Frog Power

The frog from Bullfrog power, which I am quickly assured has no praticular relevance to renewable energy, has quite a lot to boast about nowadays becoming the first 100% green electricity retailer in Ontario. Electricity consumers, including 100 businesses and homeowners that have already switched, pay a higher rate of 8.3 cents per KWH (Ontario rates are 5.0 cents per KWH) on their electricity to ensure their electricity comes from EcoLogo Certified energy sources. Monies collected go towards fostering increased renewable energy development in Ontario such as small hydro, wind, landfill gas, biomass and solar, minimizing green house gas emmissions from coal fired generation.

Other parts of Canada and many other countries already have green power purchase programs in place. To name a short list: Scottland, France, Australia, British Columbia (Canada) and Europe. Programs such as Power to Change contributing to forest creation and stewardship to eliminate all green house gas emmissions resultant from human activites.

Gamers doing something good

Its own about section Childs Play desribes its foundation as a way to remove the stigma surrounding gamers as “bad people” by donating toys, money and of course games to various childrens hospitals around the world. I think this amazing process should be repeated at nausseum to all identifiable groups in an attempt to make them feel bad about themselves, causing massive charitable donations.
All kidding aside, this is a good action and probably has eased the hospital transition for a number of children raising nearly $1 million dollars in three years towards this cause.

$100 laptop for developing nations nearer to reality

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte’s $100 laptop for children in the developing world is one step closer to reality. The laptop is designed to aide in education. Steve Jobs of Apple Computer has offered to license Mac OS X for free on the machines, but the project refused because it is not a Free/Open Source operating system. Several companies are bidding to make the laptops

Canada’s Supreme Court Says NO to Pesticides

The Supreme Court of Canada has thrown out a case that would have challenged the right of municipalities to ban pesticides in their communities.

A pesticide producer tried to challenge legislation passed in Toronto that banned the use of pesticides. This is a major step in Canada since the issue of spraying nature with chemicals as been for the most part ignored. The court’s decision means that wary municipalities can now ban pesticides without fear of a lawsuit.

Chinese-Canadians Get Payback

Back in 1885, the Canadian government put a $500 headtax on Chinese immigrants entering the country (an amount equivalent to 2 years’ salary), after workers were no longer needed for the railway. This was later replaced with a ban of Chinese immigrants altogether, which wasn’t fully repealed until 1967.

However, the Canadian government has now agreed to compensate descendents of these immigrants.