Brian Livingston – Counting Carbon III: A Reality Check on Our Emission Reduction Plan
To: The Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change From: Brian Livingston Date: December 15, 2022 Re: Counting Carbon III: A Reality Check on Our Emission Reduction Plan This Intelligence Memo (IM) is the third in a series (see earlier IMs on transport and, oil and gas) dealing with the seven sectors of the Canadian economy […] Brian Livingston – Counting Carbon II: A Reality Check on Our Emission Reduction Plan
To: The Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change From: Brian Livingston Date: December 14, 2022 Re: Counting Carbon II: A Reality Check on Our Emission Reduction Plan The federal government’s ambitious Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) sets out targets for seven economic sectors as it aims to cut 2030 emissions by 42 percent from 2019 levels. […] Brian Livingston – Counting Carbon: A Reality Check on Our Emission Reduction Plan
To: The Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change From: Brian Livingston Date: December 13, 2022 Re: Counting Carbon: A Reality Check on Our Emission Reduction Plan The federal government’s ambitious Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) last March set out targets for seven sectors that make up the total Canadian greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to cut […] Les jumeaux planétaires – La Presse Op-Ed
Le climat et sa sœur, la biodiversité, sont des jumeaux qu’on n’aurait pas dû séparer à la naissance.
À la COP15 de Montréal, on se penche sur le cas de la petite, aussi grave mais autrement plus compliqué que celui de son frère, traité le mois dernier à la COP27, à Charm el-Cheikh. Les savants docteurs ont intérêt à travailler ensemble, car ces enjeux sont intimement liés.
Le réchauffement climatique réduit la biodiversité et vice versa. Un exemple : le réchauffement étend les déserts et le recul de la végétation réduit le captage naturel du carbone, qui s’échappe dans l’atmosphère et empire le réchauffement.
Heureusement, ce qui est bon pour l’un l’est aussi pour l’autre. On estime que des solutions axées sur…
Where’s the oil boom? Why Alberta’s recent good fortune is mostly a mirage – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Alberta has earned a reputation over many decades for being a boom-bust economy. Strong oil demand and high prices have created boom times for jobs, incomes, investment and government revenues, while weak demand and falling prices have meant a slowdown or even recession on occasion.
But now, global demand for oil is again rising and prices are high, yet more oil-production revenue is not translating into a sustained economic boom for Alberta.
The province’s economy grew by 4.8 per cent in real terms (with inflation removed) in 2021. A budget surplus has financed or paid for Premier Danielle Smith’s latest inflation-relief handouts. While that sounds good, there was no oil boom; this growth is simply part of…
Glen Hodgson – When Will Canada Adopt Better Flood Risk Management?
From: Glen Hodgson To: Canadian Flood Watchers Date: November 22, 2022 Re: When Will Canada Adopt Better Flood Risk Management? Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec very hard. Fiona’s severe coastal flooding and powerful winds destroyed houses, commercial property and infrastructure, with lives lost and a lengthy recovery period ahead. Insured losses are estimated at up to […] Power When You Need It: The Case for Small Nuclear Reactors
The 2021 Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act requires Canada to achieve “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 2050. An important component of the goal is that the power sector realize “net zero” by 2050. The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has developed a net-zero projection for the power sector, emphasizing renewables (hydro, wind, solar). Wind and solar […] Charles DeLand — Another LNG opportunity for Canada to grasp
To: Canadian Climate and Energy Infrastructure Watchers From: Charles DeLand Date: October 25, 2022 Re: Another LNG opportunity for Canada to grasp German chancellor Olaf Sholz came to Canada late this summer seeking Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG). He left empty-handed, not for lack of supply but because Canada lacks the infrastructure to deliver it. And mixed government messaging […] Can We Really Retrofit One House Every Minute?
Roughly 5.3 million Canadian homes are electrified now, leaving 10.2 million to be retrofitted. And this number will grow as more homes get built for a growing population. A total of 13.5 million homes need to be electrified by 2050. On average that’s almost 422,600 homes that will need to be retrofitted each year (1,158 […] Charles DeLand – Ottawa’s Unrealistic Building Emission Reduction Targets
To: The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change CC: The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources From: Charles DeLand Date: October 17, 2022 Re: Ottawa’s Unrealistic Building Emission Reduction Targets The federal government’s Emissions Reduction Plan calls for economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. In particular, it […] The Scale of Canada’s Home Retrofit Challenge
Heating, cooling and lighting Canadian buildings takes a lot of energy. In 2019, commercial and residential buildings together were responsible for 25 percent of total energy consumption, more than the entire transportation sector. While this energy keeps people comfortable and goods at the right temperature, it creates greenhouse gas emissions. The federal government’s 2030 Emissions […]Ottawa’s wildly unrealistic net-zero goal for buildings – Financial Post Op-Ed
The federal government’s Emission Reduction Plan, which it published in July, calls for economy-wide greenhouse gas reductions of 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. In particular, it projects emissions from homes and commercial buildings that will fall 37 per cent from 2005 levels. Judging by reasonable estimates of what it would take to achieve this, however, that goal appears wildly unrealistic.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings are the third largest source of emissions in Canada. (The first two are oil and gas and transportation) In contrast to some other sectors of the economy and despite better technology and efficiency, GHGs from buildings have actually increased since 2005, partly because the…