WE NEED A PROVINCIAL INSURANCE PLAN
Alberta freezes auto insurance rates for the rest of 2023

The pause on insurance increases reverses what Toews and the UCP government has insisted for years — that rate caps don't work and only put a Band-aid on deeper problems.

Thu, January 26, 2023 

(Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press - image credit)

The Alberta government will not approve auto insurance rate increases for the remainder of 2023.

Finance Minster Travis Toews and Affordability and Utilities Minister Matt Jones said in a news release Thursday the province will also look at short- and longer-term measures to get insurance rates in check.

Some rate increases will still go ahead if they were previously approved or if a driver incurs an at-fault claim or a ticket. Drivers can also see increases if they move to another address or insure a different vehicle.

The move comes several years after the UCP government decided not to renew the five per cent rate cap implemented by the previous NDP government.

These caveats prompted NDP finance critic Shannon Phillips to call the announcement a "fake freeze."

"The UCP lifted the rate cap brought in by our Alberta NDP government and insurance premiums skyrocketed," she said in a news release.

"Auto insurance rates went up as much as 30 per cent during the pandemic — a time when Albertans were driving and working less — and the UCP did nothing. "

The pause on insurance increases reverses what Toews and the UCP government has insisted for years — that rate caps don't work and only put a Band-aid on deeper problems.

Toews told reporters at the Alberta legislature Thursday that a temporary freeze isn't the same as a cap.

In December 2019, the government announced the creation of a committee to look at the root causes of the increases.

The report was made public in October 2020. It recommended the province abandon its tort system of insurance and move to a private, no-fault model.

While the government took action on several smaller, short-term measures, Toews said the government would study the more transformative recommendations.

Lula, Governors Discuss Fixes for Abrupt Drop in Tax Revenue

Simone Iglesias
Fri, January 27, 2023 



(Bloomberg) -- Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and governors are discussing a solution for an abrupt decline in state governments’ revenue, following a series of tax breaks spearheaded by the previous administration to ease inflation pressures.

Lula received all 27 governors in the presidential palace on Friday, saying the tax issue was “in everybody’s minds and needed to be discussed.”

The so-called ICMS is a value-added tax charged by states that accounted for up to 85% of their revenue. Former President Jair Bolsonaro, worried about the impact of inflation on his reelection bid last year, pushed for lower levies on fuel, electricity and public transportation, among other items.

While the federal government and many states voluntarily lowered taxes, in some cases completely scrapping them, congress also passed a law limiting ICMS at about 17%. That drastically reduces income for states such as Rio de Janeiro, which imposed a 32% ICMS tax on gasoline sales before the new rule.

Debt Service at Risk

“It’s clear that our goal is to recover ICMS revenue,” Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro told reporters at the end of the meeting, saying his state has lost about 10 billion reais ($2 billion) in income a year, putting its ability to service debt at risk.

Last year’s tax breaks didn’t have an immediate impact on state budgets because public revenue was turbocharged by inflation that ran above 10% until July. With consumer prices increasing less than 6% a year now, government income is also taking a hit and governors are sounding the alarm bells.

The law capping ICMS did not establish ways for states to make up for loss of revenue. Governors have been in talks with the top court to discuss whether the cap is constitutional, and Lula decided to form a group led by Finance chief Fernando Haddad to follow the discussions, Institutional Relations Minister Alexadre Padilha said after the meeting.

BNDES Financing

In another attempt to help states, Lula told governors that Brazil’s development bank BNDES is ready finance key infrastructure projects in states.

The president asked governors to present a list of priority public works in their states, especially in the housing, health, education and infrastructure sectors. The government intends to help states conclude such projects with BNDES financing, public-private partnerships and concessions.

“The role of BNDES will again be that of a development bank, and the money it raises needs to be shared with small and medium-sized companies and state governments as well,” he said.

--With assistance from Bruna Lessa and Beatriz Reis.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Republican Who Urged Her To 'Educate' Herself

Ben Blanchet

Thu, January 26, 2023 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) went after Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), who called on her to “educate” herself during a debate Thursday over a bill on the House floor.

The Democrat responded to Duncan’s comments to her as the House considered a bill to require the federal government “to approve a plan to increase drilling on federal lands and waters” before drawing from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in non-emergency cases, Roll Call reported.

