Licensing Toxics Substance Reduction Planners

On May 1, the ministry will begin training for becoming a licensed toxic substance reduction planner. For more information about pre-requisites, online and in-class training and exams, please visit the MOE’s website on Planner Licensing.

Under the Toxics Reduction Act, licensed planners are required to provide recommendations to improve a plan, strengthen the business case for implementation and certify that the plan complies with the regulations. www.ontario.ca/toxicsreduction

LAUNCH: Beyond Waste Challenge

LAUNCH is a global initiative to identify and support the innovative work poised to contribute to a sustainable future and accelerate solutions to meet urgent challenges facing our society. The goal of the LAUNCH: Beyond Waste Challenge is to identify ten “game changing” innovations that have the potential to transform the current waste management systems and practices to ones focused on minimizing waste and/or transforming waste into new products.

LAUNCH invites proposals for innovative design for zero waste solutions, waste elimination, waste transformation, and waste mitigation technologies, as well as waste reduction-focused education, business, and financial strategies that have the potential to reduce and/or eliminate waste at a household, community, office building, campus, or industrial level.

Visit http://launch.org/forum/11/beyond-waste for more information. The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2012.

Ontario manufacturers subject to the Toxics Reduction Act, take notice:

Cost-shared funding for toxics reduction technical assistance will end June 29, 2012. ACT NOW to take advantage of The Bloom Centre for Sustainability (BLOOM) On-site Technical Assistance for Manufacturers. Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Transform your regulatory and reporting burden into a value returning business opportunity – One manufacturer recently completed a project with BLOOM and found opportunities to reduce its annual use of toxics by 9 tonnes; a cost-savings of $40,000 per year. Contact BLOOM now for a site presentation. http://techassist.bloomcentre.com/

2012 MVP2 Awards Open for Nominations

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable is accepting nominees for the 2012 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) Awards. The MVP2 awards are presented annually during National Pollution Prevention Week. National Pollution Prevention week is the third week of September, September 17th – 23rd, 2012.

Awards are presented in four categories, Project/Program, Best Multimedia, P2 Champion, and P2 Volunteer of the Year. The MVP2 Project/Program, P2 Champion, and Best P2 Multimedia are open to all levels of government, industry, small business, non-profit, and academia. The awards are designed to recognize outstanding and innovative P2 projects/programs. As in years past, awards are judged on the following five broad criteria: innovation, measurable results, transferability, commitment, and optimization of available project resources.

The deadline for applications is July 1, 2012.

Information on past recipients and this year’s application are available at www.p2.org.

PUBLICATIONS

The Bloom Centre for Sustainability Launches
BLOOM IQ™

The Bloom Centre for Sustainability (BLOOM) is pleased to introduce its new BLOOM Impact Quantification (BLOOM IQ™) – a decision intelligence tool that presents decision-makers with a more complete picture of the economic, environmental and societal impacts associated with sustainability opportunities.

Choosing the best sustainability option is a complex balancing act for organizations. One of the biggest challenges decision-makers face is getting a ‘big picture’ view of impacts as they directly relate to their organization and indirectly to all impacted stakeholders. Download the BLOOM IQ White Paper for more details.

Best Practices in Photovoltaic Manufacturing

A product known, or purporting, to have positive environmental impact through its intended use, may face greater stakeholder expectations in terms of its life-cycle footprint – input materials and resources, manufacturing, distribution, operation, and end of life. A recent report by As You Sow, discusses sustainability as it applies to the solar industry, and highlights best practices in photovoltaic manufacturing. It focuses on practices and policies companies use to mitigate risks from hazardous compounds, reduce environmental impact, and responsibly manage their supply chains. Download the Report.

EVENTS

Sustainability leaders add their voice to Sustainability Applied 2012

The Bloom Centre for Sustainability announced three keynote speakers for Sustainability Applied 2012, who will share their candid insights and successes on implementing sustainability – to make transformative change a reality.

Sustainability Applied 2012 is a unique two-day event that will feature hands-on workshops and interactive discussions to explore best practices and market opportunities, showcase new products and services, and celebrate outstanding accomplishments in sustainability.

View the Preliminary Themes and Program at a Glance, and stay tuned to SustainabilityApplied.com.

7th Annual GC3 Green Chemistry and Commerce Council Innovators Roundtable
May 9-11, 2012
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Demands for safer products are increasing from governments, business sustainability leaders, and non-profit organizations. Be on the leading edge of these changes. Join experts from companies such as Nike, HP, Segetis, Hanesbrands and DuPont as well as academic and government leaders in discussions on advancing safer chemistry through supply chains. View the full Roundtable Agenda

VIDEO

“Iceberg”, the only known male all-white orca in the world

The one and only ever seen all white adult ORCA bull in the wild. Iceberg has been found to live in a family unit, also called a pod, with 12 relatives based on research by the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP). (Source: Shifting Values)

IMAGES

Cans Versus Bottles Versus Kegs – handy decision map from New Belgium Brewing

Between bottles and cans and kegs there isn’t one package that is a clear winner over the others. They all have their ups, and they all have their downs.

