In addition to carbon pricing schemes in some provinces, municipal governments are leading regional efforts to combat climate change in the country. Hundreds of communities across our country are coming together to oppose Harper and protect the people and places that make Canada one of the world's great nations.
In addition to being the first place in North America to completely eliminate coal fired power generation, Ontario has high hopes for environmental legislation with the re-election of the provincial liberals.
The Quebec government announced that it will be investing $12-million in a pilot project aimed at putting electric buses on Montreal streets. In October 2013, the Parti Québécois announced that it would invest $516-million to develop an electric vehicle industry in the province that will build electric cars, electric railways, and related infrastructure. The initiative is part of the City Of Montreal’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
On the federal level the government is downsizing Canada Post. This is good news for the environment as less mail means less emissions associated with transport and fewer trees destroyed for paper. The need for traditional mail services is declining due to increasing use of electronic communications.
Although ignored by Stephen Harper, some 300 scientists urged the Prime Minister to reject a report that recommended approval of a major oil pipeline to the west coast of British Columbia. The scientists described the report approving the oil pipeline as a “flawed analysis” that downplayed key environmental impacts.
Despite the Harper government's effort to triple the expansion of the tar sands, market forces may also slow the growth of Canada's fossil fuel industry. Investment in the oil sands have dropped off and there is shrinking foreign investment in Canada's oil patch.
One of the most important pieces of recent environmental news concerns a recent Supreme Court decision that requires approval from aboriginal communities for logging, fossil fuel and mining projects.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related Articles
Historic Canadian Supreme Court Ruling Dis-empowers Fossil Fuel Industry
A Not So Happy Canada Day for the Environment
Canadian Conservatives Undermine Democracy and Environmental Protections
Canada's Conservatives Downgrade Humpback Protection to Move Forward with Pipeline
The Merits of Carbon Pricing in B.C.
Top Canadian Environmental Defense Issues in 2013
Harper Government's Tragic Environmental Record is Cause for National Shame
The Tar Sands Have Higher Emissions Profiles than Previously Thought
Increases in Tar Sands Production Will Guarantee the Worst Impacts of Climate Change
The Tar Sands and IEA's Three Climate Change Scenarios
Scientists and Activists Hold US Press Conference on Conservatives' Tar Sands Agenda
Canada's Ruling Conservatives at War with Science
Canadian Conservatives Cut Research Funding but Spend on Fossil Fuel Pipeline
Taxpayers Money to Promote Fossil Fuels Brought to you by Canada's Ruling Federal Conservatives
Canadian Government Uses Security Agencies to Target Environmental Opposition
Canadian Energy Espionage in Support of the Tar Sands
Video - The Tar Sands Give Canada the Worst Climate Record in the Western World
0 comments:
Post a Comment