Environment

Mayors Will Help the UN

- Adam Clare 2 Comments

We’ve mentioned the World Urban Forum eariler, and it looks like the forum was a success. A group of mayors from the around the world have pledged to support the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

“The mayors have been filmed during the Forum at the Millennium Campaign’s mobile television studio to commit publicly to the global effort to fight poverty and to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

“We firmly believe that local authorities, as the sphere of government closest to the people, can support the United Nations, both in the achievement of the MDGs and in raising awareness among citizens,” said Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, Councillor in Tshwane, South Africa and co-President of UCLG. “

Computer Buyers Want Green

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

It looks like environmental awareness amongst consumers is growing based on a recent survey of PC buyers. People feel bad for producing so much waste from electronics, or e-trash. The BBC has a good article covering computers and waste.

“The nine-nation research found that UK computer users were willing to pay an extra £64 ($117), while people in China were prepared for spend up to £108 ($197) for a more environmentally sound PC.”

What’s more, some companies are responding to pressure.

“The environmental group has long campaigned for the sector to move to cleaner production methods.

Dell says it will eliminate the use of all brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its products by 2009.”

Kyoto Still Supported by Canadian Municipalities

- Vanessa King

Although the new Conservative Federal government in Canada is shying away from the Kyoto Protocol, that isn’t stopping Canada’s mayors and some provinces from taking action anyway! Two weeks ago an annual meeting was held by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, representing 1,400 municipal leaders across Canada. At that meeting a policy statement was adopted that supports Canada’s ratification of Kyoto.

“Municipal governments commit themselves…to implementing policies and operational changes that will achieve a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050, based on 1990 levels,” the statement reads.

Municipal governments realize that they have the power to make a difference in Canada’s greenhouse gas emmisions, since they have a say in things such as transit and landfill regulations.
“In Canada, close to 55 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions can be influenced by decisions made by municipal governments,” the statement says.

Combine this with the latest news of, Quebec’s Provincial Government aiming to become the first province to levy a “carbon tax” in the fight against global warming, and it’s hard not to wonder…….who really needs the Feds anyway???

‘Carbon Neutral’ Initiatives Gaining Popularity

- Vanessa King 1 Comment

Several major companies and organizations, such as HSBC and the FIFA World Cup are now taking initiatives to counteract the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere they are contributing to through their businesses. For example, HSBC has become the world’s first carbon neutral bank by investing in clean energy projects such as a wind farm in New Zealand to offset emissions from its core operations.

FIFA is planning to offset 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide linked to travel by World Cup spectators. Under one project, it and the German tournament organisers will invest in replacing coal-fired boilers at a South African factory with boilers run on sawdust.
Myclimate.org is an organization out of Germany that is supporting and promoting such carbon offset projects.

World Urban Forum

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

Vancouver is hosting the UN World Urban Forum this week and it’s a chance to explore how to make cities more livable. This week people from the world will look at how to make cities more environmentally sustainable and how to make cities a friendly environment for people, among many other topics.

This urban forum badly needed since the majority of people now live in cities than in rural settings – a first for humankind.

There is also a website to encourage youth to be involved with the WUF.

Scroll To Top