MEL CAPPE NEW CLERK OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE
Mel Cappe has been appointed Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary
to the Cabinet. He was Deputy Minister at Environment Canada
several years. His appointment bodes well for the environment and for
the work of Hon. Christine Stewart and her new Deputy Minister, Len
Good. Mel Cappe understands environment and the needs of the department.
He did not come directly from Environment Canada, but had just completed
his tenure as Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Development
Canada (HRDC).
The Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet is often
referred to as the second most powerful position in Canada — after
the Prime Minister. The Clerk is defacto, the Prime Minister of the
civil service in Ottawa. More powerful than most ministers, the Clerk
helps appoint, and is responsible for, all Deputy Ministers. Contact
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, 332
Longevin Block, 80 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ph. (613) 957-5400
fax (613) 957-5089. For more information about the Privy Council
Office go to website <http://www.pcobcp.gc.ca/>http://www.pcobcp.gc.ca/
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ONTARIO RELEASES ITS ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS
DIRECTORY ONLINE
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE)’s Green Industry
Office (GIO) and the Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Environment
Industry Association (CEIA) have jointly published an online “Ontario
Environment Business Directory. It is the first and only searchable
online Directory of its kind geared towards the environment industry.
Ontario’s rapidly growing environment industry is recognized as a
national and international leader in providing world renowned
environmental goods and services for today’s environmental
challenges. The full range of Ontario’s capabilities are reflected
in this online Directory. You can use our Search Engine to quickly
and efficiently source environmental goods and services, and can
contact companies electronically through hyperlinked advertisements,
websites and email addresses. For Ontario companies that wish to be
included in the Directory, please register using our Online Registration
Form. The Directory is supported by a number of Associations. For
further details. Tom Armstrong, CEIA Ontario, 23 Lesmill Rd, Suite
102, Don Mills, Ontario, M3B 3P6, Tel. 416 447 2456; Fax 416
447 5828 Website http://www.ceia.on.ca, email tarmstrong at ceia.on.ca ,
or contact Jacquie Maund, Ministry of the Environment Green
Industry Office, 135 St. Clair Ave. W., 5th floor, Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1P5, Tel. 416 314 7902; Fax 416 314 7919,
Website <http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/>http://www.ene.gov.on.ca , Email
maundja at ene.gov.on.ca
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INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL
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THE SCIENCE OF HUMANS AS EARTH’S CANCER
There is a new scientific discipline which studies humans as possibly
a cancer on earth. One of the scientists concerned about the possibility
is Dr. Warren Hern at the University of Colorado. This new study was
reviewed at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological
Association being held in Philadelphia. Scientists found that several
forms of cancers called malignant neoplasms exhibit the same growth
characteristics as the growth and pollution by humans on earth. Dr.
Hern found that the same four stages of death cancer in humans are
also found by humans on earth. Those characteristics are rapid,
uncontrolled growth, the infection and destruction of adjoining
tissues, the development of secondary tumours far from the first
(called metastasis), and the de-differentiation, or the loss of
distinctiveness, in individual components. This report was printed
in one of Canada’s more conservative newspapers, “The National
Post”. Dr. Hern stated they are working on this hypothesis,
and that they would love to be proven wrong, given the seriousness
of the issue. To review the article, “Humanity Seen as a Cancer on
Earth”, by Andy Lamey, go to the web site
<http://www.nationalpost.com/>http://www.nationalpost.com/
then go to “search” and type in Andy Lamey’s name, as his article
on this subject will pop up.
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ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGIES
By taking specific steps that will save money for consumers
and businesses, the U.S. can achieve more than 60% of the
emissions reductions needed to comply with the Kyoto
Protocol on Climate Change, according to a study released
by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE). The group lists five strategies aimed at stimulating
improvements in energy efficiency in various economic
sectors. They include implementing new appliance and
equipment efficiency standards; creating a "public benefit
trust fund" as part of electric utility restructuring;
imposing fuel-economy standards and market- based
incentives to improve fuel efficiency; removing barriers
to greater use of cogeneration; and implementing power
plant efficiency standards. Says ACEEE Executive
Director Howard Geller"These five initiatives could cut
U.S. carbon emissions in 2010 by 310 million tons per
year -- 17% of the emissions expected in 2010, given
business- as- usual trends and policies." Geller added that
emissions reductions "could nearly double by 2020 as
efficiency improvements continue to be made and more
appliances, buildings, vehicles and power plants are replaced.
