Transforming Toronto

Ontario’s Green Energy Act

2009-09-15T14:48:00.002-04:00

Ontario’s Green Energy Act (GEA), and related amendments to other legislation, received Royal Assent on May 14, 2009. Work is now underway across government to develop the regulations and other tools needed to fully implement the legislation. As these are developed, the various schedules and other elements making up the GEA will be proclaimed. Check this website periodically for updates.

Read it here from the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, July 14, 2009

Urban Clean Energy - Portland Takes a Page from Vancouver

2009-09-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Portland has tabled some innovative changes that would make it easier to generate clean energy in urban neighborhoods. The "Green Bundle". The changes include measures to make it easier to install solar panels and green roofs, rain barrels, and even small-scale wind power. The more we do to promote small-scale, local green power, the less we are dependent on large, expensive central power plants.

Read it here from Worldchanging.com, July 14, 2009

How Green Do You Think You Are?

2009-09-15T14:43:00.001-04:00

I think, therefore I am. Except, it appears, when it comes to green. A recent study by Cossette Communications and Summerhill Group indicates that Canadians think they are 20% greener, on average, than their behaviour would suggest. The key, they conclude, is to make things easy and convenient, and well-communicated incentives can help.

Read it here from Marketing, July 13, 2009

Cool Green Idea

2009-09-15T14:38:00.003-04:00

Here's a very cool way to reduce energy consumption during peak periods in the summer. The "Ice Bear" uses off-peak energy to freeze large blocks of ice, which then cools the air conditioning during the peak periods in the day. It uses 95% less energy during peak periods than a conventional air conditioning unit. The more peak demand is reduced, the less new energy generation needs to be built.

Read it here from the Globe and Mail, July 8, 2009

U.S. power developer betting on natural gas

2009-08-18T12:54:00.003-04:00

CPV links project to Ontario plan for phase out of coal energy by 2014

A U.S. power developer is forging ahead with plans to build a massive natural gas plant next to the Nanticoke coal-fired generating station, betting that the government will desperately need the project as a way to meet its 2014 deadline for phasing out coal power.

Read it here

One of Canada's Greenest Homes gets an ecobee Smart Thermostat

2009-08-18T12:42:00.006-04:00

Ottawa, ON, Dec. 17, 2008 – Inspiration – the Minto ecohome, located in the Ottawa village of Manotick, is one of Canada’s first single-family homes to be both be a candidate for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum certification and to be part of Canada Mortgage and Housing’s EQuilibrium initiative.
Read it here

Read about the Minto Ecohome here

Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. economy

2009-08-15T16:26:00.002-04:00

In this report, McKinsey & Company offers a detailed analysis of the magnitude of the efficiency potential in non-transportation uses of energy, a thorough assessment of the barriers that impede the capture of greater efficiency, and an outline of the practical solutions available to unlock the potential.

Read it here.

Ontario, Canada Invests in Greening Its Office Space

2009-05-29T13:31:00.000-04:00

Government Creates 1,000 Jobs and a State-Of-The-Art Green Building in TorontoTORONTO--(Business Wire)--
Ontario, Canada is investing approximately $100 million in what is believed to
be among the largest ever retrofits in North America, creating 1,000 new jobs
and 455,000 square feet of state-of-the-art green office space.

Read it here

Peer pressure makes people conserve: psychologist

2008-02-25T16:08:00.000-05:00

Want your neighbours to start conserving energy? Conserve it yourself and then let them know you’re doing it. A study by a psychologist at Arizona State University says that, while people say that what their neighbours do does not affect their behaviour, it actually does.

Read it here.

Public opinion drives Green Europe: ambassador

2008-02-25T16:06:00.000-05:00

It would be political suicide for a European government to be seen as less than green, the European Union’s ambassador to Canada says. Last week, Ambassador Dorion Prince told the Fredericton Daily Gleaner how public opinion is driving European politicians to bring in strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions. He made the comments while on tour in New Brunswick to promote a “cap and trade” program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Go here to check it out.

Clinton Climate site highlights best practices around the world

2008-02-25T16:04:00.000-05:00

Who’s the world leader in stopping water from leaking out of municipal pipes? What city has integrated bicycles right into its public transit system? What city is more than halfway to becoming entirely fossil-fuel free? Want to know how much it costs to drive a “Chelsea Tractor” in downtown London? If you’ve ever wished there were one place that listed all the best practices for saving energy in one place, www.C40cities.org is for you. Check it out for ideas that could help us transform Toronto.