Ontario manufacturers subject  to the Toxics Reduction Act, take notice:

Cost-shared funding for toxics reduction technical assistance will end June 29, 2012. ACT NOW to take advantage of The Bloom Centre for Sustainability (BLOOM) On-site Technical Assistance for Manufacturers. Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Transform your regulatory and reporting burden into a value returning business opportunity – One manufacturer recently completed a project with BLOOM and found opportunities to reduce its annual use of toxics by 9 tonnes; a cost-savings of $40,000 per year. Contact BLOOM now for a site presentation. http://techassist.bloomcentre.com/

John Harland of Intel on “Why the road to sustainability starts with pollution prevention”

Pollution prevention as a term has become less used recently, supplanted by sustainability, but the fundamental idea of preventing pollution rather than fixing problems is essential for efficient, economically viable manufacturing, providing services, and addressing many environmental problems. It makes sense, both economically and environmentally, to reduce the input of materials and energy, minimize the amount of waste for treatment and disposal, and make sure the wastes that are produced can be reused or disposed of easily and without harm to the environment. Read the full article (Source: GreenBiz.com).

Safer Chemistry Challenge Program

The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) has launched the 2025 Safer Chemistry Challenge Program (SCCP), a voluntary initiative to motivate, challenge, and assist companies to reduce the use of chemicals of concern to human health and the environment. The SCCP also rewards companies for finding safer alternatives and builds on ongoing business efforts to make toxic chemical reduction a business reality. The SCCP offers industry a unique leadership opportunity for public and private sector collaboration that fosters a cleaner environment, new market opportunities, improved competitive advantage, while enhancing corporate image Additional resources and application information can be found at www.p2.org/challenge.

Enviro-Stewards Recognized in first ‘Best for the World’ List of Businesses Creating Most Overall Positive Social and Environmental Impact

Enviro-Stewards has been recognized as ‘Best for the World’ in a list of businesses with less than 10 employees creating the most overall positive social and environmental impact. Enviro-Stewards and the other ‘Best for the World’ businesses earned a score in the top 10% of all Certified B Corporations with 10 employees or less, and, on average, 50% higher than the average score of nearly 2,000 other sustainable businesses that have completed the B Impact Assessment. Read the full media release.

EVENTS

SUSTAINABILITY APPLIED 2012
October 17-18, 2012
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Sustainability is commanding a lot of attention these days. To get beyond the status quo, we need to move from concepts to actions and results. Transformative change starts with breaking down barriers, instilling new thinking and mindsets, and taking a holistic approach to fully integrate sustainability into business strategy, decision-making and operations.

Grounded in practicality, Sustainability Applied 2012 will demonstrate the business value of sustainability. Sustainability leaders will share candid insights and successes on integrating sustainability. Interactive workshops will build capacity for long-term success.

View the Preliminary Themes and Program at a Glance, and stay tuned to SustainabilityApplied.com – detailed program and registration information will be announced in early spring 2012.

ChemTRAC Pollution Prevention Webcasts

The City of Toronto ChemTRAC Program is hosting webcasts on pollution prevention for the following industries:

• Food and Beverage – March 21, 2012
• Printing and Publishing – March 28, 2012
• Wood Industries – April 18, 2012
• Chemical Manufacturing and Pharmaceuticals – May 9, 2012

The webcasts will include a discussion of the fundamentals of pollution prevention and have a business on-hand to share their experiences and respond to questions.

Green Living Business Forum and Innovation Exhibit 2012
April 13, 2012
Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Is so-called corporate venturing the future of clean technology investing? Without a serious corporate commitment do some of the most promising clean energy and green technology innovations risk dying on the vine? Gain valuable insights as key industry players discuss the future of cleantech investing in Canada and why industry Goliaths should cosy up more with the Davids of green innovation. >> Details

7th Annual GC3 Green Chemistry and Commerce Council Innovators Roundtable
May 9-11, 2012
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Now in its seventh year, the GC3 Innovators Roundtable brings together leading companies across the supply chain that are shaping the market for safer chemicals. Join in this unique opportunity to engage with fellow business leaders in sharing up-to-date information, experiences and knowledge to advance the implementation of green chemistry and design for environment practices, and the production and marketing of safer chemicals, materials and products. >> Details

VIDEO

Perpetual Ocean

A beautiful animation produced by NASA scientists and animators of ocean surface currents.

The Water Brothers – “Water in all the Wrong Places”

California is naturally one of the driest places in North America, but how did it become the largest agricultural supplier on the continent? A mind boggling system of dams, reservoirs and diversion schemes move water around vast distances, even from outside the State. But climate change, drought, flooding and over-pumped aquifers have combined to put the entire water management system at risk. And like in many other regions with WATER IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES, the pressure is always on to find clever and sustainable solutions. (Source: http://thewaterbrothers.ca/archives/category/episodes)

Alberta-Canada oil-sands monitoring strategy announced

Read more about this story in the Environment Canada Press Release, on the Environment Canada website and in the Globe and Mail.

Canada joins with U.S. and others to cut emissions of fast-acting climate change pollutants
A small group of countries led by the United States is starting a program to reduce emissions of pollutants that contribute to rapid climate change and widespread health problems. Focused on short-lived pollutants like soot, methane and hydrofluorocarbons (pollutants that account for 30 to 40 percent of global warming), the initiative will be run by the United Nations Environment Program. Official from the U.S., Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico and Sweden participating in the project hope that by tackling these fast-acting climate change agents results will be achieved faster than through negotiations conducted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The new program will provide money for developing countries to reduce short-acting pollutants and will try to raise additional public and private funds for new mitigation projects.

Read more about this story in the New York Times.

California approves advanced clean car rules
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently approved a package of new emission rules for cars and light trucks. One of the new rules calls for a 75 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides and other smog-forming emissions from new vehicles by 2025. Another states that by the same year one in seven new vehicles on California roads (1.4 million in total) must be zero-emission. By 2050 the hope is that four out of five cars will be powered by batteries or hydrogen.