Ocasio-Cortez, who proposed an amendment to the bill, argued in a speech on the House floor Thursday that leasing more land to fossil fuel companies wouldn’t guarantee a drop in gas prices and added that companies making profits won’t “pass along” the savings to consumers.

“What leasing more land does do, however, is guarantee that we will accelerate the devastating impact of climate change,” Ocasio-Cortez argued.

Duncan addressed Ocasio-Cortez and urged her to educate herself on how “America attained its low emissions.”

“You care about the air quality, you care about climate change. Natural gas is what got America there. Educate yourself on that,” the Republican said.

Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back when she responded to Duncan’s remarks.

“I understand in this body it’s not the first time that it seems as though the opposing side can’t seem to be able to debate the issue and so they must come after my character,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

She added: “While I cannot control the fact that the other side seems to have made the assumption that I am uneducated, one of the things I can say... is while I may not work for Wall Street, that is true. I may not be here with the mission to increase profits for corporations, that is true. My mission here is for the well-being and dignity of our family and our planet’s future, for our children’s ability to live on this planet.”

Ocasio-Cortez later addressed Duncan’s comments on Twitter, writing that “fewer things are more predictable than Republicans having a meltdown when I’m clearing them in a debate.”

“In case you’re curious about why this man is so angry with me, it may be because I introduced an amendment to a GOP bill that would prohibit oil and gas companies who engage in stock buybacks from leasing federal lands,” she wrote, adding “Seems as though I hit a nerve!”

House GOP votes to rein in Biden's power over the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Ben Werschkul
·Washington Correspondent
Fri, January 27, 2023 a

After two days of floor action and consideration of over 100 amendments, the House of Representatives passed a bill Friday to limit the Biden administration’s powers when it comes to the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

The final vote was on a largely party line basis of 221-205 on the Strategic Production Response Act, which seeks to link releases from the crucial energy backstop to U.S. domestic oil production. One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), crossed party lines to vote in favor.

While the bill has little chance of being considered by the Senate and even less chance of reaching President Biden’s desk, the measure put the issue of SPR management at the top of Washington’s agenda for at least two days as the reserve sits at its lowest level since 1983.


House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) kicked off the debate Thursday, saying the bill was necessary to “ensure this vital American energy asset — and American security interests — will not be drained away for non-emergency, political purposes.”

Under the bill, other than during an emergency situation, a president wouldn’t be able to tap the reserve unless it simultaneously released a plan to increase oil production in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Democrats stood largely unified in opposition with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) releasing a statement immediately after the vote, saying it was called at the behest of oil companies and it would “raise gas prices and impede the President’s ability to continue lowering costs at the pump for working families.“

Private security contractors patrol the U.S. Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Bryan Mound, Texas 

(REUTERS/Donna W. Carson)

'An effort to attack the president'

Numerous amendments were considered from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) offered an idea to ban offshore drilling in her home state, but dismissed the overall process in an interview.

“The whole conversation starts in this place that I think is rather cynical and just an effort to attack the president," she said. Still, she acknowledged there is some value in discussing the SPR overall, but suggested little would come of it.

“I don't know that that's the most pressing conversation to have,” she said.

The Biden administration made its first big withdrawal from the SPR in November 2021 of 50 million barrels in response to high gas prices. It followed up with over 180 million barrels over the course of 2022 in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Those were in addition to other scheduled regular withdrawals and cycling of the SPR.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) has taken over the influential House House Energy and Commerce Commitee. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Supporters of the administration's strategy say the moves in 2022 were crucial to reducing gas prices by over $1.50 a gallon in recent months. The national average for gas prices sits at about $3.50 per gallon, with some observers expecting the price to rise in the coming months possibly to over $4 a gallon as demand picks up in the spring.

Last month, the administration announced plans to begin replenishing the reserve, but rejected some initial offers because of pricing, with crude oil around $80/barrel.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters on Monday she is not worried about reaching the administration’s goal of buying 60 million barrels in the coming months, teasing an announcement that she promised “very soon.” Granholm added that Biden would veto the House GOP bill in the unlikely event it reaches his desk.

This week’s vote follows a Jan. 12 vote around the SPR and China, which received wide bipartisan backing, a feat that was not repeated this week.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

India's Gautam Adani: Asia's richest man in the eye of a storm

Shivam Patel, Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra
Fri, January 27, 2023 

 Indian billionaire Adani speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Ahmedabad

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Gautam Adani, the school drop-out turned billionaire who rose to become Asia's richest man, faces possibly the biggest challenge of his career after a U.S. short seller cast doubts on his business practices, hammering shares in his companies and his reputation.

