Used oil wells may heat Alberta town’s buildings

Used oil wells may heat Alberta town’s buildings

Calgary-based Epoch Energy Development is conducting an extensive research and feasibility study to see if a Geothermal District Energy System is viable in the Town of Hinton in Alberta. The study, supported by all three levels of government, is looking at a proposed system that would produce renewable geothermal heat from marginally-producing oil and gas wells to heat the town’s public buildings.

Sustainable Biz Canada

Federal budget builds on climate change commitment

This year’s federal budget delivers on another important pillar of Canadian’s health, well-being, and wealth by allocating $1.3 billion over 5 years to protect our nature, parks and wild spaces. Protecting our land and the species it supports ensures we can continue to benefit from the ecosystem services they provide and multiplies our opportunities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Pembina Institute – 2018 Federal Budget

Winners of the EnerQuality housing innovation awards announced

Ontario’s best Green Builders were celebrated tonight at the EnerQuality Awards Gala (EQ Awards), taking place at the Universal Eventspace in Vaughan, Ontario. Hosted by Breakfast Television’s Kevin Frankish, more than 200 industry peers gathered to share concepts and accolades as together they help to move towards a more energy-conscious future.

Canada Newswire – Ottawa Citizen

Smart surface solutions can improve cities

A cost/benefit analysis by clean energy advisory and venture capital firm Capital E suggests that implementing smart surface solutions in major cities would have multiple resilience and health benefits as well as save money. Smart surfaces include green roofs, solar panels, permeable pavement, and reflective pavement. The report, “Delivering Urban Resilience,” focused on three cities: El Paso, Texas, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

BDC Network

Tips for science-based scope 3 climate targets

When Walmart announced its Project Gigaton goals in 2017, it raised the bar for corporate climate action. This ambitious commitment is aimed at reducing emissions from Scope 3 sources, indirect activities upstream and downstream in the supply chain by one billion tons by 2030.  By doing so, Walmart set its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets to align with climate science recommendations.

Sustainable Brands

IGA rolls out zero-emission home delivery van

IGA is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of its environmentally-focused Fonds Eco IGA by introducing a special zero-emissions home delivery vehicle. IGA calls it the “first electric converted refrigerated home delivery car in Canada.” The van is the work of a young Quebec-based company called EcoTuned, which produces kits to convert gas trucks into electric powered.

Canadian Grocer

Why MEC finds itself in the cross-hairs over guns

A primer for consumers. Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza killed his mother, a volunteer teacher, with a .22-calibre Savage Mark II bolt-action rifle. He then took two semi-automatic handguns, one semi-automatic rifle and one semi-automatic shotgun to the elementary school where he gunned down 20 students and six staff. The Savage Mark II bolt-action rifle is manufactured in Lakefield, Ont., for Savage Arms (Canada).

Toronto Star – CBC – Financial Post

	Exercise equipment powers N.Y. building
	A new 1,300-SF gym that’s part of The Market at I-Square, a mixed-use development in Rochester, N.Y., is using the energy generated by members on exercise bikes as a source of power. (Image courtesy of Market at I-Square)
	BDC Network, Feb 22, 2018

 

Future food sustainability

Many things in life are optional, but the food isn’t one of them. That’s why the findings of a new research report by the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), in Vancouver, B.C., are so important. Titled, The Future of Our Food System, the report depicts four data-driven scenarios of what our food system could look like in 2050, based on our current practices and alternative management decisions.

Water Canada

General Motors expands landfill-free efforts globally

General Motors has expanded its industry-leading landfill-free program as all of the company’s manufacturing plants in Canada, Mexico and South America now recycle, reuse or convert to energy all waste from daily operations. With the addition of 27 newly certified facilities, General Motors has 142 manufacturing and non-manufacturing landfill-free facilities globally — more than any other automaker.

Ceres

New ideas for sustainable property management

Bentall Kennedy, a Sun Life Investment Management company, is one of the largest global real estate investment advisors and one of North America’s foremost providers of real estate services. The company is a recognized Responsible Property Investing leader and continues to invest in new ideas and technologies that align with its sustainable property management strategy.