Read more about this story in the New York Times and on the ARB press release.

World’s largest offshore wind farm opens
A new 367 megawatt offshore wind farm opened in early February off the British coast that will supply up to 320,000 homes with renewable power a year. The companies behind the $1.58 billion project claim it is the world’s largest offshore wind farm with 102 wind turbines each with a capacity of 3.6 MW. Britain currently has more than 1.5 GW of installed offshore wind power and has plans to raise this capacity to 18 GW by 2020. However, offshore wind has received criticism in the country for being too expensive, with members of parliament pressuring the Prime Minister to reduce subsidies paid to the wind industry. Last October the government announced that offshore wind farms would receive subsidies until 2015, with a subsequent reduction of 5 percent.

Read more about this story from Reuters.

PUBLICATIONS

Long awaited dioxins report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Read more about the assessment from the U.S. EPA News Release.

Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Report 2012
According to the latest Supply Chain Report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), emission reductions along supply chains are translating into clear cost savings for global companies. The CDP has been collecting data on corporate greenhouse-gas emissions for almost a decade and has found that companies are increasingly pushing their suppliers to report more climate change related information. This has allowed the CDP to additionally report on indirect emissions, which they’ve found represent as much as 86% of a company’s total emissions.

Read the full report.

VIDEO

Southern Ontario’s maple trees at risk
The Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller has warned that lack of a biodiversity plan by the Ontario Government to protect maple trees could lead to the loss of the iconic, Canadian tree due to invasive species and climate change. Watch a quick summary of the issue from ctv.ca by clicking on the image below.

Tiny home tour
Take a quick tour of a 160 square foot tiny home. They’re greener, can be cleaned in minutes and cost less than a traditional home. Click on the image below.

IMAGES

Grounded in practicality, this dynamic, interactive event brings together leaders and experts to demonstrate the business value of sustainability, and to share the paths they have navigated on their sustainability journey.

This year’s event will take place October 17-18 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Save the date and watch the Sustainability Applied website for details.

USEPA announces Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants
In late December the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced standards to limit mercury, acid gases and other toxic pollution from power plants. Unless blocked by Congress or the courts, the new rule represents the first time the federal government has enforced limits on such emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, although more than a dozen states have imposed such regulations independently. Power plants generally have up to four years to comply. Once the rule is fully in effect the USEPA estimates it will prevent 90% of mercury and 88% of acid gas emissions from being emitted from coal burned power plants. The rule applies to 1,400 power-generation units at 600 coal or oil burning plants. About half the boilers lack what the UESPA considers advanced pollution control equipment and some are more than 50 years old.

Read more about this story in the New York Times or USEPA website.

City of London expands trials of “pollution glue”
In an effort to ensure that London, England meets legal air quality requirements, Transport of London is expanding trials of an innovative dust suppressant technology that ‘glues’ pollution to roads. The technology has been controversial since the unveiling of pilots last year, with green groups arguing that the Mayor’s office should deliver longer-term measures for reducing pollution before it’s created. The dust suppressants are a biodegradable saline solution, consisting of calcium magnesium acetate, which glues particles to the road, stopping them from re-circulating in the air. The Mayor has said this is just one of many short and long term measures the city will introduce to improve London’s are quality in 2012. Unless improvements occur London could face fines for violating European Union limits on particulate matter.

Read more about this story on Transport for London, Business Green and Yale Environment 360.

Call for Applications – Earth Day Canada Awards
Earth Day Canada is looking for applicants for the Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program (deadline January 31, 2012) and the Hometown Heroes Award Program (deadline March 30, 2012).

Through these programs Earth Day Canada provides scholarships and awards to students, individuals, community groups and small businesses across Canada with the goal or recognizing some of the country’s lesser-known environmental leaders.

View full details of both award programs on the Earth Day Canada website.

USEPA website to track largest GHG emitters
In early January the USEPA unveiled the Greenhouse Gas Emission Data Tool, an interactive website that allows users to track the total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of power plants, oil refineries and large industrial facilities that make up 80% of the country’s output of GHGs. Based on 2010 data collected from more than 6,700 facilities across 9 major industries, the new tool is modeled on the USEPA’s 20-year-old toxins release inventory map. Site visitors can find facilities by industry, state and community and rank them by GHG emissions levels.

View the Greenhouse Gas Emission Data Tool and read more about the new website in the LA Times.

MOE Toxic Reduction Planning Training
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is hosting ten technical training sessions on toxics reduction planning in January and February 2012. To register, please email toxics.reduction@ontario.ca

BLOOM On-site Technical Assistance Program
The BLOOM On-site technical Assistance Program website has been renovated: http://techassist.bloomcentre.com/

PUBLICATIONS

The insights and recommendations in the report lay the foundation for action, to enable widespread adoption of sustainable water solutions that will improve the profitability and competitiveness of the sector.

Download the full report.

Water’s Next

Water magazine has released their second annual Water’s Next publication dedicated to recognizing Canadian leadership and achievements in the water sector.

Focused on 4 main categories: People, Projects, Business and Innovation, the publication features people and ideas that are making a difference in Canada’s waterscape and beyond.

View the full Water’s Next report.