Adani, whose home state is Gujarat in western India, built his business empire from scratch after starting as a commodities trader. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails from the same state and their relationship has come under intense scrutiny by Modi's opponents for years.

Adani's business empire grew rapidly and his wealth ballooned. His interests span ports, power generation, airports, mining, edible oils, renewable power and more recently media and cement.

He rose to become the world's third-richest person according to Forbes, with a net worth of $127 billion, trailing only Bernard Arnault and Elon Musk. Married to dentist Priti Adani, he has two sons, Karan and Jeet, both of whom are involved in the company businesses.

Despite his riches the 60-year-old, who comes from a middle-class textile family, was far lesser known than other billionaires in a country where many inherit their wealth.

His business style was described as "very hands on", according to one person with direct knowledge of his dealings.

As Adani's empire swelled, stocks of his seven listed companies surged - in some cases more than 1,500% in the last three years amid aggressive expansion. He denied allegations by Modi's opponents that he had benefited from their close ties.

In a 2014 interview with Reuters, when asked if he was friends with Modi, Adani said he had friends across the political spectrum, but avoids politics.

He has said no one political leader is behind his success and when asked about Modi's use of Adani corporate planes during the interview, Adani said Modi "pays fully".

In recent years, the $220 billion Adani Group empire has attracted foreign investment - France's TotalEnergies, for example, partnered with Adani last year to develop the world's biggest green hydrogen ecosystem.

More recently, Adani has taken a pro-active approach to building his public image, giving interviews to local and foreign media.

Appearing in a popular Hindi TV show this month called the 'People's Court', Adani sat in a mock witness box inside a courtroom setup and answered questions about his conglomerate - offering an unusual level of scrutiny. He described himself as "a shy person" and credited the rise of his popularity in part to the political attacks he has faced.

Modi's government has denied allegations of favouring Adani.

"People got to know who Adani (was) because of constant targeting by Rahul ji during the 2014 elections and after that," Adani said, during the show, referring to opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Three weeks later, shares of his group's listed companies plunged on Friday, taking their cumulative losses to $48 billion this week. Short seller Hindenburg Research on Wednesday accused Adani's businesses of improper use of offshore tax havens and flagged concerns about high debt. Adani has called the report baseless, and said he was considering taking action.

REPUTATION CHALLENGE

Adani Group's website says its vision is to balance "growth with goodness" as it aims to build assets of national relevance and transform lives through self-reliance and sustainability.

Adani is no stranger to controversies. The most recent was months of protest by fishermen against construction of a $900-million port in southern India's Kerala, in which he sued the state government and fishermen leaders. And in Australia, environmental activists for years protested against Adani's Carmichael coal mine project in Queensland on concerns of carbon emissions and damage to the Great Barrier Reef.

His latest challenge is how to deal with an unprecedented share price rout as the group's flagship firm Adani Enterprises launched the country's biggest public secondary share offering this week, aiming to raise $2.5 billion.

The stock's price on Friday fell well below the offer price, casting doubts on its success.

Image guru Dilip Cherian told Reuters the Hindenburg Report - and its fallout - could carry reputational risk for Adani but he could take action to limit that damage and reassure investors of the group's financial and assets strength and ensure the share sale is a success.

"In terms of the kind of stellar rise he has had this is a hazard," Cherian said.

Adani told India Today TV in December that people who were raising questions about the group's debt had not done a deep dive into its financials, without saying who he was referring to.

As the market rout played out on Mumbai exchanges, Adani was seen heading to a meeting at the federal power minister's office in New Delhi. It is not known what was discussed and Adani Group did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Adani Group's consolidated gross debt stands at $23.34 billion, Jefferies says. While Hindenburg alleged key listed Adani companies had "substantial debt" which has put the entire group on a "precarious financial footing", the Adani Group has repeatedly said its borrowings are manageable and no investor has raised any concern.

(Reporting by Shivam Patel, Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Nikunj Ohri in New Delhi and Chris Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

Canada seeking project ideas to transport and store carbon pollution


Thu, January 26, 2023

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is accepting applications for research and development projects as part of a broader federal program supporting the advancement of carbon capture technology in Canada.

