by Susan MacVittie

In August, 2009 the Government of British Columbia committed to consult British Columbians on "new statutory protections to further safeguard the environment from cosmetic chemical pesticides." Their intention is to seek input and then determine if, and how, legislation could be amended to address concerns about the cosmetic use of pesticides in British Columbia. A consultation paper discussing the issues is available for review and comments on the Ministry of Environment website (see below). Comments are due by Feb 15, 2010.

by Joyce Nelson

With the November 2009 release of Metro Vancouver's draft "Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan," the Greater Vancouver Region is formally on the path to building one or more waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerators by 2015. The Plan confirms that "Metro Vancouver will establish up to 500,000 tonnes per year of new waste-to-energy capacity within the region." 

by Susan MacVittie

It seems that the brighter colours and sharper images that flat screen TVs offer come at a price. They are electricity hogs.

LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs, which account for 90% of the four million TVs purchased in California each year, consume 43% more energy on average than the older cathode ray tube TVs (CRTs), while plasma TVs use three times as much. A 60-inch plasma TV uses more power in a few hours than the largest residential refrigerator running 24 hours.

by Joyce Nelson

Across Canada, the US, the UK, Europe, and Asia, communities are facing an unprecedented onslaught of proposals for new incinerators. In July 2008, Friends of the Earth released a map showing dozens of planned new incinerator sites across the UK. The British government has committed billions to new incineration, while cutting budgets for recycling by 30 per cent.

Germany, which already has such an over-capacity of incineration that it imports millions of tonnes of garbage each year to feed its maw, is nonetheless planning 100 new incinerators. The Germany waste-disposal industry is lobbying fiercely to get the government out of regulating the sector.

by Anna Tilman

Reality Check

The nuclear energy industry has a dream of a new renaissance - but their dream could be our nightmare. Already there are large quantities of long-lasting highly radioactive waste at reactor sites sitting in cooling pools of water with nowhere to go. A nuclear renaissance would only make this desperate problem even worse.

Despite all the reports about leaks, shutdowns (temporary and long-term), construction woes, and financial costs, nuclear power proponents continue to portray it as safe, reliable and cheap. Worst of all, they portray it as the solution for climate change.

by Anna Tilman

This series of articles, "On The Yellowcake Trail," tracks the history of all aspects of uranium in Canada from the mining and milling, to processing and use, throughout its eighty-year history. The series began with the history of uranium mining in Canada. This article examines the various stages involved in processing uranium and the issues that emerge with each of these stages.

The nuclear industry paints a rosy picture of its operations, portraying itself as a well-planned, controlled and safe industry, and the answer to climate change. But the track record of flooding and spills at mine sites, cost overruns, delays, leaks and shutdowns at nuclear plants, and the catastrophic nuclear "accidents" at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island, are in stark contrast with that positive image. At every stage in the nuclear chain, from extraction to processing and use, vast amounts of radioactive waste and other highly hazardous wastes are produced. Spills and leaks commonly occur, marking treacherous places in the yellowcake trail that remain deadly for hundreds of thousands of years.

Compiled by Delores Broten, with thanks to Bill W. Andrews and Arthur Caldicott

Can a mega-project solve a mega-problem?
That seminal question underlies the raucous debate about Plutonic Power's sprawling hydro project in Bute Inlet.

Click here to download an extended PDF version including Hupacasath First Nation Judith Sayers' article, Upnit Power: Run of River on China Creek and Private Power Water Pricing by Arthur Caldicott

A debate is raging on the BC coast about the future of Bute Inlet. It's about private power versus public power. It's about the potential NAFTA threat of foreign involvement on our rivers. It is about responses to climate change.