Meeting C02 targets though cycling
According to a recent study by the European Cyclist’s Federation (ECF) the European Union (EU) could meet more than a quarter of the targeted emission reductions for the transportation sector if EU citizens were to cycle as much as citizens of Denmark (an average of 2.6km per day in 2000). The study quantified GHG emission savings from cycling compared with other modes of transportation including consideration of the production, maintenance and fuel (i.e. food) related to cycling. Findings indicate that emissions from cycling are over 10 times lower than those stemming from car use. Comparing cars, buses, electric bicycles and regular bikes, the report considers how cycling can help the EU achieve its 2050 GHG reduction targets for transportation.

Read the full report, Meeting C02 Targets Through Cycling.

VIDEO

A short stroll through the Canadian boreal forest
Missing the great outdoors during these cold winter months? Take a short stroll through a Canadian boreal forest with Ray Mears as he examines interesting flora and fauna and think of nicer, warmer weather.

IMAGES

Last year in images
Yale Environment 360 has put together an impressive slideshow featuring NASA satellite images that captured many of the extreme weather and major natural disasters of 2011. Click on the image below to view the full slideshow.

Save the Date for Sustainability Applied 2012

Recall at Sustainability Applied 2011, the sessions had consistently high quality content due to the caliber of the speakers and moderators, who shared their knowledge, insights and passion, and helped to bring Sustainability Applied alive for the delegates.

We look forward to seeing you at Sustainability Applied 2012!

Canada abandons the Kyoto Protocol on climate change
Hours after returning from the United Nations climate conference in Durban, Environment Minister Peter Kent confirmed that Canada will formally abandon the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only legally binding plan to tackle global warming. Mr. Kent said that staying in Kyoto would cost Canada approximately $14-billion to purchase carbon credits abroad.

According to the Globe and Mail, recent estimates indicate that Canada’s emissions are more than 30% above the initial 2005 target to reduce emissions to 6% below 1990 levels. To date, actions taken by the federal and provincial governments would yield a quarter of the 17% reductions from 2005 levels by 2020 that Canada has promised to achieve.

Read more about Canada withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol. For more information read a statement from Environment Minister Peter Kent.

Become an Ontario toxics reduction planner
The Ontario Ministry of Environment is inviting people interested in becoming licensed toxic substance reduction planners to join a Planner Mailing List that will keep potential applicants up-to-date. To register for the list, email toxics.reduction@ontario.ca with “planner” in the subject line.

The ministry is working to develop a training and licensing program to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified licensed planners exist to meet the requirements of the Toxics Reduction Act and the needs of the regulated community.

Read more about becoming a toxic reduction planner.

New research finds that air pollution alters frequency and intensity of precipitation
Using a decade of atmospheric data, a new U.S. study has found that air pollution can significantly alter the frequency and intensity of precipitation in a region, in some cases preventing light rain while increasing heavy storms. Scientists have found that high levels of aerosols, such as soot, dust and other particulate matter, can more than double the mean cloud height of convective clouds. Further, while cloud drops forming in cleaner air tend to be larger, in dirty air there are more, smaller drops that tend to float around and are slower to collide to form rain drops.

Researchers say the probability of heavy rain is doubled from clean to dirty locations, a dynamic that could have critical implications in the management and use of water resources in some regions.

Read more about the research on how air pollution alters the frequency and intensity of rainfall.

PUBLICATIONS

Charting a Course: Sustainable Water Use by Canada’s Natural Resource Sectors

Further, recognizing that the natural resource sectors (e.g. agriculture, manufacturing, mining) use and consume more water than any other sectors, Canada should consider water pricing for its largest user.

Access the full report on sustainable water use by Canada’s natural resource sectors.

Managing a Complex Energy System – Results
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario recently released volume two of the 2010 Energy Conservation Progress Report. With the government achieving two-thirds of an electricity conservation target, the main finding is that the Ontario government’s energy conservation achievements are substantial, but incomplete.

The report raises the concern that the value of conservation seems to have been lost in the public debates over energy, particularly when debating electricity prices or building new generating plants.

Access the full Ontario annual energy conservation progress report.

Study shows PERC remaining on dry cleaned clothing
A new study has found that some fabrics retain perchloroethylene (also known as PERC) after dry cleaning. The study found this to be particularly true for wool and to a lesser extent for polyester and cotton, however not for silk. According to the study it takes up to a week for garments to release half of the PERC they retain, whether or not they are wrapped in a dry cleaners plastic wrap. Further, it was found that PERC builds up with repeated dry cleaning.

PERC is a common dry cleaning solvent that is also used in textile processing and degreasing. Exposure to the chemical has been associated with many adverse effects, including headaches and neurological problems.

Access the full study. Read more about the dry cleaning study on the Environmental Law and Litigation blog or from the Living on Earth media program.

VIDEO

Official film for the United Nations International Year of Forests
The United Nations has recognized 2011 as the International Year of Forests. This video features beautiful aerial footage from around the globe and highlights the great ecological value of forests as well as the many challenges faced.

IMAGES

Visit the Eye on Earth Network and read more about it on Yale Environment 360.

Read more about Canada’s GHG emission reduction progress.

At the same time, in a speech leading up to the COP 17 UN climate change talks beginning later this month, Environment Minister Peter Kent announced that Canada will not renew its Kyoto commitment. Minister Kent also reiterated the government’s position against imposing a carbon tax in Canada. $148.8 million will be distributed through 10 programs in 9 departments over the next 5 years for climate change adaptation.

Read more about Canada’s climate stance.

Environmental employers of the year awards
ECO Canada has announced the 7^th annual Environmental Employers of the Year Awards and are currently accepting applications. An opportunity to recognize environmental industry employers excelling in human resources, the awards also showcase innovation and inspire advancement in employee engagement.

