Dashes Hopes? Not Of the Canadians I’m Meeting
Tzeporah Berman, October 23, 2009 Ottawa Dashes Hopes for Climate Treaty in Copenhagen blares the front-page headline facing Canadians across the country today. Read MoreHope Blowing in the Wind
Tzeporah Berman, August 12, 2009 I wrote a piece based on my visit to BC's first wind farm which is published in today's Vancouver Sun. Read MoreTime To Fire Up A Clean Energy Economy
Tzeporah Berman, May 22, 2009 My Op-Ed in the Vancouver Sun earlier today. Read More
Prod the Politicians – Write Now
Write the party leaders, demand that Canada keep up with Obama’s green economy plans Join Up Donate
Write the party leaders, demand that Canada keep up with Obama’s green economy plans Join Up Donate
350
the most important number in the worldBreakthroughClean Break
Tyler Hamilton covers Canada’s emerging green economyClimate EthicsClimate Progress
A [Washington] insider’s view of climate science, politics and solutions
the most important number in the worldBreakthroughClean Break
Tyler Hamilton covers Canada’s emerging green economyClimate EthicsClimate Progress
A [Washington] insider’s view of climate science, politics and solutions
Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming
by James Hoggan with Richard Littlemore The End of Energy Obesity
by Peter Tertzakian Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller
by Jeff Rubin Carbon Shift
by Thomas Homer-Dixon The Vanishing Face of Gaia
by James Lovelock Keeping Our Cool
by Andrew Weaver The Green Collar Economy
by Van Jones Hot, Flat, and Crowded
by Tom Friedman Heat
by George Monbiot Fixing Climate
by Wallace Broecker and Robert Kunzig Climate Wars
by Gwynne Dyer Hot Air
by Jeffrey Simpson, Mark Jaccard and Nic Rivers
by James Hoggan with Richard Littlemore The End of Energy Obesity
by Peter Tertzakian Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller
by Jeff Rubin Carbon Shift
by Thomas Homer-Dixon The Vanishing Face of Gaia
by James Lovelock Keeping Our Cool
by Andrew Weaver The Green Collar Economy
by Van Jones Hot, Flat, and Crowded
by Tom Friedman Heat
by George Monbiot Fixing Climate
by Wallace Broecker and Robert Kunzig Climate Wars
by Gwynne Dyer Hot Air
by Jeffrey Simpson, Mark Jaccard and Nic Rivers
Correction: Harper’s goal is 25% below today … by 2020.
Harper’s climate goal for Canada works out to 3% below 1990 levels. And Canada is now around 27% above our 1990 levels. While that is a 30% point spread, it only requires a 25% cut from our current total to get there.
We are looking at a rapid fossil fuel cut, or a rapid rise in fossil fuel prices to buy “offsets”…or some of both. Canadians who are preparing seriously for this transition are going to be much better off.
What this shows is a global shortage of clean energy builders.
These provinces would not be trying to outbid each other to attract clean energy alternatives if there was lots of competition out there.
These politicians see the handwriting on the wall. They are doing the work now to ensure their citizens have enough affordable energy in the coming decades.
If you are unfortunate enough to live in an area where your government is not preparing for the coming carbon restrictions, you are going to be paying a lot more money for a lot less energy in a few years.
It is hard to transition away from climate-damaging fossil fuels if you are at the end of the line for a limited supply of alternatives.
Even Harper says that Canada needs to cut its climate emissions by 30% in the next decade. That’s a lot less fossil fuel very soon folks.
The ones who don’t act soon will just have to “take a number” and get into an ever growing waiting line…