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June 21, 2025
Ancient trees are shipped to the UK, then burned – using billions in ‘green’ subsidies. Stop this madness now
By Dale Vince, owner of Ecotricity in The Guardian “How green is this? We pay billions of pounds to cut down ancient forests in the US and Canada, ship the wood across the Atlantic in diesel tankers, then burn it in a Yorkshire-based power station. Welcome to the scandal of Drax, where Britain’s biggest polluter gets to play climate hero. The reality is that billions in public subsidies has enabled Drax to generate electricity by burning 300m trees. Now the government is trying to force through an extension that would grant Drax an estimated £1.8bn in public subsidies on top of the £11bn it has already pocketed, keeping this circus going until at least 2031…”
Jun 20, 2025:
Speĺkúmtn Community Forest launches carbonizer pilot project
By Luke Faulks The Pique News Magazine “The Spel’kúmtn Community Forest is piloting a new technology with the potential to change how post-harvest forest waste is managed in the Pemberton Valley. The community forest has brought in a mobile carbonizer from SkyTech Yarding to process woody debris left over from timber harvests, known as slash piles, in the Miller Creek area. The machine converts biomass into biochar—a valuable soil product—and is touted as a cleaner, more climate-conscious alternative to conventional open-pile burning. …The Tigercat Carbonizer 6040 being used in Miller Creek burns biomass in a low-oxygen environment, producing significantly less smoke and yielding biochar—a charcoal-like, carbon-rich material that can enhance soil health and sequester carbon long-term.”(Summary from Treefrog Forestry News)
Jun 17, 2025:
From ‘greenwashing’ to ‘green hushing’ — companies complain new law stifles environmental effort
By Brandie Weikle,CBC Radio News “Proponents say changes to Competition Act simply require companies to tell the truth”
Jun 1, 2025:
– Toyota’s Biofuel: a new lease on life for combustion engines
On www.globalfleet.com. “Even if conversations are dominated by electrification, Toyota is working on a different course to keep combustion engines relevant. A recent Nikkei Asia report reveals that Japanese automakers led by Toyota have opened a bioethanol facility in Fukushima, aiming to slash the carbon footprint of conventional engines with a new kind of “better biofuel”.
May 19, 2025:
SBP Launches Public Consultations on REDIII Level A Risk Assessments
“The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched public consultations on draft REDIII Level A Risk Assessments for Estonia Forest, Latvia Forest, Lithuania Forest, US National Forest, US Private Forest, and Vietnam Forest. The draft REDIII Level A Risk Assessment for Canada (covering provinces AB, BC, NB, NS, QC) will follow on 20 May 2025. Stakeholder input is critical to ensuring the continued rigour and relevance of SBP’s risk-based approach to biomass sustainability certification…All details are available here. The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 19 June 2025.”
May 13, 2025:
Nova Scotia: The ideal location for industrial development
Suzanne Fraser on investnovascotia.ca “With clean energy production on the rise and an attractive ecosystem for industrial projects, Nova Scotia offers unmatched advantages for companies ready to lead the low-carbon economy…Don’t just take my word for it — major global players are investing in Nova Scotia’s clean energy future. EverWind Fuels is advancing one of North America’s first large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities. Just down the road, Bear Head Energy is developing a complementary hydrogen and ammonia export project, leveraging Nova Scotia’s strategic Atlantic location. Meanwhile, Nova Sustainable Fuels is developing a production facility for sustainable aviation fuel using green hydrogen and biomass.These aren’t concepts — they’re real projects, backed by real investment, moving forward right now…Whether you’re an energy-intensive manufacturer, a transportation company seeking low-carbon fuel, or a tech company aiming to decarbonize operations, we offer a powerful combination of advantages, including future access to green hydrogen and offshore wind. Nova Scotia offers ample industrial land around the province near the planned hydrogen production facilities…Nova Scotia is globally connected through modern, multimodal transportation systems…With the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and 14 other free trade agreements covering 51 countries,…This global reach makes Nova Scotia a strong base for export-oriented industries that want to capitalize on clean energy while improving market agility. Doing business in Nova Scotia offers a friendly, collaborative environment, a proactive ecosystem for clean energy development, and a supportive government.”
May 12, 2025:
SBP-interim Regional Risk Assessments for Nova Scotia published
See
–SBP Regional Risk Assessments/SBP Interim RRAs webpage
– Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) Regional Risk Assessment for Nova Scotia
236 page PDF. In response to my many and lengthy comments, it seems they made a number of corrections of fact, but in regard to ratings, no changes. My comments and the responses are given in pages 178 ff. – david p.
May 8, 2025:
Nova Scotia to speed up environmental reviews for clean energy projects
By Keith Doucette for Canadian Press reported in the National Observer “The Nova Scotia government is accelerating the environmental review process for a number of clean energy projects to meet its climate goals and get off coal by 2030. Under changes announced Thursday, large biomass, biogas and clean fuel projects have been changed to Class 1 from Class 2, meaning they can be approved within 50 days. The more rigorous Class 2 assessment, which can take more than two years, is now reserved for projects such as pulp mills, cement plants, incinerators and large energy plants…Under the changes, small wood biomass projects will now be exempt from the environmental review process and will be managed through the Environment Department’s industrial approval process.” View related NS Gov News Release
May 6, 2025:
Weathering the storms
Andrew Snook in Canadian Forest Industries “Anyone who has ever experienced a hurricane, knows of the destruction they leave behind in their paths. The residents of Halifax are no strangers to dealing with the aftermath of these powerful storms. One resident, Joe Lewis, president of BioBurn Pros Inc., used his experience with a recent hurricane to build a new business that is taking off across Nova Scotia. “BioBurn was very much born from a hurricane,” he says. “Just about every year in September, October – sometimes as early as August – we get hit with some significant hurricanes; and there’s always some down trees and old growth falling.”
Apr 29, 2025:
– Northern Pulp mill seeks another extension to prepare for potential sale
By Sean Mott for CTV News “…The Northern Pulp mill, which has been under creditor protection after it shut down more than four years ago, is seeking its second extension on a stay of proceedings this year…“The company will use this time to further advance preparations for a potential sale of its assets, should a new mill not be feasible,” a news release from the company reads. “Additionally, Northern Pulp will continue discussions with various stakeholders and rights holders regarding the feasibility of establishing a new bioproducts hub in Liverpool, Nova Scotia”. The company previously said designing and building the bioproducts hub could cost more than $2.5 billion. “The feasibility study examined the economics of developing a bioproducts hub that includes established products such as Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp, as well as emerging products like biogas and biochemicals used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and adhesives,” a previous news release read.
