In Febraury 2005, Ontario’s provincial government designated 1.8 million acres protected greenspace. Called the Greenbelt, this area encompasses some of the richest farmeland and natural habitat in Canada. This week, a new development will help secure a legacy of sustainable farming for the area. The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation awarded local farmers a $400,000 grant to diversify crops and market produce locally rather than focus on export. Read more here.
Centre for Civic Governance
The Centre for Civic Governance works to support community leadership meeting today’s social and environmental challenges: climate change, Canada’s increasing equity gap, and shifting social trends. At the Centre for Civic Governance, our goal is to strengthen Canadian communities through sharing best practices, providing tools for locally elected leaders, and progressive policy analysis. We strive to provide knowledge and information to make real and positive social change.
Ethanol: What it Means to Put Corn in Our Tanks
An article in Grist looks at the exploding ethanol industry and the impact that dedicating more and more farmland to the production of fuel might have on climate change and food security. According to the article, the US Department of Agriculture expects 4.1 billion bushels of corn to be turned into liquid fuel this year. For some perspective, that amount is equivalent to 33% of the total corn harvest in the US; requires 26.4 million acres of US farmland; and represents 13% of all the corn grown in the world.
Read the article and then join in the enlightening discussion at the bottom.
Carbon Disclosure Project
ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) and the Carbon Disclosure Project
(CDP) is teaming up with 30 large American cities, including New York
City, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Denver, to help them voluntarily
report GHG emissions and other climate data. The cities will use
ICLEI’s Local Government Operations Protocol
and software tools to assess their GHG emissions from fire, ambulance,
and police services, municipal buildings, and waste transport. The CDP
is an independent, not-for-profit organization which operates a
coordinating secretariat for institutional investors that seeks
information about opportunities and business risks related to climate
change. Currently CDP has 3,000 member companies and is the largest
repository of corporate GHG emissions in the world. Read more about the partnership between ICLEI and the CDP.
GHG Reduction Scenarios for BC
Two scientists from the BCGEU and the Sierra Club have put together this report which looks at ways in which BC can reach global equity in greenhouse gas emissions in 2100. This was done through identifying a 92-year global carbon budget, then calculating a BC budget for the same period based on BC’s population as a proportion of the projected 2100 global population. The report, published by the CCPA, identifies short, medium, and long-term targets for annual GHG reductions in BC. Read the full report here.
Casual Workers Losing Out in BC Economic Boom
A new report from the CCPA seeks an explanation for why good economic times in BC have not translated into higher earnings for workers in lower-end jobs. The study finds that a number of policy changes has increased the number of casual jobs, characterized by poor job quality, low pay, and little job security. Such policy changes include privatization and contracting out, which has reduced the stock of public sector jobs and changes to the Employment Standards Act, which has weakened minimums requirements for employers. The report recommends raising the minimum wage to $10/hour, expanding the Employment Standards Act, removing barriers to unionization, and enhancing child care subsidies. Click here to visit the CCPA website for the report or read a Vancouver Sun article about it.
Bottled Water News: London Considers Extending Ban to All City Property
After having banned bottled water sales at the City Hall cafeteria,
London city council is now considering extending the ban to all city
property. Before the ban would take effect, the city would ensure that
there is a supply of tap water at all city sites and is developing new
fountains with longer necks to make it easier to fill reusable
bottles. The proposal would phase out bottled water sales in 3 major
city-owned buildings by September 1, on golf courses and city-operated
concessions by Spring 2009, and at vending machines/food services in
arenas and community centres in the next 16 months. This article details the proposal and discusses the tension between the city and Nestle, the major bottled water supplier in Canada.
Commuting Patterns in Canada
This brief put out by BC Stats looks at the latest census data for how people across the country are getting to work. The brief also looks at whether people are adapting their daily commute to reflect such realities as climate change, air quality, and the rising cost of fuel. Among the statistics presented:
- In BC there has been a 3% decline in people using a vehicle to get to work in the past 10 years, from 81% in 1996 to 79% in 2006;
- In Canada younger people are more likely to use public transit: 16.6% use transit between the age of 15-25 and just 7.2% of those over 65;
- 2% of commuters in BC bike to work; national average is 1%;
- Of the CMAs, Victoria and Vancouver have among the lowest percentage of car commuters (71.7% for Victoria, 74% for Vancouver) and Abbotsford has the highest percentage of car commuters than any other CMA at 93%.
San Francisco to Mandate Businesses Promote Transit to Employees
San Francisco is considering a proposal that would require
businesses with more than 20 employees to provide commuting
alternatives to the personal vehicle. The move is an attempt to reduce
air pollution in San Francisco as well as reduce GHG emissions in the
city. Under the new law, businesses would be given three options to
promote the use of transit by the workforce. Participation by
employees would be voluntary. The options include offering workers
free transit passes, to providing door-to-door shuttle service, or
utilizing an existing federal program which helps employees set up
pre-tax commuter accounts to pay for transit. Business groups are not
opposing the plan because the latter option could save employers
money. Read more about the proposed law.
Seattle Imposes Bag Fee and Foam Ban
Seattle City Council has voted to impose a 20 cent fee on paper and plastic bags in all grocery, drug, and convenience stores, beginning January 1, 2009. The city has also decided to ban plastic foam food and drink containers.
Replacements for these containers are already being used in Seattle and are made of sugar cane, beets, or corn. Grocery stores are being given an 18-month extension on the ban as replacing foam meat trays is complicated, due to machinery and health concerns. Read the full article on the new policies here.
4 Day School Week for Rural American Students
Many rural school districts across the U.S. are considering switching to a 4-day week mainly to save on transportation costs. 100 schools in 16 states have already made the switch. One school district reports saving $65,000 on transportation alone. Other districts report better student performance and improved school attendance. Read an article about the switch over.
Bottled Water Ban in Vancouver?
Vancouver councillor Tim Stevenson has put forward a motion to ban
bottled water in city facilities. In the
motion, Stevenson cites compelling reasons why bottled water should not be
available in city facilities, including the fact that 80% of waste from plastic
bottles ends up in landfills and that bottled water is not required to meet the
same health standards as tap water. Stevenson suggests that money saved from
not providing bottled water could be used to buy reusable bottles for city
staff. Read an article about the initiative.
BC Government Penalizing Disabled People with IQ Above 70
In July 2008 the BC government privately signed a new order that will deny access to services (such as housing) to developmentally disabled people with an IQ above 70. In 2007 a BC Court of Appeal ruled that the government did not have the authority to deny services based on IQ and this July 2008 order allows the government to sidestep that ruling. Although Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman has said that this new criterion of what it means to be disabled was signed as a temporary measure, groups who advocate on behalf of the developmentally disabled say they were not consulted or given any warning about it. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Representative for Children and Youth BC, says the wording isn’t even clear that the definition applies only to adults and fears that disabled teenagers could be made homeless because of it. Read an excellent opinion piece on the issue in the Vancouver Sun. Check out the BC Association for Community Living’s website, which boasts a comprehensive list of recent articles about this issue.