Your Daily Greens – Saskatchewan Oilsands, Galapagos Disaster, 2003 Blackout Anniversary

Daily happenings around the GreenSphere (People, Companies & Communities):

Saskatchewan Oilsands: The Saskatchewan Environmental Society is calling for a three-year time out on oilsands development. They want to avoid the ecological disaster created by Alberta as the pace of exploration accelerates in northwest Saskatchewan. The oilsands there are not in production yet, but it is estimated they could potentially hold as much as 2.3 billion barrels of bitumen. The society is requesting studies and consultations to be done at the cost of an estimated $15 million.

The deep oilsands deposits in Saskatchewan would likely not be pit mined, people in the industry say. Instead, they would be extracted through “in situ” processes, such as where steam is used to pipe the material to the surface. This would mean Saskatchewan’s oilsands developments would be even more greenhouse-gas-intensive than that of Alberta.

Galapagos Disaster: A new study has warned of the possible dangers the Galapagos Islands face due to tourism. Mosquitoes brought into the Galapagos on tourist planes and boats threaten to wreak “ecological disaster” on the islands inhabitants. Various species such as the giant tortoise, marine iguanas, sea lions and finches are threatened by diseases like avian malaria or West Nile. Ecuador recently introduced the requirement that all aircraft flying to the Galapagos have insecticide treatment, but scientists say similar moves are needed for ships.

Rising Green Sector: According to ECO Canada, engineers, geologists, public relations specialists, computer scientists and biologists will be in high demand in the green sector this year. ECO Canada’s 2008 employment labor survey stated that 65 per cent of environmental employers in Canada were hiring in 2008 and 71 per cent of green firms said that they plan to expand their business in the next two years.

Cleveland’s Comeback: Cleveland, Ohio, may soon look more like a country escape as it aims to go green after being on the urban decline for years, losing nearly ten per cent of its population since 2000. With vacant houses and abandoned properties due to foreclosures and economic hardships, plenty of land is available for proposed orchards and vineyards, which will help property prices recover. The move may help the once proud manufacturing powerhouse to stabilize itself within this downward trend, as it doesn’t seem likely that population growth will occur any time soon.

2003 Blackout Anniversary: Today, August 14, is a dark day in history. Literally, that is. It’s the 6-year anniversary of the 2003 Northeast Blackout, which left 50 million people without power across the Northeast and Midwest United States as well as parts of Canada. It’s estimated that the economy lost as much as $10 billion. Six years later, people are still questioning whether ‘the grid’ is as reliable and secure as it should be – while initiatives such as GridWise are working on technologies to modernize the electric grid and utilize renewable resources for energy.

Tagged as: Blackout, Careers, Galapagos, Oilsands