Concerned about the environmental impact of growing use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, the Canadian government has challenged industry to come up with products that won't end up in landfills. A key challenge is transforming contaminated materials into “valuable materials that can further be used in manufactured products.” [node:read-more:link]
An emergency Ontario-wide alert that woke thousands to warnings of an unspecified “incident” at the Pickering nuclear station near Toronto 12 January was erroneously sent out during a training exercise. Solicitor General Sylvia Jones says there was no danger to the public or the environment. [node:read-more:link]
An emergency Ontario-wide alert that woke thousands to warnings of an unspecified “incident” at the Pickering nuclear station near Toronto 12 January was erroneously sent out during a training exercise. Solicitor General Sylvia Jones says there was no danger to the public or the environment. [node:read-more:link]
Capella Space Corp. has released the design for a new satellite which would use synthetic aperture radar to provide imagery regardless of weather or cloud cover, unlike other platforms with optical sensors. The San Francisco-based startup’s technology is expected to provide valuable data not only to natural disaster and search and rescue responders but also the military and intelligence communities. [node:read-more:link]
An appeals court in The Netherlands has ruled that the Nigerian branch of Royal Dutch Shell is responsible for environment damage caused by leaks in the Niger Delta. The company has been ordered to compensate farmers and take measure to prevent further damage. Shell argued that the leaks were due to “sabotage”, a reference to years of local populations stealing fuel, but the court said the company had not proven its case “beyond reasonable doubt.” [node:read-more:link]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today that Canada will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40-45 per cent from 2005 levels within the next decade. Announced as the U.S. unveiled a planned 50 per cent reduction, Canada’s latest target is higher than the 36 per cent the government says it currently can achieve by 2030 and the 30 per cent goal initially agreed to in the Paris Agreement. [node:read-more:link]
The constitutionality of the federal government’s carbon tax was upheld today by the Supreme Court of Canada in a split decision. Several provinces had challenged the policy but the majority of the nine judges agreed that climate change is “a threat of the highest order” and a “threat to the future of humanity.” [node:read-more:link]
As in Internal Combustion Engine! General Motors Corp. says it will phase out ICEs in its veicles by 2035 as well as going completely carbon neutral. “We encourage others to follow suit and make a significant impact on our industry and on the economy as a whole,” Chief Executive Officer Mary Barr said Jan. 28. [node:read-more:link]
The Philippines wants China to remove a flotilla of militia-operate ships from six islands and reefs claimed by Manila in the South China. The ships and four naval vessels are described as a threat to sovereignty and the marine environment and Manila says that “neither the Philippines nor the international community will ever accept China’s assertion of its so-called ‘indisputable integrated sovereignty’ over almost all of the South China Sea.” [node:read-more:link]
It is urgent to refocus our vast knowledge and expertise to a coordinated universal effort on the environment, especially as populations begin to shift their lifestyle paradigm in a post COVID-19 mindset. [node:read-more:link]
Guide to understanding insurance coverage of damage from natural catastrophes including hail, flood, storms, wildfires, wind, lightning and earthquakes. [node:read-more:link]
(2014 update) Our understanding of climate change impacts and adaptation has improved, both as a result of new research and through experience. Led by Natural Resources Canada, the development of this report involved over 90 authors and 115 expert reviewers. [node:read-more:link]
The Canada Energy Regulator suggests that the federal government’s goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will require a more aggressive shift away from oil and gas. It says in its latest annual Energy Futures report that petroleum is likely to account for nearly two-thirds of Canada’s energy sources three decades hence. [node:read-more:link]
The European Space Agency is going ahead with a satellite constellation which will monitor global carbon dioxide emissions. European ministers who oversee national science budgets have approved €14.4-billion over the next five years for the project, which the ESA says also will pave the way for more Moon and Mars missions. [node:read-more:link]
The global McKinsey & Co. consultancy says companies which see climate change as a future risk are making a huge mistake if they ignore its physical effects on infrastructure, supply chains, food systems, asset prices, productivity and economic growth. It also points out that the increasingly connected global economy means that risk in one part of the world often will extend well beyond the place of immediate impact. [node:read-more:link]
