Ontario’s first carbon-negative waste truck

The newest addition to Bluewater Recycling Association’s (BRA) fleet is turning heads on collection routes in rural communities of Southwestern Ontario. The carbon-negative truck, developed in partnership with the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) and Enbridge Gas, runs on renewable natural gas (RNG) largely made from cow manure produced at a local farm.

What makes it carbon negative? The truck’s fuel diverts more carbon than it emits. Turning manure into RNG captures methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, diverting farm waste and supporting local economic development. The RNG is also used in place of diesel fuel, which further reduces emissions—in just six months, the BRA truck will eliminate emissions from 18,000 litres of diesel.

“Thousands of waste and recycling collection vehicles travel through our communities, recapturing resources and keeping waste out of our environment,” says Spencer Leef, Manager of Policy and Research, OWMA. “This initiative represents a significant opportunity in further closing the loop by using the organic waste collected to fuel (RNG) and decarbonize our fleets.”

A viable path towards zero-emission transportation

The waste truck is second in a series of carbon-negative ‘firsts’; last year, Ontario’s first carbon-negative bus in Hamilton set new standards for sustainable public transit. Launched as a similar pilot program in partnership with Enbridge Gas, the bus is fuelled by locally sourced RNG produced at the nearby StormFisher Biogas Facility.

As leaders strive for a more circular economy, pilot programs like these are helping to demonstrate the crucial role RNG will play in fighting climate change. Across Ontario, many other regions are producing RNG from landfill and wastewater and using it to fuel commercial and public transit fleets. Today, there are more than 110 RNG facilities operating in North America—30 of them are in Ontario.

“We are excited to work with the City of Hamilton and Enbridge on this transformational initiative,” says Brandon Moffatt, Vice President, Development & Operations, StormFisher Ltd. “The use of renewable natural gas as a carbon-negative fuel for public transit is a great example of the steps that need to be taken as we move forward into a net-zero carbon future, and supporting economic development and jobs in Ontario.”

We want to use cleaner renewable energy sources to serve our communities while continuing to strive for a more circular economy in all aspects of our operations and help to ensure our municipal members meet their environmental commitments. Having a clean, renewable and local source of energy for our fleet embodies everything BRA believes in.

Francis Veilleux, President of BRA

Help to switch fleets to RNG

Enbridge Gas is helping fleets transition to compressed natural gas vehicles fuelled by RNG, with a support program that helps governments and stakeholders make the switch smoothly. It’s also working closely with fleet owners, agribusiness, food processors, municipalities, waste management and other organizations to help decision makers identify, facilitate and lead the way to a clean energy future with RNG.

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Mediaplanet spoke with Canadian National Parks photographer Paul Zizka on his passion for photography and love for Canada’s natural beauty and forests.

What was your inspiration behind getting into photography? 

Photography, for me, started as a way of simply documenting the places I was visiting. But as I spent more time in the wilderness, it became increasingly apparent that humans have become disconnected from the natural environment. What inspires me to continue with photography is the opportunity to invite people to go back to the wilderness through my images and to be reminded of what the natural world adds to one’s life.

Which forest is your personal favourite to take photography of? 

I’m continually drawn to revisit the larch forests of the Canadian Rockies during “larch season” — a brief window when the needles of these deciduous conifers turn from green to gold. The phenomenon adds a fiery splash of colour to the landscape and provides a stunning contrast to our turquoise lakes. Capturing this fleeting phenomenon before the trees drop their needles adds an element of excitement and reminds me to appreciate nature’s rhythms.

Why do you believe the concept of sustainable tourism is so important to follow? 

I want my children and future generations to experience and be inspired by these
landscapes. For instance, I want them to grow up seeing hanging glaciers on the Icefields Parkway here in the Rockies rather than bearing the consequences of the inaction of those who came before them. So I think sustainable tourism is crucial for fostering a deeper connection to nature, which motivates people to protect it in return.

What time of the year do you prefer best to capture outdoor photography? 

Each season has something magical, but I’ve always been drawn to winter photography. Between ice formations, frozen lakes, methane bubbles, ice caves, and more frequent northern lights displays, there’s a lot that captures the imagination. I also find winter photography rewarding, given the unique set of challenges that it presents.

Where can we go to learn more about your work?

I invite those who wish to learn more about my work to visit my website zizka.ca or connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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Having planted millions of trees across Canada and created tens of thousands of hectares of new forest cover, Forests Ontario is on a mission to combat climate change.

Since 2004, Forests Ontario and its partners have developed the infrastructure needed to facilitate and track tree planting across Ontario from seed to successful forest — and we are the only charitable organization in Canada to have that ability. To put it simply, we don’t just plant trees, we grow forests.

