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| Municipal Wastewater EffluentINTUITECH (May 8, 2010) – Three billion people lack safe sanitation services around the world and more than one billion people have no access to safe water that means they had to revert to unprotected wells or springs, canals, lakes or rivers to get water. The situation regarding drinking water in developing countries is getting worse by the minute mostly because of pollution, irrigation, lack of money, wars and progressive climate change. more |
| Transformation of Colwood into a University CityINTUITECH (April 29, 2010) – “It has for a long time been my dream to capitalize on the virtue of the Royal Roads University (RRU) and transform the City of Colwood into a University City instead of just saying that we have a university in the City.” Les Bjola, a successful real estate developer with a billion dollar project, the Colwood City Centre, located next door to the RRU campus, defined his vision for the City to a small group of people in Colwood. It didn’t take too long for Nancy Wilkins, Executive-in-Residence, at the RRU to visualize a small aspect of Bjola’s vision which portrays a beautiful pedestrian boulevard between RRU and the Colwood City Centre – lights, landscaping, biking, walking and taking advantage of the planned transportation hub and connecting students to the community and vice versa. more |
| Nuclear Energy and CanadaINTUITECH (March 31, 2010) – In addition to generating safe, reliable, and affordable electricity without emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, nuclear energy is also capable of producing technologies which improve medical diagnosis, protect livestock health, develop water resources (i.e. desalination), preserve food, promote agricultural productivity, cure human illness, enhance human nutrition, advance environmental science, eradicate virulent pests and strengthen industrial quality control. more |
| Nuclear Energy: Rating of Safety and SecurityINTUITEC (March 18, 2010) – The notion of rating nuclear reactor designs currently in the market based on safety and security purely for the marketing purposes doesn’t make any sense. The convention wisdom avers that safety and security of nuclear reactors cannot be rated. Either nuclear reactor designs are safe or not. There is nothing in between when it comes to nuclear safety and security. Perhaps the criteria for differentiating nuclear reactor designs for marketing purposes should be based on the generation of nuclear reactors as improvements are always incorporated in the future nuclear reactor designs on a constant and continuous basis. Consequently, each generation of nuclear reactor designs are better in terms of its efficiency, safety, security, and economy from previous generation. more |
| Fiber Optic Network: Connect CommunitiesINTUITECH (April 1, 2010) – Fiber optic technology advanced at an astonishing rate in the second half of the twentieth century. The discovery of fiber optics in 1966 was indeed a major landmark for which Charles Kao won a share of the Nobel Prize in physics in 2009. Working at the Old Standard Telecommunications Laboratories in the United Kingdome, Kao coauthored a paper with G. A. Hockham in 1966 on the subject of the theory and practice of the use of optical fiber for communications applications. more |
| Nuclear Energy: Safe, Clean, and AffordableINTUITECH (December 27, 2009) – In these days of climate change and energy crisis, it’s too bad that the word “Nuclear” has a connotation that brings back memories about the nuclear disaster of Chernobyl and the near miss of Three Mile Island. People are rightfully scared of potential accidents and the proliferation of nuclear weapons even though it has been proven that those accidents were the result of mismanagement. Over the last few decades nuclear plants have proven to be reliable and have in general a superb safety record. It is critical to note that nuclear plants have the capability to generate an incredible amount of clean and non-polluting energy which could be instrumental in mitigating the current global crisis of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions drastically, if not entirely. Perhaps the question should be asked: Is nuclear power worth a serious look? more |
| Way to CopenhagenINTUITECH (December 2, 2009) – The December 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, from December 7 to 18, will involve 192 countries, and more than 150,000 heads of state and government officials, advisers, diplomats, campaigners and journalists. The list of global dignitaries includes the American President Barak Obama and the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It is interesting to note that on his way to the Conference, Harper is proposing a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2006 levels by 2020, and up to 80 per cent by 2050. He favours to having realistic targets which are feasible within the timeframe. more |
| The Concept of EcolabellingINTUITECH (November 19, 2009 – The purpose of ecolabelling is to communicate with the potential consumers, stating that the product or service they are considering is less harmful to the environment than other similar products or services available in the same category in the market. It offers enormous potential for reducing the environmental deprivation associated with the production materials and processes. The simple fact is that the market for green products is growing rapidly and the global green economy is expanding into an annual market of trillions of dollars. more |
| Get Used to ItBUILDING (November 14, 2009) – Commercial real estate executives are increasingly seeking greener office space — and are less inclined to pay premiums for it, according to a recent survey by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle. “They are less willing to pay a premium for sustainable space because they understand that it doesn’t cost the owner more to make that space efficient,” said JLL senior vice president Michael Jordan. It’s nothing but a pure misconception on the part of commercial real estate executives. There is a cost associated with building green – you better believe it. more |
| Clean Energy Technology: Carbon Capture & StorageINTUITECH (October 23, 2009) – Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently announced funding for the carbon capture project west of Edmonton. The federal and Alberta governments pledged $769 million on October 14, 2009 to retrofit a coal-fired electricity generation plant to capture and store some of the carbon dioxide generated from the project.