The department wants to see projects that focus on transporting and storing planet-heating carbon pollution. These projects might enable permanent CO2 storage near industrial areas that currently have no storage options, explore regions for possible storage locations, help plan CO2 transportation and hubs, and advance knowledge to support future regulations and standards.

NRCan is taking expressions of interest from now until April 17, the department announced Wednesday.

The success of Canada’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 is intertwined with the success of carbon capture technology. The federal government’s climate plan calls on the oil and gas industry to slash emissions 31 per cent relative to 2005 levels by 2030. To do this, about 13 per cent of the sector’s reductions would have to come from carbon capture technology. But the technology is expensive, and existing facilities regularly underperform.

The oil and gas sector is responsible for 27 per cent of Canada’s emissions, making it the most polluting sector.

This latest call for proposals falls under the Energy Innovation Program, which was created to advance clean energy technologies in pursuit of Canada’s climate targets and help the transition to a low-carbon economy. In Budget 2021, the federal government invested $319 million into research, development and demonstrations to advance the commercial viability of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies.

For-profit and non-profit organizations, companies, utilities, governments, academic institutions and Indigenous groups are all eligible to apply. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full project proposal to receive funding.

Some types of projects will not be accepted. For example, applicants can’t ask for funding to replicate existing carbon capture facilities or pipelines to transport CO2 — there must be a new, innovative component to the proposal.

Also not allowed are projects focused on non-permanent storage, including enhanced oil recovery, which is when compressed CO2 is injected into depleted oil wells to force out more oil. This is the most common use of captured CO2 worldwide. Selling captured CO2 to companies who use it to extract more oil helps pay for the costly technology, but also enables more oil production at a time when scientists warn the world must rapidly curb emissions and transition away from fossil fuels.

NRCan’s call for projects in August 2021 focused on CCUS engineering and design studies, and 11 projects were selected. A project-by-project funding breakdown is not yet available, but together they represent a total investment of up to $50 million, according to Natural Resources Canada. The selected projects aren’t guaranteed funding and still have to go through a finalization process to negotiate an agreement.

Only the project names are currently available. They show applications from oil and gas companies Cenovus, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Suncor, Enhance Energy Inc., NorthRiver Midstream Inc. and Strathcona Resources Ltd, among others, were selected. The City of Medicine Hat’s proposal also made the cut.

In July 2022, there was a call for research and development projects related to capture technology, and those applications are currently under review, according to Natural Resources Canada.

A third call for research and development proposals for utilization projects is expected to launch this fall, according to Natural Resources Canada’s website.

A March 2022 report by Environmental Defence found federal and provincial governments had provided an estimated $5.8 billion for CCUS projects since 2000, but the technology only captured 3.55 million tonnes of carbon per year — or 0.05 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. A month later, in Budget 2022, the federal government proposed an investment tax credit covering 50 per cent of equipment costs for CCUS projects. The tax credit is expected to cost the federal government $2.6 billion in the first five years of the program and up to $8.6 billion by 2030.

Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada's National Observer

NOVA SCOTIA

Hawkesbury Paper sister company pitches Guysborough County wind farm

Sat, January 28, 2023

This illustration shows what the proposed wind farm would look like from Lincolnville, N.S. (Strum Consulting - image credit)

Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind has submitted a proposal to the province to construct a 29-turbine wind farm.

The proposed location for the Goose Harbour Lake Wind Farm covers an area of Guysborough County between Lincolnville, N.S., and Mulgrave.

The company, a sister firm of Port Hawkesbury Paper, wants clearing work to begin this summer or fall, construction to start next year and for the turbines to be up and running in the summer of 2025.

The 130.5 megawatts produced at the site would feed into the Nova Scotia Power transmission system and supply up to 40 per cent of the mill's electricity needs.

"Wind power is one tool of many that will allow the Port Hawkesbury Paper Facility to support the province in proactively pursuing green energy sources and help move away from a dependency on electricity predominantly generated using coal," the proposal reads.

Strum Consulting

The province has committed to a goal of having 80 per cent of its electricity needs supplied by renewable energy by 2030.

In an environmental assessment registration document filed with the Environment Department on Friday, the company says the area was chosen because it is one of the highest elevations in the county, has strong wind resources, is close to transmission lines and is at least 900 metres from the nearest permanent residence.

