It’s the first Thursday in June and we have three thoughts today that are as bright and warm as the weather forecast for the weeks ahead!
From a conversation about clean energy with the Warden of Grey County to celebrating Clean Air Day yesterday to a great story about a local family that is offsetting their carbon footprint by planting trees. It’s all here in this week’s 3ThoughtThursday!
1. In conversation with Warden Hicks of Grey County
Earlier this week, we released a video of a conversation that I had recently with Selwyn Hicks, Warden of Grey County. We talked about everything from what Grey County is doing when it comes to reaching net zero to the economic advantages that come from a transition to clean energy.
Warden Hicks had several great insights regarding how we can work together across municipal boundaries to build a better future for generations. Check out the video below for the full conversation with Warden Hicks or read about some of the highlights here.
2. Clean Air Day – June 2nd, 2021
If you got outside yesterday and took in a deep breath of fresh air, you were celebrating Clean Air Day the way it is meant to be celebrated.
Fortunately for us in Ontario, we have undergone one of the largest clean air/clean energy projects in Canada by phasing out the use of coal-fired power plants to generate electricity.
And, as we’ve have discussed in previous weeks on this blog, these efforts were made possible by the significant contribution made by nuclear power in the province of Ontario.
If you haven’t yet, check out this tweet from Bruce Power that shows just how critical our region was in making this happen.
I decided to check out the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) daily power data. This data shows the sources that Ontario is using to generate electricity daily.
Today, 93% of our electricity is being generated by sources that do not emit greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). These sources include wind, solar, hydro and, of course, nuclear. And, nuclear is carrying the majority of the load with 65% of our grid being powered by nuclear generating stations in the province.
So, yesterday on Clean Air Day, today and every day, we can all breathe a little easier knowing that our grid is getting most of its power from clean sources.
3. Local family offsetting their carbon footprint by planting trees
Yesterday, I read a great story from the Owen Sound Hub about a local family, the Grahams, in Owen Sound and a project that they are working on with the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) to plant trees to offset the carbon emissions that they produce.
As reported by the OS Hub, the project will result in the planting of 6,000 trees on two different properties owned by the GSCA.
This project will sequester carbon in the ground to offset emissions produced by the family of 6 and will also help local ecosystems and improve water quality. This is a tremendous undertaking! To learn more about this great project, click here.
Chad Richards is the Director of the Clean Energy Frontier.