Companies have until December 1^st to complete their application forms. Winners will be showcased at a formal event during GLOBE 2012 in Vancouver.

Read more about the Environmental Employers of the Year Awards.

Australia Senate backs carbon tax
Australia’s Senate recently approved a controversial law on pollution that will force the country’s 500 worst polluting companies (including mining firms, airlines, steel makers and energy firms) to pay a tax on their carbon emissions starting July 1^st of next year.

While environmentalists have strongly supported the plan, opposition parties have argued that the tax will cut jobs and increase the cost of living. The government has set the initial price per tonne of carbon at approximately $23 USD per tonne, which is higher than similar schemes. The government hopes that the legislation will create innovation in renewable energy supplies, helping to free Australia from its reliance on fossil fuels.

Read more about the Australia Senate’s decision on the carbon tax.

US identifies solar zones open for development in western states
The Obama administration’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a plan that outlines where utility-scale solar power projects can be developed in the western United States. 17 proposed solar energy zones in 6 western states have been given the highest priority for solar development.

The BLM plan identifies 31,250 square miles where large-scale solar power projects could potentially be situated. The plan does not apply to 13 solar energy projects already being built or dozens more that are awaiting approval.

Read nore about the U.S.’s identified solar zones.

Abstract submission deadline
The deadline to submit abstracts for the 2012 National Training Conference on the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Environmental Conditions in Communities is November 19.

NPPR is co-sponsoring this conference with the U.S. EPA and Environmental Council of States (ECOS).  Click here for more information on the call for abstract.

This is the conference to submit an abstract to if you were planning to submit to NPPR’s annual conference.

PUBLICATIONS

Ethanol’s potential contribution to Canada’s transportation sector

The document concludes that ethanol is a clean transportation fuel that has a positive energy balance, reduces GHG emissions and contributes to energy self-sufficiency.

Access the full report: Ethanol’s Potential Contribution to Canada’s Transportation Sector.

Study suggests connection between premature births and traffic pollution

A new study published in the journal Environmental Health has found that exposure to traffic pollution can increase the risk of a woman having a premature birth by 30%.

Using data from an extensive network of air-quality monitoring stations and matching the data with where women lived, the findings are based on 100,000 births over 22-months in Los Angeles. While this isn’t the first study to indicate that pollution can be hazardous to developing fetuses, it is one of the largest research efforts to chart the distribution of exhaust fumes in an urban area.

Read more about the study linking premature births to traffic pollution.

Building the climate change regime: survey and analysis of approaches
A new paper published by the World Resource Institute and United Nations Environment Programme with support from the Government of Ireland has reviewed more than 130 proposals put forward by governments, NGOs and academics to design a climate regime capable of delivering adequate mitigation action. Leading up to the COP17 Climate Change Talks in Durban, South Africa, the report highlights the need to mobilize a range of public and private sector actors at the international, national and sub-national levels on issues such as climate governance, emission reductions and adaptation investments.

Read more about new research revealing pathways for action on climate change.

VIDEO

Tour the world’s fires
Using satellite data, aircraft and ground resources, NASA has created a visualization of the tens of millions of fires that have occurred worldwide over the last decade. The videos show the huge impact that fires have on the global environment each year as well as insights on where and how the distribution of fires is responding to climate change and population growth.

IMAGES

10 most innovative cities in the world
The Huffington Post has put together a short slideshow on the top 10 ranked cities in the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Top 100 Index 2011. Toronto placed 10 in a ranking of 331 benchmark cities.

2011 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

The report also notes that the government has recognized it has significant shortcomings and is pursuing a plan to fix them. A new monitoring system introduced by the government in July examines the impact of the oil sands on biodiversity, air and water in the broader region, which in Mr. Vaughan’s report is identified as an important step forward. Read more about the Environment Commissioner’s greenhouse gas report.

Information Sessions: Advancing the Chemicals Management Plan
The federal government is hosting five webinars (three in English and two in French) to further explain key initiatives under the next phase of the Chemical Management Plan. The objective of these sessions is for federal officials to provide information on the Groupings initiative, its associated timeline and how stakeholders can participate. There is a maximum capacity of 250 participants per session, all scheduled for October. Interested parties are asked to register for the webinar of their choice on the Advancing the Chemicals Management Plan – information session website.

Nitrogen pollution rises off coast of China
A recent study published in Science indicates that levels of Nitrogen in the East China Sea, Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan have risen sharply over the last 30 years due to growing industrial and agricultural pollution. Threats to these Pacific waters have been identified as algal blooms and dead zones with low oxygen levels. In the water close to China, where nitrogen oxide pollution from coal-burning power plants and nitrogen run-off from fertilizers have soared, Nitrogen pollution was particularly acute. In one instance, the Korean researchers measured Nitrogen concentrations of 8 microliters per liter of water, which is 30 times higher than concentrations in the Gulf of Mexico where large algal blooms have appeared in recent years. Read more about the study of Nitrogen pollution off the coast of China.

New USEPA green product portal for design and purchasing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has launched a new web tool called the green products web portal to help manufacturers find information on standards and criteria for designing greener products. The tool is also set-up to help Americans access information about everyday products like appliances and cleaning products that can save money, prevent pollution and protect people’s health. The web portal was launched as part of the USEPA’a Pollution Prevention Week. Read more about the green products web portal.

PUBLICATIONS

How do consumers identify sustainable products and services?

