EnviroPolitics Blog

Canada plans to fund the net-zero energy ready residential buildings

The feds will invest over $2.4M in a project led by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA)

By DERICK LILA, pvbuzz

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources announced an investment of over $2,445,000 toward the construction of energy-efficient residential buildings across Canada.

The funding will support a project led by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) that will enable seven housing builders to construct net-zero energy and net-zero energy ready residential buildings in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.

The project is looking to demonstrate it is possible to construct net-zero energy ready housing with reduced cost and construction time, which will in turn inspire energy-efficient changes throughout Canada’s construction industry.

The investment is part of the government’s commitment to fight climate change, advance our clean energy future, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Buildings and homes contribute approximately 17 percent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Net-zero energy buildings are designed and constructed to produce at least as much energy as they consume on an annual basis.

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Watch: “Why Diesel Cars Are Disappearing.” CBS explores the past, present and likely future of the diesel engine.

Today, diesel engines are known to be heavy-duty, hardworking engines, most commonly found in heavy machinery. But their reputation for being fuel efficient made them a once popular choice for cars across parts of the world. Then the case for diesel seemed to crash in the 90s, when global health authorities determined diesel to be carcinogenic.

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Dow tumbles more than 700 points as coronavirus spike slams brakes on momentum

Energy, industrials, real estate and financials — industries tied to a reviving economy — led all 11 stock market sectors into the red

By Thomas Heath and Hamza Shaban Washington Post
June 24, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. EDT

Coronavirus infections sweeping across the southern United States on Wednesday reawakened investor alarm that the stubborn disease might derail an economic recovery and slammed the breaks on stock market momentum.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 709 points, or 2.7 percent, settling at 25,447 on the day after falling as low as 859. The blue-chip index is still poised to post one of its best quarters in history, but remains down around 10 percent for 2020.

“Wishful thinking has given way to practical reality when it comes to Covid-19,” said Daniel P. Wiener, chairman of Adviser Investments. “Warm weather and a reduction in the rate of deaths does not give people the right to go out and party. They partied, the market partied and the hangover begins.”

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 81 points, or 2.6 percent, to close at 3,050. The broad index, like the Dow and Nasdaq composite, is on track for one of its best quarters in decades. The S&P is down 5 percent in 2020.

The Nasdaq, whose technology stocks have powered markets out of their spring depths, snapped an eight-day winning streak on Wednesday, falling from its all-time high. The Nasdaq slid 222 points, or 2.2 percent., to close at 9,909.

The sell-off was wide and deep, marking the steepest drop since June 11. Crude oil fell 6 percent. European indexes closed down 3 percent. Even high-flying mega-tech stocks like Microsoft, Apple and Alphabet finished negative.

Energy, industrials, real estate and financials — industries tied to a reviving economy — led all 11 stock market sectors into the red as Florida, Texas and Arizona reported spikes in virus outbreaks. Airline stocks dove after officials in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey announced 14-day quarantines on incoming travelers from virus hot spots.

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Pa. governor pushes back deadline for DEP to ‘develop a strong plan’ on greenhouse gases

By Paul Vigna PennLive | pvigna@pennlive.com

Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday gave the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) a six-week extension to develop a proposed rulemaking to allow Pennsylvania to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Initially, the governor through executive action instructed DEP to develop a plan to present to the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) by July 31. Under the amended executive order, the deadline has been extended to Sept. 15, according to a press release.

Wolf said Monday that “amending this order will provide DEP with more time to develop a strong plan without impacting our ~~over~~ goals for implementing the regulation.”

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Nevada latest state to adopt California zero-emission car rules

David Shepardson reports for Reuters

Nevada’s governor said on Monday his state plans to adopt California’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate and tailpipe emissions rules even as the Trump administration has moved to strip states of the right to implement such requirements.

Nevada will be the latest state to adopt California’s low-and zero-emission vehicle rules following similar announcements by Washington in March and Minnesota and New Mexico in September.

Governor Steve Sisolak said the “new regulations will not require anyone to give up their current vehicle or choose one that does not work for their lifestyle or business needs.”

California’s vehicle emissions rules, which are more stringent than rules advocated by the Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump, are currently followed by states accounting for more than 40% of U.S. vehicle sales.

In September, a group of 23 states sued to block the Trump administration from undoing California’s authority to set strict car pollution rules and require more electric cars.

John Bozzella, who heads an auto trade group representing General Motors Co, Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp and other major automakers, noted that by 2025, the industry’s investment in electric cars will exceed $200 billion.

Automakers “are committed to working with Governor Sisolak and state regulators toward a smoother transition to ZEV adoption that includes expanded consumer awareness, infrastructure, incentives, fleet requirements, building codes, fuel requirements, and more,” Bozzella said in a statement.

In March, the Trump administration completed a rollback of vehicle emissions rules instituted under former president Barack Obama that had required 5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, and reduced those requirements to 1.5%.

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Former technician admits to falsifying weld records on Mariner East pipeline in Pa.

By Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A former pipeline technician admitted Monday that he falsified documents indicating welds on the Mariner East pipeline in Westmoreland County had been properly X-rayed when they had not been.

Joshua Springer of Scottdale, Westmoreland County, had worked on Energy Transfer’s Mariner East 2 pipeline between May 2017 and June 2018, mostly responsible for a 20-mile segment between Houston, Pa., and Delmont.

His job was to take X-rays of welds and interpret the data to make sure the welds were good, then record the findings in reports sent to Energy Transfer, a Texas-based energy company.

Energy Transfer had previously said that the company’s outside auditors discovered the falsified records in 2018, before the pipeline was put into service. The company said it immediately reported the fraud to regulatory authorities and Mr. Springer was fired by his employer.

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