Bentall Kennedy News

Super Bowl hits ambitious waste diversion target

Earlier this year, the NFL, PepsiCo, Aramark, U.S. Bank Stadium, SMG and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority announced an ambitious plan to make Super Bowl LII a zero-waste event. The results are finally in and it’s official — the effort was a major win. Ninety-one percent of all trash generated on game day from 67,612 fans was responsibly recovered through composting, recycling and reuse.

Sustainable Brands

	The surprising solution to ocean plastic
	The Plastic Bank is a worldwide chain of stores where everything from school tuition to cooking fuel and more is available for purchase in exchange for plastic garbage. Founder David Katz describes his vision in this remarkable Ted Talk. (Photo credit: Pixabay / RitaE)
	Ted Talks, February 28, 2018

 

Ceres calls for more action on sustainability commitments

A new interactive web-based analysis released today by Ceres examines how more than 600 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. are responding to urgent calls to act on climate change and other sustainability threats, such as water pollution and scarcity, and human rights abuses, and positioning themselves for success in a world shaped by these unprecedented environmental and social challenges.

Ceres News – Turning Point: Corporate Progress on the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability

Finding dry land a priority as climate changes

In Charleston, S.C., where the ports have been expanding to accommodate larger ships sailing through the newly widened Panama Canal, a real-estate developer named Xebec Realty recently went looking for land to build new warehouses and logistics centers. But first, Xebec had a question: What were the odds that the sites it was considering might be underwater in 10 or 20 years?

Globe and Mail

Cities can change the world’s climate outlook: Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, who led the world to its first deal on climate change now has a new mission: Stopping emissions from rising by 2020. Ahead of the upcoming MIECF 2018 event, she shares why cities hold the key to success for climate action.

Eco-business – Eco-business

The World’s renewable energy cities

Of the 570 plus global cities reporting to CDP, over 100 now get at least 70% of their electricity from renewable sources such as hydro, geothermal, solar and wind. Canadian cities included in the list are Montreal, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Prince George, and Winnipeg.

CDP News

Market Trends and Research

Bolstering energy efficiency would produce health benefits

Strengthening energy efficiency standards by an achievable 15% would reduce heart attacks, respiratory disease, asthma attacks, and premature death, according to a new study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). More energy efficient buildings and transportation would reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 18% and sulfur dioxide by 23%.

BDC Network

European direct current power market to reach $40 million

The European direct current power market is expected to reach $40.1 million by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.2% over the forecast period 2017-2025, driven by the increasing integration of solar photovoltaic system (PV) and energy storage in residential and commercial buildings, according to Frost & Sullivan, a business consulting and research firm.

Energy Manager Today

Scientists alarmed by ‘crazy’ arctic temperature rise

An alarming heatwave in the sunless winter Arctic is causing blizzards in Europe and forcing scientists to reconsider even their most pessimistic forecasts of climate change. Although it could yet prove to be a freak event, the primary concern is that global warming is eroding the polar vortex, the powerful winds that once insulated the frozen north.

The Guardian – CBC

Residential Real Estate

Smart Home technology won’t save energy; it wastes it.

A new study claims that energy efficiency is driving the Smart Home market, but in fact, every bit of smart tech is a little vampire. A study from GMI Research estimates that the global smart home market will reach US$ 125.9 by 2025.

TreeHugger

Cities and Towns

Paris car ban along the river Seine deemed illegal

In September 2016, Paris closed a stretch of road along the River Seine to automobiles in an attempt to improve both the pedestrian experience and the city’s air quality. On Feb. 21, 2018, the Paris Administrative Court annulled the closure of the roads on the right bank of the Seine based on determining that the impact study prior to the decision to close the lanes to vehicular traffic included inaccuracies.

BDC Network

Transit, bikes and transportation

German cities get green light to ban diesel vehicles

A German court ruled Tuesday that cities can ban diesel cars and trucks to combat air pollution, a decision with wide-ranging and costly implications that marks a turning point for diesel vehicles in Germany. Diesel cars were first invented in Germany and remain a popular alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, with about 12 million affected vehicles on the road.

Global News – Globe and Mail – Inhabitat

Water Management

Brazil rainforest has been completely submerged underwater

The ecological reserve Recanto Ecologico Rio da Prata is used to receiving heavy rains since it is located in a tropical area in southern Brazil, but such a number of reserve, people did not expect. As a result, the reserve actually submerged underwater and was saved amazingly in clear water.

Jewish Business News

Other

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