THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER
Canadian
Institute for Business and the Environment
Fisherville,
Ontario, Canada
Tel. 416
410-0432, Fax: 416 362-5231
Vol. 15, No. 7, October 21, 2010
Honoured Reader Edition
which this time is the same as the Subscription
Edition
****************************************************
This is the honoured reader edition
of the Gallon Environment Letter and is distributed at no charge: send a note
with Add GL or Delete GL in the subject line to subscriptions@gallonletter.ca.
Subscribers receive a more complete edition without subscription reminders and
with extensive links to further information following almost every article.
Organizational subscriptions are $184 plus HST nd provide additional benefits
detailed on the web site. Individual subscriptions are only $30 (personal
emails/funds only please) including HST. If you would like to subscribe please
visit http://www.cialgroup.com/subscription.htm If you feel you should be receiving the paid subscriber edition
or have other subscriber questions please contact us also at subscriptions@gallonletter.ca. This current free edition is posted on the web site about a week
or so after its issue at http://www.cialgroup.com/whatsnew.htm. See also events
of external organizations at http://www.cialgroup.com/events.htm Back free editions from January 2009 are also
available.
****************************************************
ABOUT THIS
ISSUE
It appears to the writers at GL that issues of
environment and sustainability are getting more profile in the municipal
elections that are happening this Fall than in any other cluster of municipal
elections. That is really good news and we certainly hope that more of the
candidates that are raising these issues will be elected than ever before. The
City of Calgary has already been a most surprising leader in this regard. At the
same time we think it is important to recognize that there are very few, if any,
municipalities which have the power to reach a high degree of Sustainable
Development by themselves. Just as a manufacturing company needs to green its
upstream supply chain and its downstream product operation and end of product
life chain so a municipality needs to green its supply chain, its environs,
and its neighbours if it is to become significantly more sustainable. We'll be
returning to this theme in a future issue but in the meantime we hope you find
our update of the municipal green scene as interesting as we did when we
compiled it.
We sort of promised you that we would not harp
too much on the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster, and we certainly promise not to
overdo the Chilean mine crisis, but we found what we think is a very interesting
connection between the two, relevant particularly to our business and government
readers. That forms the editorial in this issue. A usually reputable US
newsmagaine has published a report in its tourism section suggesting that you
should hurry up your visit to a number of world cities because they are about to
sink beneath the waves. GL has investigated whether you should believe
everything you read in this magazine and has used the article to kickoff a
mini-section on a couple of North American "sinking cities".
Canada's new Governor-General was the founding
chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. In his
first days in office, he demonstrated that Sustainable Development is likely to
be one of his mantras in the Vice-Regal position. We bring you a report. In the
US the FTC is reviewing, and likely revising, the rules for green marketing
claims. All those interested in greener products should take note: whatever is
finally adopted in the US will likely come to Canada and so far the rules do not
look terribly positive for green marketers. We provide a brief summary. In our
last issue we told you of a British supermarket chain that was being prosecuted
for overpackaging a roast of beef. Charges have been dropped - we tell you why -
but the damage to reputation has probably already been done. The chain said when
the charges were laid that it was already planning a packaging reduction for
this product and many others. Finally, we could not resist Lawrence Martin's new
book Harperland. There have not been many Canadian political books
that have discussed the environment. We bring you a brief summary of Martin's
findings.
The theme of our next issue will be the
environmental and sustainability issues that were raised during the US mid-term
elections. Until then enjoy this issue and if you have comments we encourage you
to send them to editor@gallonletter.ca either for possible publication or for our
enlightenment.
****************************************************
CHILE'S PINERA
SETS BETTER EXAMPLE THAN BP's HAYWARD
There is nothing new in the idea that crisis
responses that underpromise and overdeliver will generally be applauded while
those that overpromise and underdeliver will generally be criticized. Nothing
has recently made this more clear than the Chilean mine collapse.
Gallon Environment Letter normally stays away
from news that is adequately covered by the daily media but the lessons from
Chile are so dramatic we are making an exception in this editorial.
Chile, a country with a population about half
that of Canada and not at all well known outside of its direct neighbours, has
become, as a result of the mine disaster, one of the best known and most
respected countries in the world. Now inquirers are looking to Chile as a
tourist destination and as a business partner. International awareness of Chile
is booming and the results can only be positive for the country. Popularity of
the President of the country, who won only 51.6% of the vote in a runoff
election in January of this year, is now reported to be soaring not only in his
own country but also in Europe, which region he is currently visiting on a
pre-arranged tour.