Visit ACEEE’s website at http://aceee.org/
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CANADA AND THE U.S. WITH ONLY 4% POPULATION
GENERATES 24% OF WORLD’S GREENHOUSE GASES
The U.S. and Canada, with only 4% of the world's population,
have been responsible for 24% of the world's annual greenhouse
gas emissions over the last two decades. They have been contributing
to the yearly build up which may now be resulting in droughts, floods
and extreme weather events. The international Public Interest Research
Group (PIRG), based in Canada and the U.S. offers a number of
solutions PIRG recommends that the countries should immediately
increase fuel efficiency standards to 45 miles per gallon for cars and
34 miles per gallon for light trucks and recreation vehicles. Cap CO2
emissions from power plants cutting millions of tons of CO2 pollution
while decreasing the pollution that causes acid rain, smog, and respiratory
illness. Shift investment from fossil fuels like coal and oil to
renewable energy and energy efficiency. For more information,
contact, Chris Chatto, PIRG, 1129 State St #10, Santa Barbara,
California 9310, ph. 805- 963- 0949, fax 805- 965- 8939,
website http://www.pirg.org
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CANADA’S NRTEE WORKSHOP ON EMISSIONS TRADING
CLIMATE CHANGE
Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and
the Economy (NRTEE) is holding an international workshop
entitled "Domestic Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Programs,
A Comparison of Progress Around the World", on March 1-3, 1999,
in Toronto, Canada. It will examine emissions trading schemes under
consideration by a number of Annex 1 countries. Speakers from
government departments and research agencies in Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, Norway and the United States, among others will
present information on their national policy process and on the trading
program designs being examined in their country. Other topics to be
discussed include allowance distribution and/or auction, emissions
source coverage, use of credits from sources outside of the trading
system, links to international flexibility mechanisms and pilot programs
for greenhouse gas emissions trading. For a preliminary program and
registration information, contact, Elizabeth Atkinson, Senior Policy
Advisor, NRTEE, 344 Slater Street, Suite 200, Ottawa, Ontario
K1R 7Y3, fax 613- 992- 7385, e-mail atkinson at nrtee-trnee.ca
NRTEE Website <http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/>http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca
***************************************************************
THE ATOM ENERGY CANADA LTD., RESPONDS ON
CLIMATE CHANGE
A summary article titled "NUCLEAR POWER JUST A
FAUSTIAN BARGAIN SAYS JAPANESE GROUPS
ON CLIMATE CHANGE" in Vol. 2, No. 29, December 6,
1998 of this Letter raises several issues related to nuclear
power. In particular it attributes "huge energy costs and
greenhouse gas emissions" and adverse economics to
nuclear power. Two recently published papers address
these points and come to different conclusions.
The first paper published by the Canadian Nuclear Society
(Abstract Only, Andseta et al - http://www.cns-snc.ca)
acknowledges emissions of greenhouse gases from the full
nuclear fuel cycle. The article focuses on including carbon
dioxide emissions from production of heavy water and fuel
for CANDU reactors. It turns out that full life -cycle emissions
are minuscule compared with those avoided by displacing
fossil fuel electricity production.
The article also points out that nuclear energy can serve to
provide a large proportion of the energy needed to prepare
materials used to build and operate nuclear power plants.
Carbon dioxide emissions commonly associated with energy
use are thus avoided. In fact, nuclear energy has been used to
produce most of the heavy water used as the moderator in the
CANDU reactors built to date. Production of heavy water is a
significant consumer of energy in the construction and operation
of CANDU reactors. It can be concluded, from the information
in the article, that the carbon dioxide emissions which can be
attributed to the CANDU system are less than 1/100 of the
emissions saved by it's deployment in place of fossil fuel
power plants.
