Ontario's Ministry of the Environment may be undergoing some major changes in the next few months, thanks to a report commissioned by the government on best management practices.  Managing the Environment, was prepared by Valerie Gibbons, a former Ontario Deputy Minister, and the Executive Resource Group.

On the surface, there are some excellent recommendations in the report, many of which have been made in the past by the Conservation Council and are part of our own approach with the Green Ontario website. 

Specifically, the report recommends:

	a shift to strategic planning;
	the development of a provincial vision on the environment;
	involvement of all ministries in meeting environmental goals;
	establishing a cabinet level interministerial committee to ensure interministerial participation in achieving environment and health goals;
	setting measurable goals and targets;
	focusing on "continuous improvement"

Once you get into the actual recommendations for implementation, however, other key terms assume a more prominent role: 

  compliance assurance
  knowledge management
  emerging issues identification
  risk assessment

The bottom line is that Managing the Environment will lead to just that -- a new approach to "managing" environmental issues.  

Will it help save the environment? Well, that depends. The answer lies in whether the new approach will deal with substance, or just the process.  Will it promote action, or research?  An improved process may help environmental managers identify and address issues more effectively, but whether or the issues will be solved still depends on the willingness to act.

Managing the Environment is available on the Ministry of the Environment website. The Conservation Council is currently preparing a review of the report.  For details, please see GreenAlerts, or for information on our February 28 meeting to review the report see GreenEvents 
 

How green are the greens?  Our new factsheet on Golf and the Environment reviews the efforts of Ontario's golf associations to link the environment and golf.

Only the Royal Canadian Golf Association seems to have a full-fledged environmental program in place, although the Ontario Golf Superintendents Association also recognizes the environment as an important issue.

There are two new voluntary programs being introduced to Canada: the Audubon Society's Cooperative Sanctuary System (a U.S. based international program) and Green Links Eco-Efficiency Services (a Canadian program supported by Environment Canada).  This may lead to some confusion in marketing "green" golf courses.

The bottom line is that, of Ontario's 600 golf courses, only nine have Audubon certification (with 217 courses now involved in the program Canada-wide) and 28 Ontario courses are signed up with the Green Links program .

Federal management of food biotechnology came under fire this month when The Royal Society of Canada released its Expert Panel report on food biotechnology.  Elements of Precaution contains some strong criticism of the current approach to the regulation of food biotechnology. 

For example, the report concludes... 

	the concept of "substantial equivalence" is an inadequate basis for accepting new products
	mandatory labeling should be required only where there is scientific evidence of significant risks to certain members of the population, such as those with allergies;
	there are inadequate levels of government support for independent research on the safety of food biotechnology in Canada;
	Canadian regulatory agencies should adopt the controversial “precautionary principle”;
	there should be a moratorium on GM fish farms.

It now remains to be seen how the federal government (see press release) and the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Council respond to the report.

See also:
	the CCO factsheet on Food Biotechnology
	the CCO Publications page:  CCO's comments on the mandate of the Royal Society's Expert Panel.

In the whole debate over Adams Mine, one important question was overlooked:  why does municipal  waste produce such a toxic leachate?

Here's the problem: even if we achieved an 80% diversion rate of organics and recyclables, there would still be a residue that would require disposal.  That residue would still contain the hazardous component of our municipal garbage, and the risk of polluted watersheds would still remain.

So what is being done to reduce the hazardous component of solid waste?  In searching the internet for our latest factsheet on a Solid Waste strategy, we found that there are a couple of industry stewardship initiatives that promote responsible use and vendor take-back, and that there were 64 depots and 173 special event days held last year.

These are all good initiatives, but they fall well short of the mark in terms of making garbage benign.

Much of the effort on household hazardous waste is being carried out at the municipal level, through groups like the Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators (AMRC). No significant initiatives or support programs were found within the provincial government.

Once again, it's time for our annual reminder to think green when you make your RRSP contribution.

Our Green Investments page has been updated to include links to the newest ethical funds.  You'll also find links to the leading organizations in ethical investing --- the Social Investment Organization and Michael Jantzi Research Associates. 

Make sure your money supports your values!