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Controversial bailout for 'green' wind farm in BC
Vancouver Sun
02/09/2010
BC Hydro signed an energy purchase agreement with the private developer of the proposed wind farm at Dokie Ridge as part of a call for "green energy" projects back in 2006.
But work on the 144-megawatt first phase was halted during the global financial meltdown in the fall of 2008, amid rising construction costs and a consultant's report that questioned the reliability of the site as a source of wind power.
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West Coast waves getting bigger
Vancouver Sun
02/09/2010
West Coast waves are getting bigger, meaning greater threats of flooding or coastal erosion during storms, according to a new study.
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BC native band finalizes treaty agreement
Toronto Globe and Mail
02/08/2010
The Yale First Nation north of Hope, BC, has finalized a treaty agreement with the federal and provincial governments - 16 years after starting the process.
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Enviro crusader to carry torch on scooter
Vancouver Sun
02/05/2010
Environmentalist Tzeporah Berman will be celebrating her 41st birthday today by carrying the Olympic Flame in Squamish. Only she won't be running with the torch. She'll be scooting. Berman believes she is the first person to carry the torch in a zero-emission vehicle.
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Close, but no gold in Vancouver's race to go green
Toronto Globe and Mail
02/04/2010
The Vancouver-based Suzuki Foundation Wednesday gave the 2010 Olympics a bronze for efforts to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions, citing elements such as energy-efficient venues, the use of clean energy such as solar heating and small hydroelectricity projects.
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Deal with urban wildfire risks in BC now
Vancouver Sun
02/04/2010
BC governments need to impose stricter controls on new subdivisions where nearby forests pose a fire risk, says a new report. The challenge of clearing the threat of forest fires in areas where there is human development is huge.
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Melting snowpack thins wolverine population
Vancouver Sun
02/04/2010
The ferocious wolverine -- strong enough to kill prey as large as a moose -- may not be tough enough to survive climate change. New research suggests that as the wolverine's snowy habitat across northwestern Canada melts, the hardy and elusive creature's population thins.
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BC gas plant approved despite emissions spike
The Tyee
02/03/2010
A mammoth shale gas processing plant is lumbering ahead in northeastern BC, but a proposal to implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) at the site appears dead in its tracks.
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Coal mine threatens BC caribou
CBC BC
02/02/2010
A First Nation group from northeast British Columbia has gone to court to fight to protect a tiny, endangered caribou herd from a potential coal mine development.
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At REI, is 'carbon-neutral' a smoke screen?
KUOW
02/02/2010
What do Nike, REI, the Vancouver Olympics, and the Washington state government have in common? They've all promised to eliminate their impact on the climate by going "carbon–neutral." REI aims to have zero output of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide by the year 2020. But since REI set the zero–impact goal, its emissions have been heading rapidly in the opposite direction.
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BC's forest industry future looks green
Vancouver Sun
02/02/2010
The Canadian forest industry can come out of the recession stronger than ever by turning green, according to a new study by the Forest Products Association of Canada.
The study shows that traditional wood products, like lumber or pulp, are the best platform for a new bioenergy sector that can bring new capital, create new jobs and provide the benefits of clean energy.
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BC mine falling through very large loophole
Toronto Globe and Mail
02/01/2010
After a Supreme Court ruling, the Red Chris mine in northern BC is clear to proceed. But the ruling also puts the federal government on notice that its tactic of looking at isolated pieces in environmental assessments isn't fair.
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Push to ban bottles dropped during Games
Vancouver Sun
01/29/2010
A few months ago Vancouver wanted to rid city venues and buildings of bottled water, but the momentum for that plan has fizzled in the run up to the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Millions of bottles of water will be consumed during the Games in February.
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Victoria urged to keep boosting carbon tax
BC Local News
01/28/2010
Motorists could pay 50 cents more in carbon tax on every liter of gas by the end of this decade if the Pembina Institute gets its way. The organization is recommending the provincial government steadily raise the carbon tax each year until 2020 to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
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Aboriginal school project taking off in BC
Toronto Globe and Mail
01/28/2010
The city of Prince George will open BC's first public, aboriginal-themed public school. When it opens in September, the school will have a new first nations name and mandate, half the faculty will be of aboriginal ancestry, and native elders will advise students.
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Half of BC's lands must be protected
Vancouver Sun
01/27/2010
A coalition of scientists and leading environmental groups say that BC's existing parks and protected areas -- 15 percent of the land -- are not large enough to protect landscapes and wildlife against the ravages of climate change. They want 50 percent of the land conserved.
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Natural gas has a lucrative dirty secret
Georgia Straight
01/28/2010
The BC government isn't asking many questions about a natural-gas-drilling technique that uses massive volumes of water and could be contaminating drinking water with toxic compounds.
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BC fish farming expansion frozen
CBC BC
01/27/2010
Fish farming on the West Coast won't be allowed to expand until at least December, following a BC Supreme Court decision to give the federal government more time to take over the job of regulating the industry from the province.
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Raw milk proponents get court victory
BC Local News
01/27/2010
Members of a controversial raw milk co-op hope an Ontario court ruling will force BC health officials to stop trying to stamp out their use of unpasteurized dairy products.
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Vancouver's Chinatown looking up
Vancouver Sun
01/26/2010
Vancouver's council approved a motion to increase density and allow taller buildings in certain areas of Chinatown. Officials said the move was critical in revitalizing the heritage area "whose predicament is dire by all accounts" and hope it will increase the number of affordable housing units in the area.
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Vancouver homes rated 'most unaffordable'
Vancouver Sun
01/26/2010
Vancouver is the least affordable housing market in nearly 300 metropolitan markets worldwide, according to a new study. In BC, Victoria, Abbotsford and Kelowna were also in the ranks of the severely unaffordable.
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Vancouver council agrees to protect view corridors
Vancouver Sun
01/26/2010
A majority of Vancouver's council agreed to protect the city's world-renowned views from from developers who want to build taller condos that might block public vistas.
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'Red Tent' campaign planned for homeless during Olympics
The Tyee
01/26/2010
Early next month, Pivot Legal Society hopes to ask city council's permission to start handing out 500 collapsible shelters to Vancouver's most needy. Pivot's rights activists want to confront a city enthralled by Olympic jubilation with the reality of local poverty. And test the limits of constitutional law.
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How green are the 2010 winter Olympics?
Energy Priorities Magazine
01/25/2010
Seven years after winning the bid, we find Canadians are not entirely happy about the upcoming games. Green business guru Martin Westerman shares his thoughts about how to really make the games green.
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2010 Games: Squamish First Nation welcomes the world
Vancouver Sun
01/26/2010
The journey along the Sea to Sky Highway is becoming a cultural one with more opportunities to pull out to not only enjoy the views, but also to learn about the history and myths of the Squamish First Nation.
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