Apr 16, 2024:
Pursuing a new CSA Standard to heat Canada with wood pellets
By Dutch Dresser, Ed.D. and Gordon Murray in www.pulpandpapercanada.com “The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is working to adopt the European standard, EN 303-5:2002+A1:2023 Heating Boilers – Part 5: Heating boilers for solid fuels, manually and automatically stoked, nominal heat output of up to 500 kW as a National Standard of Canada anticipated by Fall 2026…The rationale for this work is set out in a white paper, Certification of Small Solid Biomass Combustors (SSBC) in Canada (available in English and French). The Paper is the culmination of nearly five years of work by experts across the country to address administrative barriers which restrict the sale of boiler systems that use wood pellets into the Canadian market…Once adopted, Canada can more easily design, manufacture and import small solid biomass combustors for Indigenous, remote and rural communities across Canada that use fossil fuel heating systems due to accessibility and affordability. What is a small solid biomass combustor? A small solid biomass combustor uses small quantities of biomass materials, such as wood pellets or chips, to generate heat or energy…Small solid biomass combustors are typically designed for small- to medium-scale applications such as residential, commercial or institutional heating systems. Over 600 are operational in Canada today, displacing propane, oil or electric baseboard heating systems for many communities.”
Apr 14, 2025:
– N.L.’s wind-hydrogen hype is on fumes, but this Placentia Bay project is forging ahead
Terry Roberts for CBC News “…one expert who studies the production, conversion and use of energy tells CBC News that so-called green hydrogen is still far too expensive, and is a decade away from being commercially viable, at least without big subsidies.”
Apr 7, 2025:
– Corgan offers a tool to measure mass timber’s real production carbon footprint
By John Caulfield for Building Design & Construction. “Its calculator accounts for “overlooked” factors, like harvesting residue and tree species…Global demand for wood as a building material is expected to quadruple by 2050. Demand is being driven in part by the rising popularity of mass timber for its aesthetics and eco friendliness. One of the perceived advantages of choosing mass timber panels and components for construction and renovation is their lower production-related greenhouse gas emissions vis-a-vis conventional wood products and other building materials like steel or concrete. But the notion that producing mass timber is carbon neutral—one of its key selling points for developers and AEC firms looking to reduce a project’s carbon footprint—has come under greater scrutiny, and has led one firm, Corgan, to develop a tool that calculates CO2 from mass timber, including the harvesting and transporting processes that, according to a recent paper published by Nature, could add between 3.5 billion and 4.2 billion metric tons of GHG emissions annually to the atmosphere by 2050, the equivalent of roughly 10% of recent CO2 emissions.”
Mar 27, 2025:
Netherlands’ largest forest biomass plant canceled, forest advocates elated
By Justin Catanoso in Mongabay. “Dutch forest campaigners are claiming a significant victory over one of the Netherlands’ top energy providers, Vattenfall, after the company decided in late February to cancel plans to build the nation’s largest wood pellet burning plant for energy…Lawsuits filed by the Clean Air Committee failed in two lower court rulings where the NGO argued unsuccessfully that forest biomass harms domestic and overseas forests, reduces biodiversity and increases carbon emissions — worsening the climate crisis. It took successful appeals in 2023 and 2024 in the Dutch Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court, to overturn the lower court rulings on environmental grounds and leave Vattenfall with little recourse but to abandon plans for the large biomass plant.”
Mar 25, 2025:
Who is paying for EverWind’s new tugboats?
Joan Baxter in Hfx Examiner. Intro in Morning File “On March 13, EverWind Fuels made a media splash when it announced that it was investing $50 million for a new tugboat fleet in the Strait of Canso…The following day, the Halifax Examiner published a story pointing out that in October last year, Transport Canada announced $22.5 million of public funding for EverWind Fuels.”
Mar 21, 2025:
Nova Scotia’s energy system and the risks of America’s tariff war
Larry Hughes in the Hfx Examiner. “… there are ways in which we can reduce our exposure to the potential threats posed to our energy system by American tariffs…The first is to reduce our energy consumption by doing the same activity using less energy;..The first is to reduce our energy consumption by doing the same activity using less energy..To do this, the province needs an energy strategy, one that explains where we are now, where we want to go, and how we plan to get there. Premier Tim Houston’s legislation to develop uranium and natural gas, and his calls for a revival of the Energy East crude oil pipeline are not an energy strategy. The energy strategy Nova Scotia requires must examine the province’s primary energy sources through to its end-use services.”
Mar 20, 2025:
– “This is transformational for East Hants.” Mass Timber Company setting up in Elmsdale
By Pat Healey for thelaker.ca “ELMSDALE: You could forgive Municipality of East Hants Warden Eleanor Roulston for smiling ear-to-ear like it was Christmas morning on Thursday. Minutes after the official announcement that the federal government would be investing $10 million conditionally into the Mass Timber Company so it can locate a $215 million facility in the Elmsdale Business Park, Roulston was still brimming with excitement at what that would mean for the municipality. Once constructed and in operation, the Mass Timber Company would employ upwards of 124 people at good paying jobs.”
– Canada Invests in Nova Scotia’s Local Mass Timber Industry
News Release by Natural Resources Canada “Today, the Honourable Kody Blois, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development, announced federal funding for MTC Mass Timber Company (MTC) to support its move to technology-driven manufacturing that will create high-value mass timber products in Nova Scotia…Through an investment of $500,000, MTC will advance the detailed design of Canada’s first large-scale, clear-span mass timber manufacturing structure that would house a new industrial plant. Once constructed, MTC will be Canada’s first vertically integrated mass timber manufacturer in Atlantic Canada, allowing further growth of the region’s offsite building construction sector and improving access to housing for Nova Scotians.MTC was also conditionally approved for $10 million in federal support, subject to the required due diligence measures, and the negotiation of a final agreement by both parties, to.[3 items)…Ultimately, this project would add value to the lumber products produced by the company in Nova Scotia, using next-generation technology to strengthen the forest sector in the province. The project would also create 124 new local jobs while opening new economic avenues for the use of locally grown eastern spruce lumber in manufacturing.”
