Daily Archives: October 28, 2021

HALIFAX Nova Scotia is proposing to enshrine a series of environment and climate change targets in legislation, including a new goal of phasing out coal-fired electricity generation by 2030.

The change in the proposed Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, introduced Wednesday, moves up the phasing out of coal by about 10 years.

Jason Hollett, associate deputy minister of Environment and Climate Change, said emerging technologies and efforts to promote the proposed Atlantic Loop electrical energy project are keys to the coal and other climate goals.

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"So we are actively pursuing opportunities to accelerate that (coal goal) and move that target from 2040 to 2030," said Hollett.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Tim Halman said other previously stated goals to be set in legislation include the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to at least 53 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and the achievement of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Progressive Conservative government is also pledging to have 80 per cent of the province's energy supplied by renewable sources by 2030 and to have zero-emission vehicles comprise 30 per cent of vehicle sales by 2030.

The majority of the goals are similar to those set out by a Liberal bill passed in 2019, however, the targets were set in regulations and weren't spelled out in the legislation. The Liberal bill also wasn't proclaimed as law.

Halman said the Tories are taking a different tack because "legislation is powerful."

"It holds government to a far greater level of accountability and transparency," he said. "Along with that, I believe there is just that power and symbolism with legislation and that is going to create certainty."

The new legislation sets 28 goals in all and commits the government to releasing annual progress reports and a legislative review within five years.

Other targets listed include conserving at least 20 per cent of the province's total land and water mass, the development of a provincial food strategy, and the reduction of solid waste disposal rates to no more than 300 kilograms per person per year by 2030.

There is also a commitment to ensure all new government buildings, including hospitals and schools, are net-zero and climate-resilient, as well as working with municipalities and First Nations on their priorities for climate change initiatives.

Halman said a climate change plan outlining specific actions toward achieving the targets is to be released next spring.

Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said he generally supports a bill he says builds on much of the previous work done by his party, although he said the government should be more aggressive on its goals for the province's forestry sector.

The legislation calls for the adoption of an ecological forestry approach for Crown lands by 2023 that is consistent with the recommendations of an independent forest practices report prepared by William Lahey in 2018.

The report calls for use of the so-called triad model that sees some areas protected from all forestry; some forests dedicated to high-production forestry including clear-cutting; and areas that are harvested with a "lighter touch" and limited clear-cutting.

Rankin said implementation of the report should start no later than this year.

"I think 2023 is too long to wait," he said. "It's just going to be more clear-cutting on a lot of the land, especially in western Nova Scotia."

NDP environment critic Susan Leblanc praised the decision to set the goals in legislation and the commitment to annual reporting, however, she said her party thinks the greenhouse gas reduction target should be pushed to 58 per cent below 2005 levels.

"Fifty-eight is what we should be shooting for it meets more international obligations," said Leblanc.

The legislation follows public consultations that were held from May 27 to July 26, which saw more than 5,600 individual ideas brought forward.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2021.

Read more from the original source:

Nova Scotia bill aims to end coal-fired power by 2030 - National Observer

The Mountain Resort Municipality of Jumbo Glacier is no more.

In a media release Tuesday, the NDP Government said it took the step to dissolve the municipality in the Legislature with changes toBill 26.

People across the Kootenays and the Ktunaxa Nation fought the development of Jumbo from the start, and todays announcement is a win shared by everyone who worked so hard to keep Jumbo wild, said Brittny Anderson, NDP MLA for Nelson-Creston in a media release.

From the beginning, Jumbo was a clear example of disregard by the BC Liberals for the environment and surrounding communities.

Our government is dissolving the fake municipality, and finally putting an end to this saga.

Prior to Mountain Resort Municipality of Jumbo Glacier, a municipality could not be created without residents.

However, the BC Liberals changed the legislation to allow the creation of the Mountain Resort Municipality of Jumbo Glacier in 2013.

Anderson said the Liberal government was so brazen as to award grants to a municipality with no residents while then BC Premier Christy Clark appointed mayor and council.

Despite having no residents to benefit from municipal services, Jumbo was slated to receive over $1 million in grants from the BC Liberal government over a five-year period.

In response, the Union of BC Municipalities passed amotionin 2014 opposing the funding of any municipalities without residents.

This is a huge win for our communities and people across B.C., said Anderson. Jumbo should never have been allowed to proceed to begin with, and the BC Liberals intention to appoint their friends and then give them public money reminds us all of what they truly stand for.