There is also a network of roads, once used to harvest timber, that would allow easy access to the turbine sites.

PHP Wind estimates the project will create 150 temporary full-time jobs during construction and up to five permanent jobs. It will also generate property tax revenues of $800,000 per year for the municipality and $500,000 in land-lease payments to the province annually, the company says.

The project would primarily use Crown lands and would operate for a minimum of 25 years.

Concerns raised by public

The company has already held open houses for the public about its plans. Some of the concerns noted by attendees include the visual effects and noise from the turbines, the impacts on drinking water, wetlands, waterways and flora and fauna.

While the document responds to each of these concerns, and includes studies and survey results, the report ultimately concludes the project would not have significant adverse residual effects, and would positively affect the province through a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and increased economic prosperity.

The wind farm proposal is open for public feedback until Feb. 27.

The environment minister must make a decision on whether to approve the project by March 20.

Camera captures night sky spiral after SpaceX rocket launch



Fri, January 27, 2023 

HONOLULU (AP) — A camera atop Hawaii’s tallest mountain has captured what looks like a spiral swirling through the night sky.

Researchers believe it was from the launch of a military GPS satellite that lifted off earlier on a SpaceX rocket in Florida.

The images were captured on Jan. 18 by a camera at the summit of Mauna Kea outside the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru telescope.

A time-lapse video shows a white orb spreading out and forming a spiral as it moves across the sky. It then fades and disappears.

Ichi Tanaka, a researcher at the Subaru telescope, said he was doing other work that night and didn't immediately see it. Then a stargazer watching the camera's livestream on YouTube sent him a screenshot of the spiral using an online messaging platform.

“When I opened Slack, that is what I saw and it was a jaw-dropping event for me,” Tanaka said.

He saw a similar spiral last April, also after a SpaceX launch, but that one was larger and more faint.

SpaceX launched a military satellite the morning of Jan. 18 from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The location of the spiral matched where the second stage of the SpaceX rocket was expected to be after its launch.

SpaceX didn't respond to an email sent Friday seeking comment.

Tanaka said the observatory installed the camera to monitor the surroundings outside the Subaru telescope and to share Mauna Kea's clear skies with the people of Hawaii and the world.

Someone watching the sky in less clear conditions, for example from Tokyo, might not have seen the spiral, he said.

The livestream is jointly operated with the Asahi Shimbun, a major Japanese newspaper, and frequently gets hundreds of viewers. Some tune in to watch meteors streak across the sky.

The summit of Mauna Kea has some of best viewing conditions on Earth for astronomy, making it a favored spot for the world’s most advanced observatories. The summit is also considered sacred by many Native Hawaiians who view it as a place where the gods dwell.

Audrey Mcavoy, The Associated Press

OTTAWA

Transit commission approves nearly $1B e-bus plan after 2nd look

Fri, January 27, 2023 

A new electric OC Transpo bus sits in a garage during a photo op Nov. 26, 2021. After receiving federal grant money and a Canada Infrastruture Bank loan, city staff is looking for council's approval to purchase 350 similar buses. 

(Frédéric Pepin/Radio-Canada - image credit)

After providing extra scrutiny in an emergency meeting Friday, the transit commission voted overwhelmingly in favour of the city's plan to buy 350 electric buses over the next three years.

Friday's meeting took place after city council voted Wednesday to further scrutinize the city's e-bus plan. Council members said after the LRT inquiry, this pricey transit spending plan needed more examination.

Seven members of the commission supported city staff's plan, with one member voting against.

The plan to switch the entire diesel fleet to electric, first announced in June 2021, was projected to purchase 450 buses for the approximate $1 billion price tag.

Rising costs and a shorter window of available federal funding now means the city would only get 350 buses within that budget, staff said.

The city will also need to build another garage to house any further electric buses, as well as the charging infrastructure.

On Friday, staff walked the commission through the more detailed proposal that would see the city phase in the e-buses as its diesel buses age out of service.

Data from 4-bus pilot

They presented the findings of the four-bus pilot project that began a year ago. Each electric bus has travelled around 50,000 kilometres in that time.

Richard Holder, the City of Ottawa's director of engineering services, told the commission all four were operating within the design specifications. The buses have a range of 280 and 350 kilometres before needing to be charged — and can be re-charged in four hours.