Mar 18, 2024:
Drax launches new sustainability framework
by Drax in Canadian Biomass ““Our new sustainability framework signals a significant change in the way Drax manages its impact on the environment, communities and nature,” said Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Drax Group Chief Sustainability Officer…A key to the framework is the biomass sourcing policy, which tightens Drax’s already rigorous sourcing policy to keep pace with evolving science and rising industry standards and governs all the biomass Drax handles…To learn more about Drax’s corporate sustainability framework, visit Our Approach – Drax Global
Mar 14, 2025:
– More greenwashing and misleading hogwash from EverWind Fuels
JOan Baxter in Morning File (Hfx Examiner) “…At the moment, EverWind’s only real business is the shipping and storage of fossil fuels. EverWind is not producing any hydrogen or ammonia — green or otherwise. And unless it has decided to keep that news, which would be actual news and not greenwashing hogwash like yesterday’s press release, EverWind has not even reached a final investment decision on whether it will even be going ahead with its hydrogen project in Nova Scotia. It has not put up a single wind turbine, or begun to construct a plant to produce hydrogen or ammonia.Yesterday’s press release is also highly misleading…”
– Former Drax lobbyist claims “extremely dysfunctional” company tried to silence her
Post on Bioenery Insight “A report by The Times has outlined how Drax attempted to ‘silence’ an employee, after she raised concerns that it had misled British energy regulator Ofgem about its true sustainability credentials..A 2022 BBC documentary alleged the company’s felling of old-growth forests in Canada. Ahmar said this triggered ‘a level of chaos that I have never seen before’ within the company. She was ‘unable to prove that [Drax] only sources sustainable wood for its biomass and that it was, in fact, using unsustainable wood.’.”
– Province tells Nova Scotia Power to burn more wood to generate electricity
Taryn Grant · CBC News “The Houston government made a regulatory change this week that requires Nova Scotia Power to use 160 gigawatt hours of biomass each year until 2027. The new regulation builds on earlier directives for Nova Scotia Power’s biomass use. In 2022, the province called for 135 gigawatt hours of biomass-powered electricity each year until 2025…in order to get more renewable energy on the grid while waiting for additional wind and solar projects to come online…The regulation used to stipulate that biomass burned for electricity had to be a forestry byproduct. In other words, it couldn’t come from trees harvested for the sole purpose of producing biomass. The province did away with that provision. A spokesperson for Boudreau’s department said it wouldn’t make economical sense for the forestry sector to harvest trees explicitly for creating biomass — essentially calling the previous stipulation redundant.”
March 11, 2025:
– Northern Pulp seeks extension to further assess bioproducts hub feasibility in Nova Scotia and to prepare for potential sales process of its assets
By Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corporation in Canadian Forest Industries News “Northern Pulp filed documents today requesting an extension of the stay of proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) until early May 2025. Northern Pulp will use the time to continue discussions with various stakeholders on the feasibility of a new bioproducts hub in Liverpool, Nova Scotia and to prepare for a potential sales process of its assets…Since May 2024, the company has engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including Nova Scotia’s forestry sector, municipal, provincial, and federal representatives, and First Nations leaders, ensuring transparency and inclusivity in the evaluation process. The feasibility study examined the economics of developing a bioproducts hub that includes established products such as Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp, as well as emerging products like biogas and biochemicals used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and adhesives. Additionally, the study considered bioenergy initiatives aimed at greening Nova Scotia’s electrical grid, along with a pilot project for carbon capture and storage.”
Feb 25, 2025:
– Liberal bill would require considering wood heat for N.S. public buildings
Feb 19, 2025:
– Environmental risks of the third re-purposing of the Haber-Bosch reaction
Carlos M. Duarte &. William C. Dennison Scientific article in Nature “The Haber-Bosch reaction, using energy to convert nitrogen gas into ammonia, is now being repurposed, fueled by renewable energy, to produce green ammonia. Green ammonia then becomes the carrier of hydrogen energy to fuel a range of processes, including the mobility of vessels and automobiles. Yet, the massive production of ammonia produced by the Haber-Bosch reaction to yield synthetic fertilizer applied to agricultural soils resulted in a major deterioration of water quality and the proliferation of dead zones in freshwater and coastal ecosystems. The combustion of ammonia results in reactive nitrogen species, such as NOx, which is also a potent green-house gas. To ensure that the green ammonia revolution delivers the environmental benefits it is designed to provide it is essential that policy regulations to avoid leakage of ammonia and reactive nitrogen forms to the environment precede its deployment at scale. New technologies are being proposed to further convert these products into inert N2, achieving circularity in the production and use of green ammonia, which is essential to avoid unintended environmental impacts.”
Feb 9, 2025:
– UK Subsidies halved for controversial Drax power station
By John Fisher BBC News “…Campaign group Greenpeace called the deal “a dirty compromise with past failures” but said that it should hopefully limit the damage by restricting Drax’s operations. “The government is still far too trusting of big polluters asking for big subsidies to decarbonise,” Dr Doug Parr, Greenpeace’s policy director, said. “We have cheap, clean power sources available, and we shouldn’t be left to gamble on schemes like this anymore.” The new agreement also states that 100% of the wood pellets Drax burns must be “sustainably sourced” and that “material sourced from primary and old growth forests” will not be able to receive support payments.”
Jan 30, 2025:
How Bioenergy and the Forest Sector Can Help Meet Canada’s Energy Demands
In MacLeans.ca, cited as “Created for Forestry for the Future” [so evidently but not obviously, a paid advertisement]. Cites “Jamie Stephen, managing director with TorchLight, a Nova Scotia-based bioenergy and decarbonization advisor and project developer” at length. Says Stephen: “Though counterintuitive, we actually need to harvest more—often through thinnings—if we want to store more carbon in the forest…in order for bioenergy to become a major heat and power energy source, as in other northern countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, governments in Canada must actively step in to support sustainable forest management on the lands they own as well as developing a bioenergy infrastructure that is accessible and competitive. COMMENT: Does reference to “sustainable forest management on the lands they own” represent a thinly veiled effort to open up protected lands to “forest management”? I have asked Jamie Stephen for clarification – david p.”
Jan 24.2025:
– FSC Canada invites input on updated National Risk Assessment for Canada
by FSC Canada, In Canadian Biomass. “The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International has commissioned SmartCert to update the National Risk Assessment for Canada. The NRA was developed by the FSC to evaluate and identify risks associated with sourcing Controlled Wood within Canada. Controlled Wood, as defined by the FSC, refers to uncertified material that can be combined with FSC-certified material in products carrying the FSC Mix label…The revised version of the risk assessment is available at the following link: RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR CANADA…As part of the consultation, Smartcert is seeking comments from experts, certificate holders and interested parties in order to improve the risk assessment. PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSULTATION. The consultation period will conclude on January 30, 2025. COMMENT david p for NSFM: This is a significant document/process. It was announced on Canadian Biomass on Jan 24, 2025, only 6 days before the deadline – my notice, as a susbcriber to Canadian Biomass notices was received on Feb 23, 2024!
Jan 23, 2025:
– Will a new generation of water-splitting devices help green hydrogen replace fossil fuels?