The Jumbo Glacier area is one of the largest remaining swathes of land in B.C. without paved roads and is important habitat for many species, including grizzlies.

The area was protected by the BC NDP, working with the federal government and Ktunaxa Nation, in January 2020 and will be known as Qatmuk, the Ktunaxa name meaningHome of the Grizzly Bear Spirit

Jumbo is the first local government to be dissolved in the province in roughly 100 years.

Anderson said these amendments in the legislation prevent future governments from creating Mountain Resort Municipalities with no residents again.

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NDP MLA Anderson says the dissolution of the Municipality of Jumbo Glacier is a win for people, environment - The Nelson Daily

Hiroshima Tetsuo Saito, deputy leader of Komeito, the ruling Liberal Democratic Partys junior coalition partner, made an unexpected comment at a recent LDP gathering that took aback potential supporters.

My blood is 95% LDP, said Saito, 69, his expression revealing a strong sense of crisis over his uncertain prospects for success in Sundays election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet.

Saito is running in Hiroshima Prefectures No. 3 constituency, which was rocked by a major vote-buying scandal in the 2019 election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, involving former LDP lawmakers.

For many years the single-seat district had been represented by former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai of the LDP. But Kawai left the party in June 2020, and resigned as lawmaker in April 2021 after being accused of buying votes for his wife in the 2019 Upper House election. A guilty ruling for him was finalized this month.

After Kawais departure from the LDP, Komeito a party known for its strict attitude toward money scandals involving politicians decided to field Saito in the constituency. Previously, Saito had been elected from the Chugoku regional bloc of the proportional representation system, which includes Hiroshima.

The LDPs Hiroshima prefectural chapter reacted angrily, as it had been looking to put up a candidate to retain the seat for the party. Even after the headquarters of the LDP and Komeito agreed to back Saito as a consensus candidate for the ruling coalition, the prefectural chapter was reluctant to fall into line. If an opposition contender wins, the right to field a candidate will come back (to the LDP), one official said.

The situation surrounding Saito was getting worse. In April, the LDPs candidate lost in the Upper House rerun election for the Hiroshima prefectural constituency. The vote was held after the 2019 victory of Kawais wife, Anri, a former LDP member, was invalidated by the guilty ruling against her for vote-buying.

The atmosphere changed drastically, however, after Fumio Kishida, a lawmaker from Hiroshima, was elected LDP president in September and prime minister in early October.

Saitos appointment as minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism in the Kishida Cabinet also helped turn things around for the Komeito veteran.

Takashi Nakamoto of the LDP, chairman of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly, who has strong influence in local politics, started rallying support for Saito. We have no reason to allow the land minister of the Kishida government to lose (in the election), Nakamoto said.

Municipality chiefs and prefectural assembly members of the LDP have thrown their support behind Saito in turn. And Kishida even visited Saitos constituency to give him a boost with a stump speech.

As it would be difficult for Saito to achieve victory with only votes from Komeito supporters, the key to success for him is to enhance a sense of unity with the ruling coalition partner, the LDP.

Then came his 95% LDP blood remark at the LDP meeting on Oct. 15, where he begged frantically for support with little regard for appearances.

Saito also recalled that his joining Soka Gakkai the Buddhist lay organization that backs Komeito when he was a high school student provoked a strong protest from his father, who was then an LDP member of a local village assembly.

Like other Komeito candidates in single-seat constituencies, Saito does not have the safety net of being on the partys list of candidates under the proportional representation system as well. A defeat in the constituency means the loss of his seat in the Lower House.

The ramifications of the scandal are still being felt, a member of the Saito camp said. We are facing an uphill battle. It will be too close to call.

Six candidates are competing in the Hiroshima No. 3 constituency, which covers part of the city of Hiroshima.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has put up newcomer Mayumi Ryan, 58, following an agreement with the Japanese Communist Party to unify their candidates. Under the banner of clean politics, the CDP is aiming for back-to-back victories after the election of an opposition candidate in the Upper House rerun poll in Hiroshima Prefecture in April.

In a street speech in the city on Thursday, CDP leader Yukio Edano called for a change of government. Even after a prime minister from Hiroshima took office, there is no soul-searching (in the LDP) over the scandal. Lets change politics!

