Climate Action Grants Doled Out

Posted on 8/17/2016 12:14 PM by Ron Manz 107.5 KISSFM

The Provincial Government is distributing over $6.4 million dollars to communities around BC from the Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program. All local governments that signed on to BC's climate action plan to reduce carbon emissions are getting grants. The City of Vernon tops the North Okanagan recipients with $85-thousand while Salmon Arm is getting $45-thousand. The North Okanagan Regional District gets a $12-thousand grant, one of five going to regional districts this year.

Grants for other communities include:
Armstrong $2,789
Coldstream $10,291
Enderby $4,393
Lake Country $15,889
Lumby $7,304
Spallumcheen $8,786
Sicamous $2,562
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https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BG_ClimateActionRevenueIncentiveProgram_Aug16.pdf
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Don Quixote Note:
The 2016 Vernon Budget had projected a grant of $49,509 so the actual grant of 85,001 will add $35,492 to the Carbon Tax reserve which was originally projected to be $758,013 and will now be higher by this windfall.

Climate change controversy

by Kate Bouey CASTANET - Oct 6, 2015 / 10:37 am
Climate change has become a hot topic in the race for MP in the North Okanagan Shuswap riding. Conservative candidate Mel Arnold said he's not certain human activity is the main cause of climate change on earth. "I don't dispute human activity is having an effect,'' he added, in an interview Tuesday. Arnold said he's aware his view will court controversy. Green party candidate Chris George said Arnold's view on climate change is in the minority. "You'd likely find that nine percent of Canadians agree with his view,'' said George, pointing to 2014 polling results on climate change. "But 91 percent have a different opinion." "It's conclusive, beyond doubt,'' said George. "At this point we know that it is fossil fuel emissions and increased carbon dioxide, that has led to global warming."George pointed to predictions made in the 1980s and 90s that the world would suffer major droughts, storms and see polar ice melt. "It has happened quicker than what was predicted." Arnold believes natural factors also come into play including forest fires and solar and volcanic activity. A Canadian government website states that while "climate change can be caused by both natural processes and human activities, the recent warming has been largely attributed to human activity, primarily the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere."

UN unveils 20-page negotiating text for Paris

5 October 2015, source edie newsroom

The United Nations (UN) has today (5 October) released a streamlined version of the negotiating text that will be used at the COP21 Paris Climate Conference in December.

The new document, drawn up by two co-chairs for the talks - Algerian diplomat Ahmed Djoghlaf and US counterpart Dan Reifsnyder - has been cut down from 89 to 20 pages, in a bid to provide a more succinct starting point for final round of pre-Summit talks in Bonn, Germany, later this month.

Paris 2015- 20 page draft agreement

RDCO board meeting highlights

UBC Okanagan Water Resources Chair Castanet Aug 14, 2010 /

The Regional Board has agreed to support the establishment of a BC Regional Innovation Chair in Water Resources and Ecosystem Management at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. The Okanagan Basin Water Board will contribute a total of $500,000 over five years to help create the research position and fund its work. The North Okanagan and South Okanagan- Similkameen regional districts will also be asked to provide support through the water board in order to leverage a $1.25-million contribution from the BC Government Leading Edge Endowment Fund in establishing the position. With development pressures and Climate Change, the Board agrees that this UBC-O Innovation Chair will help find practical solutions to water supply and ecosystem management issues which are a high priority throughout the Okanagan Valley.
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BC Regional Innovation Chair in Water Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability

Salary: N/A

Employer Link: http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/facultystaff/prospective/recruitment/tenuretrack.html...

Location: Kelowna

Closing Date: 09/01/2009
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Okanagan Basin Water Board Minutes and Board Reports
July 6, 2010 UBC-O Water Resources Chair: The Board received a request from UBC-O to contribute to an endowment for a Water Resources research chair. Funds would help match a $1.25 million grant from the Province. The request is being forwarded to the regional boards for approval.

Bernier urges skepticism on climate change

CBC News Wednesday, February 24, 2010 | 6:24 PM ET

Scientific evidence still doesn't clearly explain climate change and it's normal to be skeptical, claims former Conservative cabinet minister Maxime Bernier in an open letter published Wednesday. Not all scientists agree on what causes climate change, and many experts underestimate the role of the sun and other factors, Bernier, who is still an MP, wrote in his op-ed in the Montreal newspaper La Presse. Canada's Conservative government would be irresponsible to spend billions of dollars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions given the contradictory science available, Bernier said. The Quebec politician said the views expressed in the letter are his personal opinion but correspond to those of his political party. Bernier later told The Canadian Press that he simply meant to say it's important to be cautious when it comes to climate change.

Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice's office was quick to distance itself from Bernier's letter. Prentice's spokesman, Frédéric Baril, told CBC News that Bernier's opinions are his own and are not at all in line with those of the environment ministers or the Conservative government. Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe questioned the credibility of Bernier's views on environmental science. "Mr. Bernier's expertise lies more in Joe Louis than climate change," Duceppe said, referring to the sweet, chocolate-coated vanilla pastries invented in the Beauce region that Bernier represents. Environmental activist Steven Guilbeault questioned whether the Conservative MP acted alone in writing the letter."Frankly, for Mr. Bernier to do that on his own is simply unbelievable," he said.

Olympic tourists asked to buy carbon offsets

CBC NEWS Friday, January 8, 2010:

Vancouver Olympic organizers are looking to spectators travelling to the Games to help fulfil the goal of staging the greenest Olympics ever. VANOC intends to put on a carbon-neutral Games but said Thursday it would need help to buy carbon offsets for the estimated 268,000 tonnes of emissions the Games will be responsible for. Almost half of that carbon footprint — 130,000 tonnes — will be generated by Olympic spectators travelling to Vancouver to attend the Games. The organizers said they would encourage Games tourists to buy carbon offsets to balance the environmental impact of their travel. "Because of the nature of individuals taking responsibility for where they want to travel, we're trying to make it easy," said VANOC corporate sustainability officer Ann Duffy. Duffy said the hope is that, "people include this in some of their decisions to travel and enjoy the Games."