To date, we’ve planted 42 million trees across Canada, creating more than 20,500 hectares of new forests on over 8,000 sites. We also recognize the vital importance and function of grasslands, resulting in the addition of Grasslands Ontario to our organization in 2018.

Our efforts to increase, conserve, and maintain forests and grasslands help to clean the air we breathe and filter the water we drink while improving the biodiversity of our ecosystems and nurturing pollinator corridors. In fact, creating healthy new forests and grasslands is one of the most effective, nature-based solutions we have in combating climate change impacts.

Working in collaboration with our professional network of partners, Forests Ontario is recognized for its unique ability to measure the success of the trees we plant. A 2021 study from Natural Resources Canada validated Forests Ontario’s successful afforestation outcomes, noting 83 per cent of the total hectares planted through our landmark 50 Million Tree Program is thriving, and will sequester significant amounts of carbon over the lifetime of these new forests.

To ensure our ability to keep planting the right tree, in the right place, and for the right reason, Forests Ontario has more than 200 million source-identified seeds in storage for future planting projects — a direct result of working closely with our network of certified seed collectors and nursery partners to forecast, collect, process, and store seed and monitor seedling health once planted. This essential infrastructure, together with our expertise to track the success of the trees we plant, ensures a greener and healthier future for generations to come.

While human activity has contributed to the greatest environmental challenges we’ve ever faced, there’s still time to do something about it, but we must act now. With a worldwide focus on sustainable solutions to climate change, we not only hope to inspire a healthy tomorrow for communities around the globe, but also contribute to real change, now.

The post We Don’t Just Plant Trees — We Grow Forests appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Why do forests matter?

They are renewable, reliable, regenerative, and restorative. They store carbon, help protect wildlife, and sustain communities by enabling diverse career opportunities and supporting mental and physical well-being. Forests provide environmental, social, and economic value, and are a critical way to combat climate change.

But not everyone understands all the values they provide.

Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) offers forest-focused educational resources to help increase children’s and adults’ understanding of forests and the importance of sustainable forest management. PLT Canada is an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

K-8 forest-focused activities

PLT Canada recently adapted the Trillions of Trees activity collection from PLT’s Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide for educators of youth in grades 3-5. The three activities invite learners to investigate the unique characteristics of different tree species and discover how best to plan, plant, and care for trees in their community.

Learn more about the Guide’s 50 hands-on, multidisciplinary activities to connect children to nature and increase young people’s awareness and knowledge about their environment by watching our short video.

Why trillions of trees?

There are approximately three trillion trees on Earth. Trees are invaluable assets to people and the environment. Climate change is one of our most pressing global challenges and everyone has the power to help be a part of the solution by planting trees and making sure they mature with proper care. This activity collection will help students understand how to plant the right tree in the right place and for the right reason.

Forest Literacy

PLT Canada’s Forest Literacy Framework is a free, bilingual resource that helps increase people’s understanding of forests and the importance of sustainable forest management– and empowers them to take actions that benefit forests and people. 

The Framework offers 100 forest concepts, organized into four themes:

1. What is a forest? Defining forests helps us appreciate their diverse ecosystems.
2. Why do forests matter? Connecting sustainably managed forests to our everyday lives helps us understand their value.
3. How do we sustain our forests? Detailing what goes into sustainable forest management shows us how it can meet the environmental, social, and economic needs of society.
4. What is our responsibility to forests? Teaching about how we can be good stewards ensures that we can sustain forests for generations to come.

Forest literacy is critical for a green future

By gaining forest literacy, young people will acquire the tools and knowledge necessary to keep our forests sustained for future generations and be empowered to take actions that benefit people and the planet.

The Forest Literacy Framework translates the complex language of forests, trees, and sustainable forest management into concepts that everyone should know by the time they graduate from high school. From climate change to water quality and biodiversity, well-managed forests provide viable solutions to many of the world’s most important sustainability challenges. PLT Canada’s free English and French bilingual resource provides a framework that anyone working with young people in formal and informal settings (like parents, teachers, caregivers, and more) and working in Canada’s green sector can use to teach about forests and how we can become advocates for them.

Teach and learn about forests

PLT Canada is an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

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Diversifying the forestry profession can open doors to address changing local, national, and global needs and values.

Forestry experts are sounding the alarm amid mounting pressures from climate change, human activity, and competition for ecological services. Many call for the diversification of forest management to tackle the challenges facing the industry and planet head-on. 

The profession of forestry is dynamic, multifaceted, and interdisciplinary. A natural and social science, it’s well-positioned to provide solutions to the problems of carbon pollution and environmental degradation.  

Sustainable forest management can ensure the long-term protection of habitats for animals, plants, and riparian ecosystems. Wood-based cellulose and lignin bioproducts can store carbon while providing viable alternatives to fossil fuel-derived products.