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Komeito exec faces election headwind after saying his 'blood is 95% LDP' - The Japan Times

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Any other year I would have watched the election live, with an interactive webpage open on my laptop and CBC commentary interjecting from my television. Instead, I passed September 20th in the depths of Killarney Provincial Park, a days hard paddle from the nearest wi-fi network, with curtains of rain dancing in the wind beyond my tent flap, smacking the ground like hail. I didnt learn the results until the next morning, the raging shores of David Lake giving me my first trickle of mobile signal in days, the storm pummeling my skull and thrashing my shoulders. I must have stood there thirty minutes before learning of the Liberal minority.

Its fitting that I should be in Killarney at that moment, a haunting 48,500 hectares of abject wilderness in northern Ontario, because the conservation of wild spaces is, in my considered opinion, one of governments most important functions, and stands among our Liberal governments most ambitious promises. By 2025, they pledge, 25 per cent each of our nations land and water will be safe from the ravages of development or extraction, and by 2030, this will climb to 30 per cent.

In my lifetime, climate change has gone from a fringe crusade to an election issue, and September was the crown jewel, presenting in their various forms the strongest climate platforms in Canadian history, but conservation, specifically the protection of wild spaces, has not undergone the same ascension. Canadians at large understand at least the basics of carbon and climate, but the complexities of biodiversity loss are still beyond the majority of voters, and this worries me, because its not enough that we keep global temperatures within a livable margin. We need also to preserve the biosphere on which we wholeheartedly depend, and which is fast slipping between our fingers for reasons other than climate.

The relationship between land conservation and biodiversity is remarkably precise. Take any region and remove 90 per cent of its available habitat, by way of forestry, mining, development or whatever else, and you will reduce the species diversity of that region by roughly half. That is to say, if Canada were to protect only 13.2 per cent of its lands and waters (the actual figure at the end of 2020), then we can expect a significant minority of our native species (similar in size to the Liberal minority in the house of commons) to disappear in coming decades. If we were to protect 50 per cent of our lands and waters, however, we could reliably retain 85 per cent or more of our native species. Such is the strange math of biodiversity loss.

The issue, of course, is that government is very bad at land conservation, provincially and federally. In 1992, Prince Edward Island set the goal of protecting 7 per cent of the province and, since then, has only managed 4.4 per cent. After committing itself to protect a long list of wild spaces in 2013, successive Nova Scotian governments dragged their feet, leaving 150 properties to languish on that list to this day, and, in 2019, the reigning Liberals were caught trying to sell one of these properties Owls Head Provincial Park to a golf course developer. Its one reason of many they lost re-election in August.

In 2015, the federal Liberals committed to protecting 17 per cent of Canadas lands and inland waters, and 10 per cent of its oceans, by 2020, but instead managed 12.5 per cent and 13.8 per cent respectively, all without reproach from the electorate.

The conservation of wild spaces is notoriously difficult, given private interests, private ownership, and a scarcity of truly wild places. Achieving 30 per cent by 2030, therefore, will take more than just leadership. It will take citizens, and here I return to Killarney Provincial Park, a place protected not by politicians, but by painters.

On September 2nd, 1931, while paddling east along the Baie Fine fjord in Killarneys southwest, Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson encountered a representative of the Spanish River Lumber Company, who informed Jackson that his ultimate destination Trout Lake was slated for logging that winter. The ancient White pines which Jackson intended to paint would soon face the axe, so he returned to Toronto with a fire in his belly and promptly recruited the Ontario Society of Artists in his crusade to prevent the cut, a crusade they eventually won.

A great deal of ink and paint was thereafter spilled on Killarneys behalf. The imminent harvest of Trout Lake was prevented and the park itself was established in 1964, at the persistent urging of the painters who so adored the landscape. Trout Lake was renamed in honour of the Ontario Society of Artists (O.S.A. Lake today), joined by Artist Lake, A.Y. Jackson Lake and even Carmichael Lake, recognizing Franklin Carmichael, another Group of Seven member who raised his brush for Killarney.

This style of citizen conservation is in no way unusual. Point Pelee National Park in southern Ontario was established at the behest of birders. PEI National Park would have become an overpriced subdivision were it not for a band of scrappy locals who not only managed to establish the park, but went on to form the Island Nature Trust, conserving thousands of additional hectares across the province. In Nova Scotia, the St. Margarets Bay Stewardship Association has, since 2016, fought ferociously to establish the Ingram River Wilderness Area on the provinces eastern shore, and only this summer secured their first 5,000 hectare parcel. Without groups like these, nothing would get done.

