By Andrew Williams •
November 3, 2009
Canadian province Ontario is to introduce green-coloured licence plates, available only to drivers of plug-in hybrids and battery-powered electric vehicles.
Sounds like another gimmick? Well, here’s the deal - vehicles sporting the new green plates will be able to drive in the province’s dedicated carpool lanes until 2015, even if only one person is in the vehicle.
Speaking about the initiative, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said, “The McGuinty government’s plan is to have one out of every 20 passenger vehicles on Ontario’s roads an electric vehicle by 2020.”
By Amiel Blajchman •
July 27, 2009
Earlier this month, the government of Ontario (Canada’s largest province by population) suspended the process for the building of two new nuclear reactors, citing skyrocketing costs and responsibility to taxpayers as the main deterrent.
“Emission-free nuclear power remains a crucial aspect of Ontario’s supply mix,” Smitherman said Monday. “Unfortunately, the competitive bidding process has not provided Ontario with a suitable option at this time.”
The proposed 10 year, multi-billion dollar project may eventually be restarted, but government spokespeople confirmed that all bidders have been asked to extend their proposals indefinitely.
Ontario is planning on updating its 136 year old mining law to reflect current values and conditions. Preventing wildcat staking of personal and aboriginal property is one of its highest priorities.
By Dave Tyler •
March 5, 2009
Are we destined to see offshore wind farms cropping up all over the Great Lakes?
Presenters at the Michigan Wind Conference, which closed Wednesday in Detroit, think so. The bountiful prevailing winds and relatively shallow depths make the lakes excellent locations for farms, speakers told the more than 1,000 people attended the event, according to WWJ radio.
“Offshore wind is the next wave — lots of puns, folks, I warn you,” said Peter Mandelstam, founder and president of Bluewater Wind, LLC, of Delaware. “The Northeast and the Great Lakes are natural markets.”
By Gavin Hudson •
February 25, 2009
Ontario, Canada presented legislation on Monday to encourage renewable energy growth. The government estimates the act would create 50,000 new jobs.
The Green Energy and Green Economy Act of 2009, if passed, would implement a feed-in tariff to fund renewable energy construction. It would also boost domestic requirements for renewable energy, a move that would create jobs in many sectors, from steel mills and law firms.
“Ontario’s Green Energy Act could propel the province past California as the most innovative North American leader in the renewable energy field,” said Denis Hayes, the former director of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory and founder of Earth Day. “This is the sort of healthy, friendly competition between Canada and the US that will leave us both better off.”
By Jerry James Stone •
November 17, 2008
In an attempt to save the planet—and possibly just to piss off Canada—the company Mapflow is bringing a ridesharing app to the iPhone. The app is called Avego and Mapflow hopes it will help save the world. Hey, they had me at pissing off the Canadians.
By Jerry James Stone •
September 23, 2008
In a 390-25 vote, the House approved a measure on Tuesday that will increase protection of the Great Lakes region.
By Amiel Blajchman •
August 21, 2008
Canadian website PickupPal is a ride-sharing “service [that] is providing a venue for either passengers or packages to find or be matched to a driver—typically already travelling in a certain direction or destination.” PickupPal uses its own software to match travelers and drivers, and then it’s up to them to negotiate prices, since PickupPal makes its money through advertising on the website itself.
By Amiel Blajchman •
August 11, 2008
Is climate change the single most threatening environmental crisis facing the world today? I don’t know, but I’ll tell you what I do know. In today’s parlance, and especially in government circles it seems (witness the government of Ontario, Canada’s new Add-it-up website) that climate change is now interchangeable for environment. And that is a mistake.
Growing foreign demand for Canada’s natural resources, as well as ecological pressures from more forest fires and insect infestations, like the pine beetle epidemic are threatening the health and well-being of Canada’s Boreal forests.
Streets are for People sponsored this anti-car petition on an actual car in Ontario.
We the undersigned do hereby demand that not one more dollar go to promote, support, or perpetuate car culture. We want bike lanes, public transit and a train system. We want our public space back. We want local food, clean air, sustainable industry, a liveable future for our children, and an end to oil
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