Great Lakes Water Agreement 2009-2011 Priority Cycle Report on Chemicals of Emerging Concern
In advance of the Biennial Meeting of the Joint Commission (IJC) in October, the IJC released the Great Lakes Water Agreement 2009-2011 Priority Cycle Report on Chemicals of Emerging Concern. In the US and Canada, very few of the identified compounds have regulations governing their release into the environment and discharges from wastewater treatment plants are a significant source of contaminants to surface water in the Great Lakes basin. Identified chemicals of emerging concern include newly formulated chemicals and extremely tiny materials used in cosmetics, paints, electronics and other products as well as chemicals used in everyday household products. View the full Chemicals of Emerging Concern report.

SmartMarket Report Business Benefits of Green Buildings: building & occupant performance driving green investment in existing commercial buildings
This report provides data, analysis and market insights into the key business benefits of green buildings, such as tenant improvement, building performance, and the impact of buildings on productivity, health and well-being. Charts throughout the report present detailed information on green investment returns with respect to business benefits, productivity and tenant/occupant satisfaction. The report was released by McGraw-Hill Construction, CM Richard Ellis and the University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the 2010 Greenbuild conference. Access the full SmartMarket Report Business Benefits of Green Buildings.

VIDEO

Climate Reality Project Highlights
Founded and Chaired by Al Gore, the Climate Reality Project is focused on bringing facts about the climate crisis into mainstream and engaging the public in conversation about how to solve it. The Project recently hosted the event 24 Hours of Reality, which featured 24 presenters in 24 time zones and 13 languages discussing climate change. The video below features some of the highlights from the event.

Cycling for Everyone
An inspirational piece for urban cyclists, this video takes a look at the evolution of Dutch cycling infrastructure and the creation of the Dutch Cycling Embassy.

IMAGES

Environment Canada job cuts and reversal on shutdown of water monitoring stations in NWT
Early August brought news that more than 700 jobs will be cut within Environment Canada, including meteorologists, chemists, biologists and other scientists.

Following an announcement in the legislature of the Northwest Territories that these cuts would affect their federal water monitoring stations, aboriginal leaders and environmentalists publicly expressed shock, prompting the Prime Minister to reverse the decision by stating that such a move was not authorized and that the monitoring stations will be started up again. Read more…

President Obama scraps tough smog regulation
President Obama is facing strong criticism from environmentalists and left-leaning supporters following a decision to withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The President has said the proposed clean-air regulation, which aimed to reduce smog pollution from power plants and factories, was withdrawn to reduce regulatory burdens on business. Business groups and Republicans are supporting the decision, arguing that tougher regulations would cost thousands of jobs and hurt the struggling economy.

Democrats expressed disappointment over the decision, and environmentalists have indicated they’re concerned the President is moving away from promises to protect the environment, citing that the administration also appears poised to approve the Keystone pipeline to import Canadian tar sands oil. Read more…

Ray Anderson, corporate sustainability leader, dies at 77
Ray Anderson, Chairman and Founder of the world’s largest carpet manufacturing company, Interface Inc., passed away in early-August from cancer. Mr. Anderson was one of North America’s best-known corporate advocates for environmental sustainability, making Interface Inc. a leading green business after an epiphany in 1994 inspired by Paul Hawken’s book The Ecology of Commerce.

We were grateful to have Nadine Gudz, Director, Sustainability Strategy at InterfaceFLOR share some of Mr. Anderson’s insights at The Bloom Centre for Sustainability’s recent Sustainability Applied 2011 event in June. Mr. Anderson will be missed but his teachings and inspirational example will not be forgotten.

Mr. Anderson delivered thousands of speeches and wrote two books that helped change corporate attitudes to the role of business in society. Read more…

New alliance examines world water shortage risk
The World Resource Institute with corporate, academic and non-profit partners have launched the Aqueduct Alliance, a consortium of leading water experts that aim to assess and respond to the increasing water shortage risk globally.

A recent survey of 150 large corporations found 40% of respondents had experienced disruptions in operations, increases in expenses and other detrimental impacts related to water shortages.

The Aqueduct Alliance will be creating a global database of water risk maps with an unprecedented level of detail and resolution. These maps will combine advanced hydrological data with geographically specific indicators of social, economic and governance factors that affect companies and economies. Read more…

Plastic footprinting the focus of new international initiative
An international initiative launching this fall, will ask hundreds of companies to assess their use and recycling of plastics. The Hong Kong-based Ocean Recovery Alliance will operate the Plastic Disclosure Project, through which they are hoping to draw attention to the vast amount of plastic waste entering the environment.

According to the United Nations Environment Program, approximately 10% of the 300 million tons of plastic produced each year is recycled and close to 7 million tons end up in the world’s oceans. Read more…

PUBLICATIONS

New Consumerology Report: environment moves down list of top issues facing Canadians
According to Bensimon Byrne’s latest Consumerology Report, the environment has lost its status as one of the top five issues facing Canadians, with 49% ranking it as very important. This is down 11 points since the report was last published in 2008.

Researchers found that with financial pressures facing Canadians, many report that being environmentally responsible is unaffordable. Only 23% of Canadians report being motivated to make personal changes to benefit the environment.

While the research indicates that companies should think carefully when positioning their brand around the environment, it also found that Canadians would be more likely to buy products that use less packaging (52%), were recyclable (52%) and reusable (49%). Read more…

The Gallon Environment Letter (vol. 16, no. 5, Aug 30, 2011) recently provided an analysis of the new Consumerology report, in which author Colin Isaacs questions the findings, particularly that “the environment has fallen off the radar” for Canadians.  A main concern raised in the article is that “Bensimon’s analysis suffers seriously from only having two data points, one from July 2008 and one from August 2011. In our opinion, two data points is hardly enough to establish a trend.”