Germany makes it mandatory: Homes must use renewables for heating

2008-01-08T09:49:00.000-05:00

Germany continues to set a torrid pace in its race to be the world leader in the fight against global warming. As of Jan. 1, 2009, a new federal law will require all new homes to use renewable energy sources to meet at least 14 per cent of their energy needs for space heating and hot water. From 2010 on, older homes will have to use renewables for at least 10 per cent of their heating.

Germany aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Key renewable technologies include solar panels, wood pellet stoves and boilers, and geothermal heat pumps. For more on Germany’s new renewable energy law, read the story here.

Alberta power line story incredible - but true

2008-01-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

If you like stories of arrogant villains, rowdy town-hall meetings, spies listening in on phone lines, courtroom drama, and corruption in high places, then you’ve got to read about the battle by some Alberta landowners to stop a giant power line from Edmonton to Calgary. See Andrew Nikiforuk’s piece for Canadian Business magazine.

Termite-inspired building stays cool when it’s hot

2008-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Designers in Harare, Zimbabwe have created a shopping centre/office building that uses 90 per cent less energy than its conventional counterpart. Despite peak temperatures above 40o C., the Eastgate Centre stays comfortable all year long – with no air conditioning. How? Simple: The building uses a ventilation system inspired by local termites. Details on this cool design are available here and also on Wikipedia.

For more ideas about how copying nature can help humans survive, check out the Montana-based Biomimicry Institute.

Ask the right questions when assessing power plan, Transforming Toronto tells OPA

2007-12-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

Transforming Toronto is telling the Ontario Power Authority to make sure it asks the right questions when the time comes to assess its Integrated Power System Plan (IPSP). In a written submission Wednesday, Transforming Toronto spokeperson David MacLeod called on the OPA to answer six key questions about its 20-year power plan for Ontario. MacLeod said the plan, which emphasizes nuclear energy and giant power lines, should be evaluated according to these criteria:

1. Could the OPA meet Ontario’s electricity requirements at a lower cost or lower risk (or both) by additional procurement from some or all of the following?
- Conservation, demand management, energy efficiency
- Renewable energy, including wind, solar, small run-of-river hydro, geothermal and biomass
- Combined heat and power

2. Does the IPSP sufficiently consider the social, environmental and health concerns of the proposed supply mix and associated infrastructure?

3. Has the IPSP fully pursued the potential for conservation and demand management as well as renewables beyond the minimum levels directed by the Minister?

4. Has the OPA’s analysis fully evaluated the potential for maximizing demand response resources, and does it provide for a process to facilitate such procurement?

5. Are the IPSP’s avoided cost estimates reasonable?

6. Does the IPSP properly account for the benefits of local distributed generation, both in terms of cost and system reliability/security?

To download the full submission, please click here.

World rallies for action on global warming as UN climate talks begin

2007-12-04T10:08:00.000-05:00

Transforming Toronto, a citizens’ group working on energy issues, is encouraging supporters to attend a rally, march and “eco-fair” in downtown Toronto this Saturday, Dec. 8.

The rally, sponsored by the Toronto Climate Campaign, begins at 12:00 noon at Yonge and Dundas Square. At 1:30 p.m. a “March for Clean Energy” will head over to Hart House at the University of Toronto. At 2:00 p.m. the “eco-fair,” with a complimentary hot meal, will allow visitors to connect with non-governmental organizations, volunteer groups, and green businesses.

Climate change events are taking place in 60 countries to send a message to the United Nations Climate Conference, which began talks Monday in Bali, Indonesia, and runs for two weeks.

For complete information on the Toronto events, visit www.torontoclimatecampaign.org.

Incentives work to cut peak power use

2007-12-04T10:04:00.001-05:00

Incentives work! Thirty per cent of residential customers and 24 per cent of businesses in Toronto cut their year-over-year electricity use by more than 10 per cent this summer, the Toronto Star reports. All received rebates from a special Toronto Hydro program. Click here to read the Star article.

Berkeley breakthrough makes home energy projects affordable

2007-12-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

A brilliant new financing idea is about to put solar panels and solar-thermal water heaters on thousands of residential roofs in Berkeley, California.