Although the economics of nuclear electricity are more
debatable, another paper published by NRCan (Full Article,
Guindon et al at website -
<http://nuclear.nrcan.gc.ca/Comparative_Costs%28e%29.pdf>http://nuclear.nrc
an.gc.ca/Comparative_Costs(e).pdf),
provides an overview of comparative costs of electricity. It
indicates that nuclear electricity is currently competitive with
other sources of electricity under certain conditions. Conditions
favorable to nuclear power include low and stable interest rates
and the lack of local low cost supplies of fossil fuel. Measures
which may be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will
inevitably increase the value of fossil fuels and thus tend to
enhance the economics of nuclear power. For more information
contact Pendergast, Duane AECL <pendergastd at aecl.ca>
Visit their website at <http://www.aecl.ca/>http://www.aecl.ca/
*************************************************************
THERE IS NO NEED TO COMPLY WITH KYOTO AGREEMENT,
IT’S JUST A GOVERNMENT POWER GRAB
SAYS FORBES MAGAZINE
An editorial by Steve Forbes Editor-in-Chief, FORBES Magazine
on climate change states that, “the Kyoto Protocol is simply a Big
Government power grab that would severely harm our economy”.
He reports that, “a group of Republicans are trying to block the
Clinton Administration from implementing last year's Kyoto
Protocol on global warming”. And he adds that, “their efforts
deserve success. The global warming theory is deeply flawed”.
Steve Forbes reports that, “in California alone the proposed
permit fee of 65 cents per gallon of gasoline would cost consumers
US $9 billion..... Nationwide, the treaty would lose us 2.5 million
jobs and reduce family income by about $2,700 a year. Source,
Forbes Magazine, October 19, 1998. See full article at the website
<http://www.forbes.com/forbes/98/1019/6209031a.htm>http://www.forbes.com/fo
rbes/98/1019/6209031a.htm
******************************************************************
NEW WEBSITE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
A new website on greenhouse gas emissions scenarios has been opened.
It is called Special Report on Emission Scenarios Open Process (SRES OP),
set up by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group
III. This website enables researchers in the area of climate change to submit
their new greenhouse gas emissions scenarios or any comments to the IPCC
SRES writing team. It also can be used as a window on the current work of
the IPCC SRES writing team. The website is at
<http://sres.ciesin.org/>http://sres.ciesin.org/
For more information contact CIESIN User Services, P.O. Box
1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, email ciesin.info at ciesin.org
Tel. 914- 365- 8920; Fax 914- 365- 8922.
**********************************************************
PROBLEMS WITH CDM, JI AND EMISSIONS TRADING
FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
The Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises circulated
a critique of carbon trading, and the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) and joint implementation (JI). Here is what the critique said.
“The problematic is the feedback relationships which pressure
technological change to more environmentally integrative methods
for climate change. You may 'save' the rainforests (with CDM, JI
and trading credits). But what then? Do you expect these countries
with carbon credit enrichment to spend their money any more
wisely than industrialized nation-states? Where do you think the
money will go? “ Here’s the problem —
“All that carbon credits do is buy more time to pollute
the environment, without any technological change.
It is just the latest way of buying off the non- industrialized
world's compliance, because the industrialized nation-states
are feeding a 'slush-fund' to non- industrialized nation- state
elites with the expectation that the transfer of money between
nation-states will lead to environmentally friendly development.”
“A 'carbon market' just decreases the ability for local political
pressure to enter into the equation of technological production.
A carbon market removes the purview, like the MAI, from
nation- states. With the issue framed as a market solution,
political input is shown the door.”
“Perhaps even carbon credits will be bought back by polluting
nations, or the figures will be skewed as to how much trees are actually
preserved and plant in developing countries that received the credits.
It is possible that nation-states will fiddle with the economic value of
the trading credits. The question is what mechanisms will provide for fiscal
management by a nation-state which receives carbon credits (monies)?”
Source, Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises website
http://forests.org/
*****************************************************************
IMPERIAL OIL LTD. CANADA FIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE
WHILE BP PETROLEUM MOVES TO CUT CO2 EMISSIONS
Imperial Oil Ltd., of Canada continues to act like a dinosaur on the issue
of climate change as it resists the 156 nation effort to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. On the other hand, it may wish to speak with a much larger
international oil company, British Petroleum (BP). It has committed to
voluntarily reduce its global greenhouse gas emissions to 10% below
1990 baseline levels by 2010. This is double the global target reduction
agreed to by the world's industrialized nations at last December's
international climate negotiations in Japan, and exceeds the 7%
US target commitment. The reductions will be achieved through
the use of new technology, energy efficiency, and renewable energy
as determined by market incentives including BP's internal emissions
trading program. This strategy was developed as part of a 1997
Environmental Defense Fund and BP joint partnership established
between an environmental group and a corporation to develop projects
designed to demonstrate the environmental and economic effectiveness
of market mechanisms in reducing greenhouse gases. For more information
go the websites British Petroleum at http://www.bp.com/
Website Environmental Defense Fund at http://www.edf.org/
**************************************************************
NEW CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LA JOLLA
The University of California at La Jolla has created the "Institute
on Global Conflict and Cooperation" (IGCC). It is a multi-
campus research center that bridges the academic and policy
communities, announced today that it is creating a program on
global climate change to bring objective scientific and technical
expertise to the United Nations climate change negotiations. For
more information about the IGCC delegation and its presentations in
Buenos Aires, please contact Ms. Staci Dresher, IGCC External
Affairs, at sdresher at ucsd.edu. For press information or interviews,
please contact Mr. Ronald Bee, IGCC External Affairs, at rbee at ucsd.edu.