The most amazing part of the mine rescue is
that neither the government of Chile nor the mining company, which appears to
have declared bankruptcy, have had to pay the full cost. Both Chilean and
international companies and governments have poured in technology, technical
resources, food, and consumer goods for the rescue and for the miners. No doubt
some of these companies will soon be using their advertising dollars to tell us
how they helped in the rescue.
One might say that the government of Chile was
able to win good press because it was not the cause of the mine disaster but in
fact poor regulations and weak enforcement were almost certainly a major factor
in the trapping of the miners in the first place. More importantly, the
government, and indeed the President himself, seemed to understand how to
structure management of the rescue, how to communicate, and how not to make the
kind of serious missteps that dog most corporations and governments following
major incidents. The President of the country personally appointed a senior
engineer from Codelco, the government-owned copper mining company, to head the
rescue effort. That in itself was a bold step, risking the President's
reputation if the rescue had failed.
How much must BP or CN or any of the other
companies whose reputations are in the dumpster wish that they could have
received the kind of positive outcomes from their disasters that Chile has
received from its mine collapse? Clearly the situations are somewhat different,
but even so GL is convinced that the negative fallout from disasters in the
north could be much less if companies handled their operations and related
communications in a much more rational way.
Even governments need to learn the
underpromise and overdeliver mantra that Chile applied with such effectiveness.
Following a major incident or piece of bad news, companies and governments
should provide full and accurate disclosure. They should tell the media and the
public exactly what is going on. They should seek help from technical experts
and companies from outside the organization. They should never, ever, give
deadlines and impacts that are at all optimistic. They should move swiftly, with
no hint of delay, demonstrating that they are committed to do more rather than
less if there is any doubt as to the extent of resources required.
Sometimes the corporations and governments
remember these things but most often they let spindoctors and lawyers handle the
communications even though these people are not on scene. Maybe better disaster
management and communications will be among the most important lessons to come
from the Chile mine rescue.
Colin Isaacs
Editor
For a similar opinion from a somewhat
different perspective see:
****************************************************
****************************************************
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT AND THE 2010 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
****************************************************
Municipal elections are scheduled this Fall in
Alberta (October 18), Ontario (October 25), Manitoba (October 27), selected
municipalities in Prince Edward Island (November 1) and Saskatchewan, for
certain rural municipalities. Many towns and cities will have councils with a
significant number of new councillors and/or mayors. While the articles in this
issue are mostly about mayors, the mayor isn't necessarily the person with the
most power in Canadian municipalities. Not too many councils feature political
parties and even where there are parties, voting at council meetings is not
always along party lines. Many decisions of municipal councils level have
environmental impacts. Municipalities may be limited by federal and provincial
laws but their responsibilities range widely in areas such as planning and land
use including green spaces, waste and water infrastructure and management,
citizen awareness and education, and other infrastructure such as roads and
bridges. Municipalities are often the first initiators of bylaws which have
negative or positive impact e.g. bans on clothing lines prevent people using the
sun as energy for their laundry or bans on cosmetic use of pesticides which set
a positive trend for water and soil protection. Some municipalities even have
green plans and strategies requiring reporting on progress to the public.
****************************************************
OTTAWA: CLIVE
DOUCET FOR MAYOR
Clive Doucet, running for Mayor in Ottawa, may
be a dark horse but he is certainly a green one. GL awarded him an
Eco-Councillor award a number of years ago. His urbanist platform for mayor has
many environmental features including:
- city-wide light rail system in four
years
- a network of community parks
- bringing back the importance of small
business and local farmers to City Hall.
- economic development to include a new R &
D technology hub specializing in green urban infrastructure.
- more support for economic development groups
such as Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) and the City’s
Entrepreneurship Centre,
- increase in revenues by working towards
changes to Canada's tax structure. City Council has authority over only 58% of
municipal expenditure but 74% of the $2.2 billion is collected locally. Ottawa
citizens pay $5 billion in federal and provincial taxes but Ottawa gets only 8
cents out of the tax dollars collected. Doucet says property tax are poor
methods for funding income-related services like affordable housing.
- New powers under a proposed City of Ottawa
Act would include authority to set standards such as green roofs, establish
minimum densities, broad authority to license and regulate businesses, subject
to certain limits and authority to prohibit corporate and union contributions
to candidates running for council.
If Doucet doesn't win, he will also, of
course, no longer have his Councillor seat which will be a loss for
Ottawa.
