December 8, 2014
The most recent economic “super-cycle,” a decades-long trend of rising commodity prices, has been influenced by the surging growth of China since the turn of this century. Now, as China begins its shift from an export-led growth model to a model based on internal investment and consumption, the super-cycle has slowed. The Worldwatch Institute’s Mark Konold, Caribbean Program Manager, and
...November 10, 2014
Most of us are repeat offenders when it comes to excessive toilet flushing. In fact, the US Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans use more water each day by flushing the toilet than any other activity, even showering! Even if you are a responsible flusher, each flush is inherently wasteful. In drought-plagued California, approximately 203 million gallons of drinking water (yes,
...November 10, 2014
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. When I still lived in Berlin, my favourite November 9th activity was to go to the bridge where the Wall was first breached in 1989 - the Boesebruecke. I’d sit on the cold damp concrete of the bridge, pop the cork on a mini-bottle sekt (similar to champagne) and just wonder what it was like to be there that night. In recent years, I have become
...November 3, 2014
Climate change seriously threatens bird species across Canada and the United States according to a new groundbreaking report released by Nature Canada’s partner organization, the Audubon Society. The report concludes that half of all birds studied could see their populations drop dramatically on account of climate change. Paul Jorgenson, Nature Canada’s Senior Communications Manager speaks
...October 30, 2014
Flupyradifurone is a new neonicotinoid pesticide from Bayer. That’s right, another one! Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) explained that: “Flupyradifurone may pose a risk to bees, non-target beneficial arthropods, and freshwater and saltwater invertebrates when used for foliar application. Flupyradifurone may pose a risk to birds and small wild mammals when used
...October 29, 2014
Hey Mr. Green, My 10-year-old electric water heater uses about 5,000 kilowatt-hours a year. Should I wait until it dies or replace it now? If the latter, what's the most energy-efficient water heater on the market? —Randi, in Putnam Valley, New York Holy starry dynamo of night! Your water heater alone uses almost twice as much electricity as my entire house. At New York's average residential rate
...October 27, 2014
New Worldwatch Institute analysis examines global economic trends and associated challenges Washington, D.C. — National progress is often measured almost exclusively by growth in the gross domestic product, or GDP. Yet as the global economy inches upward, actual social and environmental well-being lags. Alternative measures for gauging progress are needed to determine true
...October 15, 2014
The Union of Concerned Scientists’ Kendall Science Fellow and Scientist Roberto Mera discusses how today’s changing climate and recent record-setting wildfires this year in the Pacific Northwest is compelling scientists to search for ways to determine the cause behind the observed trends. The Pacific Northwest has experienced a statistically significant warming trend of 0.7°C (1.3°F) in an
...October 7, 2014
Hey Mr. Green, It seems hypocritical for the Sierra Club to voice concern about the environment while promoting air travel to distant destinations. How bad is plane travel? Would traveling by blimp help? Is it ethical? --Robert in Rochester, New York Commercial flights make up 9 percent of U.S. transportation-based fuel consumption. But given air travel's effects on the upper atmosphere, its
...October 2, 2014
Policy makers truly listen and care when businesses move past status-quo statements to show and tell how profit, sustainability and broad prosperity can be achieved simultaneously. Public policy is a critical strategy to transform the economy from the sometimes-damaging system it can be today. But if passionate, sustainably minded business leaders are not at the table, only the voices of legacy,
...September 29, 2014
The reality is that the market is changing. Climate responsibility aside, Sierra Club Canada Executive Director John Bennett asks, “is it really wise to stake Canada’s future on dirty, low quality tarry oil that is expensive to produce, expensive to process, expensive to transport and costly to refine?” The message Bennett had in his heart when he took part in The People's Climate March in New York on
...September 29, 2014
Ever heard of an insecticide called 'neonic'? Neonicotinoid insecticides are at the heart of a troubling trend: the decline of bee populations. After an analysis of over 800 research papers, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) concluded that these insecticides are killing bees in record numbers. Canadians care about bees and according to a recent poll, 92% of Ontario citizens
...August 21, 2014
Is our Canadian government justified in keeping certain policies under wraps? Sierra Club Canada Executive Director John Bennett claims it is not. "Governments feed us a lot of malarkey about why secrecy is essential, but 9 times out of 10, there’s no justifiable reason," says Bennett. Just last month, at an undisclosed location in Ottawa, 400 delegates from Pacific Rim countries
...August 21, 2014
Hey Mr. Green, An article I read recently claimed that wind farms increase ground warming and drying for miles around. Have you heard such claims before? Is there validated research confirming or denying them. And if the claims are accurate, then how does the impact compare with the impacts of burning coal and oil? —Glen, in Kokomo, Indiana Fox News online made such claims,
...August 20, 2014
The National Energy Board (NEB) is continuing its undemocratic approach to satisfying its most influential stakeholder: the oil industry. On July 11th, the NEB said it was going consider a request from Chevron and Imperial Oil to soften the rules for offshore drilling in the Arctic. Their decision might very well lead to an ecological disaster in the Canadian Arctic where Imperial Oil and Chevron want to
...August 15, 2014
Article By Laura Batcha, Executive Director and CEO of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) for the GreenMoney Journal. As more and more world attention focuses on threats from global warming and its impact on agriculture, organic production practices and principles are providing hope to an environmentally challenged planet. Studies continue to mount showing that organic farms are able to support
...August 12, 2014
On June 17, 2014, the federal cabinet approved the Northern Gateway Tar Sands pipeline. Sierra Club Canada Executive Director John Bennett says that the Northern Gateway Tar Sands pipeline "could be a turning point because of the huge opposition in British Columbia —unparalleled in Canadian history". Namely: 130 First Nations and over 10,000 residents have said no to the project and told the
...August 11, 2014
As one of only two environmental coalitions present during the hearings on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker project, media took a strong interest in Nature Canada's position on the federal government's disappointing decision to give the Northern Gateway the greenlight on June 17, 2014. Speaking on the risks of the Northern Gateway project in an interview with media after the federal
...August 8, 2014
by John Roulac, founder of Nutiva The issue of how we grow and process our food, while it’s always been important, is now a hot topic both at the kitchen table and on Wall Street. From the recent scandal about a chemical used in yoga mats being found in Subway bread to the rising awareness of GMOs and demands to label their presence in foods, the public is fast awakening to the need for safe, whole, natural
...August 5, 2014
Why Impact Investors Must Come To Terms With the Biological Bottom Line By Paul R. Ehrlich and M. C. Tobias, co-authors of "Hope on Earth" When Nicholas Stern released the 'Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change' (October 30, 2006) for the British government, it was already clear that global warming, weather anomalies and the consequences of unheeded business-as-usual greenhouse gas emission
...July 9, 2014
In case we needed more evidence, the fifth round of climate science assessments from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reaffirmed, again, that burning fossil fuels is warming the planet. But its latest release, focused on solutions, shows that solving the climate conundrum is also eminently affordable: the cost to transition the globe off of fossil fuels to cleaner sources energy is just 0.06 per
...April 16, 2014
With the official launch of the USGBC’s LEED version 4 at Greenbuild Nation in November 2013, Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are becoming hot new topics of discussion. With LEED v4, project teams will be able to achieve LEED credits for conducting a whole building LCA and/or choosing products with a 3rd party validated EPD. The goal behind allocating credits for
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