For more information on IGCC and its research programs, please
see our website http://www-igcc.ucsd.edu
***********************************************************************
QUICK FACTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
The Climate Network in Europe offers these quick facts about climate
change. It reports that global carbon dioxide concentrations have
increased by 30% to 385 ppmv in 1995 from the pre-industrial level of
about 280 ppmv. They find that GHG’s are growing at a rate of 1.5 ppmv
per year (0.4% per year), They report that global methane concentrations
were about 1720 ppbv, some 2.5 times greater than the pre-industrial
concentration of around 700 ppbv, and are currently growing by 8 ppbv
per year (0.46% per year), The network found that in 1995 global
nitrous oxide concentrations in the atmosphere were estimated to be about
312 ppbv, about 15% above the pre-industrial level, and are growing by
0.5 ppbv per year (0.16% per year). They report that 1997 was the hottest
year this century, having been 0.43ºC warmer than the mean temperature
for 1960-1990. Contact, Climate Network Europe, 44 Rue du Taciturne,
B-1000 Brussels, Tel. 32 2 231.0180, Fax 32 2 230.5713, email
canron at gn.apc.org, website http://www.climatenetwork.org
*******************************************************************
WTO STOPS THE U.S. FROM PROTECTING SEA TURTLES
The U.S. lossed an appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
on its attempt to ban the import of shrimp caught in nets that ensnare
and kill thousands of endangered sea turtles. The WTO Appellate Body
said the U.S. embargo on shrimp imports from India, Malaysia,
Pakistan, and Thailand amounted to arbitrary and unjustifiable
discrimination. In April 1998, the Geneva-based WTO ruled that the
restrictions were an illegal attempt to impose U.S. standards on other
countries. The four Asian nations affected claimed the U.S. ban was
being applied in a discriminatory manner and represented an unfair
trade barrier. The countries have declined to adopt measures that
safeguard turtles. Environmentalists say failure to equip shrimp nets
with $75 turtle-excluder devices causes the deaths of 150,000 turtles
a year worldwide. The WTO decision was denounced by environmental
groups including the Sierra Club, the Earth Island Institute and the
Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund. The Washington-based World
Wildlife Fund criticized the ruling, calling it a blow to endangered
sea turtles ``and against the development of international environmental
norms and practices.'' The WTO's ruling has been published on the
WTO website at http://www.wto.org/wto/dispute/distab.htm#shrimpy
You can contact the environment groups Michael J. Connor at email
mconnor at tortoise.org , or visit the website at http://www.tortoise.org
******************************************************************
GREENING OF INDUSTRY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
HELD IN ROME
The Seventh International Conference of The Greening of Industry
Network was held November 15-18, 1998, in Rome, Italy. The focus
of this conference was the engagement of partners in the transition of
society towards sustainability. Issues that were addressed included
Climate Change, The Need for Industrial Transformation; Can
Technology Save the Earth?; and, environmental research agenda
for the 21st Century. For proceedings contact Kurt Fischer, The
George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University, 950 Main Street,
Worcester, Massachusetts 01610-1477, tel. 508 751 4607,
fax 508 751 4600 email greening at clarku.edu or greening at cstm.utwente.nl
*********************************************************
MONTREAL PROTOCOL HELPS RUSSIA GET OUT OF CFC’S
The Tenth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
was held in Cairo, Egypt from November 17 to 24, 1998. Based
in Montreal, the Protocol funnels hundreds of millions of dollars
from OECD countries to developing countries and new USSR
created countries to eliminate the use of CFC’s and other ozone
depleting substances. Ten donor countries committed US $19
million to help close Russia's production facilities for
chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) and halons by the year 2000. Closure
of the production sector is considered essential to stop the illegal
flow of CFCs to industrialized countries - CFC smuggling. The
money will supplement $US10 million from the Global
Environmental Facility available to assist Russia in meeting
its obligations under the Montreal Protocol.