****************************************************
COUNCIL OF
CANADIANS: A VOTE FOR TRADE JUSTICE, A VOTE FOR BLUE
COMMUNITIES
The Council of Canadians says that two
important issues face communities this year: decrease of municipal autonomy
resulting from international trade agreements and the need for major
reinvestment in public water systems. The Council of Canadians has prepared
materials that can be shared with municipal candidates across Canada, as well as
questions to ask those candidates during mayoral or councillor
debates.
Specifically some of the issues
include:
- VEOLIA in Winnipeg. A local chapter Water
Watch forum is exploring what it calls the city’s secret deal with a water
corporation just prior to the election.
- forums elsewhere on social issues in
partnership with groups such as social planning council, health coalition,
mental health association, labour unions and poverty groups.
- a forum in Charlottetown, Prince Edward
Island on the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
and its impact on municipal governments.
****************************************************
TORONTO BOARD
OF TRADE: TRANSIT AND GREENING BUILDINGS
The Toronto Board of Trade's web
site, Vote Toronto 2010, includes guest blogs, Big Idea, comments and a
media scan. The Big Idea is a key point for mayoral candidates, including some
who have dropped out of the race. The BOT says that "a comprehensive
transportation plan has become a must for every serious contender."
Right leaning candidate and current poll
leader (by a hair) Rob Ford proposes fewer streetcars, more buses and better
roads. He accuses Toronto City Hall and former mayor David Miller of "declaring
war on cars". The BOT quotes from the Toronto Transit Commission that streetcars
carry a maximum of 108 passengers for an articulated 23 metre car and 74
passengers for a standard 15 metre streetcar. Buses carry a maximum of 57
passengers (high-floor bus) and 52-55 passengers (low-floor bus). In order to
replace streetcars, the TTC would essentially need to double the number of buses
compared to streetcars removed from service and double the number
of drivers. Ford argues that buses create less traffic congestion in the
downtown core but the BOT says that transit experts say that is incorrect mainly
because downtown buildings are so close to the road that there is no place for
bus bays where the buses can get out of the way of the traffic
flow.
Business groups including the BOT are
targeting taxes, they like other groups and taxpayers also expect and demand
more and more services and attention from their councils. For example, the BOT's
Vote Toronto 2010 posted a plea by the Yonge Street Business Improvement
Association for the need for significant public expenditure on the three subway
stations in the area to make the transit stations brighter and attractive. While
recognizing the importance of a regional transportation system and social issues
such as "promoting social cohesion and economic inclusion", the BOT's 12
recommendations for the election are eerily missing any mention of the
environment and climate change. These terms are notably absent and used in
another sense, ie the "business environment" and the "jurisdiction's business
climate". There is one suggestion for investment in priority neighbourhoods
which suggests borrowing from programmes such as New York's Green Job/Green NY
Program, San Francisco's GreenFinanceSF Program and Berkeley's Property Assessed
Clean Energy Program. The successes of these examples are seen as ways to
encourage energy efficiency retrofits, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
develop industry expertise in green energy.
****************************************************
TEA ELECTION
REPORT CARD
The Toronto Environmental Alliance rated about
200 candidates for the Toronto area election. For the three remaining
front-running mayors in Toronto (Ford is said to be leading slightly with
Smitherman close behind while Pantalone is said to be further behind) their
scores are:
- Rob Ford. F. No interest in the environment.
Ford didn't respond.
- Joe Pantalone. A+ Strongest on the
environment. Clear commitment to the environment. Supports moving forward with
the 2007 Transit City Plan, the Sustainable Energy Plan and increasing waste
diversion. The downside is he has described many details about how this
will happen.
- George Smitherman A+ Shows Clear Commitment.
Committed to the Sustainable Energy Strategy, creating local, green jobs,
reducitng toxic pollution and introducing green bins (organic waste) to
apartment buildings and condos. Downside is his support for burning garbage,
refusing to implement the City's bike plan and his answers to the TEA survey
about transit don't match his transit platform.
****************************************************
HAMILTON: CODE
RED
A series in the Hamilton Spectator in April
2010 called Code Red used census and other data to compare neighbourhoods. The
results showed glaring disparities in health likely resulting from poor
environmental conditions and poverty. For example, there was a 21 year
difference in average age of death among some neighbourhoods. Neil Johnston, a
Hamilton health researcher worked on the project for three years and analysed
the available data. Steve Buist, writer for the series, wrote that some of
the poorest neighbourhoods "live with Third World health outcomes and Third
World lifespans - all the more shocking in a city with a major medical school
and top teaching hospitals, in a country with universal publically funded health
care." Some of the negative health outcomes in poor neighbourhoods relate to the
environment: more respiratory-related problems due to location near major truck
routes serving industrial areas where more poor people live, substandard housing
subject to mould and other indoor air problems.
