Greens Gone Rotten

A self-proclaimed eco-company dedicated to environmental conservation, New Forests Company, is taking advantage of the carbon-credits system to make money while planting trees.

Sounds win-win? Think again.

The catch is that in order to plant the trees, the company has evicted thousands of people in Uganda from their homes, using force if necessary. It's so serious that Oxfam is now involved in stopping this eco-friendly New Forests Company.

Sad to think that two organizations that should have the same goals and ideals are now in opposition. Once again, we are reminded that being eco-friendly and economically-beneficial alone is not enough to be sustainable. We need to be socially-just as well.

Transit in Hong Kong

One of my favourite aspects of travelling throughout Asia was observing and using public transportation systems. After using public transportation in Japan, Thailand and India, I was curious to learn whether we can apply similar strategies in Canada. I blogged about transportation in Japan in the past, but I wanted to explore Hong Kong’s public transit system, known as the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). With over four million weekly users and the highest utilization globally, it’s fascinating that the MTR is an entirely private (and profitable) organization.  

What specifically grabbed my attention about the MTR is its approach of using property development as an additional channel of revenue. The MTR develops properties like shopping centres, large housing complexes and office buildings on top of stations. The benefits of this approach are twofold: first, the MTR gets immediate cash flow from rental fees, and second ridership rises due to increased economic activity around stations. For instance, businessmen working in towers located overtop MTR stations will choose to use the MTR over driving due to convenience and affordability. Interestingly, the MTR’s properties generate more profit than transit fares. In 2009, the MTR made a net profit of HK$7.3 billion; of this amount, HK$3.55 billion came from property and HK$2.12 billion came from transit fares.

Hanford Plaza Located Overtop a MTR Station

 

What do you think about the MTR’s approach of using property development as a revenue source? 

By Trevor S.

Eco-Packaging Solutions in Canada

I recently did some research on the various forms of eco-packaging to determine which option has the strongest environmental benefit; both in the manufacturing and disposal stage.

I looked at three options: compostable, PLA and recycled PET (RPET). I’ve provided a brief outline of the three options below.

Compostable packaging is the most commonly known eco packaging- largely because of the compostable SunChips bag.  In order to receive the compostable packaging claim, the pack must be able to break down within a specified period of time in an industrial facility. I was not able to determine the specified period of time, but Sunchips takes about 14 weeks to break down which is a good benchmark. However, the major downfall of compostable packaging is it requires an industrial facility to be broken down; you can’t throw the compostable pack in your backyard. Further, compostable packaging isn’t currently accepted by green bin programs in Canada. Therefore, products like Sunchips end up sitting in a landfill where they may not even biodegrade.  However, this may change as companies lobby municipalities to accept compostable packaging.

Sunchips Compostable Bag

PLA packaging is made from renewable resources. It’s is typically made from corn, but it can also be produced using other resources like sugarcane and switchgrass. PLA’s greatest strength is that it’s made from renewable resources. However, there are ethical implications. PLA packaging drives up the demand for corn which causes a significant increase in commodity prices. This detrimentally impacts developing nations who consume corn in their daily life.

Noble PLA Bottle

Last, but certainly not least is Recycled PET. PET is the most common form of packaging and is often found in bottles and jars.  Recycled PET is in my opinion, the best option as reuses plastic that would otherwise go to a landfill. Further, there is an established market for RPET since there is an abundance of PET plastic. Since both PLA and compostable packaging are made from renewable resources, the availability of supply is often a concern (if there is a drought or other natural disasters the price of packaging rises and you may not have enough supply). 

Innocent Smoothie Bottle made from RPET

What options do you think have the least impact on our environment? 

By Trevor S.

Airships in Canada's Arctic

It seems that airships may be the ideal source of transit for remote areas. Requiring less fuel to run than airplanes and reducing the need for runways, blimps could be an idea worth floating.

Info Source: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/43291--northern-aviator-signs-first-arctic-airship-deal

World's Largest Solar Farm (to date)

Behold! The world's largest solar farm at 80MW, generating enough power to meet the needs of approximately 12 000 homes. Where is this you may ask? The sunny state of California, tech savvy Tokyo or the green tech crucible of China? All good guesses but this farm is found in Sarnia, Ontario, and was a joint project between Enbridge and First Solar.

The contract for this farm is not under the new FIT program but its predecessor the RESOP program. Thus, the next time you may feel that Ontario is dropping the environmental torch, just remember Sarnia Solar!

Early Signs of the Electric Wave

The early signs of the wave of electric cars to come are already lapping up on the shore. Above is a dedicated electric car parking spot at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo. The Provincial government has already touted a lofty goal that by 2020, every 1 in 20 cars on Ontario's roads will be electric.