A more holistic approach to forestry is needed, and one that places greater emphasis on tailored solutions — such as community forests and selective harvesting — in response to evolving societal values and environmental conditions.

Moving forestry forward

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Forestry is at the forefront of innovative research, teaching, and community outreach that’s ushering in a new era of forestry. Each year, professors instruct over 1,500 students from over 40 countries in disciplines as diverse as urban forestry, tall wood frame buildings, geomatics, international forestry, conservation, and the bioeconomy, to name a few.

Graduates gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become future leaders in their profession. They also receive insights into the co-creation of knowledge with Indigenous Peoples, civil society, government, industry, and other community partners. 

Equipped with a deeper understanding, they’re poised to become the next generation of land stewards. The stakes are high with the ongoing climate emergency. Well-informed and innovative minds are needed to push bold and sustainable solutions ahead for our planet.

The post How UBC is Helping to Diversify Forestry in Canada appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Why was it important to create the 2 Billion Trees program? 

The 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program focuses on permanently growing Canada’s forest cover by an area twice the size of Prince Edward Island. The program will generate many long-term benefits such as restoring nature, enhancing biodiversity, creating forest ecosystems on fire-damaged land, increasing carbon capture, creating parks and greenspaces in and around cities, reducing community risk to natural disasters, creating green jobs, cleaning the air we breathe and the water we drink, and enhancing the well-being of Canadians for generations to come.

How does the 2 Billion Trees program reflect Indigenous values? 

In aiming to respect nature and maximize the potential increase in biodiversity, the program is committed to planting the right trees in the right place and monitoring them to ensure their survival. To achieve this momentous task, the 2BT program is investing up to $3.2 billion by 2031 in tree planting efforts across sectors and levels of government. The Indigenous Collaboration Working Group ensures effective approaches to working with Indigenous Peoples and reflects the government’s commitment to reconciliation. Natural Resources Canada’s (@NRCan) Natural Smart Climate Solutions Fund also works with Indigenous partners to streamline application and reporting processes, remove barriers to access funding, and co-develop an inclusive governance model for the Indigenous funding stream.

In its first planting season, the 2BT program partners planted approximately 29 million trees from over 150 species at over 500 sites across Canada. Nearly one in every five projects was Indigenous-led.

Where can we learn more about what Canada is doing to overcome climate change and sustainability efforts? 

The official government of Canada website is a great place to keep track of our fight against climate change. Minister Wilkinson and NRCan can also be followed on Twitter, who regularly post about the work our government is doing.

The post Q&A with the Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson appeared first on HiveInnovates.

From extreme temperatures to more intense storms, climate change directly impacts communities across the country. As Canadians look for answers, trees represent a cost-effective natural solution to fight climate change and mitigate its impacts. 

Tree Canada (TC) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire, educate, and enable Canadians to plant and nurture trees to improve lives and address climate change. 

Since 1992, TC has planted millions of trees across Canada. In 2021 alone, over 900,000 trees were planted as part of the National Greening Program, supported by corporate and individual donors, and the federal government’s 2 Billion Trees program. This mass seedling planting initiative focuses on areas with biodiversity and habitat loss, damaged waterways, or large open spaces with no previous tree cover.

But trees are as important in our cities as they’re in the wilderness. As of 2021, 73.7 per cent of Canadians lived in large urban centres. Without adequate tree cover, the heat island effect makes urban areas hotter and reduces the social, psychological, and economic health of these communities. To increase urban green space, TC works with partners to provide Community Tree Grants and organize events like National Tree Day, which is happening on September 21 this year.

Protecting and investing in forests and greening urban areas are crucial to help build sustainable communities and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The post Greening Communities and Restoring Forests to Mitigate Climate Impacts appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Forestry is all about people. As global society develops, so do the values that shape the stewardship of forests in Canada and abroad. With our changing climate, the global importance of managing Canada’s forests sustainably has never been greater. Forests are biodiversity reservoirs that sustain us in infinite ways. They clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, capture the carbon we use to build homes and mitigate the ever-growing consequences of climate change. The best carbon capture and storage technology to date is embodied in our world’s trees and forests.

With our changing climate, the global importance of managing Canada’s forests sustainably has never been greater.

Canada has almost 10 per cent of the world’s forests, the majority in the boreal zone where significant industrial forestry takes place. Moreover, we’re the stewards of approximately 30 per cent of the world’s boreal forests. About 90 per cent of Canada’s forests are publicly owned and managed on behalf of all Canadians, necessitating co-operation among all levels of government, civil society, environmentalists, the forest industry, and the foresters who work in these sectors. Next-gen foresters stand tall in the ranks of tomorrow’s climate leaders.

