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Last week the BC Carbon Tax was issued to the carbon users of BC, with many positive and negative associated details.  For example this budget also included a $50 million boost to Oil & Gas subsidies, which already had around $200 mil slated for it this year.  Help that industry cope with the tax I suppose…

But no matter, its a start.  The way the mainstream media fawned over it as a North American (even a World!) first kind of annoyed me.  The fact that it is revenue-neutral is kind of cool only in that it will prevent backlash from the sluggishly adapting taxpayer.   Quebec had their tax last June (the 1st in NA), and European countries have much higher ones in place (try $3 plus a litre of petrol). 

My first write up at www.Celsias.com is on the subject, have a look….

It may be the first time ever that www.RenewableEnergyAccess.com is running 3 Canadian-related articles, simultaneously, in its weekly news cycle!  The major US on-line renewable energy news publisher has a comprehensive selection of news stories from the USA, and parts abroad, but content from its northern neighbor has been infrequent.  That is starting to change.

In August of 2007, I first contacted the editors in regards to becoming a ‘Canadian correspondent’.  The response was immediately favorable, and Renewable Recruits has been submitting monthly ever since.  Our seventh installment, “Sun Farmers of Canada” is currently in the mix.  Have a read! 

Also featured by other contributors is a story on future Offshore Wind in the Great Lakes, as well as an article about the first wind farm, Ravenswood, brought on-line in Ontario under the terms of the Standard Offer Program.

If you’ve never taken the opportunity to explore the National Renewable Energy Laboratories website, I recommend it.  Having known about it for several years as a hotspot for US information on clean energy, it still took until yesterday to go see.  There is much of value to be learned.

Two stories led me there.  One, that Ontario had co-operated with the NREL in the work leading up to the lifting of its moratorium on off-shore wind farms in the Great Lakes, a fine example of cross-border relations and information sharing for the cause of carbon-free energy.  The next was an article about Colarado’s enthusiastic launch into the renewable energy economy, seeking to become a US state leader in research & development, generation, and manufacturing.  Vestas has just committed to opening a wind component plant there, and the NREL calls Colorado home, since the 1970s.  It has suffered repeated funding cut-backs and neglect, but is now enjoying a 50% boost in its funding, and is renovating, retrofitting, and constructing new facilities.  And they’re hiring!

Over two weekends, five people were recently trained to become fuel-efficient driver coaches with Vancouver BC-based Sustainable Community Enterprise.   The small firm caters to business and government, and offers several services aimed at reducing waste, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions from day-to-day operations.  The new coaches will spread out around BC to help people save money and fuel, improve safety and drive in a way that enables the Province to meet its formidable climate change reduction targets.  These benefits are real and measurable.  Other big pluses include quieter city streets, less maintenance costs, and more peace of mind (ie less road rage).  Not bad during your commute!

“The Fuel-smart Driving program’s biggest advantages are that it is universal and useful.  It can be used effectively by anyone, anywhere, of any age and ability, in any type of vehicle,” says Nicholas Lamm, Greenworkplace Manager. 

Overall savings in fuel consumption of as much as 30% have been realized.  The basic goal is reducing the amount of time the engine is running at high RPM (rotations per minute over 2,000).  Three major principles are key to achieving this goal:

·  Maintain a healthy three second or more buffer zone between your vehicle and the vehicle in front,

·  Scanning ahead 500 to 1,000 meters to anticipate obstacles and hazards,

·  Reducing the number of stops and starts by using and conserving the vehicles momentum. 

The interplay between these concepts quickly becomes apparent, as does the ease with which the driver can maintain good travel time while running at lower RPMs.A number of other seemingly obvious but often overlooked points are covered in the coaching session, like proper tire pressure, regular vehicle maintenance, and removing excess weight from the vehicle.  Also, acceleration and speed are not the same thing!   Read the whole article at www.Rethos.com 

Earth Hour is coming, 8pm-9pm, March 29, 2008

http://www.thestar.com/Article/295564

The city of Toronto, among dozens around the World, is taking a serious hand in this event.  Check out the article and very cool black-and-white video, composed of over 20,000 still shots. 

Opening the inbox this beautiful grey morning enlightened to the existence of two new books, both of which I want!  They concern the most important technology we have, our brains, and the mental shift required to transcend crises and embrace a positive future reality.

Thinking BIG, taking massive action, and working together instead of against eachother… that’s the theme in a nutshell.  In started with the newest podcast on RenewableEnergyAccess.com, and continued to the new book Breakthrough: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility.  The truth is we are inspired, much like our ancestors who escaped and fought back against ravenous beasts of all kinds, by our own survival, not our demise.  Lets envision our Survival, in a BIG way.

Lester Brown’s new release, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, focuses more directly on the massive actions, sharpened to a spear-tip by Climate Change response, required to transform our vision of a future in which we Survive in a BIG way.  It is quite doable, when willpower, money, technology, and bio-regional (more localized) means of fulfilling our needs are committed to.  Reducing emissions is just one benefit of this shift.  No longer throwing our wealth into a black hole, or fighting against one another for limited resources (we’ll work together to restore and conserve them), are two other majors pluses.