The Russian Federation now produces about nine percent of the
world production of CFCs and consumes about 6.5 percent.
Russia was to have phased out its production and consumption
of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) by the end of 1996. But
the country's political and economic transition delayed the phaseout,
and Russia sought the help of the international community.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1998
http//ens-news.com/ens/oct98/1998-10-08-04.html
Also see UNEP’s Ozone Secretariat at website
http://www.unep.org/unep/secretar/ozone/home.htm
Read the Montreal Protocol at
http://www.unep.org/unep/secretar/ozone/montreal.htm
***************************************************************
NIGERIAN FISHER FOLK DEMAND COMPENSATION
FROM MOBIL OIL CORP.
Thousands of claims for compensation have been pouring in to Mobil Oil, a
United States based multinational oil corporation, for the environmental
problems caused by a major oil spill at the company's offshore exploration
rigs in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, following a company offer to compensate
all affected by the incident. Mobil estimates that about 40,000 barrels of
oil,
or roughly one-sixth of the giant Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, drifted west
in a January oil spill, the worst in Nigerian history after an underwater oil
pipeline burst. For example Effiong Ikot, a fisherman and owner of a small
business, is among those who have made claims. He has demanded 490,000
naira of Mobil (about US$5,700) for the loss of fishing nets clogged by oil.
He regards Mobil's offer of about US$250 as insulting. SOURCE, "Nigeria
says Mobil power plant plan agreed," September 21, Reuters; "High Claims
in Spill Betray Depth of Nigerian Poverty" By Roger Cohen, New York
Times, September 20, 1998; "Nigeria's Abubakar to seal improved ties with
West" By Dulue Mbachu, Reuters, September 20, 1998.
***************************************************************
PURCHASES OF GOODS WITH RECYCLED MATERIAL
CONTENT IS DROPPING IN THE U.S. AND CANADA
As state and provincial governments reduce their recycling programs
the demand for products with recycled fibre is dropping. This is
according to a new study by Raymond Communications Inc., entitled,
“Purchasing Preferences for Recycled Products”. The study focused
on writing paper and plastic products with recycled content and
found that very few states or provinces implemented green
procurement programs, though many had adopted such
programs. The report found that, “despite price
preferences in 32 states and set asides in 23 states, overall,
U.S. purchases of recycled paper are down from the early 1990's.
The Clinton Administration is trying to reverse this downward
trend with a vigorous environmental initiative, called
Executive Order #13101, signed October 1998, which
drives the federal government’s green procurement
program and allows for audits of departmental
purchases of recycled materials. Source, Recycled
Products News, October 1998, Vol. 6, No. 8,
Vancouver, B.C., web site http://www.baumpub.com
email lwebster at baumpub.com
*************************************************************
KATHLEEN MC GINTY LEAVES U.S. CEQ
Kathleen A. McGinty, chair of the White House Council
on Environmental Quality, will quit to move with her husband,
Karl Hausker, to India, where he has taken a new assignment
with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. No
replacement has been named, although insiders are betting on
George T. Frampton Jr., assistant secretary at the Interior
Department. McGinty, a former congressional aide to Vice
President Gore, was a key player in several of the administration's
environmental achievements, including the creation of the
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the halting
of a proposed gold mine near Yellowstone National Park."
Source, Washington Post.
***************************************************************
TRACKING MEXICO CITY’S POLLUTION
Ron Mader of Greenbuilder Magazine reports on a number of
excellent websites which provide information on the air and
water pollution of Mexico City. You can write Ron at email
ron at greenbuilder.com . You can access the Mexico City
Atmospheric Monitoring Network at website http://www.sima.com.mx/
You can also visit Mexico City’s Environment Secretariat at
http://www.df.gob.mx/sma/index.html
Feel free to contact Mexico’s Federal District's Environmental
Secretariat, headed by Alejandro Encinas at
email aencinas at df.gob.mx
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