In August 2019, the updated Environmental Emergency (E2 Regulations) will officially repeal and replace the existing Environmental Emergency Regulations. What exactly does his mean and how can you prepare now for updated E2 Regulations? We provide some details below. As we stated in October 2016, the E2 Regulations are, in principle, based on, and in response to, the 1984 disaster in Bhopal, India. That 1984 incident released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate and resulted...
Read More“Green” Canada and Sustainability: 26 Targets Outlined by the Federal Government
While most everyone is familiar with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), what is far less familiar is the federal government’s focus on the larger issue of sustainability. For background, see the Federal Sustainability Development Act. Making Canada One of the “Greenest Countries in the World” This ambitious sustainability plan was recently updated (13 March 2019). As stated in the report, it includes “…13 aspirational goals supported by measurable targets...
Read MoreReleases to the Environment, Hefty Fines, and Controversial Regulations
Attempts to create a safer workplace and reduce risks of releases are as old as mankind. The Code of Hammurabi from about 1750 BCE addressed building codes, and Lloyds of London’s first registry addressed safety and risk dating back to 1834. Today, we have entire disciplines devoted to reducing these risks. We also have laws and regulations with respect to chemical handling, management, and disposal. Through modern safety and risk management practices, we have greatly...
Read MoreCanadian Financial Institutions and the Paris Agreement: An Ambitious 3-Year Plan
I remember hearing an astrophysicist say that there are 76 quadrillion tons of biodeposits on the earth… coal, oil, natural gas, metals, etc. I’m not sure how accurate this number is, but I’ll take his word for it. These biodeposits play a key role in human civilization and allow life to flourish. They provide nutrients for plant growth which in turn feeds other animals. The plants provide life-giving oxygen and use carbon dioxide that is increasingly more abundant in...
Read MoreEconomic Growth, Environmental Protection, and Proposed Legislation
In what is being called “Investing in Jobs for Canada’s Middle Class,” sweeping regulatory changes were proposed last fall (November 2018) in Ottawa by the Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau. Proposed Changes by Minister of Finance As reported on CTV News, “Delivering his speech on the fall economic statement in the House of Commons, Morneau (Minister of Finance) cited global uncertainty tied to ongoing trade disputes and spoke directly to the pressure to match U.S....
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