R.F.Service in science.org “Green hydrogen is key to decarbonizing the world. But the costly, finicky devices that make it need dramatic improvement”
Jan 21, 2025:
South Korea to shrink biomass energy subsidies after criticism over link to deforestation
V. Milko in apnews JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The South Korean government will reduce subsidies for biomass energy after rising domestic and international criticism of its link to deforestation…Faced with limited domestic forest resources, South Korea’s biomass power industry has structured its business model around importing large volumes of wood pellets at lower prices from forest-rich nations. In 2023, imports accounted for 82% of the country’s wood pellet demand, making South Korea the world’s third-largest importer of biomass fuels, after the United Kingdom and Japan.”
Jan 17, 2025
– Procter & Gamble accused of ‘greenwashing’ in Charmin toilet paper, lawsuit says
By Jonathan Stempel for Reuters. “Summary: Consumers say they were misled by environmental claims; Lawsuit claims company harms important Canadian forest; Procter & Gamble has pledged more disclosures”
Dec 23, 2024
Green hydrogen prices will remain stubbornly high for decades
Bloomberg. Subscription required. Excerpts from a news letter: “Green hydrogen has been touted by politicians and business leaders alike as a key fuel for a carbon-free future. But it will remain far more expensive than previously thought for decades to come, according to a new estimate from BloombergNEF. ..“The higher costs for producing green hydrogen without any subsidies or incentives means it will continue to be challenging to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, such as chemicals and oil refining, with hydrogen produced via electrolysis powered by renewables,” said BNEF analyst Payal Kaur. Those industries along with steel mills and power plants have been tagged as possible end users of the gas. But doing so would require expensive new equipment, which has stunted demand. Only two markets — China and India — are likely to see green hydrogen become cost-competitive, according to BNEF. There, the cleaner fuel will reach a comparable price to gray hydrogen by 2040.
Fall 2024
The carbon tax is dead
Jamie Stephen, Torchligh Bioresources in Canaian Biomass Magazine Fall 2024 pp13-15 “The likely impending doom of the carbon tax opens the door for better policy, BECCS
Dec 16, 2024:
– Will there be enough sustainable timber to go round?
By Stephen Cousins, The RIBA Journal “Timber buildings will be instrumental in the global response to climate breakdown, locking in carbon from the atmosphere and replacing high-impact materials like concrete and steel. But increasing reliance on sawn and engineered wood over the coming decades is also expected to put huge pressure on sustainable commercial forestry. And with fierce competition for wood biomass from other industries, such as aviation and power, there are concerns that supply may be outstripped by demand, putting net-zero targets in jeopardy.”
Dec 12, 2024:
– Germany Abandons €350M Renewable Hydrogen Auction Amid Disagreements with EU
By Fuel Cells Works “Germany has officially canceled its ambitious €350 million renewable hydrogen auction scheme, a move that reflects deeper regulatory disagreements with the European Commission, as reported by Bloomberg. This decision marks a significant retreat from a plan that was once hailed as a pioneering effort to boost the country’s green hydrogen production.” Tip of the Hat to Protect Guysborough (public FB Group)
– High insurance costs hinder adoption of mass timber construction
By Harold von Kursk SustainableBiz “The growth of the mass timber construction industry in Canada is being slowed by persistent high insurance rates on wood-frame buildings that are six to 10 times higher than those for conventional steel and concrete structures. That is the conclusion of the Climate Smart Buildings Alliance (CSBA)..”
Dec 9, 2024:
– Green hydrogen’s water needs will be big, but we still don’t know just how big
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner. “Nor do we know who is going to pay for the upgrade to the Landrie Lake Water Utility that will supply the water” Intro in Morning File for Dec 10. ” Should EverWind Fuels and Bear Head Energy ever start producing “green” hydrogen and ammonia as they are proposing to do in Point Tupper on the Strait of Canso, they are going to use fresh water. And a lot it – about 24.5 million litres a day, enough to fill 10 Olympic swimming pools….”
– Trudeau in Halifax today
Tim Bousquet in Morning File (Hfx Examiner) “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Halifax today, meeting with Premier Tim Houston and MP Sean Fraser, the federal minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities…After that meeting, Trudeau heads of to the Chamber of Commerce for a members-only “fireside chat….I note that the Chamber event is sponsored by “Advocate Partner” EverWind Fuels and “Host Partner” Nova Scotia Association of Realtors.”
Dec 3, 2023:
– Chrysalix Carbon Neutrality Fund Announces its First Investment in Deadwood Innovations, Developers of a Breakthrough Lumber Upgrading Solution for the Forestry Industry
Canadian Press “Chrysalix Venture Capital, a leading early-stage fund that specializes in transformational industrial innovation, is excited to announce an investment in Deadwood Innovations, developers of a solution to upgrade low-grade lumber, waste & underutilized species into high strength, durable & sustainable products in premium engineered wood markets. Also view Deadwood Innovations website “We harness the fast growth cycle colony trees, like aspen, which mature in about 30 years and do not require replanting. By focusing on underutilized species, we meet the increasing demand for building materials with a scalable, cost-effective approach and can leave old growth species undisturbed. Our chemi-thermo technology increases both the strength and stability of the lumber, creating a durable high quality product.” (All Canada-based technology Mfg)
–Biofuel consumption surges following implementation of Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations: Biofuels in Canada 2024 report
By Advanced Biofuels Canada in Canadian Biomass
Nov 26, 2024:
Finland shares bioeconomy strategies at Scaling Up Bio 2024
By Andrew Snook for Canadian Biomass. “…The first keynote speaker was the Government of Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Sari Essayah, who shared her country’s strategy for growing the bioeconomy in Finland at the Scaling Up Bio 2024 Conference in Ottawa…“In Finland, forest policy is relatively high on the national political agenda, and from the culture, you can understand why…The minster stated that the forest-based bioeconomy has great potential in creating well-being and products for consumers, but that we also need to work continuously to maintain forest regenerative capacity and sustainability.The minister discussed five areas of focus for growing the bioeconomy policy. The first one was attracting more skilled labour to the industry.
The first one was attracting more skilled labour to the industry…the second area of focus is the successful scale-up of businesses based on high-quality research and decision making.//The ability to measure and monitor the bioeconomy to steer it in the right direction was the third area of focus…The fourth and fifth areas of focus were creating consensus-based bioeconomy policies..”
– Protective coating for timber made from tree bark compounds
By Francesca Jacklin for www.chemistryworld.com “In an attempt to exploit the natural protective properties of tree bark, researchers in Sweden and Latvia have created a water-resistant coating for timber using compounds from birch and spruce bark. This is the first wood-protection coating sourced entirely from tree bark, with no additional chemicals.”
Nov 25, 2024:
– The green hydrogen for export dream is collapsing before our eyes; how much more public money will we dump into it?
Tim Bousquet in Morning File (Hfx Examiner), citing The hidden costs of Premier Tim Houston’s sustainable aviation fuel promise, Commentary by Larry Hughes for the Hfx Examiner. Hughes asks a very pertinent, very technical if counter-intuitive question – Where will the carbon dioxide come from?
