Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Renewable energy advocates want to stop new South Nepean power transmission line - Ottawa - CBC News

By Amanda Pfeiffer, CBC News Ottawa, February 16, 2016

Sparks are expected to fly at a City of Ottawa meeting today in a debate over a new power transmission line to serve South Nepean.

Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the crown corporation responsible for overseeing the electricity needs of the province, has proposed South Nepean needs more electricity — and it needs it fast.

The IESO has suggested a new high voltage transmission line is required by 2022 or the city would risk a "less reliable" supply, according to a recent report to its local advisory committee.

Bolder municipal climate change targets approved by Ottawa committee - Ottawa - CBC News

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, February 16, 2016 The city's environment committee today voted to set stiffer greenhouse gas emission targets, a move the committee chair said is supported by federal environment minister, Catherine McKenna. (...) For Ecology Ottawa, leadership on climate change matters more than emissions targets.

Graham Saul of Ecology Ottawa sees leadership on climate change at three levels of government as "the stars aligning."

"I think this represents a new phase. The stars are aligning to some degree," said Graham Saul of Ecology Ottawa. "If you live in Ottawa, your city government, your provincial government and your federal government all say that they care about taking action on climate change, which means now is the moment for people who care about this issue to demand they follow through on that." Saul credited leadership on the environment committee and said Mayor Jim Watson has also shown he cares about the issue. The city can help need keep global temperatures from rising by building compact communities connected by transit, he said. Source: Bolder municipal climate change targets approved by Ottawa committee - Ottawa - CBC News

Heartfield: Don’t judge carbon pricing on noble intentions

Ottawa Citizen

By Kate Heartfield, Ottawa Citizen, February 14, 2016

The upcoming Ontario budget will likely give us our first chance to evaluate the government’s cap-and-trade plan for carbon pricing.

A first look, but not a complete look. We won’t get a complete picture for years.

One reason is that it will take time to implement a policy like this, and time for some of its effects to show up. Events have a way of foiling predicted policy outcomes.

City hall environment committee approves more ambitious emissions target

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, February 16, 2016

Council’s environment committee agrees the city government must help prevent a climate-change catastrophe.

How does it go about doing it over the next 34 years? That’s a head-scratcher.

Capital Coun. David Chernusehnko’s proposal to set a higher target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions drew little heat Tuesday, with only one councillor rejecting a recommendation to lower emissions 80 per cent by 2050, using the 2012 level as a starting point.

Unintended plant consequences: Ottawa hydroponic tomato farm becomes a massive light lab

Ottawa Citizen

By Vito Pilieci, Ottawa Citizen, February 16, 2016

Talk about your unintended consequences.

To stretch the growing season of its tomatoes, Suntech Greenhouses Ltd. has installed red, blue and bright light emitting diode (LED) lights to warm up the cold grey light of winter at its four-acre indoor farm, located just north of the intersection of River Road and Roger Stevens Drive.

Bob Mitchell, the owner of the indoor farm, said the 13-month-old experiment has been a real learning experience. He’s learned that LED lights affect different tomatoes differently. His grape tomatoes love the LED lights, which give off an intense violet glow that can be seen for kilometres at night. But the light is killing off his beefsteaks.

Update: Ottawa sets record for snowfall in one day

Ottawa Citizen

By Tom Spears and Vito Pilieci, Ottawa Citizen, February 16, 2016

Ottawa has set a record for snowfall in one day: 42 cm. And the flakes are still falling.

The old record of 40.6 cm, set in 1947, tumbled mid-afternoon, Environment Canada confirms. The records come from Ottawa International Airport, dating back to the 1930s.

Five things at Ottawa City Hall this week

Metro News

By Lucy Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, February 15, 2016

Climate change plans

One councillor is calling for a stricter greenhouse gas goal. At the environment committee, chair David Chernushenko will table a motion proposing a new climate change plan that includes:

directing staff to explore the feasibility of enforcing minimum energy performance standards for new buildings.

Request to ‘kill, harm and harass’ threatened species raises alarm

By Adam Kveton, Ottawa Community News, February 5, 2016

A request by Kanata Lakes North Development Group to be allowed to “kill, harm and harass” two threatened species and destroy butternut tree habitat on its land has garnered attention in north Kanata.

The development group, which aims to develop land north of Kanata Lakes, west of Innovation Drive and bounded on the north and west by Terry Fox Drive, put in a request for an “overall benefit permit” to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry on Jan. 4.

'Parklets' coming soon to an Ottawa street near you - Ottawa - CBC News

By Alexandra Whyte, CBC News Ottawa, February 14, 2016

Four Carleton University architecture students have won a grant from the Vanier BIA to build a new type of community space that has been popping up all over North America: the "parklet."

The fourth year students competed for the chance to have their seven-by-three-metre park built in a parking space on Beechwood Avenue in front of Arturo's Restaurant in Vanier.

Ottawa weather forecast calls for much milder week ahead - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, February 15, 2016

A spell of much milder weather is in the forecast for Ottawa-Gatineau this week after a weekend of extremely cold temperatures, but a winter storm watch is in effect for Tuesday.

At 6 a.m. on Monday morning it was still – 25 C with a wind chill of – 33, but the high for Monday is set to reach – 9 C later in the day with increasing clouds and wind up to 15 km/h.

Adami: A day at transit court: Plead guilty for an honest mistake, and Presto, fine gets cut

Ottawa Citizen

By Hugh Adami, Ottawa Citizen, February 13, 2016

I’m pretty sure recently arrived Eritrean refugee Terhas Weldey Gebrehewait was in a fog over a transit bylaw offence that landed her in provincial offences court this week.

By mistake, she tapped her daughter’s Presto card rather than her own after boarding an OC Transpo bus last November. Minutes later, a Transpo special constable confronted a very confused woman who didn’t speak English and was on a bus for only the second time in the six weeks she had lived in Ottawa. Too bad for her.

Ottawa co-op awarded for solar panel projects

By Adam Kveton, Ottawa Community News, February 12, 2016

An Ottawa company has a new way to send a jolt through your investment portfolio, and it’s just won an award for its efforts.

Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-op funds roof solar panel projects through investments from Ottawa residents. It sells the energy to the government and then passes profits to its investors, aiming for five per cent profits per year over a 20-year agreement.