Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Copenhagen Results are not Pretty



The talks are over for now and most are calling the meeting a "near utter failure."

The conference got off to a rough start due to 'climategate', a series of emails leaked from the University of East Anglia that tried to add doubt to the climate change equation. The school's Climate Research Unit was hacked by an anonymous source for e-mails that might denote the theory of CO2 induced climate change. Although these e-mails show questionable office practices, the theory of climate change remains intact with little, if any, damage. The event did however raise some questions as to the transparency of climate science and need for us to continually reexamine hypotheses and utilize the scientific process. Get the full story on the mail storm from the Economist.

The conference hosted world leaders, acclaimed scientists and flashy concerts, however, the outcome is much less thrilling. There is no binding treaty. The global recession and domestic issues in both China and the U.S. have taken precedent over forming an agreement. Others believe the UN should step out of the climate business altogether because the conference seemed more like a theatre exercise than anything else. Of course the COP15 wasn't a complete loss, here are the positives from the BBC:

• An establishment of the tipping point: A near-global acknowledgement that global warming should be limited to less than 2C (3.6F), the degree of warming generally accepted as being "dangerous". Arguably, this was one of the top "successes" from Copenhagen

• "Have" countries must register their goals by next month: Rich countries must register the emissions cuts they will make by 2020 by the end of January 2010. However, there is no guarantee that this will limit warming in the future as what countries announce they will cut is up to them

• Climate coping fund established for the "have not" countries: New and additional money "approaching $30bn" will be channelled to poorer nations over the period 2010-12, and the goal of providing an annual sum of $100bn by 2020. But there remain real questions about whether a special Copenhagen Green Climate Fund will reach the target of $100bn, which many say is, at best, half of what is needed


Absolutely everyone is pointing fingers and Canada is not without criticism. Canada was charged as "fossil of the year," a title that reflects our status as an inefficient energy producing country. The term 'Hopenhagen' is now seen as a mocking, misplaced epithet, and some are even calling the meeting 'Nopenhagen' or worse, 'No-Hopenhagen', yikes.

Watch the closing press briefing from Copenhagen here. There is still a lot of work to be done. As various country agendas roll out we will continue to watch.

Will the Mexico conference be any different?

City Tips for a Green Holiday

The Campbell River Mirror has written an article with help from the City on how to be green this season. Read More

Friday, December 18, 2009

Greenways Loop: The Jubilee Connector


ENDORSED.

This week Council endorsed the southern portion of the Greenways Loop, The Jubilee Connector, to be implemented and managed by Greenways Land Trust. This 2.5km trail will link the Rotary Seawalk with the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands along Jubilee Parkway creating a 25km greenway around Campbell River.

Construction will start early in the New Year.

This project will employ displaced forestry workers, offer recreation and alternative forms of transportation to residents, as well as reduce invasive plants and increase tourism offerings.

To read more from the Campbell River Mirror

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Green Holiday Ideas

Reduce your consumption this holiday season. Here are a few tips:
-If you buy a real tree use the needles for garden mulch
-Buy a potted tree, plant after use
-Switch to LED holiday lights
-Send ecards rather than paper mail, but if you do stick to snail mail create your own cards from recycled materials
-Carefully read the labels of girts marketed as 'green'
-Cook up a low carbon meal (see previous post below)
-Give consumables to those who live in small spaces, chances are clutter will be tossed
-Give services such as massages or gym memberships to reduce material consumption
-Buy ethical products: fair trade, organic, low carbon
-Buy vintage holiday attire and gift classic items or second hand books
-Instead of gift baskets give friends gift cards so they may select what they like and throw out less
-Save your Christmas cards and reuse the unmarked fronts next year as gift tags
-Bake gifts and present them in reusable containers like tins and mason jars that you have laying around the house anyway
-Read holiday stories to the family rather than watching TV
-Dim the lights, save energy and flatter your guests
-Serve slowly, rather than gorging your guests roll out the food slowly so their tummy's have a chance to recognize how much they've consumed
-Be active during the holidays, go skating or for a walk in the snow
-Buy gifts of hope from Plan Canada, a non-partisan organization with no religious affiliations
-Keep the holidays light, this isn't the time to debate global warming


To consider:
How to select a real or fake tree
12 ways to green Christmas

Carbon Economies of Scale?

The National Post has written a 5-part series on unexpected methods to improve sustainability called Rethinking Green. One is called The 100 Mile Delusion, which asks consumers to look closer at the carbon countering of their food choices. Some locally grown products may be inefficiently grown but nonetheless disguised as a sustainable diet material.

"A 2008 study published in the academic journal, Environmental Science and Technology by a pair of environmental engineers at Carnegie Mellon University found that just 11% of greenhouse gas emissions related to food come from transportation. Final delivery to the retailer accounted for just 4%. On the other hand, 83% of emissions involved in your lunch today are directly attributable to the food's production."

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Closed Containment in Campbell River?


A Campbell River based closed containment salmon project needs research and development funding from the government. Both the federal and provincial governments say they haven't been asked. Read the full story from the Courier Islander.

With risk comes rewards but during this economics climate will the province come through? More talks are needed.

Learn more about closed containment fishing:
Global Assessment of Closed System Aquaculture bythe David Suzuki Foundation, Georgia Straight Alliance and Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform
Marine Harvest Canada Study by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands of BC
Aquaculture Engineering by the Food and Aquaculture Organization of the UN
Aquaculture Developments site.

Photo from the CAAR report

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

CO2 Cube

'The CO2 cube' in the water of St Jorgens Lake, Copenhagen, December 7, 2009. The cube visually reflects one metric ton of carbon dioxide at standard atmospheric temperature - the amount an average industrialized citizen produces in one month.

More from the Los Angeles Times
Photo: REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Ontario to Lead the Energy Revolution in North America?


Ontario is making progress and headlines.

The province has introduced cap and trade and is keeping up with its GHG emission reduction plan. The Green Energy Act is moving forward and could become an example to North America of how to reduce climate change and produce jobs.

This is a crucial point in climate change decision making. Next week the Copenhagen Conference (COP15) will bring together world leaders to discuss and set climate change efforts. The goal is to create a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 that all participating nations can accept and follow. This is a highly anticipated conference that many want concrete results from.
FAQ Copenhagen Conference 2009
United Nations COP15 site
Live updates at OneClimate

Cartoon: MATT WUERKER/NEWSART

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Walking Program Extended

As mentioned earlier, Campbell River received a walking program grant from WalkBC to implement a free eight-week guided walk every Tuesday from noon until 1pm starting at Robron Centre. Now the program has been extended, so get out for an energizing walk and enter a chance to win an Active Living prize pack. Depending on abilities, some walkers take a regular tour of the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands.

More info - Kris at 250-286-1161.

Read more:
Walking Program Keeps Pace

Willow Creek Clean-up Results

Paintballers and volunteers from the Willow Creek Watershed Society have repaired damage done to Willow Creek last month along Jubilee Parkway. The riparian area was being used as a paintballer combat site; unauthorized users had dug holes and cut down numerous trees. Community action has remedied the problem by coming together and dismantling the site and rehabilitating the soil.

Read more here:
Groups Join in to Repair Paintballers' Damage