On Nov. 6, the City of Berkeley passed a plan to create a “Sustainable Energy Financing District.” Under the plan, homeowners who invest in green energy solutions will be able to pay for them on their property tax bills. The city pays the upfront cost of the installation which the homeowner then pays off over 20 years using the money saved – or earned – from the upgrade.

The cost is attached to the home, not the homeowner, so people who move before the 20 years are up do not pay for energy savings for the next owner.

“With Berkeley's financing plan in place, just about any home or business owner who can afford to pay their utility bill every month should be able to go solar,” according to Gary Gerber, president of a solar installation company in Berkeley.

Transforming Toronto spokesperson David MacLeod learned about the Berkeley option on a fact-finding trip to California last month.

“Right now, homeowners who want to go green face big up-front costs at a time when home prices, and household debt, are at near-record levels,” say MacLeod. “By taking debt out of the equation, Berkeley is removing the number one obstacle facing homeowners who want to use less energy or generate their own.

“This is an idea we should bring to Toronto as soon as possible.”
Randy Robinson, MacLeod’s Logan Ave. neighbour, says the Berkeley option could be used to finance home heating upgrades as well as solar electricity generation and hot water heating.

“If a version of the Berkeley option existed in Toronto, I would already have a high-efficiency gas boiler in my basement,” said Robinson. “That would cut my greenhouse gas emissions for home heating by at least 38 per cent, according to the home energy audit I had done. But even with $1,200 in government rebates, I am still looking at borrowing eight or ten thousand dollars. Right now I just can’t absorb that cost – especially when a new boiler adds little if anything to the resale value of our house.

“Obviously, home energy upgrades are even further out of reach for people with more debt. That’s why the Berkeley option is such a breakthrough.”

The City of Berkeley plans to cover the upfront costs of residential solar installations by issuing a municipal bond or taking out low-interest loans. City staff and consultants are working on the details of the program now, with a view to having the program up and running by the summer of 2008.

For more information on the breakthrough in Berkeley and how it will work, check the following sites:

San Francisco Chronicle article.

Interview with Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates

Renewableenergyaccess.com article.

City of Berkeley streaming video:
Footage of the Berkeley City Council meeting that passed the energy resolution is available at here. Click on the 3 hour, 20 minute video for 11/06/07. Then jump to Item 30 – Creation of Sustainable Energy Financing District – on the pulldown menu.

Funny climate video

2007-12-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

The Alliance for Climate Protection (Al Gore is chair of their board) and Current TV have announce the winner of their “Sixty Seconds to Save the Earth” Ecospot Contest. The winner is Dave Schlafman for his video entitled Sky is Falling. Watch it now.

New minister needs to hear from transmission line opponents

2007-11-02T16:20:00.000-04:00

Ontario’s new Minister of Energy needs to hear the voices of opponents to the proposed East Toronto Transmission Line (ETTL), a local citizens’ group says.

“The recent provincial election confirmed that, contrary to some reports, the ETTL is still on the table as a way to bring electricity into Toronto,” says David MacLeod, spokesperson for Transforming Toronto. “The Ontario Power Authority says the line is still an option, and Liberal candidates in the election campaign refused to rule it out even though they were given ample opportunity to do so.

“That’s why it’s so important to tell Gerry Phillips that opposition to the line is as strong as ever,” MacLeod said.

Phillips, the new Minister of Energy, became an MPP in 1987 and has been a fixture in Cabinet since Dalton McGuinty became Premier in 2003. His appointment is a clear signal that the Premier wants to take no chances with the often-sensitive energy portfolio.

If built, the ETTL would run through Scarborough-Agincourt, Phillips’s riding.

Full information on the East Toronto Transmission Line is available at www.transformingtoronto.ca. To send an e-mail message to Gerry Phillips now, go here.

Transforming Toronto Featured on CTV News

2007-10-03T11:53:00.000-04:00

Last night CTV aired a segment on Transforming Toronto and the opposition to the transmission line. The piece discussed the various health concerns around the lines, as well as the fact that cleaner, greener alternatives are readily available that would eliminate the need for the lines as well as the associated nuclear plants. Suzanne Gibson of Transforming Toronto noted that these solutions are in place in other countries around the world, and so could easily be implemented here.You can check out the video clip of the story on the CTV website under the CTV Toronto Special Reports section; the story is titled "Naomi Parness on the Battle Against New Hydro Lines".