Alberta will spend $436 million over the next 15 years on the project, with most of the money coming from its $2-billion Carbon Capture and Storage Fund. Ottawa is kicking in $343 million from its Clean Energy Fund. The government is promoting it as a “leading-edge coal-fired electricity generation plant” that will capture and store up to one million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.” The captured CO2 will be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in nearby fields or stored almost three kilometres underground. more
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| UN Summit on Climate Change in New YorkINTUITECH (September 24, 2009) – If any Canadian ever had any doubt about Harper’s apathy about the environment, the Prime Minister’s recent decision for not showing up at the UN Summit on Climate Change, should help them to make up their minds. It was reported that Canada was hardly a factor in the climate summit, which came a day ahead of the annual UN General Assembly that traditionally turns midtown Manhattan black and blue with armoured limousines and police escorts. It was further reported that:“In an apparent strategy of engagement if necessary, but not necessarily engagement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper skipped the morning session featuring the major addresses of Hu, Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy of France and others and instead had lunch with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The meeting with Bloomberg, the Prime Minister’s Office said, was to “raise the Buy America clause and the importance to promote open and free trade”. more
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| British Columbia’s Approach to Climate ChangeINTUITECH (September 9, 2009) – Like other Canadian provinces and territories across the country, British Columbia got sick and tired of waiting for the federal leadership for climate change and decided to adopt the attitude, reflecting the popular phrase – Lead, follow or get out of the way. more |
| Potential Impacts of HST on the Construction IndustryThis article is a follow up to the article which was posted on the subject of the HST on July 24, 2009.Unfortunately, at this stage, very little information on the proposed Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) has been provided by the BC provincial government. Transitional rules and other specific details may be released as late as March 2010, leaving almost eight months from the sudden and unexpected announcement of the HST in July until March 2010 for the speculation and only little over three months for the clarification and implementation of the HST. Either this is a direct reflection of the poor planning or overconfidence of the provincial government. Alternatively, it could be a combination of both. more |
| The Cost of Building GreenINTUITECH (August 29, 2009) – Commercial real estate executives are increasingly seeking greener office space — and are less inclined to pay premiums for it, according to a recent survey by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle. “They are less willing to pay a premium for sustainable space because they understand that it doesn’t cost the owner more to make that space efficient,” said JLL Senior Vice President Michael Jordan.It’s nothing but a pure misconception on part of commercial real estate executives. There is a cost associated with building green – you better believe it. more
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| Greenwashing is nothing but HypocrisyINTUITECH (August 21, 2009) – The Climate Greenwash Awards are organized by Corporate Europe Observatory, Attac Denmark, The Climate Movement, ClimaX and Friends of the Earth Denmark to challenge the corporate capture of the UN climate talks and to highlight the way in which big businesses are increasingly turning to green spin to hide their polluting agenda. Energy companies, many of which once denied that climate change was happening, are now keen to portray themselves as green heroes in the fight against climate change. However, the awards organizers warn that many of the so-called solutions being put forward by businesses will not help reduce emissions. Companies are advocating unproven technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and failed mechanisms such as carbon trading, to justify their continuing pollution. more |
| Carbon NeutralityINTUITECH (August 11, 2009) – An incredible number of businesses, universities, and governments around the world are totally committed to the principles of sustainability and they are going through the process of taking inventories of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the objective to set reduction targets for their respective organizations and jurisdictions. They clearly understand that because greenhouse gases mix in the global atmosphere, the location of greenhouse gas emissions and emission reductions has consequence. Emissions occurring in one area can be neutralized by activity that occurs anywhere in the world, so the emission and the reduction activity do not necessarily need to occur in the same area. They also understand that in the absence of any regulatory support, they can only accomplish so much within a certain period of time but they know for sure that carbon neutrality is their ultimate goal. more |
| Adaptation to Climate Change: A Powerful Tool to Reducing the Overall Cost of MitigationGREEN BUSINESS (August 6, 2009) – All research conducted with respect to climate change acknowledges the fact that adaptation will be a key response to reducing vulnerability to its effects. The big question is how will companies and governments manage that adaptation process? more |