The University of Toronto (U of T) has trained Canadian foresters since the inception of the Faculty of Forestry in 1907. Nowadays, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at U of T continues this tradition, proudly boasting the Master of Forest Conservation (MFC) program, one of only two professionally accredited master’s programs in forestry in the country, and hosting the global Institute of Forestry and Conservation. By law, professional foresters (RPFs) are forest management planners responsible for ensuring the continued sustainability of Canada’s vast, publicly owned Crown forests. With working experience, MFC grads are qualified to become RPFs and do their part on the front lines to conserve and protect Canadian forests.

The face of contemporary forestry in Canada is changing. While international students have always been an important part of our programs, today their diversity in background, age, and experience continues to grow, and we’re extremely proud that women consistently represent almost two-thirds of our students.

But contemporary forestry goes well beyond stewardship of Canada’s hinterland forests. Canadians are becoming increasingly aware of the value of trees and green space in our cities. Urban forestry is now a well-established field, with growing public recognition of the ecosystem services and health benefits urban forests provide. Taught out of Canada’s largest metropolis, the Daniels Faculty’s forestry programs are uniquely positioned to train next-gen urban foresters. Forestry’s new home in the Faculty strategically aligns forestry students with researchers in the fields of landscape architecture, urban design, and visual studies at the school, recognizing just how interdisciplinary modern forestry has become. Add to that mix sustainable architecture — including innovations such as mass timber, the focus of the Mass Timber Institute at the Daniels Faculty — and a forestry education doesn’t get more well-rounded and responsive to the challenges of the future.

In the face of climate change, next-gen foresters will be leading the charge in terms of protecting carbon stores, climate change mitigation, and other adaptive solutions. Forests, in other words, need people. And we of course need forests. Join us!

Byline: Dr. Benjamin Kuttner, R.P.F., Assistant Professor, Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto

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For National Forest Week (NFW) (September 18 to 24, 2022), the Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC) is inviting Canadians to learn more about the forest sector and its significance to Canada’s culture, history, and future, while also supporting a greater recognition of forests as a valuable, renewable, and green resource.

The CIF-IFC is pleased to continue developing the annual theme for NFW and co-ordinating the distribution of promotional materials, activities, and communications. This year’s theme is Canada’s Forests: Solutions for a Changing Climate. 

Climate change is affecting Canada’s forests and forest sector. A changing climate can increase the frequency, intensity, and impacts of natural disturbances, such as insect outbreaks, drought, and fire. These changes have impacts now and will influence forests in the future. Science and technology are critical in making policy and management decisions, but more is always needed. Canada is already a world leader in sustainable forest management. Every day, scientists, researchers, practitioners, and professionals work to ensure our urban and rural forests are sustainably managed and remain resilient in the face of a changing climate. 

“The theme for National Forest Week 2022 highlights how Canada’s forests provide nature-based solutions for climate change and adaptation,” mentions Mark Pearson, Executive Director of CIF-IFC. 

Forests help mitigate changes in climate in several ways, including absorbing and storing greenhouse gases through forest biomass. Raw materials from forests, such as lumber and engineered wood products, also store carbon over the long term. Additionally, trees soften the impacts of a changing climate and extreme weather by moderating temperatures, regulating water flow, and playing a role in the protection of biodiversity. 

The ways in which forests and forestry provide nature-based solutions are highlighted in our NFW 2022 daily sub-themes:

• September 18, 2022 — Forests and a changing climate
• September 19, 2022 — Capturing greenhouse gases
• September 20, 2022 — Innovative technologies and research
• September 21, 2022 — Forests and biodiversity
• September 22, 2022 — Forest champions in our communities
• September 23, 2022 — Sustainably managed forests
• September 24, 2022 — Learning from trees

Here’s how to participate in NFW in your neck of the woods: follow the daily sub-themes on CIF-IFC’s social media channels, engage in CIF-IFC’s free NFW-themed contests and activities, learn about forests and trees through the Institute’s educational resources, organize or participate in a tree plant, explore a forest near your home, or learn more about forests and sustainable forest management.

Visit the CIF-IFC website (cif-ifc.org/what-we-do/national-forest-week/participate) to learn about our 2022 sponsors or to download your free NFW promotional materials. Stay connected by using the #NationalForestWeek hashtag and share your stories, events, and photos with us at: [email protected] or tag us/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn.

Formed in 1908, the CIF-IFC is the national voice of forest practitioners and many others interested in forestry and forests. The Institute strives to provide national leadership, promote competence, and foster public awareness of Canadian and international forestry/forest issues.

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As populations continue to grow and urban centres expand, it’s imperative we meet our infrastructure needs sustainably. Through collaboration with the forest industry and design experts, we implement strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of our built environment.

The Canadian Wood Council and its programs create new opportunities for the use of sustainably sourced wood products, inspiring and assisting new and existing practitioners in developing expertise in wood design and construction.

The post How Canadian Wood Council Is Building for the Future appeared first on HiveInnovates.