The Code Red series may have influenced voters
who are putting poverty on the list of big issues for the 2010 municipal
election. Candidates are also mentioning it. For example, Bob Bratina, former
Councillor and one of the three mayoral candidates who are said to be in a close
race has promised to "Act on the Code Red Study to enrich neighbourhoods
throughout our community."
Incumbent mayor Fred Eisenberger promised to
work with the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction and the local private
sector to match provincial dollars to provide a school nutrition program with
local food. Local food boxes would also be distributed to local workplaces and
poor families in lower income neighbourhoods. Support for community gardens is
also promised. A community food centre would help families develop skills to
cook the food.
GL thinks Hamilton isn't greener since
Eisenberger took office but some members of Council are so pro-development Fred
acted as a brake, he slowed things down so paving happened more slowly. Di
Ianni, the third mayoral candidate, has been mayor before. He is more
pro-development but reportedly has better ability to manage than
Fred.
Code Buist, Steve. Code Red series begins
today. Exclusive Spec series reveals glaring disparities in wealth and health in
the city. Hamilton Spectator. April 10, 2010. posted at 25 in 5 Hamilton Network
for Poverty Reduction. http://25in5hamilton.ca/index.php?post_id=173
Reilly, Emma. Jobs, taxes, poverty top voters’
agendas. October 19, 2010.
****************************************************
INTERNET
VOTING AND INFORMATION
Internet voting means that the elector does
not have to go to a voting place. In a number of cities, online voting is
offered as an option. For example, in Burlington, Ontario, voters wanting to use
this alternate voting had to register to obtain a PIN number and internet voting
closed sometime before the election on October 25.
Candidate web sites can be a chore to find.
Burlington also provides contact information including email and web sites, home
address, telephone number and campaign office information for all registered
candidates. GL found that checking some web sites even for mayoral candidates
didn't provide enough information to make a decision about their position on
environmental issues (or sometimes on any issues at all.). Of course, the home
address helps voters find out whether the candidate lives in the city and/or the
ward. Some e.g. Town of Milton provide instead a mailing address. The
information is sourced from the candidates so some fields are
blank.
****************************************************
CALGARY:
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Naheed Nenshi, who describes himself as a
fiscal conservative, was elected as Mayor of Calgary, Alberta on October 18,
2010. Among his "Better Idea" platform was "Calgary will be a city of
sustainable, walkable, livable, complete communities". He promised to lead the
City towards long-term sustainability. GL notes that for many reasons including
population growth, the lucrative oil industry, and the easy access to some of
the most spectacular scenery and recreation in the world in the Rockies, Calgary
has sprawled far and wide. Nenshi's ideas relate to focussing on drawing
residential development into downtown and planning new communities differently.
Among his ideas are:
- increasing minimum densities of people and
jobs per hectare to 70 by 2020 as outlined in an existing city planning
document - this does not necessarily mean more high rises but a range of
housing mix;
- setting standards for new subdivisions to
ensure the mixed use, walkable, transit-supportive - narrower roads, smaller
but well-designed public spaces, mix of housing types (detached homes,
townhouses, garden suites and apartment complexes in mid-rise buildings with
retail below) and commercial main street areas. The idea is that communities
be built as complete communities from the beginning.
- end subsidies for new homes. Nenshi estimates
that for every new detached house at the fringe of the city, the sewer and
water infrastructure costs add $10,000 in taxes to each existing household, so
existing residents are paying for newcomers and new houses. The real costs of
infrastructure should be included in the price of the houses in new areas and
not subsidized.
- encourage reuse of the downtown areas for
residences in order to repopulate existing schools. The School Board is
closing schools and building new ones. New parks, streetscape improvements and
community amenities downtown are needed to attract new residents to downtown
and to attract Calgarians downtown for events and culture.
- High rise towers for residents are needed
around LRT stations but not everywhere.
Nenshi, Naheed. Better Idea: Calgary will be a
city of sustainable, walkable, livable, complete communities. August 10
2010.
****************************************************
EDMONTON
MANDEL RETURNS FOR THIRD TERM
Stephen Mandel was reelected mayor in
Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, for the third time. During his tenure, he said
the city moved up the Light Rail Transit plan and improved roads, boosted
spending on neglected neighbourhood roads and sidewalks, new recreation
facilities and libraries, tackled homelessness and community safety. Among
initiatives in his latest platform were:
- helping small business in Edmonton access the
City's bidding processes
- redevelop the closed downtown Edmonton
airport lands including targets for use of green design, a good balance
between residential, commercial and educational activities and population
targets. Link to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology for student
education and research on sustainable community design for plans for the area.
