Month: July 2010

Winning Over Winnipeg Workers

- Adam Clare

Here’s an inspiring piece of one entrepreneur in Winnipeg who saw a labour shortage and a surplus of people and put the two together. He, with the help of the government, created a program to train unemployed and young Canadian First Nation people to be able to work at his company. That might not sound extraordinary, but apparently this went against convention and shocked a lot of others in the field.

During a labour crunch four years ago, Mr. Saulnier felt the familiar pressure to hire workers from abroad. Some tycoons in the industrial construction business even took him aside and told him he could only win bids on massive infrastructure jobs if he had a large and secure labour pool. And the only way to assure that – at least as conventional thinking goes – was to launch an overseas recruitment program.

But Mr. Saulnier isn’t exactly conventional. He saw an untapped source of labour much closer to home.

“I grew up in a small Northern Ontario town where I was surrounded by first nations communities, where there were very good men and women who are just wishing for a job,” he explained in an interview. “Against the advice of business advisers and industry colleagues, we decided to seek them out.”

Keep reading at the Globe and Mail.

Thanks to Greg!

Green Energy Companies Gaining Ground

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

There’s no reason that we need to wait for the slower governments of the world stop subsidizing oil (I’m looking at you Conservative Party of Canada) in order to help renewable energy thrive. People around the world are bringing sustainable power to the masses and making money at the same time. These smart entrepreneurs are changing the world for the better while helping the economy.

Green entrepreneurs worldwide aren’t waiting for new energy policies or the political will that may, one day, reduce global greenhouse emissions by some arbitrary target.

They are already working furiously to create — and capitalize on — smart ideas that produce clean, renewable energy.

These energy pioneers aren’t incentivized by government dictates, nor are they making grandiose promises to revolutionize the global economy. They’re simply putting innovative renewable energy ideas to work — one small step at a time.

And, yes, they’re also making a few bucks along the way.

See more videos at Global Post.

Foodprint Toronto

- Adam Clare

On July 31st in Toronto a one day conference thing is happening and it’s all about food and you. The even is Foodprint Toronto and it’s all about all your relationship to food in your life – from what you eat to where the food is grown.

This looks like it’ll be lots of fun so if you’re in Toronto and you eat food, you should go!

Foodprint Toronto is the second in a series of international conversations about food and the city. The first, held in New York City earlier this year, was a packed-out success, with a stellar line-up of speakers jumping to their feet to share their opinions on topics as diverse as food deserts and food printing, as well as tell fascinating stories about the role of protein in the city’s farmers’ markets and oysters in the city’s history. (You can still download videos of the event for free on iTunes U.)

Read a whole lot more at Edible Geography.

New Jersey Wants Wind

- Adam Clare

New Jersey is trying to get the the USA’s first offshore wind farm by providing incentives to company to setup wind turbines. It is good to see American politicians encouraging growth in sustainable energy.

Part of the law ensures $100 million in tax credits to offshore wind energy developers which want to build off of New Jersey’s shores. In addition, the law is expected to guarantee the companies which choose to build in New Jersey an income from the offshore wind farms. The potential draw to companies wanting to build offshore wind farms in New Jersey is expected to increase drastically due to the law.

Part of the reason for the creation of the law is to increase the amount of renewable energy in the state of New Jersey. Officials wish to see 1,100 megawatts of energy in the state coming from offshore wind energy projects. A greater goal by the state is to have 3,000 megawatts of energy coming from offshore wind energy by the year 2020.

Seattle Law Makes Restaurants Waste Less

- Adam Clare

Seattle has become the first place in North America to require restaurants to use compostable or recyclable items that are meant for only one use.

Put into effect July 1, the ordinance requires restaurants, coffee shops, food courts, cafeterias and other food service businesses to stop throwing away single-use food-service ware and packaging including napkins, paper bags, wooden coffee stir sticks, clamshells and hot and cold beverage cups and lids among others.
…

“With our requirement that food service packaging must be compostable or recyclable, Seattle has taken a big step toward a zero waste future,” said City Councilmember Mike O’Brien. “You have to ask yourself why we should make stuff just to throw it away. With compostable and recyclable food containers, we’re closing the loop.”

Keep reading at Earth 911.

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