The only tradegy that may unfold here is that we were too slow, apathetic, and/or depressed about getting on with the exciting job that has been placed before these generations, and this particular point in history. 

       Guy Dauncey, an example of man excited about Surviving in a BIG way.  If you ever the opportunity to hear him present on Solutions, go!

What Happened in Bali?  A synopsis from www.Avaaz.org.  Read and be amazed!

“In the final hours of the conference, all the pressure showed its impact. Heated negotiations had ended in repeated deadlock. The deadline for the conference was extended another 24 hours, and diplomats worked through the night. Japan gave in quickly to the consensus, but the US and Canada held out. The biggest and clearest victory achieved was on the Canadian government’s position. Under pressure from all sides and massive domestic anger, the Canadian government finally did a complete U-turn, and allowed the smaller group of Kyoto countries to agree to reduce carbon emissions by 25-40% by 2020. This significant step means that the richest countries - all except the US - have now set ambitious new targets for emissions reductions. 

 

The US - now completely isolated - still held out. In the final general session, a compromise proposal was suggested that was accepted by every delegation. The United States took the floor — and rejected it. 

 

The world is used to letting the US have its way, but not this time. The assembled delegations let loose a chorus of boos. Nation after nation took the floor and sounded the chords of outrage. Just like hundreds of thousands of Avaaz members told them to do, our leaders stood firm. 

 

Faced with this united front, the American representative asked to take the floor once more, and said simply, “The United States will join the consensus.” Victory. 

 

It was not at all a complete victory - we are still far from the treaty with binding global targets that will stop catastrophic climate change. But the massive grass roots response to save the Bali Summit shows that a great people-powered movement to save our environment is stirring - and this is just the beginning.”

 

                                                

          

The impact of the last two years on preparing the sustainable energy paradigm into readiness for a break-out transformation is visible, tangible, and powerful.

Green Energy in 2008 will be unleashed as the greatest economic force in the game, influencing the trajectory of many other industries.  If you’ve been thinking about some way to be involved, the time for action may well have arrived.  Sign yourself for a two-year training commitment, do some informational interviews with a couple of different companies, educate yourself.  Help transform our relationship with energy, our climate, our society.  There is much that can be achieved by a switch to ‘peaceful’ energy, energy which by its nature harmonizes with natural cycles and phenomena, and promotes co-operation instead of competition, between peoples and nations.

Please check out my Clean Energy Canada 2008 article currently running at www.RenewableEnergyAccess.com, or the Clean Energy Tracker at www.WorkCabin.ca. 

 written by Gregg Machlachlan 

WorkCabin, Renewable Recruits form strategic partnership 

WorkCabin, Canada’s professional green careers site, and Renewable Recruits, a BC-based sustainable energy promotions and recruiting firm, both launched in April 2007 and have quickly established themselves as progressive and innovative companies in the growing green economy. ”By working together to promote training and employment in Canada’s sustainable energy sectors, WorkCabin and Renewable Recruits are helping to put this industry on the radar for students, skilled workers, and environmentally-motivated people seeking to make a real difference,” said Randyn Seibold, owner of Renewable Recruits, and a member of the BC Sustainable Energy Association. Renewable Recruits is currently working with the BCSEA in developing Clean Energy Classrooms: A Canadian Guide to Sustainable Energy Training.  The print-based and on-line tool will promote renewable energy training options currently offered at schools across the country, and is due to appear in June ‘08. ”Renewable Recruits not only has a passion for the renewable energy sector, but is also showing leadership by assisting schools and colleges to grow opportunities in this field,” said WorkCabin president Gregg McLachlan. “That’s one of the major reasons we like this partnership: it’s about working together with another forward-thinking company that will ultimately benefit Canadians and our environment.”

Visit the link to WorkCabin.ca on our Jobs page, and the Clean Energy Tracker on the WorkCabin page.

The efforts of SolarBC were recognized with the Solar Advocate of the Year award at the Canadian Solar Industry Association’s annual gathering in Toronto this past week.  SolarBC, spearheaded by Nitya Harris, aims to develop a concrete action plan to install 100,000 solar roofs throughout the province by 2020.  It is sponsored by the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, and is being developed by a diverse task team. 

SolarBC, in partnership with BC communities and the federal and provincial governments, achieved its goal in 2005 of installing 50 solar hot water systems on roofs throughout the province.  In addition:

Delivered homeowner rebates

Developed qualifications for solar energy systems and installers

Increased the awareness of building inspectors for this technology

Helped develop solar installer training

Provided solar assistance to First Nations communities

The project website, www.SolarBC.org, is in need of updating.  The winning of the Solar Advocate of the Year award for 2005 is still up!  This new boost of profile for Ms. Harris’ project should help remedy this, as well as prospects for the solar hot water industry in BC generally.