GL notes that the closing of the downtown airport became the issue of pro and
anti campaigns during the election.
- championing the new Art Gallery of Alberta (a
green building) and fostering inclusiveness including immigrants, gays, and
aboriginals as well as business.
- a new gasification facility at the waste
management centre
- hosting of the World Cities Environmental
Conference (and the World Heavy Oil Congress!)
****************************************************
WINNIPEG: JUDY
WASYLYCIA-LEIS FOR MAYOR
Former New Democrat Party Member of Parliament
Judy Wasylycia-Leis For Mayor has green as part of her overall theme: A safer,
fairer, greener... better Winnipeg. Her plan for a greener city
include:
- the first leg of a high-speed- wifi-enabled
bus rapid transit system completed and operational within a first mayoral
term.
- reestablishing the independent Civic
Environment Committee disbanded by Sam Katz (who is running for re-election)
and reintroducing a climate change plan. which has not been updated in six
years
- establish Winnipeg's first local food
initiative including increasing number of farm markets and expanding food
business incubator programs
- implement a green microgrants program to
encourage neighbourhood initiatives such as community and rooftop gardens,
alleyway greening, boulevard planting and other green initiatives involving
neighbourhood organizations, schools, community groups and families.
- stronger protection for urban forests
including banding programs to protect mature elms from Dutch Elm
diseases.
- bike-friendly programs including funding half
the cost of bike racks to encourage businesses to increase
active-transportation.
- increasing community corridors for walking,
cycling, eating, shopping and enjoying local entertainment on Sunday
afternoons in summer and fall with a focus on local food and culture.
- development of a Greener Winnipeg
Implementation Strategy with publically reported goals and achievements.
Winnipeg's environmentally recognized organizations such as the International
Institute for Sustainable Development, Manitoba Eco-Network and the University
of Manitoba's Faculty of Environment and University of Winnipeg's Institute
for Urban Studies as well as researchers from Resource Conservation Manitoba
will be invited to have a formal seat at the table.
- Winnipeg's geothermal and solar industries
and others will be invited to sit on the Business Advisory Council to the
Mayor.
The Winnipeg Downtown Biz (the business
improvement association) posted a list of questions and answers for/from the two
front-runners: Judy Wasylycia-Leis and Sam Katz, the incumbent. One of the
questions highlighted the importance of transportation to business: "An
economically growing, competitive and environmentally sustainable downtown is
one that is a hub for green transportation, with strategies that integrate
automobile, transit (LRT, BRT, streetcars and other), cycle and pedestrian
travel."
[Note: Judy was campaign manager for GL's
editor Colin Isaacs when he successfully ran for a seat in the Ontario
Legislature in 1979. We would vote for her no matter what she promised because
we know her personal integrity.]
****************************************************
COTTAGE LIFE
AND ELECTIONS
The Muskoka Lakes Association, claims to have
2,000 members who are both permanent and seasonal residents. The mission of the
MLA is to promote the responsible use, enjoyment and conservation of the unique
Muskoka environment. Web and email contacts are given to make it easier for
people who live somewhere else to contact candidates. The interests of cottage
owners may be different from permanent residents. Many of the homes in the
Muskoka Lakes region of Ontario are multi-million dollar
residences.
The MLA runs a number of stewardship programs
including water quality initiatives, but is also opposed to higher waste
management fees and supportive of septic tanks to protect water. It asks for
consistent setbacks from the lake to act as buffers and opposes a bylaw which
sets extra setback for threatened or sensitive areas. The MLA ranks candidates
with different number of stars.
MLA has a best practices series for lake front
home owners. One is called Protecting Your Waterfront Investment. It encourages
maintaining a shoreline buffer using species native to Muskoka. A varied number
of species and ages helps protect against disturbances such as wind and ice and
environmental changes of the future. The buffer helps protect the quality of the
water and reduces erosion. The MLA borchure says, "Think of the natural
vegetation as a free shoreline insurance policy." GL thinks there should be more
to protect natural areas from being turned into miniature suburban yards. Of
course, that isn’t too astounding as we think more should be done to naturalize
suburban yards. When GL's editor canoes through cottage areas, there is usually
a lot of noise from the front seat paddler who loudly laments the citification
of natural areas.
and
Protecting Your Waterfront
Investment.