A VANOC-sanctioned website — offsetters.ca — was suggested as one place where tourists could calculate and pay for their carbon offsets. The website acts as a brokerage, connecting individuals and corporations to offset projects to which they can contribute. Such projects include programs in which carbon-absorbing tracts of forest land are set aside for certain periods of time, making up for activities that generate greenhouse gases. Other projects intend to capture excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it underground.

A family of four flying to Vancouver from Toronto that wanted to participate in the program would pay about $140 for their offsets, according to the website.The same family driving from Kamloops, B.C., and back would incur just a $5 offset.

VANOC said it would only take responsibility for offsetting the estimated 118,000 tonnes of direct emissions from the Games that have been generated by venue construction and athletes' travel. "One has to draw the line somewhere," said Duffy. "We're doing some heavy lifting in terms of covering the footprint for our direct operations." VANOC anticipates that sponsors and governments will pick up the offset costs for the estimated 20,000 tonnes of carbon emissions not paid for by organizers and Games tourists.

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Carbon offset program a sham, says B.C. MLA

Mayes on Environment

Thu, 2009-12-31 08:49. Kate Bouey - Vernon 105.7 SUNFM:

Okanagan Shuswap MP Colin Mayes has come out swinging after criticism over his views on global warming. The MP, who's just returned from a holiday, has rejected calls for a local debate on the issue and insists his views have been misinterpreted for political reasons, insisting detractors just want to criticize him and the Conservative government. Mayes says he's all for cleaning up the environment but he still calls for more research into global warming. Mayes, who sent out an e-mail recently stating the cause of climate warming has yet to be substantiated.He's rejected calls from Green Candidate, Huguette Allen for a debate on the matter.

Mayes stands by opinion on climate change

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: December 29, 2009 7:00 PM

Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes is fighting off claims he refutes global warming. Mayes, who returned home from a vacation Monday, says the recent controversy about e-mails he sent out on climate change is misleading. “I didn’t say there wasn’t climate change. Climate change is happening all of the time,” he told The Morning Star. “But the question is global warming and what are the reasons for it. There is a lot of information out there and a lot of conflicting data that needs to be resolved.” In the e-mails to constituents, Mayes says, “Climate warming is happening. Just what the cause is has yet to be substantiated. Is it C02 in the atmosphere, sun activity or cyclical? Is this a trend that will change as we have seen recently in cooling of temperatures and rebuilding of ice caps?” He goes on to write, “I am careful not to over react and spend billions of taxpayer dollars because a few scientists say C02 is causing the planet to warm. Scientists, when I went to school, said there was a coming ice age. They also said that the ozone layer was disappearing over the Arctic. “Scientists theorize many things, some prove to be true, some not. I want to make certain when I vote, my vote is supported by sound scientific facts and less media hype.”

While being interviewed, Mayes stands by his views. “I have never said I am a denier. I am just saying we shouldn’t move too quickly before we have all of the data and make good decisions,” he said. Mayes supports the federal government’s role at the recent Copenhagen climate change conference, and says there is a need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to be better stewards of the environment. “We can’t keep doing the same things we’ve been doing,” he said. On a related matter, Mayes is wondering who has set up a website that looks like his own website but contains news articles and press releases that criticize his opinions on climate change. However, he isn’t surprised that someone has done this. “There are always folks who have different opinions and agreements with you. People want to jump on you,” he said.

Regional district not buying carbon credits

Arthur Williams - Prince George Free Press Published: December 28, 2009 10:00 AM
The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George has backed away from purchasing carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality 2012. In June the board reviewed the initial draft of a new climate change action plan. The plan committed the district to a 15 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 and to purchase offsets for the remaining emissions. By 2020 the district is committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent. "This particular draft has taken a step back from that," district administrator Jim Martin said. "The plan itself doesn't commit us to buy offsets. It says we may buy offsets." In June district directors raised concerns about purchasing offsets from the Pacific Carbon Trust - an agency formed by the Union of B.C. Municipalities to buy and sell carbon offsets from local governments. Until the details of how "cap and trade" regulation will work B.C. are available, it is premature to commit to buying carbon offsets, Martin said.

Directors previously suggested that money could be spent on local offset projects, rather than purchased from the trust. The regional district, as a corporate entity, produces approximately 1,020 tonnes of carbon dioxide (or equivalent) per year. Approximately half of that comes from the operation of the district's fleet and buildings. Retrofits to the district's buildings could be done for approximately $200,000, paid out of the The improvements would reduce emissions by approximately 94 tonnes per year and save the district $34,000 per year in utility costs. Developing an anti-idling policy, purchasing more fuel-efficient vehicles and developing a fuel monitoring system could save 3,000 L of gasoline and 4,500 L of diesel per year – reducing emissions by 20 tonnes per year. "It just makes good financial sense," Martin said.

Only municipalities which participate in the Climate Action Charter are eligible for carbon tax rebates, he added, "If we don't act on climate change, not only will our long-term costs increase, our human quality of life will decrease," director Debora Munoz said. The revised plan was approved unanimously by the board of directors, with the exception of director Bob Headrick. "I'm not 100 per cent sold on this green thing," Headrick said. "I think we should be very cautious with this." The carbon tax is being paid by local residents and businesses, he said. Headrick said leaving that money in the pockets of taxpayers to deal with climate change on a personal level, if they choose, would be a better option. "Who put the money in the pot? People did. I think we should leave it up to them to spend it. They know what's best."