We need to conserve this nation with every bit the vigor we apply to climate change, and our government will not in fact it cannot succeed in either case without robust public engagement. So, while each of us reconciles our carbon footprint, with electric cars, vegan diets, heat pumps and solar panels, we must also identify those remaining patches of wilderness were willing to fight for, and insist they one day constitute our 30 per cent by 2030. Then we need to go find more.

Read more:

Carbon and Conservation - AJ - Alternatives Journal

With Tuesdays announcement of the new federal cabinet comes changes that will affect key issues in the North Island-Powell River riding.

While North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney is still waiting for her critic roles to come from NDP leadership, she did note some big changes in the ministry positions that will have at least some effect on things in the region.

RELATED: Trudeau unveils larger cabinet with nine new faces

Most notably is the change of minister for Fisheries and Oceans, going from Bernadette Jordan, who did not win re-election this year, to west coast-based Joyce Murray.

I think thats a good indicator of having somebody whos from our coast, Blaney said. I have a lot of concerns, of course she comes from Vancouver Quadra so Im not sure she fully understands the real life experiences that rural and remote communities have in terms of fisheries Ill be looking forward to having those conversations about how engagement is going to work and how shes going to move forward to build those bridges that desperately need to be built.

Murray has experience in provincial politics and was the BC Liberals minister of Water, Land and Air Protection from 2001 to 2004.

As the last parliamentary session was ending, Canada was becoming aware of the impact of residential schools. The federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has emphasized its commitment to reconciliation, but Blaney said Canadians are looking for more from the Liberal government, and she hopes a new face in the Indigenous Services ministry will help.

People are very concerned about what the actual commitment is on the government. I think these two ministers, (Patty) Hadju and (new Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc) Miller will have a lot of work to do.

Hadju is the new minister of Indigenous Services. One of her first decisions will be whether or not to continue appealing a court ruling that the government compensate First Nations children for under funding the on-reserve child welfare program.

I think that decision is going to set a tone between Indigenous communities across Canada and the federal government, Blaney said. A lot of non-Indigenous Canadians are really passionate about this issue. Were seeing a transition where the realities of Indigenous people are becoming an every day concern, not only for Indigenous communities but for everyday Canadians. We want to see that transition happen.

With the environment such a hot topic during the election, Trudeaus picks for the environmental files are equally notable. Minister Jonathan Wilkinson will be taking over the resources ministry from Seamus OReagan, and the new Minister of the Environment will be former Greenpeace activist Steven Guilbeault. Blaney hopes that the two ministers can help ensure the transition to a greener economy can include rural and remote communities.

Its a time of huge change, and trying to find the right balance is going to be a lot of work for every level of government and every community, she said. We need to get to those targets. Part of that is creating systems that will (keep) our emissions down. If the government is wise, theyre going to invest some money in this so we can move forward.

RELATED: Trudeau to unveil new cabinet Oct. 26, Parliament to return Nov. 22

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New fisheries, environment and Indigenous ministers could have effect on North Island affairs Campbell River Mirror - Campbell River Mirror

The community is encouraged to have its say on detailed reforms to build a simple, clear and consistent infrastructure contributions system to unlock up to $12 billion in productivity gains for NSW.Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said it was critical to reform the way local infrastructure is funded to attract jobs, investment and boost housing supply.These reforms will ensure that roads, parks, drainage and other infrastructure to support local communities are delivered faster and more efficiently, Mr Stokes said.Whether you live in Penrith, Pyrmont, Wollongong or Wagga Wagga - these reforms will create a better system to deliver the infrastructure needed for liveable communities.Theyll help councils borrow and use funds to speed up the delivery of projects, and theyll shine more light on planning agreements to increase transparency.Mr Stokes said the reforms are the result of extensive consultation with experts, councils and industry, and respond to the NSW Productivity Commissions review into infrastructure contributions.Weve made the necessary changes based on the best advice, to design a fair system that will attract jobs and investment while delivering infrastructure for growing communities, Mr Stokes said.No council will be worse-off, and they will have more choice over how they invest contributions to fund local infrastructure without the need to raise rates.Id like to thank Local Government NSW President Linda Scott for advocating so effectively on behalf of councils, to answer questions and address issues raised.The proposed reforms include:

Originally posted here:

Reforms to deliver jobs and homes - NSW Liberal Party