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Quebec’s air quality standards revised
Posted by: | CommentsFew things that were introduced in 1979 stand the test of time, although that year marked my 12th birthday and the release of more great records than any year before or since (topped by London Calling by The Clash) one would hope that any environmental laws written at the tail end of the 1970s had long since become antiquities. I was amazed to see that wasn’t the case in Quebec, but I’ll argue the old maxim ‘ better late than never’.
After being in existence for 32 years I’m pleased to see that Quebec is changing its air-quality laws. I’m not picking on the province, in fact reading about this story made me wonder just how many air-quality laws in different places are as old as this one was and if so why wouldn’t they have been revised over the last three decades with our further knowledge about air-quality and the environment? It’s definitely something worth researching.
Quebec City soon will be under bluer skies
Quebec will be rolling out the new laws on June 30th and they will apply to almost 5,000 businesses, industries and institutions. Lawmakers feel that the new standards will greatly impact overall air-quality, plus lead to reductions in smog and acid rain. Stricter guidelines apply to the existing standards in addition to many new rules. Remarkably 80 new substances have been added to those that will be regulated many that have been proven to have negative health impacts. A new system of recording and reporting is also being put in place so that specific industries must report their results to the government. Specifically impacted by reporting standards are the steel, cement, aluminium and paper industries. New standards will also apply to companies that manufacture paint, printed goods and refineries.
Originally the intent was to implement the new rules in the during the past decade but the economic conditions experienced resulted in a delay as officials felt that industries already struggling with the business climate would not be well-positioned to implement the internal changes necessary to meet the new standards. I feel that is a wise decision when looking for businesses to support such important changes that will positively impact the environment. The process does allow businesses up to 2 years to meet new standards before fines would be levied.
Environmental groups are pleased with these developments as should be all residents of Quebec you will benefit from a cleaner and healthier environment. It certainly makes me ask when were the air quality standards where I live last changed and you should ask the same of your locality.
Artists donate music to Patagonia’s eco-friendly line
Posted by: | CommentsPatagonia, Inc have long been one of the most established names in eco-friendly clothing, the company founded in 1972 have always focused on outdoor wear with an emphasis on hiking, biking, cycling, swimming and surfing. It was fairly natural that they would be one of the earliest companies to lend lasting support to environmental initiatives both in their product line but also in the practices of the company. They’ve been involved with donating 1% of their total sales to environmental groups since 1985 over which time more than $25 million has been donated to different organizations. They also co-founded the ‘alliance 1% For the Planet’ for like-minded businesses and won the 2008 ‘Eco-Brand of the Year’.
Perhaps more importantly the company has strict environmental practices in place when it comes to the products that they manufacture, assessing raw materials and considering environmental impact for all products that they sell. The company also takes part in the ‘Common Threads Initiative’ (a recycling program) and the ‘Conservation Alliance’. The company has now introduced another avenue to support environmental funding with the launch of “Patagonia Music”.
Now their website will sell songs donated by artists for 99 cents each with the entire proceeds from each sale going to an environmental cause just as selected by the artist. The launch will feature 22 tracks by different artists and then a further four songs will be added on a weekly basis. In addition to downloads the compilations also be available as physical CDs (remember them?) at retail outlets.
More than 100 artists have already elected to contribute music to the campaign including Pearl Jam, Los Lobos, Drive By Truckers, Ziggy Marley, Maroon 5 and many more. The founder and owner of Patagonia stated in a press release:
“Patagonia is hopeful other musicians will see that by just donating a song they can easily provide their favorite environmental group with a new stream of financing.”
It’s a novel way for artists to support a cause that their fans will embrace while paying more than lip service to environmental issues. Now that the campaign has launched you can find out more plus purchase and download songs via the Patagonia.com website, an iPhone app or directly via each artists website in association with the company.
The War on Plastic Vol 4 – California contemplates plastic bag ban
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to part four of an occasional series that I’ve titled ‘the war on plastic’ as I’ve made an unofficial decision that doing all possible to reduce the waste associated with plastic products is a huge part of our environmental responsibility. The war takes on many guises, from recycling to reduction, more educated consumption and the development of suitable and affordable alternatives. Few things are as synonymous with a society built upon convenience and disposable products as the continued rise of plastics. I have no debate that convenience is appealing but at what cost? That’s one of the topics we’ll continue to tackle in this series, for more information and the original post please visit here.
More good news in the battleground this month from the state of California that I feel happy and obliged to share. Over 500 California businesses have signed on in support of a plastic bag ban in the state.
The signatures have been collected by Environment California as many businesses elect to support cities in enacting bans of plastic bags. If approved city egislation would ban certain retailers from automatically offering plastic bags at the cash register. Environment California is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. They draw on 30 years of success in tackling the state’s top environmental problems. The companies that have signed represent a healthy cross-section of California business, many small retailers and restaurants, boutiques and convenience stores. Gina Goodhill from Environment California adds:
“From a business point of view, banning plastic bags makes sense, and these 500 signatures prove it”
Logic suggests that a decision that has economic and environmental benefits should be met with little resistance. Single use plastic bags costs retailers many hundreds of millions to provide, a cost that retailers of course currently cover. In truth of course those costs are transferred to the customer who doesn’t really need the bag in the first place. A typical supermarket is estimated to spend $20,000 to $70,000 on single use plastic bags at checkout. More and more retailers are promoting special savings for shoppers who use their own bag, or moving toward making sure a customer has to specifically request. Significantly The California Grocers Association, has firmly placed its weight behind the bill. The focus in an economy still in very slow recovery is firmly cost savings, perhaps not drawing on the aesthetic of plastic bag litter (so often ultimately destined via storms drains and rivers to the ocean) and ocean pollution as much as they could but still the proposition looks well supported.
Single use plastic bags of course not free, at around 3 to 3 1/2 cents per bag – the amount is being transferred into the shelf costs of the products you purchase. If you shop at 4 establishments per week and acquire 10 bags a week, those 500+ bags will cost you an extra $15-$20 per year. Even that quantity of bags may actually be much lower than the reality based on statistics. These numbers made my eyes bulge and inefficiency and waste becomes a vicious circle; in California an estimated 19 billion single use bags are used annually which in turn result in the state spending $25 million each year to clean up and landfill all of the bags. Once again you can guess where that $25 million has to come from.
Arguments against the ban suggest customers will be too greatly inconvenienced and the costs of reusable bags is prohibitive. In which case how did we cope before plastic bags? I went to two stores yesterday and was asked ‘do you think you’ll need a bag’ – of course not…and I somehow coped. More soon plastic battlers!
Learn far more about Environment California via their official site.