Municipalities must be vigilant in setting GHG reduction targetsINTUITECH (August 2, 2009) – It seems to be a popularity context in the midst of some municipalities to set higher targets for reducing GHG emissions with the ambition to be recognized as a national or global leaders depending upon the size of their ego. There are two things appear to be profoundly wrong with this picture:
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| BC’s New HST TaxINTUITECH (July 24, 2009) – Dr. Mir F. Ali has written a primer here on the introduction of BC’s new HST tax which I think should stir up some controversy. Whether or not you are in favour of this tax (it’s too early to make a solid decision) it will be interesting to watch the debate over the next few months. If the NDP doesn’t go ballistic over this, I’d be surprised, but I guess we’ll see. My first impression is that we’re going to be shifting more of the tax burden onto the average working person and of course this is nothing new. This has been the trend with conservative governments for the last 40 years. I’ve read Naomi Klein’s latest book, The Shock Doctrine and you should too. more |
| The Primer: Global Warming and Climate ChangeINTUITECH (July 21, 2009) – In spite of unremitting controversy, the interest in global warming is increasing by the minute. It doesn’t take a huge effort these days for the global population to acquire the necessary knowledge on the subject so that they can make informed decisions in their daily lives. more |
| American Clean Energy and Security ActINTUITECH (June 30, 2009) – The approach to limit or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which was adopted by both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and by the Kyoto Protocol (KP) is known as an absolute target approach. This approach requires that GHG emissions be reduced by a specific amount by a specific time. However, the emission targets set up by the UNFCCC for developed countries are non-binding whereas the emission targets set up by the KP for developed countries are binding. The non-binding targets set up by the UNFCCC for the USA were ratified by the US Senate but the binding targets that were set up by the KP for the USA were rejected by the Bush Administration. more |
| Sustainable Transportation: The Time is NowINTUITECH (June 9, 2009) – Canadian transportation industries account for approximately 4% of Canada’s gross domestic product, and employ more than 800,000 people. Canada is a huge country with a massive transportation infrastructure which includes: 48,000 kilometres of track which makes Canada one of the largest rail networks in the world; Canada’s national highway system is made up of over 38,000 kilometres of national and regional highways; and 900,000 kilometres of roads which are being used by cars, vans, buses or trucks and this is enough to circle the globe 22 times. more |
| A TOD (Transport Oriented Development) PrimerBUILDING (May 25, 2009) – The recognition of the unprecedented demand around the world for the development of residential and commercial properties, together with an apprehension of the shortage of land for development, has influenced a wide-spread realization of the need to embrace mixed-use and compact development techniques for new developments. While these techniques are not exactly original, they represent a realistic approach for building more on less land in order to accommodate the current development needs without jeopardizing the needs of the future generations. more |
| Banning Bottled WaterINTUITECH (May 24, 2009) – Early bottled mineral water was so expensive that only the rich and upper classes could afford it. The situation began changing in the mid-1800s with the advent of the industrial revolution and shipping by railway. As early as the mid-20th century, worldwide production had already climbed to several hundred million bottles per year. Even though bottled water didn’t take off in a real sense until the late 1980’s the world was absolutely amazed with the brilliant idea of using the plastic bottle that Vittel introduced in 1968. The affordability as well as the dazzling marketing strategy stimulated commoners around the world to pay more for a bottle of water than for gasoline. Perhaps the biggest boon to the bottled water industry was the introduction of the PET plastic 500 ml water bottle in 1989 which is made from fossil fuels. Light, cheap, durable and — at least in theory — completely recyclable, it helped make bottled water a convenience many of us couldn’t do without. more
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| New Trends: Smaller, Affordable, and Energy Efficient HousesINTUITECH (May 20, 2009) – The global economic downturn is a mixed blessing for home buyers — if you’re lucky enough to hang on to your job, you should be in a much better position to buy a house, according to a report released by RBC Economics. The question is: What kind of house?Experts from the NAHB and Better Homes & Gardens Magazine released some interesting research recently at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas. They found that Americans aren’t interested in McMansions or large homes anymore; they’re looking for something more practical. They’re looking for economic and cozy spaces with neat organization. more
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| The Phenomenon of Carbon TaxesGREEN BUSINESS (April 27, 2009) – The majority of people have accepted that rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) are altering the Earth’s climate. While the amount of damage associated with the warming remains uncertain, there is an appreciation for the risk that it could be catastrophic. One of the techniques to mitigate environmental risk is the concept of a carbon tax. As the B.C. election heats up, with the province’s carbon tax a hot-button issue, it’s worth reviewing how such taxes have worked so far. more |