****************************************************
SUMMERSIDE
PEI: A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT INTERESTS MANY VOTERS
Cory Thomas, a councillor elected in 2006 in
Summerside, Prince Edward Island, population about 14,000 and the 2nd largest
municipality in PEI, said that in his canvassing of 342 homes these were the
issues in his ward:
- filling in ditches should progress
faster
- electricity rates too high
- paving and repaving of streets needed
- taxes too high
- better marking of the crosswalk on a certain
street
- speeding
- enhancement of parks.
Summerside's largest employer is the Canada
Revenue Agency. Maybe the federal government should start disseminating a
sustainable community message among its own employees!
****************************************************
OKOTOKS NEW
MAYOR BILL ROBERTSON: RETAIN POPULATION CAP FOR NOW
Okotoks, a town in southern Alberta, has a
high profile because of the Okotoks Sustainable Development Plan. In 1998, the
town became one of the first to voluntarily recognize limits to growth and the
carrying capacity of the Sheep River Watershed. One of the elements in the plan
was a cap on population (25,000-30,000 people) to limit sewage in order to meet
water quality standards.
The new mayor Bill Robertson, a former
councillor, was elected to replace retiring Bill McAlpine. Robertson says the
town has to solve current water problems. Without a pipeline from Calgary, which
some of the elected councillors oppose, Robertson says the cap is effectively
the limit to growth but he has said the town needs more water.
****************************************************
US NEWS &
WORLD REPORT: 7 CITIES ABOUT TO SINK
A story on Yahoo travel copied from US News
& World Report listed seven world cities said to be in imminent danger of
sinking or being inundated (within the next 10 years or so). The cities are
Bangkok, Houston, Shanghai, New York, New Orleans, Venice and Mexico City.
Author of the piece and US News Travel Editor Miriam B. Weiner supplied GL with
the original sources she used to support the claims of catastrophe.
In GL's opinion, the US News and World Report
story significantly overstates the extent of the damage, the likely time frame,
and the area affected. In some cases it also ignores possible solutions which
may mitigate the damage and extend the number of years these cities might
continue to exist.
Nevertheless, GL enjoyed this article because
it makes vivid in a short space something that volumes of scientific studies do
not: quite a few threats do face some cities. The UN lists over 3,000 cities
that worldwide are vulnerable due to being low-lying and which for a number of
reasons, including climate change, could be in danger in one way or
another.
GL agrees with the UN and with Ms. Weiner that
climate change and excessive withdrawal of water are factor threatening many
cities. But suggesting that these cities will disappear within a decade is a bit
of a stretch, the kind of thing we would expect from some environmental groups
more than from a reasonably respected news magazine. We hope that the future of
travel marketing, or of any product marketing for that matter, is not the
exaggeration of environmental risks. Things are bad enough as they are without
fabricating major emergencies in order to sell a product.
****************************************************
HOUSTON WE’VE
GOT A PROBLEM
Although the travel story above suggests, "If
Houston is on your list of cities to see, you best prepare soon for take-off."
the scientific research doesn't actually make any kind of prediction about
Houston as a whole or give a timeframe.
University of Houston geologists reported in
September that parts of northwest Houston are sinking rapidly. Parts of the
northwestern Harris County known as Jersey Village is sinking at the rate of 5.5
cm a year according to Shuhab Khan, associate professor of geology in research
published in Tectonophysics (peer-reviewed journal published by Elsevier about
the solid earth including earthquakes and fracturing). An area of about 30kmx30
km is gradually subsiding but Jersey Village is sinking fastest. Withdrawal of
water from deep underground is thought to be the reason. Subsidence is not new
to the area. The Brownwood subdivision developed for residents in 1930 was 3
metres above sea level. By 1970, the subdivision was half a metre above sea
level and in 1983 was destroyed by Hurricane Alicia. Now the area is the Baytown
Nature Center. Brownwood's demise is attributed to groundwater withdrawal by
petrochemical facilities.
U of H's study indicates that some land is
being lifted up southeast of Houston due to salt domes which push up the ground.
There are also fault lines in this area of Texas which push up with potential to
damage buildings and streets in Houston.
****************************************************
SINKING
FEELING IN HALIFAX HARBOUR
One of the October articles in Canadian
Geographic starts with "Global warming is giving Halifax a sinking feeling."