Canada won’t meet 2020 carbon emission reduction target
A 2011 analysis by the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE) has found that Canada likely won’t achieve its 2020 emissions reduction target.

The latest Government of Canada Kyoto Implementation Plan was published in June of 2011 pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, which also outlines that NRTEE must carry out an independent assessment plan within 60 days of publication.

While the analysis indicates that Environment Canada’s integrated modeling provides an improved basis for estimating emissions and reductions, as well as improved transparency in the data and methodologies presented, modeling indicates domestic initiatives are unlikely to achieve Canada’s reduction target. Read more…

VIDEOS

Shared urbanization for a green future: Alex Steffen at TED
Alex Steffen, founder of the influential World Changing, has long supported the idea of sustainably developing cities as a way to deal with climate change. In this TED Talk he explains how smart urbanization can help the world’s population become greener. Click the image below to view the presentation.

Smart Transportation: building complete communities and a zero-emission transportation system in BC
Recognizing that 40% of BC’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has created the video below to consider how to address this in the face of climate change. The video outlines two main commitments that need to be made now to create a zero-emission transportation system over the next 30 years.

PHOTOS

Infographic: world food security
A recent post on the Guardian’s Environment Blog shared the below map of food security risk around the world. Outlining a number of familiar points – Sub-saharan Africa with dire food shortages and richer nations with food surpluses – there’s also interesting detail for India and the possible vulnerability of Spain. Read more…

Proposed guideline for cadmium in children’s jewelry

Click HERE for details on the consultation and read more about this story HERE.

Promising green technologies funded
The federal government recently announced a $53 million investment in 17 new clean technology projects through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).

The funding will help innovative clean technology projects from across the country reach a stage of commercialization, helping to protect the environment and create high-quality jobs in the process.

SDTC’s SD Tech Fund has completed 18 funding rounds to date, committing $548 million to 223 clean technology projects. Read more…

Vancouver ranks 2nd in greenest city index
The recent US and Canada Green City Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit has identified San Francisco as the greenest major city with Vancouver ranking 2nd overall. The study commissioned by Siemens, compares 27 major US and Canadian cities on environmental performance and policies in 9 categories including energy, land use, building, transport, water, waste, air quality and environmental governance. Vancouver received top ratings for its carbon footprint and air quality management, however was rated below Ottawa for land use, Calgary for water use and Toronto for waste management measures. One of the key findings of the study was that cities that performed best in the rankings have comprehensive sustainability plans. Further, while a correlation was found between wealth and environmental performance, the connection is weaker in the US and Canada than it is in Europe and Asia. Read more…

Judge sets deadline for Ottawa to protect caribou
A federal court judge has ruled that the federal government needs to present a promised national recovery plan for caribou by September 1st after environmental and aboriginal groups went to federal court to request emergency protection for caribou habitat under the Species at Risk Act. Scientists have been documenting the collapse of the woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta for more than a decade, with some predicting caribou will be gone within 30 years, largely due to habitat destruction related to forestry, oil and gas wells, seismic lines and pipelines. Ottawa has missed the legal deadline for creating a recovery plan by 4 years. Read more…

Sustainable Chemistry Summit, Sept 16-18, Kinston, ON
GreenCentre Canada is in the final stages of planning their inaugural Sustainable Chemistry Summit in Kingston Ontario, September 16-18. This one-of-a-kind event brings together chemistry researchers, industry professionals, technology transfer managers, and government representatives to address the importance of moving green chemistry innovations from “Lab to Market.” Read more…

PUBLICATIONS

Measuring and valuing environmental impacts

Produced by the Network for Business Sustainability, the report is a high-level guide that presents a condensed version of NBS’s systematic review of a much larger body of research on measuring and valuing environmental impacts.

Read more…

Study shows dirty dozen being released through climate change
A recently study indicates that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are being released into the arctic atmosphere from snow, ice and ocean soil as the region warms. Considered semi-volatile, with the ability to be evaporated out of storage if the temperature is warm enough, POPs can travel long distances on air currents, persist in food and water supplies and bio-accumulate in the fat of humans and animals. These chemicals have been linked to serious health problems and many are banned under the Stockholm Convention international treaty. Read more…

Fish of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” ingesting plastic waste
Researchers have estimated that between 12,000 and 24,000 tons of plastic are being ingested by fish in the Northern Pacific “garbage patch” each year.

The majority of fish examined were myctophids, which play an important role connecting plankton at the base of the food chain with higher trophic levels.

The researchers have further estimated the incidence at which plastic is entering the food chain, for which they think there are potential impacts however have stated these will require more research. Read more…

Meat Eater’s Guide – a ranking of the CO2 footprint of foods
According to a new study by the Environmental Working Group, lamb, beef and cheese generate the most greenhouse gases.

Using cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment, the study ranked 20 popular meat, fish, dairy and vegetable proteins.

View the full report HERE .

You can also read more about this story HERE.

VIDEO

How wind and solar can help solve the global water crisis
In this short video from Treehuger.com, Rina Bohle Zeller of Vestas (the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer) outlines how the generation of electricity from solar or wind consumes a relatively small amount of water compared with other sources. She also touches on water consumption for carbon capture and storage.

Bikeshare in Minneapolis
This video from grist.org provides a great overview of how urban bike share programs operate with a particular focus on the Nice Ride program in Minneapolis. This year, Nice Ride will expand to 116 stations and 1200 bikes across the city.