Nov 22, 2024:
– More public money for EverWind: this time a $22.5 million federal grant for tugboats to move around green hydrogen that doesn’t exist
Joan Baxter in the HdxExaminer. Intro in Morning File.
Nov 21, 2024:
– Researchers have turned CO2 into fuel using electricity and bacteria
By Anthropocene Team for anthropocenemagazine.org “New route to turn carbon dioxide into fuel is 45 times more efficient and uses 45 times less land than making diesel from soybeans”
Nov 20, 2024:
Green hydrogen is a gargantuan scam
Joan Baxter in Morning File (Halifax Examiner. “Remember when Nova Scotia was going to get rich from the Sable Island methane field? They even dug up my street and put a methane line down it, offering discounts to my neighbours and me if we hooked up our stoves and such to burn methane instead of using electricity, which at least theoretically could one day be powered by renewable energy…Well now people see that burning methane isn’t such a great plan, and then Russia blocked shipments to Europe and Ukrainian spies blew up the North Sea pipelines, and that gave the billionaires their opportunity to pounce Why not replace that methane being burned in Germany with hydrogen? And we could make that hydrogen with renewable power, so it’d all be ‘green’! Germany could of course spin its own windmills and create its own green hydrogen, but that was too expensive. So instead of using locally produced green hydrogen, the billionaires planned for a convoluted international market in green hydrogen. The rubes in economically struggling backwaters like Atlantic Canada would be told that their wind was better than the wind in Germany, and they would all feel good about their world-class wind and be promised jobs! and so would agree to any ridiculous scheme.”
Nov 19, 2024:
The Norwegian Company Blamed for California’s Hydrogen Car Woes
Kyle Younker for Wired.Com “A civil fraud case reveals that the hydrogen fueling stations promoted by Toyota, Shell, and Chevron never worked in the first place…“The problem is, they’re expensive, and they require enormous amounts of maintenance,” says Jim Bowe, a Washington, D.C.-based partner at King & Spalding, an international law firm. “Fleets that have been looking at the possibility of hydrogen buses often balk when they realize how much more maintenance, not only for the refueling facilities, but also for the vehicles themselves, is required relative to internal combustion engines or batteries.” California-based FirstElement Fuel, another hydrogen fueling station provider, is positioned as a potential winner amid the crisis for the sector. Operating under the name True Zero, it currently has the most operating hydrogen fueling stations in California, but is still working to become profitable, according to sources familiar with the company.
Nov 17, 2024:
Burning Up the Biosphere: A Global Threat Map of Biomass Energy Development, 2024 update
by Sophie Bastable for Environmental Paper Network “New Report Exposes Massive Expansion and Serious Detrimental Impacts of Global Biomass Industry Misleadingly Defined as “Renewable”
Nov 15, 2024:
– The carbon tax is dead; long live the carbon removal charge
By Jamie Stephen, PhD, managing director for TorchLight Bioresources in Canadian Biomass. “The likely impending doom of the carbon tax opens the door for better policy, BECCS”
Nov 13, 2024
– Opinion: Biomass energy is a growing threat for climate, forests and B.C.’s value-added industry
Rachel Holt, Suzanne Simard in the Vacouver Sun “Only genuine waste — specifically sawdust — should be used in pellet production. Whole trees should never be allowed as pellet feedstock”
Nov 12, 2024:
– ‘Obviously dishonest’: Premier Tim Houston repeatedly met with green hydrogen investor Trent Vichie, then failed to properly file his expense claims, obscuring those meetings
Joan Baxter in the HalifaxExamier. Sybscription required. Intro in Morning File for Nov 13, 2024. “Joan Baxter reports on Tim Houston’s New York visits with Trent Vichie, the ultra-rich investor promoting massive “green” hydrogen projects in Nova Scotia. The trouble? None of them show up on Houston’s expense claims, where one would reasonably expect to see lobbying meetings reported.”
Nov 8, 2024:
Designer biochar could bring fertilizer pollution full-circle
By Emma Bryce for anthropocenemagazine.org “Researchers created a new kind of biochar that is not only made from waste, it also absorbs waste nutrients and recycles them back into the soil as fertilizer…A unique ‘designer biochar’ made from waste can remove up to 41% of the fertilizer pollution flowing off of agricultural fields, a new study reveals. What’s more, it shows that this phosphorus-enriched material can then be sprinkled back onto farm fields, returning nutrients to the soil and enhancing the potential for circular fertilizer to reform our food systems. This striking win-win was created with two key ingredients: sawdust and lime sludge, byproducts of milling and wastewater treatment. By pyrolyzing these at high temperatures under low-oxygen conditions, researchers were able to turn the organic materials into a charcoal-like biochar…Biochar has already attracted accolades for locking away carbon, improving irrigation, enriching soils, and even filtering out microplastics from the earth. Meanwhile, previous lab studies have shown that the ‘designer’ sawdust-and-lime biochar that the researchers review in the new paper can also extract excess phosphorus nutrients from soil, before it trickles off downstream. The new Water Research study is the first to examine that potential on the field.”
Nov 5, 2024:
– Are Biobased Microfibers Less Harmful than Conventional Plastic Microfibers
By University of Plymouth on Phys.Org. References paper in Environmental Science & Technology by same title by W. Courtene-Jones et al. “Our study highlights the importance of detailed testing before advocating specific materials as plastic alternatives/substitutes to conventional plastics.”
Oct 30, 2024:
– BluSky Carbon, Scotia BioChar deploy biochar pyrolysis equipment in Eastern Canada
In Canadian Biomass. “Carbon removal tech developer, BluSky Carbon Inc., with offices in Vancouver, B.C., is partnering with Nova Scotia biochar producer, Scotia BioChar Inc., on manufacturing equipment and consulting services.Scotia BioChar is working on becoming a producer of high-quality biochar from waste wood biomass found in central Nova Scotia. Several regional biomass sources are available, including the approximately 20 million tonnes of trees blown down during Hurricane Fiona in 2022.” More info about Blusky Carbon Inc. on AccessWire, Oct 25, 2024. “Scotia BioChar is headquartered in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada…Scotia is led by Liz MacKenzie (Co-Founder and President), who has successfully advanced projects from concept through comprehensive business and financial models. Additionally, Ms. MacKenzie has secured funding from both government and private sector sources. To date, she has committed up to $3.6M of capital financing for Scotia’s various projects. She has served as the VP Business Development for Grand River Ironsands, Inc, and as a Board Member of the Halifax Regional Municipality.Co-Founder, Vice President and a Director of Scotia BioChar Inc., Mr. Francis MacKenzie, is an experienced entrepreneur and serves as President of several industrial projects that collectively represent approximately $50 million (CAD) invested to-date, including Pure Fonte Ltée, a private company focussed on low carbon production of cast iron, a key raw material required by electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills in North America, and Labrador Sands Inc., focused on its confirmed feldspar grade, separation process and business model to strengthen concrete and reduce its carbon footprint. Also View https://bluskycarbon.com/, addresses in British Columbia and Connecticut, USA. Also view: BluSky Carbon Signs Master Services Agreement with Scotia BioChar, Oct 25, 2024 by BluSky
Oct 29, 2024:
– Action against forest biomass subsidies gains momentum at COP16
cover image
Justin Catanoso for MongaBay “Forest advocates have long warned that burning forest biomass to make energy — touted as a climate solution by the forestry industry — releases more carbon emissions than coal does per unit of electricity generated. They’ve argued that cutting trees to turn them into wood pellets degrades forest carbon stores and biodiversity.