When Hurricane Juan hit Halifax in September 2003, the devastation was
unbelievable." Flooding, high winds and a storm surge destroyed buildings,
boats, power transmission lines, streets and trees. It seems the storm is part
of other changes identified by the article. A wharf which used to have little
water over it now has half a metre of water splashing over it regularly. One
hundred year storms with major storm surges are hitting the coast every 5 -10
years instead of 50-100 years. During storms, the waves are higher and winds
stronger causing more damage. And it seems the city's waterfront is slipping
under water due to rising sea levels and sinking land mass. The city has
developed the Climate SMART (Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation Risk Toolkit)
strategy, formed in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and
the private sector.
****************************************************
NEW GG SPOKE
AT LAUNCH OF CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT
For his first official event, the new Governor
General of Canada His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston spoke at
the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy reception launching
a joint project with the Canadian Geographical Society. Twenty-two years ago,
Johnston served as NRTEE's founding chair in 1988 .His new office also makes him
Patron of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. As president of Waterloo
University, he established the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change as one
of a number of institutions within the university focussing on climate change.
He said, "The important collaboration we celebrate today - on climate change -
addresses an issue that will define out times and, in a very real sense,
determine our future. Climate change is no longer a matter for academic debate
alone - it is a matter for public discussion and public policy."
Some of the projections of the joint project
are said to be positive such as more tree growth further north, more cod further
north and better tourism and recreation such as golf. It seems that access to
fossil fuels and minerals in the Arctic are also seen as benefits.
Governor General of Canada. Reception for the
Reception for the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.
October 5, 2010.
and
[GL found the layout of the diagram and
supporting material somewhat complicated but layout of web sites is getting more
and more fancy. We visit a lot of sites and are finding it more of a challenge
figuring out how each one works.]
****************************************************
FTC: PROPOSED
REVISIONS TO THE GREEN GUIDES
The US Federal Trade Commission FTC has issued
a request for public comment on proposed revised Guides for the Use of
Environmental Marketing Claims. Comments are due December 10, 2010. (see GL V15
N5). GL needs to read it through a few more times to get the nuances but the
following is a brief first summary.
Certifications, Seals and
Approvals
One of the proposed changes relates to use of
environmental certification, seals and approvals including third party and
self-certified. The FTC conducts consumer surveys to see what consumers
understand when they encounter certain types of labelling. The revision states
that environmental seals, approvals and certifications can convey that a product
is environmentally superior when in fact the seal applies only to particular
features. Such certification on the product may also imply that there are no
negative impact for the product. If seals and certifications are used, the
language on the product should indicate the particular product attributes that
can be substantiated. Sometimes the name of the label or the certifier could be
good enough to convey the specific effect e.g. chlorine-free or "No Chlorine
Products Association." GL notes that the use of the "...-free" can create
disfavour in other areas covered by the guide because of dispute about what is
sufficiently little chlorine.
Third party certifications and seals are seen
as endorsements which are proposed to meet rules such as those in the
Endorsement Guide which covers also non-claims. For example, Endorsement Guides
say that marketers are required to disclose a material connection e.g. if the
advertiser pays dues to the association that gives it the seal of approval or
make clear that the seal is self-certified.
The advertiser must ensure that each and every
claim in the third-party certification is supported by tests, analyses, research
or studies done and evaluated by qualified persons in ways generally accepted by
the profession. Possessing third-party certification is insufficient to provide
this substantiation. All claims contained in the certification must be supported
by such evidence.
The proposed guides do not require that
marketers make their substantiation public. In Canada, marketers are encouraged
to provide public substantiation if such doesn't compromise confidentiality of
business secrets. GL wonders if the Canadian version is essentially the same as
in the US but less honest.
Other
Changes
More specific guidelines are proposed on both
existing and new claims. The FTC continues to interpret according to what it
sees consumers expect and how consumers act. For example, "reasonable consumers"
[who are they?] are said to interpret the word non-toxic as not harmful to both
humans and the environment. GL happens to agree that that particular
interpretation is a good one but notes that this way of interpreting whether a
product label is accurate or not is rather idiosyncratic: many Americans don't
"believe" in climate change so how does the FTC pick what is a "reasonable
consumer" when a large percentage of consumers are ignorant of the
facts.
The proposed guide discussion also states what
areas it will not give general guidance on; for example, the words, organic,
natural, and sustainable, the latter is one which consumers don't always
interpret as environmental. This doesn't mean that the FTC won't contest use of
such terms but that such terms will be evaluated on a case by case basis. The
USDA already regulates agricultural product claims for organic. Only limited
guidance will be provided on carbon offsets.
For GL readers interested in the green
labelling issue, the proposed guide revisions discuss what various commentators
say on several sides of each of the topics discussed like whether the FTC should
align with ISO standards or require life cycle analysis.
