From Other Environmental Groups (January)

NATIONAL

  1. A carbon tax rollback is a bad idea! Many Canadians struggle to afford to heat their homes in the winter months. Is that because of the carbon tax or because of the greedy oil companies? While taxing Canadians may not be the best way to promote greener practices, the sky-high prices of fossil fuels have more to do with the greed of the big fuel companies than the carbon tax. To read more, go here!

  2. How does your bank contribute to climate change? “The five major Canadian banks —RBC, CIBC, BMO Financial Group, TD and Scotiabank— are listed in the top 20 global banks financing fossil fuels”. Don’t be fooled by their empty messaging in support of Indigenous rights and climate action, these banks aren’t putting their money where their mouth is. To read more, here!

  3. CCPA (Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives): Check out this special video by Sundance Chief Rueben George which gives insights into environmental advocacy.

    AND, note that the City of Montreal is banning natural gas in most new building starting in 2024. Their buildings account for 30 % of the city’s emissions. They’re aiming for carbon neutral buildings by 2040. Ask this for Vernon!

Global

  1. Things worth buying organic! Many household items contain additives which we later find to be harmful to humans, the planet, or animals. From flame retardants to synthetic materials in furniture, our home can be filled with items we may not realize are toxic. Go here for a list of items worth going organic for!

  2. Food Miles: The distance our food travels has a massive impact on the environment. Eating local is an important way to cut down on our carbon footprint; However, local produce can be pricey and current food cost inflation can put added stress on the family budget... For the BBC story, go here!

  3. Climate change is a healthcare issue: The changing environment poses many health hazards from the exacerbation of chronic illness to environmental caused disease. Climate change is another stressor on a system already struggling. For the Suzuki story, go here, and for a great video on this go here!

  4. COP was a supersoaker: COP28 happened and it was arguably the ideal outcome. For some of the people attending. Was COP28 a success? I would argue it was if you wanted to influence the course of climate negotiations for years to come. If you're the guy who set your house on fire then yep, I'd say you'd be pretty happy with how things went in Dubai this year. To watch the YouTube video, go here!  One outcome was that global climate adaptation needs are  outpacing adaptation finance  by about USD 366 billion per year (UN data)  and the need is only growing

  5. Geoengineering, a hazard or solution to volcanos? Previous volcano eruptions have had devastating death tolls, can geoengineering prevent these disasters, or does it pose an even bigger risk? To read the full BBC story, go here!

Good News Stories

  1. E-bike with no battery! Batteries in electric vehicles and bikes stand as the biggest hurdle in making these alternatives truly eco-friendly. This French company’s e-bike doesn’t need a battery. For the full story, go here!

  2. Portugal’s successful 100% renewable power test run! Portugal has just run a 6-day fully renewable energy test run. The country of 10 million successfully ran the grid without using fossil fuels. This is a step in the right direction for meeting Paris Agreement climate targets by 2050. For the whole story, go here!

Stuff From Enviro Groupsm lassau