Holder said during colder temperatures the buses were still in that range, but on the lower end.

Wilson Lo, the councillor for Barrhaven East and a former OC Transpo bus driver, wanted to see a more thorough pilot.

"One winter in service with a fleet of four is not enough to meaningfully base a decision with such heavy financial implications upon," he told the commission. OC Transpo's current fleet is around 900 buses.

Lo told the commission he remembered promises of savings when OC Transpo purchased hybrid buses and said the city never saw those savings materialize. The buses were all retired while older diesel buses are still on the road.

City of Ottawa

The rookie councillor was the lone detractor of the e-bus plan, though.

To fund the bus purchase, the city plans to use money already earmarked for replacement buses, take advantage of an Infrastructure Canada grant for cities to switch to zero-emission buses, and take out a loan with the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The loan would be repaid with cost savings from the buses — it's expected their motors will require less maintenance and their brakes will last longer, in addition to not using fuel.

"I understand that new technologies ultimately need buy-in to be able to improve and evolve, but the loan is too great of a risk at a time when the city should be more financially risk-averse," Lo said.

City of Ottawa

Coun. Shawn Menard questioned Holder about the age of the technology used for the e-buses — as the new Alstom light rail vehicles have had trouble since LRT arrived in Ottawa — but Holder said Edmonton, Toronto and Chicago will have a fully electric bus fleet by 2040.

"We are not a new adopter. … Moscow has 1,000 buses. They've gone through five winters, they're reporting no interruptions with their service, and they are committed to going full electric," Holder said.

He also urged councillors to avoid further delays because there are a "number of municipalities wanting to launch procurement programs."

"There's a limited supply and high demand for the zero-emission buses that could impact availability and cost, that is likely to be compounded the longer we delay in making a decision," said Holder.

Right, but painful move

Josipa Petrunic researches zero-emission buses and is the CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium.

She says Holder is on the right track as it's likely already going to be hard for the city to procure all the buses in its plan. Petrunic estimates a bus purchased this year will probably be on the road in 2025, with supply chain delays, few Canadian suppliers and high demand.

But she disagrees with the assessment the city is slow on the uptake of electric buses.

"OC Transpo is actually ahead of the curve if you look at it from the size of the city perspective and the fact they've got their first four buses out the door," she said.

The first buses are the hardest, but she said switching over the whole fleet will be a painful process.

"Going from four buses to a couple hundred electric buses is just a complete transplant of every organ in their body and their brain," she said.

"This is the hardest thing that they're probably going to have to do for the rest of this half of the century."

On the positive side, the city's LRT struggles may be an advantage, according to her, as the city has already wrestled with powering transit with its electrical grid and has electrical engineers on staff.

Council will review the spending proposal at its next meeting Feb. 1.

The city's auditor general, who has completed two sprint audits of the procurement process as it progresses, is expected to release a third on the financing plan on Feb. 17. She has already shared her recommendations with city staff, who have incorporated their recommendations into their report.

The Nature Trust BC joins Canadian Launch of REWILD OUR EARTH

Nature Trust of BC joins forces with YSL Beauty and Re:wild

By Chadd Cawson 

Fri, January 27, 2023

We must nurture our nature as the latter really is a precious thing of beauty. It is why The Nature Trust of BC is proud to be the Canadian operating non-government organization (NGO) partnering with Re:wild and YSL Beauty for the Canadian launch of REWILD OUR EARTH. REWILD OUR EARTH is a global program developed in partnership with Re:wild, a world-class NGO that works with 400 conservation partners in 84 countries to advance ecological restoration globally, aims to protect and restore 100,000 hectares of land by the year 2030.

“We officially became the local operating NGO partner for the Canadian launch of REWILD OUR EARTH this past December 7,” said Jasper Lament, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Nature Trust. “Re:wild and YSL Beauty got in touch with our team and asked us to work with them on this project, with a focus on the White Lake Basin property within the south Okanagan grasslands. We’ve admired Re:wild and YSL Beauty’s own incredible commitment to conservation and we jumped at the chance to work with them. It was a natural fit and we believe this project will create meaningful and positive change.”

