Tag Archives: Electric Vehicles

Environment, Opinion

How are we doing with Climate Change? The ABC’s of Global Warming

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By Ingo Overmann

It is my sincere  belief that thereason we are NOT making the urgently needed progress on climatechange is because far too many people do not understand the ABC’s.This applies to residents of remote areas like Smithers and Cortes Island just as much as someone living in the densely packed suburbs of GreaterVancouver.  If you want to test that statement for yourself, please ask the next 10 ordinary people you meet ‘How many POUNDS of CO2are created by the use of 1 litre of gasoline?’ Prepare to be amazed.We may be prey to the greenwashing and misleading statements of climate change deniers, but the lack of knowledge lies with us, and is ours to change. 

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Environment, Transportation

The need for more electricity in an expanding EV market

British Columbia is feeling the strain of a rapidly expanding EV market.  

On January 11, 2024, BC Hydro stated there are more than 150,000 EVs on the province’’s roads. While It is more difficult to access local data, ICBC figures show that in 2022 there were 11 EVs registered on Cortes Island, 19 in Quathiaski Cove, 172 in Powell River, 190 in Campbell River, 228 in Comox, and 370 in Courtenay. 

In addition to being hailed as a partial solution to the climate crisis, an increasing number of drivers find they prefer EVs to gas cars. 96% of the EV owners who responded to a BCAA survey last year stated they found EVs to be more affordable and intend to purchase another in the future. 

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Energy

BC Hydro CEO talks Site C, First Nations, and renewable energy at Creating Energy Conference

Edward Hitchins, Energeticcity.ca, Local Journalism Initiative

BC Hydro Chief Executive Officer Chris O’Reilly spoke of the future of renewable energy as the keynote speaker on the first day of the Creating Energy Conference in Fort St. John on May 21st.

According to the event’s website, the three-day event, which is being held at the Ramada Northern Grand Hotel and Conference Centre at 9830 100th Avenue, hopes to bring awareness and evolving information to northern communities about all levels of Pan-Canadian Clean Energy support and production.

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Politics, Transportation

Canada’s New Electric Vehicle Availability Standard

On Tuesday, December 19, The Government of Canada announced a gradual phasing out of gas powered light vehicle sales until 2035, after which all new vehicles must be 100% emissions free.

“Transportation is the most polluting  sector in Canada after oil and gas, a lot of that comes from road transportation. So from the vehicles we drive that are on the road, from sitting in traffic. This regulation is aiming  to ensure that we’re putting forward technologies like zero emission vehicles, that includes electric vehicles, that will drastically reduce emissions within that sector and this regulation says that it will have emissions reductions of 360 million tons. That’s the equivalent of 62,000 Olympic swimming pools full of gas that have been burned,” explained Meena Bibra, Senior Policy Analyst with Clean Energy Canada. 

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Transportation

The carbon footprint of longer distance travel to and from Cortes Island

The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) just released a report on the carbon footprint made by longer distance trips to and from Cortes Island. 

Many of their findings are to be expected. Taking a plane off the island creates a great deal more emissions than driving a car, and people who carpool or take a bus are responsible for only a fraction of that vehicle’s pollution.  

One of the biggest contributors to our local footprint is the Cortes-Quadra ferry, which creates approximately 1 kg of carbon emissions for every walk-on and 12 kg for every car. 

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