This week those arguments are finally being heard at the COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia. Also being seriously considered are the “perverse subsidies” offered to the forestry industry by national governments to convert forests into wood pellets, and to biomass power plants that burn those pellets.
These issues have not achieved such a high level of official notice before at a UN summit and could result in the question of forest biomass subsidies being raised at the COP29 climate meeting next month in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The illogic of forest biomass burning was especially noted by Barry Gardiner, a UK member of Parliament who objects to huge taxpayer subsidies paid to Drax, a British biomass power plant operator. “That’s $9 billion in public money spent making our air pollution and our carbon emissions worse,” while razing forests.”
Oct 8, 2024:
– Timber trail blazers see new growth in green building drive
By Darius Snieckus| Part 5 of Big Green Build in the National Observer. “Lumber was once a go-to building material before concrete and steel took over. Now, reborn as mass timber, it may be on the cusp of a comeback as the construction sector steps up its green transition.” The article covers pros and cons of Mass Timber in Canada, from a green perspective.
Sep 30, 2024:
– Letter: Geographers needed to explain impact of N.L. land loss to mines, wind-to-hydrogen projects
Letter by Allan Hann, NL, in Saltwire (Subscription may be required). “Dear geographers, it seems the island of Newfoundland teeters at the edge of the most extreme cumulative environmental disaster in its history (at least above water). Massive areas of wild places will be cleared, and endless new roads will be cut into our forests to accommodate clearcutting operations, mines and wind-to-hydrogen projects. The colourful maps provided for these projects are vague and difficult to interpret… Dear geographers, please let us know how much living space we’re going to lose in the coming decade. For example, how many miles of hard compacted roads will be built to accommodate clearcuts and energy projects? I mean, if you added all the new roads together, how big of an area will be lost? Something the size of the mall, 10 malls, or more? How much land will be covered in concrete? Please help us visualize and understand these impacts. Will caribou and other species have a quiet place to give birth? What do these projects and roads mean for the climate? Will wind-to-hydrogen lower our light bills? What’s the overall carbon footprint? How will increased vehicle access to wild places, paired with biodiversity loss, affect our communities and culture?…”
Sep 24, 2024:
Guysborough residents, environmental advocates concerned about ‘endless’ list of negative effects from another green hydrogen project
By Suzanne Rent in the Halifax Examiner. “Residents of Guysborough and environmental advocates are concerned about the loss of wilderness and the effects on forests, watercourses, wetlands, wildlife and their communities as yet another company announces a green hydrogen project – the third – for Nova Scotia. The latest player to join the fray is Irish company Simply Blue…”
Sep 16, 2024:
Going Negative: How Canada Can Help Decarbonize the World
By Dr. Jamie Stephen in www.policymagazine.ca/ “… What is the primary problem with Canada’s climate policy? It is not designed for Canada. It does not reflect our northern, resource-dependent economy. Nor does it reflect the geographic realities or regional differences of Canada. In general, a moral argument, instead of an economic one, has been used for climate policy. This, along with spurious claims that buying an EV or heat pumps will stop wildfires or floods, has led to public disillusionment on climate action. It doesn’t need to be this way. Canada can be a world leader in decarbonization – not only of our own economy, but those of other nations as well. But it requires a complete shift in climate policy approach and mindset to one that values economic efficiency, carbon efficiency, and exports….So how do trees allow us to meet climate goals while growing our resource-dependent economy and meeting the energy needs of our international customers such as Japan, Korea, Germany, and the UK? By coupling the power of healthy, growing trees to remove CO2 from the atmosphere with a technology combination known as BECCS: BioEnergy with Carbon Capture and Storage.” Other articles advocating Big Forestry Solutions to Just-About-Everything are presented in this Special Ed. of Canadian Politics and Public Policy Magazine. Write David Graham and Derek Noghbor in Forestry for the Future:
Canada’s forest sector is poised to help reduce this country’s carbon emissions, support the conservation of biodiversity, mitigate the risks of more catastrophic wildfires, and grow a greener and more innovative economy. Now more than ever, we need the federal government’s commitment to improving policy coherence so the sector and its workers can achieve our full potential.
Sep 14, 2024:
Dreams of producing biofuel from Nova Scotia forests just got very big 14Sep2024
Post on this website. “Dreams of a Biorefinery in Nova Scotia and related concepts (Bioplastics, Biofuel, and Bioeconomy…) go back to 2012, the closure of the Bowater-Mersey Mill, and to the birth and eventual passing of “Cellufuel”, courtesy of many taxpayer $. But the dream didn’t die. [re: item for Sep 13, 2024 below]”
Sep 13, 2024:
– Renewable energy megaproject announced for Nova Scotia (Video News 2 min)
CBC “Executives from an Irish company were in Halifax on Friday to reveal plans for a renewable energy megaproject on the Eastern Shore. The company wants to convert wind, solar and biomass energy into jet fuel. Taryn Grant has the story.”