Transforming Toronto Meeting Oct 16, 2007

2007-10-02T16:24:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendars! The next meeting for Transforming Toronto is scheduled for Tuesday, October 16, 2007 from 7-9 pm at the Frankland Community Centre, 816 Logan Avenue (just south of Danforth).

At this meeting we will be reviewing the results of our election activities to raise awareness of the issue and will be mapping out plans for our post-election efforts. This will be a working session, and we welcome new individuals interested in getting involved and making a difference.

For those planning to attend, please RSVP by sending an email to outreach@transformingtoronto.ca, with "October 16 meeting" in the subject line.

And to stay informed of Transforming Toronto events and news, simply subscribe to our newsletter in the upper left corner of this page.

Politicians on Energy Hotseat over Future of Transmission Lines

2007-10-02T10:48:00.000-04:00

The Toronto Observer recently published a great article on the East Toronto Transmission Line issue. The story highlights the responses of various political candidates to a survey on the the issue conducted by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, and discusses the efforts of Transforming Toronto in pressing the matter with candidates during the election campaign.

NDP & Green Candidates Opposed to East Toronto Transmission Line

2007-09-21T09:13:00.000-04:00

NDP and Green Party candidates in East Toronto ridings are opposed to the proposed East Toronto Transmission Line according to the results of a questionnaire released by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance today.

Education Minister Kathleen Wynne (Don Valley West) stated: “I do not support the idea of a transmission line being built through our community”. However, Minister Wynne did not directly respond to the questionnaire which asked: “Do you believe the Minister of Energy should issue a directive to the Ontario Power Authority, pursuant to Section 25.30 of the Electricity Act, telling it to cancel its plans for the East Toronto Transmission Line; and develop an alternative strategy consisting of energy conservation and small-scale local generation to meet the electricity needs of downtown Toronto?”

The Progressive Conservative leader and candidate in Don Valley West, John Tory; Health Minister George Smitherman (Toronto Centre); Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan (Don Valley East) and Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips (Scarborough-Agincourt) did not respond to the questionnaire.

As part of its strategy to increase Ontario’s nuclear capacity by 20% by 2025, the Ontario Power Authority is considering and developing a plan to build the East Toronto Transmission Line to bring more nuclear electricity to downtown Toronto. The East Toronto Transmission Line would start at the Parkway Transformer Station in Markham and move south through Scarborough, Leaside, the Don Valley and Riverdale to the Hearn Transformer Station on the Toronto waterfront.

The full responses from the candidates can be viewed at here.

Sept. 19, 2007 Inject some energy into the debate – attend these all-candidates’ meetings!

2007-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Find out what candidates for the Oct. 10 provincial election really think.

Riding
Date / Location

Don Valley West
Sept. 24, 7:00 p.m. 55 Overland Drive (Don Mills and Lawrence)
Sept. 26, 7:00 p.m. Marc Garneau Collegiate, 135 Overlea Blvd.(at Don Mills Rd.)
Sept. 27, 11:30 am. - 2:30pm York Mills Collegiate, 490 York Mills Rd.
Sept. 30, 2:00 p.m. 1&3 Concorde Place

Scarborough-Agincourt
Sept. 26, TBA

Scarborough Centre
Sept. 20, TBA

Toronto-Danforth
Sept. 27, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen St. E.

Beaches-East York
Oct. 3, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave.

Don Valley East
Sept. 24, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Jubilee United Church, 40 Underhill Dr.
Sept. 26, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Town Hall, 1685 Victoria Park Ave.

Toronto Centre-Rosedale
Sept. 19, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Oakham Lounge, 68 Gould St.(Ryerson University)
Sept. 25, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Rosedale United Church, 159 Roxborough Dr.
Sept. 27, 7:00 p.m. Regent Park CRC, 203 Sackville Green
Oct. 1, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Sutton Place Hotel Grand Ballroom (Bay and Wellesley)
Oct. 2, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. Heliconian Club, Hazelton Ave.
Oct. 4, 7:00 p.m. St. Lawrence North Market Hall (Front and Jarvis)
Oct. 5, 7:00 p.m. St. Simon the Apostle Church, 525 Bloor St. E.