Event - E-TALIA Summit: Call for Sponsors and Speakers

The E-TALIA Summit will take place April 28 & 29, 2020, at the Four Seasons Hotel, in Milan. More than 300 people are expected to attend. With more than 25 hours of content and more than 80 speakers this will be an important clean energy event.

Global Warming is Still Real Even if it is Cold Where You Are

Cold temperatures and snowfalls confuse some people and cause them to question the veracity of global warming. However, climate change is a function of global average temperatures over protracted periods of time. A cold snap or a snowstorm is not proof one way or the other. 

We need to understand the difference between weather and climate. A good way to illustrate this point is by pointing to the global average temperatures for October. Even though it was cooler in much of North America, the Arctic and almost all of Europe, Middle East, Australia, parts of the Antarctic, southern Africa, and northeastern China, had far-above average temperatures. The result is that the average temperature in October 2019 was hottest month of October on record.

Governments Engaging in Climate Denial While their Citizens Suffer from the Effects of Climate Change

Politicians who fail to act on climate change should be held responsible. At the very least they are guilty of dereliction of duty and very likely the day will come when they are charged with ecocide. Governments large and small are making irrational decisions that fly in the face of both science and common sense. This is clearly evident in Italy, Australia and the U.S. All three countries are experiencing the effects of climate change in real time yet are opting to do nothing about it.

Another Heat Record Falls in October

After a string of heat records, we saw another all time global average heat record set for the month of October.  According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, October 2019 beat out October 2015 for the dubious distinction. This is the fifth month in a row that has broken or almost broken heat records. October is the 418th consecutive month with above average temperatures, it follows the hottest September and the hottest summer that included the hottest month ever recorded (July). Eight of the ten warmest years have occurred in the last decade, the five warmest years have all occurred in the past five years and all of the warmest years have come since 2015. We keep breaking new temperature records and 2019 is on track to do it again.

Renewable Energy is Vital to our Future

Renewable energy is a central part of wider efforts to combat both climate action and ecological degradation. Renewables are a natural form of energy derived from sunlight, wind, waves, geothermal heat and tides. Common sources of renewable energy are hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal. We must replace energy generated by fossil fuels with sustainable power sources. This is one of the most serious challenges humanity has ever faced and our failure to make this transition will augur a catastrophe.

Event - CIREC Week 2019

CIREC Week will take place on March 31 - April 01, 2020 in Santiago Chile.This leading renewable energy congress meets South America’s first regional O&M congress. Bringing together Chile’s renewable value chain with a regional community of asset owners to create “the must attend event” in the region. Over 300 attendees and 120 speakers and more than 80 expert leaders will be at CIREC Week 2019.

Webinar - Clean Energy and a Green New Deal for Alberta

How best to tackle Western alienation? An ambitious, made-in-Canada Green New Deal. By investing in clean tech industries and renewable power - like Alberta’s burgeoning solar sector - we’ll create millions of good jobs in the energy provinces.

Want to know how we’ll make it happen?  Join our webinar on Wednesday, November 13, and we’ll let you in on our strategy for turning the Climate Majority into a Green New Deal that leaves no one behind.

Air Travel and Climate Change

Air travel is a major source of climate change causing greenhouse gases. Every day, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization provides service to more than 44,000 flights and 2.7 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. As reported by Vox, airlines carried 4.3 billion passengers in 2018, an increase of 38 million compared to the year before.

The Booming Green Economy: The Number of Renewable Energy Jobs Crush Fossil Fuels

Renewable energy is on the rise and the sun is setting on fossil fuels. The economic dominance of the old energy industry is coming to an end and a new economic powerhouse is gaining ground. Demand for coal has collapsed and oil and gas are sure to follow. Led by renewable energy the green economy now provides many more jobs than the fossil fuel industry.  IRENA reports that there were 11 million people employed in renewable energy last year. The report also says transitioning away from fossil fuels towards renewables makes good economic sense. This includes $160 trillion in savings associated with the green economy.

IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera indicated that nations are transitioning away from dirty energy to clean power. “Increasingly, countries envisage a domestic renewable energy industry taking the place of unsustainable fossil-based industries,” La Camera said.

Renewable Energy is Driving the Green Jobs Boom

Clean energy offers many benefits not the least of which are jobs.  The number of good paying green jobs keeps growing and renewable energy jobs are the leading the way. Renewable energy technologies employ millions of people around the world. Over the last few years the renewable energy sector has grown by an average of almost a million jobs each year.

According to a 2019 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report there were 11 million jobs in renewables last year. In 2018 IRENA reported that there were almost 10 million renewable energy jobs in 2017. That is up from 8.3 million the year before. 

What we Need to Combat Environmental Degradation and Climate Change

The Earth's biodiversity is dying as the ecological web of life is breaking down. We have already witnessed significant decreases in the number of birds and insects including pollinators like bees and the future for these and many other species is bleak unless we rapidly change course.

We are facing the end of civilization. We must not allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense that we are doing anywhere near enough to address the crises we created. We are not living up to our Paris emissions reduction targets and we are rapidly running out of time to reign in climate change.

The Size of the Green Economy and the Growth of Renewable Energy

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that there are $160 trillion of savings associated with renewables and other climate actions. Led by renewable energy the green economy is growing by leaps and bounds yet it is still an undervalued opportunity.

Clean energy is benefiting from the mutually reinforcing factors of increasing demand and declining costs. Tremendous declines in the price of solar and battery storage make a compelling business case for renewables.

Lessons Learned from Power Outages in California and Quebec

Recent power outages in North America offer us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of reliable access to electricity. Extreme weather events are the leading cause of power outages. This includes storms that generate high winds and flooding, it is also due to drought that increase the likelihood of wildfires.

In October millions of people in California endured protracted power outages. This was due to  the largest ever voluntary blackout by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E). The utility shut down power as a preventative measure to reduce the likelihood of wildfires sparked by downed power lines. In recent years California has experienced an increase in wildfires due to climate related heat and drought.

Event - RECAM 2020

The fifth annual RECAM congress will take place on March 3-4, 2020 at the Hilton Panama Hotel in Panama City. The RECAM event unites Central America and the Caribbean’s clean energy markets on a mission to achieve resiliency, reliability, sustainability, and security through renewables. This event brings together senior executives and key decision-makers from local and international developers, EPCs, installers, and investors to develop new partnerships and advance your projects.

Green Jobs and Sustainability Focused Employment Opportunities

The green jobs boom comprises both the public and the private sectors. Current and future employment opportunities include urban growers, water quality technicians, clean car engineers, recyclers, natural scientists, and green builders.

Green jobs are in high demand and that demand will only increase. The number of green economy jobs has been growing for years. In 2013, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) said that 2.3 percent of private sector jobs or about 2,515,200 positions were related to the production of green goods and services. This includes everything from clean power production to green buildings and electric cars.

Making Ecocide a Crime

Many of the world's most serious environmental problems would be addressed if we were to make ecocide a crime. This would also protect Indigenous livelihoods and lands. Here are excerpts from an article titled Ecocide, genocide and the disregard of alternative life-systems by Tim Lindgrin. It was published in the International Journal of Human Rights.

As defined by by Polly Higgins, in a book titled Eradicating Ecocide: Laws and Governance to Prevent the Destruction of Our Planet (London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 2010). Ecocide refers to “the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been severely diminished” (Higgins, Short & South, 2012, p. 4).

Green and Environmental Job Search Resources

Although there are tens of millions of opportunities afforded by the green jobs revolution, it is not always easy for the uninitiated to know how to go about getting these jobs.

People want to work for a healthier, more sustainable world. According to a recent report the vast majority of millennials indicated they want green jobs. A BEIS survey of 1,000 young people aged 18-24 reveals that more than two thirds of 18-24 year olds are interested in working in the green economy.

Event - Call for Submissions: International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation (ICEPR’20)

The 10th International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation (ICEPR’20) will take place on August 19, 2020 - August 21, 2020 in Prague , Czech Republic. The Conference Proceedings will be published with an ISSN and ISBN, indexed in Scopus and Google Scholar, and archived permanently in Portico.

ICEPR’20 aims to become the leading annual conference in fields related to environmental pollution and remediation. The goal of ICEPR’20 is to gather scholars from all over the world to present advances in the relevant fields and to foster an environment conducive to exchanging ideas and information. This conference will also provide an ideal environment to develop new collaborations and meet experts on the fundamentals, applications, and products of the mentioned fields.

Event - Eco-Green-Solar Expo Canada

Eco-Green-Solar Expo Canada will take place on Friday February 7 to Sunday February 9, 2020, at the Exhibition Place, in Toronto Ontario. These events aim to bring local and regional businesses together with consumers for the sole purpose of exposing consumers to Eco-Green and Solar companies products and services, geared towards saving the environment through the use of Green Products.

Event - Global Summit and Expo on Pollution Control

The 7th Global Summit and Expo on Pollution Control will take place in Paris, France on December 03-04, 2019. This summit is subtitled: Advanced Technologies and Brilliance of New Era in Pollution Control. Thia event offers well organized scientific program including keynote presentations, workshops and networking opportunities.

Climate Action Offers Trillions of Savings and Stellar ROI

Renewable energy, electrification and efficiency would save the global economy $160 trillion over the next 30 years.  A rapid transition to renewable energy, "deep" electrification, and energy efficiency are also the most cost effective ways to keep temperatures below the upper threshold limit of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). These are the finding of a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) titled the Global energy transformation: A roadmap to 2050 (2019 edition). The $160 trillion in cost savings are derived from 30 years of cumulative savings from avoided health costs, energy subsidies and climate damages. Electrification of the transportation sector could grow the electric vehicle market from five million to one billion. Renewable energy consumption could go from 16.6 percent to 66 percent.

Businesses Cannot Afford to Ignore Climate Risks

Transitioning to a net zero economy will impact every asset class so businesses of all types must take notice. The far reaching economic repercussions of the climate crisis means that businesses can either adapt or die. Those that view sustainability as nothing more than a buzzword will be punished while those who respond to the risks and seize the opportunities will reap the rewards. Sustainability is a culture not a buzzword on a company website. However, as highlighted by the failure of sustainability focused certification schemes,  companies are guilty of greenwashing. In many quarters sustainability is little more than jargon exploited for public relations purposes.

Liberal Minority Government is Good for Climate Action

A Liberal minority government has been elected in Canada and this is good news for climate action. A Liberal majority government would have meant more climate dualism. Their minority status may force them to ratchet up their climate ambitions and soften their support for the fossil fuel industry.  The fact that Liberals have won only 157 seats means they must find a way to gain the support of at least 13 members of parliament to get to a 170 majority. This means that Justin Trudeau's Liberals will need to deal with the NDP (24 seats) and the Green Party (3 seats) to get anything done.

Event - New Frontiers in Renewable Energy and Resources

New Frontiers in Renewable Energy and Resources will take place on November 25-26, 2019 in Rome, Italy. The theme is "Renewable Energy for a Better Future" and the it will include: Keynote talks, Plenary sessions, Discussion Panels, B2B Meetings, Poster symposia, Video Presentations, and Workshops.

This conference is a global platform to discuss and learn about aims to provide a Renewable energy researchers, scientists, industrialists, policy makers, energy economists and academicians to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Renewable Energy and Resources.

Event - SRI 30

The 30th edition of the SRI Conference will take place on November 13-15, 2019 at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Advisor Summit Workshop will take place on November 11-15, 2019. If you are interested in socially responsible investing you need to attend SRI. For 30 years, the SRI Conference has been the most important annual gathering for investors, asset owners, asset managers, financial advisors, researchers, academics, mission-driven organizations, and enterprises who share the common goal of deploying private capital to address some of our most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges.

Climate Action Must Include Efforts to End Fossil Fuels

Climate change is a top priority issue in this years federal election. While this is borne our in the polls, a study published by the Public Policy Forum and McGill University found that Canadians are prepared to pay up to 13 cents more per litre for gas if it benefits climate action. The same study found that there is strong support for renewable energy subsidies.

However, Canadians also want fossil fuels. We are obsessed with oil, as revealed by an Angus Reid poll roughly the same percentage of Canadians want climate action (60%) as want oil and gas development (58%). The attempt to pander to these competing interests explains Liberal dualism.

Polls Reveal Unprecedented Support for Climate Action

Image source: Ecojustice

Polls show that climate and environmental issues have unprecedented support in Canada.  The question is whether this will impact voting behaviors.  There are many reasons why Canadians are concerned about climate change. This includes the fact that Canada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world.

This is the first time in Canadian history climate change is a priority issue for Canadians. Polls show that Canadians want climate action. More than three quarters (76%) of Canadians agree with the statement that the scientific evidence "clearly shows" climate change is real and caused by human activity.

The Failure of Sustainable Certification Schemes

Green certification schemes are an impediment to environmental action. There are a plethora of certification schemes which purport to guide environmentally friendly decision making. These sustainable endorsements include everything from labels to industry wide initiatives. However, according to a recent report these efforts are counterproductive and require major reforms.

Research from the Changing Markets Foundation, examined voluntary certification schemes for seafood, textiles and palm oil. The main conclusion of this report is that certification has lost its way.

Kids May be Our Best Hope of Getting Through to Climate Deniers

Studies show that kids can influence adults in ways that very few others can. This is critical because people who deny the veracity of climate change are almost impossible to reach with science and reason.

According to a 2018 Gallup poll, there is a global warming age gap. The poll found that 70 percent of Americans age 18 to 34 say they worry about climate change, compared to 56 percent of people 55 and older. Kids realize that our failure to act puts their futures in jeopardy. They are aware that we are not doing what we must to address biodiversity loss, sea-level rise, and extreme weather including devastating heat waves. As explained by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg,"You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes".

Quebec Voters Poised to Determine the Outcome of Canada's Federal Election

It is looking as though voters in Quebec will decide who forms the next federal government in Canada. After the French language debate support for the Block Quebecois surged as did support for the NDP. This has come at the expense of the Liberals. While the Conservatives cannot expect to gain any ground in the province, the fact that the Liberals may be hemorrhaging support does not bode well for their bid to secure another four years in power.

The outcome of Canada's election may be contingent on young people (18-34). The two key issues for the youth demographic are climate change and affordability. The Conservative platform tries to capitalize on the latter while the Liberals, NDP and Green Party are all vying for the climate vote.  However, this will only mean something if young people turn out to vote. In 2011 young people could have prevented Stephen Harper from becoming Prime Minister, but they did not vote.

Celebrating Oxymorons: Canadian Thanksgiving and Columbus Day

Although they co-occur, in many respects Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving are diametrically opposed to each other. While Canadian Thanksgiving is a harvest festival celebrating nature's bounty, Columbus Day marks the start of our systematic destruction of the new world. Monday October 8th is Canadian Thanksgiving, a time to be grateful, it is also Columbus day in most parts of the new world. It is hard to reconcile the start of our exploitation of the Americas and the expression of gratitude for the bountiful harvests nature provides. 

Event - Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management Conference

The 8th International Conference on Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management will take place on November 12-13, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Biodiversity Congress is a global platform to discuss and learn about Ecology and its associated fields, Evolution of Species, Plant & Animal Biodiversity, Biodiversity Management, Fauna & Flora, Biodiversity & Food Security, Conservation of Endangered Species, Marine Biodiversity, Forestry, and Sustainable Energy Development.

Event - Design Your Own Sustainable Home Workshop

The Design Your Own Sustainable Home Workshop event will take place on Saturday November 16 to Sunday November 17, 2019, in Peterborough. The instructor is Chris Magwood an expert guide for this journey, having helped hundreds of owner-builders through the process of designing and building their dream green home.. This is Endeavour’s most popular workshop. This workshop has been called exciting, engaging and even life changing. You will be guided through the process of setting the goals that will shape your project and learn how to assess all the available material and system options to meet your goals.

Carbon Reduction Resulting from the Climate Platforms of each of the Four Major Canadian Federal Parties

Source: Confronting carbon - Comparing carbon platforms (CBC)

Schools and Climate Change Education - The Good News and the Bad News

Schools are increasingly teaching kids about climate change. Many U.S. states have public school policies that include climate change curricula. A total of 36 states have climate change in their educational standards. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have adopted fact-based Next Generation Science Standards which are taught starting in middle school.

References to Climate in the 2019 Canadian Federal Leaders Debate

Here are all the references to climate change from the Canadian federal leaders English Language debate that took place on October 7, 2019. This debate was organized around five themes: Leadership in Canada and the world / Polarization, human rights and immigration / Indigenous issues / affordability and income security / environment and energy.

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Elizabeth May: [W]e really need to renegotiate the World Trade Organization and make it an organization that promotes climate action. We need a World Trade and Climate Organization. We need to support the rule of law and human rights around the world because we are world leaders...The Greens are proposing a reinvigorated form of federalism. Modelled after what has been done in Australia, we want a council of Canadian governments. So the federal government, provincial, territorial, municipal, and the local orders of government need a seat at the table; so too do Indigenous leadership – First Nations, Métis, and Inuit – around the same table, finding common ground on urgent issues like health care, on the climate emergency, and working together in the public interest.

Renewable Energy and Fossil Fuel Subsidies

While the real costs of fossil fuels are increasing the costs of renewables are declining. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a study the shows the cost of onshore wind power generation has dropped 23 percent since 2010, while solar electricity saw a decrease of 73 percent.  Cheaper renewable energy also decreases the cost-effectiveness of fossil fuel subsidies.

Private entities are taking advantage of the ongoing price decline in renewables energy. This is driving the clean energy despite the unwavering support the fossil fuel industry receives from both governments and businesses.

Hottest September on Record Ends the Hottest Summer on Record

In the wake of the hottest month on record (July) and the hottest summer on record, the fall season began with the hottest month of September ever recorded. According to Copernicus Climate Change Service, September was not only the hottest month in the 140 years we have kept records, it was also the 417th consecutive month with above-average global temperatures. We have not seen below average temperatures in 35 years. The four warmest decades on record have all occurred in the last 40 years. Eight of the ten warmest years have occurred in the last decade and the five warmest years in recorded history have all occurred in the past five years. This year is on track to be another record breaker.

Event - Congress on Soil, Plant and Water Sciences

The 3rd Annual Congress on Soil, Plant and Water Sciences will take place on November 11-12, 2019 at Madrid, Spain. The theme is “Invention of new significant tool for sustainable growth in soil, plant and natural resources on earth.”

This event gives attendees the chance to interact with largest assembly of participants from the soil sciences associations, water science association’s soil sciences societies, water science societies, Agriculture, Agronomy, hydrology, soil sciences and water sciences Academicians.

Event - Environmental Pollution and Health

The 2nd Annual Congress on Environmental Pollution and Health will take place on October 21-22, 2019 Sydney, Australia. The theme is: "Sustainable Environmental Practices for Reducing Global Pollution and related Health hazards".