| Carbon Credits vs. Carbon TaxINTUITECH (April 27, 2009) – It is no secret that the world opinion about global warming is divided into two categories – those who genuinely believe in global warming and those who think it as a big joke. At the same time, the world is becoming aware of the huge controversy among those who believe in global warming and the centre of this boiling debate is on the applicability and effectiveness of the carbon credits vs. Carbon tax for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. more |
| Harper’s Stumbling Attitude Towards Climate ChangeTHE HILL TIMES (April 20, 2009) – To avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, world carbon emissions will have to drop to near zero by 2050 and “go negative” after that, the Worldwatch Institute reported. If nothing is done to abate global warming, the experts warned that the 21st Century will experience conditions the planet has not seen in 40 million years. Hurricanes, melting ice caps, widespread species extinction and massive flooding are among some of the impacts caused by a warming climate. more |
| Reigning in the World’s Top Two GHG EmittersGLOBE-Net (April 10, 2009) A recent report issued by the Brookings Institution provides a primer on two topics: Climate change and U.S.-China relations. It describes the climate change threat, concluding that every year of delay in responding to it puts both countries – and the planet – at greater risk. more |
| Getting a Lease on GreenBUILDING (March 12, 2009) – Even though sustainable commercial buildings were built around the world before the existence of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, LEED revolutionized the industry by offering a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) stated on their website that the LEED for New Construction rating system is designed to guide and distinguish high-performance commercial and institutional projects, including office buildings, high-rise residential buildings, government buildings, recreational facilities, manufacturing plants and laboratories. more |
| Integrated Approaches for Economic Stimulus StrategiesGLOBE-Net (January 23, 2009) – Canadians are acutely aware of the fact that the U.S. led global recession is having a profound impact on Canadian economy and consequently they are suffering immensely from the current financial crises. It has hauled Canada into a recession which is going to be around for a while. It is clear the global financial system is severely weakened, undermining investor, household and business confidence, and pushing the economy into an increasingly lengthy and severe recession. Real GDP, employment, industrial production and retail sales are falling sharply, and unemployment is rising quickly. more |
| Rating CarbonGLOBE-Net (January 19, 2008) – IDEAcarbon, an independent provider of ratings, analysis and advice in the carbon sphere, has launched, The Carbon Ratings Agency (CRA), “the world’s first independent carbon credit ratings service.” more |
| LEEDING the Way to Green BuildingGLOBE-Net (January 5, 2009) – David Gottfried, founder of the World Green Building Council and creator of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, made a powerful statement recently in Dubai when he was interviewed by the newspaper Gulf News. more |
| An Integrated Approach to Economic StimulusBUILDING (December 1, 2008) – Canadians are acutely aware of the fact that the U.S.-led global recession is having a profound impact on the Canadian economy and consequently they are suffering immensely from the current financial crises. It was concluded that the global financial system has effectively collapsed, undermining investor, household and business confidence, and pushing the economy into an increasingly lengthy and severe recession. Real GDP, employment, industrial production and retail sales are falling sharply, and unemployment is rising quickly. more |
| PM Harper needs to make Environment a Priority, in a hurryTHE HILL TIMES (November 17, 2008) – If the environment is not going to be the top priorities of Prime Minister Harper’s Government, he should be prepared to lose the next election. more |
| Canada’s Offset System for Greenhouse Gas EmissionsGLOBE-Net (October 20, 2008) – A Notice of intent with respect to Canada’s Offset System for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions (“Draft Guide for Protocol Developers”) was published in the Canada Gazette on August 9, 2008. The draft guide was anticipated in the earlier document released by the federal government- Turning the Corner: Canada’s Offset System for GHG, which was published in March 2008. more |
| LEED for Core & Shell – A Smart and Fast Approach to CertificationBUILDING (October 2008) – David Gottfried, founder of the World Green Building Council and creator of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, made a powerful statement recently in Dubai when he was interviewed by the newspaper Gulf News. He noted that buildings which do not apply themselves to the LEED rating system will be devalued in the future, adding that those not certified will be classified as “B” buildings, not “A” buildings and they could be a liability. Gottfried believes that all buildings can aim to be ecologically friendly, and can use any rating system but they should do it now. More |
| The Lowdown on Cap-and-Trade Systems in Canada, Europe, and North AmericaTHE HILL TIMES (August 25, 2008) – London carbon market worth about $30 billion with the potential to grow to $1 trillion with a decade. more |
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