All posts by Roy Hales

What Happened To Energiewende?

By Roy L Hales

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Germany led the world for the number of solar installations during 2012. This relatively small European nation added 7.60 GW of capacity to the grid. Then their numbers started going downward: 3.30 GW of new solar capacity in 2013; 1.56 GW in 2014; 1.4 GW in 2015. As of October 31, only 0.79 GW of new capacity has been added this year. Germany’s critics are once again hailing the imminent demise of this nation’s renewable revolution.  What happened to Energiewende?

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Protesting Anticipated Approval of Kinder Morgan’s Pipeline Expansion

By Roy L Hales

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As decision time approaches, most of us know the government of Canada to enable the flow of more diluted bitumen through the most populated region of British Columbia. The cost, in terms of the Liberal party’s political future in this province, could be great. A recent Insights West poll found that 64% of the people who voted for them in the last election oppose the pipeline. One of their own MP’s made the public appeal, “I ask you to listen to the collective wisdom of British Columbians.” Thousands are protesting anticipated approval of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion.

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Potentially Embarrassing Questions About BC’s Stumpage Rates

By Roy L Hales

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During a recent interview, Campbell River film maker Damien Gillis said “there would be a great deal of outrage” if the public knew the degree to which we subsidize logging old growth forests. These subsidies come in the form of lower stumpage fees for the remote areas where most of our surviving ancient forests still persist.  Gillis also informed me this is a central issue in the United States’ softwood dispute with Canada. After the interview, I drew up a series of potentially embarrassing questions about BC’s stumpage rates.

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Inside One Of British Columbia’s Disappearing Old Growth Rainforests

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Most of us have seen historical photographs of the great forests that once stood in British Columbia. Though his family has worked in the forestry sector for a century, Damien Gillis’ first view of a forest like this came during a six-day-trek into the Incomappleux Valley. The award winning Campbell River documentary film maker (Fractured Land, Oil in Eden) says, “it was like nothing I’ve seen before, just the way the ecosystem is really a cycle of life, death and rebirth right before your eyes.” Some of the trees he saw had been saplings around the time of the Roman Empire. The resulting documentary, Primeval: Enter the Incomappleux offers viewers a rare glimpse inside one of BC’s disappearing old growth rainforests.

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The United States’ New PACE Guidelines

By Roy L Hales

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The United States largest Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) providers do not anticipate any complications. Both Renovate America and Ygrene believe they are already inline with most of what the government is suggesting. After months of review, the Department of Energy (DOE) released the United States’ PACE Guidelines.

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