City staff are “mothballing” an electric bus pilot project for which council had already approved $1 million in funding, in the process turning down another $2.25 million in federal funding secured to help fund the project, according to documents obtained under a Freedom of Information request. An electric bus generates about 62 fewer tonnes of...
Iain Rankin promises big changes in forestry management, but the province is moving slowly
Give Lands and Forestry Minister Iain Rankin credit for trying. Last November, Rainkin accepted all 45 recommendations from Bill Lahey, a former deputy environment minister and university president hired to figure out how to make Nova Scotia forests healthier and more productive. Lahey’s recommendations were aimed at improving biodiversity and reducing the amount of...
Treat your brain: get outdoors
News 1. Premier vs teachers, round 27 Premier Stephen McNeil returned from his latest trip to Europe and China yesterday, and pretty much immediately started in on the teachers’ union — this time, accusing them of spreading misinformation about cuts. A CP story in The Star Halifax says McNeil criticized the union Thursday for alleging […]
Forest Confidential
An investigation into Nova Scotia’s biomass harvest data and how the numbers aren’t adding up
A few months ago I reviewed a film that has been circulating the province about the growing use of forest biomass as a form of so-called renewable energy. The film — Burned: Are Trees the New Coal? — reported on how the biomass industry sells itself as green by making two bogus claims: it uses […]
How and why electric buses will (probably) come to Halifax
Halifax’s first electric buses won’t hit the road as soon as planned, but don’t blame your local city councillor or the leadership at Halifax Transit for the delay. Blame Doug Ford. Among Ford’s many post-election climate change policy reversals was the cancellation of two funding contributions to electric bus pilot projects in York Region and […]
Crown expert witness had undisclosed conflict of interest, claims company convicted in diver’s death
On July 15, 2015, diver Luke Seabrook died while doing what Nova Scotia Power said was “routine” maintenance work at the Annapolis Power Generation Station. Seabrook, who was 39 years old and a Dartmouth resident, became entangled in his diving gear. Seabrook “had been working underwater for about an hour and a half when he ran into trouble,”...
Stephen McNeil announces his complicated carbon plan
Nova Scotians will pay more for electricity, gasoline, and home-heating over the next four years as part of the province’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint and avoid a carbon tax Ottawa announced it will impose on four other provinces beginning this January. But Premier Stephen McNeil insists Nova Scotia consumers will pay much less...
The fuel leak at Tufts Cove is reminiscent of Halifax Transit’s fuel leak
Morning File, Thursday, August 16, 2018
News 1. Fuel leaks at Tufts Cove and Halifax Transit “Pressed about the fact it took [Nova Scotia Power (NSP)] 12 days to talk about the almost 20,000 litres spilled on its property, [Environment Minister Margaret] Miller said she wasn’t overly concerned,” reports Jean Laroche for the CBC: “It would have been better if they […]
Hospitals, harassment, and a helluva lot of garbage
Morning File, Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Erica Butler here, filling in for Tim while he’s off learning stuff. News 1. Cape Breton Hospitals: two down, two expanded The province has announced a plan to close two Cape Breton hospitals, replacing them with community health centres. Emergency room services and acute care beds will be absorbed by expanded facilities at two other […]
National Energy Board disallows Emera plan to shift gas route to benefit Irving Oil
As a result, natural gas prices for Nova Scotian consumers won't rise — at least for now.
Customers of Heritage Gas and/or Nova Scotia Power are waking up to a little good news today. Prices for natural gas — and as a result the electricity produced from it — will not be going up over the next two years as a result of an important decision released by the National Energy Board...