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A results-driven, interactive event, Sustainability Applied 2011 focused on inspiring and driving action on sustainability and breaking down barriers to change. It highlighted experiences, approaches and expertise of leaders and practitioners on the practical application of sustainability solutions in the private and public sectors.

The event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, especially the lead sponsorship provided by the Ontario Ministry of Environment.

We would also like to extend our thanks to the members of the advisory panel who contributed ideas, suggestions and valuable support throughout the planning process.

103 delegates from across North America attended Sustainability Applied 2011, including representatives from a variety of sectors: Industry/Business: 43; Government: 23; Consulting: 17; NGO: 11; Academia: 7; and Labour: 2.

The program maximized opportunities for discussion, networking, information exchange, creating new business relationships and motivating action amongst participants. The interactive sessions, lead by a remarkable group of facilitators, worked to frame sustainability issues and discuss opportunities to apply and implement solutions to enhance competitiveness, minimize business risks and reduce our environmental footprint.

Sustainability Applied 2011 began with the June 9 evening Gala. The evening featured a jazz trio, networking, keynote presentations and the presentation of the annual John de Gonzague Pollution Prevention Visionary Award to Joanne Di Caro, who is the Manager of Environmental Monitoring and Protection for City of Toronto, and a long-time pollution prevention leader.

On June 10, the Honourable John Wilkinson, Minister of the Environment, Ontario gave the opening keynote address. Session themes throughout the day included:

• Creating business value with sustainability integration
• Motivating adoption of industrial energy efficiency practices
• Toxics reduction/pollution prevention as a catalyst for reducing business risks and enhancing business value
• Integrating sustainability in manufacturing industries
• Water and its value throughout the supply chain
• Greening the supply chain
• Toolkits, practices and metrics for enabling industrial sustainability

The sessions had consistently high quality content due to the calibre of the speakers and moderators, who shared their knowledge, insights and passion, and helped to bring Sustainability Applied alive for the delegates. One delegate summarized the experience: “Sustainability Applied 2011 was a success – great conference. When you get the right people talking about this important issue it can be quite invigorating. The broad cross-section of topics, speakers and attendees gave us an opportunity to discuss and share ideas and success stories, as well as identify how far we all need to go to build a sustainable future.”

A collection of resources from Sustainability Applied 2011 can be found online including:

• Agenda
• Photo Gallery
• Testimonials
• Speakers
• John De Gonzague Memorial Pollution Prevention Visionary Award
• Sponsors
• And more

We encourage you to join us for Sustainability Applied 2012, planned for October next year in Toronto. We will be announcing details of the event here as they become available.

On a final note, we were pleased to have a number of delegates from the National Environmental Sustainability Summit (NESS), held in Detroit June 7-9, join us for Sustainability Applied 2011. The NESS brought together nearly 250 professionals from across the United States and Canada. The latest edition of P2Post focusses on some of the event’s highlights and can be accessed HERE.

NEWS

Canada blocks inclusion of chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance

British Columbia first carbon neutral senior government
The BC provincial government has become the first carbon neutral senior government in North America. This commitment, outlined in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act, applies to all provincial public sector operations.

These organizations have measured their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduced the emissions as much as possible, offset the remaining emissions and reported publicly plans and actions to reduce emissions.

Read more…

WindMade label for companies makes US debut
The first consumer label for companies using wind energy was introduced in the US on Global Wind Day in mid-June.

The proposed standard requires participating companies to use at least 25% wind powered electricity.

A public consultation on the standard will be held until August 15, after which companies are expected to start applying for the final standard in September.

Read more…

Great Lakes mayors call for new bi-national commitment
Mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative are asking the US and Canadian federal governments to build on the US Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with a bi-national sustainable commitment to the region, supported with long-term funding. The mayors are looking for investment in solutions to eutrophication, climate change adaptation, protecting shorelines and preserving wetlands, initiatives, which they suggest, are complementary to major investments needed to address water infrastructure deficits in both countries.

Read more…

PUBLICATIONS

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Read more…

Most firms failing on water risk management
A new report released by EIRIS has found that a very small proportion of large companies are adequately managing risks related to water shortages, drought and pollution.

The report surveyed 3,000 large companies globally identified as exposed to water risks. Of these, only 0.22% were found to adequately be managing these risks. A main finding is that data quality on water exposure is lacking.

Read more…

Trends and Best Practices in Municipal Sustainable Purchasing
Reeve Consulting and the Municipal Collaboration for Sustainable Purchasing recently released the first annual Trends and Best Practices in Canadian Municipal Sustainable Purchasing report, the most comprehensive discussion of municipal sustainable purchasing and ethical sourcing in Canada to date. Beyond revealing key trends across the country and valuable best practices, the report offers a national snapshot of how Canadian municipalities are implementing sustainable purchasing programs.

Read more…

VIDEO

Digital debris: the toxic path of electronic waste
This short video shares some new facts for those interested in the export of e-waste to China. Examining the “cottage industry” of e-waste recyclers, implications of the US TV stations’ switch from analog to digital and increasing popularity of electronic recycling programs, the film provides a fresh look at the toxic path of electronic waste.

City of Edmonton sustainable purchasing
The City of Edmonton has a sustainable purchasing policy to inform the buying of products across the organization. To assist staff in following the policy when making purchases on behalf of the City, the following video was created that outlines 3 simple rules. Click on the image below to watch the short video.

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