– Irish company planning to produce jet fuel in Goldboro, N.S., at former LNG site
By Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press , posted om halifax.citynews.ca “An energy firm based in Ireland says it is planning to produce sustainable aviation fuel at the site where a liquefied natural gas project had been proposed on Nova Scotia’s eastern shore…Simply Blue Group announced Friday that construction would begin in 2026 with the biofuel project expected to be operating by 2029 in Goldboro, N.S., about 165 kilometres northeast of Halifax…The company says it has secured about 305 hectares of land for development, including 108 hectares previously owned by Calgary-base Pieridae Energy, which had planned to build a $10-billion liquified natural gas export terminal at the site. But the project, proposed in 2012, was shelved in 2021…Simply Blue says that every year its Goldboro project will source about 700,000 tonnes of wood biomass through Wagner Forest NS Ltd. to produce 150,000 tonnes of the fuel. Wood biomass is typically defined as residue from the wood processing industry and material left behind by forest management, but it can also be created by harvesting smaller, less-desirable trees…Meanwhile, the company also said it will make use of wind and solar power to produce the fuel. Tory Rushton, the province’s natural resources minister, issued a statement saying the plant could represent a new market for the province’s forestry sector. “We know many landowners have an abundance of low-grade wood fibre …. so this is another renewable energy project coming to Nova Scotia,” the minister said, adding that the project requires environmental and safety approvals…Raymond Plourde, wilderness co-ordinator at the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, said in an interview the term “low-grade” biomass doesn’t only refer to the wood chips and sawdust created in sawmills, but it can also include cutting species of trees unwanted by sawmills. He said 700,000 tonnes of biomass a year is “huge,” and he estimates it represents the “consumptive capacity” of a medium-sized pulp mill. ”
– Researchers make breakthrough with genetically engineered wood that could transform the construction industry: ‘One major step for us’
Story by Sam Westmoreland in www.msn.com. “Researchers have made a major breakthrough regarding genetically engineered wood, and it could revolutionize the push for green construction practices. According to Innovation News Network, scientists have created a form of poplar wood that is as strong as chemically treated wood and on par with aluminum in terms of tensile strength… They accomplished this by using base editing to affect a key genome in poplar trees that deals with the production of lignin…By genetically removing that lignin from the wood before the trees have grown, scientists can reduce our reliance on harmful chemicals and further reduce the carbon footprint of construction.” (TreeFrog Sep 13, 2024 Summary)
Aug 21, 2024:
Natural Resources Canada invests in Canadian team advancing research to support domestic clean fuels production capacity and energy innovation
On Canadian Nuclear Labs. “The two projects focus on producing synthetic fuels to help Canada meet its net-zero emission target”
Aug 13, 2024:
– Clean Fuel Fund helping transition Nova Scotia industries to biofuels, biomass
By Canadian Biomass staff In www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca. Also view: Funding Available for Industries to Move Toward Cleaner Fuels, NRR News Release Aug 13, 2024.
Aug 2, 2024:
Membertou First Nation builds area’s first mass timber commercial building
By Don Procter Daily Commercial News “The Membertou First Nation near Sydney, Cape Breton, is building the area’s first mass timber commercial building, a 92,000-square-foot office complex as part of the community’s Seventh Exchange, a new 35-acre retail and service district.”
July 31, 2024
$300 million more federal funds to support ‘green’ hydrogen production and exports from Atlantic Canada
Jennifer Henderson in the Halifax Examiner. Subscription Required. Summary in Morning File for Aug 1 “The financing [Natural Resources Minister Jonathan] Wilkinson announced on Wednesday is intended to bridge the gap between the price industries in Germany are willing to pay to convert from so-called “natural” fossil gas that is mostly methane, to more expensive hydrogen fuel, and the price it costs developers to produce it – including John Risley’s World Energy GH2 company that has proposed a hydrogen plant and massive wind projects near Stephenville, in Newfoundland and Labrador.”>reports. Henderson writes:”The financing [Natural Resources Minister Jonathan] Wilkinson announced on Wednesday is intended to bridge the gap between the price industries in Germany are willing to pay to convert from so-called “natural” fossil gas that is mostly methane, to more expensive hydrogen fuel, and the price it costs developers to produce it – including John Risley’s World Energy GH2 company that has proposed a hydrogen plant and massive wind projects near Stephenville, in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
– ‘A terrible use’ of public money: Critics slam federal government handouts for ‘green’ hydrogen exports to Germany from Atlantic Canada
Joan Baxter in Halifax Examiner. Subscription required. Summary in Morning File for Aug 1. ” In a scathing statement, Julia Levin, associate director of national climate for the Canadian environmental advocacy organization, Environmental Defence, described the $300 million handout for the Canada-Germany Alliance as a “terrible use of taxpayer money for an energy-intensive, inefficient and expensive hydrogen scheme.”… Levin noted that hydrogen is being presented as a climate change solution because when it is burned, it doesn’t create any greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “But that hides hydrogen’s dirty secret – when it leaks into the atmosphere it actually does contribute to global heating,” Levin wrote. “And it leaks a lot.”
July 30, 2024:
– Government of Canada and Province of Nova Scotia Unveil Collaboration Framework to Drive Economic Growth and Create Jobs
Natural Resources Canada, News Release, “The Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia are working together to build a low-carbon economy that drives clean growth and creates good, sustainable jobs throughout the province and across the country…The Collaboration Framework identifies six areas of economic opportunity to pursue: hydrogen, marine renewables, clean electricity, critical minerals, the forest bioeconomy and carbon management. In all of these areas, companies across the province are already moving to seize the economic opportunities they present, and the federal and provincial governments will be there to support them….” Under “Related Products”, there is a link Regional Energy and Resource Tables – Nova Scotia which list in some detail the governments’ perspectives on Carbon management, Clean electricity, Critical minerals, Forest bioeconomy, Hydrogen, Marine renewables, Sustainable jobs
Jul 29,2024
– Scaling Up Bio 2024 (Announcement)
Delivering Low Carbon Intensity Canada’s 9th annual industrial bioeconomy business conference. November 25 – 27, 2024
Jul 28, 2024:
Mass timber’s sustainability promise: does it stack up?
Andrew Miller for www.oregonlive.com “…questions over mass timber’s sustainability matter equally to its advocates and its opponents, who have very different standards for what constitutes sustainable. And it matters to taxpayers, who have contributed millions of dollars in federal and state investment toward its research and development.”
– WPAC Conference & Tradeshow to highlight The Role of Biomass in Electrification
“The Wood Pellet Association of Canada Conference is Canada’s largest gathering of the Canadian wood pellet industry. Each year, the event attracts hundreds of wood pellet, biomass and bioenergy professionals from across the country, as well the U.S., Europe and Asia, to discuss the issues that are having an impact on the industry here in Canada. The WPAC Conference is your opportunity to learn about the most important issues from industry experts around the globe.” Under 2024 Conference Schedule the theme is “Powering Sustainability The Role of Biomass in Electrification”, with SESSION #1: The Electrification Revolution, SESSION #2: The Role of Biomass in Electrification” Keynote Address for the Conference is Bob McDonald of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks. “Keynote: Solving the Climate Crisis With Today’s Technology, Bob McDonald. Moderator: Vaughan Bassett, Senior Vice President, Biomass Sales and Logistics, Drax Group”
July 23, 2024:
– 2024 Mass Timber Roadmap (PDF)
The Transition Accelerator in partnership with FPAC.ca, Canadian Wood Council, EneregyFutureesLab. Intro as cited in TreeFrog News for Jul 24, 2024. “Unlocking the potential of Mass Timber across Canada will significantly address many key challenges of building taller with wood given its ability to accelerate housing construction time by as much as 20%; drive economic activities and create jobs in rural and Indigenous communities; and reduce carbon intensity of construction and providing long term carbon storage. Canada’s forest sector is ready to scale efforts around mass timber to maximize those benefits and compete globally. In June, Canada’s Transition Accelerator launched its 2024 Mass Timber Roadmap, making the case and outlining the need for mass timber in Canada. This report was a collaborative effort of over 50 participants from Canada’s mass timber value chain — including business, government, research institutions, Indigenous communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). …The roadmap proposes an ambitious vision and calls on industry, business, stakeholders, and government to come together to advance and implement this vision.” Of Note Re Atlantic Canada, on page 21: “While softwoods currently provide the majority of feedstock, there are opportunities to exploit more hardwood species in certain market segments. European producers have developed glulam and LVL from species such as beech and oak, and these technologies can be expected to be applied to North American hardwoods, providing mostly opportunities for Eastern Canada, as well as the U.S. Northeast.”
