Unlikely alliance urge Ontario for Price on Carbon
This week, a group of Ontario based investors, industry, academics, civil society and environmental NGO’s wrote an open letter urging members of the Ontario government to put a price on carbon. In their letter, the unlikely alliance of environmental organizations, trade unions and carbon intensive industry praised the provincial government’s leadership on phasing out coal in the electricity sector and its leadership on promoting green energy. However, they argue that the same commitment is needed to implement a price on carbon pollution in Ontario to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to position the province to compete in the low-carbon economy. Check out the letterhere! We have also blogged about the release of the letter on rabble.ca
British Columbia has formally rejected Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, saying the company has failed to adequately explain how to deal with a major heavy oil spill on land or in coastal waters. Enbridge has also failed to respond convincingly to the other conditions that Christy Clark’s government had set for its approval. The proposed pipeline would carry tarsands crude oil to the West Coast from Alberta.
In its final written response to the federal panel that has been conducting hearings for the past 17 months, the B.C. government said it cannot support the $6-billion project as currently presented because its concerns over potential environmental damage, and Enbridge’s ability to respond to disasters, have not been addressed. However, the B.C. government says it is possible – though unlikely – that Enbridge can win it over. Read more…
There is no throne so high that it cannot be shaken by laughter from beneath
Our friends at Greenpeace have launched a new campaign to “laugh Harper’s tarsands ‘greenwash’ ads off the air”. In a series of 3 old-fashioned Canadian satires, the campaign highlights the government’s gross overspending of $16 million tax payer dollars on a greenwashing ad campaign to paint the tar sands as environmentally friendly.