Groups Urge Toronto Council to Solve Its ‘Embarrassing Gas Problem’ [Sign-On] – The Energy Mix:

In an email last week, Outreach Director Angela Bischoff said 63 groups
and 19 municipalities have endorsed the phaseout call, but it’s running
into opposition from “gas giants”
like Ontario Power Generation, Enbridge Inc., and the Association of
Power Producers of Ontario (APPrO). “We can keep our lights on (and our
beer cold) without using polluting gas-fired generation,” she wrote.
“But we can’t save our climate if we keep using gas for electricity
generation.”

Groups Urge Toronto Council to Solve Its ‘Embarrassing Gas Problem’ [Sign-On] – The Energy Mix: In an email last week, Outreach Director Angela Bischoff said 63 groups
and 19 municipalities have endorsed the phaseout call, but it’s running
into opposition from “gas giants”
like Ontario Power Generation, Enbridge Inc., and the Association of
Power Producers of Ontario (APPrO). “We can keep our lights on (and our
beer cold) without using polluting gas-fired generation,” she wrote.
“But we can’t save our climate if we keep using gas for electricity
generation.”Read More

LNG Tanker Completes First Winter Passage of Russia’s Melting Northern Sea Route – The Energy Mix: Stretching more than 5,550 kilometres from the Kara Sea off the north
coast of Russia to the Bering Strait, the Northern Sea Route has long
been known to be the shortest passage between Europe and Asia, but shipping potential was limited by the fact that the route became blocked by thick ice in winter.

But the recent experimental voyage of the Christophe de Margerie,
an LNG tanker that left Russia fully loaded in early January bound for
China, has proven its viability. The ship returned to its home port last
week, this time accompanied by the nuclear-powered 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker (no icebreaker was needed on the trip out).

The voyage was the second in the past 10 months for the tanker, which
made the identical trip in May, a month earlier into spring than
normal.

LNG Tanker Completes First Winter Passage of Russia’s Melting Northern Sea Route – The Energy Mix: Stretching more than 5,550 kilometres from the Kara Sea off the north
coast of Russia to the Bering Strait, the Northern Sea Route has long
been known to be the shortest passage between Europe and Asia, but shipping potential was limited by the fact that the route became blocked by thick ice in winter.But the recent experimental voyage of the Christophe de Margerie,
an LNG tanker that left Russia fully loaded in early January bound for
China, has proven its viability. The ship returned to its home port last
week, this time accompanied by the nuclear-powered 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker (no icebreaker was needed on the trip out). The voyage was the second in the past 10 months for the tanker, which
made the identical trip in May, a month earlier into spring than
normal.Read More

Canadian Fossil Subsidies Tripled in 2020, Report Shows – The Energy Mix: The annual inventory of fossil fuel subsidies published by the
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) shows Canada
spent at least C$1.9 billion in direct aid to the traditional energy
sector last year, up from $600 million in 2019, The Canadian Press reports. More than three-quarters of that—$1.5 billion—was to help companies restore abandoned oil wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. 

The report also highlights that almost all the direct aid was paid
out in two programs to protect jobs and cut greenhouse gas emissions, CP
says.

Note: Protecting jobs is nice, of course. Many jobs were protected by cleaning up abandoned oil wells. Basically, the companies made their millions, weren’t required to save the millions required for clean up and remediation, so the rest of Canada is ‘on the hook’ to clean up their mess while they lounge in their profits. Pretty good deal for them….

Canadian Fossil Subsidies Tripled in 2020, Report Shows – The Energy Mix: The annual inventory of fossil fuel subsidies published by the
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) shows Canada
spent at least C$1.9 billion in direct aid to the traditional energy
sector last year, up from $600 million in 2019, The Canadian Press reports. More than three-quarters of that—$1.5 billion—was to help companies restore abandoned oil wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. The report also highlights that almost all the direct aid was paid
out in two programs to protect jobs and cut greenhouse gas emissions, CP
says. Note: Protecting jobs is nice, of course. Many jobs were protected by cleaning up abandoned oil wells. Basically, the companies made their millions, weren’t required to save the millions required for clean up and remediation, so the rest of Canada is ‘on the hook’ to clean up their mess while they lounge in their profits. Pretty good deal for them….Read More

From food to frailty: the link between long-term care and land concentration: Revera
is a privately owned Canadian operator of long-term and retirement
residences. According to its website, Revera owns or operates more than
500 properties in Canada, the United States and the U.K. In Canada,
Revera has 186 managed communities, 225 owned communities and
22,500-plus managed units.

Many seniors’ homes are seen as unsafe for both seniors and workers
these days. And while Revera is in the spotlight, it is not the only for-profit seniors’ care corporation deemed unhealthy. But it is the only one owned by a Crown corporation.

As part of its response to the pandemic and conditions in the
seniors’ housing which it operates, Revera has published a report
produced by an advisory committee titled “A Perfect Storm.” While the pandemic has brought to light the conditions in many long-term retirement homes across Canada, Revera had more than 85 lawsuits filed before the pandemic by families calling for accountability regarding negligence toward retirement residents.

And since the pandemic began, other class–action lawsuits are now underway.

From food to frailty: the link between long-term care and land concentration: Revera
is a privately owned Canadian operator of long-term and retirement
residences. According to its website, Revera owns or operates more than
500 properties in Canada, the United States and the U.K. In Canada,
Revera has 186 managed communities, 225 owned communities and
22,500-plus managed units.Many seniors’ homes are seen as unsafe for both seniors and workers
these days. And while Revera is in the spotlight, it is not the only for-profit seniors’ care corporation deemed unhealthy. But it is the only one owned by a Crown corporation. As part of its response to the pandemic and conditions in the
seniors’ housing which it operates, Revera has published a report
produced by an advisory committee titled “A Perfect Storm.” While the pandemic has brought to light the conditions in many long-term retirement homes across Canada, Revera had more than 85 lawsuits filed before the pandemic by families calling for accountability regarding negligence toward retirement residents.And since the pandemic began, other class-action lawsuits are now underway.Read More

Trans Mountain pipeline owner asks regulator to hide identity of its insurers: Federal government-owned Trans Mountain is asking the Canada Energy
Regulator to keep secret the identities of the companies that provide
insurance coverage for its pipeline system because of fears
environmental activists will target them.

In a submission dated Monday, the company that operates the Trans
Mountain pipeline and its expansion project says there is evidence that
“certain parties” are using filings in the regulator’s database to
identify insurers and pressure them to drop their policies for the
pipeline.

The filings come days after Indigenous youth in Vancouver blocked the
entrances of buildings housing insurance companies to demand they stop
insuring the pipeline, resulting in four arrests.

Trans Mountain pipeline owner asks regulator to hide identity of its insurers: Federal government-owned Trans Mountain is asking the Canada Energy
Regulator to keep secret the identities of the companies that provide
insurance coverage for its pipeline system because of fears
environmental activists will target them.In a submission dated Monday, the company that operates the Trans
Mountain pipeline and its expansion project says there is evidence that
“certain parties” are using filings in the regulator’s database to
identify insurers and pressure them to drop their policies for the
pipeline.The filings come days after Indigenous youth in Vancouver blocked the
entrances of buildings housing insurance companies to demand they stop
insuring the pipeline, resulting in four arrests.Read More