The Canadian Launch of REWILD OUR EARTH will enable the protection of 65.1 hectares of critical grasslands within the South Okanagan region of British Columbia which is a national biodiversity hotspot. These South Okanagan Grasslands are located within the traditional territories of First Nations communities, including the Penticton Indian Band (snPink’tn) and Lower Similkameen Indian Band (Smelqmix), both members of the Okanagan Nation (Syilx People). This project will engage the help of traditional ecological knowledge keepers from the Okanagan Nation Education and Cultural En’owkin Centre to ensure that these traditions are protected in their continuity.

Re:wild one of the two other partners in this ambitious program was founded by a group of renowned conservation scientists together with awarding winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has a mandate to protect and restore the wild. With a focus on finding the most effective solutions to the inter- connected climate, biodiversity, and human health crises. YSL Beauty the other, has strengthened its commitment to people and the planet through their commitment to this project. This initiative is in sync with the brand's wider sustainability platform (known as 'Change the Rules, Change the Future') and the long-standing commitment to the Earth, inspired by the legacy of Mr. Saint Laurent.

"A commitment to the Earth lies at the heart of the YSL Beauty brand, inspired by the legacy of Mr. Saint Laurent, a nature lover who drew inspiration from the natural wonders of Morocco throughout his career," said Carl D. Morisset, General Manager, YSL Beauty, L'Oréal Canada in a January press release. "With the national launch of REWILD OUR EARTH, we are proud to make a long-term commitment to championing work on land system change. Our goal is to help to protect and restore an area of Canada that is vital to the nation's natural longevity and to have a positive impact on the local community."

As a brand within the L'Oréal Group, YSL Beauty is committed to enacting positive change in the world putting the focus back on both people and the planet. Today, our wildlife is in decline; when more than one million species are on the brink of extinction and 75 per cent of all Earth's land areas have been degraded, REWILD OUR EARTH has the potential to help make a measurable impact. While, Re:wild is a force that brings together Indigenous peoples, local communities, influential leaders, nongovernmental organizations, governments, companies, and the public to protect and rewild at the scale and speed the world we live in needs to see.

“It’s an incredible honour to collaborate with forward-thinking and high-profile companies such as Re:wild and YSL Beauty,” said Lament. “For the past 50 years, The Nature Trust of BC has been committed to protecting and restoring the most vulnerable and ecologically valuable properties throughout our province for the benefit of our planet and its ecosystems.”

Lament shares that conservation is key to mitigating climate change and protecting the many plant and animal species within these properties. Working alongside Re:wild and YSL Beauty as a part of the Canadian launch of REWILD OUR EARTH allows Nature Trust BC the opportunity to utilize their extensive conservation experience, and knowledge of these south Okanagan sacred grasslands

“We are proud to work together to protect and revitalize 160.8 acres of land in the White Lake Basin,” said Lament and believe REWILD OUR EARTH will make a global impact.”

Protection of the White Lake Basin area is critical and will positively impact the species and ecosystems that thrive in and depend on this critical habitat. Just a few of these federally listed species include western tiger salamander, Lewis's Woodpecker, and the black bear. While grasslands account for less than 1 per cent of British Columbia’s land base, they provide sanctuary, habitat, and breeding grounds for over 30 per cent of our province’s sensitive species. Approximately 95 per cent of the area is comprised of sensitive ecosystems such as open sagebrush steppe, grasslands, riparian, and broadleaf woodlands. Because this land is located within the traditional territories of various First Nations communities, it is considered a cultural and historical site, and an important source of medicines and foods. This launch and project and will engage the help of traditional ecological knowledge keepers from the Okanagan Nation Education and Cultural En'owkin Centre to ensure continuity in these traditions.

“REWILD OUR EARTH’s mission is to protect and restore 100,000 hectares of land by 2030. The environmental benefits of that objective cannot be overstated,” said Lament. “The focus of this initiative on the White Lake Basin property and these grasslands are integral to the health of our province. With REWILD OUR EARTH’s expansion into Canada, we knew the optimum area for our focus was grasslands. As climate change alters the geographic conditions of grasslands, it profoundly impacts plant and animal species. Increased fragmentation reduces species ability to disperse and adjust to swiftly changing conditions. These changes are a direct result of human activity and when we conserve properties, we not only protect that area, but we enhance the connectivity of the region. By protecting and healing this vulnerable area we are creating a ripple effect that will benefit our planet.”

Chadd Cawson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Columbia Valley Pioneer