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WasteLess.ca recently hosted a film titled Plastic People on the topic of microplastics. Microplastics are defined as pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm. Microplastics much smaller than this, however, are being found in, well, everything. Imagine dividing the edge of a dime into 1000 slices – that is a micrometer. Invisible to the eye,…
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Letter to the University of Lethbridge The University of Lethbridge Business Corporation (ULBC) is in the process of conducting a market analysis that will guide the South Campus Development of approximately 100 acres owned by the University (1). Part of the area proposed for housing development has been identified in the City of Lethbridge Environment…
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This post was originally published on ABlawg.ca Conclusions This ABlawg post has critiqued the amendments to the Water Act that expand government emergency powers focusing on the ability of Cabinet to order an inter-basin transfer to deal with emergencies. With respect to inter-basin transfers, we conclude that as inter-basin transfers need prior long-term planning, have potential serious…
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A presentation by Cheryl Bradley, September 2024 Thank you for inviting me to this event that recognizes World Rivers Day, the 22nd of September 2024. World Rivers Day, launched by the United Nations in 2005, is a day to celebrate rivers and create greater awareness of the need to better care for our water resources.…
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The following summary is specific to Lethbridge. (Most decisions to make a residential home ‘greener’ depend on the local climate, solar incidence, water availability, sources of electricity production, costs of energy, etc.) Green Building Compared to our standard home, we have: Initial Total Heat Loss = 128 GJ Total Saved = 75 GJ Greener Home…
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There are a number of things you can do to reduce the energy consumption (and the associated greenhouse gas emissions) of your home. The following discussion is based on a 30 ft x 30 ft bungalow with a full basement in Lethbridge, Alberta. Heat loss from a home has two main paths. The first is…
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Solar Panels (photovoltaic, PV) create direct-current (DC) electricity when exposed to the sun. The DC electricity is converted into AC and conditioned so that it may be used in the home or sent to the grid. The grid describes the electricity generation and transmission lines used to distribute electricity to the user, like your home.…
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Windows are an important consideration in reducing heat loss from a home. Designed well, they also allow for passive gains from sunlight entering the home. The main difficulty in assessing the economics of upgrading windows in a home is in the wide range of styles and materials used to make them – styles like bay…
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There has been a lot of interest in using heat pumps for heating and cooling our homes, thereby reducing energy bills and reducing our carbon emission footprint in Canada. The problem is that each location has its own climate, types of energy used, and energy prices – the decision on how best to heat and…
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Letter to Minister Schulz, Minister Sigurdson, Minister Loewen and Minister McIver Recent proposals for over 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) of irrigation agriculture expansion within the South Saskatchewan River basin have raised several concerns about environmental impacts, including potential loss of native grasslands. Native grasslands are valued by Albertans as habitat for a broad diversity of…