July 22, 2024:
Competition Bureau outlines what can be considered corporate greenwashing
Jeffrey Jones in Globe & Mail, July 22, 2024 (Subscription required). From Treefrog Forestry News: “OTTAWA — The Competition Bureau has published guidance on what might constitute corporate greenwashing as it begins consultations over how it will implement Ottawa’s contentious new measures aimed at preventing false and misleading environmental claims. The bureau said goals and timelines for achieving environmental objectives such as reducing carbon emissions must be supported by clear and specific plans, and not just be aspirational. It also warned companies against trying to shield their green assertions with disclaimers. The agency issued the commentary on Monday as it launched a request for feedback to help it formulate plans for implementing the new measures, which some companies, industry associations and provincial governments have criticized for being vague and heavy-handed. The consultation period runs to Sept. 27. Bill C-59 contains the controversial amendment to the Competition Act that puts companies at legal risk for making environmental assertions that do not stand up to scrutiny. ”
Jul 11, 2024:
Unhappy with new greenwashing rules, Alberta and fossil fuel companies push back
Benjamin Shingler · CBC News “Consultations planned for law aimed at cracking down on misleading environmental claims”
July 4, 2024:
Competition Bureau statement regarding guidance on Competition Act’s new greenwashing provisions
On Canada.ca, From: Competition Bureau Canada, . Following the passage of amendments to the Competition Act on June 20, 2024, the Competition Bureau has received a large number of requests for guidance on the interpretation of new provisions aimed at greenwashing. These provisions require that companies be able to substantiate environmental claims made to promote a product or business interest. To facilitate compliance with these new provisions, the Bureau will develop guidance on an accelerated basis in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders. To inform this process, we will launch a public consultation in the coming weeks to gather views and input. Prior to our consultation on the greenwashing provisions, we welcome comments on any of the recent amendments to the Competition Act through our Guidance Feedback Form. The Bureau is committed to principled, transparent, and evidence-based enforcement of the Competition Act.” Associated Links and Contacts provided.
Jul 2, 2024:
– Province collects no reclamation security for large wind projects
Joan Baxter in the Halifax Examiner “In April this year, Premier Tim Houston hosted a town hall meeting in Pictou County about the proposed 100-turbine wind farm being proposed by Bear Head Energy, and found himself pummelled with tough questions from the audience. Many worried about the project’s environmental impact on their picturesque corner of the province with its rolling, wooded…”
Into in Morning File
Jun 27, 2024:
– Nova Scotia wood chips dumped into Iceland coastal waters and called ‘carbon capture’
By Joan Baxter in The Halifax Examiner (subscription required, intro in Morning File) “In 2022, credulous media were writing flamboyant headlines venerating Running Tide CEO Marty Odlin as “the guy who wants to help save the planet with thousands of buoys, seaweed and giant antacids.” … Spotify and Microsoft were so taken by the hype that both bought carbon credits from Running Tide, which bills itself as a carbon-sequestration company that can “fix the planet.” …Two years after those big headlines Running Tide is being shut down. … On June 14, the Icelandic weekly newspaper, Heimildin, known for its investigative journalism, published an article about Running Tide’s carbon capture scheme, noting that it sounded “too good to be true.” That’s because it was. … last summer Running Tide dumped 19,000 tonnes of wood chips into Iceland’s coastal waters, “completely unsupervised.” … the “Canadian” wood chips Running Tide dumped were shipped from Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia … On June 14, Odlin reported that he was shutting down Running Tide’s global operations…”
Jun 26, 2024:
– S5 EP1 | Keeping up with the Competition Act (Podcast, 45 min)
On /www.nortonrosefulbright.com/ “Transformative changes to the Competition Act are here. How will they affect the competition disputes landscape? To kick off season 5 of Disputed, hosts Ted Brook and Erin Brown sit down to discuss the changes with guests Chris Hersh, Partner and Canadian Head of Antitrust and Competition based in Toronto, and Eric Lefebvre, Partner and litigator based in Montreal. In addition to the changes to the Competition Act, this episode covers the current status of bills C-59 and C-56 and their compounding effects on the potential for expanded competition litigation; environmental performance claims; and why there’s still so much uncertainty in this area. Ted, Erin, Chris and Eric discuss why the changes could result in a significant uptick in litigation on competition issues, particularly where NGOs are eager to bring complaints.”Tip of the Hat to Rob B. for forwarding this item ” I think this will be of significant interest to anyone interested in legal approaches to conservation protection and misleading environmental claims. Major changes are: 1) giving regular citizens the right to launch legal complaints about misleading and false advertising. 2) Raising the bar for corporations and their responsibilities to follow ethical guidelines/rules. 3) Increased financial penalties for rule breakers. 4) Easier access for class action lawsuits — eg, class actions are not restricted to the Competition Bureau’s discretion — private citizens and groups can now also push class action suits with the Bureau’s approval.”
June 14, 2024:
– Government of Canada invests in discovery and applied research to keep the country at the forefront of scientific advancements
NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada). Page provides links to grants from the feds to support research across Canada
– 4 Growing Threats to Europe’s Forests: Logging, Bioenergy, Wildfires and Pests
By Sarah Carter World Resources Institute
June 8, 2024:
– The Clear Cut – Canada’s Forestry PR: A Game of Deception
Joa Baxter interviewed by BuzzSprout. ”
We sit down with Joan Baxter from the Halifax Examiner about her recent article on the growing problem of greenwashing in an age of digital information sharing. We discuss the Forest Products Association’s (FPAC) ‘Forestry for the Future’ advertising campaign that’s been proliferating across social media…Read Joan’s article in the Halifax Examiner.”