****************************************************
SAINSBURY'S
OVERPACKAGING CHARGES DROPPED
Lincolnshire County Council has dropped
charges against giant food retailer Sainsbury's in the UK. The company made
reductions in the meat packaging (GL V15 N6) which could have been a landmark
case with repercussions for other stores. The company said it reduced the meat
packaging by 53% and plans to make further reductions. The council said the
company had withdrawn all existing stock. Launching a court case under these
conditions would not be in the public interest.
Local Government Lawyer. Lincolnshire CC drops
legal action against Sainsbury's over packaging. UK. October 13,
2010.
****************************************************
ENVIRONMENT'S
PLACE IN HARPERLAND
"In keeping with the culture of control they
were bringing to the capital, the Tories sought to minimize access on the
environment file." This quote is from the recently published book, Harperland,
by Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin, which devotes an entire chapter to
"The Green Games". The chapter starts with a discussion of the differences
between Mulroney and Harper on the environment file: Harper did not see the
environment as urgent in the way Mulroney had seen it.
Martin provides quite a long description of
the failure of Harper's first Environment Minister, Rona Ambrose, but after
noting that Ambrose was replaced by John Baird, the Green Games chapter then
veers off into a discussion of the Harperland Department of Foreign Affairs,
with little or no connection to the environment, and then on to the question of
how the government decided to give nation status to Quebec, and it never returns
to anything particularly green.
However, the book does return to the
environment file from time to time. Former Environment Canada climatologist
Andrew Weaver is quoted as saying that under the Harper government "The concept
of free speech is non-existent at Environment Canada. They are manufacturing the
message of science." This in the face of Harper's second environment minister,
John Baird, proclaiming that "this is the most open and transparent government
in Canadian history." Regular readers of GL will not be at all surprised to
learn that Martin conveys the idea that manufacturing the facts is apparently a
government speciality in Harperland. An unnamed PMO insider is quoted as saying
that Harper "positioned himself to say he was mimicking Obama when speaking to
enviro-crazies and that he was just heading off enviro-protectionism when
talking to the business community."
Martin's book provides quite a lot of
information about the place of environment in the Harper government but it is
scattered throughout the book in a pattern that is neither issue based nor
chronological. Many of us who have closely observed the government's
environmental performance will find parts of the book an interesting
reminiscence of the last four years of environmental inaction and potentially
missed opportunity by the federal government. For those who have been out of
town, parts of the book are a simplistic but possibly useful review of the
reasons behind current federal inaction on the environment file.
In GL's view, Harperland falls short by
failing to attempt to analyse where the Harper government goes from here. It is
great to review where we have been, but a close Ottawa observer such as Lawrence
Martin should have some useful insights on where Harper may be headed in the
near future. The final paragraphs are written in the past tense. The closest to
a future projection seems to be a paragraph on the last page of the book which
reads:
" For Stephen Harper the end justified the
means, almost any means. It was what troubled so many Canadians about him. He
was caught up in his own internal war. The forces of old grievances and narrow
ideology pulled him in one direction. The forces of broader enlightenment pulled
him in the other. The former won too many of the battles."
Despite Lawrence Martin's use of the past
tense, GL suspects that Stephen Harper's serious distrust of most environmental
policy initiatives will be a factor in Canada's environmental policy for at
least a few more years. A little more informed insight on what is to come as the
rest of the world does move forward on climate change and on the tools and
policies that might appeal to Stephen Harper would have been welcome. Maybe,
however, Harper's "authoritarian methods", to quote Martin, are so inscrutable
that no one actually knows where he will go next with the nation's environment
policy file.
Harperland: The Politics of Control. Lawrence
Martin. Viking Canada. Toronto, Ontario: 2010.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Copyright © Canadian Institute for Business
and the Environment
119 Concession 6 Rd Fisherville ON N0A 1G0
Canada. Fisherville & Toronto
All rights reserved. The Gallon Environment
Letter (GL for short) presents information for general interest and does not
endorse products, companies or practices. Information including articles,
letters and guest columns may be from sources expressing opinions not shared by
the Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment. Readers must verify all
information for themselves before acting on it. Advertising or sponsorship of
one or more issues consistent with sustainable development goals is welcome and
identified as separate from editorial content. Subscriptions for organizations
$184 + HST = $207.92. For individuals (non-organizational emails and paid with
non-org funds please) $30 includes HST. Subscription includes 12 issues about a
year or more. http://www.cialgroup.com/subscription.htm
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx